Aquino orders govt agencies to ensure fewer revelry-related injuries

President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday ordered concerned government agencies to ensure fewer casualties in this year's New Year revelry, after receiving a briefing from them on their preparations for the occasion.

Aquino was briefed in Malacañang on the measures taken by the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Interior and Health Departments, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported.

The report said Aquino's directives included making sure the PNP as well as health workers are at their posts, especially at 11 p.m. of Monday onwards, when the revelry is expected to peak.

It also said another meeting may be held in January on a possible ban on fireworks to ensure zero casualties in future revelries.

At the briefing, the PNP and Interior Departments insisted they are enforcing the laws and ordinances against illegal firecrackers.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the BFP laid out its case for banning firecrackers, which it said was a major cause of fires.

Valte also said Aquino asked the PNP to set up another hotline number other than the current text hotline 0917-8475757, which may be "hard to remember."

The New Year revelry is expected to peak on Monday, the last day of 2012, even as authorities brace for fires and injuries related to the celebrations. — LBG, GMA News

Celtics' Rondo out with bruised thigh, hip

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo sat out Saturday night's game against the Golden State Warriors because of a bruised right thigh and hip.


Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Rondo was hurt in Thursday's 106-77 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers. Rondo participated in Boston's morning shootaround and took shots before the game at Golden State before deciding he couldn't play.

"I don't think it's that big of a concern, honestly," Rivers said.
Courtney Lee started in Rondo's place. Rivers said Rondo will be a game-time decision when the Celtics play at the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Rondo, a three-time All-Star, had started the first 24 games for the Celtics this season. He is averaging 13.6 points, 11.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds.

Shooting guard Leandro Barbosa was scheduled to rejoin the Celtics late Saturday night. He is expected to play at Sacramento after missing the last three games for personal reasons. Jason Terry again started in Barbosa's absence against the Warriors.

Subtracting Harden Adds Up For OKC

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HOUSTON – Comfortable in a new city and a new role as top gun of the Rockets’ offense, James Harden seems on his way to his first appearance amid the glitz and glamor of the NBA All-Star Game.
Of course, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have already been there, done that, more than once, and will likely return to the Toyota Center for another go-around on Feb. 17. But really they have their sights set only on another shiny object — the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
And the seemingly counterintuitive truth is the Thunder might actually be closer to achieving that goal without their former running mate.
In other words: No Harden, no problem.
That is not in any way to diminish the skill and work ethic of Harden, who has been everything the Rockets hoped for and more. He can weave through traffic, find his way to the basket and draw fouls almost in his sleep. He pull up and stab in a 3-point dagger from almost any place over the half-court line. He has been the confident, veteran force who has been able to lift the Rockets onto his shoulders and carry them through fourth quarters as a foundation to build upon while they continue to shape a young supporting cast.
Yet Harden’s departure just might enable the Thunder to become even better and take the last step to winning a title.
For one, there is no underestimating the ease with which his replacement Kevin Martin has slid into Harden’s old spot. He can move without the ball, can score efficiently by drawing a high rate of fouls and is, in fact, even a better spot-up shooter in the Thunder offense.
“To be able to find the open spots in the defense, take a pass and just knock it down is very important to the way we want to play,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “I was familiar with some of Kevin Martin’s game and knew he was a scorer, but I didn’t really know he was a spot-up guy until he came here. It’s been a significant addition to our team.”
Perhaps more significant, the departure of Harden has forced Durant to take on more of an all-around role in the OKC offense. While his scoring is down slightly this season, his assists and his assist/turnover ratio has improved. It seems he is becoming even more effective as a facilitator, drawing defenses to him and finding his open teammates.
There are still going to be those nights when Durant can and will fill up the bucket for 40 or 50. But without Harden to come off the bench and provide an offensive burst of his own, Durant been much more effective in getting the rest of his teammates — Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison and Martin — more involved on a more consistent basis. By subtracting Harden from the equation, Durant has had to become a more well-rounded player, even more of a leader, and the Thunder have gone from a three-headed monster to overall better team and
In two games against his former team, Harden has shot just 9-for-33 (27.2 percent) while averaging 21 points.
“James was really good for us,” said Brooks. “He’s a terrific player. He’s an All-Star player. He’s definitely at that level, and he’s going to be that way for many, many, many years. He still has improvement to make in his game and he’s really good now. But we never looked at it that way. We looked at it as whoever we have we’re going to get better with them and move forward.”
No Harden, no problem.

ADVISORY | Don't use sky lanterns to welcome New Year, warns BFP

 

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) appealed to the public to refrain from using sky lanterns in residential areas in welcoming the New Year tonight.

Sky lanterns, powered by lighted candles or lighted oil or alcohol, can be a major cause of fires, said BFP officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Ruben Bearis Jr.

Bearis acknowledged that sky lanterns are increasingly becoming popular among revelers, but said using these in residential areas is as dangerous as lighting pyrotechnics and firecrackers. Should a sky lantern catch or fall on the roof or on any combustible material, it can lead to a bigger fire.

The BFP said sky lanterns should only be used in open spaces such as bay areas and fields.

Bearis wants local government units to pass ordinances banning the use of sky lanterns in residential areas.

India rape victim’s body cremated in New Delhi

Indian residents Meena Rai (L) and Usharai (R) – neighbours of a gangrape victim – stand with police personnel outside a cremation ground in New Delhi on December 30, 2012, after a cremation ceremony. The victim of a gang-rape and murder which triggered an outpouring of grief and anger across India was cremated at a private ceremony, hours after her body was flown home from Singapore. AFP/SAJJAD HUSSAIN

NEW DELHI—The body of a young woman who was gang-raped and brutally beaten on a moving bus in India’s capital has been cremated.
Indian police have charged six men with murder in the attack, which shocked the country and triggered protests for greater protection for women from sexual violence.
The murder charges were laid Saturday, hours after the woman died in a Singapore hospital, where she had been flown for treatment.
Her body was cremated in a private ceremony Sunday in New Delhi soon after its arrival from Singapore on a special Air-India flight.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, were at the airport to receive the body and meet family members of the victim who had also arrived on the flight.

PNoy signs RH bill into law

 
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - President Benigno Aquino will formally announce that he has signed the reproductive health (RH) bill into law on Sunday, December 30, a source said.
The date falls on the day commemorating the death of national hero  Jose Rizal, whose novels being made as required reading in all schools were opposed by the Catholic Church more than 50 years ago.
Aquino has already reportedly signed the bill into law, according to a pro-RH lawmaker.
The President signed the bill into law last December 21, Rep. Janette Garin told ANC and dzMM.
Garin, in an interview with radio dzMM, said the new law will be known as Republic Act 10354.
She told ANC she was not present when Aquino signed it.
"I was told he will sign it, but I was not there, we were not there," she said.
However, she said she exchanged text messages with Aquino, who told her it will be signed "most likely before Christmas."
"He decided not to make any fanfare on this," the lawmaker said.
"We can see Aquino's intention to give families better quality of life and, at the same time, reach out to opponents of the RH bill," Garin said.
The Palace neither confirmed nor denied the signing of RH bill into law, as of posting.
Another source, meanwhile,  also said the RH bill was signed into law December 21 -- on the same day the Palace received it, which was the day after it was enrolled by the originating House (The House of Representatives), which in turn was day after the final vote on plenary ratification of the bicameral report.
The Palace neither confirmed nor denied the signing of RH bill into law, as of posting.
It is usually the Palace that announces the signing of a new law because they would have signing ceremonies. 
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said earlier in the day said the Office of the Executive Secretary has not yet issued any advisory on the matter.
The source said when a bill is approved by both houses, it has to be enrolled first -- clean copies printed and signed by the leaders and secretariats of both chambers, before it is sent to Malacanang.
The President acts on it and only after it has been signed will it be numbered by the Office of the Executive Secretary. Once it is numbered and signed, the signed bill has to be returned to Congress for its records.
The source said any signed law could have been transmitted back to Congress by now. - with reports from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

China plan to fortify disputed territories in West PHL Sea a violation of international law – DFA

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China’s plan to develop and fortify an expansive area of the resource-rich but disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) lacks merit under international law, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

Beijing has established a new city called Sansha under its southern Hainan province to politically administer its claimed territories in the disputed waters kin the Philippines.


In a move that could stoke tensions anew, China this week said it will invest at least $1.6 billion for the construction of a harbor, an airport, and other facilities in the areas, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

“This is giving a lot of concerns among nation states not only in the region but as far as the international community is concerned,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters.

China's recent move to bring all its claimed territories under the ambit of a recently-established "Sansha City" was “a way of reinforcing their nine-dash line claim which is considered excessive and a violation of international law,” Hernandez said.

“This action will not gain validity for China,” he said.


China’s so-called nine-dash line is a U-shaped map that covers nearly 90 percent of the waters believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.

Many have feared the conflicts could be Asia's next flashpoint.

In their latest spat, Asian neighbors Beijing and Manila engaged in a standoff in April this year when Chinese vessels sailed into a shoal called Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), which Philippine officials say is an integral part of its territory.

Vietnam likewise protested what it calls increasing Chinese aggression in the resource-rich waters after Beijing tendered bids for several gas and oil exploration areas within Hanoi’s waters.



China has frowned on bringing the territorial disputes to any international forum such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei are members along with non-claimants like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Beijing prefers to negotiate with each of the other smaller rival claimants, giving them an advantage because of its sheer size and dominant military force. —KG, GMA News

38th Metro Manila Film Festival winners

(UPDATE) “One More Try” was proclaimed Best Picture during the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival Awards night held at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas, Pasig City on Thursday, December 27.

The Star Cinema movie bested the film “Thy Womb,” which was originally predicted to win several major awards.

Overall, “One More Try” won six awards, including the inaugural Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence.

“El Presidente” was named 2nd Best Picture while “Sisterakas,” won 3rd Best Picture.

“Thy Womb,” meanwhile, was awarded the Gatpuno Villegas Cultural Award.
The film’s director Brillante Mendoza urged moviegoers to support his film, which stars Nora Aunor and Bembol Roco.

“Showing pa po kami. Sana po makatulong yung award. At sana wag po kayong mag-pull out,” he said during his award acceptance speech.

His statement comes after it was reported that several cinemas were already pulling out the film from their line-up due to its poor box office performance. As of the latest report, “Thy Womb” is in last place in terms of box office results among the eight MMFF entries this year.

Mendoza also won the Best Director award.

Back to back win

Meanwhile,Dingdong Dantes won the Best Actor award for the movie “One More Try,” beating nominees E.R. Ejercito of “El Presidente,” Vice Ganda of “Sisterakas,” Herbert Baustista of “Shake, Rattle, and Roll 14,” and Bembol Roco of “Thy Womb.”
Dingdong Dantes accepts his Best Award for "One More Try"
This is the second consecutive year that the Kapuso actor won the Best Actor award in the MMFF — and the second time he bested Ejercito for the honor. Last year, Dingdong won the same award for “Segunda Mano,” besting Ejercito for his performance in “Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story.”

Nora Aunor of “Thy Womb” won the Best Actress award.

Nora Aunor accepts her Best Actress award for "Thy Womb"“Kahit konti lang ho nanonood ng mga pelikula ko, ako na lang magproproduce para di malugi,” the actress said, adding she will continue to make quality films.

Cesar Montano won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in “El Presidente” while Wilma Doesn’t won the Best Supporting Actress award for “Sisterakas.”

Director Wenn Deramas, who accepted the award for the comedienne, reveals Wilma is currently pregnant.

“El Presidente” won the most awards in the competition with eight awards; “Thy Womb” won seven. “Sisterakas” bagged two awards while “Shake, Rattle, and Roll 14” got one.

“Sosy Problems,” “Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote at si Ako,” and “The Strangers” failed to take home any awards.

The complete list of winners:
 
Youth Choice Award: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Festival Float: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Sound: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Musical Score: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Theme Song: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Make Up: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Child Performer: MIGUEL VERGARA FOR "ONE MORE TRY"

Full Length New Wave Best Actor: ALLAN PAULE FOR "DAYAK"

Full length New Wave Best Actress:  LIZA DINNO FOR "IN NOMINE MATRIS"

New Wave Best Picture: "THE GRAVE BANDITS"

New Wave Special Jury Prize: "AD IGNORATIAM"

New Wave Best Director: TYRONE ACIERTO FOR "THE GRAVE BANDITS"

Best Visual Effects: "SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL 14: THE INVASION"

Best Production Design: "THY WOMB"

Best Editing: VITO CAHILIG FOR "ONE MORE TRY"

Best Cinematographer: ODYSSEY FLORES FOR "THY WOMB"

Most Gender Sensitive Award (MAINSTREAM): "THY WOMB"

FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: "ONE MORE TRY"

Best Supporting Actor: CESAR MONTANO FOR "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Supporting Actress: WILMA DOESNT FOR "SISTERAKAS"

Best Original Story: HENRY BURGOS FOR "THY WOMB"

Best Screenplay: "ONE MORE TRY"

Best Director: BRILLANTE MENDOZA FOR "THY WOMB"

Gatpuno Villegas Cultural Award: "THY WOMB"

3RD Best Picture: "SISTERAKAS"

2ND Best Picture: "EL PRESIDENTE"

Best Picture: "ONE MORE TRY"

Best Actor: DINGDONG DANTES FOR "ONE MORE TRY"
Best Actress: NORA AUNOR FOR "THY WOMB"
With reports from Karen Valeza

ESPN names Nonito Donaire 'Boxer of the Year'

 
ESPN named "Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire as their selection for Boxer of the Year, in an article by Dan Rafael, released December 24, 2012.

"It might sound strange, but no, Manny Pacquiao was not the best fighter from the Philippines in 2012. That honor goes to 'The Filipino Flash,' junior featherweight titlist Nonito Donaire, who had a year for the ages," Rafael wrote.

Donaire had moved up to junior featherweight at the start of the year and showed no ill effects, "winning all four of his fights in dominant fashion," the last being a third round KO, courtesy of a devastating left hook, of Mexican Jorge Arce last December 15 (December 16, PHL time).

The Filipino was also cited for his strong anti-performance-enhancing drugs stance, coming to terms with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which allows the group to randomly test him for steroids at any time, whether or not he is training for a fight.

Other contenders for the award were Juan Manuel Marquez, Danny Garcia, Robert Guerrero, Leo Santa Cruz, Andre Ward, Carl Froch, and fellow Filipino Brian Viloria.

Last year, Andre Ward had copped the plume, with Sergio Martinez winning it in 2010. Manny Pacquiao has won the title three times, first in 2006, and then in back-to-back years, 2008 and 2009.

Filipina maid in Dubai accused of sexually abusing employer's children - report

Map of Dubai, from www.dubai-information.info

MANILA, Philippines -- A Filipina maid in Dubai was arrested after being accused of molesting her employer's children, according to a report by Gulf News.

The Dubai police said the 36-year-old Filipina with initials M.H.A. might face a death sentence if proven that she had sexually abused her employer’s children.

The maid allegedly had sex with her employer’s eight-year-old son and even forced the boy to have sexual intercourse with his 12-year-old sister.
The employer also accused the maid of having sex with a Pakistani gardener.

A police report said the maid, who is now detained at the Al Aweer Central Jail, had denied all the accusations hurled against her.

Her case has been forwarded to a public prosecutor for further investigation, according to Dubai authorities.

The Filipina, reportedly a single parent of a three-year-old boy, started to work in Dubai in May 2011.

Richard Branson to be AirAsia stewardess after losing Grand Prix bet

A file photo of Sir Richard Branson holding a Virgin Atlantic plane in Dubai. (Bernard Testa)

KUALA LUMPUR—British billionaire Richard Branson will finally wear a red skirt and serve as a stewardess on Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia in May after losing a Grand Prix bet with the founder of the airline.
Virgin boss Branson and AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes had agreed in 2010 that whichever of their teams (then Virgin and Lotus) finished lower in the constructors' championship in their debut season, the losing owner would serve on the other's airline.
Branson lost as Lotus finished 10th and Virgin 12th, but the trip was postponed in early 2011 after he injured himself while skiing.
Fernandes said Branson had contacted him to honour his bet.
"He will be an Airasia stewardess in May on Airasia. 2 years late but main point he hasn't forgotten," Fernandes tweeted.
Fernandes had previously said that Branson would strut down the aisle to offer coffee, tea or other food and beverages to guests on a special 13-hour Kuala Lumpur to London flight.
The tickets for the flight would be auctioned off for charity.

Philippines is 2nd most giving country in SE Asia and 17th worldwide

MANILA, Philippines - When it comes to selfless acts, Filipinos are among the region and the world's best people.

The Philippines is the second most giving country in Southeast Asia and the 17th among 160 countries worldwide in 2012. This is according to the  World Giving Index compiled by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation based on data gathered by Gallup, Inc., an international research-based performance management consulting firm.

The index is based on an average of three measures of giving behaviour: the percentage of people who donate money to charity, volunteer their time, and help a stranger.

The latest ranking is a big leap for the Philippines. The country only ranked 32nd in 2011 and 50th in 2010 worldwide and fourth in 2011 and fifth in 2010 in Southeast Asia.

In 2012, the Philippines' giving behaviour in terms of volunteering time rose to 44 percent from 41 in 2011 and only 27 in 2010.

Worldwide, the Philippines is fifth in 2012 in terms of volunteering behavior.

"Volunteering is particularly commonplace there, with more people volunteering than in any other country in the region," said the 2012 index report.

"Indeed, the Philippines is ranked fifth globally for its participation in volunteering. The Philippines has a World Giving Index score that exceeds (by four percentage points) its five-year average," the report further noted.

Also, the Philippines' act of helping strangers increased to 58 percentage points in 2012 from 57 in 2011 and 35 in 2010.

However, the country's score in terms of donating money was not that outstanding. In 2010, it garnered 45 percentage points in donating money but the score was unsurpassed in 2011 with only 28 points and 32 points in 2012.   
Below are 2012 the rankings worldwide and in Southeast Asia

Top 20 giving countries worldwide
1.Australia
2.Ireland
3.Canada
4.New Zealand
5.USA
6.The Netherlands
7.Indonesia
8.United Kingdom
9.Paraguay
10.Denmark
11.Liberia
12. Iran
13.Turkmenistan
14.Qatar
15.Sri Lanka
16.Trinidad and Tobago
17.Finland
17.Philippines
19.Hong Kong
19. Oman

Top giving countries in Southeast Asia
1. Indonesia
2.Philippines
3. Thailand
4. Cambodia
5. Vietnam
6. Malaysia
7. Singapore

Top 10 countries by participation in volunteering time 

1.Turkmenistan
2.Liberia
3.Uzbekistan
4.Tajikistan
5.Philippines
6.Sri Lanka
7.Canada7.Paraguay
7.USA
10. Indonesia 

Tourist-magnet Bohol on heightened alert

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol - Police authorities say the province is on high alert during the Yuletide, considering that Bohol is among the top destinations for tourists during holidays.

Police Provincial Director Constantino Barot Jr. advised policemen to keep their service firearms sealed until an extreme situation raises the need for them.

“I am enjoining all our police officers here to avoid indiscriminate firing because that is prohibited. You can use firecrackers if you really want to make some noise, or heed the Department of Health and just play recorded sound effects,” Barot advised.

He said he received the directive Sunday from the regional office declaring heightened alert in the entire Region 7 (Central Visayas).

Barot immediately relayed the instruction to all the police stations in Bohol so that each police officer would be alert all the time.

Bohol Rep. Aumentado dies after bout with pneumonia

Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado

 

 

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE - 1:12 p.m.) Bohol Representative Erico Aumentado passed away at 8:37 p.m. on Christmas Day, an announcement from the House of Representatives said.

Aumentado, 72, died of pneumonia.

The House will host necrological services for the late congressman on Thursday, December 27.

Although a member of the minority bloc, he chaired the ethics committee.

He also served as head of the committee created by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. in June to create guidelines on the issuance of Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net worth of House members.

Before winning the race to represent Bohol's second district in the June 2010 elections, Aumentado was governor of the province. He was also an officer of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.

He was a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party.

Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone called Aumentado's death "a great loss not only to Bohol but to our country" while Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. called the late lawmaker "one of the most exemplary public servants."

"When he was my colleague in the governors' league, he was very passionate about democracy, rule of law and protection of the interests of the less fortunate sector. He was a dedicated and very sincere public servant," Evardone said.

In a statement, Belmonte said Aumentado died a poor man "because he never made politcs the source of his livelihood."

"Throughout all his four terms as congressman, three terms as governor, as well as his earlier stints as vice governor and member of the provincial board, Eric’s integrity and honor have never been in doubt," Belmonte said.

The Speaker said Aumentado transformed Bohol into one of the most progressive, peaceful and richest provinces in the country.

"He was truly an outstanding solon -- learned, dedicated, and principled. A gifted writer and newspaperman, Eric pursued his crusading spirit in politics, faithful to his oath and to the highest standards of public service," he added.

"He was a very dear friend for whom I had the highest respect both as a colleague in Congress and in the writing profession," Belmonte said.

Aumentado was born on May 18, 1940 in Ubay, Bohol.

He graduated with Bachelor of Laws at the Univesity of Bohol.

He was supposed to run for reelection in the May 2013 elections.

Pope: 'Technology has filled, sped up our lives, we have no time to let God in'

 

 

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI said in his Christmas Eve mass on Monday that technology has allowed people to speed up and fill up their lives so much, they are left with 'no time' for God.

"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent. Our time is already completely full," the German-born Benedict said.

The Pope also acknowledged that religion can be corrupted, leading to violence and wars, but refuted critics who claim that denying God's existence would lead to peace.

"It is true that religion can become corrupted... when people think they have to take God’s cause into their own hands, making God into their private property," the pope told thousands gathered in Saint Peter's basilica.

"Monotheism, belief in one God, is said to be arrogance, a cause of intolerance, because by its nature, with its claim to possess the sole truth, it seeks to impose itself on everyone," Benedict said.

However, "while there is no denying a certain misuse of religion in history, yet it is not true that denial of God would lead to peace," he added.

"Down the centuries, while there has been misuse of religion, it is also true that forces of reconciliation and goodness have constantly sprung up from faith in the God," said Benedict, whose campaign against religious violence is one of the cornerstones of his papacy.

The spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics also said that the speed of modern life left no time for God, and called on the faithful to make "room at the inn" for the world's poor and suffering.

"I am repeatedly struck by the Gospel writer's almost casual remark that there was no room for them at the inn," he said in reference to the story of Christ's birth in a stable because Mary and Joseph could find no other refuge.

"Inevitably the question arises, what would happen if Mary and Joseph were to knock at my door. Would there be room for them?" the 85-year-old said.

"Do we not actually turn away God himself? There is no room for him. Not even in our feelings and desires is there any room for him," he said, blaming modern society's obsession with speed and personal ambition.

"We want ourselves. We want what we can seize hold of, we want happiness that is within our reach, we want our plans and purposes to succeed.

"We are so 'full' of ourselves that there is no room left for God. And that means there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger," he added, calling for people to also rethink their attitudes towards "the homeless, towards refugees and migrants."

Benedict called for peace in the town of Christ's birth, Bethlehem, "and all those places where the Lord lived, ministered and suffered."

"Let us pray at this time for the people who live and suffer there today. Let us pray that there may be peace in that land," he said.

"Let us pray that Israelis and Palestinians may be able to live their lives in the peace of the one God and in freedom," he added.

The pontiff prayed for Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and neighboring countries, "that there may be peace there, that Christians in those lands where our faith was born may be able to continue living there, that Christians and Muslims may build up their countries side by side in God’s peace.

Philippines rejects 'coalition' with communist rebels

The Philippine government said Saturday it would never share power with communist rebels after they proposed an alliance in a bid to end a decades-long insurgency.

The rebels said they had called this week during peace talks in the Dutch city of The Hague for the alliance to undertake programmes aimed at ending the insurgency that has left tens of thousands dead.

Chief rebel negotiator Luis Jalandoni said such programmes would include agrarian reform, rural development and industrialisation.

But the government peace negotiating office said in a statement: "The (government panel) will never agree to establish a coalition government or a power-sharing arrangement with" the National Democratic Front, the rebels' political wing.

It also denied there had been any discussion of a possible coalition when the government panel met with NDF negotiators in the informal, so-called "special track" meeting in the Netherlands.

"The matter on coalition government was never discussed in the recently concluded informal meeting on the special track. There was no such offer made by the NDF," the office said.

During the meetings, the two sides agreed to a 26-day nationwide ceasefire from December 20 and to hold further talks on peace, human rights, land reform, and national industrialisation.

This week's meeting marked the resumption of talks after the Communist Party of the Philippines, the biggest group in the NDF coalition, pulled out of talks in November 2011 after Manila rejected rebel demands.

The two sides resumed low-level "backroom" negotiations in June.

The communists have been waging an armed rebellion to seize power since 1969, and more than 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the government.

The military estimates the current strength of the communists' guerrilla force at about 4,000 fighters, significantly down from more than 26,000 at its peak in the late 1980s, when the rebels also engaged in failed peace talks with Manila.

DWIGHT HOWARD IMAGINED HAVING TO RETIRE

OAKLAND – Lakers center Dwight Howard said he briefly imagined his career being over eight months ago when doctors said a herniated disc caused nerve damage in his left leg that could have forced him to retire.

“I did for a couple days,” Howard said Saturday night after the Lakers beat the Warriors at Oracle Arena.

What became a final season in Orlando, a contentious split marred by his wavering on a future with the Magic, ended with April 20 surgery, sidelining the three-time Defensive Player of the Year for the playoffs and the Olympics with Team USA. But Howard said the full extent of the injury was not known publicly, and that while he is still not 100 percent while playing for the Lakers, he is far ahead of the original timetable.

“When I got hurt, I lost my whole left leg, basically, from my nerves,” he said. “That takes at least nine months to get that strength back. I was able to get some of it back in a couple of months. But it’s always a process. I wish that it would all come back right away, but this is a great time for me to work on other parts of my game that’ll make myself better and also make the team better.

“It’s really, at this point, not even my back. The injury I had caused my whole left leg to just lose all strength. My nerves were severely damaged. It takes a while for those nerves to grow back and for you to have enough strength to play. All that stuff is coming back slowly. There’s still days, like I said, where I feel really good, and there’s day when I’m not so good. But it’s all a process. I’m pretty sure at the end of the year I’ll feel a lot better than I do now.

“If I would have waited until after the season (to have the operation), if I would have tried to continue to play, then I probably wouldn’t be able to play anymore. I had to do it right away. I didn’t want to risk my career for some playoff games. They were important for me, but my health is important.”

Traded to the Lakers as part of a four-team blockbuster on August 10, Howard is averaging 17.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.59 blocks and 36.4 minutes, second-most on the team behind Kobe Bryant. He has played all 27 games.

Donaire near Pacquiao’s status – Arum

Getty Images/Getty Images - HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 15: Nonito Donaire of the Philippines (L) hits Jorge Arce of Mexico during their WBO World Super Bantamweight bout at the Toyota Center on December 15, 2012

Despite his scintillating win in Houston, Nonito Donaire hasn't reached that exalted status of somebody about to headline a pay-per-view card ala Manny Pacquiao.

Not yet, according to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Still, Arum made it clear that Donaire took a huge step towards becoming one over the weekend with his one-punch, third-round knockout victory over Jorge Arce of Mexico at the Toyota Center.

Arum, who heads Top Rank Inc., arguably the world's influential promotional outfit, has big plans for the 30-year-old Donaire.

A mouth-watering matchup with unbeaten Cuban hotshot Guillermo Rigondeaux is being eyed to take place sometime in March.

Following his demolition of Arce, Donaire said he is not backing down from any challenge, taunting that he is looking forward to facing everyone Arum will line up for him in 2013.

Regarded as one of the world's top punchers pound-for-pound, Donaire is eyeing to set the ring on fire not lower than three times next year, adding that if he can fight more than that, it would be great.

This year alone, Donaire has fought four times, outclassing Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., South Africa Jeffrey Mathebula, Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka and also Arce.

Donaire's string of wins hasn't escaped the eyes of experts and the Filipino-American appears to be the runaway winner to be named Fighter of the Year.

Should Donaire keeps his winning ways and continues to captivate, pretty soon Arum is going to showcase him as a true attraction like Pacquiao, who gets a sizeable share in PPV to go with his hefty purse.

In beating Arce, Donaire earned his first seven-figure payday: $1 million.

NRA gun lobby urges armed police in every US school

WASHINGTON – The United States' most powerful pro-gun lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, called Friday for armed police or security guards to be deployed to every school in the country.

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," declared NRA vice-president Wayne LaPierre, in the group's first reaction since last week's massacre of 26 children and staff in an elementary school.

In a combative statement that was briefly disrupted by two protesters bearing banners accusing the group of having blood on its hands, senior NRA leaders made no concession to calls for greater gun control.

Instead, they demanded that schools be immediately given armed protection.

"I call on Congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation," LaPierre said, in a lengthy statement. He took no questions from reporters.

He said the NRA was ready to help train security teams for schools and work with teachers and parents to improve security measures, and attacked the media and the political class for demonizing gun owners.

On Friday, a troubled 20-year-old man burst into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and gunned down 20 six- and seven-year-old children and six staff members trying to protect them, before taking his own life.

The massacre was only the latest in a series of criminal mass shootings in the United States this year, and prompted President Barack Obama to throw his weight behind plans to revive a ban on assault weapons.

But LaPierre insisted that gun ownership was not at the root of the problem, blaming the deaths instead on a lack of armed security and accusing Hollywood movies and video games of celebrating and promoting a culture of violence.

"You know, five years ago after the Virginia Tech tragedy when I said we should put armed security in every school, the media called me crazy," he said, referring to a 2007 campus shooting that left 32 people dead.

"But what if, what if when Adam Lanza started shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday he'd been confronted by qualified armed security?" he demanded.

"Will you at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids -- that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? Is it so abhorrent to you that you'd rather continue to risk the alternative?"

Obama, S.Korean leader-elect pledge cooperation

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and South Korea's President-elect Park Geun-Hye promised to cooperate closely including over tensions with North Korea, the White House said Friday.

Obama spoke to Park by telephone Thursday evening to offer congratulations after the conservative ruling party candidate and daughter of a former dictator won election as the first female head of state in Northeast Asia.

"Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the US-ROK alliance as a linchpin of peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region," a White House statement said, using the South's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"They agreed on the need for continued close cooperation on a range of regional and global security issues, including North Korea," it said.

North Korea launched a rocket the week before South Korea's election, successfully putting a small satellite into orbit. US, South Korean and Japanese officials fear that the rocket, which splashed east of the Philippines, is part of development of a long-range ballistic missile.

Obama in his first term largely gave up on trying to influence North Korea. Park has said that she will explore new ways of reaching out to the communist state.

Obama forged a close relationship with outgoing President Lee Myung-Bak, who took a hard line on North Korea. Lee has been a resolute supporter of the alliance between the United States and South Korea after friction under the previous administrations in the two countries.

Newtown first responders carry heavy burdens

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — While the people of  Newtown do their best to cope with loss and preserve the memories of their loved ones, another class of residents is also finding it difficult to move on: the emergency responders who saw firsthand the terrible aftermath of last week's school shooting.

Firefighter Peter Barresi was driving through Newtown on Friday when police cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring raced toward his oldest son's elementary school. After he was sent to Sandy Hook school himself, he saw things that will stay with him forever.

With anguished parents searching for their children, he prepared to receive the wounded, but a paramedic came back empty-handed, underscoring the totality of the massacre. Barresi, whose own son escaped unharmed, later discovered that among the 26 dead were children who played baseball with his son and had come to his house for birthday parties.

"For some of us, it's fairly difficult," said Barresi, of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Co. "Fortunately most of us did not go in."

While family, friends and even strangers mourn the victims during a week of remembrances, members of the emergency forces that responded to the shooting, many of them volunteers, are wrestling with frustration, guilt and anguish as they receive counseling from a state intervention team to help them deal with the horrors they saw and heard.

Authorities say the victims were shot with a high-powered, military-style rifle loaded with ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage. All the victims had been shot at least twice, the medical examiner said, and as many as 11 times. Two victims were pronounced dead at a hospital, while all others died in the school.

Initially, only police were allowed to enter the building amid concerns about a second shooter. They are credited with helping to end the rampage by gunman Adam Lanza, who killed himself as officers stormed the building. But some responders struggle with not having been able to do more, questions over what could have been done differently and a feeling that they do not deserve praise.

Firefighter Marc Gold, who rushed to offer help even though his company was not called, said he is haunted by the trauma of the parents and the faces of the police who emerged from the building.

"I saw the faces of the most hardened paramilitary, SWAT team guys come out, breaking down, saying they've just never seen anything like this," said Gold, a member of the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Department. "What's really scary to me is I'm really struggling, and I didn't see the carnage."

After escorting the last group of children from the school to safety, Gold also was positioned outside the school to help with the injured, but he never had the opportunity.

"Most of my emotions are guilt, guilt because we weren't able to do something, guilt for the accolades I'm getting," said Gold, a 50-year-old father of three. "It doesn't feel good when people say nice things to me. It feels good for a second, and then you feel guilty for feeling good."

Joel Faxon, a member of the Newtown Police Commission, said the trauma experienced by the officers should be treated no differently from physical injuries.

"The first Newtown police officers on the scene at the Sandy Hook Elementary School minutes after the assassin began his rampage witnessed unspeakable carnage," said Faxon, adding that the governor and state lawmakers should change laws if needed to ensure the officers receive due treatment and benefits. "We owe them at least this much for facing down such evil."

One aspect of the tragedy that may help these first responders recover is the outpouring of support from around the world, according to Charles Figley, director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University.

"This is an international event. All you have to do is say 'Sandy Hook first responder' and everyone nods their head in understanding," he said. "They don't have to do it in isolation."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was one of the people to visit Newtown on Thursday, stopping by a firehouse.

The fact that responders were able to be of assistance in the tragedy will help ease their burdens, Figley said, but the involvement of so many young victims sets Newtown apart from other shootings. The Connecticut police union, AFSCME Council 15, said it has been offering counseling assistance to members across the state, and neighboring towns that sent officers have provided mandatory counseling for their Newtown responders.

"It would be ludicrous to say this wouldn't have some kind of permanent effect on anybody who dealt with it," said George Epstein, operations director for the Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which deployed immediately after the shooting to aid the first responders and has been holding small group counseling sessions.

Barresi said the counseling has been helpful to him because it is led by other first responders who have been through similar experiences.

With Newtown enduring a relentless string of children's funerals and nonstop media attention, Gold said it has been difficult to find the space to process everything, and he appreciated the support he found in the group counseling. He said he will never forget the events of that day, but he hopes the pain dulls with time.

"My heart is broken for these families beyond anything I can explain to you," he said.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers John Christoffersen and David Klepper in Newtown; Jim Fitzgerald in Katonah, N.Y.; and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington.

World survives as Maya 'end of days' marked in Mexico

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico (Reuters) - Thousands of mystics, hippies and tourists celebrated in the shadow of ancient Maya pyramids insoutheastern Mexico on Friday as the Earth survived a day billed by doomsday theorists as the end of the world.

New Age dreamers, alternative lifestyle gurus and curious onlookers from around the world descended on the ruins of Mayacities to mark the close of the 13th bak'tun - a period of around 400 years - in the Maya Long Calendar.

Dismissing a widely disseminated myth that the Maya had predicted some kind of apocalypse on December 21, 2012, they celebrated what they hope is the start of a new and better era for humanity.

After the sun rose in Mexico and the world continued to spin, the visitors to the Maya heartland gave thanks.

"I just feel love for everybody and I just feel reverent," said Stacey Gill, a 27-year-old radio show assistant from North Carolina dressed all in white. "I feel completely at peace and in stillness. Today I feel it in full force."

The end of the 13th bak'tun in the 5,125-year-old Maya calendarhad inspired pockets of fear around the world that the end was nigh or that lesser catastrophes lay in store.

A U.S. scholar said in the 1960s that the end of the 13th bak'tun could be seen as a kind of Armageddon for the Maya. Over time, the idea snowballed into a belief by some that the Maya calendar had predicted the Earth's destruction.

Fears of mass suicides, huge power cuts, natural disasters, epidemics or an asteroid hurtling toward Earth had circulated on the Internet, especially in recent months.

In the end, there were no reports of natural or man-made catastrophes linked to the doomsday predictions.

To the people congregating in the imposing ruins of the city ofChichen Itza, a focal point for the celebrations in Mexico, it was a day for celebrations.

"It's not the end of the world, it's an awakening of consciousness and good and love and spirituality - and it's been happening for a while," said Mary Lou Anderson, 53, an information technology consultant from Las Vegas.

A few minutes before the north pole reached its position furthest from the sun on Friday, a spotlight illuminated the western flank of the Temple of the serpent god Kukulkan, a 100-foot-tall (30-meter) pyramid at the heart of Chichen Itza.

Then a group of five tourists dressed in white made their way across the plain, dropped their bags and faced the pyramid with their arms raised before park officials cleared them away.

As the sun climbed into the sky, a man with dreadlocks played a didgeridoo - an Australian wind instrument - at the north end of the pyramid. Nearby groups of tourists meditated on brightly colored mats.

PARTY TIME

In Turkey, thousands of tourists flocked to Sirince, a picturesque village east of the Aegean Sea that believers in a potential cataclysm had said would be spared on Friday.

At 1:11 p.m. local time (1111 GMT), visitors to Sirince gathered in the town square to await for the return of Noah's Ark on a nearby hill. They counted down from 10 and applauded when the vessel failed to appear and the world did not end.

In Bugarach, France, a village that was said to be harboring an alien spacecraft in a nearby mountain that would enable people to survive an apocalypse, authorities cordoned off the area, fearing an influx of doomsday believers. But on Friday journalists and partygoers outnumbered the survivalists.

Meanwhile in New York, Buck Wolf, executive editor of crime and weird news for the Huffington Post, organized an end of the world party at Manhattan's Hotel Chantelle on Thursday night.

Wearing a gray T-shirt with a black Maya calendar on it, Wolf said he was inspired by a similar party he had attended in 1999 related to Nostradamus's doomsday prophecies. "It's all a big scam," Wolf said. "You might as well throw a good party."

In China, the United Nations issued a tweet on its official Weibo microblog denying it was selling tickets for an "ark" in which people could escape the apocalypse after such tickets were offered for sale online, albeit apparently as a joke.

Maya experts, scientists and even U.S. space agency NASA had insisted the Maya had not predicted the world's end.

"Think of it like Y2K," said James Fitzsimmons, a Maya expert at Middlebury College in Vermont, referring to the year 2000. "It's the end of one cycle and the beginning of another cycle."

Companies have also had fun with the date.

On Friday, the makers of Mini cars placed a full-page ad in the New York Times headlined, "Well, So Much For The 2014 Models." It suggested customers hurry to their local dealership in case time was running out to buy the car.

'PURE HOLLYWOOD'

The New Age optimism, stream-of-consciousness evocations of wonder and awe, and starry-eyed dreams of extra-terrestrial contact circulating on the ancient sites in Mexico this week have left many of the modern Maya bemused.

"It's pure Hollywood," said Luis Mis Rodriguez, 45, a Maya selling obsidian figurines and souvenirs shaped into knives like ones the Maya once used for human sacrifice.

The Maya civilization reached its peak between AD 250 and 900 when it ruled over large swaths of what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.

The Maya developed hieroglyphic writing, an advanced astronomical system and a sophisticated calendar that helped provide the foundation for the doomsday predictions.

The buzz surrounding the Maya "end of days" has generated massive traffic on the Internet, but the speculation stems from a long tradition of doomsday prophecies.

Basing his calculations on prophetic readings of the Bible, the great scientist Isaac Newton once cited 2060 as a year when the planet would be destroyed.

U.S. preacher William Miller predicted that Jesus Christ would descend to Earth in October 1844 to purge mankind of its sins. When it did not happen, his followers, known as the Millerites, referred to the event as The Great Disappointment.

In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult, believing the world was about to be "recycled," committed suicide in San Diego in order to board an alien craft they said was trailing behind a comet.

More recently, American radio host Harold Camping predicted the world would end on May 21, 2011, later moving the date forward five months when the apocalypse failed to materialize.

Sporting a long gray beard, dark glasses and a cowboy-style jacket, Raja Merk Dove, a self-proclaimed "interplanetary ambassador" from Asheville, North Carolina, said he believes aliens helped the Maya build Chichen Itza, for centuries a major Mayan metropolis, trading hub and ceremonial center, and he is hoping they will drop by.

"I envision on a higher plane, or whatever our reality is, that extraterrestrials and their spaceships will come and land on top of the pyramid or wherever the landing site is, and that they will come and mingle with the people, bringing new information, new knowledge, new blessings," he said.

"This is one of those dates. If humanity is ready for that, it can happen today. If humanity is not quite ready, it will happen at a future date."

(Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay, Ben Blanchard, Morade Azzouz, Martin Howell, Peter Rudegeair, Jilian Mincer and Gabriel Stargardter; Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Kieran Murray, Simon Gardner and Eric Beech)

Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up Janine Tugonon

MANILA, Philippines - Just like her predecessors Shamcey Supsup and Venus Raj, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Janine Tugonon almost clinched this year's Miss Universe title, placing first runner-up.

Miss Universe 1st Runner-up Janine Tugonon

The coronation night, held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Manila), was hosted by Andy Cohen, Bravo's executive vice president of development and talent, and entertainment journalist and fashion and beauty expert Giuliana Rancic.

Olivia Culpo of the United States was crowned Miss Universe 2012.

The other candidates include: 

Second runner-up -- Irene Sofía Esser Quintero of Venezuela

Third runner-up -- Renae Ayris of Australia

Fourth runner-up --  Gabriela Markus of Brazil

The Filipina beauty was given a Twitter question from judge Nigel Barker: "As an international ambassador, do you believe that speaking English should be a prerequisite to being Miss Universe? Why or why not?"

She answered: "For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It's being able to influence and inspire other people. As long as your heart wants to serve and you have a strong mind to show people, then you can be Miss Universe."

Dubbed as an "early favorite," Tugonon has appeared in several pre-pageant activities such as TV guestings on talk shows.

Tugonon's predecessors almost clinched the Miss Universe title, with Shamcey Supsup and Venus Raj placing third and fourth, respectively.

Speaker on Bieber: Let's not meddle

If he had it his way, Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. would punch Canadian popstar Justin Bieber "in the face" himself.

But wearing the hat of the highest official in the House of Representatives, Belmonte thinks it's not worth getting into.

"That's just the sort of thing we're talking about: People should say whatever they want. And I don't think that amounts to libel," Belmonte said.


"I'd like to punch him myself in the face (for making those comments) but I don't think it's something that Congress should be getting into," the House speaker noted.

Belmonte issued the statement after foreseeing the approval of a House resolution that demanded public apology from Bieber, who earlier made fun of Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao on Instagram.

Bieber, who successfully launched his concert at SM Mall of Asia concert grounds in May 2011, altered several photos of Pacquiao, who was seen lying face down after losing his latest match last week.


On Monday morning, YACAP party-list Rep. Carol Jane Lopez and six others urged Lower Congress to declare Bieber a "persona non grata" should he refuse to apologize to Filipinos for his actions.

"It may actually get approved here. It's very hard to stop (a resolution like that) but it's more like a statement of sentiment than anything," Belmonte told Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

"But I, personally, am not all jumping into that... It should be Manny's press people who should do the attack, not Congress," he added, throwing a slight jab against Pacquiao's camp.


A few days after Pacquiao’s loss, the Filipino boxing icon's camp featured in the headlines for allegedly beating a photographer who tried to take his picture after getting knocked out in Las Vegas.

Belmonte urged lawmakers not ride on issues concerning the way other people, Filipino citizens or not, prefer to exercise their freedom of expression.

"We're not any (penny ante) place. We have great prestige and importance as a body like the US Congress. I couldn't imagine that the US congress would do a thing like that and even us ," Belmonte said.

"It's just public opinion. We are pro-Pacquiao here, we love him... but we cannot step in if people are exercising their own freedom of expression," he added.

"That should not be an issue of the state," he noted.