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Michael Douglas and James Franco deny sexual misconduct claim

LOS ANGELES — Actor Michael Douglas has issued a preemptive denial of accusations that he committed a sex act in front of a female employee three decades ago.

“She claims that I masturbated in front of her,” the 73-year-old Oscar winner told Deadline magazine. “This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever.”

Douglas said he was issuing the denial after being told by his attorney that The Hollywood Reporter planned to publish a story about the allegations.

Another Hollywood star, James Franco, denied meanwhile that he had engaged in sexual misconduct after accusations surfaced on social media.

“The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long,” Franco said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “So, I don’t want to shut them down in any way. I think it’s a good thing and I support it,” Franco said.

Franco was referring to the deluge of sexual misconduct allegations brought about by the downfall of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Douglas, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for Wall Street in 1988, said the woman, who was not identified, also alleged that he had used “colorful language” in front of her and “blackballed” her.

“She may have overheard private conversations, and if she was offended, she could have excused herself,” he said.

“As far as blackballing her, that was completely untrue.

“She was a lady who was involved in development at my company, and we just didn’t have a good development record in the time she was there, so I just moved on,” he said. “I never blackballed her.”

“I pride myself of being so supportive of the women’s movement,” Douglas added. It’s extremely painful. I pride myself on my reputation in this business.”

Franco, 39, told Colbert that he had no idea why actress Ally Sheedy had criticized him on Twitter. Sheedy, in tweets later removed, said she did not understand how Franco was allowed to attend Sunday’s Golden Globes, where he won a Best Actor award for The Disaster Artist.

“Please never ask me why I left the film/TV business,” Sheedy tweeted after Franco got his Golden Globe.

“First of all, I have no idea what I did to Ally Sheedy,” Franco said. “I directed her in a play off-Broadway. I had nothing but a great time with her — total respect for her. I have no idea why she was upset.”

Franco also said that “if there’s restitution to be made I will make it.”

“If I’ve done something wrong I will fix it,” he said. — AFP

New Era stuns DOMC; Olivarez and TIP share NCRAA lead

NEW Era University started Year 2018 with a big bang, upsetting last season’s runner-up De Ocampo Memorial College (DOMC), 73-71, in the resumption of the Sta. Lucia Land-NCRAA men’s basketball tournament at the TIP Gym.

Trailing by five entering the final two-minute mark, the Hunters unleashed a telling 7-0 run to complete a come-from-behind victory.

Jeff Comia and Richard Velchez conspired in that blistering rally that allowed the Hunters to barge into the win column.

Comia led all scorers with 25 points and seven assists while Velchez, who stepped up in the second half, finished with a double-double of 14 points and 12 boards to go along with four blocks.

Also pulling off a similar hard-earned win was Olivarez College, which outlasted St. Francis of Assisi College, 60-54.

It was the second straight win by Olivarez College, which joined host Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) on top of the standings of Group A.

TIP blasted University of Luzon, 62-52, in the other game.

Leading the way for Olivarez was the hot-shooting Jayboy Solis, who scattered 18 markers. He was backed up by John Uduba with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Uduba hit all of his five shots from the field as Olivarez College’s inside-out game was enough to outplay St. Francis.

PSBA dumped Asian Institute of Maritime Studies, 86-66. — Rey Joble

Rice import reforms could ease inflation — BSP

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez,
Senior Reporter

REPLACING rice import quotas with tariffs could help soften the impact of higher taxes on inflation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said, given expectations of faster price increases for basic goods this year.

“[T]he proposed reforms in the rice industry involving the replacement of quantitative restrictions (QR) with tariffs and the deregulation of rice imports could serve to reduce inflation,” according to the highlights of the BSP’s latest policy review published yesterday.

Philippine authorities can limit the volume of rice imports every year via the QR, a preferential trade deal secured by the Philippines in 1995. This cap is in place to prevent the influx of cheap rice and keep locally produced crops competitive.

If lifted, individuals and businesses can import additional volumes of the crop but will have to pay a 35% tariff.

The Monetary Board kept interest rates steady during its Dec. 14 meeting, saying it expects inflation to remain manageable over the year ahead, even as policy makers acknowledged that prices will trend higher.

“The risks to future inflation remained weighted toward the upside,” the BSP said, noting that the “transitory” impact of tax reform, expectations of higher oil prices, and pending petitions to raise transport fares and power rates will drive up the cost of widely used goods.

The measure signed as Republic Act 10963 reduces personal income taxes for those earning below P2 million, alongside a simpler system for computing donor and estate taxes.

Foregone revenue will be offset by the removal of some exemptions to value-added tax; increased tax rates for fuel, automobiles, tobacco, coal, minerals, documentary stamps, foreign currency deposit units, capital gains for stocks not in the stock exchange, and stock transactions; and new taxes for sugar-sweetened drinks and cosmetic enhancements.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said the bank expects the new taxes to add “less than one percentage point (ppt)” to overall inflation, which would be countered by an equal 1ppt reduction from an expected easing in the price of rice once the QR is lifted.

On the other hand, the central bank is projecting slower global economic growth — mainly due to policy uncertainty in advanced economies — as well as geopolitical tensions as potential price dampeners.

The Monetary Board said inflation may “decline over the medium term” with rice tariffication.

Several bills pending before the House of Representatives seek to replace import restrictions with tariffs, but are still at the committee level.

Economic managers have thrown their support behind the lifting of the QR regime as it would have “beneficial” effects on inflation, with tariffs collected by the government expected to support mass irrigation, warehousing, and rice research.

The central bank expects inflation to average 3.4% this year, rising from 3.2% in 2017 but still within the 2-4% target range. Inflation peaked at 3.5% in October 2017, the highest in three years.

Five killed as police resume drug war

FIVE NARCOTICS suspects have been killed in Bulacan province, police said Thursday, as authorities again ramp up a drug war that has drawn warnings that President Rodrigo R. Duterte may be overseeing a crime against humanity. Bulacan is considered a front line in the crackdown, where they said five suspects were “neutralized” — a term rights groups said was a euphemism for killings. Ninety-five others were arrested in dozens of sting operations, according to a provincial police report. The five deaths in Bulacan equal the number of drug-related killings in the previous five weeks, according to official data. — AFP

‘I will not flee,’ says ex-Palawan governor Joel Reyes

FORMER PALAWAN governor Joel Reyes on Thursday maintained he has no intention of fleeing the country to evade his pending criminal cases before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. “Alam po ninyo, hindi naman po ako aalis, nandito po ako, naniniwala po ako sa rule of law (You know, I will not leave. I am here because I believe in the rule),” Mr. Reyes told reporters after attending a hearing at the Sandiganbayan. — philstar.com

See full story on https://goo.gl/rMcLto

NCAA: Lady Blazers outlast Lady Pirates to improve to 2-0

THE COLLEGE of St. Benilde Lady Blazers outlasted the Lyceum Lady Pirates in a marathon of a match yesterday to improve to 2-0 in Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Went two sets down in the early goings of the opening game of women’s action at the FilOil Flying V Centre, the Taft-based Lady Blazers showed composure and just stepped up when things got tough to pull the rug from under the Lady Pirates in five sets, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-13 and 15-10.

Led by the quartet of Klarisa Abriam, Rachel Anne Austero, Marites Pablo and Ranya Musa, CSB slowly but surely clawed their way back and took the game away from their opponents.

After breaking through in the third set, there was simply no stopping the Lady Blazers as they bucked everything that the Lady Pirates threw at them and took advantage of every opportunity they got.

Abriam had a game-high 18 points, 15 off kills, while Austero added 16.

Pablo had 12 points with Musa the other CSB player in double-digits scoring with 11 markers.

Bien Elaine Juanillo paced Lyceum with 14 points while Monica Jane Sevilla finished with 11.

“The girls just didn’t give up,” said Lady Blazers coach Arnold Laniog after their hard-earned victory.

With the win, the Lady Blazers joined defending champions Arellano Lady Chiefs at the top of the standings.

On the other end, the defeat left Lyceum (0-2) still winless in the ongoing tournament.

Meanwhile, in games today also at the FilOil Flying V Centre, Arellano faces off with the Letran Lady Knights (1-1) at 11 a.m. with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Lady Generals (0-2) and Jose Rizal University Lady Bombers (1-1) tangling at 12:30 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

3 K-pop fan meets kick off 2018

MANILA-BASED K-pop fans have much to look forward to as 2018 starts with fan meets with a so-called “idol group miracle,” and two popular actors.

Boy group JBJ will be holding its first ever fan meeting in Manila on Jan. 14.

JBJ was dubbed an “idol group miracle” in Korea, because its members Taehyun, Kenta, Sanggyun, Longguo, Donghan, and Hyunbin separately participated in the second season of the talent search PRODUCE 101 and gathered huge support from fans, who decided to create their own “dream group,” purchasing billboard ads at the Samseong Subway Station in Seoul, and posting their wish that the members officially debut.

The group went on to release its first mini album, which garnered 3 million hits within the first week, and holding a series of oversea fan meetings starting November.

At the Manila event, JBJ fans will have the opportunity to attend hi-touch with the group, take group photos and artist polaroid selfies, get autographed CDs and signed posters. All attendees will receive a free poster.

The JBJ 1st Fan Meeting In Manila “Come True” will be held on Jan. 14 at the KIA Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. Tickets — which range in price from P1,500 to P7,500 — are available through Ticket Net Online and all Ticket Net outlets nationwide.

Meanwhile, Korean actor Do Ji Han will be in Manila on Jan. 20 for his first fan meeting in the Philippines in the Philippines — dubbed “Bloom in Love with Do Ji Han” — which will be held at the Kia Theater.

The 26-year-old is best known for his supporting roles in the 2012 film The Tower, and his work in KBS2’s television series Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.

Tickets to this fan meet range in price from P3,500 to P8,500. All buyers are entitled to a high touch with the Korean star. Patrons will also have the chance to have a dinner date with Ji Han or go on stage with him during the event. Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets and online through www.ticketnet.com.ph.

Finally, Ji Soo fans will have a chance to see him up close and personal for the first time for the “Ji Soo, My One and Only,” fan meeting on Feb. 10, 7 p.m., at SM North EDSA Skydome in Quezon City.

There will be interviews, games, and special activities.

Tickets range in price from P2,000 to P5,500, with different priced tickets entitling holders to high touches to group photos.

Ji Soo has starred in K-dramas including Fantastic (2016), Doctor Crush (2016), Page Turner (2016), Scarlet Heart (2016), and more recently in Strong Woman (2017), and the upcoming drama, Bad Guys 2 (City of Evil). He also starred in the movies, One Way Trip (2016) and Seoul Mate (2014).

Tickets are available at all SM Ticket outlets and online at www.smtickets.com.

Feminists and Weinstein accuser lash Deneuve for attack on #MeToo

PARIS — Feminists and one of the women who accused fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of rape turned on French actress Catherine Deneuve Wednesday after she signed an open letter attacking the #MeToo movement for leading a witch-hunt against men.

France’s legendary star Deneuve and some 100 other women put their names to a declaration condemning the avalanche of “denunciations” that has followed claims that the Hollywood producer sexually assaulted women over decades.

But Italian actress Asia Argento, who was among the first to accuse Weinstein, led a backlash, tweeting: “Deneuve and other French women tell the world how their interiorized misogyny has lobotomized them to the point of no return.”

A group of leading French feminists also excoriated Deneuve in a counterblast letter to French radio, branding her and the other signatories as “apologists for rape.”

To say that #MeToo was puritanical and driven by a “hatred of men” was “contemptuous” of the victims of abuse and harassment, the feminists insisted, accusing the signatories of trying to “slam back the lid” blown off by the Weinstein scandal.

They claimed most of the women who signed the letter to Le Monde daily were “recidivists in defending child abusers,” a reference to film director Roman Polanski, who Deneuve has supported in his long fight against extradition to the US on rape charges.

Reaction on social media was equally vociferous, with Deneuve’s take on #MeToo becoming a trending topic on Twitter in France, Britain and across much of Europe. — AFP

Meralco customers’ power usage growth slows to about 4.9%

MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) said power usage within its franchise areas rose about 4.9% by volume in 2017, lower than the growth posted in 2016, its president said.

“We might end 2017 [with growth of about] 4.9% against a high base [in 2016],” Oscar S. Reyes, Meralco president and chief executive officer, told reporters.

He said the expected increase in volumes last year came off a growth rate of 8.1% in 2016. Meralco will release its power supply and demand figures by next month.

“All the sectors have been showing hefty growth. Surprisingly industrial has shown significant growth, so with commercial.

“All of them on average are at around 4.5%,” Mr. Reyes said.

The listed electricity distribution utility serves four main sectors: residential, commercial, industrial and streetlights. It sources electricity mainly from eight power suppliers, including the wholesale electricity spot market.

Power usage is closely correlated with economic activity.

For the dry season, Mr. Reyes said Meralco is expecting growth of between 3.5% to 4%, or lower than the growth during the same period last year. He said all sectors served by the power distribution utility are expected to increase their usage.

“We have the installed capacity to meet summer demand, it’s just a question of there being no confluence of scheduled or forced outages or Malampaya shutdown,” Mr. Reyes said.

As of the third quarter of 2017, Meralco’s sales volume grew by 4% to 31,401 gigawatt-hours, with all its customer classes recording an increase in consumption.

Meralco’s franchise area in Luzon covers 36 cities and 75 municipalities, including Metro Manila and adjacent provinces.

Residential energy sales in the nine months to September increased by 4%. Commercial and industrial posted growth rates of 5% and 4%, respectively.

The company’s 65%-owned subsidiary Clark Electric Distribution Corp. also recorded sales volume growth of 3%, which was largely fueled by the industrial segment, which grew 6%. The growth in the segment offset a 1% decline in commercial sales volume.

In nine months to September, core net income grew 3% to P15.4 billion while reported income increased by 2% to P15.9 billion. Consolidated revenue hit P214.39 billion, up 10% from a year earlier.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. —Victor V. Saulon

Butler shines as Wolves topple Thunder

LOS ANGELES — Jimmy Butler finished with 26 points and eight assists on Wednesday as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated struggling Oklahoma City, 104-88, handing the Thunder their third consecutive loss.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 18 points and 12 assists for the Timberwolves who are playing some of their best basketball of the season and have three straight resounding home wins in a row.

“When we start to compete on the defensive end like that we are tough to beat,” said Butler.

Butler, who is in his first season with Minnesota after coming over from the Chicago Bulls, said he is trying to be one of the veteran leaders on a young team.

“Last year this team didn’t understand how important every possession is,” he said.

Andrew Wiggins finished with 19 points in 42 minutes of playing time for the Timberwolves.

Thunder star Russell Westbrook had a game-high 38 points and 10 rebounds but he didn’t get much help from his supporting cast. Carmelo Anthony continues to struggle with his new team as he finished with 15 points and one rebound.

Paul George was the only other Thunder player in double figures with 13 points as Oklahoma City has lost five of their last seven games.

The loss drops the Thunder to 22-20 on the season and into seventh place as they sunk below Portland and Denver in the Western Conference standings.

Minnesota is on the rise having beaten New Orleans, Cleveland and Oklahoma City in recent home games thanks to their improving defense and consistently solid offense.

Minnesota had won seven of eight games before a disappointing East Coast road trip featured losses at Brooklyn and Boston.

Then the Wolves beat New Orleans at home and led by as many as 34 points, a season-high mark to that point.

Hosting LeBron James and Cleveland on Monday, Minnesota dominated play, led by as many as 41 points on its way to a 127-99 victory. — AFP

Pirate attacks doubled in PHL — watchdog

PIRATE ATTACKS worldwide fell to their lowest level in over two decades last year, the International Maritime Bureau said, but more than doubled in the Philippines while African trouble spots remained dangerous. Twenty-two incidents were recorded in the Philippines, a jump from 10 in 2016, with most of them low-level attacks on vessels anchored at Manila and Batangas, south of the capital, the country’s two busiest ports. There were also kidnappings of crew in the southern Philippines, the bureau said. Islamic militants have been increasingly targeting seafarers in the strife-torn region, abducting them and demanding ransoms for their release. — AFP

Mexico will leave NAFTA talks in Trump’s wake

MEXICO CITY — Mexico will leave the NAFTA negotiating table if US President Donald J. Trump decides to trigger a 6-month process to withdraw from the trade pact, three Mexican sources with knowledge of the talks told Reuters on Wednesday.

Reuters reported earlier in the day that Canada was increasingly convinced that Mr. Trump would soon announce the United States intends to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), sending the Canadian and Mexican currencies lower and hurting stocks across the continent.

“I think it’s indisputable that if Trump announces a US withdrawal from NAFTA, well at that moment the negotiations stop,” said Raul Urteaga, head of international trade for Mexico’s agriculture ministry.

The two other sources, who are involved in the trade talks and asked not to be named, said that Mexico remains firm on its position to get up and leave from the negotiating table if Mr. Trump goes through with the move.

While a NAFTA termination letter would start the six-month exit clock ticking, the United States would not be legally bound to quit NAFTA once it expires. Washington could use the move as the ultimate sleight of hand as it seeks to gain leverage over Canada and Mexico in talks to update the 24-year-old trade pact.

Mr. Trump has long called the 1994 treaty a bad deal that hurts American workers. His negotiating team has set proposals that have alarmed their Canadian and Mexican counterparts.

Among the most divisive are plans to establish rules of origin for NAFTA goods that would set minimum levels of US content for autos, a sunset clause that would terminate the trade deal if it is not renegotiated every five years, and ending the so-called Chapter 19 dispute mechanism.

Though observers in Canada and Mexico have become increasingly gloomy about the upcoming Jan. 23-28 Montreal round in recent weeks, some took heart from a recent speech made by Mr. Trump to farmers this week in which he held back from provocative comments about the trade deal.

Mr. Urteaga, who was a member of Mexico’s original NAFTA negotiating team in the 1990s, said that Mr. Trump’s speech was an “interesting signal.” “No news, means good news sometimes.” — Reuters

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