Slowing and strengthening, Hurricane Dorian worries Florida

MIAMI - Hurricane Dorian churned toward Florida with more powerful winds and drenching rains on Friday, wreaking havoc on people's Labor Day weekend plans in one of America's biggest vacation destinations.

In the Bahamas, evacuations were underway in the two days before Dorian was expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge of as much as 3 to 4.5 meters to the northwest of the islands, the National Hurricane Center said.

On Florida's east coast, where Dorian's winds were expected to begin hitting on Monday morning, items ranging from bottled water to plywood were being bought as quickly as they could be restocked. There were reports some gas stations had run out of fuel.

"They’re buying everything and anything that applies to a hurricane, flashlights, batteries, generators," said Amber Hunter, 30, assistant manager at Cape Canaveral's ACE Handiman hardware store.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center warned that Dorian could further strengthen and batter Florida with winds of over 210 kph. That would put millions of people at risk along with big vacation parks such as Walt Disney World, the NASA launchpads along the Space Coast, and even President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

NHC Director Ken Graham saw a worrying, unpredictable situation for Florida with the hurricane set to hit land somewhere up its east coast.

"Slow is not our friend, the longer you keep this around the more rain we get," said Graham in a Facebook Live video. While it was unclear where the hurricane would make landfall, the results were expected to be devastating: "Big time impacts, catastrophic events, for some areas 140 mph winds, not a good situation," said Graham.

Mindful of that warning, Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik was putting up storm shutters on his Florida home on Friday afternoon and worrying about the flooding Dorian could unleash on his barrier island town.

"It's slowed down, we’re looking at a multiple day event, we were hoping it would just barrel through and leave,” Malik said of forecasts Dorian could sit over Florida for up to two days dumping up to 46 centimeters of water. "I’m really worried about the amount of rain we’ll be getting."

WEEK'S WORTH OF FOOD

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to have at least a week's worth of food, water and medicine.

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson urged its 46,000 residents who planned to evacuate to go now.

"It's decision time now. Don’t wait until I-95 north and I-75 north and the turnpike are parking lots," said Hudson, who lived through two devastating hurricanes in 2004.

Dorian's course remained unpredictable. One of Florida's last major hurricanes, 2017's Irma, swept up the peninsula, instead of hitting the east coast.

Florida residents like Jamison Weeks, general manager at Conchy Joe's Seafood in Port St. Lucie, planned on staying put.

"I’m planning on boarding up my house this evening," said Weeks. "The mood is a little tense, everybody’s a little nervous and just trying to prepare as best as possible."

In the Bahamas, Freeport's international airport was set to close Friday night and would not open until Sept. 3, amid worries Dorian would slam tourist hotspots Grand Bahama and Abaco on Saturday.

Dorian began on Friday over the Atlantic as a Category 2 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale but strengthened to a Category 3 with sustained winds of 185 kph, the NHC said. It is moving just at 16 kph, giving it more time to intensify before making landfall.

Some 2,000 National Guard troops will have been mobilized for the hurricane by the end of Friday, with 2,000 more joining them on Saturday, Florida National Guard Maj. Gen. James Eifert said.

Florida officials also were making sure all nursing homes and assisted living facilities had generators.

Only one in five Florida nursing homes plans to rely on deliveries of temporary generators to keep their air conditioners running if Dorian knocks out power, a state agency said on Friday, short of the standard set by a law passed after a dozen people died in a sweltering nursing home after 2017's Hurricane Irma.

North of Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center's 400-foot launch tower was dragged inside a towering vehicle assembly building to shelter it from Dorian, according to a video posted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-owned space launch center.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Djokovic ready to play tennis, not politics, at Miami Open

World number one Novak Djokovic on Wednesday dismissed any suggestion of friction with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as tennis politics spilled over to the Miami Open.

Tension between the three biggest names in men's tennis appeared on the rise after Djokovic, president of the ATP Player Council, rebuffed a request by Federer to meet during the BNP Paribas in Indian Wells earlier this month to discuss the future of ATP chairman Chris Kermode.

Despite a tenure which brought record prize money and growth, Kermode was ousted as ATP chief when players' representatives on the ATP Board failed to endorse an extension of the Englishman's contract.

As head of the 10 member Player Council Djokovic had been pushing for change while Federer and Nadal backed Kermode or at the least felt the issue needed more discussion.

"I saw Roger today, we were in the opening ceremony cutting the ribbon on center court," said Djokovic during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday. "We had a small chat there was no time to talk about the political stuff.

"That is hopefully something we will have time in the next few days to go through.

"It's not necessary for you guys to create any tensions between us. In contrary I have a very good relations with both of them."

With Kermode's status decided Federer said on Wednesday that he is still willing to talk to Djokovic but with the decision made saw no urgency to meet.

"A lot of stuff has been decided already so we'll see if this week is going to happen or not but we are not chasing each other at this point," said Federer. "If it happens, it happens."

For his part Djokovic appeared eager to wash his hands of the entire affair reminding everyone that it was the three players representatives on the ATP board that voted not to renew Kermode's contract and not the Player Council, which was only part of the discussion.

The Serb added that if Federer and Nadal have opinions they were welcome to share them with the Player Council at any time.

"The player council is only part of the structure," said Djokovic. "We are not part of the board or deciding anything that is voted on later on.

"We are in consultation and collaboration with our player board representatives.

"Board members are the ones voting on what they think is appropriate for the players side.

"Federer and Nadal have been icons of our sport for so many years and their opinions are extremely important to everyone.

"If they want to be active and part of it, either officially or unofficially, I think it's only positive news for us.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Osaka faces lawsuit questions on Miami homecoming

World number one Naomi Osaka arrived at the Miami Open on Wednesday to face questions about a multi-million dollar lawsuit for allegedly failing to honor a contract with a former coach.

According to the lawsuit filed in Florida’s state court on Feb. 7 and seen by Reuters, Christophe Jean says he began coaching Osaka and older sister Mari in 2011.

Jean says he entered into a services contract with their father Francois in March 2012 that would pay him 20 percent of Osaka's future earnings.

Osaka's attorney Alex Spiro described the lawsuit as a "false claim" that has no merit.

Osaka, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise and won the last two grand slams to reach number one in the world, has career earnings of $10.8 million and has made millions more in endorsements.

Jean says that he signed a contract that would pay him a share of Osaka's future earnings as her family were unable to pay the going rate for coaching.

Asked about the lawsuit during her pre-tournament news conference Osaka, who grew up less than three miles from Hard Rock Stadium, the new home of the Miami Open, said: "I'm not allowed to say anything. I am unable to make a comment."

Spiro, however, said Jean was an opportunist looking to cash in.

"While it comes as no surprise that Naomi's meteoric rise as an international icon and inspiration would lead to some false claim, this silly “contract” that Naomi never saw or signed -- which purports to give away part of herself at the age of 14 -- is particularly absurd," Spiro told Reuters in an email. "This case has no merit and we will move past it."

The 21-year-old U.S.-based Japanese player raised eyebrows last month when she announced she was parting with coach Sascha Bajin, who guided her to the Australian and U.S. Open titles.

That split, however, appeared amicable with both Osaka and Bajin wishing each other the best for the future.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Monster' Hurricane Florence to pummel US Southeast for days

WILMINGTON - Hurricane Florence, on track to become the first Category 4 storm to make a direct hit on North Carolina in 6 decades, howled closer to shore on Tuesday, threatening to unleash deadly pounding surf, days of torrential rain and severe flooding.

Fierce winds and massive waves are expected to lash the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia even before Florence makes landfall on Friday, and its rains will take a heavy toll for miles inland, the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned.

Although Florence was still days from arrival, authorities took extraordinary measures to move people out of harm's way. More than 1 million residents have been ordered to evacuate from coastal areas of the 3 states, closing university campuses, schools and factories.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour (225 km per hour), the storm ranked as a Category 4 on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale and was expected to grow stronger and larger over the next few days, the NHC said.

"This storm is a monster," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said. "Even if you've ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don't bet your life on riding out a monster."

He cited forecasts showing Florence was likely to stall over North Carolina, "bringing days and days of rain."

To hasten evacuations from coastal South Carolina, officials reversed the flow of traffic on some highways so all major roads led away from shore. Miles of traffic slowed to a crawl along the main highway along North Carolina's Outer Banks barrier islands.

Maps of Florence's trajectory showed the center of the storm most likely to strike the southern coast of North Carolina. The last Category 4 hurricane to plow directly into North Carolina was Hazel in 1954, a devastating storm that killed 19 people and destroyed some 15,000 homes.

But NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen stressed the effects of Florence would be widely felt. Tropical storm-force winds would extend nearly 300 miles across 3 states. A hurricane warning was posted for most of the Carolina coast north to the Virginia border.

In addition to flooding the coast with wind-driven storm surges of seawater as high as 13 feet (4 m), Florence could dump 15 to 25 inches (38 to 64 cm) of rain, with up to 35 inches (89 cm) in some spots, forecasters said.

LONG-TERM POWER OUTAGES POSSIBLE

Communities in Florence's path could be without electricity for weeks due to downed power lines and flooded equipment, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long said.

Utility companies deployed crews and gear in advance, according to trade group, the Edison Electric Institute. Workers from at least 15 states were en route to the region to assist with what could be a lengthy power restoration effort.

Crews also prepared 16 nuclear reactors in the three-state region for the storm. One power station, Duke Energy Corp's Brunswick plant, the closest to the area where landfall is forecast, faced a likely shutdown as a precaution. Shutdowns also were possible at two more plants in the path of predicted hurricane-force winds.

The American Red Cross said more than 700 workers were headed to the target area while shelters were set up to take in those who could not evacuate. A hospital in Hampton, Virginia, was transferring patients to safer places.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed declarations of emergency for North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, freeing up federal resources for storm response.

"We are sparing no expense. We are totally prepared," Trump said at the White House.

Trump faced severe criticism for his administration's response to Hurricane Maria last year in Puerto Rico. Some 3,000 people died in the aftermath of that storm.

COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

Days before its arrival, Florence was already disrupting commercial operations.

Boeing Co suspended work on Tuesday at the South Carolina plant where it assembles 787 widebody jetliners, and a Volvo automobile plant in South Carolina's evacuation zone was also closed, company officials said.

Smithfield Foods Inc said it would shut down the world's largest hog-slaughtering facility in Tar Heel, North Carolina, on Thursday and Friday due to the hurricane.

Residents prepared by boarding up their homes and stocking up on food, water and other essentials, stripping many grocery store shelves of merchandise. Some gasoline stations also ran low on fuel.

Not everyone was in a hurry to leave. Charles Mullen, 81, a longtime resident of Hatteras Island, North Carolina, said he had ridden out many storms and that most locals were planning to stay unless Florence took aim at Hatteras.

"If it decides to come here, we're gone," he said. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

More than 1 million under evacuation as Hurricane Florence nears Carolinas

Could make landfall in Carolinas on Thursday

North Carolina governor says entire state may be impacted

Inland flooding expected to be intense 

HOLDEN BEACH, North Carolina - Florence, the most powerful storm to menace the U.S. mainland this year, intensified into a Category 4 hurricane as it howled closer to the Carolinas on Monday, prompting evacuations of more than 1 million people to higher ground.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (209 kph), the storm was due to gain even greater strength before making landfall early on Thursday, bringing heavy rains with the potential to unleash widespread, severe flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.

"Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday," the NHC said in a bulletin.

Maps of the storm's trajectory showed it likely to come ashore somewhere near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina. The governors of both states declared states of emergency.

"We do not want to risk one South Carolina life in this hurricane," Governor Henry McMaster told a news conference.

He estimated about 1 million residents would flee the coast of his state, following earlier orders for the evacuation of more than 50,000 people from the southern-most Outer Banks barrier islands of North Carolina. An estimated 250,000 more people from the northern Outer Banks were due to be sent to higher ground starting Tuesday at midday.

"We are in the bull's-eye," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a news conference. "This is going to be a statewide event."

OFF CAPE FEAR

Florence grew into a major hurricane on Monday morning and was upgraded again to a Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength at midday as its top sustained wind speeds reached 130 mph. At that point the storm was centered about 1,170 miles (1,880 km) east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, the NHC said.

The United States was hit with a series of high-powered hurricanes last year, including Hurricane Maria, which killed about 3,000 people in Puerto Rico, and Hurricane Harvey, which killed 68 and caused an estimated $1.25 billion in damage from catastrophic flooding in Houston.

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration was harshly criticized as being slow to respond to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, canceled a political rally planned for Friday in Jackson, Mississippi, over safety concerns related to Florence, his campaign said.

Florence could bring a deadly coastal storm surge, and inland flooding as far north as Virginia, the NHC said.

Immediately to the north of Virginia, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said his state was also was "preparing for the potential of historic, catastrophic and life-threatening flooding."

Historically, 90 percent of fatalities from hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions have been caused by water, NHC spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. Some 27 percent of the deaths have come from rain-driven flooding, sometimes hundreds of miles inland.

'CAN'T PLAY AROUND'

In Holden Beach, North Carolina, in the storm's path, longtime residents were boarding up homes and securing possessions.

"It's scary to all of us. We know we can't play around with this," said Jennifer Oosterwyk, who owns the Sugar Britches boutique on Holden Beach and lives in nearby Wilmington.

Oosterwyk was gathering tax documents and other important papers from her store on Monday, and said she planned to drive 150 miles (240 km) inland to ride out the storm in the town of Cary.

As the storm advanced, Monday afternoon was a postcard-perfect day on Holden Beach with bright blue skies, placid puffy clouds and light breezes. By 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), the previously calm surf began to show some chop.

The U.S. military said it was sending an advance team to Raleigh, North Carolina, to coordinate with federal and state partners. It said about 750 military personnel will be designated to provide support.

The U.S. Navy said it was sending nearly 30 ships from coastal Virginia out of port to ride out the storm.

Other military personnel, however, could find themselves directly in harm's way.

The largest U.S. Marine Corps base on the East Coast, Camp Lejeune and its extensive beachfront northeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, lie within the NHC's forecast "cone" for possible landfall.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Model breastfeeds baby on catwalk, stirs debate

MIAMI, United States - An American model has made a splash by breastfeeding her baby daughter on a Miami catwalk -- no small gesture in a country where many women still feel uncomfortable nursing in public.

Walking the runway at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit show on Sunday, Mara Martin stepped out in a sparkling gold bikini while breastfeeding five-month-old Aria, kitted out for the occasion in green swimwear and noise-cancelling headphones.

In an Instagram post a day later, Martin expressed thanks for the overwhelmingly positive public response -- which far outweighed the smattering of posts on her social media feed criticizing the move as "not appropriate" or even "gross."

"I can't believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for doing something I do every day," she wrote. "It is truly so humbling and unreal to say the least."

"I'm so grateful to be able to share this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that women CAN DO IT ALL!"

According to Martin and organizers interviewed Tuesday on NBC's "Today," it was a spontaneous decision to breastfeed Aria on the runway.

"She was getting a little hungry and it was her dinner time, because the show kept getting pushed back," Martin told "Today."

So when one of the team suggested she go ahead and nurse her on the runway, she said yes.

The debate over public breastfeeding regularly resurfaces in the United States, where women are strongly encouraged to nurse their babies, even though many return to work within weeks of giving birth.

While all but a handful of US states give legal protection to mothers who breastfeed in public, much of society remains squeamish about the practice.

Cases of women being asked to cover up while feeding babies in restaurants, in stores or on public transport sporadically make headlines in the country -- with "nurse-ins" held in protest to demand wider acceptance of the practice.

In the latest breastfeeding-related controversy, President Donald Trump weighed in this month to defend women's "access" to formula milk, after the United States was accused of seeking to torpedo a World Health Organization resolution promoting breastfeeding.

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months, and partial breastfeeding for two years or more.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Engineer reported cracks in bridge before fatal collapse - transportation agency

MIAMI, Florida - The engineer overseeing a newly built footbridge that crumbled onto a Miami roadway, killing at least 6 people, had called the state transportation department 2 days before the collapse to report cracks found in the span, the agency said on Friday.

But the engineer's message, including his assertion that the cracking posed no safety issue, was left on the answering machine of a department employee who was away from the office at the time, and it was not retrieved until Friday, a day after the tragedy, according to the agency.


The 950-ton, $14.2 million pedestrian bridge, which crossed an 8-lane highway adjacent to Florida International University (FIU) to link the campus with the city of Sweetwater, collapsed on Thursday, crushing vehicles in traffic below.

Late on Friday, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) released a transcript of a voice-mail message the agency said was left by Denney Pate, senior vice president and principal bridge engineer for private contractor FIGG.

In it, Pate said his team had observed "some cracking" at one end of the bridge and that repairs were warranted, "but from a safety perspective, we don't see that there's any issue there, so we're not concerned about it from that perspective."

He added: "Obviously the cracking is not good and something's going to have to be, 'ya know, done to repair that."

The transportation agency described Pate as "FIGG's lead engineer responsible for the FIU pedestrian bridge project" and part of the walkway's "design build team." He did not immediately respond to email queries from Reuters seeking comment on the matter.

The disclosure came hours after US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida demanded documents related to the design, construction, safety and inspection of the fallen bridge while federal and local investigators worked to determine the cause.

"If anyone dropped the ball and it contributed to this tragedy, then they should be held accountable," Nelson, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, wrote to the FDOT.

At least 6 people were confirmed killed, and police have said more bodies may be recovered from the rubble. The accident occurred just 5 days after the 53-meter bridge, assembled by the side of the highway, was installed during a 6-hour operation.

"We know that there's people missing, the family members know that there's people missing, and what we can tell them is that we can assume that they're in there," Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, said at a news conference.

The victims have not been publicly identified, but at least one was a female university student, officials said.

At least 10 people were taken to hospitals; 2 remained in critical condition on Friday, officials and local news media reported.

Uncertainty over the stability of remaining sections of the bridge hampered rescue efforts, officials said.

Some news media accounts reported that engineers may have been conducting a stress test that might have led to the collapse. But the state transportation department said it had no knowledge of any such tests being scheduled since the bridge was installed last Saturday.

It was too early to say whether anyone might face criminal charges, Perez said.

National Transportation Safety Board officials were on the scene on Friday to investigate.

Munilla Construction Management (MCM), which installed the bridge, said it was devastated by what happened, was cooperating with investigators and doing everything it could to help.

The Miami-based company, which also has operations in Texas and Panama, employs about 500 people and specializes in civil projects, airports and educational facilities. Since being founded in 1983, it has handled billions of dollars worth of projects in Panama, Florida and the US Southeast.

MCM appeared to have the backing of Miami-Dade County to build a planned $800-million bridge between Miami and Miami Beach, even receiving the county's support in a lawsuit seeking to block Florida officials from awarding it to a competitor.

According to campaign finance reports, the company and the five brothers who own it give generously to candidates at the local, state and federal level. MCM officials did not respond to requests for further comment on Friday.

The Florida Transportation Department said on Friday that one of its consultants on the project attended a meeting with members of the bridge design and construction team shortly before the walkway failed and was "not notified of any life-safety issues."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Several killed, cars crushed in Florida foot bridge collapse

MIAMI - Six to 10 people were killed when a newly erected pedestrian bridge spanning several lanes of traffic collapsed at Florida International University on Thursday, US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida told TV station CBS Miami.

Emergency personnel with sniffer dogs searched for signs of life amid the wreckage of concrete and twisted metal that rained from the collapsed structure and crushed vehicles on one of the busiest roads in South Florida.

At least 8 vehicles were trapped in the wreckage of the 950-ton bridge and at least 10 people have been transported to hospitals, officials and doctors told news conferences.

Witnesses told local media the vehicles were stopped at a traffic light when the bridge collapsed, and authorities said there still may be more vehicles trapped underneath.

"We're working our way into the pile trying to create holes that we can actually physically see," Miami-Dade Fire Department Division Chief Paul Estopian told reporters.

The Florida Highway Patrol has said several people were killed but did not release a figure on fatalities.

At one point, police requested television helicopters to leave the area so rescuers could hear for any sounds of people crying for help from beneath the collapsed structure, CBS Miami television said.

Complicating the rescue effort was the uncertainty about the integrity of the bridge, parts of which remained off the ground, much of it inclined, local media reported.

The 174-feet (53-meter) long bridge connects the university with the city of Sweetwater and was installed on Saturday in 6 hours over the 8-lane highway, according to a story that was posted on the university's website.

The bridge was intended to provide a walkway over the busy street where an 18-year-old female FIU student from San Diego was killed while trying to cross last August, according to local media reports.

Students at FIU are currently on their spring break vacation, which runs from March 12 to March 17.

'A MIRACLE'

Student Aura Martinez was having lunch in a nearby restaurant with her mother when a waitress told her the bridge had collapsed. She ran outside and helped pull a woman out her car, most of which was flattened by the bridge.

"Her car, it was literally a miracle of God, her car got squished by the bridge from the back, so she was able to get out and she was on the floor and it was just very traumatic," she told the local CBS affiliate.

To keep the inevitable disruption of traffic associated with bridge construction to a minimum, the 174-foot portion of the bridge was built adjacent to Southwest 8th Street using a method called Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC). It was driven into its perpendicular position across the road by a rig in only six hours on Saturday, according to a statement released by the university.

The $14.2 million bridge was designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, the most dangerous measure by the National Hurricane Center, and built to last 100 years, the university said. (http://bit.ly/2tQ2ARg)

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to investigate why it collapsed.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump is aware of the collapse.

Florida Governor Rick Scott will head to the scene later in the day, his office said.

Munilla Construction Management, which installed the bridge was founded in 1983 and owned by five brothers, according to its website. In addition to its Florida operations, the company also has divisions in Texas and Panama and employs 500 people.

"Munilla Construction Management is a family business and we are all devastated and doing everything we can to assist," the company said in a statement.

FIGG Engineering said it took part in the bridge project and the collapse was a first in its 40-year history.

Both companies said they would cooperate fully with investigators.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LeBron James Sells His Miami Mansion for $13.4M

After playing for the Miami Heat for four consecutive seasons, LeBron decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, listing his 12,178 square foot home in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood for $17 million in October.

After the property sat on the market for a few months, its price dropped to $15 million in March before finally selling this past Tuesday for $13.4 million. The buyers are a married couple of real estate investors who had been leasing the legend’s pad since June.

The massive estate has six bedrooms, eight and a half bathrooms, a huge gourmet kitchen, a game room, a theater, and a wine cellar, just to list a few features. The King’s former home also has a master suite with an easy accessible private sun deck on the roof, plus glass doors that open to covered terraces overlooking the infinity pool and Miami bay. Don’t forget that the concrete dock has parking for two 60-foot yachts. A true estate built for a King.

source: totalmortgage.com

What did Mayweather tell Pacquiao at halftime

 

Pacquiao: 'Floyd gave me his number and said we will communicate'

MANILA – The encounter between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao just got more interesting.

Both global boxing icons were initially spotted during the NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. During halftime, both men were then seen speaking to each other, seemingly coming into an agreement. This, of course, led to speculations about some signs of progress that the fight will indeed happen in May, as planned.

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Pacquiao was informed a minute before the game’s first half ended that Mayweather would be “coming over for a chat.”

To make matters more noteworthy, it has also been confirmed that the encounter between Pacquiao and Mayweather was the first time both men physically met since talks of their match-up began in 2009.

“Pacquiao said he never spoke to Floyd in person before tonight. 'He gave his number to me and said we will communicate with each other,'" Reynolds said through his personal Twitter account.

Pacquiao has been in the United States and the U.K. for the past couple of weeks to promote his documentary film “Manny” and judge the 63rd Miss Universe pageant, as well as fulfill a scheduled meet-up with British royalty Prince Harry. Supposedly in transit already, the eight-division world champion was forced to attend the game due to unfavorable weather conditions.

“Thank Winter Storm Juno if this fight ever happens. Pac wasn't supposed to be here tonight -- but his flight was canceled,” Reynolds wrote.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

In the Loop: Fantastic news

TJ Manotoc talks about some "fantastic" news: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather exchanging numbers in a chance meeting in Miami, a woman's fantastic muscle control, and the new Fantastic Four trailer, in this episode of ABS-CBNnews.com's In the Loop. - January 28, 2015

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Adrien Broner arrested in Miami

MANILA, Philippines – Undefeated American boxer Adrien Broner was arrested by the Miami Dade police last March 18 on battery charges before being released on $1,500 bond.

Broner posted a photo of the arrest report and mug shot on his Instagram account, although the picture has since been deleted.

Boxing Scene cited news reports from Cincinnati saying Broner was "arrested over an altercation at a nightclub called LIV... in Miami Beach.”

The lightweight champion “allegedly bit someone on the forearm as they tried to pull him away from the incident.”

In an interview with RingTV, Broner made light of the incident, even jokingly accusing future opponent Paulie Malignaggi of having him arrested.

“He’s so scared to fight me that he sent some police to arrest me for nothing,” said Broner of Malignaggi, whom he will fight on June 22.

“That’s what happened. Paulie’s so scared to fight me that he sent somebody to arrest me and to put some fake charges on me,” he said. “But it’s all right. I’m out, and I’m counting some money as we speak.”

Meanwhile, Malignaggi told RingTV that Broner showed his immaturity when he publicized his arrest through his social media accounts.

“He’s 23-years-old and he thinks that being the bad (guy) is the cool thing to do,” Malignaggi said, adding that he was also arrested as a 22-year-old but did not make a big deal out of it.

“I hit a cop. I didn’t have no fake(d) battery charge. You can check my record. I got arrested for assaulting an officer, but I didn’t go and broadcast it,” he said.
 

source: abs-cbnnews.com