Daily Archives: May 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2017 The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria will continue to build on the progress made to date to accelerate the campaign to annihilate the vicious group wherever it tries to form, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said during a Pentagon briefing today.

Mattis was accompanied by Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The terror group seemed to appear from nowhere two years ago and swept across Syria and Iraq, causing death and destruction wherever it touched. ISIS affiliates formed in Afghanistan and North Africa. And swarms of foreign fighters sought to reach Raqqa, Syria, the terror groups self-styled capital.

The United States is leading the campaign to defeat the terror group, and crush the idea that ISIS is invincible.

Taking the Fight to ISIS

Thanks to the leadership and authorities granted by President (Donald J.) Trump, thanks to the spirit of dozens of nations committed to this fight, thanks to the nations whose troops have gone toe-to-toe with this terrorist group we have retaken over 55 percent of ISIS territory there in the core, Mattis said. Over four million people have been liberated. And not one inch of territory seized from ISIS has been recaptured by them.

Soon after taking office in January, Trump ordered a review of the effort against ISIS. Two changes came from that review: Delegation of authority to lower command levels, and the president directed a tactical shift from shoving ISIS out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding the enemy in their strongholds, so we can annihilate ISIS, Mattis said.

The intent, he said, is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters.

All this was done with no change to the rules of engagement or changes in protecting innocent civilians caught in the fighting.

Its truly an international effort against the brutal group, Mattis said.

Since this began in 2014, the coalition has strengthened and expanded, the secretary said.

There are now 68 members in the counter-ISIS coalition, Mattis said. Those nations and affiliated organizations are sharing intelligence, providing troops and funds for combat and for the post-combat recovery. A total of 26 nations contribute more than 4,000 non-U.S. troops on the ground and in the air.

Our recent coalition meetings in Brussels, Copenhagen and elsewhere reflect an energized campaign among contributing nations partnering with, of course, the Iraqi security forces in Iraq and the counter-ISIS forces in Syria, Mattis said.

This effort has reduced ISIS-held territory, limited their freedom of movement, destroyed a great deal of their leadership, reduced the flow of foreign fighters into and from the region, diminished their financial resources and, I think, perhaps most importantly, weve undermined the credibility of their narrative that there is a physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Dunford said.

Counter-ISIS Campaign in Iraq

In Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces provide equipment and intelligence to Iraqi security forces, the chairman said. Coalition pilots bomb ISIS targets and coalition advisors work with Iraqi leaders on the campaign. But it is the Iraqis paying most of the cost, the general said.

In Mosul alone, theyve suffered approximately 980 killed and over 6,000 wounded, Dunford said of Iraqi losses in the fight against ISIS.

However, the Iraqi forces have gotten much better and far more competent, the chairman said.

Just as an aside, in addition to the competence that theyve demonstrated Mosul, and the sacrifice, the one thing Ive seen over time, in the 15 months I've been back and forth visiting in Iraq, in this particular assignment, is the confidence of the Iraqi leadership, Dunford said. Compare the fall of 2015 to today, its very clear who is in charge, and the level of confidence of the commanders in their ability to lead and in their soldiers ability to fight is remarkably different than it was a short time ago.

In Syria, working with Turkey and partnered forces, the coalition has sealed the Turkish-Syrian border, stemming the flow of foreign fighters, weapons and money to ISIS, Dunford said. The general said at its peak there were about 1,500 foreign fighters crossing that border each month. That has dropped to less than 100 today, he said.

And Syrian Democratic Forces are isolating Raqqa -- the center of ISIS.

We're also taking the fight to ISIS outside of Iraq and Syria, attacking their affiliates and any groups that claim allegiance, Dunford said. ISIS is a transregional threat, and we have a global approach.

The chairman told reporters he is working to expand the already huge coalition against ISIS. I'm working very closely with more than 60 of my counterparts to expand the coalition that we have in dealing with ISIS, and our priority clearly is to prevent attacks against the homeland, he said. Our strategic approach is to cut the connectivity between ISIS affiliates and associates, and that's specifically the foreign fighter flow, their illicit resources and their message.

The effort is more than a military effort -- it is a whole of government approach, and Brett McGurk, the presidents special envoy, said this is enabling an anaconda-like approach to suffocate ISIS of its territory, finances, propaganda and ability to move foreign fighters.

This cooperation has enabled closer political coordination between local, regional and national governments to help return people to their homes after the battles are won through an innovative post-conflict approach based on empowering people at the local level to restore life to their communities, McGurk said. The effort is being led by Germany, Italy, France, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, the United Kingdom and other key contributors.

The initial focus on de-mining key facilities is a critical coalition focus. Iraqis, trained by our coalition supporting demining, have now cleared 34 tons of explosive material, he said.

In Iraq, 1.7 million Iraqis are now back in their homes, McGurk said.

That record is historically unprecedented in a conflict of this nature, and we give tremendous credit to the government of Iraq and local leaders who have worked cooperatively to stabilize local areas and return local populations, he said. To date in Mosul, 116,000 displaced civilians have returned, 250,000 boys and girls are back in school and we're working to ensure that these trend lines continue.

McGurk said the coalition will attempt to use the same model in Raqqa with local leaders planning for the day after ISIS.

Link:

Mattis, Dunford, McGurk Cite Coalition Progress to Annihilate ISIS - Department of Defense

Right about now, teams are coming up on the one-quarter mark of the 2017 regular season. As such, it's a good time to send home progress reports for all 30 clubs. Some progress reports will be "lost." Others will be forged and sheepishly presented to the homeroom teacher. Still others will be proudly presented to the team owner in exchange for a hair-mussing and piece of hard candy.

As for specific letter grades, they reflect how well the team in question is meeting, exceeding, or rising above consensus expectations coming into the season. By way of example, the bar for the reigning-champion Chicago Cubs is going to be higher than that of the generally rudderless Oakland Athletics . Thus the central question is: To what extent is this team performing like we thought it would? If you're comfortably lapping most preseason predictions, then you've got an A. Falling a bit short of same, then a C is probably what you'll get. You get the idea ...

The D-backs last season won 69 games. This year's model is on pace for 93 wins. That's indeed the kind of start that will land you the highest grade possible.

They lost 93 games in 2016 after losing 95 in 2015. However, the Braves were expected to make some strides in 2017, their first year in SunTrust Park. Things have gone according to plan. Their winning percentage is roughly unchanged from a year ago, and they're almost certainly going to get worse now that Freddie Freeman is out for quite a while.

Some of us keep waiting for this Orioles run of relevance to fade, but they just won't cooperate. They go into the weekend with a .590 winning percentage and in playoff position in the AL.

Given the core in place and the winter addition of Chris Sale , much was expected of the Red Sox in 2017. They may still yet reach those expectations, but in the here and now they're a third-place team.

With 103 wins last season and a World Series trophy, the Cubs of course set a lofty standard for themselves. The recent sweep of the Cincinnati Reds may signify a turning point, but the reality remains: The 2017 Cubs are just two games above .500 and in third place. Yes, they're still the favorites in the NL Central, but they're way off last year's early-season scintillating pace.

The Sox are in the midst of a teardown, and as such they were expected to dwell near the bottom of the standings in 2017. That's indeed what they're doing, as they're in fourth place and on pace for a 70-92 finish. Expectations met, so far.

Not so long ago, this mark would've been higher, but the Reds as of this writing have dropped six in a row and now find themselves two games below .500. That scales to a respectable finish, given what was expected from Cincy this season, but it feels disappointing in light of the promising start.

After winning the pennant and coming within a hairsbreadth of the belt and the title, the Indians had high expectations for 2017. That's especially the case after their signing of Edwin Encarnacion . They're falling short of those expectations thus far, but fortunately for the Tribe they play in a fairly mediocre division.

After an active winter paired with some promising incumbent talents, the Rockies, to hear some tell it, would be in the mix for a wild card berth in 2017. Well, they're that and more thus far. They've never been under .500 this season, and at this writing they're in first place in the NL West.

The Tigers flirted with a teardown this past offseason, but it never came to pass. Instead, they're (narrowly) above .500 and in the AL wild card discussion (no one's having that discussion yet, but still).

Most expected the 'Stros to win the AL West this season, so the bar was high. They've cleared that bar in the early going. Houston has the AL's best run differential, and they're playing to an absurd 115-win pace.

The rotation's been a pleasant surprise, but the offense has been baseball's worst by a comfortable margin. Will a deadline sell-off be in the offing? Recent history has been very kind to K.C., but right now they're in last place.

GM Billy Eppler, hamstrung by a tight budget and few tradable assets, did a good job of improving the roster at the margins this offseason. That plus Mike Trout 's continuing to be the best player in baseball have made the Angels relevant and above .500 for the moment.

On the one hand, the Dodgers have the best run differential in the NL and are on pace to add to their 2016 win tally. On the other hand, they're tied for second place in a season in which the San Francisco Giants -- their expected prime competition in the NL West -- have bottomed out.

The Fish didn't look like contenders, particularly after the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez. Even by those tamped-down standards, though, they've been disappointing. At this writing, they've allowed 40 more runs than they've scored, and they're in last place in a division that also includes the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , and Braves.

One of the best offenses in baseball has carried the Brewers to the top of a tightly bunched NL Central. For a team supposedly still emerging from a deep rebuild, that's a very promising start to the season. Put Eric Thames on your NL MVP watch list.

The Twins are seeing some skills growth out of their young talent ( Byron Buxton being the disappointing exception), and they've topped the forecasts thus far. The run differential is in negative territory, and the division isn't strong. That said, a winning record and first place in the standings carry the day.

The Mets won the pennant in 2015 and claimed a wild-card berth last season. The 2017 season, however, at present finds them on for 96 losses. They're already 8 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East.

The Yanks weren't supposed to be relevant until 2018 at the earliest. Even so, they're atop the AL East and playing to a 102-win pace despite having faced one of the toughest schedules in all of baseball thus far.

The A's are adrift as usual. They won 69 games a season ago and are on target to clock in at 71 this year. The grade doesn't reflect anything more than the A's continuing to be the A's.

No one not invested in such an outcome thought the Phillies would be contenders in 2017. That said, they're emerging from a rebuild and progress was expected. That's not what's happened thus far, as the Phils are on pace to lose 11 wins off their 2016 total.

Starling Marte 's suspended for roughly half the season, and Andrew McCutchen still seems to be lost in decline. As a result, the Buccos are in last place in the NL Central and lugging around a -31 run differential.

The Padres were widely expected to be terrible, and they are indeed terrible. In an era of compression in the standings, they're on pace for 106 losses. Is that surprising? No, that's probably not surprising. If you find a "B" attached to a team on pace for 106 losses then instead think of it as "LOL B."

There's Madison Bumgarner 's serious shoulder injury -- the consequence of a dirt bike accident. There's also the fact that no team has hit fewer home runs than the Giants this season (they have 33, or just a bit more than half of the Brewers' total). For those and other reasons, San Fran finds itself on pace for 96 losses.

The M's had designs on contention this season, but they've been absolutely waylaid by injuries in the rotation. They have the longest playoff drought in the game right now, and they're in fourth place in the AL West. On the other hand, it's a minor miracle that Seattle is just two games below .500 given all those pitching injuries.

The rotation's been a strength, and the positional depth has come up big in recent weeks. They're ahead of the Cubs in the standings and tracking to a 90-win pace.

Opinions diverged greatly on what we should expect from the 2017 Rays. They've cooperated with the sense of confusion by clocking in at one game below .500. Is that disappointing, better than expected, or just about right? I dunno, man. Befuddling yet dull: The 2017 Tampa Bay Rays.

Not so long ago, the Rangers would've been flirting with an F on their progress report and, as such, ferocious parental retribution. But Texas has ripped off nine straight wins to get back above .500 and in second place. All that said, they're still on pace to lose 10 wins off their 2016 total.

They've shown signs of coming out of their funk of late, but the Jays remain a team coming off consecutive playoff appearances that's playing at a .429 clip. In related matters, Josh Donaldson has played in just nine games.

The bullpen's still a concern in D.C., but everything else is humming, including Bryce Harper . As a result, they have the largest division lead in baseball and a 101-win pace going for them. On the other hand, the Nats were indeed heavy favorites in the NL East coming into the season.

And there you have it, people. Progress reports. All 30 teams. Suckas be clickin'.

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Progress reports and grades for all 30 MLB teams at the quarter ... - CBSSports.com

GENEVA U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura ended four days of Syria talks on Friday, saying there had been "incremental progress" and he planned to reconvene negotiations in June.

But the warring sides still showed no sign of wanting to be in the same room, let alone on the same page in terms of negotiating Syria's political future.

Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Ja'afari told reporters the talks had not included any discussion of the four main agenda items - reformed governance, new elections, a new constitution and the fight against terrorism.

He suggested the United States had tried to undermine his negotiating position by saying at the start of the round that a crematorium had been built at Sednaya prison north of Damascus to dispose of detainees' remains. [nL2N1IH0TY]

Ja'afari called the accusation "a big lie" and "a Hollywood show" and said the timing was "no coincidence".

Syrian opposition delegation leader Nasr al-Hariri said it was not possible to reach a political solution or to fight terrorism as long as Iran and its militias remained in Syria, and reiterated the opposition's demand to remove President Bashar al-Assad.

The U.N. talks no longer aim to bring an end to the fighting - that objective has been taken up by parallel talks sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran - but they do aim to prepare the way for political reform in Syria, if the six-year-old war ends.

"Any momentum provides some type of hope that we are not just waiting for the golden day but we are actually working for it," de Mistura told a news conference in Geneva.

"History is not, especially in a conflict environment, written by timelines that we set up artificially. They could be a target, a dream, a wish, a day for us to try to aim at."

Among the modest goals of this sixth round of talks was a more businesslike format for meetings and less rhetorical grandstanding by the warring sides.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

DUBAI/BEIRUT Iranians yearning for more freedom at home and less isolation abroad have emphatically re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, throwing down a challenge to the conservative clergy that still holds ultimate sway.

DUBAI Iranians yearning for detente abroad and greater freedoms at home have handed President Hassan Rouhani a second term, but the hardline forces he defeated in elections on Friday will remain defiantly opposed to his plans.

ANKARA A mild-mannered cleric known for decades as an establishment insider, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani reinvented himself as a rabble-rousing political street fighter to secure a decisive re-election victory against a united conservative bloc.

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UN sees 'incremental progress' after Syria talks - Reuters

If you see the tech world as a competition between major platforms like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Samsungas I doGoogle made several announcements at its I/O developer conference on Wednesday that could affect the balance of power.

As the maker of the second biggest mobile operating systemin the world, Apple may be the company Googles AIadvancements impactthe most. Many will be watching to see what sorts of AI capabilities Apple announces at its WWDC developer conference coming up June 5.

In this season of developer conferences (Microsofts Build was just last week), its become clear that all the companies that make up Big Tech have been working hard to leverage artificial intelligence in their products. More specifically, scientists and engineers at these companies are teaching computers to talk and see, through technologies such as natural-language processing and machine vision.

Many of the things announced here at Googles conference hit on these dominant AI themes in some way.

Google Lens, for example, brings sight to the Google Assistant service, identifying and analyzing images you snap with a smartphone so that the Assistant can act on the data. Lens can read a restaurant menu written in another language and translate it; the Assistant mightthen provide example pictures of the food choices. There could be a business here as well as a useful tool: For instance, a restaurant might pay Google for the right to display marketing language around the image of its storefront as seen by Lens. I expect the computer-vision aspect of the Assistant to get far more interesting over time.

Above Avalon analyst Neil Cybart likes the concept but not the use cases Google chose to showcase it. Its not enough to just say you can walk around taking pictures of storefronts to get Yelp ratings, he says. Its fair to assume Apple will be playing in this area going forward.

Googles Photos app uses AI to pick your best shots, label them, and even suggest people you could share the photos with based on the people its recognized in the shots. Another feature makes whole albums full of photos show up in someone elses Photos app, again based on the people detected in the photos.

For many users the new features in Photos might be useful in combating the common problem of having hundreds of memory-using photos on ones phone and never really using them for anything.

Apple is very likely to talk about how its bringing it AI further into its own Photos app to fix some of the same problems Google fixed, saysGlobal Data analyst Avi Greengart.

Right now Google appears to be well ahead of Apple in delivering useful AI-powered experiences.

Comparing Google AI and Apple AI is relevant because both companies want their apps and services to get as much phone screen time every day as possible. The screens of the more than one billion iOS devicesis a big battleground for both companies. Apple wants these devices to spur consumption for its digital services business, which it wants to double in the next four years.

It might hurt Apple if Google could leverage superior AI to create more compelling apps and services, says Tech Knowledge analyst Carolina Milanesi. That might cause significant numbers of iPhone users to adopt them, displacing Apple apps. Apple abhors the idea of being just a hardware company; it wants to supply the whole experience, including software and services.

And iPhone users do have a choice. Google also announced Wednesday that itsAssistant is now available on iOS, as is itsAllo messaging app and lots of other Google ware. People who prefer Googles assistant over Siri can easily use italthough the fact that its not built into the operating system means that you cant wake it by saying OK Google as you can on an Android handset.

Siri is clearly behind other assistants, both in her ability to comprehend and in her ability to act on information she hears from the user. But Siri isjust one end point for AI (albeit a big one). Tosay Apple is behind in AI doesnt quite capture the nuance of the situation.

At WWDC, Apple might announce enhancements to the AI behind things like Photos, Maps, and Messages in ways that solve real problems. They might be different than the ones Google and others have used AI to solve.

As Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Patrick Moorhead points out, Apple doesnt like to be forced into pushing out new products or services purely because of competitive pressure, and it has rarely done so. It has lots of people working on AI, but is being very thoughtful about where and how it exposes it.

Apple also isnt likely to talk as loudly about AI as Google does. Google, after all, is a software and services companyyoud expect it to focus on AI. Apple is mainly a hardware company (and, yes, increasingly a services company). Its more likely to focus on functionality that AI helps improve, rather than dwelling much on technical underpinnings.

One clear advantage Google enjoys in AI is access to lots of personal user data that it pulls from services such as Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Calendar. Google will leverageas much user data as privacy concerns permitto help the Google Assistant become an expert on the users life, something like the way human assistants become more valuable as they learn more and more.

For example,the Assistant running on the Google Home smart speaker could notify you that traffic on the way to your next appointment is bad, and to allot extra time. It might know that a flight listed in an email has been delayed and alert the user to that.

Apple, by contrast, has shunned collecting personal data because of privacy and security concerns. Theres no doubting thats a good thing from a privacy perspective, but it might hinderthe company from arming Siri with the information she needs to be an expert on the users life.

Apple, however, has more control over the chipsrunning the on-device AI computations on its gadgets than Google does. Apple is highly competent in optimizing chipswhich it designes itselffor the needs of its own software. Apple may simply be able to leverage more computing power in its devices than Google can in third-party Android devices. Some AI computation can happen in the cloud, but that costs milliseconds and could raise security risks.

After watching this weeks announcements about the new AI powers in Googles assistant, Im reminded that theres far more to releasing winning apps and services than sheer technological prowess. Google has on numerous occasions released productsthat were technically impressive but betrayed a woeful misunderstanding of what people might find useful (Google Wave, Google Glass, etc.).

Apple doesnt need todemonstrate superiority over Google in the pure science part of artificial intelligence. It can win by coupling its AI chops with a superior understanding of how people will best benefit from AIin day-to-day life.

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Why Apple Is Watching Google's AI Progress Carefully - Fast Company

BOULDER CITY, Nev. - Progress is being made on the Boulder City bypass which is the first phase of the I-11 project linking LasVegas and Phoenix.

8 News NOW got a ride along for the first 15 miles of the new interstate.

Those first 15 miles alone are expected shave 30 minutes off the time it takes to drive from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge to Henderson.

That's because the interstate will go around Boulder City. That means no stoplights and no backups which as you know, can get bad on weekends.

Along one portion of the road, they had to drill and blast their way through part of the El Dorado mountain.

Near the lake, they are building a scenic overlook with kiosks, where motorists can pull over and read about the area. Along a different portion, there is artwork that illustrates the history of Boulder City.

"On the north side of the wall, we show the 31ers, the migration of people to Boulder City to construct HooverDam, and as you progress south along the wall, then it shows the construction of HooverDam by showing a high scaler repelling off the rocks in the canyon and the top of HooverDam," said Ryan Wheeler, NDOT.

Through the mountains they are trying to preserve the native environment as best they can - for example instead of blasting or removing large rocks, they are leaving them alone.

They are even building a sheep crossing, so native sheep and other animals can safely cross the interstate.

Both phases of the project are on schedule. You can expect drive the entire length of the Boulder City bypass about a year from now in June of 2018.

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I-11 project making progress - Story | LasVegasNow | KLAS-TV - KLAS-TV

One by one they emerged, starters and reserves, from a smoke-filled tunnel. It was an impressive entrance for the Stars, the pomp and circumstance one would expect for a home opener.

But it was far from the only use of smoke on the night by the home team. There was the smoke that accompanied the mirrors that Stars coach Vickie Johnson has had to employ during an injury-filled start to the season.

With Kayla McBride back from Turkey, the Stars added another crucial piece to their puzzle. It just was not enough.

Brittney Griner had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks as Phoenix outlasted the Stars 78-72 on Friday before 6,400 at the AT&T Center.

Photo: Edward A. Ornelas, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Stars Monique Currie and Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner grab for a rebound during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Monique Currie and Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner grab for a rebound during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Fans sing during the San Antonio Stars and Phoenix Mercury game Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Fans sing during the San Antonio Stars and Phoenix Mercury game Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum (left) and Moriah Jefferson watch first half action against the Phoenix Mercury from the bench Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum (left) and Moriah Jefferson watch first half action against the Phoenix Mercury from the bench Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars head coach Vickie Johnson calls a play during first half action against the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars head coach Vickie Johnson calls a play during first half action against the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Fans grab for a t-shirt during the San Antonio Stars and Phoenix Mercury game Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Fans grab for a t-shirt during the San Antonio Stars and Phoenix Mercury game Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner reacts after a team basket during first half action against the San Antonio Stars Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner reacts after a team basket during first half action against the San Antonio Stars Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum (left) and Moriah Jefferson watch first half action against the Phoenix Mercury from the bench Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum (left) and Moriah Jefferson watch first half action against the Phoenix Mercury from the bench Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello reacts after a play during second half action against the San Antonio Stars Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello reacts after a play during second half action against the San Antonio Stars Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

San Antonio Stars Kayla McBride is introduced before the game with the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kayla McBride is introduced before the game with the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum is introduced before the game with the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum is introduced before the game with the Phoenix Mercury Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Isabelle Harrison shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Isabelle Harrison shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Nia Coffey (from left), Phoenix Mercurys Yvonne Turner, and San Antonio Stars Monique Currie grab for a loose ball during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Nia Coffey (from left), Phoenix Mercurys Yvonne Turner, and San Antonio Stars Monique Currie grab for a loose ball during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kayla McBride (center) grabs for a loose ball between Phoenix Mercurys Camille Little and Stephanie Talbot during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Kayla McBride (center) grabs for a loose ball between Phoenix Mercurys Camille Little and Stephanie Talbot during first half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Stars Erika de Souza shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during second half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

San Antonio Stars Erika de Souza shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during second half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

The Stars Isabelle Harrison moves around the Mercurys Cayla George in the second half. Harrison had a team-high 16 points.

The Stars Isabelle Harrison moves around the Mercurys Cayla George in the second half. Harrison had a team-high 16 points.

San Antonio Stars Monique Currie shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during second half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

San Antonio Stars Monique Currie shoots around Phoenix Mercurys Brittney Griner during second half action Friday May 19, 2017 at the AT&T Center. The Phoenix Mercury won 78-72.

Stars make progress, fall in home opener

The Stars (0-3) played without point guards Moriah Jefferson (right knee soreness) and Kelsey Plum (right sprained ankle), the No. 1 pick in Aprils WNBA draft. Johnson said she is hopeful Plum and Jefferson will be ready to play in the teams next game, Thursday at home against the Dallas Wings.

Were still missing two pieces, Johnson said. Ill be excited to see our team next week against Dallas. You guys will see the real Stars in action.

Fridays game gave Johnson and her players reason to be optimistic. Besides McBride returning to score 14 points less than 24 hours after arriving in San Antonio from Turkey, center Isabelle Harrison scored a career-high 16 points, the second time in three games she has accomplished the feat.

Kayla Alexander and Monique Currie had eight points apiece to pace a bench that registered 38 points, 17 rebounds and three steals. Alex Montgomery contributed seven points and 12 rebounds.

Were getting better a little bit at a time, McBride said. We know everything is new - coach is new, systems new. We dont even have our point guards yet. I think weve been able to make plays and be in games and continue to get better. That focus is going to take us further when we do start adding these pieces, when we do start getting to know each other better. We know its a process.

The process appeared as if it had reached fruition when the Stars rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first half to get within 46-44 on Sequoia Holmes jumper with 7:06 left in the third quarter.

Phoenix (2-1) gradually pulled away to push its advantage back to 10 going into the final period. The Stars were within 75-70 with 1:06 to play, but Leilani Mitchells 3-pointer with 51 seconds put the game out of reach.

Diana Taurasi added 17 points for Phoenix. Mitchell tallied 14 and former Stars guard Danielle Robinson, acquired by the Mercury in an offseason trade, chipped in 12.

I think its all going to help out when we get our point guards back and its going to help the rest of the offense flow, Harrison said.

tthomas@express-news.net

Twitter: @en_terrence

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Stars make progress, fall in home opener - mySanAntonio.com

BEIJING China and the 10 countries in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations have agreed on the rough outline of a legally binding code of conduct designed to prevent clashes in the strategic South China Sea, officials said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin was quoted in state media Friday as saying the agreement laid a "solid foundation" for further negotiations.

"All parties have vowed to continue to constructively advance the negotiations" toward the early conclusion of the code of conduct, Liu was quoted as telling Xinhua News Agency following Thursday's meeting in the southern Chinese city of Guiyang.

The Philippines welcomed the finalization of the draft of the framework. It contains elements that the parties agreed upon and will be presented to Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers in August for consideration, the statement from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong said the sides hoped that would produce needed "political support" from the ministers.

No details were given and Liu said the text of the framework agreement would remain secret for now. No date was given for the adoption of a full code of conduct.

Also Friday, Liu and the Philippines ambassador to Beijing Jose Santiago "Chito" Santa Romana were to meet separately to discuss an agenda for future talks on their dispute over islands and waters in the eastern portion of the South China Sea.

China was enraged by a ruling last year from a Hague tribunal invalidating most of its South China Sea claims in a case brought by the Philippines. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has downplayed that ruling as part of his push for a broad improvement in relations between the sides since taking office in June that has cast a shadow over Manila's ties to its longtime ally, the United States.

Despite the thaw in relations, China protested a visit last month by Manila's defense and military chiefs to a disputed island in the South China Sea. The Philippine government maintained that it owns the territory where Filipino troops and villagers have lived for decades.

At a briefing in Beijing earlier this week, Romana said the sides had "turned a new page" on dealing with their South China Sea issues.

"Generally, the situation has eased in terms of tensions between the Philippines and China," he said, citing regained access by Philippine fishermen to Scarborough Shoal after years of being blocked by Chinese ships.

"It does not mean the differences have disappeared. As (Duterte) told President Xi (Jinping), there will still be problems, but we are willing to discuss the issues with the Chinese side and he is optimistic that the bilateral negotiations and bilateral dialogue is the way to go," Romana said.

China and the members of ASEAN committed 15 years ago to signing a code of conduct, but progress has been slow amid disputes over the body of water that China claims virtually in its entirety.

In the absence of such an agreement, they have followed a separate document called the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, or DOC, which among other provisions, commits the parties to "exploring ways for building trust and confidence ... on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

Along with the Philippines, ASEAN members Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei also maintain claims in the South China Sea that overlap with those of China and Taiwan.

An estimated $5 trillion in global trade annually passes through the South China Sea, which is also home to rich fishing grounds and a potential wealth of oil, gas and other natural resources.

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Progress made on draft of South China Sea code of conduct - Fox News