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Russian Higher League

Russia Championship Higher League,
Yaroslavl, Russia
June 26-July 6, 2018

Final Top Standings
1-2. GM Alexey Sarana RUS 2573, GM Grigoriy Oparin RUS 2587, 6.5/9
3-8. GM Ernesto Inarkiev RUS 2684, GM Denis Khismatullin RUS 2627, GM Mikhail Kobalia RUS 2608, GM Vadim Zvjaginsev RUS 2633, GM Kirill Alekseenko RUS 2621, GM Sanan Sjugirov RUS 2663, 6.0/9
9-12. GM Alexander Motylev RUS 2659, WGM Aleksandra Goryachkina RUS 2505, GM Aleksandr Rakhmanov RUS 2627, GM Igor Lysyj RUS 2630, 5.5/9
Total of 59 Participants
Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then another 30 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1.
Never heard of Yaroslavl? Well you should be ashamed of yourself. It is a city 250 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Founded in 1010 it became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow in 1463 which, by the 18th century expanded itself to become the Russian Empire. Yaroslavl for a long time was Russia’s second largest city (behind Moscow) and during the Polish occupation of Moscow in 1612, became its de facto capital.
This year Yaroslavl hosted the Russian Higher League Championship where the Top 5 will gain automatic entry into the Russian Super Finals scheduled to be played Aug. 25-Sept. 5 in Satka, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
The 18-year-old Muscovite GM Alexey Sarana, a completely unknown outside of Moscow, scored 4.5/5 in the first half of the event and then coasted home with four draws to win the championship on tiebreaks against Grigory Oparin. The other qualifiers to the SuperFinals are GMs Ernesto Inarkiev, Denis Khismatullin and Mikhail Kobalia. This was exactly the same formula followed by Grigoriy Oparin in 2016 — he also scored 4.5/5 in the first half of the 2016 Russian Her League (wins against Lpzionov, Popov, Vavulin and Fedoseev, draw against Sarana) and finished with 4 draws.
Big names who failed to make the cut are several European Champions:

2017 Maxim Matlakov

2015 Evgeniy Najer

2014 Alexander Motylev

2013 Alexander Moiseenko

2011 Vladimir Potkin

If you are wondering why the 2018 European Champion did not participate it is because the winner was Ivan Saric (not to be confused with Dario Saric of the NBA Philadelphia 76ers) and he is Croatian, not Russian.
The 2016 European Champion Ernesto Inarkiev finished among the top 5 and qualified for the Super Finals. He has a direct style which is very attractive for the audience. Here is an example of his headlong play against the 2014 Russian Chess Champion.

Inarkiev, Ernesto (2684) — Lysyj, Igor (2630) [C48]
71st ch-RUS HL 2018 Yaroslavl RUS (8.3), 04.07.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5
Igor Lysyj wrote a book on the “Open Games For Black.” Against the Four Knights (to which this game has already transposed to) he recommends either 4…Bb4 or 4…Nd4. Of course he now avoids those lines because White may have studied his book and prepared something.
5.0–0 0–0 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4!
[8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.Bd3 Re8 10.Re1 d6 Leaves White is nothing]
8…Neg4 9.e5 Be7 10.f5
Completely in keeping with Inarkiev’s style.
10…d6 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Qf3 c6 13.Bd3 Qb6 14.Be3
Starting an all-out attack.
14…Qxb2 15.Ne2 d5 16.g4 Ne4 17.Ng3 Nxg3 18.Qxg3 f6 19.Kh1 Qa3 20.Rf3 Rf7 21.h4 Qd6 22.Qg2 h6 23.Rg1 Bd7 24.Bf4 Qb4 25.g5 fxg5 26.hxg5 Bxg5 27.Bxg5 hxg5 28.Qxg5 Re8 29.Qh4! 1–0
Black resigns. White’s threat of 30.f6 is deadly.
As for the two other unaccounted-for years, Ian Nepomniachtchi (2010) and Dmitry Jakovenko (2012 champion) are ranked as the 4th and 6th highest rated players in Russia, respectively, and seeded directly into the Russian Super Finals.
As usual when there are this many strong players the games are well worth playing over. I particularly liked this one from the tournament winner.

Alekseenko, Kirill (2621) — Sarana, Alexey (2573) [B92]
71st ch-RUS HL 2018 Yaroslavl, RUS (3.9), 28.06.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2
The original intention of the Sicilian Najdorf 5…a6 is to carry out the Boleslavsky advance of …e7–e5. Rather than try to prevent it to 6.Bg5, this positional method popularized by the 12th world champion Anatoly Karpov actually invites Black to go ahead with the advance and then seek to destroy his position through positional means.
6…e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Re1
Karpov used to continue with 9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2. He first stamps out all of Black’s possible counterplay with maneuvers like a2–a4–a5 followed by Nb3–c1–a2–b4–d5 and Ra1–a4–b4 and really puts the squeeze on Black. Here is one example: 10…Nbd7 11.a4 (oh, yes! as a tribute to the strength and soundness of Karpov’s opening play this was also the way the hyper-aggressive many-time candidate for the world championship GM Efim Geller would play White against the Najdorf. Considering that Geller’s attacking style is considered to be the exact opposite of Karpov’s positional play, this is praise indeed) 11…Nb6 12.a5 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Bxc4 14.Rfd1 h6 15.Nc1 Rc8 16.Nd3 Be6 17.Bb6 Qe8 18.f3 Nd7 19.Be3 f5 20.exf5 Rxf5 21.Nb4 Nf6 22.Nbd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 Bf8 24.b3 Qf7 25.Nb6 Rc6 26.c4 Be7 27.Qe2 Bd8 28.Nd5 Bxd5 29.Rxd5 b5 30.axb6 Bxb6 31.Kh1 Bxe3 32.Qxe3 Qc7 33.Rad1 Rf6 34.h3 Qb6 35.Qd3 Qb4 36.Kh2 Qb8 37.Re1 Rf8 38.Re4 Qc7 39.Rg4 Rf6 40.b4 Qb6 41.c5 Qc7 42.Kh1 a5 43.Rc4 Qb8 44.cxd6 Rcxd6 45.bxa5 Qd8 46.Rcc5 1–0 (46) Karpov,A (2720)-Quinteros,M (2505) Luzern 1982.
9…Be6 10.Bf3
Putting additional force on d5. Usually this is followed by Nb3–d2–f1–e3.
10…Nbd7 11.a4 Qb8
Making way for his bishop on e7 to be relocated via Be7–d8–b6(or a5) to a more active diagonal. The Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is an exponent of this approach and, being the foremost Sicilian Najdorf expert in our time, most players trust his assessment of these lines.
Another alternative is 11…Nb6 where the knight heads for c4 before white can prevent this with a4–a5.
12.h3 Rc8 13.Nd2 Bd8 14.Nf1 Bb6 15.a5 Bd4 16.Nd5
Alekseenko had this position before, but with Black. 16.Ne2 Bc5 17.Be3 b6 18.axb6 Qxb6 19.b3 a5 20.Neg3 g6 21.Nf5!? only a sham sacrifice as White can instantly win back his piece 21…Rd8 (21…gxf5?! 22.exf5 d5 23.Bxc5 Rxc5 24.fxe6 fxe6 25.Ne3 material is equal but White is obviously better because of the open Black king position.) 22.g4 Kh8 23.N1g3 Bxe3 24.Nxe3 Nc5 25.g5 Ng8 26.Bg4 f6 Black has already gained the upper hand because White’s attempt at an attack has created weak squares around his king. Rublevsky,S (2665)-Alekseenko,K (2625) Sochi RUS-chT RUS 2018 0–1 39.
16…Bxd5 17.exd5 b5 18.c3 Ba7 19.Bd2 Qc7 20.g4 Nc5 21.g5 Nfd7!
The obvious threat is …Nd3, attacking both b2 and e1. But that is not the main idea of this move.
22.Qc2 f5! 23.b4
White cannot take the pawn now because of 23.Qxf5 Rf8 24.Qg4 Whie’s hidden weakness on f2 will come out: 24…Nb3! 25.Rad1 Rxf3! 26.Qxf3 Rf8 27.Qg3 Bxf2+ 28.Qxf2 Rxf2 29.Kxf2 Qc4 Black has a decisive advantage. Alekseenko’s solution is to drive the black knight away first so that it cannot go to b3.
23…Na4 24.Qxf5
White has out-maneuvered Black, right? He is now a clear pawn ahead, right? Not quite.
24…Rf8 25.Qg4 Nb2
The knight is not yet out of the action as Sarana swings it over to d3 to attack f2.
26.Re2 Nd3 27.Nh2?
A mistake. He had to play 27.Be3 with a very complicated game. A sample line is 27…e4!? 28.Bxe4 N7e5 29.Qh4 g6 when anything can still happen.
27…e4!
Better than 27…Nxf2 28.Rxf2 e4 29.Qxe4 Rae8 30.Qh4 Ne5 31.Kg2 the worse is over for White. Now Black whips out a virulent attack with astonishing speed.
28.Qxe4
Not 28.Bxe4 Nxf2; or 28.Rxe4 N7e5 29.Qg2 Nxf2.
28…N7e5 29.Rf1 Qf7 30.Bg4
What else can White do? 30.Kg2 Rae8 looks even more dangerous.
30…Nxf2! 31.Rexf2 Bxf2+ 32.Kg2 Nxg4 33.Nxg4 Rae8 34.Qd3 <D>
POSITION AFTER 34.QD3
34…Re3!
Obviously overlooked by White.
35.Bxe3 Qf3+ 36.Kh2 Qg3+ 37.Kh1 Qxh3+ 38.Nh2 Qxe3 39.Qc2
Hoping to get in g5–g6 and c3–c4.
Objectively speaking 39.Qxe3 Bxe3 40.Rxf8+ Kxf8 41.Nf3 Kf7 is the best defense, surviving to the endgame with equal material. However, at this level White cannot realistically expect to be able to salvage a draw here as Black’s king can get at White’s pawns much faster than White’s king can. Besides, White’s queenside pawns are in the wrong colored square and the enemy bishop can easily target them. Alekseenko chose to keep the queens on the board to improve his swindling chances.
39…g6 40.c4 bxc4 41.Qxc4 Qxg5 42.b5 axb5 43.Qxb5 Qe3 44.Qc4 h5 45.a6 Kg7 46.Qb4 Rf6 47.Qb7+ Kh6 48.Qb1 Qd4 49.Rd1 Qh4 50.Rd2 Be3 51.Rg2 Qd4 52.Nf1 Bg5 53.Nh2 Rf8 54.Qb3 Rc8 55.Rg1 Be3 56.Rf1 Qe4+ 57.Nf3 Rc1! 0–1
Alekseenko resigns because 57…Rc1 58.Rxc1 Qxf3+ 59.Kh2 Bf4+ he loses his queen and mate will follow.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Aquino questions NBI’s Dengvaxia complaint

FORMER PRESIDENT Benigno S.C. Aquino III questioned on Tuesday the graft charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against him and two of his former cabinet members for their alleged illegal purchase of Dengvaxia vaccine used in the government’s nationwide anti-dengue program. “Ang problema ko nga, wala kaming kopya ng complaint kung meron, wala kaming kopya nung findings nila (My problem is we do not have a copy of the complaint and we also do not have a copy of their findings),” Mr. Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview as he submitted before the Department of Justice (DoJ) a rejoinder for another Dengvaxia-related complaint filed against him. Mr. Aquino said it is unclear to him if NBI procedures were followed to merit the findings. The NBI recommended on July 16 to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of technical malversation charges against Mr. Aquino, former Health secretary Janette L. Garin, and former Budget secretary Florencio B. Abad. It cited that the P3.5-billion Dengvaxia program was not in the government’s General Appropriations Act for 2015 and 2016, and that the funding illegally came from the 2015 Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund savings. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

SC reprimands Sereno for remarks against peers

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has reprimanded ousted chief justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno for her previous remarks against her peers and for violating the sub judice rule when she publicly discussed her ouster petition. The high court’s spokesperson, Theodore O. Te, told reporters that the SC decided in an en banc session on Tuesday to give Ms. Sereno “a stern warning that a repetition of the same acts will merit a heavier penalty.” Sought for comment, Ms. Sereno’s spokesperson, lawyer Anacleto “Jojo” A. Lacanilao III, told BusinessWorld in a text message, “We have not received the copy of the resolution. (Ms. Sereno) is reserving her comments until she sees the resolution.” — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Bad breaks

Back when the National Basketball Association (NBA) experienced a dramatic salary-cap rise in 2016, Isaiah Thomas was among those who sought to cash in. Having just been named an All-Star and seeing his importance to the Celtics rise even further, he minced no words about his intention for his next contract, due in 2018. “They better bring out the Brinks truck,” he said then. “They’re paying everybody else. I gotta get something.” He was being himself, to be sure, with the same confidence propelling his competitiveness on the court coming close to braggadocio in a moment of candor.
This time last year, Thomas doubled down on his pronouncement, declaring his worth and worthiness of a huge payday. “I’m a max guy, so I deserve the max” contract, he argued. And he wasn’t just basing his expectation on the numbers he posted in the immediate past season. More importantly, he believed that his loyalty to the Celtics, manifested in his continued play despite physical and personal handicaps, would be repaid in kind; to his credit, he did bleed green and white, continuing to suit up in the regular season and playoffs despite a recurring hip injury and the loss of his sister.
As things turned out, Thomas’ route to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was blocked by no less than the Celtics themselves, who promptly shipped him out. From their vantage point, letting him go was a no-brainer; he was an old 28, at 5’9” a perennial defensive liability, and far from a hundred percent given his hip issues. Any other All-Star would have been an upgrade, and erstwhile Cavalier Kyrie Irving even more so. And so he wound up with wounded pride, rehabbing for the rest of the year and fretting about his fit in wine and gold, particularly since his ball-dominant style clashed with that of ultimate playmaker LeBron James.
The turn of the year came, and Thomas’ anxiety proved to be well founded. He struggled on the floor, and not just because he wasn’t in shape and didn’t yet have his timing back. Given the Cavaliers’ thrust for a title, they couldn’t wait for him to get and be better, and so they made him part of a trade-deadline revamp that resulted in him moving to a third franchise in seven months. And as if it wasn’t bad enough that he went to the lottery-bound Lakers, he wound up on the second unit behind rookie Lonzo Ball.
Who knows how a less-resolute player would have reacted following multiple bad breaks? In Thomas’ case, the battle for respect and respectability goes on. Yesterday, he agreed to a one-year deal with the Nuggets for $2 million, far, far, far from the five-year “Brinks truck” contract of $177 million that he was hitherto angling for. He didn’t get max figures; instead, he was handed the veteran’s minimum. And he was fortunate, too; had Nuggets head coach Michael Malone not previously had a relationship with him during his stint with the Kings early in his career, he would have been looking to spend time outside of the NBA.
For Thomas, the fall from grace is nothing new, and presents yet another in a long list of challenges he has had to face as an undersized player. His determination will serve him in good stead, as will his suiting up for the out-of-the-limelight Nuggets. The absence of scrutiny and middling roster should afford him time and opportunity to thrive. And while others see the improvement of his stock as conditional, he remains firm in his contention that it’s a matter of when and not if. His self-assurance is what has made him tick. If nothing else, it’s why he still has a chance at redemption.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

More livelihood starter kits distributed to Marawi residents

ANOTHER 500 livelihood starter kits were recently distributed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to displaced residents of Marawi City as part of the rehabilitation program. The business packages, worth P15,000 each, include tricycles and pedicabs to address the need for transportation in the war-torn city. “Maranaos are naturally inclined to be entrepreneurs,” Dr. Habib Macaayong, Mindanao State University (MSU) president said in a DTI statement. The distribution of the kit certificates was held at the MSU main campus in Marawi on July 16, where a forum on financing was also held by the Small Business Corporation, Asa Philippines, and Al-Amanah Islamic Bank. Earlier this year, DTI distributed 756 certificates for sewing, carinderia (eatery), sari-sari store, carpentry, electrician, Maranao delicacies, street food, Kia bongo delivery trucks, and mobile rice mills. This first batch has so far generated more than half a million in earnings, according to the DTI. — Janina C. Lim

Rainy day woes

Motorists drive along a flooded street in Manila on Tuesday, July 17 as tropical depression Henry, which strengthened into a tropical storm and continued to enhance the southwest monsoon, exited the Philippine area. Many parts of Metro Manila and several provinces in northern Luzon were flooded. Classes and government work were suspended in the capital.

DoLE urges displaced Boracay workers to avail of emergency jobs program

A LABOR department official has called on displaced formal sector workers in Boracay to avail of the government’s emergency employment program. Lawyer Johnson G. Cañete, head of the Department of Labor and Employment-Western Visayas (DoLE-6) said they have so far recorded a low turnout for the program, with only about half of the 20,000 target beneficiaries having applied. Under the Boracay Emergency Employment Program-Adjustment Measures Program (BEEP-AMP), displaced employees will receive 50% of the prevailing minimum daily wage in Region 6, equivalent to P4,205.50 per month, while retained workers will be given 25% of the minimum wage. BEEP-AMP beneficiaries will be hired and paid for three months. A separate program is being implemented for informal sector workers. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

Davao underground cable project to be extended to CM Recto Street


THE SECOND phase of the underground cabling project in Davao City will start next month along Claro M. Recto Street. The city government said it is looking at 2020 to complete the program within the downtown area. The first phase, covering the area around the city hall complex, was completed last year. The Underground Distribution System project, spearheaded by Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary Davao Light and Power Co., is contained in an ordinance passed in 2014. The city government said digging and construction work for the program will be undertaken betweem 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to minimize traffic disruption. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Leading the charge to an Electric future

Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila

ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) have long crossed the divide of the conceptual to mass-production reality, but there remains a number of challenges to their adoption — from high cost to lack of charging stations. It thus has been a constant and loud refrain in markets like ours that a multi-sectoral push is needed to realize a more conducive environment for EVs.
Appropriately focused on the fostering of partnerships “to electrify public and private transport,” the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit was held recently in Pasay City. In a statement, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) President and spokesperson Rommel T. Juan said the two-day event is “all about building partnerships, aligning objectives, and taking collective action to facilitate further adoption of electric vehicles in the country.”
A presentation by Paulo Jose Mutuc, Frost & Sullivan mobility practice senior consultant for Asia Pacific, showed global resurgence of electric vehicles has been helped along by declining cost of EV batteries, which have slid below the $200 mark. Last year, global electric car sales surpassed one million units for the first time — reaching 1.2 million “with battery electric vehicles making up the majority of sales.” EVAP projects this number to rise to 1.6 million units by the end of 2018, with public charging stations estimated to reach 100,000.
Here in the country, some 1,400 e-jeepneys and e-trikes ply the roads in 19 locations, according to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments. Not surprisingly, the “known” charging stations are also in these locations. EVAP envisions to have 200 of these in place by 2022.
Mr. Mutuc benchmarked five countries — Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Japan — with a more mature EV scene than our own. These are “developing domestic EV markets but interestingly enough are already looking into exports… [whether of vehicles or technology].”
OF RANGE ANXIETY AND OPPORTUNITIES
Regarding EV policy, end users ultimately help shape the discussion. “It’s pretty clear that range is the most well-regulated area — not surprising, as revealed by research and anecdotal evidence, because it’s what potential buyers primarily think about,” added the speaker. Meanwhile, battery attributes are displaying “so many standards at the moment, and we’re far from having harmonious standards across the board,” something “tricky” because of the variety of EVs countries and manufacturers want to roll out.
Consequently, even charging stations are far from hewing to a single design or norm, as “countries are more concerned about putting out the actual [facilities] than standardizing them.” This is also reflective of a relatively early stages of the industry early phases of the industry in this region.
With this in mind, Mr. Mutuc averred that the further development of the EV industry in whichever territory will be helped along by financial incentives — “increasingly becoming the preferred means of allowing more electric vehicles to be on the road in various countries.”
Frost & Sullivan forecasts global EV sales of 23 million by 2025; its present 2% share of the passenger vehicle market will reach 22%. This is expected to happen in concert with the mitigation of so-called “range anxiety.” Today’s batteries are now surpassing an output of 60 kilowatt-hours, allowing users to drive more than 300 kilometers with each charge. As earlier mentioned, EV batteries will continue to get cheaper — costing as little as $100 by 2020.
Domestically, Frost & Sullivan has tracked 16 pending legislative bills pertaining to hybrid and electric vehicles. Four important ones are keying in on non-fiscal incentives such as priority in registration and issuance of plate numbers, exemption from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, and free parking.
“It’s not just finding out where the Philippines is in terms of the actual deployment of vehicles and infrastructure but also thinking about… how the industry can move forward,” maintained Mr. Mutuc.
NISSAN WELCOMES DISRUPTION
“There are lots of things happening in the world which are disrupting… the mobility market, the vehicle market, and the energy market — and [adding] pressure on governments and people,” began Nic Thomas, Nissan Motor Corp. director of electric vehicle unit.
During his presentation, the executive revealed an expected intersect by the middle of the next decade of the rising cost of developing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles [which have to keep up with progressively stricter emissions regulations] with the lower prices of battery electric vehicles. “The tipping point is coming very soon,” he said, producing “massive acceleration of market.”
Governments are additionally putting the pinch on ICE vehicles to curb air pollution while granting incentives to EVs such as establishing low-emission zones, designating EV parking and lanes. This is happening in concert with the falling cost of renewable energy.
The company is ready for that. Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility program is intently looking at three aspects of future mobility: intelligent power, intelligent driving, and intelligent integration. On its website, Nissan Motor Corp. says that this is “already a reality in Nissans you can drive today — in cars that park themselves, watch what’s happening around you, and step in to keep you out of trouble. Now imagine a near future with cars that can actually learn from one another and EVs that recharge as they drive along, no strings attached. Nissan Intelligent Mobility is making all this, and more, part of a bold, bright tomorrow.”
Nissan is leading the charge with the Leaf, already the world’s bestselling EV with 350,000 units of the car’s first generation delivered. Mr. Thomas shared that 60,000 orders have now been placed for the new Leaf in Japan, the US and Europe, and he harped on the car’s reliability as well. “There’s no film on YouTube with a Nissan Leaf on fire,” he said, with a laugh. Nissan also holds the title for the most electric kilometers driven (4 billion).
For now, the focus for Nissan is in easing in a fully electric tomorrow with its so-called e-Power, “an ideal bridge between ICE and EV, it’s an EV driven by a petrol range extender,” said Mr. Thomas. But there’s no doubt as to the eventual destination. Nissan will release eight new electric vehicles by 2022 — promising a full range of vehicles both emission-less and exciting.

Despite tirades, Duterte wishes tycoon Lucio Tan ‘a thousand years more’

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday, July 17, wished Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) chairman Dr. Lucio Tan “a thousand years more” on his 83rd birthday despite his previous tirades against the Filipino-Chinese tycoon.
Last year, Mr. Duterte said that his administration would go after the country’s flag carrier PAL over its alleged unpaid fees amounting to P7.3 billion. The President also linked Mr. Tan to destabilization efforts against him.
“Sir, may God grant you a thousand years more of your life. Happy birthday, Mr. Tan. You are 83 years old and still a success story on all fronts,” the President said in his speech at the unveiling ceremony of PAL’s Airbus A350 and A321 Neo at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday evening.
He added: “This milestone would not have been possible without the decisive leadership of Dr. Lucio Tan, who is celebrating his 83rd birthday today. Dr. Tan, I wish you a happy birthday and may you continue to be endowed with good health, countless blessings and greater success in all endeavors. Today marks a momentous achievement not only for PAL, but for the entire country as well.”
“I commend the airline for its efforts to deliver quality flight experience to all its passengers by modernizing its fleet, expanding its reach and providing wholehearted care that is distinctively Filipino,” he also said.
Mr. Duterte also thanked PAL and Cebu Pacific Air for helping the government in the repatriation of the distressed Filipino workers from Kuwait last February. “Let me just express my profound gratitude to the two airlines that helped the government during the Kuwait stressful moments, not a crisis… I requested, though we had the money then, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to fly to Kuwait and bring in some of our countrymen who were there in distress,” he said.
The President noted that PAL’s recent “accomplishments and existing initiatives will encourage more people to travel to the Philippines, thereby boosting our tourism industry.”
“Do remember that you serve as a gateway to the beauty of our islands and the vibrancy of our culture. The tourism sector is full of exciting opportunities that do not only showcase our unique heritage. In fact, it is also a crucial instrument for the development of the livelihood of our citizenry,” the President also said.

Porsche Mission E concept becomes the Taycan road car

PRODUCTION of Porsche’s first purely electric is set to begin in 2019, the company said in a statement.
The car, based on the company’s Mission E concept vehicle, is called Taycan, which Porsche said means “lively young horse,” referencing the one on the Porsche crest.
Powering the Taycan are two permanently synchronous motors with a system output of over 600 hp. This is estimated to propel the car to 100 kph in under 3.5 seconds and to 200 kph in less than 12 seconds. Maximum range is forecast to more than 500 kilometers.
“Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board at Porsche AG.
Porsche said it plans to invest more than six billion euro in electric-powered mobility by 2022, doubling the expenditure it had originally planned. Of the additional three billion euro, some 500 million euro will be used for the development of Taycan variants and derivatives, around one billion euro for electrification and hybridization of the existing product range, several hundred million euro for the expansion of production sites, plus around 700 million euro for new technologies, charging infrastructure and smart mobility.

Wife of new Maute terror cell leader nabbed in GenSan

THE POLICE arrested here on Monday morning the wife of the new leader of the Maute terror group in a series of operations that left a wanted bomb-maker dead. According to Senior Superintendent Raul S. Supiter of the city police office, arrested Nafisah Pundog, spouse of Owaida Marohombsar, also known as Abdulmajib and “Abu Dar,” is now tightly guarded to forestall a possible rescue by the Islamic State-inspired militants. Ms. Pundog is reportedly married to the elusive Abu Dar, the Maranao figurehead of about 50 or so remnants of the Maute terror group holding out in the forested hinterlands of Lanao del Sur, a province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City and its component-unit covering Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, the 103rd Brigade, had separately confirmed that Marohombsar assumed leadership of the Maute terror group after the death of its founders, siblings Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, in encounters with soldiers in Marawi City in October last year. — PHILSTAR
>> See the full story on https://goo.gl/xNmJMY

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