China on Tuesday confirmed it would cut tariffs on goods from five Asian nations, including soybeans, as a brewing trade war with the US could make American beans more costly. As part of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement with neighbours Bangladesh, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka, Beijing will drop tariffs to zero on several important farm imports while cutting tariff rates on dozens of other goods starting July 1. The date comes five days before Beijing is scheduled to impose new tariffs on the US, a major supplier of farm goods like the soybeans used widely in animal feed. China will drop its border tax to zero on soybeans, soybean oil, rapeseed, cow and sheep fat, among other products, the list published Tuesday by China’s state council shows. As the world’s largest importer of soybeans, with $14 billion in imports from the US last year, analysts are worried the planned tariffs could cause the price of animal feed to rise in the world’s second-largest economy. Beijing has ordered its farmers to grow more of the crop and has been increasing imports from Brazil and Argentina, while India has also exported the beans to China in the past. — AFP
North and South Korea held talks Tuesday on connecting the railways that run across their border, a physical link that would transform the relationship between the two sides of the divided peninsula. The discussions, the first on the issue for 10 years, took place in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two countries. The two sides agreed to conduct a joint-study “at an early date” on modernizing the railways that run through their border, Yonhap reported the South’s Unification Ministry as saying. A rail line already exists from Seoul to Pyongyang and on to Sinuiju on the Chinese border, originally built by Japan in the early 20th century, long before the Korean War and decades of division. Linking the two systems — and modernizing the North’s ageing rail infrastructure — would give trade-dependent South Korea a land route to the markets of China, Russia and on to Europe. But doing so would represent a fundamental change on the peninsula: there has been no direct civilian communication between the two Koreas since their division was sealed by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War — not even post. Despite the diplomatic warming on the peninsula, with summits between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and both the South’s President Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump of the US, Pyongyang remains under heavy sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs. Any practical steps would only become possible after such measures are eased, South Korea’s chief delegate Kim Jeong-ryeol acknowledged as he set off for the meeting. “But we can thoroughly research and study various projects we can pursue after the sanctions are lifted,” he added. During an earlier period of rapprochement, the South built a gleaming station at Dorasan, just south of the Demilitarized Zone, with platforms marked for non-existent services to the North’s capital. On the eastern side of the peninsula, railways could connect South Korea’s port city of Busan to Europe via the North and Russia. Kim and Moon agreed to “adopt practical steps towards the connection” of the railways at their first summit in April. Moon has also shared his vision of linking the inter-Korean lines to trans-Siberian railways, offering a route to Europe, saying it would bring “huge economic benefits” to Seoul and Pyongyang as well as Russia. But freedom of movement for North Korean civilians could threaten the grip on power of the ruling Workers’ Party, which imposes tight controls on the population. The rapprochement on the Korean peninsula was triggered earlier this year when Kim decided to send athletes, cheerleaders and his sister as an envoy to the Winter Olympics in the South. — AFP
Long relegated to the back seat, Saudi women celebrated taking the wheel for the first time this week in a much-awaited rite of passage, but one crucial hurdle remains — the attitude of men. Social media is awash with videos of women behind the wheel and men in the passenger seat, a role reversal that was unimaginable in the conservative petro-state until a royal decree last September ended a decades-long women driving ban. A woman driver is such a novelty across the gender-segregated Muslim kingdom that when the decree took effect on Sunday, it prompted jubilation, disbelief –- and reactions akin perhaps to those evoked by the first woman doctor in the 19th century. “Look, a woman driver!” appeared to be a common refrain among male onlookers in Riyadh as women embraced a freedom long denied to them. Now many are quietly bracing for a battle of the sexes on Saudi streets. The driving reform has been widely hailed by young Saudis and no overt incidents of harassment were publicly reported in the first two days since the ban was lifted, but many are wary of pervasive sexism and aggression from male drivers despite warnings from authorities. “I advise men to stay home to avoid being killed by women drivers!” said one Saudi Twitter user, echoing a torrent of similar comments predicting a surge of accidents because of female motorists. Often accompanying such comments are images of fiery car crashes and traffic pileups. And then there are the condescending mansplainers. Some social media users have advised women to “avoid putting on makeup” while driving. Others have predicted pink colored cars and parking lots for women. Fueling the sexist ridicule, as women drivers hit the roads for the first time on Sunday, Saudi media splashed images of the inauguration of a gleaming new holding cell for women traffic violators. Many women have responded with defiance. “Social media is flooded with messages ridiculing women and underestimating their ability to drive,” columnist Wafa al-Rasheed wrote this month in Okaz, a Saudi daily. “We will drive and we will drive better than you, men.” ‘Road Romeos’ For now, the women taking to the roads appear mainly to be those who have swapped foreign licences for Saudi ones. Some 120,000 women have applied for licences, according to an interior ministry spokesman, who declined to specify how many had been issued. But the fear of harassment is so widespread that many women are keeping away from the streets, testing reactions in a society torn between conservatism and social change engineered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Several men have shown concern that women relatives who drive will be harassed, followed, chased and videoed by male drivers,” Abdul al-Lily, author of the book “The Bro Code of Saudi Culture”, told AFP. A Saudi woman interviewed by AFP said she had deferred plans to drive, voicing a fear of “road Romeos” who might deliberately crash into her car just to find an excuse to talk. For many women, though, real opposition lies at home — after decades of preaching by arch-conservatives that allowing female motorists would promote gender mixing and promiscuity. “You will not drive my mother. You will not drive my sister. You will not drive my future wife,” said a Twitter user using the hashtag “She will not drive”. Rights groups say the driving reform is mere tokenism until the kingdom dismantles its much-criticized system of male “guardians” — fathers, husbands or other relatives, who can exercise arbitrary authority to make decisions for women. ‘New normal’ Authorities, however, have said that Saudi women will not need a guardian’s permission to apply for a driver’s licence. The government has also addressed concerns of abuse by outlawing sexual harassment, and authorities have sternly warned against stalking women drivers. Authorities this week said the first batch of women insurance inspectors are training to respond to accidents involving female drivers, but it remains unclear when they will start work. The new provisions come after Saudi authorities last October arrested a man who threatened a violent backlash against any female driver whose car breaks down. “Men ought to be scared that even joking about harassing women could land you in jail,” Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi researcher at Britain’s University of Exeter, told AFP. “Eventually even the most conservative will have to adapt and over time women drivers will become the new normal.” Among those pushing back against such attitudes are men themselves, many of whom have quietly expressed relief that their female relatives no longer have to rely on them or foreign chauffeurs, a major financial strain, to be driven around. “Women, do not let anyone distract you from this moment, whether men ridiculing your ability to drive or anyone else,” said Ahmad al-Shathri, who is based in Riyadh. “This moment is yours and no opinion matters except your own.” — Anuj Chopra, AFP
The European Union will retaliate again if US President Donald Trump imposes more tariffs on EU goods to remedy what he calls “unfair” trade relations, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday. The EU on Friday imposed a range of tariffs on goods worth 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in a tit-for-tat response to Trump’s decision to apply stiff tariffs on European steel and aluminium exports. In response Trump threatened on Twitter to slap a 20 percent tariff on European car imports, heightening worries of a trade war which could dent growth on both sides of the Atlantic. “If the US hits us again with a 20 percent tariff on automobiles, we will respond again,” Le Maire told journalists in Paris. “We don’t want this to escalate, but we’re the ones being attacked,” he said. The EU tariffs, applied to items ranging from blue jeans to bourbon, appear designed in part to hit industries which are predominantly active in states dominated by Trump’s Republican Party. “We want President Trump to change his mind. So it’s legitimate for us to use every method at our disposal to make Mr Trump understand that we do not accept his decision,” Le Maire said. “If the penalties hit Republican states, and if that can make Republicans understand that this policy is unacceptable, so much the better.” Eurozone clash Le Maire also said the trade dispute underscored the importance of deeper integration in the eurozone, which would foster stronger companies that could better compete on the global stage. Yet eurozone members remain sharply divided on the French-German agreement announced this month including proposals such as a common budget and a move to harmonise corporate taxes. The competing visions will clash at a EU summit in Brussels this week, with the Netherlands leading a charge to scupper the budget plan. “It is perfectly legitimate that some states express their concerns, their need for clarifications — it’s normal,” Le Maire said. “It’s now up to us and our German friends to explain, to convince, and above all to ask for proposals,” he added. “We’re not aiming for an agreement on Thursday and Friday on the French-German proposals… What we want is to set up a process for discussions and negotiations.” Given the all-night meetings required over the past year to obtain the “historic” accord with Germany, he said, it would be unrealistic to secure an EU deal soon. “It’s the first time in 15 years that I’ve been staying up all night — to deepen the eurozone,” Le Maire said. “I’ve never seen so many sunrises in my life.” — Joseph Schmid, AFP
World stock markets sank Monday on worries over a festering global trade war amid reports President Donald Trump plans new curbs on Chinese investment in America.
The selloff, which began in Asia, and continued through the European and US sessions, rendered trading screens a sea of red across the globe.
“Stocks got hit pretty hard on Monday amid escalated fears that the US and China are headed towards a full-blown trade war,” said Briefing.com.
Trump has threatened to strike back against China’s retaliation to the US tariffs that are due to take effect July 6 — potentially escalating the tariffs to $450 billion in Chinese goods.
The administration has also announced plans to by June 30 impose investment restrictions on Chinese companies.
According The Wall Street Journal, the measures likely would target investments in the United States by any firm that is 25 percent Chinese held, although that threshold could drop if the investment is considered sensitive.
But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rebuffed the reports.
In any case, markets were a in a brittle state, absorbing the expected China move as a continuation on Trump’s threat Friday to impose a 20-percent tariff on auto imports from the European Union in response to EU tariffs.
Frankfurt, Paris and London all lost around two percent or more.
“Markets start the week on a risk-off tone after President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on imported cars from Europe — and he is now planning to curb Chinese investments in ‘sensitive’ US industries,” said analyst Konstantinos Anthis at traders ADS Securities.
US indices also sank to two percent at their low point but recovered some of those losses following an afternoon television interview with senior White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, who tried to calm investor fears about a possible trade war.
The Dow finished down 1.3 percent.
“Downside risks to the economic outlook are rising, with escalating trade tensions currently at the forefront of investors’ minds,” wrote Citi analysts in a research note.
“The next few months will show if these tensions are likely to deteriorate towards full-scale trade war.
“Whether or not they do, the uncertainty is probably already damaging confidence and investment.”
But CFRA Research’s Sam Stovall said US economic growth and earnings forecasts “remain solid” despite some downside risks.
“The biggest uncertainty continues to be the simmering global trade tensions that we currently think will not morph into a full-blown trade war,” Stovall said. “However, we see volatility remaining elevated.”
Key figures around 2100 GMT New York – Dow Jones: DOWN 1.3 percent at 24,252.80 (close) New York – S&P 500: DOWN 1.4 percent at 2,717.07 (close) New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 2.1 percent at 7,532.01 (close) London – FTSE 100: DOWN 2.2 percent at 7,509.84 (close) Frankfurt – DAX 30: DOWN 2.5 percent at 12,270.33 (close) Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 1.9 percent at 5,283.86 (close) EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 2.1 percent at 3,369.21 (close) Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 22,338.15 (close) Hong Kong – Hang Seng: DOWN 1.3 percent at 28,961.39 (close) Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 2,859.34 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1704 from $1.1651 at 2100 GMT Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3281 from $1.3261 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 109.77 yen from 109.97 yen Oil – Brent Crude: DOWN 82 cents at $74.73 per barrel Oil – West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 50 cents at $68.08 per barrel — Roland Jackson, AFP
President Donald Trump this week is due to launch the next phase of his economic confrontation with Beijing, with new restrictions possible on Chinese investments to clamp down on access to sensitive American technologies. That could open US firms like Apple and General Motors up to new forms of retaliation from China and experts worry it also marks another step in government intervention in the free market, a “radical departure” for the United States that could prove mutually destructive. But contradictory statements Monday from senior US officials have muddied the waters on what path the White House will take. Trump has threatened to strike back against China’s retaliation to the US tariffs that are due to take effect July 6 — potentially escalating the tariffs to $450 billion in Chinese goods.
Meanwhile, later this week, the Treasury Department is due to unveil a proposal on investment and export restrictions.
Trump in late May announced plans to impose steep tariffs on Chinese goods, and to follow up by June 30 with “specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls” on Chinese companies and investors in “industrially significant technology.”
According The Wall Street Journal, the measures likely would target investments in the United States by any firm that is 25 percent Chinese held, although that threshold could drop if the investment is considered sensitive.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vehemently denied the reports by Bloomberg and The Journal as “false, fake news.”
“The leaker either doesn’t exist or know the subject very well. Statement will be out not specific to China but to all countries that are trying to steal our technology,” Mnuchin said on Twitter, noting he was responding for Trump.
However, that contradicts the White House’s own May 29 statement which specified that new measures would target China.
US stocks on Monday briefly fell more than two percent from Friday’s close and senior White House economic adviser Peter Navarro appeared on television to try to calm investor fears about a possible trade war.
However, his confusing interview to CNBC did little to clarify the situation, as he said the administration was “not singling out China” but also that Treasury would release a report on Friday on the issue of investment restrictions on China.
He said investors should be bullish on the US economy, claiming Trump’s aggressive trade maneuvers had created new domestic investment.
The economy “is going to a beautiful place right now,” Navarro said on CNBC. “It’s something you could only dream about.”
After his comments, stocks recovered some ground and the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a loss of 1.3 percent, or 325 points.
China 2025 Trump has blamed past US administrations for being soft on China and allowing the country to become dominant in manufacturing, and for failing to protect sensitive technologies.
The administration could expand existing authorities for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the Treasury and which already has blocked some Chinese investments in ports and semiconductors.
Even the hint of a possible CFIUS review can kill a potential investment. Congress also is looking at ways to tighten the investment review process.
According to the Rhodium Group, a research firm, Chinese investment in the United States fell 35 percent in 2017 from the record $45.6 billion in 2016, and has slowed to a trickle, just $1.4 billion in the first quarter of this year.
New export controls would make it more difficult for US firms to sell technology to China if Washington deems it to be “industrially significant.”
US officials have highlighted Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” industrial development plan as a source of concern since they say it is a map for dominating key high tech industries from space to telecommunications to robotics to electric cars.
Few ‘off ramps’ As tensions continue to escalate, trade experts warn there are fewer options to resolve the dispute.
“I think that there are very few remaining off ramps for rising tensions,” said China expert Martin Chorzempa of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
“There are serious structural concerns about Chinese practices that cannot be resolved without trust between the negotiating partners” and that trust is eroding in the current confrontation, he told AFP.
He warned that Beijing had an “enormous array of tools to put pressure on American companies” like Apple and GM, companies that really depend on China. That could include holding goods in ports or hold up approvals.
The decision of the government to take a direct hand in corporate investment decisions under the pretext of national security is “a radical departure from the way we have engaged in economic governance,” Chorzempa said. — Heather Scott, AFP
Brent crude traded near $75 a barrel as key Libyan oil ports were handed to a company rivaling the nation’s internationally recognized energy producer.
The global oil benchmark added as much as 0.8 percent. The chairman of Tripoli-based National Oil Corp. said any attempt to buy crude from the rival company is a deviation from United Nations resolutions and Libyan law. In North America, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. warned that an oil-sands outage in Canada could lead to a shortage through July and drain stockpiles.
Investor focus is shifting to U.S. crude inventories, after Goldman said a decline at the storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, could have a stronger impact on the market than OPEC’s recent deal to raise output. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry also said the organization’s plan to increase production “ may be a little short” of what’s required amid supply concerns from Venezuela to Iran.
“There are more and more supply issues popping up while demand is still rising,” said Hans van Cleef, a senior energy economist at ABN Amro Bank NV. The Libya news “builds on the fact that exports in other countries, like Iran, will face problems in the coming months.”
Brent futures for August settlement rose 1 cent to $74.74 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange at 11:27 a.m. local time, having earlier touched $75.32. Brent traded at a $6.87 premium to West Texas Intermediate.
WTI crude for August delivery slipped 22 cents to $67.86 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Total volume traded was about 5 percent below the 100-day average.
WTI and Brent both fell Monday after Saudi Arabia and Russia pledged to keep prices under control by restoring production. Oil chiefs from the top two crude exporters indicated that last week’s 24-nation accord would add as much as 1 million barrels to daily supplies, though Goldman said a large output increase would bring only a slim surplus.
In Canada, a key piece of equipment at Syncrude’s oil-sands complex in Alberta halted operations last week after a transformer blast shut the entire 350,000-barrel-a-day facility. Syncrude is assessing the disruption, the plant controller Suncor Energy Inc. said.
In Libya, forces of Commander Khalifa Haftar handed control of oil ports in the east to a state unit rivaling the National Oil Corp. based in the west. Civil strife persists in the North African country, which lost about 400,000 barrels of daily production amid recent clashes, and the latest news is likely to increase uncertainty among oil buyers. — Bloomberg
MOSCOW — Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and 2010 winners Spain progressed to the World Cup knockout rounds on a Monday night of high drama dominated by VAR decisions, as Uruguay pipped Russia to top spot in their group.
Spain ended up topping Group B by virtue of goals scored after an injury-time strike by Iago Aspas — confirmed by the video assistant referee — rescued a 2-2 draw against Morocco in Kaliningrad and will take on the host nation in Moscow on Sunday.
Portugal, who finished level with Spain on five points, conceded a late penalty as Iran drew level at 1-1 and faced a heart-stopping moment as Mehdi Taremi put a shot inches wide — a goal that would have sent the European champions crashing out.
Ronaldo was at the heart of a series of VAR incidents in Saransk. First he had a penalty saved by Ali Beiranvand and was later saved by a review as Iran’s players called for him to be sent off following an incident with Morteza Pouraliganji.
Furious Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said Portugal captain Ronaldo, who was booked, should have been sent off for using an elbow and lashed out against VAR, saying it was “not going well.”
“I don’t want to talk too much, it’s about my country and a player. I know it’ll be a war against me,” said Queiroz, who coached his native Portugal at the 2010 finals in South Africa.”
“But the reality is you stopped the game for VAR, there is an elbow,” he added. “An elbow is a red card in the rules. In the rules it doesn’t say if it is (Lionel) Messi or Ronaldo.”
Portugal will face Uruguay in the last 16 in Sochi on Saturday.
Relieved Spain boss Fernando Hierro, who took over as coach on the eve of the World Cup, said he knew the group was going to be tough, acknowledging his side had to tighten up.
“The first conclusion I draw is that despite all these challenges we ended on top. I’m looking at the silver lining,” he said.
“Obviously we can improve. Five goals in three matches is not the way forward. The players are professional, they understand what the situation.” VAR PENALTIES
There have now been 19 penalties taken at the 2018 World Cup — more than in any other edition of the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo (L) vies for the ball with Iran’s defender Morteza Pouraliganji during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Iran and Portugal at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk on June 25. — AFP
Earlier, 10-man Russia were handed a World Cup reality check, losing 3-0 to Uruguay as the South Americans topped Group A with a perfect record.
The host nation rode a wave of national euphoria in their first two matches, sweeping aside Saudi Arabia and Egypt despite being initially written off as no-hopers but could not keep the magic alive against the South Americans.
An early free-kick from Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, an own goal from Denis Cheryshev and a late strike from Edinson Cavani sealed top spot for Uruguay, with Russia through to the knockout stages as runners-up.
“Obviously, the first few matches you’re tense and don’t want to make any mistakes or lose,” said man-of the-match Suarez.
“One mistake can be very expensive. Today we came to the pitch with a different attitude and perspective and that’s made the pressure better. That’s what we saw on the pitch.”
Disappointed Russian coach Stanislav Cherchesov said it was better to lose heavily now than in future games, adding his players had shown nerves for the first time but were psychologically prepared for the knockout stages.
“The outcome is very simple. We did what we had to do,” he said. “But you cannot start a game of this level with such a mistake — we gave up a goal.
“Uruguay then started playing their type of football. And then we got a red card.”
In the other match in Group A, Saudi Arabia beat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 2-1 in a matchup of two eliminated sides in Volgograd but the main talking point was Egypt goalkeeper Essam el-Hadary becoming the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup.
El Hadary, 45 years and 161 days old, smashed the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against Japan in Brazil in 2014.
The veteran goalkeeper produced a stunning save from a Fahad al-Muwallad penalty after Salah had given Egypt the lead with his second World Cup goal, but could not keep out another spot kick by Salman al-Faraj in first-half injury time.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina face their World Cup day of destiny on Tuesday, needing a win to have any chance of progressing to the last 16 after VAR chaos in Russia. — AFP
World Cup last 16 qualifiers
MOSCOW — Teams that have qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup after Monday’s final Group A and B matches, and those who have been eliminated:
Group A
Qualified: Uruguay (winners), Russia (runners-up)
Eliminated: Saudi Arabia, Egypt
Group B
Qualified: Spain (winners), Portugal (runners-up)
Eliminated: Iran, Morocco
Group C
Qualified: France
Eliminated: Peru
Still in contention: Denmark, Australia
Group D
Qualified: Croatia
Still in contention: Iceland, Nigeria, Argentina
Group E
Eliminated: Costa Rica
Still in contention: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia
Group F
Still in contention: Mexico, Germany, Sweden, South Korea
Group G
Qualified: England, Belgium
Eliminated: Tunisia, Panama
Group H
Eliminated: Poland
Still in contention: Japan, Senegal, Colombia — AFP
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo Senior Reporter
ITS second game against Australia in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers does not come until after its match against Chinese Taipei on Friday but Gilas Pilipinas has its sights on the Boomers, vowing to give the latter a better showing when they next meet.
Set to play on July 2 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, the Philippines seeks to exact payback on Australia after losing in their first Group B encounter, 84-68, in the second window of the Qualifiers in February this year.
In doing so as well, Gilas hopes to pad its cause and build momentum with a possible win heading into the next round of the competition.
Gilas stood toe-to-toe against the Boomers in the early part of the contest in their first game, even holding them to a 19-all count at the end of the first period of the match in Melbourne.
As the game progressed though, Australia would prove to be hard to keep in step with for the Philippines, taking hold in the next three quarters as it raced to the win.
June Mar Fajardo top-scored for Gilas in the defeat, finishing with 15 points while Matthew Wright had nine.
Roger Pogoy and naturalized player Andray Blatche had eight points each.
For Australia it was Cameron Gliddon who led the way with 16 points, followed by Angus Brandt’s 13.
Given the defeat it absorbed in the first encounter and the fact that the July 2 game will be played on Philippine soil, Gilas is determined to get a more favorable result.
Never mind if Australia is expected to bring a team for the third window encounter souped up by National Basketball Association players Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker.
Gilas said it has been preparing hard for their two remaining matches in the first round of the Qualifiers — including against Chinese Taipei on June 29 — to put itself in better position as the tournament progresses.
“We need our run-and-gun offense to be effective because that’s what we missed in the first game against Australia. They were bigger than us, and they slowed the game down before. That’s why we couldn’t get into a good rhythm. They stopped our fastbreak attack, so we need to do better with our run-and-gun. That’s the true game of Gilas Pilipinas,” Gilas stalwart Jayson Castro was quoted as saying by the official FIBA website.
He then encouraged Filipino fans to rally behind the team and trek to the Philippine Arena even as he promised a good game that Gilas supporters can appreciate.
“I hope to see our fans give their all-out support for us… against Australia at the Philippine Arena. I am certain they will enjoy, since we’ve prepared even better this time around,” Mr. Castro said.
Entering the third window, Australia is on top of the heap in Group B with a 4-0 record, followed by the Philippines (3-1), Chinese Taipei (1-3) and Japan (0-4). The top three teams from each of the four groupings advance to the next round.
By Dane Angelo M. Enerio
FILIPINO Dota 2 team TNC Predator on Monday afternoon bounced back against a 25,000 gold deficit and a two lane barracks disadvantage to secure a spot in the game’s biggest annual tournament, The International (TI) 2018.
Tied 1-1 in the Southeast Asian (SEA) qualifiers’s final best-out-of-three series with their sister team TNC Tigers, Predator rallied halfway through the 74-minute long final match and snowballed their way to the $15-million tournament to be held in Vancouver, Canada between Aug. 15 and 25 by the game’s developer, Valve Corp. (Valve).
Right as the Tigers could fully consolidate their victory, Predator’s position four support player, Timothy “Tims” Randrup, popped his character’s ultimate — Song of the Siren — stopping the Tigers dead on their tracks at the game’s most contested area to snatch all of their prizes: Roshan’s Aegis of the Immortality and Cheese, victory, and their plane tickets to Vancouver.
The gold and experience graphs, which the Tigers lead up until that point, suddenly started to reverse and to favor Predator, with the team concluding the series with a 32,000 gold lead.
Overwhelmed with joy, Predator’s position two player and semi-carry Armel Paul “Armel” Tabios celebrated the victory by slamming his keyboard on the table — effectively breaking it. The celebration was well earned as he carried his team in their two wins against Tigers with commanding games as Bloodseeker.
“We will once again represent the Philippines at The International Dota 2 Championships!” Predator announced on their Facebook and Twitter pages minutes after the victory.
The remaining members of the team are position one and carry Marc “Raven” Fausto, position three support Sam “Sam_H” Hidalgo, and position five hard support Carlo “Kuku” Palad.
Sought for comment, the Tigers told BusinessWorld in a Facebook message, “[i]t was a heartbreaking series to lose, being that close to go to Vancouver, but not being able to close out the game.”
They, however, praised their Filipino counterparts, saying, “[p]rops to them for not giving up, and ultimately getting the well-deserved spot at TI.”
“We’d like to thank all our fans for supporting us from the start and through our run this year, and will look forward to another year ahead,” they added.
Predator will now compete with 17 other international teams for the Aegis of Champions trophy and for a majority slice of the growing prize money — with the current pool being $15,487,900. Following tradition, 25% of the game’s “Battle Pass” sales are added to the initial $1.5-million prize pool.
The eight teams given direct invites by Valve were Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, PSG.LGD, Team Secret, Mineski, Vici Gaming, Newbee, and VGJ.Thunder for earning the most points in the Dota Pro Circuit.
The remaining half are filled by the winners of the regional qualifiers which include Predator, OG, Winstrike Team, Team Serenity, Invictus Gaming, Fnatic, VGJ.Storm, Evil Geniuses, OpTic Gaming, and PaiN Gaming.
Predator made global headlines in 2016 when they performed one of the biggest upsets in TI history and eliminated European juggernaut and then-reigning champions OG in a 2-0 rout.
With both teams present in the upcoming tournament, the stage is set for another clash between the two regional giants and for another memorable TI.
LOS ANGELES — Houston star James Harden was crowned the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2018 on Monday, taking home the honor despite a disappointing end to the season which saw the Rockets beaten in the NBA Western Conference Finals.
The 28-year-old Rockets guard beat out competition from Cleveland Cavaliers icon LeBron James and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis.
Harden’s award came after a season which saw him average more than 30 points per game, with 5.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
Although Houston finished the regular season on top of the Western Conference, they were beaten 4-3 in the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors would go on to beat Cleveland 4-0 in the finals.
Although the Warriors clinched their third title in four seasons this season, they were largely ignored in the main end-of-season awards categories at Monday’s ceremony in Los Angeles. Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons poses for photos following his award for rookie of the year during the NBA Award Show at Barker Hanger. — GARY A. VASQUEZ-USA TODAY SPORTS
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons was named Rookie of the Year ahead of Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.
Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz won Defensive Player of the Year, edging out New Orleans’ Davis and the Sixers Joel Embiid.
Meanwhile, Coach of the Year honors went to Dwane Casey, who was fired by the Toronto Raptors after they were swept by Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs.
Casey’s honor came despite a successful regular season which saw the Raptors finish with a franchise-record 59 wins.
Widely admired across the league, Casey was snapped up by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, roughly one month after being sacked by Toronto.
“When you get fired, which I did recently, you always doubt yourself a little bit, you think ‘Okay, can I do this? Do I want to do this again?’” Casey said.
“Then I interviewed with (Pistons owner) Tom Gores. We connected, he’s given me an opportunity. All you want as a coach or as a player is an owner that believes in you and trusts you with his franchise. — AFP
INTERNATIONAL Master Paulo Bersamina and Shania Mae Mendoza continued to ride on their triumphs in the standard event and downed their respective opponents to remain on top in the premier Under-20 class after two rounds of the rapid event of the 19th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City yesterday.
Bersamina turned back Vietnam’s Pham Minh Hieu to keep his grip of the lead alongside another Vietnamese Ngueyn Huynh Tuan while Mendoza dumped Davao City pride Ella Grace Moulic to likewise zoom to the top with yet two more Vietnam bets Nguyen Thanh Thuy Tien and Nguyen Thi Minh Oanh.
Dale Bernardo, who earned an IM title after ruling the standard U18 the day before, kept flashing solid form as he trounced the Jerick Marino to stay at the helm with countryman Istraelito Rilloraza and top pick IM Tran Minh Thang of Vietnam.
Rilloraza waylaid Marc Bryan Villarojo while Tran overpowered compatriot Nguyen Tien Anh in this tournament organized by Chess Events International, sanctioned by NCFP under President Butch Pichay, bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Woman FIDE Master Allaney Jia Doroy snatched the solo lead by dumping Vietnam’s Kieu Bich Thuy with a perfect output of two points in the girls U18.
In the open U16, Jarvey Labanda stole the thunder from the big guns as he shocked top seed IM Nguyen Anh Khoi to barge into a six-player logjam at first that included standard gold medal winner Ronald Canino, who zapped countryman Reishi Boy Polan.
Also staying unscathed in the division were Vietnam’s Nguyen Lam Yung, Pham Phu Vinh and Bui Duc Huy and the Cyril Felrod Telesforo, who stunned fancied FM Alekhine Nouri.
In the U14, Daniel Quizon waylaid Tran Dang Minh Quang of Vietnam to stay in the seven-man tie on top with two points apiece.
Quizon dropped from the premier U20 to this division to secure the country the extra gold, hoping to slow down the Vietnamese, who dominated the standard event.
In the U8, Al-Basher Buto, who is out to bounce back from his heartbreaking collapse in the standard event, remained unbeaten with a win over Vietnam’s Ho Dang Nhat Minh.
