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Blow for Hong Kong democracy camp in key elections

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s democracy camp failed to claw back all their lost seats Monday in controversial by-elections as the city’s pro-Beijing establishment further cements its grip.

The result is the latest blow to the democratic movement as China ups pressure on the semi-autonomous city to fall into line after unprecedented challenges including mass rallies calling for reform and the emergence of an independence movement.

Sunday’s vote was triggered after Beijing forced the disqualification of six rebel lawmakers who had swept to victory in citywide elections in 2016.

Four of the six vacant seats were contested in the tense by-elections which saw China loyalists hurl insults at young democracy activists near a polling station.

After the count ended Monday morning the democracy camp had only managed to take back two of the four seats.

Analysts said the disappointing performance reflected the inability of the democrats to present an effective united platform to residents as well as apathy among voters — turnout was less than 50%, lower than previous recent elections.

“This is a terribly depressing day for the democratic development of Hong Kong,” political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

“Beijing will be very happy they have vanquished the spirit of Hong Kong people,” added Mr. Lam, who said some voters had simply given up the fight.

The result also reflected the difficulty in the democratic camp which covers a wide spectrum, from pro-independence activists to more centrist politicians.

The democrats now hold a total of 26 seats in the 70-strong partially elected legislature.

That means they have bolstered their ability to block some important bills, which require two-thirds to pass.

However they will continue to be outgunned on the majority of bills which require a lower threshold as they failed to regain the veto power they lost due to the disqualifications.

Activists accused Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government of political screening after it barred young pro-democracy leader Agnes Chow from standing in the by-elections because her party advocates self-determination for Hong Kong.

Chinese authorities are incensed at the emergence of activists advocating independence and also views calls for self-determination as part of a dangerous splittist push.

The vote came on the day the Chinese Communist Party decided to give President Xi Jinping a mandate to rule for life, intensifying fears that Hong Kong’s freedoms will come increasingly under threat.

Ms. Chow’s replacement, Au Nok-hin, held on to the Hong Kong Island seat.

However he described his feelings as “half half” because they camp had not regained all four.

Pro-establishment candidate Vincent Cheng said the election had “been a fight under adverse circumstances” after narrowly beating democrat Edward Yiu — one of the legislators ousted from office after winning a seat in 2016.

The six lawmakers barred from office included former protest leaders and independence activists.

All were removed from their posts for inserting protests into their oaths of office after an intervention by Beijing.

The legislature is fundamentally weighted towards Beijing as only half the 70 seats are elected.

The rest are selected by traditionally pro-establishment interest groups. — AFP

The world’s longest-serving leaders, excluding monarchs

PARIS — Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that would take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government.

Here are some of the world leaders who have held power the longest — excluding monarchs enthroned for life.

MORE THAN FOUR DECADES
Topping the list with 49 years in power is Cuba’s revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who handed over to his brother Raul in 2008 when he was in his early 80s.

Taiwan’s first president Chiang Kai-shek was in charge on the island and in mainland China for a total of 47 years until his death in 1975.

North Korean founder Kim Il Sung ran the reclusive state for 46 years before dying in office in 1994. He is still revered as the “eternal leader”.

Albania’s communist dictator Enver Hoxha was in power for 40 years until his death in 1985.

Moamer Kadhafi ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years before being ousted and then slaughtered in 2011 by rebels.

Omar Bongo Ondimba governed oil-rich Gabon for more than 41 years until his death in 2009.

STILL COUNTING
Currently the world’s longest serving president is Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema, with 38 years under his belt since he toppled his uncle in 1979.

Others that are still counting their years in power:

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya: 35 years.

Congo President Denis Sassou: 34 years, excluding a five-year pause.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen: 33 years.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni: 32 years.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: 29 years.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir: 28 years.

Chad’s President Idriss Deby: 27 years.

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev: 28 years.

Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon: 25 years.

Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki: 24 years. — AFP

British PM May to chair security meeting on poisoning of former Russian double agent

LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of Britain’s National Security Council on Monday to discuss the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter.

Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in the southern English city of Salisbury.

Hundreds of people who visited the Zizzi restaurant or the Bishop’s Mill pub in the normally quiet cathedral city were told on Sunday to wash their clothes after traces of nerve agent used to attack Mr. Skripal were found at both sites.

British counter-terrorism police say a nerve agent was used against Mr. Skripal and his daughter but have not made public which one.

Mr. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has warned that if Russia was behind the poisoning of Mr. Skripal, a former colonel in GRU military intelligence, then Britain would respond robustly.

Mr. Johnson also drew parallels between the poisoning of Mr. Skripal and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A British public inquiry found the killing of Mr. Litvinenko had probably been approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy. Mr. Lugovoy is a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament.

Both denied responsibility and Russia has denied any involvement.

Since Mr. Skripal was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, Russia has repeatedly denied any part in his poisoning and says Britain is whipping up anti-Russian hysteria. Russia holds a presidential election on March 18. — Reuters

Japan finance minister says official files altered in scandal dogging PM Abe

TOKYO — Japan’s finance minister admitted Monday that official documents related to a favoritism scandal dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been altered, but denied any plans to step down over the row.

Mr. Abe’s government has faced mounting pressure in recent days over the 2016 sale of state-owned land to one of his supporters at a price well below market value.

“Changing official documents is very grave and extremely regrettable and I deeply apologise,” Finance Minister Taro Aso said at a hastily convened press conference.

“What is important is that these things don’t happen again,” Mr. Aso added. “We are fully cooperating with the investigation.”

The scandal first emerged early last year, but resurfaced after the revelation that official documents related to the sale had been altered.

Mr. Aso blamed the changes on “some staff members” at the ministry, and said he had only learned about them on Sunday.

And he dismissed suggestions that he might resign over the scandal.

“I am not thinking about that at all,” he said.

He said 14 changes had been made to the documents but said he did not believe the alterations were intended to protect Mr. Abe and his wife.

‘DEBASED DEMOCRACY’
Versions of the original and the doctored documents published Monday by opposition lawmakers appeared to show Mr. Abe’s name had been scrubbed, along with that of his wife Akie, and Mr. Aso.

“What became clear is that they debased democracy,” by lying to parliament, said opposition lawmaker Renho, who uses one name.

Opposition politicians have alleged that the buyer of the land — a right-wing operator of private schools — was able to clinch the sale at such a favorable price because of his ties to the Abe family.

The operator had named Akie Abe the honorary principal of the school he was planning to build on the government plot.

Mr. Aso said the documents were doctored to be “coherent” with a speech made in parliament by the head of the tax agency Nobuhisa Sagawa, who stepped down on Friday over the scandal.

Mr. Sagawa was head of the finance ministry department that oversaw the land deal, before being promoted last year to tax agency chief.

“It is possible that Sagawa ordered the alterations,” the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said, citing government sources.

Adding to the pressure, a finance ministry official linked to the scandal was found dead on Friday, although it is not clear if the reported suicide is linked to the affair.

Mr. Abe has consistently denied any wrongdoing and vowed to resign if he was found to be involved in the land deal.

But a poll released Monday in the Yomiuri Shimbun showed his support dropping by six percentage points from last month to 48%, the first reading under 50% since he won re-election in October.

Eight out of 10 voters said the government was not responding appropriately to the allegations, according to the survey conducted over the weekend among 1,036 voters.

The allegations have also paralyzed parliament in recent days, with some opposition lawmakers boycotting debates. — AFP

Stocks rebound as rate hike concerns ease

Local equities bounced back on Monday, March 12, tracking the positive developments seen in global markets as fears on interest rate hikes started to ease.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed 0.97% or 80.99 points to close at 8,453.50, back in the green after two days of losses last week. The broader all-shares index was likewise up by 0.62% or 31.19 points to close at 5,083.98.

“Today’s PSEi rebound is more of tracking the rise of regional and overseas markets that were buoyed by the possible easing of interest rates pressures in the U.S. Some bargain-hunting is also a factor given the overall market decline last week that have brought relative valuations down,” PCCI Securities Brokers Corp. Research Head Joseph James F. Lago said in an email.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.77% or 440.53 points to 25,335.74 last Friday. The S&P 500 index also added 1.74% or 47.60 points to 2,786.57, while the Nasdaq Composite index gained 1.79% or 132.87 points to 7,560.81.

Papa Securities Corp. Trader Gabriel F. Perez also attributed the market’s increase to the strength of US markets, which also prompted markets in the Asia Pacific region to rally.

Majority of local sectoral indices were in positive territory on Monday, financials leading the charge with a 1.5% increase or 32.76 points to 2,213.51. Property followed with a 1.17% uptick of 44.26 points to 3,818.33; industrial rose 0.67% or 76.71 points to 11,549.73; services also increased 0.67% or 11.81 points to 1,767.17; while holding firms added 0.59% or 49.18 points to 8,426.02.

Mining and oil was the lone sub-index that declined, dropping 0.66% or 76.27 points to close at 11,445.18.

A total of 8.62 billion issues switched hands, valued at P7.20 billion, higher than Friday’s value turnover of P6.58 billion. Decliners narrowly beat advancers, 109 to 106, while 44 issues remained unchanged.

Foreigners continued their selling streak on Monday, as net foreign outflows rose to P731.71 million, against net sales of P573.73 million last Friday.

First Gen Corp was among the most actively traded stock on Monday, after disclosing that its San Gabriel Plant is now contracted with the Manila Electric Company. Papa Securities’ Mr. Perez noted the stock had the highest net foreign buying at P30.8 million.

Sought for an outlook, PCCI Securities’ Mr. Lago said the market may continue trading up, but may still be affected by the faster inflation recorded on February which came in at 4.5%, based on 2006 prices.

“The PSEi will certainly attempt to move back above the 8,500 level but it might be dependent on how investors will come to grips with local inflation that came in higher than expected for the first 2 months of the year,” Mr. Lago said. — Arra B. Francia

Peso trades sideways amid cautious market

The peso inched lower against the dollar on Monday, March 12, as market players took caution on the possible interest rate hikes coming from the central banks here and in the US.

The local currency ended Monday’s session at P52.04 versus the greenback, a centavo weaker than the P52.03-per-dollar finish on Friday.

The peso moved sideways the whole day, opening the session stronger at P51.95 per greenback. Its intraday low stood at P52.07, while its best showing was at P51.92 versus the US currency.

Dollars traded decreased to $507.9 million yesterday from its $592.1 million finish the previous session.

“The peso closed sideways as investors remained cautious on the dollar in view of March rate decisions by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the US Federal Reserve (Fed),” a trader said in an e-mail on Monday.

Chicago Fed President Charles L. Evans said he would prefer to “wait a little longer” than raising the Fed’s interest rates during this month’s meeting as its inflation continued to be low.

“My own preference would be to wait a little bit longer, let the March anomalous inflation rate from a year ago fall out,” Mr. Evans said in a CNBC interview.

For Tuesday, March 13, two traders see the peso to move between P51.90 and P52.10, while the first trader gave a slightly wider range of P51.90 to P52.20.

“Rates are still expected to move sideways ahead of uncertainty to the US February inflation data to be released [today],” the first trader noted. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

San Miguel Beermen eye 3-0 series lead

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

STOLE what was practically a lost game in Game Two of their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals, the defending champions San Miguel Beermen try to push the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings on the brink of elimination when they collide for Game Three today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Now holding a 2-0 series lead in their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) semifinal joust, the Beermen are looking to ride on the momentum of their “salvaging” job last time around in their scheduled 7 p.m. match and move one step closer to getting back to the finals and possibly fulfill their quest for a fourth straight Philippine Cup title.

In Game Two on Sunday night, San Miguel used a ferocious charge in the end to pull the rug from under the Kings to stay undefeated in their semifinal pairing.

Guard Marcio Lassiter, who struggled early in the match, starred for the Beermen down the stretch, making the big plays and hitting key baskets, including what turned out to be the game-winning, tip-in basket in overtime to snatch the victory over the Kings.

The sharp-shooting guard pulled his team even at 102-all with two free throws with 15 seconds remaining in OT after which San Miguel was able to force a five-second inbounds violation on Barangay Ginebra’s Joe Devance and set up a winning play.

Off a timeout Mr. Lassiter drove to the basket and made a pass to big man June Mar Fajardo who missed his attempt to the basket.

But Mr. Lassiter was quick to save the day for the Beermen as he tipped in a follow-up shot over Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson for the game-winner with three seconds to go.

The Kings had no timeouts left and were forced to make a play in the backcourt but to no avail as the final buzzer sounded, sending the Beermen and their faithful into celebration.

Mr. Lassiter finished with 25 points and eight boards, a solid support for Mr. Fajardo who had a huge double-double of 33 markers and 19 rebounds.

Chris Ross and Alex Cabagnot had 13 points each while Arwind Santos, who hit key three-pointers in the closing moments of the payoff canto to force the game into overtime, had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“We were lucky to escape with this win. It would easily have been a 1-1 series but the players just did not want to lose. I salute them. This is a big morale-booster for us,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria after their win.

“We knew it was going to be a tough fight. We just kept coming back in the game and it paid off. This is not over though. We need to win two more. It’s first to four just like them,” Mr. Lassiter, for his part, said.

While they were buried deeper in the series, the Kings are not about to surrender their cause, especially since they believe they are not out of it yet.

“We’re still in it. But we know our work is cut out for us and we’ll just do what we need to do,” said Mr. Devance.

Japeth Aguilar led the Kings with 28 points while Prince Caperal had a career-high 26.

The victor in this series takes on the winner of the other best-of-seven semifinal pairing between the Magnolia Hotshots and NLEX Road Warriors.

The Road Warriors held a 1-0 series lead as they battled in Game Two late yesterday.

Houston Rockets clinch playoff spot

LOS ANGELES — The Houston Rockets clinched an NBA playoff berth with a 105-82 rout of the Mavericks in Dallas on Sunday as reigning champions Golden State and the Cleveland Cavaliers both lost.

Even with Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden sitting out with a sore left knee, the Rockets had little trouble from the Mavs.

Only a spate of eight second-quarter turnovers by Houston helped Dallas erase a 15-point deficit and briefly take a six-point lead.

The Rockets soon tidied things up to take a one-point lead at halftime that they wouldn’t surrender after the break.

Point guard Chris Paul scored 24 points and handed out 12 assists and guard Eric Gordon added 26 points for the Rockets, who led by as many as 26 in the fourth quarter.

Houston, who saw their 17-game winning streak ended by Eastern Conference leaders Toronto on Friday, improved their league-best record to 52-14.

They’re 1 1/2 games ahead of the Warriors atop the West and Gordon said the Rockets would keep the accelerator down in a bid to claim the top seed.

“We want to finish number one — I think that’s the main goal,” he said.

The depleted Warriors fell, 109-103, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the defending champs’ second straight defeat.

With superstar Stephen Curry missing a second straight game with a sprained right ankle, Kevin Durant scored 39 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for Golden State.

But Durant connected on just 11 of 32 of his shots from the field and sharp-shooter Klay Thompson needed 22 shots to score 21 points.

Draymond Green contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors, who were also missing Andre Iguodala, David West, Patrick McCaw and Jordan Bell as they lost back-to-back games for only the second time this season. — AFP

DoJ drops drug charges vs Peter Lim, other suspected narco personalities

The Department of Justice has cleared alleged drug lord Peter Go Lim, confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, convicted drug lord Peter Co and more than 20 others from drug-trafficking charges in a resolution dated since Dec. 20 last year. 

The Philippine National Police had charged the respondents with violation of Section 26(b) in relation to Section 5 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Tiger Woods comes up just short as England’s Paul Casey wins Valspar Championship

MIAMI — Tiger Woods came up just short of his 80th US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where it was England’s Paul Casey ending a victory drought with a one-stroke triumph.

Woods, the 14-time major champion playing just his fourth Tour event since spinal fusion surgery last April, showed he’s a contender again as he fired a one-under-par 70 to share second on nine-under 275 — one stroke behind Casey who surged to his second US PGA Tour title with a 65 for 274.

“I think I’ve gotten a little better than what I was a couple of weeks ago,” Woods said.

“I keep getting just a little better and a little sharper. Today I wasn’t quite as sharp as I would like to have had it, but I had a good shot at winning this golf tournament.”

Woods’ fusion surgery ended a brief comeback bid last year. He remains in search of his first title since 2013 — but on Sunday it finally looked as if it wasn’t a question of whether that drought will end but when.

He opened with a birdie on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida, but gave that stroke back with a bogey at the fourth.

Woods didn’t find another birdie until the 17th, where he drained a putt of almost 45 feet to close within one stroke of Casey’s clubhouse lead and send his massive gallery into a frenzy.

He couldn’t repeat the feat at the 18th to force a playoff, however, another long birdie try coming up a couple of feet short.

Woods finished the day tied for second with fellow American Patrick Reed.

Reed opened his round with a 60-foot eagle putt from the collar of the green at the first. He was 10-under through 17, but dropped out of playoff contention with a shocking bogey at the last, where his first putt failed to make it to the upper tier of the green where the pin was located.

Casey had four birdies and a bogey on his front nine, then seized control with three birdies on the trot at 11, 12 and 13 that moved him to 10-under.

CASEY ‘SO HAPPY’
He said keeping bogeys off his card over the demanding closing holes was key.

“The cleanups on 16, 17 and 18 — fantastic,” Casey said. “I’ve not done that in a long time and that’s the difference. That’s what I need to do.”

The 40-year-old has 17 victories on the European Tour, the most recent coming at the KLM Open in September of 2014.

A three-time Ryder Cup player for Europe, his only previous US tour title came at the 2009 Houston Open.

“To get this one, to get my second one on the PGA tour is emotional. I’m so happy for it,” Casey said, noting that winning any tournament on one of the world’s elite tours is just difficult.

“(Woods) made it look easy for such a long time, and it’s not,” he said.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia put in an encouraging performance as he warms up for the defense of his Masters title, firing a final round 65 to finish alone in fourth on eight-under 276. — AFP

Forest Hills clips Villamor for Founders plum; NOGCC wins in Aviator division of PAL Interclub

BACOLOD — Former pro Judeson Eustaquio fired a one-over-par 71 worth 35 points at Binitin in Murcia town on Sunday and helped Forest Hills defeated Villamor for the Founders Division title in the 71st PAL Interclub.

Eustaquio mixed two birdies with three bogeys over the super-tight layout and spearheaded Forest Hills to a closing 127 as the Antipolo-based squad clung on to win by eight points with a 460 tally.

Villamor mounted a huge comeback and churned out the day’s best score in the division, a 135 led by the 38 of Ricky delos Santos and 37 of Jujith Benedicto and nipped Wack Wack for runner-up honors by four.

“It was a great fightback that just fell short,” said a proud Jun Arceo, the Villamor skipper who failed to count in the final round with a 25. “Overall, it was a great tournament for us and a great win by Forest Hills. They played very well.”

Larry Patnongon and Iñigo Raymundo accounted for 33 each and either 26s of Raffy Garcia or Francisco Santana counted for Forest Hills.

Christopher dela Cruz chipped in with 32 and Jess Toribio, also former touring pro, fired 28 for Villamor.

Wack Wack finished with a wobble with just 112 led by the 34 of Sammy Sy. The exclusive club in Mandaluyong actually tallied just 218 in the final two rounds after amassing 232 in the first two for 450 overall.

Meanwhile, former Philippine Team standout JR Tanpinco and Justin Limjap fired 33 points apiece and led Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club (NOGCC) to a wire-to-wire triumph in the Aviator class over at Marapara here.

Maximo Javelona and Deric Locsin scored 23 and 20, respectively as NOGCC closed out with 109 points for 441 and a 41-point win over Sta. Elena.

Mactan Island Golf Club and South Cotabato Golf and Country Club carved out contrasting final days to win the Sportswriters and Friendship Divisions, respectively.

The Interclub’s Platinum sponsors are RMN and Manila Times, while major sponsors are MasterCard, The Philippines Manila Standard, Rolls Royce, Bombardier, TV5, Primax, BusinessWorld, Crossover and Fox.

Other sponsors include Boeing, PAGCOR, Belmonte Hotel, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery, Inc.

Struggling Global Cebu FC plays Yangon United FC

BOTTOM-scraping in Group G of the 2018 AFC Cup group play phase, Global Cebu FC tries to wiggle out of its struggles and come up with a victory as it hosts Yangon United FC today at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Holding a 0-1-2 record after three matches in its grouping, currently fourth in the group, Global takes on undefeated group leader Yangon United (3-0-0) needing the full three points that go with a win to stay in contention for a spot in the next round.

A loss could well mean the campaign for the Cebu-based football club, which finished runner-up in the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League.

The two teams met last time around on March 7, with Yangon winning, 3-0, on its home turf.

Former Global player Sekou Sylla was a thorn on his former team, accounting for two of Yangon’s three goals in the second half that gave it the win.

Global had its chances to get on the board early in the contest but its attempts, care of Dominic Del Rosario and Darryl Roberts, failed to punch through.

The loss was a huge blow for Global, which prior to the match was looking to bag the win to give its cause some needed boost.

Set back anew, Global coach Marjo Allado said they remain hopeful that the tide would swing their way from here on, beginning in today’s game.

“All is not lost for us. I am still hopeful of our chances but we need to score goals and we need to win all our remaining matches to advance,” said Mr. Allado.

The match between Global and Yangon is set for 7:30 p.m.

As per tournament format, in the group stage only the top team is assured of automatic qualification to the next round with the team with the best runner-up record among the rest of the groupings in the end advancing as well. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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