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Undermanned Gin Kings edge New Taipei Kings

BARANGAY GINEBRA

NEWLY-MINTED Gin Kings dazzled as the undermanned Barangay Ginebra pulled off a 91-87 escape act against the P. League+ champion New Taipei Kings in the Macao WUS International Basketball Club Challenge late Thursday night in Macau.

Incoming rookies RJ Abarrientos and Paul Garcia along with sophomore star Stephen Holt teamed up in the clutch while Japeth Aguilar top-scored with 23 points in the Gin Kings’ narrow win.

Mr. Holt, last season’s Rookie of the Year, drained the go-ahead bucket before hitting Mr. Abarrientos, the 3rd overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft, for a timely triple in the last two minutes that pushed Ginebra to an 88-84 separation.

Paul Garcia, the 34th pick, was also instrumental after converting an and-one play in the waning seconds to extend the Gin Kings’ lead to 90-87 en route to the gritty victory on the road.

Mr. Abarrientos fired 20 while Mr. Holt added 19 to backstop veteran big man Mr. Aguilar in the duel between two Gin Kings as part of Ginebra’s build-up for the coming PBA Governors’ Cup.

The win proved as a solid first test for Messrs. Abarrientos, Holt, Garcia and Isaac Go after their arrival as the newest members of the crowd darlings through the draft and a blockbuster trade.

Ginebra first got a hand on Messrs. Holt and Go from Terrafirma in exchange of Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle plus the pick swap that set the stage for their selection of Mr. Abarrientos at No. 3 in the draft.

The Gin Kings’ original 10th pick went to the Dyip, who utilized it to tab Mark Nonoy from De La Salle.

Former PBA MVP Scottie Thompson, ace wingman Jamie Malonzo, seasoned guard Maverick Ahanmisi and resident import Justin Brownlee did not play for the Gin Kings but the crew of head coach Tim Cone still delivered with the new guys stepping up big time.

Taipei also missed the services of Lin brothers Jeremy and Joseph. — John Bryan Ulanday

Boxing was just a try, says Bacyadan

HERGIE BACYADAN (right)

PARIS, France — A good try.

For Hergie Bacyadan, boxing was just a try, and it was a good one with the wushu/vovinam/kickboxing artist making it all the way to the pinnacle of boxing competition with mere months of training.

But as she’s still very much committed to her other sports, Ms. Bacyadan is unsure whether she’s to pursue boxing and take another shot at the Olympics following her quick exit in the Paris Games.

She said she’s to consult with kickboxing chief and Philippine Olympic Committee Secretary General Wharton Chan.

Mr. Chan, for his part, is very much willing to let go of Ms. Bacyadan especially if it’s for the country’s Olympic dream.

Ms. Bacyadan isn’t closing the door on it.

Entered in the 75kg class, Ms. Bacyadan ran into the big, bemedaled Chinese in Li Quan and failed to make it past the opening round.

But she had no regrets.

She’s calm and flashing smiles in facing the media after her lone Paris bout. — Nelson Beltran

Djokovic and Alcaraz move closer to golden showdown

PARIS — Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz stayed on collision course for a golden showdown at the Paris Olympics as they surged through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

But Rafa Nadal’s hopes of writing one last golden chapter in his Roland Garros love story ended in disappointment as he and Mr. Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals of the doubles.

Mr. Djokovic, also in the last-chance saloon as far as his Olympic title hopes go, beat Germany’s Dominic Koepfer 7-5 6-3 to reach the last eight at the Games for a record fourth time where he meets Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The 21-year-old Mr. Alcaraz, seeded second, followed suit with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Russian Roman Safiullin to line up a quarterfinal with American Tommy Paul.

Women’s singles top seed Iga Swiatek became the first player from Poland to reach an Olympic semifinal as Danielle Collins retired trailing 4-1 in the third set of their scrap.

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova stunned Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-2 to become the first Slovak since Miloslav Mecir in 1988 to reach the Olympic singles semifinals and China’s Zheng Qinwen ended the stellar career of Germany’s Angelique Kerber to emulate Li Na who reached the semifinals of singles at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Ms. Kerber, who will retire after the Games, clung on grimly in stifling heat but Zheng eventually won 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(6) to set up a semifinal with Ms. Swiatek.

Ms. Swiatek trounced Ms. Collins 6-1 in the first set, lost the second 6-2 and was hit painfully by a Collins shot in the decider before moving 4-1 ahead, at which point Collins pulled out.

Unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic concluded a marathon day as she served an ace on her fifth match point, having also saved one, to beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at gone midnight.

Ms. Vekic, who lost the longest ever Wimbledon women’s semifinal to Jasmine Paolini this month, needed two hours 59 minutes to win 6-4 2-6 7-6(8) and will play Schmiedlova — meaning at least one unseeded player will win a women’s singles medal.

For all his 24 Grand Slam titles and countless accolades, the Olympics has never been especially kind to the 37-year-old Mr. Djokovic and a bronze medal remains his only souvenir. — Reuters

USA happy problem

Jayson Tatum was candid enough to admit that his benching in Team USA’s match against Serbia over the weekend “frustrated” him, and with reason. After all, he was fresh off a National Basketball Association (NBA) campaign that ended with a championship. And for additional proof to underscore his star turn with the Celtics, pundits need only consider the record-breaking $314-million contract he just signed. Yet, there he was, not seeing action at all, reduced to cheering from the sidelines. The competitor in him simply could not accept the situation without question.

To be fair, Tatum did process the situation rightly with his mind even as his heart rebelled. Certainly, there could be no arguing with the outcome, an emphatic victory for the United States that highlighted the viability of head coach Steve Kerr’s decision to bench him. And so, as he assessed his DNP-CD, he understood the logic behind it and, subsequently, the need to accept it as part and parcel of his inaugural Olympic ride. The red, white, and blue are simply too stacked to apportion playing time equitably, and for all.

If Tatum required any convincing to acknowledge the happy problem of the US, all he had to note was Joel Embiid riding the pine yesterday. The latter started against Serbia, but became the lone casualty against South Sudan — exactly his experience, but in reverse. And, to be fair, he didn’t force the issue on the court; his stat line of four, five, two, and one in 17 minutes showed his willingness to take on a supporting role alongside other marquee names. He made sure to note in his post-mortem yesterday that he believed in the cause, and would do whatever was needed in the moment to further it.

Up next for Team USA: its last Group C match. Puerto Rico isn’t seen as a legitimate threat. Neither is a triumph required, what with a quarterfinal round berth already secured following its twin victories. That said, Kerr knows better than to ease on the pedal. Which is why the starting unit figures to be the same as that in its set-to versus Serbia. This time, though, Tatum isn’t likely to be reduced to waving towels and dapping up teammates. That’s all he asks, and, amid an embarrassment of riches, that may be all he gets.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

UNSC countries express alarm over risk of war in Middle East

REUTERS

UNITED NATIONS Security Council (UNSC) countries on Wednesday called for stepped-up diplomatic efforts to avert a wider Middle East conflict after the killings of two militant leaders raised tensions.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran early on Wednesday, sparking threats of revenge against Israel and fueling concern the Gaza conflict was turning into a wider Middle East war.

The assassination occurred less than 24 hours after Hezbollah’s most senior military commander was killed in an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut in retaliation for a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

“We fear the region is at the brink of all-out war,” Japan’s deputy United Nations (UN) representative, Shino Mitsuko, said on Wednesday, urging international efforts to prevent such a conflict.

China, Russia, Algeria and others condemned Mr. Haniyeh’s assassination, which Iran’s UN ambassador called an act of terrorism, while the US, United Kingdom and France raised what they said was Iranian support for destabilizing actors in the region.

Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, said failure to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza was responsible for worsening tensions.

“Countries with major influence must put more pressure and work more vigorously … to put out the flames of war in Gaza,” he said.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward urged calm and restraint, reiterating a call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. She said Israel and Hamas needed to recommit to a peace process that would result in a two-state solution with a secure Israel and a sovereign Palestinian State.

“The path to peace must be through diplomatic negotiations. Long-term peace will not be secured by bombs and bullets.”

Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN, called for members of the Security Council with influence over Iran “to increase pressure on it to stop escalating its proxy conflict against Israel and other actors.”

Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran has consistently exercised maximum restraint but reserved its right to respond decisively. He called on the Security Council to condemn Israel and punish it with sanctions.

Israel’s deputy representative to the UN, Jonathan Miller, called on the Security Council to condemn Iran for support of regional terrorism and increase sanctions on Tehran.

“We will defend ourselves and respond with great force against those who harm us,” Miller said, calling on the world to support Israel. — Reuters

Heavy metal in most chocolates may not pose health risk — researchers

TETIANA BYKOVETS-UNSPLASH

NEW YORK — Concentrations of heavy metals found in single servings of some chocolates and cocoa-based products are too low in most cases to pose a health risk to consumers, research published on Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition shows.

This is true when products are consumed as a single serving, but consumption of more than one serving per day or in combination with other sources of heavy metals — such as seafood and unwashed brown rice — may cumulatively add up to exposure that exceeds recommendations, the researchers said.

Some consumer groups and independent test agencies have previously reported heavy metal contamination in cocoa products such as dark chocolate, with possible causes being the type of soil where cocoa is grown and industrial processing.

Researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and ConsumerLab.com found that 70 of the 72 cocoa-containing products they analyzed fell below limits set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for lead contamination.

Using stricter limits set by the state of California, however, 31 of the 72 exceeded limits for lead, while 13 of 37 exceeded limits for cadmium.

The researchers said the findings of their study showed the products may not pose a health risk when consumed as single servings, though larger portions could exceed the strict California limits set in a law known as Prop 65. The recommended single serving for chocolate is about 1 oz to 2 oz (30 gm to 60 gm).”If contaminated products as a whole are consumed in small amounts and infrequently by most, these contaminants may not be a public health concern,” read the paper, which concluded with a call for more testing of consumer products.

“In contrast, if many such products are consumed fairly regularly by the average consumer, the additive exposure may be a public health concern.”

US chocolate industry group the National Confectioners Association said the research confirms that “chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries.”

The long-running research analyzed 72 products for potential contamination with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic in four different cohorts in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2022.

“Median concentrations of each metal tested were lower than even the conservative Prop 65,” they said.

“However, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources … may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 (limits).”

The researchers used the California legislation because it sets limits on contamination for the three types of heavy metals tested, while the FDA regulation only sets limits for lead. — Reuters

AI could eliminate up to 5% of jobs in Latin America, study finds

Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO

SANTIAGO — Between 2% and 5% of jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean are threatened by artificial intelligence (AI) and at risk of being fully automated, a report by the International Labor Organization and the World Bank said on Wednesday.

According to the study, women and younger workers in formal sectors face greater risks of their tasks being done by generative artificial intelligence, a potential burden on workers in what is already one of the world’s most unequal regions due to low-paid jobs in the widespread informal economy.

However, “gaps in digital infrastructure and other inequalities could hinder the potential impacts of generative AI in the region,” said the report.

Overall, between 26% and 38% of jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean could be exposed to generative AI and impacted by it in some way, according to the data.

On the other hand, the research stated that there are also benefits that could be brought by AI, as it could improve the productivity of between 8% and 14% of jobs, particularly in the urban, education and formal sectors, and among higher-income earners. — Reuters

‘Is she Indian or Black?’ Trump questions Harris’ identity at Black journalists’ convention

Reuters

CHICAGO/HOUSTON/HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely suggested to the country’s largest annual gathering of Black journalists on Wednesday that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris had previously downplayed her Black heritage.

“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black, until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black,” Mr. Trump said, drawing a smattering of jeers from an audience of about 1,000 people.

“So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black,” Mr. Trump continued.

“But you know what, I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she went – she became a Black person.”

Ms. Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage, has long self-identified as both Black and Asian. She is the first Black person and Asian American person to serve as vice president.

Hours after Mr. Trump’s comments, Ms. Harris told members of the historically Black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho gathered in Houston that his remarks were “yet another reminder” of what the four years under the former president looked like.

“It was the same old show of divisiveness and disrespect,” Ms. Harris said. “The American people deserve better.”

Since launching her White House campaign earlier this month, Harris has faced a barrage of sexist and racist attacks online, with some far-right accounts questioning her racial identity. Republican Party leaders have urged lawmakers to refrain from personal attacks and focus on her policy positions.

Mr. Trump himself has used personal insults against Harris and said he was going to ignore advice that he tone down his rhetoric. “I’m not gonna be nice!” he told supporters at one campaign rally.

 

‘BLACK JOBS’

The interview at the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago started on a tense note, when ABC News reporter Rachel Scott – one of three Black women moderators – listed a series of racist comments Trump had made and asked why Black voters should support him.

In response, Mr. Trump called the question “horrible,” “hostile” and a “disgrace” and described ABC as a “fake” network.

“I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln,” he boasted, drawing groans from the audience.

Mr. Trump repeated a line from the presidential debate in June, claiming that migrants crossing the US southern border would take away “Black jobs,” a term that drew criticism from some Black leaders.

“What exactly is a ‘Black job,’ sir?” Ms. Scott asked him.

“A Black job is anybody with a job,” Mr. Trump replied.

Mr. Trump also declined to say whether Ms. Harris was a “DEI hire,” as some fellow Republicans have claimed, saying, “I don’t know.”

DEI stands for “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives aimed at increasing representation of women and people of color in the workforce to address longstanding inequities and discrimination. The term “DEI hire” is used to suggest a person is not qualified and was chosen on the basis of race or gender.

When asked about his position on granting police officers immunity following the death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was killed in her own home by a sheriff’s deputy in Illinois, Mr. Trump acknowledged he didn’t know much about the case – drawing some gasps from the crowd – before adding that “it didn’t look good to me.”

The interview began more than an hour late, which the Mr. Trump campaign said was due to problems with the event’s audio equipment. Both Mr. Trump and the moderators were sometimes unable to hear each other during the interview.

The session, originally scheduled for an hour, ended abruptly after about 35 minutes when the campaign said he was out of time, according to the moderators.

At a rally in Pennsylvania later on Wednesday, Mr. Trump did not mention his comments about Ms. Harris’ racial identity, but the arena’s screens showed old news articles highlighting her Indian-American background, and not her Black heritage, before he took the stage.

Mr. Trump blamed Ms. Harris for a surge in immigration during the Biden administration and claimed she would ban fracking, playing a video that showed her endorsing such a ban during her failed presidential bid in 2019. Her campaign recently said she would not ban fracking if she wins the White House.

 

COURTING BLACK VOTERS

Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist, said Mr. Trump’s questioning of Ms. Harris’ racial background was “not a wise move.”

“There are plenty of policy issues he can go after her on without going after her identity,” he said.

In the 2020 census, 33.8 million Americans self-identified as multiracial, up from nine million in 2010.

The invitation to Mr. Trump to attend the event triggered a backlash among some members of the NABJ and prompted a co-chair of the convention to step down in protest this week.

During the interview, some of Mr. Trump’s false statements were met with murmurs and laughter from the crowd. At one point, someone yelled out, “Sir, have you no shame?” before others shushed him.

Mr. Trump’s appearance was part of a broader effort to court Black voters, including campaign events in cities with large Black populations such as Atlanta, where he will rally on Saturday.

His campaign was encouraged by polls showing weakened support among Black men for President Joe Biden, his former opponent. Black voters are traditionally the most loyal Democratic voting bloc and supported Biden 92%-8% over Trump in 2020, according to Pew Research.

But Mr. Biden’s decision to step down in favor of Ms. Harris has shaken up the race, with public opinion polls showing newfound enthusiasm for her candidacy among voters of color and younger voters.

A national Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed Ms. Harris leading Mr. Trump 43%-42%, within the poll’s margin of error. – Reuters

BMAP celebrates 50 years of professionalizing bank marketing

The Bank of Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, reflecting on a half-century of significant milestones and achievements, as they strive to lead in innovating marketing and communication in the banking sector. Check out their stories from their recently published supplement on The Philippine STAR.

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Philippine central bank flags possible 25 bps rate cut in August

BW FILE PHOTO

MANILA — The Philippines central bank governor said on Wednesday a 25 basis points rate cut in August remains possible as inflation is expected to moderate in the coming months.

Inflation could have peaked already in July, with lower tariffs on rice likely to moderate inflation, central bank Governor Eli Remolona told reporters.

Another 25 bps rate cut might happen later in the year, Mr. Remolona said.

The central bank expects July annual inflation at 4.0% to 4.8%. The statistics agency will release July inflation on Aug. 6.

Monetary authorities have scheduled a rate-setting meeting on Aug. 15, the only one for the third quarter. — Reuters

Indonesia president-elect Prabowo says seeks stronger ties with ‘great friend’ Russia

FREEPIK

JAKARTA – Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto said his upcoming administration would maintain ties with “great friend” Russia after meeting President Vladimir Putin, adding that he hoped for stronger cooperation on defense, energy and education.

Mr. Prabowo, who is currently defense minister, is set to take over the presidency from Joko Widodo in October. He is currently on a trip to Moscow and met Mr. Putin on Wednesday.

“We consider Russia as a great friend,” he said in a statement from the defense ministry.

“I would like to continue to maintain and enhance this relationship. In our history we remember Russia has always helped us in many aspects when we were in difficulties.”

Mr. Prabowo also expressed his intent to continue a partnership in defense and nuclear energy, and to send Indonesian students to Russia to study medicine.

The trip to Moscow comes months after Mr. Prabowo went to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping to affirm Indonesia’s “policy of friendship” with China.

Mr. Prabowo has said he will forge ties with any country, be it China or the United States, in his non-alignment foreign policy.

Mr. Putin was quoted by Russian state news agency TASS Russia as saying Russia was ready to “scale up supplies of agricultural products, implement investment projects in the field of energy, transport, and infrastructure.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by TASS as saying that Indonesia’s role in the war in Ukraine, which Putin calls a special operation, is “growing significantly nowadays”.

Last year, Mr. Prabowo proposed a peaceful settlement for the war that includes a ceasefire and a demilitarized zone in an address to the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. – Reuters

Australia struggling to improve Indigenous livelihoods, government report shows

STOCK PHOTO | Image by beasternchen from Pixabay

SYDNEY – Australia is struggling to improve the lives of the country’s Indigenous population, with only five of 19 measures on course to meet targets, showed a government report released on Wednesday.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.6% of Australia’s population of about 27 million but they track near the bottom in almost every economic and social indicator, and have disproportionately high rates of suicide and incarceration.

The government’s annual “Closing the Gap” report – the first since Australians last year rejected a motion to recognize the Indigenous population in the constitution – showed a rise in imprisonment and suicide and the number of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said governments at all levels had not “done good enough in the past” to improve the lives of the Indigenous people.

“We’re committed to making a difference. The challenges are there. You can’t resolve intergenerational inequity overnight but what you can do is be committed to making a difference,” Albanese said during a media briefing on Thursday.

Australia has struggled for decades to reconcile with its Indigenous population. Their ancestors arrived on the continent some 50,000 years before British colonists yet were marginalized during colonial rule and are not mentioned in Australia’s 123-year-old constitution.

A referendum in 2023 to alter the constitution to create an Indigenous advisory body in Parliament was rejected by 60% of voters who disagreed the advisory body was the right solution.

The report by the Productivity Commission said the Indigenous population’s life expectancy had improved but may not close the gap with the non-Indigenous group by 2031 as targeted.

Babies born with a healthy weight, children enrolled in preschool, employment and land and sea rights are improving at rates required to meet targets.

The report highlighted the lack of data to check some metrics and said those gaps affected its assessment.

“There is still much we do not know. For example, we still do not have a reliable source of data to assess whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have access to clean drinking water, sewerage treatment and electricity,” Commissioner Selwyn Button said. – Reuters

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