‘Hundreds of thousands’ trafficked into SE Asia scam centers — UN

August 29, 2023 | 6:19 pm

BANGKOK — Hundreds of thousands of people are being trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centers and other illegal online operations that have sprung up across Southeast Asia in recent years, the United Nations said in a report on Tuesday.

The report cited “credible sources” estimating that at least 120,000 people across Myanmar and around 100,000 in Cambodia may be trapped in scam operations, with other criminal-owned enterprises in Laos, the Philippines and Thailand ranging from crypto-fraud to online gambling.

“People who are coerced into working in these scamming operations endure inhumane treatment while being forced to carry out crimes. They are victims. They are not criminals,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.

Cambodian police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun said he had not seen the UN report but queried the number.

“I don’t know how to respond, where did they get the (100,000) number from? Have they investigated? Where did they get the data? Foreigners are just saying things.”

The UN Human Rights Office report was one of the most detailed of the phenomenon that has emerged since the COVID pandemic, fueled by closure of casinos that prompted moves into less regulated areas in Southeast Asia.

The fast-growing scams centers are generating billions of US dollars in revenue each year, the report said.

“Faced with new operational realities, criminal actors increasingly targeted migrants in vulnerable situations … for recruitment into criminal operations, under the pretense of offering them real jobs,” the report said.

It said most of the trafficking victims were from other Southeast Asian countries as well as China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but some were recruited from as far away as Africa and Latin America.

The UN rights office called on regional governments to strengthen rule of law and tackle corruption to “break the cycle of impunity” that allows criminal enterprises to thrive.

The governments of Myanmar and Cambodia did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the UN report. — Reuters

PHL ramps up efforts to curb rice inflation, ponders price controls

August 29, 2023 | 6:04 pm

PBBM Marcos — PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday ordered authorities to double efforts to hunt down rice hoarders and take steps to curb soaring prices, while warning of a possibility that price control measures could be imposed.

The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest importers of the grain and its retail rice prices climbed further this month, some varieties surging as much as 25% in some markets in and around the capital.

Farmers groups blamed tight supply during the local lean harvest season and higher costs of imports, while the government said hoarding and crop losses from typhoons may also be reasons.

Mr. Marcos, who is also agriculture secretary, also sought support mechanisms for farmers and traders “should legal measures be invoked by the government in controlling the price of rice”, his office said in a statement.

The Philippines’ rice inflation hit 4.2% in July, the highest since 2019, putting pressure on authorities to boost stockpiles ahead of potential supply challenges from El Niсo dry weather in coming months.

Rice imports between January and July totaled 2.26 million metric tons, 16% lower compared with the year-ago volume, the customs bureau said. — Reuters

Jordan Clarkson ranks among leading World Cup gunners

August 29, 2023 | 5:51 pm

CARRYING the offensive load for host Philippines, Jordan Clarkson has positioned himself among the premier scorers of the 2023 FIBA World Cup (WC) after the first four days of action.

The Gilas Pilipinas Fil-Am from the Utah Jazz averaged 24.5 points in two outings to rank fifth in the gunners’ list filled up by fellow NBA stars.

Slovenia and Dallas Mavericks megastar Luka Doncic showed the way with 35.5, highlighting his scoring rampage with a 37-point explosion in their 100-85 rout of Venezuela and a 34-piece in an 88-67 demolition of Georgia.

TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, suiting up as Jordan’s naturalized player, shot up to No. 2 spot with 31.5 after a tournament-high 39 markers in a Monday’s 87-95 overtime setback to New Zealand at the MOA Arena.

Two NBA talents strutting their stuff in the Philippine side of the WC — South Sudan’s Carlik Jones of the Chicago Bulls and Dominican Republic’s (DR) All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota — ran third and fourth, respectively.

Mr. Jones, who shot 35 in the Bright Stars’ 96-101 loss to Puerto Rico, averaged 28.0 while Mr. Towns, who banged in 26 in DR’s 87-81 win over Gilas in the record-breaking opener at the Philippine Arena, normed 25.

Messrs. Jones and Towns paced Mr. Clarkson, who fired 26 in the loss to the Dominican Republic and 21 in Gilas’ 70-80 defeat to Angola.

France’s Evan Fournier (New York) occupied sixth with 24.0 followed by Mr. Clarkson’s Jazz teammate and Finland top gun Lauri Markkanen and Australia’s Patty Mills (Atlanta) who averaged 23.0 each.

Germany’s Dennis Schroder, a Lakers mainstay, stood at ninth with 22.0 while Montenegro and Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic (21.5) rounded out the Top 10.

Mr. Clarkson also figured prominently in the assists leaderboard with his 7.0 good for a share of sixth.

Meanwhile, Japan’s naturalized player Joshua Hawkinson, who ranked 12^th in scoring with 18.5 markers, emerged as the top rebounder with 14.5 caroms per outing ahead of Cape Verde’s Edy Tavares (13.0).

Gilas stalwart June Mar Fajardo ranked 18^th in the battle of the boards with 7.0 while frontline partner AJ Edu tied for 37^th with 5.5.

Puerto Rico’s Tremont Waters showed the way in assists with 10 per game followed by Mr. Jones (8.5). After Mr. Clarkson, Scottie Thompson and CJ Perez were the best assist-men for the Philippines with three per outing.

Brazil’s Raul Neto Togni led the steals department with 5.0 while Italy’s Nicolo Melli and Vucevic shared pole position in blocks with 2.5 per match each. — Olmin Leyba

Eala jumps to career-high No. 195 in WTA rankings

August 29, 2023 | 5:51 pm

ALEX Eala’s rise in the women’s professional tennis circuit reached another height.

For the first time in her budding career, Ms. Eala barged inside the Top 200 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after a remarkable campaign in back-to-back tournaments in Great Britain.

Ms. Eala, only 18 years old, jumped 22 places from No. 217 to No. 195 for her new career-high ranking following a championship and a runner-up finish in two straight W25 tournaments.

Her previous career-best ranking was at No. 214 last year.

Ms. Eala reigned supreme in the W25 Roehampton in London earlier this month before falling just short with a runner-up finish in W25 Aldershot in Hampshire, England for a foiled back-to-back championship goal.

The lefty scholar from the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain beat the No. 2 seed Arina Rodionova of Australia in the W25 Roehampton finals, 6-2, 6-3.

That’s the fourth title for Ms. Eala in a young international stint also highlighted by two juniors doubles grand slams and the historic singles grand slam title in the US Open last year.

Ms. Eala came on the verge of following it up right away but she fell to Destanee Aiava of Australia, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, in the W25 Aldershot finals.

She also made it to the W25 Roehampton doubles quarterfinals with Aiava and semifinals of the W25 Aldershot with Polish partner Urszula Radwanska. — John Bryan Ulanday

Blu Girls rout Hong Kong, 7-0, in U18 Women Softball Asia Cup

August 29, 2023 | 5:50 pm

THE PHILIPPINES set in motion its bid to advance to the World Cup as it overpowered Hong Kong, 7-0, yesterday at the start of the Group A matches of the Under18 Women Softball Asia Cup in Fujian, China.

Represented by the young but battle-tested softbelles from Bacolod City High School, the Blu Girls didn’t leave anything to chance, unleashing a two-run lead in the first inning and a decisive five-run rampage in the fifth to seal the deal.

It was a victory that bolstered the chances of the Blu Girls, the national and Asia Pacific champions who finished fifth in the World Series for U14 and U16 in the United States early this month, to advance to the Under18 (U18) World Series next year.

“We’re happy to start the tournament with a win but we still have tough matches ahead of us,” said national team coach Sheirylou Valenzuela.

ASAPHIL President Jean Henri Lhuillier also lauded the team for its great start.

“This is the fruit of all the hard work and effort that the athletes and coaching staff have undergone over the last few months. I hope this will serve as the momentum we need to carry Team Philippines all the way to the finals and that we secure a ticket to the World Cup,” said Mr. Lhuillier.

The Blu Girls will battle the host Chinese today (Aug. 30) and the South Koreans tomorrow at the Pingtan Stadium.

Daniela Cabangon, Che-Restcel Dela Cruz, Jeryll Duller, Ciarina Daniela Eder, Shein Espinosa, Trisha Karyl Hicayen, Angelica Jean Latriz, Rhea Manalo, Magdalene Nangan, Eileen Polvorido and Laira Dianne Silverio comprise the team. — Joey Villar

Ruthless Novak Djokovic makes winning return to US Open

August 29, 2023 | 5:50 pm

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic made a winning return to the US Open by storming past Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-0 6-2 6-3 on Monday to reclaim the world number one ranking and take the first step towards matching Margaret Court’s record haul of 24 Grand Slams.

Unable to play at last year’s event due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Mr. Djokovic had not been seen on the Flushing Meadows hard courts since his loss to Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 final.

And fans let the 36-year-old know they had missed him, showering the Serb with applause as he emerged from the tunnel onto Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

It was clear that the three-time champion had missed them as well as he embraced the cheers of a record crowd of over 30,000 that included former-US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

“I was excited to go out on the court, it has been a couple of years so to come in front of you guys is always a pleasure,” Mr. Djokovic told the New York crowd. “Thanks for coming out and thanks to all the people who stayed to almost 1 a.m..

“Night sessions at Arthur Ashe are always something special.”

Arriving in New York on the back of an absorbing win over his young rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Open final, an in-form Mr. Djokovic showed the 84^th ranked Mr. Muller no mercy in what was his US Open main draw debut.

Firing on all cylinders, Mr. Djokovic broke the overwhelmed Frenchman to open the match and never took his foot off the gas, closing out the first set in 23 minutes with a thundering ace.

Mr. Djokovic broke Mr. Muller for a fourth time to open the second set and went 2-0 up before his opponent held serve for the first time, raising both hands in triumph as the crowd roared.

But the cheers would be few and far between as Mr. Djokovic closed out the second with a wicked forehand.

Mr. Muller showed more ambition in the third, taking the set to 3-3 before Mr. Djokovic took control by breaking the Frenchman twice on the way to closing out the match.

“I couldn’t serve well in the second and third, I dropped the level of my serve and had to work for my points a bit more,” said Mr. Djokovic. “Nevertheless I think I played great from the beginning to the end.

“Some hiccups but I liked the level and hopefully I can maintain it in the next round as well.”

While the US Open has just got underway, Mr. Djokovic’s win guarantees he will nudge Mr. Alcaraz out of top spot when the world rankings are updated on Sept. 11.

Mr. Alcaraz, who beat Mr. Djokovic in an epic Wimbledon final in July, opens his account on Tuesday against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.

The path to a 10^th US Open final and a possible mouthwatering showdown with Mr. Alcaraz will get tougher but Mr. Djokovic had one obstacle removed from his side of the draw when Danish fourth seed Holger Rune was upset 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-2 by Spanish clay court specialist Roberto Carballes Baena.

Next up for number two seed Mr. Djokovic is Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who was a straight sets winner over American Ethan Quinn. — Reuters

IESF World Esports Championship 2023 MLBB kicks off in Romania

August 29, 2023 | 5:49 pm

SINGAPORE — The long awaited IESF World Esports Championship 2023 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament finally kicks off. Catch 16 international teams vying for the lion’s share of the $100,000 prize pool, and the opportunity to bear the crown of the first-ever IESF MLBB championship!

Taking place in Iasi, Romania — the Group Stage features a single round robin format that will be held today till August 30. The participating teams will be split in groups of four, where they’ll have to battle it out in a best-of-three (BO3) series. The top two teams from each group will then proceed onto the Playoffs held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, in double elimination bracket. The final two teams will face off in a best-of-five series at Main Stage B.

“We’re proud to be part of the global esports family brought together by the IESF committee, and to celebrate competitive gaming,” stated Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem, MOONTON Games, “This event wouldn’t have been made possible without the tireless efforts of our partners and athletes, and we look forward to the many surprises that the championship has in store.”

The participating countries for this year’s MLBB tournament are:

Romania, Indonesia, United States and Brazil. Colombia, Egypt, Senegal and Namibia.

Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia and the Philippines. Mongolia, UAE, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.

Mancini aims to win Asian Cup with Saudi Arabia men’s team

August 29, 2023 | 5:49 pm

NEW Saudi Arabia coach Roberto Mancini said his main goal is for the men’s national team to win the Asian Cup after 27 years, at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) presentation event in Riyadh on Monday.

The former Italian coach outlined his aspirations to raise the team’s level in Asia, and detailed his long and short-term plans, adding he will evaluate the players to complete the objective to win the continental tournament.

“Our target is to win the Asian Cup after 27 years. Our target before that is that we have four friendlies, we have two World Cup qualifiers and after that we have a 20-day training camp to prepare for the Asian Cup,” Mr. Mancini said in a statement.

“I am not a magician, we have exceptional talents and we can achieve our goals through continuous work. We have good players, the previous coach did a great job, and in the coming period we have to translate our words into realities on the field.” — Reuters

WNBA crown

August 29, 2023 | 5:48 pm

Aces head coach Becky Hammon was in a quandary. Her charges had played nine games in 19 days, and she figured they deserved a rest. The constant traveling, which included a stop in the White House honoring their championship last year, was bad enough. That she had needed to ride her starters given her roster’s lack to depth and the absence of vital cogs Candace Parker and Riquna Williams made the situation even worse. At the same time, however, she knew she had to defend their spot atop Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) standings with the regular season drawing to a close — which meant keeping an all-hands-on-deck approach to their remaining matches.

In the end, the decision was out of Hammon’s hands. The players voted to keep playing, in large measure because the next two contests were against top-flight competition. In other words, bragging rights were at stake, and far be it from the defending titleholders to back off from a challenge. And so they competed. First up were the Mystics, finally at full strength with the return of former Most Valuable Player awardee Elena Delle Donne. Then came a trip to the East Coast, where the rival Liberty awaited. In each case, they looked ready at the start, only to falter as the encounters progressed.

In the aftermath of the defeats, Hammon indicated some regret, and with reason. After all, the Aces got nothing from their exertions; they still absorbed losses even though their First Five did not play sparingly. Unfortunately, what’s done is done. And, now, with the Liberty just one and a half games behind their pace-setting slate, they need to leave nothing in the tank in order to stay ahead. The good news is that they will be hosting three of their final four regular season set-tos at home, with the lowly Storm and Mercury on tap. Simply put, their fate remains in their hands.

First things first, though, and the Aces will be angling to prevent a three-outing slide by prepping well for the Mystics. The Michelob ULTRA Arena will, no doubt, be rocking; not for nothing are they tops in attendance figures. And, to their credit, they’ve been able to turn the intense fan support into 16 victories through 17 contests. Should they manage to take care of business, it won’t matter if the Liberty get to run the table; homecourt advantage in every round of the playoffs will be theirs. Meanwhile, outside of hoping for the return of Parker and Williams to active duty, they would do well to brace themselves for tough times as they move to retain their crown.

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.

IMF managing director to meet leaders in China, go to Indonesia, India

August 29, 2023 | 12:26 pm

BEIJING – International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will visit China from Wednesday to meet with top leaders, before travelling to Indonesia and India for ASEAN and Group of 20 summits, an IMF spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“During Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 the Managing Director will be visiting China to engage in bilateral discussions with China‘s senior leadership team,” they said.

Ms. Georgieva will then travel to Jakarta to participate in a summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) before attending the G20 meeting for heads of state and government in New Delhi.

Last month, the IMF raised its 2023 global growth estimates slightly given resilient economic activity in the first quarter, but warned that persistent challenges were curtailing the medium-term outlook.

The lender projects global real gross domestic product growth of 3% in 2023, up 0.2 percentage point from its April forecast, but left its outlook for 2024 unchanged, also at 3%.

The Fund left its forecast for China unchanged, predicting the world’s second-largest economy will grow by 5.2% this year, up from a COVID-subdued 3% in 2022, before falling to 4.5% in 2024, warning that China‘s recovery was underperforming and that a deeper contraction in the real estate sector remained a risk.

Ms. Georgieva will be in Jakarta from Sept. 4 to Sept. 7 and New Delhi from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10, the spokesperson added. – Reuters

US holds drills with allies off Korean peninsula, Pyongyang vows to bolster navy

August 29, 2023 | 12:22 pm

SEOUL – The United States, South Korea and Japan staged joint naval missile defense drills off the Korean peninsula on Tuesday, as North Korea accused Washington and its allies of creating “the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war.”

The three nations staged exercises in international waters off South Korea’s southern Jeju island to improve their ability to detect and track targets, and share information in the event of provocation by Pyongyang, South Korea’s military said.

The drills come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for “radically” modernizing the weapons and equipment of its naval forces, criticizing an increased presence of U.S. strategic assets in the region.

In a speech to mark Navy Day, Kim said the “gang bosses” of the United States, Japan and South Korea announced regular joint military exercises, news agency KCNA reported, apparently referring to their Aug. 18 summit at Camp David, Maryland.

“Owing to the reckless confrontational moves of the U.S. and other hostile forces, the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been reduced into the world’s biggest war hardware concentration spot, the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war,” Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying.

In the first standalone meeting between the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan, the three agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation as they seek to project unity in the face of China’s growing power and the North’s nuclear threats.

South Korea and the United States last week began the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises, designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. Pyongyang has long denounced the drills as a rehearsal for war.

As part of the exercises, the allies‘ special operations troops practiced infiltrating an enemy’s coastline from the sea, riding rubber boats and emerging from the waves with diving gear and guns.

“The prevailing situation requires our navy to put all its efforts into rounding off the war readiness to maintain the constant combat alertness,” Mr. Kim said, adding the naval forces would become part of the “state nuclear deterrence carrying out the strategic duty”. – Reuters

Chinese county offers ‘cash reward’ for couples if bride is aged 25 or younger

August 29, 2023 | 12:08 pm

sunset-698501_1280 — STOCK PHOTO | Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

HONG KONG – A county in eastern China is offering couples a “reward” of 1,000 yuan ($137) if the bride is aged 25 or younger, the latest measure to incentivize young people to get married amid rising concern over a declining birth rate.

The notice, which was published on Changshan county‘s official Wechat account last week, said the reward was to promote “age-appropriate marriage and childbearing” for first marriages. It also included a series of childcare, fertility and education subsidies for couples who have children.

Concerned about China’s first population drop in six decades and its rapid aging population, authorities are urgently trying an array of measures to lift the birth rate including financial incentives and improved childcare facilities.

China’s legal age limit for marriage is 22 for males and 20 for females, but the number of couples getting married has been falling. That has driven down birth rates due to official policies which make it harder for single women to have children.

Marriage rates hit a record low in 2022 at 6.8 million, the lowest since 1986, according to government data released in June. There were 800,000 fewer marriages last year than in 2021.

China’s fertility rate, already one of the world’s lowest, is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, state media reported.

High childcare costs and having to stop their careers have put many women off having more children or any at all. Gender discrimination and traditional stereotypes of women caring for their children are still widespread throughout the country.

Low consumer confidence and growing concerns over the health of China’s economy are also key factors cited by young Chinese for not wanting to get married and have children. – Reuters