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PCUP aids housing program

THE PRESIDENTIAL Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) said on Sunday that it would help in the implementation of the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH), the government’s low-cost housing project.

“Our priority is to assist the national government in aiding the urban poor sector in all of their needs, especially with safe housing,” PCUP chairperson and chief executive officer Elpidio R. Jordan, Jr. said in a statement.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is the lead implementing agency for the 4PH, which has a proposed budget of P1.5 billion for next year.

Under the program, houses will be built in-city with a monthly amortization graduated to a lower amount to be affordable and accessible to the poor’s needs. Subsidy will range between P3,500 to P4,000.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar said the PCUP could help in ensuring the safe relocation process for housing beneficiaries.

The commission called this a “positive note,” adding that it is also launching its own banner programs for housing. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

How can we harness digital public goods?

The digitalization of public services will radically change the way governments interact with the people they serve and help meet their growing expectations of online access to government services. Digital Public Goods (DPGs) have the power to meet citizen expectations and accelerate digital transformation around the world. They can create long-term value and a more efficient, equitable, and prosperous future for society, businesses, and governments.

DPGs, as defined by the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), are “open-source software, open data, open artificial intelligence models, open standards, and open content” that should respect privacy and other relevant laws and best practices, do no harm, and help realize the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This definition is actualized through the DPG Standard, a set of nine indicators used to determine whether or not a public solution is a digital public good. 

Given their open-source nature, DPGs are created by communities or organizations for public use and are readily available for all governments and other entities to use, customize, and adapt for their digital public infrastructures (DPIs). The potential of DPGs is far-reaching and can move beyond the digitalization of public services, making it a significant economic and societal opportunity. Nevertheless, collaboration between governments, the private sector, and other entities is crucial in order to truly capitalize on DPG-related opportunities.

The benefits of DPGs are manifold, including but not limited to the following:

• Scalability. Once established, they can be easily deployed across nations.

• Flexibility. They are agile and swift to adapt and deploy.

• Applicability. They can support governments of different income levels, from the most developed to the least.

• Cost-effectiveness. They are economical. The total cost for large countries or populations exceeding 50 million can fall between $0.24 and $0.74 per individual.

DPGs DEPLOYED/DEVELOPED GLOBALLY
Between February 2022 and March 2023, the number of registered DPGs on the DPGA’s DPG register increased from 87 to 142. The figure could grow even faster, given the momentum of DPG adoption. Several factors contributed to the growth: governments realize the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of progressing digital transformation, observe the positive effects of DPGs for themselves and others, and utilize DPGs to advance the UN SDGs.

EXAMPLES OF DPGs
Entities can augment DPGs to enhance service delivery across areas in the public sector, such as health and social services. The DPGs listed below are a few examples that illustrate their abilities and how they can facilitate change, improving people’s lives worldwide.

DHIS2
This open-source platform is the world’s largest health management information system (HMIS), utilized by 76 low and middle-income countries and capable of supporting 3.2 billion people. DHIS2 software development is a global collaboration developed and managed by the HISP Centre at the University of Oslo (UiO).

MOJALOOP
This open-source software enables digital financial service providers (DFSPs) to connect to each other, aiming to address the digital financial needs of 1.7 billion unbanked people globally in a profitable and straightforward manner. Mojaloop is ready to use in Tanzania and Uganda, with pilots being launched in other countries. It was first established in 2017 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support its financial inclusion work. It is funded by the Foundation and has more than 400 developers collaborating on the software.

SINGPASS
This digital identity authentication system is utilized in Singapore to give citizens access to several online government services, creating opportunities for innovation and economic growth. For example, users can use the platform to file taxes, renew their passports, and apply for housing grants. The platform’s ease of use and convenience help Singapore establish its national digital identity. Managed by the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech), Singpass is one of Singapore’s Smart Nation projects, with a vision to improve the lives of citizens, create opportunities for businesses, and transform the capabilities of government agencies.

MOSIP
India’s Modular Open-Source Identification Platform (MOSIP) DPG, as part of the government’s Aadhaar biometric identification program, supplied 1.3 billion people with a digital ID. Consequently, this allowed many unbanked individuals to open bank accounts. According to a 2019 Bank of International Settlements report, it would have taken 47 years for 80% of adults to open a bank account had India relied on traditional processes.

MOSIP was first initiated by the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B) with the vision of developing a non-proprietary platform on which foundational ID systems could be built. It became a global project five years later, funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Tata Trust, Omidyar Network, NORAD, and the Pratiksha Trust.

COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DPGs
The DPG market is in its nascent stage, and EY teams researched to evaluate and understand the commercial opportunity it poses for the private sector. EY estimates that the annual DPG market will be $100 billion by 2030, potentially growing further. The forecast shows a considerable and lucrative market for many players — spanning roles across the creation, implementation, and integration of DPGs.

THE LOCAL DPG LANDSCAPE
Based on a study done by the DPGA in March 2023 for six test countries, the Philippines ranked 4th in the number of deployed DPGs. With support from the DPGA, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines is working to foster awareness in the Philippine technology sector about DPGs and identify promising solutions that could reach DPG status. Currently, the country has one registered DPG – Project AEDES.

Project AEDES is a dengue data modeling portal by CirroLytix, a social impact tech company based in the Philippines, working with the support of the Department of Science and Technology. It is used to monitor dengue cases and is being implemented in select pilot cities and other countries with high cases of dengue and similar data challenges. The AEDES prototype is an information portal that forecasts dengue hotspots using correlations from dengue cases and deaths, real-time climate data, and satellite maps. The portal is also the first local tech solution assessed by the DPGA as a digital public good.

Another related example is PhilSys, the country’s national identification system. PhilSys is not a DPG but an implementation of the DPG MOSIP, customized to become part of the country’s DPI.

THE FUTURE OF DPGs
DPGs provide countries with opportunities to build accessible, inclusive, and secure digital public infrastructure and to achieve the UN SDGs. DPGs could transform business, deliver significant economic and social value, and create a dynamic public-private sector. While there are implementation challenges that include limited financing, limited manpower, and concerns around market incentives and data security, the benefits of DPG applications are significant.

Collaboration, information sharing, and education are vital for future DPG growth, but this will require coordination among diverse entities, including private-sector tech firms, experts, government agencies, and civil society organizations. Governments, the private sector, and relevant communities must work together to capitalize on DPGs’ abilities to address issues, innovate solutions, and improve lives.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Rossana A. Fajardo is the EY ASEAN business consulting leader and the consulting service line leader of SGV & Co.

American teener Gauff rallies to beat Sabalenka and win US Open

COCO GAUFF — REUETRS/DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN- USA TODAY SPORTS

NEW YORK — Teenager Coco Gauff mounted a fierce comeback to beat Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 6-2 in the US Open women’s final on Saturday, claiming her first Grand Slam title and cementing her place in American tennis royalty.

With the win, sixth seed Ms. Gauff became the first American to win a US Open singles title since Sloane Stephens in 2017.

Ms. Gauff, 19, fed off noisy local support as she fought back in the second set and kept the momentum going until the end of the battle, before falling to the court on Arthur Ashe Stadium as she clinched the title with a backhand winner.

Ms. Sabalenka had a superb start but could not keep the momentum going as unforced errors piled up and she closed her 2023 Grand Slam run, which included an Australian Open title and semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, on a disappointing note.

“It doesn’t get more dramatic than that, to be honest,” said Ms. Gauff, who lost in her only previous major final appearance last year at Roland Garros.

“I knew today was going to be one of those problem-solving tough matches because she’s a tough opponent, so I’m obviously happy with the result.”

There were early signs of nervousness from both players, as Ms. Gauff made a pair of unforced errors to help Ms. Sabalenka to a break in the opening game, and the Belarusian dropped serve in the fourth game with two double faults and an unforced error.

The crowd urged on Ms. Gauff, the first American teenager to reach the US Open singles final since Serena Williams in 2001.

But Ms. Sabalenka blocked out the noise and used her mighty forehand to convert on a break point chance in the fifth game. The Belarusian was helped to another break in the seventh as Ms. Gauff double faulted and made two more costly forehand mistakes.

The 25-year-old Ms. Sabalenka, who will take over as world number one in the new rankings, had ended Ms. Gauff’s run at Indian Wells earlier this year but told reporters this week she expected a “different player” in Saturday’s final.

She ended up facing just that in the second set, as the American showed new resolve when she fended off a pair of break points in the first game and flipped the script.

What was once a lopsided affair turned into a battle as Ms. Gauff increased her intensity, sending Ms. Sabalenka scrambling around the court in the fourth game before the Belarusian dropped her serve with a double fault.

Ms. Gauff produced an overhead smash to break in the opening game of the third set and converted another in the third game.

Ms. Sabalenka took a medical timeout after the fifth game, consulting a physio for an apparent issue with her left thigh, but did not appear worse off as she broke in the next game.

If Ms. Gauff was rattled, however, she did not show it, winning a 20-shot rally before breaking back in the seventh game and soaking up the adoration of the crowd at the major she grew up watching as she clinched the title.

After offering her opponent a hug, Ms. Gauff burst into tears and embraced her parents in the stands.

“The whole time I was saying to myself, ‘Oh, my goodness, how is this real?’” she told reporters.

“When I sat down after hugging them back before the ceremony, it felt real in that moment, but when I was going to hug them it didn’t. I almost forgot to shake the ref’s hand. It was a crazy moment.”

The tournament was celebrating 50 years of equal prize money at this year’s edition, and pioneer Billie Jean King was on hand to offer Ms. Gauff the trophy.

Ms. Sabalenka had only dropped a single set en route to Saturday’s finale and had tears in her eyes as she offered her opponent credit, chuckling as she said she wanted more finals against the American — but with “different results, hopefully.”

She told reporters the tide had turned during the match as she began “overthinking” in the second set.

“Because of that I start kind of like losing my power,” said Ms. Sabalenka “Then she start moving better. I start missing a lot of easy shots.”

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The win delivered on years of enormous expectations hoisted upon the young American Ms. Gauff’s shoulders after she became the youngest ever to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw at 15 years old.

The breakthrough at such an early age came with its pitfalls.

“People were putting a lot of pressure on me to win. I felt that at 15 I had to win a slam at 15,” said Ms. Gauff.

“I felt like I had a time limit on when I should win one, and if I won one after a certain age it wouldn’t be an achievement.

“Yeah, it’s just crazy the amount of things that I have heard or seen about myself, but I’m really happy of how I’ve been able to manage it all.” — Reuters

Aussie Minjee Lee shoots 65, vaults into lead at Kroger

AUSTRALIAN Minjee Lee carded a 7-under-par 65 to overtake the lead after three rounds of the Kroger Queen City Championship on Saturday in Cincinnati.

Ms. Lee sits at 15-under 201 with a two-shot lead over Charley Hull (third round 68) and Taiwan’s Peiyun Chen, who shot a disappointing 73 after owning the 36-hole lead.

Morgane Metraux of Switzerland is solo fourth at 12 under with her third-round 70. Madelene Sagstrom (68) and Japan’s Yuka Saso (70) are four shots off the lead in a tie for fifth at Kenwood Country Club.

Ms. Lee is the tournament’s third different leader. China’s Ruixin Liu led by a stroke after the first round, but she shot 81 on Saturday to fall to T47.

Ms. Lee started hot, recording birdies on her first three holes of her round. She added four more birdies on the back nine and turned in a clean card for her 65.

“Obviously it’s nice to get off to a fast start,” she said. “I just wanted to make more birdies after that. I think it was just playing the course shot by shot, and coming down the last few holes, it got quite gusty and windy.”

Ms. Sagstrom played her way into contention with a 4-under 68 despite a dubious start. She bogeyed the par-4 first and also bogeyed the eighth, making the turn at even par. But an eagle on the 10th and two birdies — including the closing hole — coming in vaulted the Swede seven spots up the leaderboard on moving day.

“I thought it was really tough,” Ms. Sagstrom said. “It got breezy. It got firm. A lot of calculations. My brain is kind of tired at the moment. It was also very, very slow, so no real momentum. I’m very happy. I think I struck it well when I needed to, and I took my medicine when I needed to. I putted quite OK. My speed was, I guess, maybe not so great, but I made all the second putts.”

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn recorded a 68 to move up seven spots into solo seventh at 10 under.

Defending champion Ally Ewing (71) sits T15 at 6 under. — Reuters

Germany in freefall after 4-1 shock loss to Japan in friendly as Euro 2024 looms

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Euro 2024 hosts Germany slumped to a shock 4-1 home loss to Japan in their international friendly on Saturday, deepening the sense of crisis hanging over them after their third straight loss less than nine months before the continental tournament.

The four-time world champions, who crashed out of last year’s World Cup group stage after also losing to Japan, have won just four of their last 17 international matches, putting coach Hansi Flick’s future in doubt.

They next face World Cup finalists France on Tuesday.

“We have to be honest and say that Japan were better. They let the ball run, they played the right spaces, carved out their goals. They were better,” Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan said.

“We made far too many individual mistakes. We have to admit that we are just not on the same level with teams like the one today. It is hard but the trend speaks for itself.”

“We have to accept that we are just not good enough at the moment. That’s the reality. Maybe we even think we are better than we are.”

The Germans, despite a strong start, were without a clear plan, lacking in confidence and energy while also littering the pitch with errors and allowing their opponents to ride roughshod over them as the home fans booed and whistled.

Japan scored with their first real chance as Junya Ito silenced the home crowd in the 11th minute by turning in a low cross at the far post.

The hosts bounced back, levelling in the 19th following a superb passing move and a left-footed finish from Leroy Sane.

But their joy was short-lived as the visitors struck again just three minutes later with forward Ayase Ueda wrong-footing keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen after another move down the right wing.

Ter Stegen denied Japan another goal when Ueda pounced on a defensive error a little later to charge through only to see his shot saved.

Japan had two quick chances in succession two minutes after the restart but Ter Stegen kept Germany in the game, as he did in the 70th, first palming Takuma Asano’s shot from close range wide and then stopping Kaoru Mitoma’s rebound effort.

Asano made amends in the 90th, slotting in to seal their second straight win over Germany before they added another in stoppage time with Ao Tanaka’s header. — Reuters

England salvage 1-1 draw against Ukraine in Euro qualifier

WROCLAW, Poland — England fought back to claim a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday and stay six points clear atop Group C after Kyle Walker netted from a sublime pass by Harry Kane for his first international goal.

England dominated possession but Ukraine opened the scoring against the run of play in the 26th minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko after Yukhym Konoplia cut back a pass from the right for the midfielder to sidefoot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

“I think it’s an amazing result for us,” Mr. Zinchenko said. “England are one of the best teams in the world and in general we did very well.”

Ukraine have not played at home since Russia launched an invasion of the country in February 2022 — which Moscow calls a “special military operation” — and the crowd noise inside Tarczynski Arena in Poland was deafening at times.

Gareth Southgate’s side levelled close to the break after skipper Mr. Kane gathered the ball in midfield and superbly picked out Walker who neatly controlled the ball and slotted home with a composed finish for his first England goal.

Mr. Walker bemoaned his side’s missed chances but said getting a draw on the road marked a good return for a side that had 11 attempts compared to two for Ukraine.

“It’s a point away from home and we’re in a good position in the group and it was always going to be tough as they’re a proud nation,” he told Channel 4 television.

“I thought we lacked a bit of cutting edge tonight but sometimes you have to take a point an move on.”

England played more directly after the break and started creating more opportunities, including a Bukayo Saka shot that bounced off the bar.

With about 25 minutes left, Southgate replaced James Maddison and Jude Bellingham with Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford but neither substitute was able to lift England past a resolute Ukraine who played higher up the pitch after halftime.

England, who conceded just their second goal in qualifying, are top with 13 points from five games followed by Ukraine on seven from four. The draw against Ukraine marked the first time England have dropped points in the qualifying campaign. — Reuters

Campana scores a brace to give a Messi-less Miami win over Sporting KC

LEONARDO Campana scored a brace and host Inter Miami held on to extend their unbeaten streak with a 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City (KC) on Saturday.

Miami (8-14-4, 28 points), which played without Lionel Messi and seven others due to national team duty, is 3-0-1 in its past four MLS matches and unbeaten in 12 straight across all competitions.

Kansas City (8-12-8, 32 points) had its two-match winning streak end and allowed three goals in an MLS match for the first time since May 20.

Daniel Salloi was in the right place at the right time to put the visitors ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute. Goalkeeper Drake Callender got his hands up to stop a long-range shot from Felipe Gutierrez but couldn’t snare the rebound and was beaten to it by Mr. Salloi at the edge of the six-yard box.

Campana capitalized on a penalty kick to bring Miami level in the 25th minute, striking past the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Tim Melia.

Mr. Campana’s second of the match put the home side ahead 2-1 in the 45th minute. After losing control of the ball in the box, DeAndre Yedlin recovered it down low on the right side and whipped a cross that Campana headed past Mr. Melia.

Miami took advantage of Kansas City napping on a quick restart after a stoppage to extend the lead to 3-1 in the 60th minute. As defender Andreu Fontas tried to argue a handball against Miami, Sergio Busquets took the ball for a free kick, sending a long pass to Facundo Farias, who drove up the right side unmarked before firing it past Melia.

Alan Pulido scored from high in the box into the far corner to narrow it to 3-2 in the 78th minute.

Tim Leibold nearly brought Kansas City level in the 85th minute with a shot from just inside the box that was blocked by Miami defender Kamal Miller and deflected wide. — Reuters

Tennis elite

Coco Gauff crumpled to the baseline in jubilation after her backhand passing shot whizzed past Aryna Sabalenka and gave her the United States Open championship. It was a well-constructed point that began with a near-side serve so close to the T and curved to the left that another opponent may well have been unable to anticipate. That the rally lasted 10 more exchanges was a reflection of the quality of her opponent, slated to be elevated to World Number One regardless of the outcome of the set-to. That said, she was simply in a class all by herself from the second set on, with the outcome, by that time, no longer in doubt.

Indeed, Gauff headed into the year’s last major tournament on the crest of a remarkable run; she had won 17 of 18 encounters since being bounced out of Wimbledon in the first round two months ago, buoyed by a change in her retinue that led to the arrival of coaches Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert. The injection of new blood reaffirmed her commitment to her craft, leading to two titles and a positive prognosis that belied her standing in New York as the sixth seed. She promptly underscored how much she deserved to be counted among the best of the best; en route to the women’s singles final, she toppled reigning major titleholders Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova, as well as French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova.

In ascending to the top at Flushing Meadows, Gauff has sparked comparisons to all-time-great Serena Williams. For a good number of reasons, the expectations are unfair. Then again, it’s hard for fans not to anticipate her continued rise in the sport following her emphatic showing. She may have encountered rough spots along the way, but, in contrast to previous outings, she never wavered in her self-assurance. Yesterday, she overcame a jittery first set to claim the hardware, only the second time in the history of the Grand Slam event. And who was the first to have done it, also as a teenager? You guessed it: The very same player to whom she is now being likened.

In the aftermath, Gauff admitted that she had yet to process her accomplishment. “I feel like I’m in a little bit of shock in this moment.” To be sure, she deserves to take a little time to bask in her success, and then understand that conditions aren’t likely to be as favorable from here on. For one thing, she can no longer proudly wear her underdog tag. For another, she will be hard-pressed to lean on the extent of crowd support that was evident at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from start to finish.

All the same, Gauff has made herself a bona fide member of the tennis elite. She’s on a roll, and, at this point, there’s little cause to believe it will stop anytime soon.

 

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.

In cat and mouse game, Philippines resupplies troops in South China Sea atoll

THE BRP SIERRA MADRE, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines live in as a military outpost, is pictured in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. — REUTERS

SOUTH CHINA SEA — The Philippines has completed a supply mission for troops stationed in a rusty World War Two-era ship, but not without a usual cat and mouse chase with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

Reuters went onboard one of the Philippine Coast Guard’s vessels escorting the mission to the Second Thomas Shoal on Friday and witnessed how the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels tried to chase and block the Philippine contingent from reaching their destination.

China said the vessels entered the waters without its permission.

During the mission, two Chinese ships blocked two Philippine coast guard vessels. In another instance, a Philippine ship was surrounded by a Chinese coast guard vessel and three maritime militia vessels.

One of the Chinese ships was also seen heading dangerously close to the Philippine vessel which Reuters was onboard, while several Chinese militia vessels tried to block its path.

“We always encounter dangerous manoeuvres, shadowing activities, blocking not only from China coast guard vessels, but also from China militia vessels,” Philippine Coast Guard commanding officer Emmanuel Dangate told reporters after the mission.

“It is imperative that the supplies be delivered to BRP Sierra Madre to support our soldiers stationed there.”

The Philippines intentionally grounded the warship in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the shoal, which is located inside its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

China’s coast guard said on Friday two Philippine supply boats and two coast guard ships had entered the waters adjacent to the shoal without permission from the Chinese government.

China claims that the Philippines is bringing construction materials that reinforces the rusty warship and violates China’s sovereignty in the shoal. The Philippines says it is taking water and food to its troops.

A U.S. Navy plane was also spotted overhead during Friday’s mission.

In a radio message to its Chinese counterpart, the Philippine coast guard warned that the Chinese actions would affect relations between the two countries.

The actions are “illegal, aggressive and destabilising,” it said.

It was the second successfully completed resupply mission since Aug. 5 when China’s coast guard used a water cannon to deter the Philippine ships.

In 2016, the Philippines won an international arbitration award against China, with the tribunal invalidating Beijing’s sweeping claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. — Reuters

Morocco earthquake kills more than 2,000; survivors sleep rough

A MAN stands near his damaged house in Moulay Brahim village, in the province of Al Haouz, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, Sept. 9, 2023. — REUTERS

AMIZMIZ, Morocco — Moroccan earthquake survivors huddled for a night in the open on the High Atlas Mountains on Saturday, a day after the country’s deadliest quake in more than six decades killed more than 2,000 people and laid waste to villages.

Neighbors were still searching for survivors buried on the slopes, where houses of mud brick, stone and rough wood were cracked open and mosque minarets toppled by the quake that struck late on Friday. The historic old city of Marrakech also suffered extensive damage.

The Interior Ministry said 2,012 people had been killed and 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in critical condition. The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 with an epicenter some 72 km southwest of Marrakech.

In the village of Amizmiz near the epicenter, rescue workers picked through rubble with their bare hands. Fallen masonry blocked narrow streets. Outside a hospital, around 10 bodies lay covered in blankets as grieving relatives stood nearby.

“When I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet and the house leaning, I rushed to get my kids out. But my neighbors couldn’t,” said Mohamed Azaw. “Unfortunately, no one was found alive in that family. The father and son were found dead, and they are still looking for the mother and the daughter.”

Rescuers stood atop the pancaked floors of one building in Amizmiz, bits of carpet and furniture protruding from the rubble. A long queue formed outside the only open shop as people sought supplies. Underlining the challenges facing rescuers, fallen boulders blocked a road from Amizmiz to a nearby village.

Nearly all the houses in the area of Asni, some 40 km south of Marrakech, were damaged, and villagers were preparing to spend the night outside. Food was in short supply as roofs had collapsed on kitchens, said villager Mohamed Ouhammo.

Montasir Itri, a resident of Asni, said the search was on for survivors.

“Our neighbors are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village,” he said.

The village of Tansghart in the Ansi area, on the side of a valley where the road from Marrakech rises up into the High Atlas, was the worst hit of any Reuters saw. Its once-pretty houses, clinging to a steep hillside, were cracked open by the shaking ground. Those still standing were missing chunks of wall or plaster. Two mosque minarets had fallen.

Abdellatif Ait Bella, a laborer, lay on the ground, barely able to move or speak, his head bandaged from wounds caused by falling debris.

“We have no house to take him to and have had no food since yesterday,” said his wife Saida Bodchich, fearing for the future of their family of six with their sole breadwinner so badly hurt. “We can rely on nobody but God.”

The village is already mourning 10 deaths including two teenage girls, an inhabitant said.

Tremors were felt as far away as Huelva and Jaen in southern Spain. The World Health Organization said more than 300,000 people were affected in Marrakech and surrounding areas.

RUNNING FOR SHELTER
Street camera footage in Marrakech showed the moment the earth began to shake, as men suddenly looked around and jumped up, and others ran for shelter into an alleyway and then fled as dust and debris tumbled around them.

In the heart of the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a mosque minaret had fallen in Jemaa al-Fna Square. Some houses in the tightly packed old city collapsed and people used their hands to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, said resident Id Waaziz Hassan.

Morocco declared three days of national mourning, during which the national flag will be flown at half staff throughout the country, the royal court said on Saturday.

The Moroccan armed forces will deploy rescue teams to provide affected areas with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents and blankets, it added.

Turkey, where powerful earthquakes in February killed more than 50,000 people, was among nations expressing solidarity and offering to provide support.

Algeria, which broke off ties with Morocco in 2021 after escalating tensions between the countries focused on the Western Sahara conflict, said it would open airspace for humanitarian and medical flights.

The quake was recorded at a depth of 18.5 km, typically more destructive than deeper quakes of the same magnitude. It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since 1960 when a quake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mohammad Kashani, associate professor of structural and earthquake engineering at the University of Southampton, compared scenes of the aftermath to images from Turkey in February: “The area is full of old and historical buildings, which are mainly masonry. The collapsed reinforced concrete structures that I saw … were either old or substandard.”

Marrakech is due to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank from Oct. 9.

An IMF spokesperson, asked about the planned meetings, said: “Our sole focus at this time is on the people of Morocco and the authorities who are dealing with this tragedy.” — Reuters

British heatwave brings hottest day of 2023 so far

People walk past the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben clock tower in London, Britain, August 23, 2016. — REUTERS/HANNAH MCKAY

LONDON — Britain recorded its hottest day of 2023 so far on Saturday, with provisional data showing a high of 33.2 degrees Celsius (91.8 degrees Fahrenheit) at London’s Kew Gardens.

This year’s previous high was 32.6 C, reached on Thursday.

Britain’s national weather service said Saturday was also the sixth day in a row the country has recorded a temperature above 30 C, well above average for the time of year.

The Met Office said last week that Britain had experienced its eighth warmest summer since 1884, with June the hottest on record in the country. A wet July and a mixed August followed.

In July 2022, Britain recorded its hottest ever day when temperatures topped the 40 C mark for the first time. — Reuters

Rakuten CEO touts Viber’s ability to counter Russian ‘fake news’ during Kyiv visit

KYIV — Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Rakuten Group, on Saturday touted the ability of his company’s Viber messaging platform to counter Russian propaganda.

“Unlike other social media, we’ve made it crystal clear we’re going to block all these fake news and propaganda of Russia,” Mr. Mikitani told Reuters in a Zoom interview during a visit to Kyiv.

The 58-year old was speaking after meeting senior Ukrainian officials earlier in the day as part of a group of Japanese business leaders accompanying Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on a visit to Ukraine’s capital.

“We met almost all ministers, and they are building a future strategy… they have a macro-economic growth strategy, and I am very encouraged and impressed,” he said.

Viber, which launched in 2010 and was acquired by Rakuten in 2014, has a 98% market penetration rate in Ukraine. It is also popular in Russia.

Asked if the app had faced attempts to breach it by Russia, he said there had not been any breaches.

“We have never been breached by Russia in the past. Sometimes, way before the war, we had requests, which we rejected… we do not have any security concerns.”

Mr. Mikitani did not elaborate on what was requested or by whom, but said that Viber has never given any information to any government.

The billionaire entrepreneur has previously been vocal in his support for Ukraine and made a 1 billion yen ($6.77 million) donation to its government at the start of the invasion.

Rakuten has announced plans to work with Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar, to provide Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) telecommunications technology that uses software to run network functions on the cloud, something Mr. Mikitani has touted as a technology of the future.

“All this hardware-based technology is the technology of maybe 2010,” he said. “Software is going to be much more efficient, total cost of operation will go down maybe 30% to 50%.” — Reuters

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