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Comelec asking for P5B

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) requested lawmakers on Monday to realign over P5 billion as budget for its operations next year, which includes preparations for the 2025 mid-term elections for national and local posts nationwide.

“[If we don’t receive the] P5 billion for preparatory [of] national and local elections, we cannot render overtime with our present budget for the preparation, the transportation of our [vote counting] machines that will be sent to other countries for testing,” Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told the House Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Garcia said the commission initially proposed a P44.77-billion fund for next year, but only received P27.34 billion under the President’s proposed budget to Congress. Comelec suffered an estimated budget cut of P17.4 billion. 

Under the 2024 National Expenditure Plan, only P22.9 billion is earmarked for the 2025 national and local elections. Mr. Garcia said this would lessen the ratio of voters to precincts.

“[The effect] of the P22-billion budget for the preparatory [of] elections will be [that]…instead of 128,000 precincts nationwide, we will only have 110,000 precincts,” Mr. Garcia said, noting that the budget will mean each precinct will have to accommodate 1,000 voters from the current 800. Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

DILG backs civilian monitoring

THE DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Monday that it is ensuring that civil society organizations have oversight of local government unit (LGU) projects, citing efforts to improve transparency in local government units (LGUs).

Addressing the 2023 Open Government Partnership Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia on Sept. 7, DILG Undersecretary Marlo L. Iringan said the Philippines has third-party monitoring programs for infrastructure projects and other accountability initiatives in the pipeline.

“The DILG is also encouraging active citizen participation in governance such as village assemblies and government-civil society organization town hall meetings to give them a stronger voice in decision-making,” he said.

The summit had LGU representatives from 75 countries who detailed policy reforms in LGUs in relation to transparency and oversight of government projects. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Groups warn distortion of history threatens democracy

ACTIVIST GROUPS criticized on Monday apparent attempts at historical revisionism, warning that distorting truths about Martial Law in the eyes of the Filipino people threatens the country’s democracy.

The Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) targeted in particular the Department of Education’s (DepEd) memorandum changing the term “Diktadurang Marcos” (Marcos dictatorship) to just “diktadura” (dictatorship) in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan course outline.

The group noted this as an attempt at historical revisionism days before the 106th birth anniversary of the late former president Ferdinand E. Marcos on Monday, which is celebrated in his hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte, as Marcos Day.

During the wreath-laying rites before his monument, his son and namesake, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., praised him for leaving “a rich legacy.”

CARMMA, which is convened by groups that are calling for justice for the victims of the Martial Law regime, insist that the compound term “Marcos dictatorship” is different from merely calling the period a “dictatorship.”

In his speech in Batac, the Chief Executive claimed that his late father fought for “peace and order.”

“To the young leaders and government officials, it is my earnest hope that my late father’s values, ideals and visions for the country will spur you into aspiring for greater roles and more meaningful endeavors, much like how these have inspired me,” he said.

Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, gave his reaction through a Facebook Messenger chat, saying: “This only tells us that the effort to redeem the Marcoses is a long-term project and that we will see more of these in the coming years.”

He said the attempts to whitewash the country’s Martial Law history will “certainly affect our ongoing struggles to further democratize our society.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DoTr breaks ground for 76-km bike lane project

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DoTr) expects to have at least 400 kilometers of bike lanes in the Philippines this year after it broke ground for a P151.7-million project for the purpose in the Calabarzon region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) on Monday.

Holding the groundbreaking rites in Lipa City, Batangas, the DoTr said the project covers more than 76 km of Class 2 and 3 bike lanes that will connect Lipa to Antipolo City, Cainta, and San Mateo in Rizal. The bike lanes are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the DoTr will seek an additional budget which will be allocated for creating more bike lanes next year.

For this year, a total of P700 million was earmarked for the bicycle lane project. The allocation targets the construction of at least 470 km of bike lanes in the country.

The DoTr’s Active Transport Program aims to expand the protected bike lane networks to 2,400 km by 2028. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Sept. 13, a holiday in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY — Malacañang has declared Sept. 13, 2023 as a special non-working holiday in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in commemoration of 37th Mount Data Peace agreement.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the Cordillera region be given full opportunity to participate in the occasion,” read Proclamation No. 324, declaring the holiday and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

The Mount Data Peace Agreement or “Sipat” was sealed on Sept. 13, 1986 when the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA), led by former rebel priest-turned-government militia leader Fr. Conrado Balweg, met with then-president Corazon C. Aquino at the Mount Data Hotel in Bauko, Mountain Province.

Earlier on, Mr. Balweg and a few followers broke ranks with the New People’s Army on ideological differences, and formed the CPLA, which thereafter became a government adjunct force against the communist insurgency in the region. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Djokovic wins US Open for record-equaling 24th Slam

NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S victory, his fourth in 10 Flushing Meadows finals, capped another remarkable season after his wins at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and he will return to the top of the world rankings when they are updated later on Monday. — REUTERS

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic would not let Daniil Medvedev spoil his date with history a second time as he battled past the Russian 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 to win the US Open on Sunday and equal Margaret Court’s record haul of 24 Grand Slams.

Mr. Djokovic’s victory, his fourth in 10 Flushing Meadows finals, capped another remarkable season after his wins at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and he will return to the top of the world rankings when they are updated later on Monday.

No man has won a calendar Grand Slam in 54 years, though Mr. Djokovic came close once again, losing in five sets to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

But for the moment he is savoring his 24th Slam.

“It obviously means the world to me,” he said. “I’m really living my childhood dream.

“To make the history of this sport is something truly remarkable, it’s hard to describe the words.

“I had the childhood dream when I was seven, eight, I wanted to become the best player in the world.”

As he continues to live his dream Djokovic is also staking his claim to the mantle of greatest tennis player of all time.

At 36 Mr. Djokovic also becomes the oldest US Open men’s winner in the Open Era but the Serb’s Grand Slam hunger has not dimmed and he had some bad news for his younger rivals.

“Eventually one day I will leave tennis in about 23, 24 years,” he joked. “Until then, I guess you’ll see me a bit more.

“I don’t put any number right now in my mind on how many Slams I want to win.

“I’ll continue to prioritize them as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis.”

KOBE TRIBUTE
After clinching his historic title on Sunday Mr. Djokovic threw his racquet into the air and dropped to his knees as the crowd roared.

He picked himself up and found his young daughter court-side for an emotional hug before going back to the bench and pulling out a T-shirt with ‘Mamba Forever’ on the front and the number 24 on the back.

The shirt was a tribute to both his achievement and to his late friend Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who wore the number throughout much of his all-star career before dying in a helicopter crash.

“I thought of doing this T-shirt, eventually, if I get the chance to win the tournament,” said Djokovic. “Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality.

“When I was struggling with injury he was one of the people I relied on the most.”

Neither Mr. Djokovic nor Mr. Medvedev have been fully embraced by the New York crowds and until the end of the match there was little of the electricity that crackled through Arthur Ashe during the women’s final on Saturday.

As the match started Mr. Djokovic walked out onto court and stared across the net at Mr. Medvedev, the man once again standing between him and history just as he had two years ago.

The last time the two clashed at the US Open was in the 2021 final, when the Russian captured his only major and denied the Serb that elusive calendar Grand Slam.

Mr. Djokovic did not speak of revenge on the road to the final and only referenced that loss as a learning experience.

“I haven’t played any tournament on American soil for two years,” said Mr. Djokovic, who missed last year’s Slam due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to allow the importance of the moment and what’s on the line get to my head.

“Two years ago that’s what happened and I wasn’t able to be at my best and I was outplayed.

“So I learned my lesson.”

KILLER INSTINCT
As expected of a contest featuring the sport’s two premier hardcourt players, almost every point was contested with long rallies as both men pounded away from the baseline.

Mr. Djokovic came out playing with purpose and applied pressure right away, breaking the third seed at the first opportunity on his way to a 3-0 lead.

That would be the only break Djokovic would need against a surprisingly flat Medvedev, who could not raise his play to the “12 out of 10” level he said he reached in beating defending champion Alcaraz in the semifinals.

During a marathon one hour and 44 minute, lung-bursting second set Mr. Medvedev came to life, forcing a faltering Mr. Djokovic into long grinding point after long grinding point. But the tireless Russian’s hard work failed to pay dividends and he was unable to convert a break chance at 6-5 that would have given him the set.

Mr. Medvedev charged in front 3-1 in the tie-break but again could not land the knockout blow as Mr. Djokovic came off the ropes to take it 7-5 for a 2-0 lead.

If there is one thing Mr. Djokovic possesses it is a killer instinct and the Serb wasted no time in pressing home his advantage, breaking Mr. Medvedev to go up 3-1 in the third.

A defiant Mr. Medvedev answered with his first and only break of the match but it was not enough with Mr. Djokovic hitting right back with another break then holding serve the rest of way to clinch the title. — Reuters

Anthony Raga finishes second in China Open 9-Ball Championship in Shanghai

FAST-rising Anthony Raga continued to make a name in the international billiards scene after finishing a solid second in China Open 9-Ball Championships in Shanghai Sunday.

Less than a month after a head-turning second-place performance in the European Pool Championship in Fulda, Germany, the 26-year-old money game monster from Cebu City was it again as he came a win short from claiming his first international win after an 11-5 loss to 2018 world 9-ball king Joshua Filler of Germany. It was the second runner-up finish for the former Cebu-METC nautical student after falling to Spain’s David Alcaide in the European Pool Championship finale in a 13-12 hill-hill setback.

Mr. Raga, who pocketed $20,000 or a cool P1.1 million, also ended up at No. 2 in this same tournament’s last staging four years ago when he fell to Chinese Wu Jiaqing in an 11-10 heartbreaker.

On the way to the finals, Mr. Raga hurdled Mongolian Yeruult Amgalanbaatar, 11-7, Japanese Naoyuki Oi, 11-9, Chinese Liu Haitao, 11-5, and Taiwanese Wu Kun-Lin, 11-6. He was also the best-placed Filipino after countrymen Carlo Biado, James Aranas and Jeff Ignacio.

Rubilen Amit was also entered in the women’s side but she crashed out in the quarters where she succumbed to eventual winner Han Yu, 9-5. — Joey Villar

Fil-foreigners uplift loaded PHL women’s gymnastics squad

FIL-AM gymnast Levi Jung Ruivivar — USA GYMNASTICS

FIL-AM gymnast Levi Jung Ruivivar, who recently decided to represent the Philippines after being part of the United States juniors’ team for years, is a surefire medalist if she will be allowed to see action in the Hangzhou Asian Games late this month.

Although the deadline for the submission of entry by name was last July 25, the country can still appeal some roster changes so Ms. Ruivivar could still make the Asiad-bound squad.

And the Philippines is hoping the 17-year-old Ms. Ruivivar could get host China’s approval.

But whether or not she gets the nod, Ms. Ruivivar’s entry should boost an already loaded women’s artistic gymnastics squad that also has several Fil-foreign members in Aleah Finnegan, Kylee Kvamme and Emma Lauren Malabuyo in future international events including the Southeast Asian Games.

Mmess. Finnegan and Kvamme are bound for the World Championships next month in Antwerp, Belgium while Ms. Malabuyo is with the 12-strong team plunging into action in Hangzhou. — Joey Villar

Romeo, Abueva boost lineup of Gilas Pilipinas for Hangzhou Asiad

THE CAVALRY has arrived for Tim Cone’s crew for the approaching Asian Games led by balik-Gilas Pilipinas Terrence Romeo and Calvin Abueva.

Messrs. Romeo and Abueva, who last suited up five years ago, are among the 12 men plus one alternate Cone handpicked for the Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 Asiad in Hangzhou.

The duo joined FIBA World Cup (WC) veterans June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson and RR Pogoy, WC pool members Calvin Oftana and Chris Newsome, PBA stalwarts Mo Tautuaa, Jason Perkins and Stanley Pringle and naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame.

However, Mr. Cone said Messrs. Abueva and Perkins’ participation are dependent on whether the AG organizers will allow them to come in as replacements for injured players Jamie Malonzo and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.

Energy guys Messrs. Abueva and Perkins are both not part of the initial list of 60 players the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas previously submitted in compliance with the Games’ requirements months ago.  Mr. Pringle, meanwhile, was enlisted as “alternate.”

Despite not getting the WC guys from the Japanese and Korean leagues, Mr. Cone is pretty satisfied with the team he assembled.

“I’m good with what we got,” Mr. Cone told reporters after the two-hour practice at the PhilSports Arena that kickstarted their two-week Asiad buildup.

“I think we got a good balance of quickness at three and four (positions) and we got good guards. We got shooters in Messrs. Roger, Terrence and Calvin and Justin. We’re pretty well equipped. We got great defenders in Messrs. Perkins and Newsome and Scottie’s all-around play.”

Messrs. Romeo and Abueva are returning to Gilas duties after the infamous brawl against Australia in July 2018.

Mr. Brownlee, who underwent surgery to remove bone spurs last month, assured he would play in the Asiad. “I feel pretty good. Of course, there’s going to be aches and pains, stuff that I probably have to play through at this time so I’m taking it step by step and slowly getting back to 100 percent or closer,” said Mr. Brownlee.

Mr. Cone said the team will hold a training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna from Sept. 16 to 21 after which they play a tuneup game against Korean club Changwon LG Sakers on the 22nd before the flight to China the next day. — Olmin Leyba

Once a century earthquake deals blow to North African bright spot

RESIDENTS gesture to each other as they search the remains of a home in Moulay Brahim on Sunday. — BLOOMBERG

WHEN Morocco’s top tourist city was rocked by the country’s deadliest earthquake in six decades, Hicham Aamran and his family fled to a nearby square, terrified their apartment building would collapse.

They’ve camped there since, sleeping in the open and too afraid of aftershocks to return to their Marrakech home, as the kingdom reckons with the social and economic toll of a disaster that’s left more than 2,000 people dead.

The catastrophe deals a stunning blow to the country of 37 million that views itself an island of stability in North Africa and which has been a bright spot for investors wary of the region’s other economies. Marrakech, famed for its buzzing markets, ornate courtyard homes and nearby ski slopes, is due to welcome thousands of officials to the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings in October.

“The strength of the tremor was too terrifying to stay indoors,” said Mr. Aamran, an assistant manager at a car-rental firm. He said he fears for relatives in the town of Imintanout, about 80 miles (128 km) to Marrakech’s southwest and near the quake’s epicenter. “They need real rescuers, and bread.”

Morocco’s strongest quake in 120 years struck the High Atlas mountains late Friday, tearing across the poverty-stricken al-Haouz and Taroudant regions and flattening villages of mud-brick homes, while damaging the winding roads key to aid and rescue efforts. The World Health Organization says 300,000 people in Marrakech and beyond have been affected. A Red Crescent official warned the response would take “months, if not years.”

Parts of Marrakech’s UNESCO-listed historic center sustained serious damage, with masonry raining down on parked cars and some of its storied alleyways collapsing. One much-shared video on social media showed the 12th-century Kutubiyya mosque shaking as screams punctured the night sky.

About 10.9 million tourists visited Morocco last year, a vital driver of the $140 billion economy alongside agriculture and trade with the European Union. Those have helped the country bolster its credit quality. The government has a BB+ rating from S&P Global Ratings, a step below investment grade and one of the highest levels in Africa.

While a short-term hit seems likely, the country’s size and diversity of attractions may provide a cushion. Tourism in Turkey, which was hurt by disastrous earthquakes in its eastern provinces in February, mostly rebounded with surging summer arrivals to the Mediterranean coast and Istanbul.

Flights from Europe’s major airlines were still arriving in Marrakech on Sunday.

The quake probably won’t “impact Morocco’s economy as a whole, but it will hurt the local economy, especially the many villages that live off tourism on the outskirts of Marrakech and the city itself,” said Rachid Aourraz, head of research at the MIPA Institute, a think tank in the capital, Rabat.

INCOME INEQUALITY
The events have shone a spotlight on Morocco’s disparities. While Marrakech has long been the haunt of statesmen, celebrities and billionaires — from Winston Churchill to Richard Branson and David Beckham — a short drive away lie settlements with poor access to basic services.

In the Atlas, prominent businessman and philanthropist Karim Tazi said the situation was “dramatic,” with authorities racing to clear roads and get blood donations to local hospitals. “Unfortunately a large number of people are still under the rubble,” he said by text message on Sunday.

For Youssef Barakat, who works at the Kasbah Angour hotel in the High Atlas, the quake felt “like the sky fell.” Several of the hotel’s 27 rooms will need major repairs, forcing them to shut for at least two weeks.

“Our building is modern, which is not the case for the vast majority of houses and small hotels in the area,” Barakat said Sunday. “Too many villages were destroyed and there is a lot of death.”

ECONOMIC PRESSURE
There’s been no estimate yet of the total damage caused by the deadliest quake to strike Morocco since 1960, when 12,000 people were killed around the Atlantic coastal city of Agadir.

Any large-scale reconstruction would pile more pressure on an economy jolted by two years of droughts and may disrupt the government’s efforts to improve its finances.

This year, there were signs of improvement. They included the country’s return to international bond markets in March after an absence of more than two years. It issued $2.5 billion of 5-year and 10.5-year notes. The former ended trading on Friday with a yield of 6.1%.

“With thousands of people dead or critically injured this is certainly a human tragedy,” said Todd Schubert, Dubai-based head of fixed-income research at Bank of Singapore. “However, the scale of destruction appears to have largely spared critical infrastructure, which is important. Outside aid will help blunt the fiscal impact. I expect that the impact on spreads, beyond the immediate knee jerk reaction, will be modest.”

Before Friday’s earthquake, authorities were targeting economic growth of 3.4% this year and planning to trim a budget deficit from 4.5% of gross domestic product to 4% in 2024. The country’s poorest were set to get improved access to subsidies via a direct-aid program.

In Morocco’s favor is a string of allies. The US, France, Turkey and the UK were among many countries pledging assistance, including first responders and search dogs. So, too, were the United Arab Emirates, Israel — with which Morocco made a landmark peace deal in 2020 — and Algeria, a longtime foe that says it will open its airspace for aid efforts. King Mohammed VI has thanked those offering help, without saying they’ll be accepted.

IMF MEETING
The World Bank conveyed its “profoundest condolences” and full support to Morocco. “Our sole focus at this stage is on the Moroccan people and the authorities who are dealing with this tragedy,” it said in a statement, making no reference to the meetings due to start in less than a month.

Morocco’s hosting of the events, the first on the African continent in half a century, was expected to bring thousands of high-spending visitors to Marrakech.

The meetings were first scheduled for 2021 but faced two years of delays due to the Covid pandemic. There’s been no word on whether the quake will affect plans, although much of greater Marrakech has emerged unscathed.

King Mohammed was overseas when the disaster hit, and although he returned swiftly it reminded Moroccans of the long periods the 60-year-old monarch spends outside the country, few of which are officially disclosed. The king owns multiple properties in France.

People close to Morocco’s Makhzen — the centuries-old web of advisers, security officials, military men and business interests that orbits the monarchy — have expressed increasing discontent over his absences, as well as over a much-publicized friendship with a trio of German-raised cage wrestlers known as the Azaitar brothers.

The financial impact of the quake will become more clear over time. Many of those worse hit by Friday’s disaster rely on small-scale farming or other low-paid jobs and “can’t afford the massive cost of rebuilding their homes,” according to Aourraz.

The government, too, may struggle. “They are dealing with swathes of damaged regions that require roads, water, electricity, and much more,” he said. — Bloomberg

US, Vietnam firms hold business summit during Biden visit

US President Joseph R. Biden holds a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 10, 2023. — REUTERS

HANOI — Executives at top US and Vietnamese firms in the semiconductor, tech and aviation sectors met on Monday as part of US President Joseph R. Biden’s visit to Hanoi, seeking to forge business partnerships with new deals in artificial intelligence (AI) unveiled.

Senior executives from Google, Intel, Amkor, Marvell, GlobalFoundries and Boeing attended the Vietnam-US Innovation & Investment Summit, according to the meeting agenda.

From Vietnam, there were executives from half a dozen companies, including Nasdaq-listed electric car maker VinFast, flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, tech company FPT, MoMo, the country’s biggest e-wallet by users, as well as internet firm VNG, which filed in August for a US IPO.

Mr. Biden reiterated at the meeting that the two countries were deepening cooperation in cloud computing, semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and stressed Vietnam was crucial for critical minerals supplies.

The country has the world’s second-biggest estimated deposits of rare earths, which are used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

The meeting, which followed a historic upgrade of diplomatic relations agreed on Sunday, underscored US desire to boost Vietnam’s global role. This is particularly so in chipmaking with Washington seeking to reduce the sector’s exposure to China-linked risks, including trade friction and tensions over Taiwan.

US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Vietnam’s investment minister Nguyen Chi Dzung chaired the meeting, which was followed by discussions with Mr. Biden and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Newly unveiled deals by the White House include plans by Microsoft to make a “generative AI-based solution tailored for Vietnam and emerging markets.”

Nvidia will also partner with Vietnam’s FPT, Viettel and Vingroup, VinFast’s parent company, on AI in the country, it said.

The White House also highlighted the number of chip-related investments by US firms in Vietnam, including plans by Marvell and Synopsys to build chip design centers in the country.

A new $1.6 billion Amkor factory near Hanoi that will assemble, package and test chips is due to start operations in October, it added.

The investment value is on par with Intel’s $1.5 billion chip assembling plant in the south of the country — the company’s biggest worldwide. Sources said earlier this year that it may be expanded.

Vietnam Airlines will also purchase 50 Boeing 737 Max jets, the White House said, in an agreement that a source told Reuters was valued at about $7.5 billion.

US conglomerate Honeywell will cooperate with a Vietnamese partner to launch a pilot project to develop Vietnam’s first battery energy storage system, the White House also said. — Reuters

Malaysia targets at least 5% economic growth annually until 2025 — PM

REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is aiming for economic growth of at least 5% annually until 2025, lower than the Southeast Asian nation’s previous target, Prime Minister (PM) Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.

The lower forecast comes as Malaysia’s economy takes a hit from a global slowdown. Growth was the slowest in nearly two years in the second quarter as exports slumped.

Malaysia had earlier targeted growth of 4.5% to 5.5% annually between 2021 and 2025 as part of its five-year economic growth plan.

Tabling the midterm review of the plan in parliament, Mr. Anwar said Malaysia’s economic growth will be supported by a focus on accelerating the transition to high-value industries, and bigger investments.

He said Malaysia was targeting private investments of 300 billion ringgit ($64.17 billion) annually until 2025.

“The government aims to make Malaysia the preferred destination for investors by enhancing competitiveness,” Mr. Anwar said.

Mr. Anwar also said the government will increase the budget allocation for the economic plan to 415 billion ringgit ($88.77 billion), compared to the 400 billion ringgit previously announced.

Last month, the central bank said Malaysia’s full-year economic expansion would be at the lower end of the 4% to 5% range it had forecast earlier. — Reuters