Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 3325

TNT Triple Giga cruise to quarterfinals of Leg 4 of PBA 3×3 Season Three

3X3.PBA.PH

TNT made quick work of its pool assignments to cruise to the quarterfinals of Leg 4 of the PBA 3×3 Season 3 Second Conference yesterday at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Unstoppable in all conference, the Triple Giga kept roaring and dispatched Blackwater, 19-17, and Terrafirma, 21-14, to top three-team Pool A and advance to today’s KO rounds.

With Ping Exciminiano and Gryann Mendoza leading the charge against the Smooth Razor and the Dyip, respectively, the TNT Triple Giga hurdled the initial challenge of its four-peat bid while also extending their winning streak to 18 games overall in the mid-season conference.

Blackwater (1-1), by virtue of its 21-14 verdict over Terrafirma (0-2), joined the Last-8 march as Pool A No. 2.

Determined to bounce back after a lowly 11th finish in the last leg, San Miguel Beer swept past Cavitex, 22-17, NorthPort, 21-16, and Purefoods, 21-19, en route to Pool B No. 1 at 3-0.

At 2-1, the Braves assured themselves of a quarters entry as second seeds in Pool B, using victories over the Titans, 21-18, and the Batang Pier, 21-14, as springboard.

Purefoods (0-2) and NorthPort (0-2) dispute the remaining seat in the eliminations culminating today.

Meanwhile, Pioneer (2-0) and MCFASolver (2-1) surged forward in Pool C.

The Katibays edged the Tech Centrale, 16-15, then rallied past Meralco, 21-19, to qualify with a game to spare while MCFASolver greased its playoffs drive with victories against the Bolts (1-2), 18-10, and Ginebra (0-2), 19-14. — Olmin Leyba

Blazers, Heavy Bombers clash again in NCAA S99

MIGUEL OCZON

Games Tuesday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
2 p.m. — AU vs UPHSD
4 p.m. — JRU vs CSB

COLLEGE of St. Benilde (CSB) and Jose Rizal University (JRU) will try to keep their tempers checked as the two budding rivals face anew today in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The Blazers showed more composure in their 93-85 overtime victory over the Heavy Bombers in their first-round duel last Sept. 29 in a game where they nearly came to blows.

Good thing they hadn’t as it would have repeated the infamous game a season ago that involved John Amores.

The same game also resulted in league commissioner Tonichi Pujante downgrading an unsportsmanlike foul assessed on JRU’s pro-bound guard JL delos Santos that led to his ejection.

The three game officials who called that match were then sacked for two weeks.

And at 4 p.m. when the Blazers, who are tied with the San Beda University Red Lions at No. 3 with 8-4 marks, and the Heavy Bombers, alone at No. 5 with an 8-5 card, face off again, they would need to be composed and disciplined to get the win. For CSB bench tactician Charles Tiu, laser-like focus will be essential. “Big game for us, playoff game for both of us basically,” said Mr. Tiu. “They’re a good team and execute well. Hopefully we can find ways to slow them down.”

University of Perpetual Help (UPHSD), meanwhile, try to keep its drowning Final Four campaign afloat as it tackles an already ousted Arellano University or AU (2-10) at 2 p.m. The Altas fed off the arrival of newly minted assistant Scottie Thompson, an alumnus, former league Most Valuable Player and PBA and Gilas star, in their 72-61 triumph over the Heavy Bombers Sunday that hiked its record to 5-7. — Joey Villar

Eagles hold off Dallas for NFL-best 8-1 record

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. — REUTERS

JALEN Hurts passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more, and the Philadelphia Eagles escaped with a 28-23 win over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had one touchdown reception apiece for Philadelphia (8-1). Kenneth Gainwell had a rushing touchdown along with Hurts, who threw for 207 yards on 17-for-23 passing.

Dak Prescott completed 29 of 44 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns for Dallas (5-3). Jake Ferguson, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert each had a touchdown reception, and CeeDee Lamb finished with a game-high 11 catches for 191 yards.

Dallas had a chance to make a game-winning play in the final seconds. Mr. Prescott completed his final pass to Mr. Lamb, but a swarm of Eagles defenders hit Lamb at the Philadelphia 4-yard line as time expired and forced a fumble (which the Eagles recovered).

The Eagles, who trailed by three points at the half, seized a 21-17 advantage on their first drive of the third quarter. Mr. Hurts lobbed a pinpoint pass down the left sideline to Mr. Smith for a 29-yard touchdown.

Another Hurts touchdown pass, this time to Mr. Brown, pushed the Eagles’ lead to 28-17 with 1:13 left in the third quarter. The 4-yard play marked Mr. Brown’s team-high sixth touchdown catch of the season.

Dallas pulled within 28-23 with 6:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. Mr. Prescott connected with Mr. Tolbert for a 7-yard touchdown. The Cowboys tried for a two-point conversion moments later, but Mr. Prescott stepped out of bounds before he could cross the goal line.

Philadelphia opened the scoring just over midway through the first quarter. Mr. Gainwell sprinted toward the right sideline and somersaulted over a defender and into the end zone for a 12-yard score.

Dallas responded on the next possession to even the score at 7-7. Mr. Ferguson caught Mr. Prescott’s pass in stride and muscled past a defender for a 4-yard touchdown.

The Cowboys took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. On third-and-goal, Prescott zipped a 5-yard pass to Turpin just beyond the goal line.

Hurts got a friendly shove from behind to score a 1-yard touchdown with 5:09 remaining in the first half. It marked his seventh rushing score in nine games this season.

A 51-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey gave the Cowboys a 17-14 lead before halftime.

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert injured his right forearm in the third quarter and left the game. Mr. Goedert was hurt when a defender yanked his arm while tackling him to the ground. — Reuters

Barnes powers Raptors’ comeback win over Spurs in OT

SCOTTIE Barnes scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half and the visiting Toronto Raptors dominated the fourth quarter and overtime to rally to a 123-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

The Spurs built a 22-point edge late in the second quarter, were up by 19 at the half and led by 15 points after three quarters. But Toronto rallied and drew to within two points after a pair of free throws and a basket by Dennis Schroder, the latter with 1:45 left in regulation.

San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson hit a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 1:19 remaining that was answered by a dunk by Mr. Barnes on the ensuing possession.

Mr. Barnes then tied the game at 108 with a stepback 3-pointer with 38 seconds to play. Mr. Johnson made two free throws with 14.5 seconds left, but OG Anunoby’s putback layup with 1.2 seconds remaining knotted it at 110. Barnes missed a wild shot at the buzzer, pushing the game into the extra period.

The Raptors scored eight of the first 10 points in the overtime, with Pascal Siakam and Anunoby hitting 3-pointers around a putback layup by Jakob Poeltl. San Antonio never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

Mr. Barnes added 11 rebounds for Toronto. Anunoby and Schroder scored 24 points apiece, Mr. Poeltl had a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Trent, Jr. finished with 10 points in the win.

Mr. Johnson’s 26 points paced San Antonio. Zach Collins had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama racked up 20 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots. Malaki Branham hit for 16 points and Doug McDermott tallied 12 for the Spurs off the bench.

The Spurs rallied from an early deficit and took a 25-16 lead at the 1:46 mark of the opening period but settled for a 26-22 advantage after the first 12 minutes.

San Antonio poured it on in the second quarter, forging a 20-5 run over the period’s first 8 1/2 minutes. Mr. McDermott had two 3-pointers during the run as the Spurs led by 54-35 at the break.

Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wembanyama each scored 12 points before halftime to lead San Antonio. Anunoby led the Raptors with a dozen points in the half. — Reuters

13 players, including two rookies, win first Gold Gloves

THIRTEEN players earned their first Gold Glove Award, the second most since the award’s inception in 1957, as Major League Baseball handed out the honor to the best defensive player at each position on Sunday night.

This is the fourth straight year where there have been at least 10 first-time winners, extending a record. There were 14 new winners last season, the first year a utility player could earn a Gold Glove.

Rookies Anthony Volpe, shortstop of the New York Yankees, and Brenton Doyle, center fielder for the Colorado Rockies, took home the award, marking the third time multiple first-year players won Gold Gloves, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier each earned their fourth Gold Glove, most among this year’s recipients. Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios earned his first Gold Glove.

Five players won their second Gold Glove: Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez and left fielder Steven Kwan, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker and Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson and left fielder Ian Happ.

The World Series champion Texas Rangers had three winners — catcher Jonah Heim, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and right fielder Adolis Garcia.  — Reuters

Israel facing sustained pressure to avoid more civilian casualties

REUTERS

GAZA — Having rebuffed calls for a ceasefire, Israel is set to come under sustained pressure on Monday to avoid civilian casualties during its assault on Gaza, while a US diplomatic blitz in the region seeks to reduce risks of the conflict escalating.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to meet with Turkey’s foreign minister in Ankara on Monday, hours after hundreds of people at a pro-Palestinian protest tried to storm an air base that houses US troops in southern Turkey.

Mr. Blinken on Sunday made an unannounced visit to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza said more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel a month ago, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

Mr. Blinken repeated US concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled it out unless hostages held by Hamas were released.

“There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

Israel’s military said on Sunday it had surrounded Gaza City, at the northern end of the enclave. Palestinian news agency WAFA had reported “unprecedented bombardment” from Israel, while telecoms provider Paltel reported another cutoff of communications and internet services.

Israel said 31 soldiers have been killed since it began expanded ground operations in Gaza on Oct. 27, fighting thousands of Hamas fighters who believe they can hold off Israel’s advance in a warren of tunnels under the enclave.

A spokesman for Israel’s military told CNN late on Sunday that bombardments in northern Gaza were halted for several hours for two days in a row to allow civilians safe passage to move to the south of the narrow coastal strip.

“Not only are we telling them where to go, but we’re also helping and creating much better humanitarian conditions in the south,” Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, without indicating whether such pauses would continue.

Mr. Conricus said there was access to water and humanitarian goods in the south of Gaza, but Hamas was impeding convoys by firing on them. Reuters could not immediately verify his account.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday and “reiterated his ironclad commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself and emphasized the importance of both protecting civilians and delivering humanitarian assistance,” the Pentagon said.

Mr. Austin “reaffirmed the US commitment to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this conflict.”

US Central Command, which covers the Middle East, said on X that an Ohio-class nuclear missile submarine had arrived in the region -— an unusual public announcement of a nuclear submarine’s position that was seen by some analysts as a message to Iran.

‘TORN-APART FLESH’
People searched for victims or survivors at the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, where the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said Israeli forces had killed at least 47 people in strikes early on Sunday.

“All night I and the other men were trying to pick the dead from the rubble. We got children, dismembered, torn-apart flesh,” said Saeed al-Nejma, 53.

Asked for comment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were gathering details.

In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family were killed in strikes, the health ministry said. The IDF declined to comment.

Reuters could not independently verify these accounts.

“We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately,” Mr. Abbas told Mr. Blinken, urging an “immediate ceasefire” from Israel.

Palestinians were facing a war of “genocide and destruction”, news agency WAFA quoted Mr. Abbas as saying.

Tensions increased with Lebanon after an Israeli strike on a car in the south of the country killed three children and their grandmother, Lebanese authorities said.

Israel’s chief military spokesperson said the military had attacked “terrorist targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon” in response to a missile attack against tanks that killed an Israeli citizen.

Hezbollah said it responded by firing rockets at the town of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. The group said it would never tolerate attacks on civilians and its response would be “firm and strong.” — Reuters

US, S. Korea, Japan hoping to counter cyber threats

Miniatures of people with computers are seen in front of North Korea flag in this illustration taken July 19, 2023. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

SEOUL — The United States (US), South Korea and Japan have agreed to launch a high-level consultative group on countering North Korean cyber activities that they say finance its unlawful weapons programs, South Korea’s presidential office said on Monday.

Anne Neuberger, US deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, held talks with her South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Washington last week. They agreed to hold quarterly meetings under the new framework, the presidential office said.

“It is aimed at strengthening the three countries’ effective response capabilities against global cyber threats, including jointly countering North Korea’s cyber activities that are abused as a key source funding its nuclear and WMD programs,” the office said in a statement.

The announcement comes after the leaders of the three countries agreed at a summit in August at Camp David that they would establish a new trilateral working group for the North’s cyber threats.

Sanctions monitors have accused North Korea of using cyberattacks to gather funds for its nuclear and missile programs, and a United Nations report said the North stepped up its cryptocurrency theft last year, using sophisticated techniques to steal more in 2022 than any other year.

North Korea has denied allegations of hacking or other cyberattacks. — Reuters

Biden trails Trump in states likely to decide 2024 US election — polls

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden participate in their first 2020 presidential campaign debate held on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, US, Sept. 29, 2020. — POOL VIA REUTERS

DEMOCRATIC President Joseph R. Biden trails Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in five of the six most important battleground states exactly a year before the US election as Americans express doubts about Mr. Biden’s age and dissatisfaction toward his handling of the economy, polls released on Sunday showed.

The polls were conducted by the New York Times and Siena College. Mr. Trump, leading the field for his party’s 2024 nomination as he seeks to regain the presidency, leads in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, with Mr. Biden ahead in Wisconsin, the polls showed. Mr. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in all six states in the 2020 election. Mr. Trump now leads by an average of 48% to 44% in the six states, the polls showed.

While polls assessing the national popular vote have consistently showed Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump in a close race, presidential elections typically are decided by the outcomes in a handful of so-called swing states.

Mr. Biden’s victories in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -— all swing states that Mr. Trump carried in 2016 — were instrumental in his 2020 victory. Mr. Biden likely would need to carry many of those state again to win re-election.

“Predictions more than a year out tend to look a little different a year later. Don’t take our word for it: Gallup predicted an 8 point loss for President Obama only for him to win handedly a year later,” Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement, referring to Democrat Barack Obama’s 2012 victory over Republican Mitt Romney.

Mr. Munoz added that Biden’s campaign “is hard at work reaching and mobilizing our diverse, winning coalition of voters one year out on the choice between our winning, popular agenda and MAGA (Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan) Republicans’ unpopular extremism. We’ll win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about a poll.”

Mr. Biden’s multiracial and multigenerational coalition appears to be fraying, the polls showed.

Voters under age 30 favor Mr. Biden, who is 80, by only a single percentage point, his lead among Hispanic voters is down to single digits and his advantage in urban areas is half of Mr. Trump’s edge in rural regions, the polls showed.

Black voters — a core Biden demographic — are now registering 22 percent support in these states for Mr. Trump, a level the New York Times reported was unseen in presidential politics for a Republican in modern times. 

“I was concerned before these polls and I’m concerned now,” Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic US senator from Connecticut, told CNN.

“No one is going to have a runaway election here. … We have our work cut out for us,” Mr. Blumenthal added. — Reuters

EU weighs advancing Ukraine’s membership bid as Russia war drags on

REUTERS

BRUSSELS — The European Union (EU) executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week, according to EU officials, a coveted prize for Kyiv as weariness creeps in nearly two years after Russia’s invasion.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Brussels-based executive will publish a report on Wednesday assessing progress achieved towards membership by EU hopefuls. On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, she praised Ukraine for making headway.

The report and recommendation will inform a key decision in December by a summit of the EU’s national leaders on whether to start formal membership negotiations with Kyiv.

Such talks take years before candidates meet extensive legal and economic criteria to join, and the bloc is not willing to take in a country at war.

Still, advancing Western integration is a top priority for Ukraine, where troops face battle fatigue and concerns swirl over the future of vital US military aid.

The Commission said last June that Ukraine met two out of seven conditions the EU had set to start membership talks.

“You have made excellent progress,” Ms. Von Der Leyen told a news conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.

“You are fighting an existential war and at the same time deeply reforming your country,” she said in highlighting reforms to Ukraine’s justice system, reining in oligarchs and tackling money laundering.

She expressed confidence that Ukraine would soon complete the remaining steps – related to fighting corruption and safeguarding minority rights – and advance on its EU path.

Mr. Zelensky said Kyiv would deliver on the conditions, and that a positive EU decision would give fresh motivation to his society and troops. He said Ukraine eventually joining the EU would strengthen both.

“There will be no grey geo-political zones in Europe. We will secure a new basis for growth and development of Ukraine and all European countries. We will guarantee to our country and citizens real economic and social security,” he said.

His comments capped a week when Ukraine’s commander-in-chief said the war was moving towards attritional fighting and the Italian premier spoke of international fatigue with the war during a prank call that was later made public.

MOLDOVA, GEORGIA
In good news for Ukraine, Germany’s foreign minister expressed confidence that the EU would advance its bid to join.

Kyiv is expected to get a green light this week “on the understanding that” it does more to tackle graft and secure minority rights, the latter issue raised by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who prides himself on his contacts with Moscow.

The Commission report on Wednesday will also cover other EU hopefuls, including Georgia and Moldova.

The latter got nine conditions to start membership talks, including fighting organised crime, and can get a conditional positive recommendation along with its neighbour Ukraine.

“Moldova has shown its resilience and commitment to progress its EU agenda while taking measures to mitigate the impact of Russia’s war of aggression,” said a draft of the report, which was seen by Reuters ahead of official publication.

EU officials say Georgia has not satisfied the 12 conditions it was given to win candidate country status, something Kyiv and Chisinau secured last year a few months after Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.

But Tbilisi has the backing of Mr. Orban and could still move ahead on its EU path as the bloc wrestles for influence with Russia. — Reuters

Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong in South China Sea after Pacific drills, Japan says 

AN AERIAL VIEW of what Philippine Coast Guard alleges were Chinese vessels, manned by Chinese maritime militia, loitering within the vicinity of Thitu Island, one of nine features occupied by the Philippines in Spratly Islands, in the disputed South China Sea, March 9, 2023. — REUTERS

TOKYO — The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and other naval ships sailed to the South China Sea after conducting landing drills in the Pacific Ocean for nine days, Japan’s defense ministry said on Monday.

Between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5, the Shandong carried out around 420 jet fighter landings and 150 helicopter landings in the Pacific, south of Japan’s Miyako islands and east of the Philippines, the ministry announced.

Taiwan’s military said late last month that its forces would keep monitoring the Chinese naval formation in the Pacific led by Shandong. — Reuters

Online reputation management platform to launch in Philippines

VECTORJUICE-FREEPIK

Media.com, an Australia-based online reputation management platform, is set to expand verified profiles in the Philippines to combat trolls and promote responsible media engagement. 

“The world is experiencing an information crisis because of how and where information is being published,” said James Mawhinney, chief executive officer of Media Dot Com, Inc., in an e-mailed press release to reporters on Monday. 

“Readers are being misled by clickbait or misleading articles due to social media platforms being driven by advertiser revenues,” he added. 

“In an era where reputations built over many years can be destroyed at lightspeed, a Media.com profile will be indispensable for anyone with a reputation to protect.” 

Results from a 2022 poll by Pulse Asia Research, Inc. showed 68% of Filipinos saw or heard fake news on the internet or social media.

People also believed fake news came from friends, family, relatives, community leaders, newspapers, and religious leaders, it said. 

“Media.com addresses reputation problems caused by social networks that elevate or prioritize divisive content for engagement,” Mr. Mawhinney said on users being able to quickly react to claims about them on third-party platforms without fear of manipulation or algorithm overshadowing. 

“[It] ensures users have a genuine ‘right of reply,’ which is increasingly rare in today’s digital ecosystem,” he added. 

X Corp., formerly Twitter, launched its paid verification system earlier this year, alongside the removal of blue check marks from users’ profiles, affecting verified journalists, politicians, government agencies, and companies. 

X users now have to pay for a premium account to be verified, from P440/600 per month to P2,720/54,400 per month for organizations. 

Media.com claims to be “a world-first platform of its kind,” Mr. Mawhinney said. “With our launch, we aim to provide a secure haven for free expression and protection against misinformation by allowing users to engage, respond & deconstruct all forms of media.” 

The platform has incurred profile registration from more than 100 countries, where these will be “activated progressively throughout 2024 on a first-in, first-served basis,” it said. — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola

Philippines hopes to seal troops pact with Japan soon

DEFENSE SECRETARY GILBERTO ‘GIBO’ C. TEODORO, JR. — SENATE PRIB

The Philippines hopes to ink a reciprocal troops access deal with Japan at “the soonest possible time,” Manila’s Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. said on Monday.

The Philippines and Japan have agreed to start negotiations on a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that would allow both countries to deploy their forces on each other’s soil.

“We look forward to this reciprocal access agreement between both our countries given the commitment of the Japanese government and the Philippine government to preserve the rules-based international order and international law,” Mr. Teodoro told a press briefing.

Once the agreement is sealed, Teodoro said it would have to be submitted to the Philippines Senate and Japanese legislature for ratification.

Negotiations for an RAA would strengthen military cooperation between the Philippines and Japan, two of the United States’ closest Asian allies, at a time of rising maritime tensions in the region and an increasingly assertive China. — Reuters

1...3,3243,3253,326...13,480Page 3,325 of 13,480
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube