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NEDA’s post-pandemic scenario

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

Is the pandemic finally behind us? The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) would like to think so. In a recent conference with the Management Association of the Philippines, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua outlined our path to full recovery.

As we are painfully aware, the economy contracted by a massive 9.6% in 2020 due to government’s heavy-handed approach to contain the virus spread. The wide militaristic lockdown paralyzed supply chains across the archipelago, disrupted manufacturing, and consigned our vibrant consumer-driven economy to a state of coma. All these could have been avoided if only government had mobilized a testing campaign at the onset coupled with a functional tracking and tracing system. The absence of a testing, tracking, and tracing mechanism left the authorities with no choice but to resort to debilitating lockdowns. But this is all water under the bridge now.

Last year was much better for us as the economy slowly opened up, albeit with heavy restrictions in April and May and again in August and September. All things told, the economy grew by 5.6% in 2021, well within government’s forecast. Unemployment declined from a high of 17.6% in the second quarter of 2020 to 6.5% in November 2021. At the rate we are going, the economy will finally reach its pre-pandemic level six months from now. The economy took a beating but the worst seems to be behind us. Now is the time to rebuild.

As this administration nears the end of its mandate, NEDA commits to vigorously complete our economic recovery and above all, restore the jobs that were lost. It laid out a 10-point plan designed to make the country bounce back stronger whilst preparing our institutions for future health emergencies. Here are the components of NEDA’s plan:

First, change the matrices used in deciding restriction levels. From basing decisions on gross caseloads, NEDA proposes that decisions be based on the cases that require hospitalization. Further, instead of looking at gross number of deaths, decision makers will be made to look at the ratio of case fatalities. All these are meant to better calibrate the level of restriction against realistic threats.

Second, accelerate vaccination. As of Feb. 20, a total of 133 million vaccinations have been administered. Sixty-two million are fully vaccinated, and 9.5 million received their booster shots. The vaccination drive will continue until the entire population is inoculated. Booster shots will be made available every year.

Third, increase hospital bed capacity. Hospital bed capacities have increased seven-fold over the last two years to 40,250 beds. Despite the spike in Omicron cases, the bed occupancy rate was only at 44.4%.

Fourth, quantify the impact. NEDA had quantified the impact on economic output (through GVA, or gross value added) and employment for all five restrictions levels. Knowing the impact will allow the authorities to be more judicious when adjusting restriction levels. For perspective, when Alert Level 5 is raised, P133.5 billion worth of GVA and 2.29 million jobs are lost per week in Metro Manila Plus alone. Whereas when we are on Alert Level 2, only P11.2 billion of GVA and 191,000 jobs are lost.

Fifth, education. The Duterte administration dropped the ball on education. Lamentably, they failed to act fast enough nor did they realize the urgency of reopening of schools. Even worse is the disconnect in policy. While schools remain closed, children were allowed to visit malls on Alert Level 2.

NEDA hopes to replicate the system of the European Union where schools remain open but are subjected to the strictest safety protocols and a staggered attendance arrangement. Decisions on school closures will be devolved to local government units (LGUs). Mental health support will be established in every campus and communication campaigns will be made more efficient between LGUs, students, and parents.

Sixth, domestic travel. Tourism contributes 12.5% of GDP and provides jobs for 5.4 million of our countrymen. To activate domestic travel, NEDA proposes that the gamut of requirements imposed by airlines, hotels, and LGUs be eliminated. In its place, a vaccination card and an inter-scannable QR code will be made the only requirements.

Seventh, international travel. The idea is to realign inbound and outbound travel requirements with global standards. Whereas before, only inbound travelers from “green” countries are exempted from quarantine, very soon, quarantine will no longer be a requirement for fully vaccinated travelers, regardless of origin. In addition, inbound flights and passenger quotas will be lifted.

Eighth, accelerate the digital transformation. Digitizing government’s operations will make it more agile. Fundamental is the quick implementation of the Public Service Act to expand telecommunication services. This will have to be supported by the full implementation of the Executive Order liberalizing satellite services, the Philippine Space Act, and Balik Scientist Act, among others. Still awaiting passage is the Open Access in Data Transmission Act and Internet Transactions Act.

While the process of digitization has started, experts estimate that it will take at least six years for the entire bureaucracy to complete the migration.

Ninth, enact the pandemic flexibility bill. We should never be caught flatfooted again when future medical emergencies strike. The pandemic flexibility bill will complement the existing Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act in that it allows budget flexibility. It also allows data privacy relaxation and better alignment of protocols between the national and local governments.

Tenth, learn from our experience. NEDA is in the process of creating a “pandemic playbook” to lead us through the next health emergency. Based on our COVID experience, the playbook will provide a step-by-step guide on action points suitable for various circumstances. It will also provide best practices and insights learned.

The country paid a steep price for being unprepared for COVID. We applaud NEDA for not letting this learning experience go to waste and using it to better prepare for future emergencies.

Meanwhile, there is a lot to do to put our economy back on track and generate the jobs that were lost. NEDA’s transition plan will enable us to recover faster.

 

Andrew J. Masigan is an economist

andrew_rs6@yahoo.com

Facebook@AndrewJ. Masigan

Twitter @aj_masigan

A tax hike in Singapore is inconvenient but opportune

REUTERS

WHEN Singapore’s goods and services tax (GST) last went up in 2007, the city’s economy was basking in the warm glow of sizzling global growth. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus had faded from public memory. The US subprime mortgage crisis was still a year away. Finance was booming. Real estate was hot. Unemployment was low and falling. It was the right time to increase the levy, to 7% from 5%, to pay for a lower corporate tax rate that would almost match the level in archrival Hong Kong.

Fifteen years later, the GST is set to rise further, perhaps to 9%, but in a world ravaged by a far more stubborn pathogen. Global growth is uneven, uncertain and held back by inflationary supply shortages. Finance and real estate are still surging, but they’re propped up by an unprecedented global monetary expansion that’s now set to recede rapidly.

Singapore still faces at least two very expensive internal challenges: an aging population and climate change. Which is why it’s likely to raise the tax again in Friday’s budget, though the timing is far from convenient. Nomura Holdings, Inc., which believes there’s a 55% chance of a single-shot increase effective from July, predicts core inflation to quicken to 4.3% this year from such a move, exceeding the central bank’s recently raised forecast of 2% to 3%.

The GST will add to the cost of living, and the government will help households deal with it by tapping an already-earmarked S$6 billion ($4.5 billion) fund set aside two years ago. But the impact of GST on inflation may not ebb quickly if wages firm up in a tightening labor market. The jobless rate has fallen to 2.4% and is set to drop further to pre-COVID-19 levels of around 2%. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, which uses the exchange rate to manage financial conditions, may aim for a stronger appreciation in the local currency than it has indicated so far.

Above all, though, effecting a tax increase at this delicate juncture — and making it palatable for the citizens — are good problems to have. They showcase the island economy’s resilience, and paint a picture that’s in stark contrast with Hong Kong where unemployment is 1.5 percentage points higher. The Chinese special administrative region’s annual budget next week is likely to show it stuck in the knots of a Beijing-inspired “dynamic zero” mandate for new infections, a strategy that’s proving hard to defend in the face of the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Singapore has firmly closed that chapter by deciding to live with COVID-19.

When it comes to citizen services such as public housing and old-age security, Singapore already has an edge. But now it’s trumping the formerly laissez-faire Hong Kong in ease of doing business as well. From multinationals to startups, firms are taking note. Citigroup, Inc. is moving some senior equity staff to Singapore and other economies. As activity in the Southeast Asian city-state starts humming back to life, its market for office space is poised for a recovery, while commercial property in Hong Kong remains mired in a glut — amid a threat of even harsher lockdowns.

Both cities have dipped liberally into their vast reserves to fight the pandemic, but where Hong Kong will have to remain in crisis mode, Singapore’s policy makers have won the fiscal space for using tax policy to addressing longer-term challenges.

Government spending on healthcare had tripled in the decade before COVID-19, with patient subsidies alone rising by 62% in five years to S$6.5 billion. Expect the growth to continue as the population of 5.5 million demands more and better quality of care, especially for the swelling ranks of the elderly. Almost one in every four citizens will be aged 65 years or above by 2030, from one in 10 in 2011. Last year, the government decided to raise the healthcare subsidy for a three-generation household earning median income to S$10,200, a 10% increase.   

Then there’s climate change. The vital business district and some of Singapore’s most valuable infrastructure is at risk of sinking. Saving the city from rising sea levels could cost S$100 billion or more over the next century. Increasing the current carbon tax rate of S$5 per ton of emissions will go some way toward mobilizing resources. But it won’t be enough.

It remains to be seen if the blow of a higher GST on ordinary people is equalized by some kind of a tax on the capital of rich asset owners. In this, too, Singapore has the scope to act because a risk of capital flight to Hong Kong — the obvious alternative, since it taxes neither capital nor consumption — is no longer a serious threat.

How tightly Asia’s rich are hugging Singapore can be gauged from the slight increase in their participation in new home sales in January even though in December the so-called additional buyer’s stamp duty on foreigners was raised to 30% from 20%. What’s more, 43% of their purchases were in the S$3 million-plus range, up from 32% in December, according to Ohmyhome Research.

The timing of the GST increase may be inconvenient, but it’s not inopportune. Unless a new variant of the coronavirus puts paid to Singapore’s reopening plans, the city’s policy makers have all the room in the world to set their policies very differently from those in gloomy Hong Kong.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Soaring gasoline bad timing for Asian governments facing voters

REUTERS

SOARING gasoline prices are fanning inflation and causing a headache for governments and central banks worldwide. In countries with elections coming up, they’re an extra headwind for the incumbents.

While the US mid-terms in November are the prime example of fuel prices feeding into the political sphere, upcoming votes in Asia may also be affected. Voting is already underway in Indian state elections and South Korea holds a presidential poll in early March. There’s also an Australian general election and a contest for the upper house in Japan in the next few months.

Oil’s relentless march toward triple figures has already prompted political action from incumbents. India cut retail taxes on gasoline and diesel in November and there’s been an unofficial freeze on prices since. South Korea enforced a temporary 20% drop in fuel levies in October through April, which may be extended, while Japan is subsidizing refiners to make motor fuel.

Governments in economies where wage levels are lagging behind inflation are most vulnerable to a gasoline-induced political backlash, according to Sonal Varma, chief economist for India and Asia ex-Japan at Nomura Holdings, Inc.

“If a country has low-income growth and high inflation, then it becomes a double-whammy, and then it could have both economic and political repercussions,” she said. It’s especially a concern in Asia, given that all of the major economies in the region are net oil importers, Ms. Varma said.

Australian retail gasoline have risen by 80% since early May 2020, while in Japan they’re up 37%, as oil recovered from the depths of the pandemic. In India, there are expectations the big state-owned fuel retailers will hike prices sharply following the elections that end next month.

Voters there are going to the polls in elections that run through early March in five states, most notably Uttar Pradesh, the largest state with more than 200 million people. Inflation, which breached the central bank’s 6% tolerance limit in January, points to a tough challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Rural wages haven’t kept pace, rising only 3.31% in December from a year earlier, Bloomberg Economics data show.

South Korea elects a new president on March 9. Incumbent Moon Jae-In isn’t allowed to run for another term, and polls are indicating a tight race between candidates from his party and the opposition. Average wages rose 4% last year, while year-on-year inflation was 3.6% in January, so price gains may not play as big role in the vote as elsewhere.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison must call a general election before the end of May and polls show he could be facing a landslide loss. Consumer sentiment has taken a hit as households struggle with soaring gasoline prices, with the Reserve Bank of Australia forecasting core inflation will rise above 3%. Average wage levels climbed 2.2% in the third quarter of 2021 from a year earlier, according data from the statistics bureau.

In Japan, more than half the seats in the Upper House are up for grabs in a vote in July, which could affect Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s chances of staying in office. Inflation expectations among households are at the highest since 2008, while average monthly cash earnings actually dipped slightly in December from a year earlier. Mr. Kishida said Thursday that more policies to ease the effect of high oil prices on households were being discussed.

The growing political focus on trying to lower oil prices represents a shift away from commitments made at the COP26 meeting late last year to accelerate efforts to phase out fossil fuel consumption. The higher oil prices are swelling the coffers — and influence — of  Saudi Arabia and Russia, and reinvigorating an industry that had been moving toward cleaner sources of energy.

“High fuel prices have been a persistent problem in the global inflationary environment since 2021,” said Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights, an oil market analysis provider in Singapore “Of all categories of consumer goods, fuel prices are an especially politically sensitive issue.” — Bloomberg

Australia accuses China of ‘act of intimidation’ after laser aimed at aircraft 

REUTERS

MELBOURNE — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Beijing of an ‘act of intimidation’ after a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at an Australian military surveillance aircraft last week.

A P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was illuminated on Thursday while flying over Australia’s northern approaches by a laser from a People’s Liberation Army–Navy (PLA-N) vessel, potentially endangering lives, the defense department said.

Mr. Morrison said his government will demand answers from Beijing.

“I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one (…) unprovoked, unwarranted,” Morrison said at a briefing. “And Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation.”

Defense Minister Peter Dutton called the incident “a very aggressive act” that took place in Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

“I think the Chinese government is hoping that nobody talks about these aggressive bullying acts,” Mr. Dutton told Sky News television. “We’re seeing different forms of it right across the region and in many parts of the world.”

The Chinese vessel was sailing east with another PLA-N ship through the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident, the department said. The sea lies between the north coast of Australia and the south coast of New Guinea.

Relations between Australia and China, its top trade partner, soured after Canberra banned Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. from its 5G broadband network in 2018, toughened laws against foreign political interference, and urged an independent investigation into the origins of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). — Reuters

Ukraine president has tough message for nation’s allies: Do more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a meeting during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. — MATT DUNHAM/POOL VIA REUTERS

AMID a US warning that Russia has decided to potentially invade his country and attack the capital, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Munich to deliver a tough message to his allies.

The former TV comedian cracked few jokes on Saturday as he accused the US and Europe of allowing the continent’s security infrastructure to collapse. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin used the same platform — the Munich Security Conference of 2007 — to deliver a speech in which he openly challenged the post-Cold War order.

“How did the world respond?” Mr. Zelenskyy asked. “With appeasement.”

While Russia has repeatedly denied any plans to invade Ukraine, Zelenskyy sought to portray his country as holding the front line of security for European countries to the west.

Ukraine, Mr. Zelenskyy said, shouldn’t have to beg for arms to defend European security against one of the largest militaries in the world. “Those are not noble gestures for which Ukraine must bow low,” he said. “It is your contribution to European and the world’s security.”

Mr. Zelenskyy said he was grateful for the diplomatic, financial and military aid Ukraine’s Western allies have offered since Russia seized Crimea and stoked an armed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. The US says it has delivered $2.7 billion worth of military aid since 2014, including modern anti-tank weapons. In recent months, other NATO allies have sent shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and specialized anti-tank missiles for use in urban warfare.

Still, if allies really want to help, they should “set up a fund for stability and reconstruction for Ukraine, and a lend-lease program, supply new weapons, machinery, equipment for our army — an army that protects all of Europe,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.

SANCTIONS NOW
Recalling that Ukraine gave up its nuclear deterrent in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the UK and US, in a 1994 memorandum, Mr. Zelenskyy said: “We have the right to ask for a move from the appeasement policy to action.”

He called for clear road maps for Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the European Union (EU), and criticized allies for being unwilling to sanction Russia now or even name sanctions measures in advance to better deter Mr. Putin, while loudly predicting an imminent Russian invasion.

European leaders are concerned that the deterrent effect of sanctions would be lost if they were imposed before the action they’re designed to stop.

“We don’t need your sanctions after the war starts and we have no borders,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.

While Mr. Zelenskyy didn’t name names, his chief target appeared to be Germany, which has resisted arming Ukraine. The government in Berlin says that would mean bending its strict rules on arms sales, and that it has instead taken a lead in delivering financial aid to support Ukraine’s beleaguered economy.

The US and the EU have promised tough sanctions on Russia should it invade without saying what those would be or what level of Russian action would trigger them.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said it was essential for his country and its allies agree now on what those triggers should be.

“It shouldn’t be at the moment when Russian soldiers in Russian uniforms, waving Russian flags cross the border for the cameras,” Mr. Kuleba said at a lunch on the conference’s sidelines. “This is not that kind of war.”

Mr. Zelenskyy’s speech came as something of a cold shower at the annual gathering of the trans-Atlantic security officials in Munich, where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock touted what they called unprecedented levels of unity allies have shown on Ukraine, specifically on sanctions.

A Zelenskyy dig at Germany — he said a delivery of 5,000 helmets fell short of Ukraine’s request — didn’t go over well with a Berlin official, who expressed surprise at his country’s aid being belittled. — Bloomberg

US FDA considers approving a second COVID-19 booster shot

REUTERS

US HEALTH REGULATORS are looking at authorizing a potential fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Food and Drug Administration has been reviewing data to authorize a second booster dose of the messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE and vaccines from Moderna Inc, the report added.

The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The agency last month cut the interval to get a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech as well as from Moderna, in a bid to provide better protection sooner against the Omicron variant.

The planning is still in early stages, and authorization would depend on determinations as to whether the second booster should be authorized for all adults or particular age groups, and whether it should target the Omicron variant or be formulated differently, the report said.

It added that no decision was final and that it could be necessary to make booster shots available earlier if a new variant appears.

The United States reported 2,323 COVID-19 deaths on Friday, bringing the total count to 936,523. — Reuters

Paris 2024 to be ‘light at the end of the tunnel,’ says next Games chief

BEIJING — After two Games clouded by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions, Paris 2024 is looking to launch a new momentum for the sporting extravaganza, promising an Olympic “light at the end of the tunnel.”

One hundred years after France last hosted the Summer Olympics amid the post-World War One Années Folles (crazy years) period, Paris aims to be the stage for a carefree Games as they return to Europe for the first time in a decade.

“We want to take the Games out of the stadiums, with a ceremony out in the city and a marathon open to the general public,” Tony Estanguet, a triple canoeing Olympic champion who was France’s flag-bearer at the 2008 Beijing Games opening ceremony, told Reuters.

Some 600,000 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony with around 160 boats setting off on the Seine on July 26 from the Pont d’Austerlitz for a six-kilometer journey to the Pont d’Iena.

While the lower part of the river bank will be subject to ticketing, there will be free access to the upper part with spectators able to see holograms on the water, dancers on the roofs of nearby buildings and aerial shows.

“We are very ambitious, we want to break new ground and offer a popular and spectacular Games,” said Estanguet of the Paris Olympics.

“With Milan-Cortina two years later, this is an opportunity for us to start a new cycle in Europe.”

The Winter Games were last staged in Europe in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, after London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics.

EIFFEL TOWER
At Beijing 2022, crowds have been extremely limited as authorities sought to keep COVID-19 out of the country by segregating athletes and Games workers from the general public with a strict “closed loop” system.

Just 97,000 people attended events at the Beijing Games, while Pyeongchang in 2018 attracted more than a million spectators, organizers said at the time.

The Tokyo Olympics also took place under similar restrictions. Beijing closes with a ceremony on Sunday.

In Paris, the whole city will embrace the Games, with some events staged at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

The Place de la Concorde will be the stage of new events — breaking and skateboarding — while the Chateau de Versailles will host equestrian competitions, and the Grand Palais will welcome taekwondo and fencing.

Three of those four venues are all within walking distance of each other.

“We want this Games to be popular, close to the people,” said Estanguet.

“For a lot of people, the Paris Olympics are the light at the end of the tunnel, there are a lot of expectations in these Olympics.

“The Games will change everything that has been done before, we’re going to experience something unprecedented.”

With great expectations come great responsibilities.

“We like that kind of pressure, we like to question ourselves. We’re going to do everything so that these Olympics make history,” Estanguet said.

“The Games changed my life, I hope these Games can change other lives and that France will magnify the Olympics.” — Reuters

Title race alive as Man City loses to Spurs and Liverpool beats Norwich

LONDON — Harry Kane’s double gave Tottenham Hotspur a shock 3-2 win away at leader Manchester City after Liverpool came from a goal down to beat Norwich City 3-1 on what could prove to be a pivotal day in the Premier League title race on Saturday.

Man City seemed to have salvaged a point when Riyad Mahrez fired home a penalty in stoppage time at the Etihad, but Kane capped a superb display to head home a dramatic winner three minutes later.

Chaser Liverpool had earlier been give a fright when they trailed struggling Norwich midway through the second half at Anfield. But goals by Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz allowed Juergen Klopp’s side to close the gap to six points at the top, and they also have a game in hand over Man City.

With 14 wins from their last 15 games and facing a Tottenham side on a three-match losing streak, City was expected to regain their nine-point advantage. But Antonio Conte’s side had other ideas and claimed a league double over the champions.

“Sometimes, you have these kind of games and you need to learn from it. It’s a wake-up call for us. There’s still a long way to go,” Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan said.

A week after becoming world club champion third-placed Chelsea got back to domestic duty with a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace, with Hakim Ziyech scoring late on.

In the race for a top-four finish, West Ham United faltered in a 1-1 home draw with resurgent Newcastle United, a result that prevented them moving back above fourth-placed Manchester United, who are in action against Leeds United on Sunday.

Man United has 43 points from 25 games, one more than West Ham and Arsenal who beat Brentford 2-1. Arsenal has three games in hand compared with West Ham and two over United.

Tottenham moved back into seventh spot with 39 points and also has games in hand over West Ham and Man United.

It was a big day at the bottom as well with Burnley moving off the foot of the table with a 3-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion, new signing Wout Weghorst scoring one and creating another.

Watford earned a first win under new manager Roy Hodgson, Emmanuel Dennis securing the 1-0 victory at Aston Villa.

Norwich are now bottom on goal difference behind Burnley with both on 17 points, although Burnley have three games in hand. Watford are a point better off, four points behind Newcastle, for whom Joe Willock grabbed the equalizer at West Ham.

Frank Lampard’s Everton lost 2-0 at Southampton and are only four points above the relegation zone.

Kane had appeared close to moving to Man City in the summer, and how the champions might wish they had sealed the deal.

It was his pass that sent away Son Heung-min in the fourth minute to roll the ball in to Dejan Kulusevski to slot home.

Gundogan capitalised on a fumble by Hugo Lloris to equalize before half time, but Kane produced a silky 59th-minute finish from Son’s pass to restore Tottenham’s lead.

It was the 36th time the two had combined for a Premier League goal, equalling the record of former Chelsea players Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Kane had another goal ruled out for offside before a handball by Cristian Romero in the 90th minute allowed Mahrez the chance to equalise from the spot.

But Kulusevski then set up a late headed winner from Kane, opening the door for Liverpool in the title race.

With a game in hand and a trip to City in April, Juergen Klopp’s side are now serious contenders again having fallen 12 points behind in January.

They were made to work hard by battling Norwich, but they eventually made sure of their eighth successive win in all competitions, with Salah scoring his 150th goal for the club and Diaz his first.

Joel Matip had deflected in Milot Rashica’s shot to give Norwich the lead, but the visitors could not hold back the red tide as Liverpool cranked up the pressure on them — and on Man City. — Reuters

Nantes stuns wasteful PSG with 3-1 home win

NANTES — Nantes stormed into a three-goal half time lead and then rode their luck to win 3-1 at home on Saturday and hand runaway leader Paris St.-Germain (PSG) their second Ligue 1 loss of the season.

Nantes saw little of the possession, had a player sent off only to see the red card overturned on VAR review and then watched as Neymar squandered a penalty in a thrill-a-minute clash at the Stade de la Beaujoire.

But they came away with a full haul of points in a surprise reversal for the star-studded PSG line-up.

Randal Kolo Muani put Nantes ahead within four minutes after a storming run down the left wing by Moses Simon, and they were 2-0 up some 12 minutes later when teenager Quentin Merlin scored his first goal for his hometown club with a rasping left-footed shot.

Nantes defender Dennis Appiah was sent off two minutes before the break for tripping Kylian Mbappé as he headed goalwards. But the referee was asked to review his decision by the VAR and changed it to a yellow card when replays showed the clash was not as cynical as first presumed.

VAR then intervened again in stoppage time before the break when Georginio Wijnaldum handled the ball in his own penalty box, handing Nantes a spot kick which Ludovic Blas converted for a stunning half time lead.

PSG, who started the game 13 points clear of second-placed Olympique de Marseille, pulled a goal back a minute into the second half as Lionel Messi set up Neymar for a clinical finish.

The Brazilian, back in the starting lineup for the first time since November, then had a chance to further reduce the deficit when Appiah again brought down Mbappé, but Neymar’s penalty was a weak effort straight at Alban Lafont.

Mbappé then produced an uncharacteristic miss from point-blank range in the final 20 minutes as PSG kept up the pressure but were unable to make use of their numerous chances.

The win saw Nantes leap from 10th to fifth in the Ligue 1 standings as they push for a spot in next season’s European club competition.

Earlier on Saturday, Olympique Lyonnais came from a goal down to hold hosts Racing Lens to a 1-1 draw as striker Tino Kadewere scored his first goal since March.

Lens took a 13th-minute lead through Jonathan Clauss and had the ball in the net again in the 37th minute, but Seko Fofana’s effort was ruled out after a VAR check. Kadewere’s equalizer came on the stroke of half time. — Reuters

Tiger Woods won’t commit to 2022 PGA Tour return

TIGER Woods reiterated on Saturday that he fully intends to return to the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour, he just doesn’t know when.

Woods is serving as tournament host for The Genesis Invitational, where earlier this week he said he wished he could say when he’ll return to competition. Asked by CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz during Saturday’s third round whether it was “fair” to say that he would play on the PGA Tour in 2022, Woods declined to commit to a timetable.

“You’ll see me on the PGA Tour, I just don’t know when,” he said. “I’d love to tell you that I’ll be playing next week, but I don’t know when.

“It’s frustrating in that sense, because I’ve been down this road before with my back when I didn’t know when I was going to come back. It’s hard, because it’s hard not to have goals out there — you know, ‘I want to play this event so I can set myself up for that mentally and physically and emotionally.’ I don’t have any of those dates in my head. I don’t know yet.”

Asked specifically about playing the Masters in April, Woods said, “I don’t know.” Pressed by Nantz whether we can expect to see him play the par-3 tournament the Wednesday before the start of the Masters, Woods laughed and said, “Slow down, Turbo.”

The 46-year-old is continuing his recovery from last year’s car accident two days after the Genesis that nearly cost him his right leg.

“It could have been far worse,” Woods said of the accident. “I am so lucky and thankful to all of the doctors here that put the leg back together again. Because I could have easily lost it. I still have my own limb, so I’m really thankful for that.”

Woods is playing casual rounds at Medalist near his home in Jupiter, FL., but said he’s not ready to walk courses on the PGA Tour while competing against the best players in the world.

He did play in the 36-hole PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, in December, but that was with the use of a golf cart.

“I can hit balls, the hard part is actually walking. So, that’s going to take some time,” he said. “The ankle mobility. Over time, the ankle swells, the foot swells, the leg swells.

“That’s just time.”

When Nantz said that he would like to see the 15-time major winner back on the golf course, Woods smiled and said, “I would like that, too.” — Reuters

James wants to play final NBA season with his son

LEBRON James wants to spend his final year in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playing on a team alongside his son Bronny, according to an interview with The Athletic published on Saturday.

The four-time NBA champion, in Cleveland for this weekend’s All-Star Game, is not interested in accepting a discount after his current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expires but said in the report he would make an exception.

“My last year will be played with my son,” James said in the report. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

The younger James is a point guard playing high school basketball and, based on current rules, would be eligible to be drafted by an NBA team in 2024, when LeBron will be 39.

James, whose contract with the Lakers runs through the 2022-23 NBA season, has averaged a team-high 29.1 points per game this season. — Reuters

Team Cavs win Skills Challenge on long heaves

EVAN Mobley hit a halfcourt shot as part of the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, giving Team Cavs the victory on Saturday night at Cleveland.

Team Cavs needed one basket in the half-court shot phase and Mobley drained it. After Jarrett Allen missed wide left, Mobley swished the team’s second attempt, so the group didn’t even have to use the rest of its attempts.

Earlier, Darius Garland and Mobley of the hometown Cavaliers combined to give Team Cavs the early lead in the skills competition in the jump shot portion of the event.

Still, Team Rooks — comprised of rookies Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey — surged into the lead with 200 points compared with 100 points each for Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpos.

Team Cavs made it to the final when Garland hit a 3-pointer to break the tie with Team Antetokounmpos.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a solid beginning in the shooting category.

This was a new event that featured three three-man teams. It involved shooting, passing, a relay and, as the final, the half-court shooting drill. — Reuters

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