Suns aim to close out Clippers, reach first Finals since 1993

June 28, 2021 | 6:47 pm

THE Phoenix Suns can punch a ticket to their first NBA Finals since 1993 when they look to close out the visiting Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night.

The Suns advanced to the doorstep of franchise history by taking a 3-1 lead with an 84-80 win in Los Angeles on Saturday in a series that has taken a defensive turn after a free-wheeling, 120-114 Phoenix win in the opener last Sunday.

While much attention has been on veteran guard Chris Paul, who missed the first two games while in COVID-19 protocol, and his bid to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in his 16-year career, the Suns have ridden a strong defense led by anchor Deandre Ayton to their commanding position.

Playing in his first postseason, Ayton has been the Suns’ individual standout after Devin Booker’s 40 points led the way in the series opener. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft has recorded double-doubles in each of Phoenix’s last two wins, including a dominating 19-point, 22-rebound effort in Saturday’s critical victory.

With Ayton protecting the hoop, the Suns limited the Clippers to 32.5-percent shooting overall and 5-for-31 (16.1 percent) on 3-pointers in Game 4. This allowed the visitors to eke out a win despite hitting just 36.0 percent of their own shots and four of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc.

In the wake of arguably the best performance of his career, and on the eve of one that could be even more significant, Ayton took time to credit Paul, who has struggled offensively after his lengthy absence that began after the previous series against Denver.

A Suns win would not only make them the first Western representative from outside the state of California to make the Finals since 2014 but also just the second No. 2 seed to advance from the West since 2013. Golden State, who made five straight Finals appearances before the Los Angeles Lakers last season, was the last No. 2 seed to advance out of the West in 2018. — Reuters

Hazard rocket fires Belgium past holders Portugal into last eight

June 28, 2021 | 6:47 pm

SEVILLE, Spain — Belgium knocked defending champions Portugal out of Euro 2020 with a 1-0 victory in the last 16 on Sunday to set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal tie against Italy.

A 43^rd-minute strike from Thorgan Hazard secured the win for Roberto Martinez’s team, who survived plenty of pressure from the Portuguese in the second half.

But with the finishing touch missing, it was the end of the road for Cristiano Ronaldo and a Portugal team who had triumphed in Paris five years ago.

Ronaldo bows out with five goals from four games, and is currently the tournament’s top scorer. Yet it remains to be seen if the 36-year-old will return for a sixth Euros in Germany in 2024 or if the competition’s all-time top scorer will bow out of national team duty after the Qatar World Cup next year.

Belgium were among the pre-tournament favorites but this was a stodgy and uninspired display and they will need to raise their game significantly if they are to get past Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri who are unbeaten in 31 matches.

Thorgan Hazard’s fine goal was their only effort on target in the whole 90 minutes and there was little invention or flair from their midfield.

The task against Italy could be even more difficult if Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, who both came off with knocks in the second half, are unable to recover from their latest injury woes.

Portugal began brightly and Diogo Jota wasted a great chance in the sixth minute, dragging his shot wide after Renato Sanches had broken from midfield and found him in a promising position on the left.

But Belgium grew into the game with De Bruyne increasingly influential and they grabbed the lead three minutes before the interval. — Reuters

Dutch exit Euro 2020 after disastrous red card for De Ligt

June 28, 2021 | 6:46 pm

BUDAPEST — A moment of madness from Matthijs de Ligt that led to a straight red card robbed Netherlands of any chance of making the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, with the loss of their defensive lynchpin leaving their team tactics in tatters.

Under pressure from Patrik Schick, De Ligt slipped and flipped the ball back into his path with his left hand to prevent the Czech striker gaining control of it. But referee Sergey Karasev immediately gave a free kick and a yellow card, which he then upgraded to red after a VAR check.

The loss of De Ligt was immediately felt as the Dutch went from being comfortably in control to being forced onto the back foot by a muscular Czech side that wasn’t afraid to be cynical in bringing attacks to a halt.

Often the deepest-lying of Frank de Boer’s three centre backs, De Ligt is the glue that holds the Dutch defence together and allows wing backs Patrick van Aanholt and Denzel Dumfries to forage far into the opposition half in support of the attack.

The 21-year-old is also key to set pieces for the Dutch both offensively and defensively, and on several occasions in the first half he was targeted with free kicks and corners by Memphis Depay.

His defensive organisational ability was also sorely missed when Antonin Barak fired a free kick to the back post for the Czechs and Tomas Kalas headed it back across the goal for Tomas Holes to head home.

Shorn of De Ligt’s physical presence at both ends, De Boer shifted to a flat back four, requiring Dumfries to prioritise his defensive duties.

Without their athletic wing backs to support him, Memphis Depay was left to battle against Ondrej Celustka and Tomas Kalas alone when strike partner Donyell Malen was replaced by Quincy Promes.

For all their intricate moves in the first half, the attacking play of the Dutch was too easily read, and the Czechs comfortably dealt with their cut-backs into the centre.

De Boer, who came through the Ajax Amsterdam school of “Total Football” inspired by Johan Cruyff, threw on giant striker Wout Weghorst, who at 1.97m posed a different physical challenge.

But it made little difference after the defence leaked another goal to the Czechs, and the Dutch followed De Ligt towards an early exit from a tournament they had expected much more from. — Reuters

Harris English outlasts Kramer Hickok to win 8-hole Travelers playoff

June 28, 2021 | 6:46 pm

HARRIS English outdueled Kramer Hickok in a marathon eight-hole playoff on Sunday to win the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, CT.

English won on the 26^th-hole of the final round when he made a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18^th hole. It is the 31-year-old’s second victory of the season and fourth career win on the PGA Tour.

The 29-year-old Hickok, who was seeking his first PGA Tour win, forced the playoff by sinking an eight-foot birdie putt on 18. He shot a 3-under 67 and English shot 65 through 18 holes to finish the four rounds at 13-under 267.

“Kind of sorry it took seven or eight holes, but we were both grinding,” English said afterward. “Kramer is a hell of a competitor. We were both fighting to the end and that’s what you want.”

The only longer sudden-death playoff in PGA history was when Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff were declared co-winners after 11 playoff holes due to darkness in the 1949 Motor City Open in Northville, Mich.

Australia’s Marc Leishman shot a final-round 64 and finished one shot back in third. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer (65) was fourth at 11 under.

Bubba Watson, who shared the third-round lead with Hickok, collapsed over the final five holes. Watson shot 6-over during the stretch with a double-bogey and four bogeys holes to finish at 3-over 73 for the round and a tie for 19^that 7-under 273. — Reuters

Serena to skip Tokyo Games, declines to explain reasons

June 28, 2021 | 6:45 pm

SERENA Williams will not be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, the 23-times Grand Slam singles tennis champion said on Sunday without giving the reasons behind her decision.

American Williams, who will turn 40 in September, won the singles title at the London Olympics in 2012 and she has also picked up three gold medals in doubles with sister Venus — in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008) and London.

“Yeah, I’m actually not on the Olympic list, so… Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it,” Williams told reporters on the eve of the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Top men’s players such as Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem have also opted to skip the Tokyo Games, which start on July 23.

Roger Federer, a 20-times major winner who also turns 40 in August, said he would like to go to the Olympics but would make a final call after Wimbledon.

There are persistent worries among the general public and medical experts in Japan that the world’s largest sporting event, which was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could trigger a new wave of infections.

Organizers have barred family members of athletes from attending the Games due to safety protocols, while foreign spectators are also excluded and domestic crowds will be allowed in restricted numbers.

The restrictions on international arrivals would have separated Williams from her daughter Alexis Olympia, who was born in 2017.

“There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision,” Williams said, when asked if it would be difficult for her to miss the Games.

“I don’t really want to… I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.

“In the past, it’s (Olympics) been a wonderful place for me. I really haven’t thought about it, so I’m going to keep not thinking about it.”

WIMBLEDON CAMPAIGN
The All England Club’s lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times along with her Olympics singles gold medal.

She has reached the finals in her last four Wimbledons and is one of the favorites to win a record-equaling 24^th Grand Slam with the absence of world No. 2 Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep.

“I think that the women’s draw is so deep, regardless to who you play,” said Williams, who will open her campaign against 100^th-ranked Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

“You really have to show up now. There’s no longer matches that are going to be a sure walk-through. You just have to really have your head in, have your game on.

“I feel like, if anything, everyone plays really hard. I feel like it doesn’t matter who you play, you have to be ready. Everyone worked really hard to be here.” — Reuters

Allianz PNB Life teams up with UCFC

June 28, 2021 | 6:44 pm

ALLIANZ PNB Life has partnered with United City Football Club (UCFC) for the upcoming AFC Champions League and the 2021 Philippine Football League (PFL). The professional football club based in New Clark City, Tarlac announced its partnership with the major life insurance brand last June 16. Photo shows CEO Alex Grenz and CMO Gino Riola proudly show off the jerseys for the Allianz-sponsored UCFC team.

In the new world

June 28, 2021 | 5:29 pm

2021 GAMA Global-Philippines Board

MESSAGES

The association of insurance leaders, GAMA International Philippines, salutes the inspiring captains of the industry in the all-virtual “26th GAMA Leaders Convention and Honoring Excellence.”

The awardees, to be virtually feted on June 29, are lauded for their outstanding malleability and excellence, fueling their achievements despite the continuing health crisis.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the awardees have exhibited their winning agility and adaptability to respond to an evolving market’s ever-changing needs. They also learned not just to maximize the effective use of digital technology and the virtual platform, but also to generate the same reskilling and upskilling abilities within their teams.

As a result, new leaders from different generations are being continuously molded to be the next stewards steering the industry to success in the face of unprecedented challenges. Most importantly, the safety and security of every Filipino family are assured in the future as we emerge from this so-called “new normal.”

Malleability to navigate the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times, while upholding the highest standards of excellence in their field. These qualities are shortened to the letters “M” and “E”, and comprise this year’s convention theme, “The ME in the New Normal.”

The all-virtual event taking place for two days (June 28 for the Convention Day and June 29 for the Awarding Ceremonies) is the organization’s second event using the virtual platform. This comes a year after its first successful foray into online event presentations.

Bravo to the heroes of the industry and thank you for ensuring the protection of the Filipino people.

Susan Lee
GAMA Global-Philippines president

To all our GAMA members and awardees, our warmest congratulations!

Today marks our second year of holding a virtual convention and awarding ceremonies. And every year, they just keep getting better.

This year’s theme is “ME in the New World.” The letter “M” stands for malleable and “E” for Excellent.

What is today’s new world? It is the world of the Digital Age. Everything is online—from our recruitment, to training, to selling and even shopping.

As leaders, we have to be malleable and excellent in the digital age. To be malleable is to adapt without breaking. We can bend but not break. To be excellent is to do extremely good, no matter what the situation is. So let’s all aspire to be malleable and excellent leaders, especially during these challenging times, as we start to learn and navigate the digital ways of running our business.

Our virtual setup will continue as it has become our way of life. So sit back and relax, focus your attention on our esteemed speakers who will share with us some gems of wisdom on how we can improve our leadership skills and character. It has always been our desire to become better leaders and better versions of ourselves. I believe that you will have many “takeaways” from today’s convention.
Tomorrow marks the fulfillment of our hardwork as we receive our awards. Blood, sweat, and tears have been shed all throughout the year to attend to our agents’ needs and to give the best service possible to our valued clients.

Dear leaders, you are so deserving to be given due recognition for your hard work, dedication, and commitment. Congratulations once again, everyone. Keep safe and God bless you all!

PAULINE UCHI
Convention Chair

Improved green building system accounts for community engagement, economic opportunities

June 28, 2021 | 4:38 pm

The Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) updated Berde, a local green building rating system, to include health and wellbeing (which replaces indoor environment quality), community engagement, and economic opportunities — increasing the number of categories in the core framework to 11 from nine.

“We have made improvements on the tool to include clearer intent for all credits and improved guidance on how projects should comply with the different requirements,” said Chester C. dela Cruz, PHILGBC senior staff II, in an e-mail to BusinessWorld.

Launched June 22, the fourth version went through a consensus-building process this April and incorporates the Department of Energy’s 2020 Edition of the Guidelines for Energy Conserving Design of Buildings. This is “to ensure that green buildings align with current energy regulations and best practices,” said Mr. dela Cruz.

Green building projects have continued to register for and undergo Berde certification during the pandemic, said Mr. dela Cruz in a separate Facebook message. These include a project each in Manila and Davao, plus three others in Cebu, all of which have registered this year.

Damosa Diamond Tower in Davao City, an office building in its construction phase, is targeting a 4–5 Star Berde certification. Still in the design phase are two residential buildings and a mixed-use building in Cebu; and a warehouse building in Manila.

The upward trend in projects wanting to get Berde certification is a good indication that the construction is starting to mobilize again, Mr. dela Cruz told BusinessWorld. It has 69 green building projects registered and undergoing various stages of certification in its portfolio, representing a total gross floor area of over 2.8 million square meters for all registered projects.

According to the Department of Energy in a 2020 Asian Development Bank report, building energy consumption accounts for about 15–20% of nationwide electric power consumption. Reducing energy loss through improved efficiency in buildings can deliver both economic and environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills.

The country’s first certified green project is the Neo Collective in Taguig City, designed by green architect Chad Oppenheim of Oppenheim Architecture + Design and launched in February 17, 2011. Its first tower’s main green feature combines sun shading and a glass curtain wall, which minimizes incident solar heat gain and optimizes natural light. The façade of the Six/NEO reduces air conditioning costs, the costliest energy consumer for a local commercial building, according to PHILGBC. — Patricia B. Mirasol

All washed up: furloughed Londoner finds fortune in the Thames

June 28, 2021 | 4:36 pm

LONDON — Furloughed from her job and confined to London by coronavirus lockdowns, Flora Blathwayt founded a business based on rubbish she retrieves from the muddy banks of the River Thames.

Just over a year after she was struck by the colorful pieces of plastic she collected as part of a river clean-up, the 34-year-old makes and sells thousands of greetings cards decorated with them each week.

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When she moved to Peckham in south-east London, she sent a batch of plastic-decorated cards to nearby residents offering help if they were shielding from coronavirus disease 2019.

“They were all the first washed-up cards,” she said. “Some of my neighbors were like ‘these are amazing, you should start selling these,’” she told Reuters.

She now works on the cards alongside a part-time job for a company selling packaging made from seaweed which she joined after being furloughed by, and then made redundant from, a business that makes sauces from unwanted fruit and vegetables.

A geography graduate, she had no formal art training but enjoys being outside and finding new potential in old buttons or plastic straws while cleaning the river bank for a local environmental charity.

She now produces around 4,000 cards a week, she said, and sees her success as part of a wider movement.

“I think the way forward will be people making things and starting businesses which don’t have so much impact on the environment, whether it’s reusing something, whether it’s upcycling something, whether it’s making something from waste. I think that’s the way forward,” she said.

“So I hope people are going to do more and more — and they are. I’m by no means the first.” — Will Russell/Reuters

S.Korean consortium to produce Russia’s Sputnik Light vaccine

June 28, 2021 | 3:56 pm

SEOUL — Huons Global Co. Ltd. said on Monday its South Korean consortium plans to begin production of a single-dose Sputnik Light coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine from as early as September.

The plan followed a request by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the vaccine, and production would take place along with Sputnik V vaccines the consortium also intended to make for the sovereign wealth fund, Huons said.

The company said in April it would produce 100 million doses of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine a month for export, as Moscow sought to increase production globally to meet rising demand.

Huons said its consortium would begin producing sample batches of both Sputnik V and Light vaccines in August and would respond flexibly to meet demand from the RDIF.

Huons said it was boosting production capacity and aimed to make 30 million doses by the end of this year.

RDIF has a separate production deal with South Korea’s GL Rapha to make more than 150 million doses of the vaccine a year.

South Korea has approved four vaccines so far, from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna, but has not begun reviewing Sputnik V or Sputnik Light for approval. — Sangmi Cha/Reuters

K-pop activism a lifeline for Thailand’s hard-hit tuk tuk drivers

June 28, 2021 | 3:21 pm

BANGKOK — Bangkok tuk tuk taxi driver Samran Thammasa, 39, had never heard of K-pop star Jessica Jung before the coronavirus pandemic, but now the singer’s Thai fans are helping him survive the loss of tourist customers.

His bright green three-wheeled motorcycle rickshaw has been mostly vacant for more than a year. In the past few months, though, he’s earned about 600 baht ($19) a month to feature K-pop ads on his vehicle.

“The extra income may not be a lot for most people but it is for us,” he said, glancing at a shimmering vinyl banner of Jung.

Drivers of Bangkok’s distinctive tuk tuks have been among the hardest-hit by the pandemic’s devastation of Thailand’s all-important tourism industry, left haunting corners of empty city streets complaining of mounting debt.

Samran used to earn around 1,500 baht ($47) a day ferrying foreign tourists around Bangkok. Nearly all of that disappeared as visitor numbers fell by 85% in 2020, and Thailand is not expected to lift its strict border controls for months yet.

Unexpected help came this year from Thailand’s politically disaffected and K-pop-obsessed youth when they stopped buying ads celebrating their idols’ birthdays and album launches from public transport, instead giving their ad money to grassroots businesses, including tuk tuks and street food vendors.

Over the last few months, young fans have mobilized to put up banners of their favorite K-pop idols on the iconic vehicles for a month at a time, providing a new source of income for struggling drivers.

Mr. Samran and many others now drive their empty tuk tuks around Bangkok with a banner of a different K-pop sensation each month, stopping for young Thai fans to take pictures and use their service, often with tips.

POLITICAL EXPRESSION
So far, the initiative has benefited several hundred tuk tuk drivers. There are more than 9,000 tuk tuks registered in Bangkok, according to government data.

The trend has roots in anti-government protests last year that drew tens of thousands of students calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha — who first came to power in a military coup — to step down.

Many K-pop fans were protesters themselves, and last year vowed to pull huge billboard advertising fees from Bangkok’s skytrain and underground subway services — a longstanding lighthearted tradition for different fan groups — after mass transport shut down to try to prevent students from reaching protest sites.

The fans started printing vinyl or cardboard signs and recruiting tuk tuk drivers at garages and on the street — funneling their ad funds to the people who need it most.

“It’s a political expression that we don’t support capitalists. This marked a change from us competing to book skytrain and subway billboards, but now it’s tuk tuks,” said Pichaya Prachathomrong, 27.

Ms. Pichaya herself raised 18,000 baht ($565) among Thai fans of boy band Super Junior to promote member Yesung’s new album, before recruiting 13 tuk tuks via a new booking service on popular messaging application LINE.

The “Tuk Up” service, created by 21-year-old university sophomore Thitipong Lohawech, was initially to help dozens of drivers who rented vehicles from his family’s garage. But now it supports about 300 drivers from all over Bangkok.

“The fans are distributing income to the grassroots, which helps drive social change and support the economy,” said Thitipong.

Drivers said they have seen little of the government’s approved relief of around 967 billion baht ($30 billion), as handouts were mostly only accessible via a mobile wallet application.

“By the time the money reaches us, we’re nearly dead,” said Pairot Suktham, a 54-year-old driver who like many others doesn’t have a smartphone.

“The fans are our life support system and give us hope to keep fighting.” — Patpicha Tanakasempipat/Reuters

Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers

June 28, 2021 | 2:27 pm

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers.

The company said it had found the compromise during its response to hacks by a team it identifies as responsible for earlier major breaches at SolarWinds and Microsoft.

Microsoft said it had warned the affected customers. A copy of one warning seen by Reuters said the attacker belonged to the group Microsoft calls Nobelium and that it had access during the second half of May.

“A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that Microsoft identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed Microsoft customer support tools to review information regarding your Microsoft Services subscriptions,” the warning reads in part. The US government has publicly attributed the earlier attacks to the Russian government, which denies involvement.

When Reuters asked about that warning, Microsoft announced the breach publicly.

After commenting on a broader phishing campaign, it said had compromised a small number of entities, Microsoft said it had also found the breach of its own agent, who it said had limited powers.

The agent could see billing contact information and what services the customers pay for, among other things.

“The actor used this information in some cases to launch highly-targeted attacks as part of their broader campaign,” Microsoft said.

Microsoft warned affected customers to be careful about communications to their billing contacts and consider changing those usernames and e-mail addresses, as well as barring old usernames from logging in.

Microsoft said it was aware of three entities that had been compromised in the phishing campaign.

It did not immediately clarify whether any had been among those whose data was viewed through the support agent, or if the agent had been tricked by the broader campaign.

Microsoft did not say whether the agent was at a contractor or a direct employee.

A spokesman said the latest breach by the threat actor was not part of Nobelium’s previous successful attack on Microsoft, in which it obtained some source code.

In the SolarWinds attack, the group altered code at that company to access SolarWinds customers, including nine US federal agencies.

At the SolarWinds customers and others, the attackers also took advantage of weaknesses in the way Microsoft programs were configured, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Microsoft later said the group had compromised its own employee accounts and taken software instructions governing how Microsoft verifies user identities.

A White House official said the latest intrusion and phishing campaign was far less serious than the SolarWinds fiasco.

“This appears to be largely unsuccessful, run-of-the-mill espionage,” the official said.

Scott McConnell, a spokesman for Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the defensive group “is working with Microsoft and our interagency partners to evaluate the impact. We stand ready to assist any affected entities.”

A SolarWinds spokesperson said, “The latest cyberattack reported by Microsoft does not involve our company or our customers in any way.” — Joseph Menn/Reuters