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Asian Tour debutant Sale wins Smart Infinity Philippine Open

FRANCE’S JULIEN SALE — ASIANTOUR.COM

CARMONA, Cavite — More than 11,000 kilometers away from home, in a country he’s never been before, Julien Sale of France finally achieved the breakthrough that had eluded him over the last two years.

Saving his best for last, Mr. Sale bombed away with a five-under 65 as he stole the thunder from pacesetters, title favorites and late-charging Pinoys Miguel Tabuena and Aidric Chan and won the Smart Infinity Philippine Open on Sunday.

The Asian Tour debutant based in the French west coast laid the groundwork to this glorious coronation by gunning down five birdies in the first 12 holes of the Manila Southwoods’ tough Masters course.

When the dust of battle settled, the 27-year-old Mr. Sale carried an 11-under 269 card, edging Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana, the pacesetter in the first two rounds, and Japanese Tomoyo Ikemura, the Round 3 leader, by one.

“I won as an amateur but since I turned pro two years ago, I’ve never won, so this is my first time,” said Mr. Sale, who decided to try his luck in Asia after an unproductive campaign in the European Tour.

The milestone, worth a whopping $90,000 (around P5.24 million), opened many doors for the Frenchman barely a month after earning his ticket out of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

“This helps me a lot. I needed to make Top 5 at least (here) to make it to next week’s International Series in India under the winner categories. So now I’m going to India and then I’ll be able to play every single event whereas before this week, I didn’t know exactly which one I can get in,” he said.

Messrs. Kaewkanjana and Ikemura had a chance to force a playoff after Mr. Sale dropped a shot on the par-5 18th. But they fell short of tying it with an eagle on the final hole, each managing a birdie there to settle for joint second and $43,250 each (P2.5 million) ahead of solo fourth placer Kevin Yuan of Australia, who logged 272 after a 68 and earned $25,000 (P1.45 million).

Two-time Open winner Mr. Tabuena unleashed a spirited rally but his ending 66 only got him to 273  — four off Mr. Sale’s winning mark for joint fifth. He banked $17,133.33 (P998,000).

“I felt I played pretty solid considering my four-over start, said Mr. Tabuena, whose first-day 74 put him in danger of missing the halfway cut.

“It’s still a good week. If you’re Top 10 for the week after a risk of probably missing the cut in the first day, it’s a good fightback and I’m really proud.”

Mr. Chan matched the 66 of his flightmate Mr. Tabuena to finish at 274 for a share of eighth worth $9,870 (P574,000).

“I did well. Towards the end I just didn’t have a lot of putts fall but I was hitting the ball really good today. Playing with ‘Kuya Miguel’ kind of helped me push myself,” said Mr. Chan. — Olmin Leyba

McCullough powers SGA to 2-0 start in Dubai basketball tilt

CHRIS MCCULLOUGH — FACEBOOK/DIBC

STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) raced to a 2-0 start while Zamboanga Valientes stumbled in its debut in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship over the weekend at the Al Nasr Club.

SGA, led by Chris McCullough once again, drubbed host team Al Nasr, 99-87, to claim a solo lead in Group A as the Valientes bowed to Sharjah SC, also from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in a 97-82 defeat.

The former PBA champion import Mr. McCullough tallied 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block in only 30 minutes of play to follow up his 28-point game in the UAE’s 99-91 debut win over the UAE national team.

Local aces Mikey Williams and Dave Ildefonso added 16 and 13 points, respectively, to back him up this time around after the solid coverage of American imports DeMarcus Cousins and Malachi Richardson in the first game.

Mr. Cousins, the former NBA All-Star, and Mr. Richardson, had 24 and 21 points, respectively, against the UAE. This time, they had eight each against Al Nasr.

Jason Brickman and Rhenz Abando chipped in seven points apiece as SGA ran away in the middle quarters to lead by as many as 27 points for the win.

Harat Mohammed (34) and Marvelle Haris (30) paced Al Nasr, which dropped to 0-2 after a 99-81 loss to Lebanon’s Beirut First.

Meanwhile, Sam Deguara had 16 points and 11 rebounds as Zamboanga wasted an early 15-point lead against Sharjah SC for a flat opening campaign in Group B.

Mike Tolomioa (14), Adonis Thomas (13), Forthsky Padrigao (13) and Prince Caperal (11) also contributed in a losing effort for the second Philippine contingent.

Nicholas West (30) and Dequan Jones (29) led the way for Sharjah SC, which avenged its 86-79 loss to Lebanon’s Sagesse for a 1-1 slate. — John Bryan Ulanday

Siniakova, Townsend claim Australian Open women’s doubles crown

MELBOURNE — Top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend claimed the women’s doubles crown at the Australian Open on Sunday after beating Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a grueling final.

The victory at Rod Laver Arena gave Siniakova and Townsend their second Grand Slam title after their Wimbledon triumph last year while it was the 10th major title for Czech Siniakova, the doubles world number one.

“Big thanks goes to Taylor, we are having fun and that’s the most important, so thank you for playing with me. I’m really enjoying it,” Siniakova said after lifting the trophy with her American partner.

For Townsend, the win was a full-circle moment in her career after she won the title as a junior in Melbourne in 2012.

“This is super special to me, the last time I played on this court I was 15,” she said.

“This tournament was the start of me being able to live out my dream. I honestly didn’t think that it was possible for me to be playing on this stage.”

Siniakova and Townsend had several opportunities to break early on and finally converted a break point to go 2-1 up as Hsieh and Ostapenko struggled with their serve.

The third seeds quickly found themselves 5-1 down as Siniakova and Townsend consolidated a double break before the American sealed the set with an emphatic volley at the net.

After they traded early breaks in the second set, Townsend was once again effective at the net with an overhead smash that gave them a 4-3 lead before Siniakova held her serve to put them one game away from the title.

But Ostapenko and Hsieh, playing in just their second tournament as a pairing, broke back in the 10th game when Townsend served for the title.

A frustrated Siniakova threw her racket on the ground before the third seeds won the tiebreak and forced a decider. The Czech then lost her composure and was broken in the first game of the third set with three double faults.

But they quickly regrouped to break back and Siniakova converted a crucial break point to go 5-3 up.

This time, Siniakova served for the title, and despite another double fault with three championship points, they sealed victory when Townsend fired a volley at the net down the middle to win in two hours and 27 minutes.

“I think for our second tournament, playing a Grand Slam final is not bad,” Ostapenko said.

“Together, I hope there are many more trophies for us.” — Reuters

Liverpool and Arsenal both win as Nottingham Forest thrashed by Bournemouth

LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool and Arsenal kept up their race for the Premier League title with victories over relegation-threatened opposition on Saturday, but the charge of third-placed Nottingham Forest faltered as they were hammered 5-0 by surging Bournemouth.

Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town while Arsenal overcame the loss of defender Myles Lewis-Skelly to a harsh straight red card to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.

Six points clear of the Gunners on 53 points, Liverpool came roaring out of the traps at Anfield with Cody Gakpo scoring one goal and creating another for Mohamed Salah to send his side in 3-0 up at the break.

Gakpo netted a second in the 66th minute as Ipswich wilted, and though they managed to pull a late goal back through Jacob Greaves, the Reds held on for a convincing victory.

“Everyone is in good form but we have to keep going,” Gakpo told the BBC, quickly putting aside an excellent performance that added three more points to their total.

Arsenal had to work a lot harder for their victory after Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the first half of their clash with Wolves, but substitute Riccardo Calafiori grabbed the winner with a superb half-volley in the 74th minute.

“It was clearly not a red card. I saw him (Lewis-Skelly) at halftime and he was so disappointed for the team, but in the end we won, so nothing happened,” Calafiori told Sky Sports.

Nottingham Forest had won plenty of plaudits during their recent eight-game unbeaten run in the league, but it came to a shuddering halt away to Bournemouth as Dango Ouattara grabbed a hat-trick en route to a 5-0 win for Andoni Iraola’s side.

Bournemouth’s 11-game unbeaten run has seen them rise to seventh in the table on 40 points, four behind Forest.

“It’s always difficult when you are in the Premier League, you are facing the best teams in the country. The players are giving everything and they are getting good results,” Iraola told the BBC.

“There will be a moment when we do not do this, (but) I think the supporters understand this and they enjoy not only when we win, but all they ask is we give everything, and that’s what we try to do,” he added.

Manchester City conceded an early goal to Chelsea but came back to beat the Londoners 3-1 to move to fourth place in the table on 41 points, three behind Forest.

Defender Josko Gvardiol leveled for the home side before the break, with Erling Haaland scoring midway through the second half and then creating a goal for Phil Foden to wrap up the victory in Saturday’s late kick-off.

“I think it was overall a great performance, even though we started horrific. It was a fantastic team performance and I am really happy,” Haaland said.

Newcastle United, beaten 4-1 by Bournemouth last week, bounced back with a 3-1 win at Southampton, with Swedish striker Alexander Isak netting two first-half goals for the visitors after Jan Bednarek gave the Saints the lead in the 10th minute.

Southampton remain bottom of the table on six points. They are eight points behind 19th placed Leicester City. Ipswich are 18th with 16 points, behind Wolves on goal difference.

New Everton boss David Moyes celebrated his 700th Premier League game as a manager by steering his side to a 1-0 victory away to Brighton & Hove Albion, putting some daylight between his side and the rest of the relegation candidates as they moved up to 16th spot on 23 points. — Reuters

Thompson helps Rockets complete sweep of Cavaliers

AMEN THOMPSON came up with critical late rebounds and points as part of his triple-double performance, and the visiting Houston Rockets completed the regular-season sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 135-131 decision on Saturday.

Houston never trailed after taking the lead midway through the first quarter, but Cleveland chipped away at a deficit of as many as 19 points to force a tie with 1:51 remaining in regulation.

Alperen Sengun, who matched Jalen Green with a team-high 26 points, got to the free-throw line with the score knotted. After making the first foul shot, his second came off the rim but a mass of Cavaliers chasing the rebound could not keep it inbounds.

After Sengun missed a shot in the key, Thompson was there to clean it up with a putback dunk that pushed the Rockets lead to three points.

Erupting to score 25 of his 33 points in the second half, Donovan Mitchell drew a foul while attempting a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession but missed the front end of his three free-throw attempts.

Thompson got into the paint the next time down with Houston holding a narrow 127-126 lead and forced a foul on Evan Mobley. Thompson’s foul shots effectively put the game away, as Cleveland was never as close the rest of the way en route to the Cavaliers’ first three-game losing streak of the season.

Thompson finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his second career triple-double. He was one of four Houston starters to score at least 20 points, with Fred VanVleet adding 20.

All of VanVleet’s six made field-goal attempts came on nine 3-point attempts.

Cleveland’s Darius Garland led all scorers with 39 points and dished a team-high nine assists in the loss. Georges Niang came off the bench to score 21 points, and Max Strus finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers.

The win was Houston’s second over Cleveland in as many games, knocking off the Cavaliers on Wednesday in Texas. Saturday’s game was the first in a four-game road swing for the Rockets. — Reuters

Warriors’ woes

The Warriors headed into Sunday’s homestand not just bent on taking revenge against the Lakers, who had bested them on Christmas Day. More importantly, they were looking at moving up in standings; they had been playing middling hoops since the turn of the year, and a win — especially without vital cog Draymond Green — would signal a turn for the better. Mediocrity had marked their 2024-25 campaign to date, so arguing that victory was needed would be understating the obvious.

As things turned out, the Warriors had nowhere near enough to keep pace with the Lakers. Green’s continued absence due to a lingering calf strain told on their capacity to compete on both ends of the court. So out of sorts were they sans his playmaking on offense and direction in defense that they could not pass even a simple eye test. And apart from a spirited first quarter, they were compelled to stare at the backsides of their longtime rivals. To the chagrin of the 18,064-strong capacity crowd at Chase Center, they failed to so much as get a sniff of the lead in the second half.

In the aftermath of the loss, the Warriors are left to wonder how to salvage the rest of their season. On one hand, they remain hopeful of their chances; considering how bunched up protagonists are in the highly competitive West, even a modest run will enable them to jump up a handful of spots in their quest for an outright playoff spot. On the other, they understand their frailties; they’re so short on talent that they need to give the likes of Gui Santos and Quinten Post significant burn.

Which is too bad, really, because surefire Hall of Famer Curry deserves better. Even as he just earned his franchise-record 11th All-Star berth, it’s fair to note that he doesn’t have a lot left in the tank. Last night, for instance, he missed all eight of his second-half shots en route to a four-of-17 outing. The good news is that the Warriors continue to be on the prowl for warm bodies that can help ease his load. The bad news is that they’re forced by their salary cap situation to operate in the fringes. In all likelihood, they’re stuck with what they have. Unfortunately, it won’t nearly be enough moving forward.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Trump makes 2,000-lb bombs available to Israel

ISRAELI AND US flags are seen in this illustration taken on April 24, 2024. — REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Republican President Donald Trump said on Saturday he has instructed the US military to release a hold imposed by Democratic former President Joseph Biden on the supply of 2,000-pound (lb) bombs to Israel.

The move was widely expected.

“We released them. We released them today. And they’ll have them. They paid for them and they’ve been waiting for them for a long time. They’ve been in storage,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Mr. Biden put the hold on the delivery of those bombs due to concern over the impact they could have on the civilian population, particularly in Gaza’s Rafah, during Israel’s war in the Palestinian enclave.

One 2,000-pound bomb can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius. Reuters reported last year that the Biden administration had sent thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants from Gaza but had put a hold on one shipment.

Washington has announced assistance for Israel worth billions of dollars since the war began.

When asked why he released the powerful bombs, Mr. Trump responded, “because they bought them.”

Earlier on Saturday, Mr. Trump said on the Truth Social platform, “A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!”

Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden have been strong supporters of US ally Israel, even as Washington has come under criticism from human rights advocates over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel’s military assault. Protesters have unsuccessfully demanded an arms embargo.

Washington says it is helping Israel defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

A Gaza ceasefire went into effect a week ago and has led to the release of some Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Before his inauguration on Jan. 20, Mr. Trump had warned there would be “hell to pay” if hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were not released.

Hamas took around 250 hostages during the2023 attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies. It sparked the latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed more than 47,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. It also displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population and caused a hunger crisis. — Reuters

CIA now says COVID-19 virus ‘more likely’ to have come from a laboratory

NEW YORK — The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic is “more likely” to have emerged from a lab rather than from nature, an agency spokesperson said on Saturday.

The agency had for years said it could not conclude whether COVID-19 was the result of a lab incident or it originated in nature. But in the final weeks of the Biden administration, former CIA Director William Burns asked CIA analysts and scientists to make a clear determination, stressing the pandemic’s historical significance, according to a senior US official.

The CIA says it has “low confidence” in its assessment that a “research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely” and notes in its statement that both scenarios — lab origin and natural origin — remain plausible.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was unclear the extent to which the agency has collected new intelligence on COVID-19’s origins and whether that new evidence was used to formulate the latest assessment.

China’s government says it supports and has taken part in research to determine COVID-19’s origin, and has accused Washington of politicizing the matter, especially because of efforts by US intelligence agencies to investigate.

Beijing has said claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic have no credibility.

In an interview with Breitbart following his confirmation by the US Senate on Friday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said one of his first priorities was getting his agency to make a public assessment on the pandemic’s origins. 

“That’s a day-one thing for me,” he said. “I’ve been on record as you know in saying I think our intelligence, our science, and our common sense all really dictate that the origins of COVID was a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” — Reuters

Am I being censored? Some US TikTok users say app feels different after ban was lifted

STOCK PHOTO | Image by antonbe from Pixabay

NEW YORK — US TikTok users who once saw the app as a haven for free speech say they see signs of censorship after the platform, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, was revived by an executive order from President Donald Trump.

TikTok users are noting a difference in the short-video app following its revival after going dark on Saturday under a new law — enacted over national security concerns during the Biden administration with bipartisan support — that requires it to be sold to a US buyer. Trump has vowed to find a solution to the ban, with several bidders in the mix, including people with close relationships to the new Republican president.

Users say they are seeing fewer livestreams, and some activity is being removed or flagged at higher rates for violating community guidelines, including for behavior that was previously permitted.

“Our policies and algorithms did not change over the weekend,” TikTok said in a statement to Reuters. “We are working hard to restore our US operations back to normal and expect some temporary instability as we restore our services, which could impact TikTok features or users’ access to the app.”

But some users said they now see more content moderation, like limited search results, as well as warnings about misinformation and prompts for users to check their sources.

Some claimed TikTok was striking comments that used phrases like “Free Palestine” and “Free Luigi,” a reference to Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing a UnitedHealth executive, which had been previously allowed.

TikTok said it does not allow content that promotes violent or hateful individuals on the platform.

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order that he said aims to restore freedom of speech and end censorship, referring specifically to social media platforms.

Content creator, comedian and veteran Pat Loller, 36, said a satirical video he created in response to billionaire Elon Musk’s hand gesture at an inauguration event that appeared to some as a Nazi salute was first tagged as misinformation. Mr. Loller was then limited in how widely he could share the video, which garnered over a million views.

“I’ve never seen this before, and it is still there. It says ‘sharing is limited to one chat at a time,’” said Mr. Loller, who has 1.3 million followers.

Mr. Trump on Tuesday said that he was open to Mr. Musk, who is a close ally of the president and helping oversee his new initiative on government efficiency, buying TikTok, if he wanted to do so.

TikTok user Lisa Cline said on Meta’s Threads that she was having issues posting a video to TikTok criticizing Trump.

“I tried to post this six times to TikTok and it wouldn’t let me because of censorship, here’s (to) hoping it works here,” Ms. Cline said. The video referenced Trump’s response to Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde after she asked him, at an inaugural prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral, to show mercy on people who are “scared.”

Danisha Carter, 27, said her account, which has 2 million followers, was permanently suspended shortly after TikTok went dark on Saturday. She was told it was due to “multiple policy violations” when she tried to log in after the ban was lifted.

“This has been very politically targeted,” said Carter, a political and social commentator, who said TikTok won’t explain its decision, which it said was final. Her final livestream called out wealthy tech executives for their influence over the American presidential campaign and US businesses.

Others say they are getting flagged for comments unrelated to politics, sparking concerns that users are being targeted based on other criteria including identity or previous content.

Ada “Mila” Ortiz, a data analyst and content creator, said she received strikes after leaving innocuous comments on other videos, with a warning that another violation would prevent her from accessing some features.

“It was just so sudden and so random I thought they are trying to get me out of here,” she said. Ortiz has since deleted about 15 videos that were pro-Vice President Kamala Harris and anti-Trump. — Reuters

North Korea fires strategic cruise missiles

SEOUL — North Korea conducted a strategic cruise missile test on Saturday, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

The country’s leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test, according to the report, which described it as a test-fire of an “important weapon system.”

The underwater-to-surface strategic cruise missiles traveled 1,500 kilometers and flew between 7,507 and 7,511 seconds before hitting their targets, KCNA reported.

In a separate KCNA report on Sunday, North Korea’s foreign ministry vowed the “toughest counteraction” against the United States as long as Washington “refuses” Pyongyang’s sovereignty.

The military alliance and joint drills between South Korea and the US were to blame for the growing tensions in the region, the ministry said in a statement carried by KCNA.

The statement came as US President Donald Trump said during an interview on Thursday that he would reach out to Mr. Kim again after the two developed a working relationship in Mr. Trump’s first term.

North Korea’s war deterrence means were being “perfected more thoroughly,” Mr. Kim was quoted as saying, while the leader also vowed to continue efforts to strengthen the military.

“Kim Jong Un affirmed that the DPRK will always make strenuous efforts … to perform its important mission and duty for defending sustainable and lasting peace and stability on the basis of more powerfully developed military muscle in the future.”

The DPRK stands for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

In a statement later in the day, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles from inland areas towards waters off the west coast at around 4 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Saturday.

The report said the missile test was part of plans to build national defense capabilities against potential enemies in line with changing regional safety circumstances.

Earlier this month, North Korean state media also reported that Kim oversaw a successful test of a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM). — Reuters

Ben & Jerry’s accuses Unilever of muzzling it because of Trump

Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s — COURTESY OF BEN & JERRY’S WEB

NEW YORK — Ben & Jerry’s ratcheted up its censorship lawsuit against Unilever on Friday, accusing its parent company of suppressing a social policy statement the US ice cream maker wanted to release because it mentioned President Donald Trump.

The allegation came in an amended complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, where Ben & Jerry’s in November accused Unilever of silencing its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees and end military aid to Israel, and threatening to dismantle its independent board.

Ben & Jerry’s wants a court order freeing the board to continue oversight of its social mission, and requiring Unilever to honor its commitment to make $25 million of payments to groups chosen by the ice cream company.

Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Both companies have been publicly at odds since 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s decided to stop selling Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby and other ice cream flavors in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because it was inconsistent with the company’s values.

That led some investors to divest Unilever shares, and Ben & Jerry’s to sue its parent for selling its Israeli business to a local licensee.

A settlement in 2022 required Unilever to respect Ben & Jerry’s independent board and social mission, as well as make the $25 million of payments.

London-based Unilever since then announced plans to spin out its ice cream business, including Ben & Jerry’s, to simplify its product portfolio and cut costs. The lawsuit, however, could complicate those plans.

“It doesn’t help it, because anytime you have a cloud over it, it makes it harder to either sell it or spin it out. It affects folks’ interpretation of its value,” said Charles Elson, a retired University of Delaware law professor and a corporate governance expert.

In the amended complaint, Ben & Jerry’s said its management and board, with input from Unilever’s global head of litigation, worked after Trump’s election on a post to be released on Inauguration Day, discussing hot-button issues such as abortion, climate change, minimum wages and universal healthcare.

But on Jan. 18, two days before Trump’s inauguration, Unilever ice cream chief Peter ter Kulve “unilaterally barred Ben & Jerry’s from issuing the post because it specifically mentioned ‘Donald Trump,’” the complaint said.

Ben & Jerry’s said ter Kulve appeared to base his decision on intuition, while ignoring the company’s history of challenging the Trump administration.

It also said ter Kulve soon held a town hall meeting where he touted how Unilever board member and activist investor Nelson Peltz, a Trump supporter, had introduced the president to Elon Musk, the Tesla TSLA.O founder and close Trump adviser.

The complaint said that according to ter Kulve, “despite four decades of progressive social activism—and years of challenging the Trump administration’s policies specifically—criticizing Trump was now too taboo for the brand synonymous with ‘Peace, Love, and Ice Cream.’”

Many companies in retail, banking and other sectors have curtailed support this month for programs whose perceived social impact has drawn opposition from Trump and his supporters.

RESISTANCE TO PAYMENTS
Ben & Jerry’s was founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in a renovated gas station in 1978, and kept its socially conscious mission after Unilever bought it in 2000.

According to the amended complaint, Ben & Jerry’s planned to direct $5 million from Unilever to human rights groups, and $20 million over 10 years to support Palestinian almond farmers and a fair trade almond supplier it had long used.

It said Unilever opposed the $5 million of payments because it believed they would support “Palestinian human rights,” and has not made the second $2.5 million installment.

Ben & Jerry’s also said ter Kulve resisted the $20 million payment because he disliked the 2022 settlement and had not heard of the almond supplier.

Unilever’s dozens of other products include Dove soap, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Knorr bouillon cubes, Surf detergent and Vaseline petroleum jelly. — Reuters

Primeworld Land Holdings breaks ground on new housing development in Bamban, Tarlac

Primeworld Land Holdings, Inc, as one of the country’s premier real-estate companies, has once again marked a significant milestone as the firm celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for its latest housing development in Barangay Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac on Jan. 21.

This new development signifies Primeworld Land’s ambitious entry into Tarlac, a highly strategic and rapidly growing location. Just 20 minutes from the emerging New Clark City and Clark International Airport, this new development offers unparalleled accessibility and potential. Designed to meet the standards of PD 957 (Medium Cost Housing), it promises an exceptional blend of convenience, affordability, and quality—making it the ideal choice for discerning homebuyers.

The Bamban housing project will be a gated subdivision with a proposed development area for the first phase spanning 48,298 sqm with more than 400 houses, and will offer a vibrant and secure community complete with modern amenities. Planned features include a clubhouse, parks and playgrounds, a basketball court, a swimming pool, and round-the-clock security. Additionally, two-story housing options such as townhouses and duplexes are in the development stages, providing diverse choices tailored to meet the needs of singles and growing families alike. This development provides a much-needed housing option in a highly developed area with a promising future.

The momentous occasion was attended by key figures within the company and its partners, including CEO Sherwin Uy, Business Development Lead Celine Co, Engineering Head Er. Manny Manuel, Greater Manila Sales and Marketing Head Charry Policarpio, the Greater Manila Sales and Marketing and Engineering Teams, the North Luzon Team, esteemed sales partners and brokers, local government representatives, and other valued stakeholders.

To mark a positive beginning, a mass was held, and the property was blessed by Rev. Fr. Louis Mon during the event. Additionally, a brief plan for the development was shared among the attendees, providing an exciting preview of what’s to come.

Primeworld Land remains optimistic that this project will fulfill the aspirations of an underserved segment of homebuyers.

“This development is a testament to Primeworld’s commitment to delivering quality homes in prime locations. With its proximity to Metro Manila and New Clark City, we are confident this community will meet the evolving needs of Filipino families,” Mr. Uy said.

Similarly, Ms. Co emphasized the strategic importance of this new venture.

“Our entry into Bamban, Tarlac, signals our readiness to expand our reach and provide accessible housing solutions in key growth areas across the country,” she said.

The project’s launch is expected in the coming months, and Primeworld Land is excited to open the doors to this promising new community. With its convenient location, modern amenities, and focus on affordability, the development is set to redefine the housing landscape in Tarlac and beyond.

To learn more about Primeworld Land and its family-oriented housing communities in Metro Manila Bulacan, Quirino Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Cebu, Butuan City and General Santos City, visit www.primeworldland.com.

 

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