Hawks upset no. 1 seeded 76ers in Game 7; Booker’s 40-pt triple-double carries Suns past Clippers

June 21, 2021 | 6:22 pm

KEVIN Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points, Trae Young added 21 points and 10 assists and the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks stunned the host Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

The Hawks will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Young shot five of 23, but made a couple of clutch shots down the stretch.

John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and Clint Capela 13 for the Hawks, who reached the conference finals for the first time since 2015. The Hawks won three games at Philadelphia in this series.

Joel Embiid led the top-seeded Sixers with 31 points and 11 rebounds yet committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 24 points and 14 rebounds, Seth Curry had 16 points and Ben Simmons contributed 13 assists.

The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001.

The Hawks led 48-46 at half time thanks in large part to Huerter’s 12 points. Young shot just one of 12 in the opening half.

Embiid had 15 points but committed four turnovers and appeared to tweak his injured right knee shortly before half time.

The game was tight throughout the third as the Hawks moved out to a 64-63 advantage with 4:45 left after a tough jumper by Huerter. He was fouled as well but missed the free throw.

Matisse Thybulle scored four late points in the period, but the Hawks closed the third strong and led 76-71.

Embiid scored the first five points of the fourth — a jumper and a 3-pointer — to tie the game at 76 with 10:37 to go.

The Hawks missed their first nine shots of the fourth but trailed only 81-77. Gallinari then connected on a trey to close the Hawks within one.

Young drove scored on a runner with 5:11 left to give the Hawks an 86-84 lead.

Embiid responded with a jumper with 4:14 remaining to tie the game at 86.

Young drained a deep 30-foot trey with 2:31 to go, and the Hawks led 93-87.

The Sixers went on a 5-0 run to close within one with 1:09 remaining.

Huerter was then fouled on a 3-pointer and dropped in all three for a 96-92 lead with 54 seconds left.

A Gallinari steal and dunk put Atlanta up 98-92 with 42 seconds left.

SUNS DRAW FIRST BLOOD
Devin Booker posted his first career triple-double Sunday afternoon, when he scored 40 points and collected 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Phoenix Suns outlasted the visiting Los Angeles Clippers (120-114) in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Booker scored 16 consecutive points for the Suns in the third quarter and 29 in the second half for second-seeded Phoenix, which was without All-Star point guard Chris Paul (health and safety protocols).

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Phoenix. Considering the Clippers dropped the first two games in each of their first two series this postseason, Booker said the series is far from over.

Making the Suns’ victory more impressive was doing so in their first playoff game this spring without their floor leader Paul. Even without their starting point guard, the Suns tallied a playoff high 31 assists in Game 1.

Paul George scored 34 points and dueled with Booker throughout the second half for “I like the way Devin did it, he didn’t inject himself into the game, he just did it out of what we do,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said about Booker’s duel with George. “I think the poise of our team was important in that moment. When a guy’s making shots like that, it’s easy to become deflated.”

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points for Phoenix with nine rebounds while Mikal Bridges (14 points), Jae Crowder (13 points), Cameron Johnson (12 points) and Cameron Payne (11 points, nine assists) also got into double digits.

Reggie Jackson had 24 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 11 points off the bench for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard missed his third straight game with a right knee injury.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half, during which there were 18 lead changes and eight ties, before George (16 points) and Booker (18 points) put on a show in the third quarter, when they combined to score almost half the combined points generated by both teams.

The Suns took their first eight-point lead at 76-68 on a pair of free throws by Booker with 7:13 left. George then scored eight straight points to tie the score before Booker drained a turnaround jumper to put Phoenix up 78-76. But Jackson sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a basket by Ivica Zubac to complete the 16-2 run that gave the Clippers an 84-78 lead. — Reuters

QBO-assisted startups hit Q2 targets, seek investors in order to scale

June 21, 2021 | 5:53 pm

Early-stage startups that participated in QBO Innovation Hub’s incubation program secured their growth targets in the second quarter of 2021 and are now looking for investors.

“The goal of the program is to help these select startups set their business up for long-term success. We worked with them to help them understand their customers, improve the customer and user experience, and refine their products and services,” said Carlo Yaptinchay, QBO’s startup development program head, in a statement, “After six months, most of these startups are now looking to expand their customer base, link up with partners, and find investors.”

QBO’s virtual program, which ran from November 2020 to May 2021, helped each venture digitize operations and reach target revenues. COCOTEL, a hotel aggregator, reached an average of P1 million worth of transactions per month for four months; Panublix, a textile sourcing platform, generated over P300,000 in sales for community enterprises; and Last Mile, a logistics service innovation company, grew by 200% in transactions within one quarter.

The 13 participating startups are:

AkadsPH, an online service that streamlines the process of booking tutorial sessions for students using a system that matches them with tutors;
COCOTEL, a hotel brand and aggregator of getaway destination hotels that prevents overbooking through its property management system;
Panublix, a collaborative sourcing platform based in Iloilo City that connects Philippine weavers with the fashion market;
EveGrocer, a subscription-based online grocery, that offers waste-free commodity products;
iRentMo, a rental marketplace community that brings renters together across different industries with an app;
Spare, a financial solution that allows small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to give digital change;
Ventii Eats, a discovery and delivery platform for specialty food;
RaceYaya, a portal for live and virtual events for the endurance sports community;
Fitscovery, a marketplace that provides trainers and gym studios with tools to digitize;
XPERTO, an online events management platform for learning programs designed and delivered by professional organizations, associations, and experts;
InterLeukin, a web platform for end-users, medical purchasers, and suppliers automating the procurement process from end-to-end;
Last Mile, a digital logistics service innovation company that offers fleet management, riders-for-hire marketplace, and third-party fulfillment;
and SmarterMeter, a device that helps consumers save electricity by giving real-time data and analysis about their consumption.

“The pandemic may have delivered a huge blow to our economy, but these startups have shown that they have the expertise, grit, and muscle to help industries digitize and deliver value,” said Katrina R. Chan, executive director of QBO. — B. H. Lacsamana

Plastic Credit Exchange revamps system, uses blockchain technology

June 21, 2021 | 4:43 pm

Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), a Filipino non-profit plastic offset program, partnered with Microsoft to develop a public, blockchain-protected credit registry.

“It is important that the credit registry is trustworthy and available to the public,” said PCX founder and chair Nanette Medved-Po in a statement. “By using blockchain technology to not only protect the ledger but provide transparency around additionality and protect against double counting, stakeholders will know where and how they positively impact the environment.”

Similar to carbon markets that use carbon credits to limit companies’ production of greenhouse gases, PCX uses plastic credits to limit the number of plastics that businesses produce.

Companies in the Philippines who have purchased plastic offsets include Nestle Philippines and Unilever Philippines. Meanwhile, companies like PepsiCo Snacks, Wyeth Nutrition, Century Pacific Food, Colgate-Palmolive, and NutriAsia have pursued plastic neutrality in the country.

According to PCX, these partnerships have helped divert over 18 million kilograms of plastic waste from the ocean.

“Sustainability and humanity’s response to it is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime — a planet-sized challenge that requires a planet-sized response,” said Microsoft Philippines Country Manager Andres Ortola in a statement. “Technology can — and must — accelerate that response.”

Microsoft provided an Azure-based blockchain solution to beef up the credit registry’s security, using a web application to integrate the blockchain into PCX’s current operations.

PCX’s blockchain-protected credit registry can be found plasticcreditexchange.com, where it shows how much plastic credit each corporation has bought. — B. H. Lacsamana

Corporate allies should go beyond diversity hiring, says LGBTQ+ organization

June 21, 2021 | 4:14 pm

By Brontë H. Lacsamana

With rainbow-themed profile photos and Pride Month events proliferating online, June marks the time of year when the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning (LGBTQ+) movement is in full swing. Businesses big and small are joining the growing number of allies that support the LGBTQ+ community in ways that go beyond rainbow-washing.

When it comes to “solidarity that translates into concrete actions of acceptance and not just tolerance,” there’s still so much more to do, said Raymond “Ronn” A. Astillas, chair of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce at a recent Pride event organized by Google Philippines.

Making a more diverse and inclusive work environment through adopting non-discrimination policies and promoting equitable benefits remains a big challenge for companies, he added.

Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ individuals themselves have gradually become more visible over the years, looking out for each other and making themselves heard on social media, no matter what month. “We all must commit to and celebrate Pride every day,” Mr. Astillas said, inviting the general public to learn more about the community.

BEACONS OF HOPE
Several LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs shared their stories leading micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the same Google Pride event.

“My team and I are always open in discussing LGBTQ+ issues with each other,” said Ann Marie “Amrei” C. Dizon, founder of creative agency Vitalstrats Creative Solutions. Wearing a rainbow bowtie, she shared how accepting differences within the workplace fostered flexibility and adaptability — qualities that enabled her 17-year-old agency pivot to offer digital services that during the pandemic.

Acceptance was also top of mind for Nariese Giangan when she opened Food for the Gays (FFTG) Café with her girlfriend. Located in Quezon City, the café serves as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, complete with rainbow flags at the door and a rainbow-colored grilled cheese sandwich on the menu.

“Minsan may nagtatanong, pwede ba mga straight diyan? Of course, pwede. Wala tayong discrimination dito [Sometimes people ask, are straights are allowed there? Of course, yes. We don’t have discrimination here],” she said.

LGBTQ+ businesses can become cultural centers and beacons of hope in their own locales. Alex “Rui” Mariano, owner of the Fairygodbarbie House of Beauty, started her business specifically to help her fellow trans women transition through a one-stop shop for nails, lashes, and facial services.

“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, what if kung mag-business ako and at the same time i-share ko na rin yung mga secrets ko (I told myself, what if I start a business and at the same time share all my beauty secrets)?” said Ms. Mariano, whose online business eventually led to a beauty spa frequented by cis and trans women alike.

Abigail “Abby” Biyo and her girlfriend did something similar with Nirvana Hostel and Restaurant in Siargao. Despite the lockdowns, Ms. Biyo continued selling products such as “paliyema” (palitaw with yema filling) in local markets and ensuring safe protocols in their establishment so they could continue providing job opportunities in the island.

“The pandemic should not stop you,” she said, in an effort to encourage other struggling LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, “It’s difficult, but it’s important to keep going.”

CORPORATE ALLIES
Companies are becoming more involved in efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace as well.

“(The private sector) has been using the term diversity and inclusion more often, and we have many firms seeking training on it,” said Nathalie Africa-Verceles, director of the University of the Philippines Center for Women and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), in a recent B-Side podcast. “We used to get a lot of requests from government agencies, schools, universities, but many companies are now becoming interested.”

Snacks company Mondelez Philippines, Inc., for example, held a Pride Month forum to commemorate signing on as a member of Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP), a non-profit organization that aims to foster a corporate industry that is safe for the LGBTQ+ community.

“One of our building blocks of a winning growth culture is diversity and inclusion — creating a safe workspace and ensuring we respect personal, cultural, and professional practices,” said Aileen Aumentado, People Lead of Mondelez Philippines, Inc.

Mondelez provides healthcare benefits for domestic partners of all genders and allows primary caregiver and single parent leaves, regardless of birth story. “Our commitment is to treat everyone with care and integrity, and the best way to express that is through allyship,” she added.

According to PFIP, Mondelez Philippines’ efforts are only the beginning of a long journey toward widespread diversity and inclusion.

“We have to institutionalize sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) education because we have to continuously educate our community members and make it part of our corporate screenings and onboarding,” said PFIP operations strategist Christopher M. Eugenio, “Then it will become part of language and everyday interactions.”

MY PRONOUNS ARE ‘THEY/THEM’
The Philippines, despite having companies like Mondelez taking necessary steps, continues to lack diversity policies, with the LGBTQ+ community being discriminated against and denied benefits that cisgender workers have.

“The most common microaggression in the workplace is not using or promoting the use of preferred names and pronouns, but these usually stem from ignorance,” said Mr. Eugenio, emphasizing the importance of required SOGIE education. He also brought up gendered, binary dress codes limiting LGBTQ+ individuals’ right to dress to their gender expression, and the lack of a bathroom policy limiting the right to access inclusive amenities and facilities.

These concerns and more should be addressed by the Anti-Discrimination Bill or SOGIE Equality Bill, which remains pending in both the House and the Senate to this day.

“We hear examples of discrimination in schools, public transport, restrooms, and the workplace. It’s only legislation that can effectively put a stop to it,” said Ms. Africa-Verceles of the UPCWGS.

PFIP’s Mr. Eugenio challenged corporate allies to do more. “It’s more than just diverse hiring. The next question is, what are you going to do to make us feel safe, welcome, and supported?”

According to “Pride and Prejudice,” a December 2020 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by Manulife, Barclays, and Nomura, only 11% of respondents employed at companies across seven Asian economies feel that being openly LGBTQ+ is advantageous to career progression, while 40% think otherwise. Further, 36% of respondents feel that it is easier for LGBTQ+ people to advance professionally if they keep their sexual orientation and gender identity private.

Cambodians brave COVID-19 impact with small plots of land

June 21, 2021 | 3:20 pm

BANGKOK — When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) choked off the tourism that throttles Cambodia’s temple town of Siem Reap, Yu Thy and his wife lost their gardening jobs and headed home to grow something different.

They’ve not looked back.

For the switch from hotel gardeners to vegetable farmers has been a rare sliver of good fortune forced on them by a pandemic that has killed nearly 400 Cambodians.

A year after the couple packed up their Siem Reap life and traveled 300 kilometers to their village, life has changed so much for the better they have no plans to go back.

At the root of the decision — a simple, 1.5-hectare plot allocated under a government-led program on which the couple now grow vegetables, tend rubber trees, and raise chickens.

As most Cambodians struggled to make a living in lockdown, Mr. Thy and his wife provided for their family and even made extra by selling their vegetables in central Tboung Khmum province.

Mr. Thy is his own boss and sets his own hours — his new life in rustic Chaem Kravien commune is a world away from Siem Reap, which throngs with visitors drawn to its world-famous Angkor Wat complex of Buddhist temples.

“We’re very glad that we had a house and land to come back to,” said Mr. Thy.

“If we didn’t have land, we would have been badly affected by COVID-19, and would have had to move from place to place selling our labor. We are happy to work on our own land.”

Mr. Thy, already earning well from his vegetables, now hopes to expand business by selling chickens and rubber, too.

He is among 250 formerly landless people, small landholders or indigenous people in Chaem Kravien who received a residential plot and farmland from the World Bank-backed Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED) project.

Since 2008, LASED has allocated about 17,000 hectares to some 5,000 families. More than 3,300 of them now have titles to their land with the rest set to join them after five years work.

“The goal of the LASED initiative is to fight poverty in a sustainable manner,” said Mudita Chamroeun from the World Bank, which has approved a new $93-million loan for the project.

Mr. Thy shows that schemes like this really work, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding: “This project has helped families weather the loss of jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

LAND LOSS
Despite rapid urbanization, about three in four Cambodians live in rural areas, and most depend on land for a living.

Yet Cambodia has a long history of landlessness, with bloody conflicts over land common after the Khmer Rouge destroyed property records to establish a form of communism in the 1970s.

The impoverished Southeast Asian country began issuing Economic Land Concessions (ELC) in 1995, leasing state land to private firms for agriculture and agriculture-based industries to spur economic growth and alleviate poverty.

By 2012, ELCs accounted for more than 2 million hectares of land, equivalent to more than half the country’s arable land.

The land deals have displaced more than 770,000 people — mostly in rural areas — since 2000, human rights lawyers say.

A moratorium on new ELCs has been effective since 2012 and the government has conducted a review of ELCs, resulting in halving their area with an aim to redistribute the land and promote new forms of investment such as contract farming.

“What is needed to address the problem of landlessness is a much more ambitious land distribution program that acknowledges the central role that agriculture plays for a majority of the rural population,” said Jean-Christophe Diepart, a researcher at the Mekong Region Land Governance think tank.

‘REAL’ LAND REFORM
The state owns about 80% of Cambodian land.

A law adopted in 2001 established a system for land titling and created a dispute-resolution system, followed in 2008 with a declaration that aimed to cut poverty, and improve food security and environmental protection.

The government had planned to register all land parcels in the country by 2021 to remove uncertainty over ownership and prevent conflicts, but the process is incomplete.

While programs such as LASED benefit small pockets of the population, “there is a need for real land reform,” said Eang Vuthy, executive director of Equitable Cambodia, a human rights organization in the capital Phnom Penh.

“Hundreds of thousands of families have been victimized by land grab across the country. And there is really no more free land to distribute,” he said.

BOLT HOLE IN PANDEMIC
Over the last year, nearly 50 families who had received land under the LASED project returned to their holdings after losing jobs in the cities or overseas, according to the World Bank.

Some, like Thy, say they will not return to their old jobs.

“To the extent that outmigration is driven by poverty, it is hoped that LASED can contribute to reduced outmigration,” said Ms. Chamroeun.

“However, it is too early to claim success, as the development … is a long-term endeavor,” she said.

For Yon Leng Sung, 30, and her husband Pha Sophon, who returned to her parents’ home in eastern Kratie province last year after losing their jobs as construction workers in Thailand — the decision is clear.

Ms. Leng Sung’s parents had received a residential plot and three hectares of farmland on which they grew cassava.

Ms. Leng Sung and her husband now help out so they can all expect a bigger harvest this year.

“We won’t go back to Thailand again after COVID-19,” she said. “My husband and I will stay here to look after the farm and take care of our parents.” — Rina Chandran/Thomson Reuters Foundation

UK house prices show biggest seasonal rise since 2015 — Rightmove

June 21, 2021 | 2:33 pm

LONDON — Asking prices for British homes between mid-May and early June rose by 0.8% compared with a month before, the biggest rise for the time of year since 2015, as available housing remains in short supply, property website Rightmove said on Monday.

The increase is less than the 1.8% recorded a month earlier but still takes asking prices 7.5% above their level in early March 2020, before Britain went into its first coronavirus lockdown.

“Buyer demand remains very strong, though with an all-time low in the number of properties available for sale … and new stock at higher-than-ever average prices, there are early signs of a slowing in the frenetic pace,” Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s director of property data, said.

Rightmove, which says it advertises 95% of homes for sale in Britain, collected the data between May 9 and June 12.

British house prices surged last year despite the pandemic as many richer households sought more space to work from home, and the government cut property purchase taxes to reverse an initial slump in sales early in the pandemic.

June is the last month when the full stamp duty tax break applies, before it is wholly phased out in October.

Britain’s official measure of house prices, based on completed transactions, showed prices in the year to April rose 8.9%, after a 9.9% increase for the year to March.

Rightmove said the most expensive homes were seeing the biggest percentage increases in asking prices. Typically, these were detached houses with at least four bedrooms whose buyers were less stretched for cash.

London has seen weaker prices and demand than other parts of Britain, due to a fall in the number of foreign buyers and less need for many high-paid workers to commute to city-center jobs.

Separate figures from property data company LonRes showed prices were 1.9% lower in expensive parts of the capital than a year ago. The number of new listings in central London was 33% higher in May than two years before.

“Demand is not outstripping supply in most areas of prime London. Estate agents’ windows have, for the most part, stayed well stocked, meaning prices have not seen the rapid growth experienced in other parts of the country,” LonRes’s head of research, Marcus Dixon, said. — Reuters

AIR21 Strengthens team by transforming into Mini-Business Units

June 21, 2021 | 2:23 pm

AIR21, the country’s reliable Total Logistics Solutions Provider, has constantly upgraded its teams to become more efficient, organized, and responsive to the needs of its clients. With its 42nd anniversary theme of “Kasama Mo saBawat Hamon ng Panahon,” AIR21 is proud to introduce its Mini-Business Unit (MBU) teams – the teams dedicated to providing you with better logistics services. This system groups AIR21’s larger operations teams into smaller, more focused units that promote leadership routines, concentrated engagement, and fundamental problem solving for their specific tasks.

Every MBU team consists of a coach, a team leader, and its members. Coaches ensure that the MBU’s principles and goals are communicated properly. The team leader makes sure that the team’s members achieve these. Regular Multi-Level Meetings with the leadership team helps keep the MBU’s goals aligned with each other and always focused towards improvement.

The five MBU teams are named SMART, SPEED, and STEEL for AIR21’s NCR and greater Luzon operations, and SORT and DEO (Data Entry Operators) for AIR21’s cargo sorting, consolidation, and data encoding. An additional three teams were also established last year – team Savior, who is in charge of pharmaceutical delivery operations; team FMG, who is in charge of truck maintenance and acquisition; and team STAR, who is in charge of warehouse operations.

Through this simple yet efficient system, AIR21 can better its services and remain the best Logistics Solutions Provider in the Philippines. It has only been a few years, but the MBU teams have already shown an increase in improving their work to benefit AIR21 and its customers.

“As we celebrate our 42nd year in the industry, creating the mini-business unit transformation program is a testament to our commitment in investing in our people. Together with improved processes and innovation, we are always up to the challenge of what our environment brings,” says AIR21 Founding Chairman Alberto D. Lina.

US extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through July 21

June 21, 2021 | 1:58 pm

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Image via US Customs and Border Protection/Flickr

WASHINGTON — US land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the US Homeland Security Department said on Sunday.

The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The US government held working-group meetings with Canada and Mexico on the travel restrictions last week and plans to hold meetings about every two weeks, US officials told Reuters.

Homeland Security said in a statement it noted “positive developments in recent weeks and is participating with other US agencies in the White House’s expert working groups with Canada and Mexico to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably.”

Some US lawmakers and border communities that have been hit hard by the restrictions have pushed to relax them ahead of the busy summer travel season.

Canada is also under pressure from companies and the tourism industry to ease the ban, which was imposed to help contain the spread of the coronavirus and has been renewed on a monthly basis since March 2020.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying last week the border would stay largely shut until 75% of Canadians had received the first of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine and 20% had been given both shots.

In talks between the United States and Canada last week, the US government did not endorse setting a specific threshold to trigger lifting the restrictions, a person briefed on the talks said.

“The inability of the US and Canadian governments to reach an agreement on alleviating border restrictions … is simply unacceptable,” Democratic Representative Brian Higgins and Republican Representative Bill Huizenga, co-chairs of the Canada-US Interparliamentary Group said on Friday.

The United States is also holding working-group meetings on relaxing travel restrictions with the UK and the European Union, but US and airline officials said previously they did not expect the Biden administration to lift the restrictions until around July 4 at the earliest. — David Shepardson/Reuters

Iran, world powers adjourn nuclear talks, resumption date unclear

June 21, 2021 | 1:21 pm

Flag(s)_of_Iran_-_Shahrbani_sq_-_Kashmar_1 — Sonia Sevilla/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

VIENNA/DUBAI — Negotiators for Iran and six world powers on Sunday adjourned talks on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal and return to respective capitals for consultations as remaining differences still need to be overcome, officials said.

“We are now closer than ever to an agreement but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains and bridging it is not an easy job,” Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state TV from Vienna. “We will return to Tehran tonight.”

After more than a week of negotiations in their latest round, parties to the pact wrapped up with Russia’s envoy saying no date for a resumption in negotiations had been set for now, although he suggested they could return in about 10 days.

Negotiations have been going on in Vienna since April to work out the nature and sequencing of steps Iran and the United States must take on nuclear activities and sanctions to return to full compliance with the nuclear pact.

Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and fierce critic of the West, won Iran’s presidential election on Friday and will take office in early August, replacing pragmatist Hassan Rouhani, under whose aegis the 2015 deal was struck.

But Mr. Raisi’s rise is unlikely to disrupt Iran’s effort under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all major policy, to restore the nuclear pact and be rid of tough US oil and financial sanctions.

“We have made progress this week, in this sixth round. We are closer to a deal but we are not still there. We are closer than we were one week ago but we are not still there,” Enrique Mora, the European Union political director who has coordinated the discussions, told reporters in Vienna.

The United States under then-President Donald J. Trump left the deal in 2018, branding its terms too weak to remove the risk of Iran developing nuclear weapons potential, and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Iran has since breached the deal’s strict limits on uranium enrichment, a possible path to a nuclear bomb. It has said its moves would be reversed if the United States rescinded all sanctions.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said disagreements over how to save the deal persisted, repeating that the ultimate decision on the issue lay with Khamenei.

“There is still a fair distance to travel on some of the key issues, including on sanctions and on the nuclear commitments that Iran has to make,” Mr. Sullivan told broadcaster ABC News. He added that the question of which sanctions on Iran should be lifted was still being discussed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he had edited the text of a possible deal being discussed in Austria, saying it was getting “cleaner and cleaner.” He said there was a good possibility a deal could be reached before mid-August when the current Iranian administration leaves office.

With the talks on pause, attention will now turn to extending a separate accord between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, and Iran. That pact, expiring on June 24, aims to cushion the blow of Tehran’s decision to reduce its cooperation with the IAEA by ending extra monitoring measures introduced by the 2015 deal.

Mr. Mora said he expected the two sides to reach that deal.

ISRAEL: DON’T NEGOTIATE WITH ‘BRUTAL’ NEW GOVERNMENT

The Islamic Republic’s arch-enemy, Israel, on Sunday condemned Mr. Raisi’s election. New Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it would be a “regime of brutal hangmen” with which world powers should not negotiate a new nuclear accord.

“(His) election is, I would say, the last chance for world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and understand who they are doing business with,” Mr. Bennett said in a statement.

Mr. Raisi has never publicly addressed allegations around his role in what the United States and human rights groups have called the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. He is under US sanctions over that past.

Mr. Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, has hewed to the opposition of conservative predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu to the nuclear deal, whose caps on projects with atomic bomb-making potential Israel deemed too lax.

Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons.

CREDIT FOR A DEAL

Mr. Raisi, like Mr. Khamenei, has supported the nuclear talks as a route to cancelling US sanctions that have laid waste to the Islamic Republic’s oil-based economy and dramatically worsened economic hardships, stirring widespread discontent.

The new government will hope to claim credit for any economic benefits arising from the revival of the accord, something the outgoing administration might clinch before Mr. Raisi takes office.

“If the deal is finalized when Rouhani is (still) president, Raisi cannot be criticized by hardline supporters for giving concessions to the West,” a government official who is close to the talks told Reuters. “Also Rouhani, not Raisi, will be blamed for any future problems regarding the deal.”

Several Iranian officials told Reuters that the country’s current negotiating team would remain intact at least for a few months under Mr. Raisi’s presidency.

“Who Raisi picks as his foreign minister will reveal the new government’s foreign policy approach,” said another official. “But the establishment’s nuclear policy is not decided by the government” but by Mr. Khamenei. — Francois Murphy and Parisa Hafezi/Reuters

UK launches plan to capitalize on science and technology breakthroughs

June 21, 2021 | 1:04 pm

louis-reed-pwcKF7L4-no-unsplash — UNSPLASH

LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would lead a new drive to capitalize on scientific and technological breakthroughs made in Britain with a program to direct research into areas that will benefit the public good.

Mr. Johnson will chair a group set up to “provide strategic direction on the use of science and technology as the tools to tackle great societal challenges, level up across the country and boost prosperity around the world,” his office said.

Seeking strategic gains for post-Brexit Britain, the plan looks to build on the success of the country’s coronavirus vaccine program and identify other areas where the research and development sector can benefit from government funding.

“From discovery to delivery, our vaccination program has proven what the UK can achieve at scale and at speed,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement.

“With the right direction, pace and backing, we can breathe life into many more scientific and technological breakthroughs that transform the lives of people across the UK and the world.”

The government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Patrick Vallance, will head a new public body whose role will be to implement the strategy.

Beyond coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and treatments, Britain wants to use its research capability to secure some of the economic benefits of a shift toward greener technology, although competition from other nations is intense.

The majority of research and development spending in Britain is funded by the private sector, and overall investment in 2018 was 1.731% of GDP according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data — below the 2.419% OECD average.

Since leaving the European Union, the government has announced plans to increase its spending on R&D.

It plans to invest 14.9 billion pounds ($20.58 billion) in 2021/22, rising to 22 billion by 2024/25, and has committed to raise total R&D investment to 2.4% of economic output by 2027. — Reuters

[B-SIDE Podcast] Sweet dreams, Philippines: how to deal with ‘coronasomnia’ and sleep better at night

June 21, 2021 | 10:24 am

The Philippines isn’t sleeping well. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we’re spending hours in bed, doomscrolling on Twitter, reading endless news articles about virus mutations and vaccine delays.

The anxiety-inducing pandemic has done no favors to a country that has a robust business process outsourcing industry that operates in a different time zone. “We have a lot of shift workers that usually go against their internal clock,” said Dr. Jimmy V. Chang, head of the Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center of St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, and chair of the Philippine Academy of Sleep Surgery.

In this B-Side episode, Dr. Chang speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about “coronasomnia” and how to sleep better at night.

TAKEAWAYS

Sleep is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

Sleep is one of the requirements for survival, and is just as important as food and water. According to a May 2018 Mayo Clinic article, sleep deprivation increases can negatively affect one’s mood, temperament, and ability to focus.

“A person cannot survive without sleep because it helps cope with the stress of being awake,” said Dr. Chang. “If you’re trying to fix your sleep and all else fails, please seek professional help.” Some patients, he said, attempt to fix their sleep-related issues but end up making things worse, because they don’t know the underlying reason behind them.

The past year has brought about coronasomnia and pandemic dreams.

The incidence of insomnia in the Philippines is not as high as other Asian countries, Dr. Chang said. The Center has seen an increasing trend in sleep difficulties this pandemic, however.

Three factors contribute to insomnia, Dr. Chang said: predisposing factors (like personalities prone to developing insomnia); precipitating factors (like the fear of getting sick); and perpetuating factors (like disrupted routines).

“We have a lot of time to spend in bed now. Doing things in bed apart from sleeping, such as watching TV, can disrupt your sleep,” he added. “We do see an increasing trend in sleep difficulties this pandemic.”

This COVID-induced phenomenon is not unique to the Philippines. In the US, a survey conducted between March 11 to 15 by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) revealed almost 60% of Americans are experiencing insomnia related to COVID-19.

Moreover, Elizaveta Solomonova and Rebecca Robillard, of McGill University and the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research in Ottawa, respectively, conducted a survey of 968 people in North America and determined that 37% of individuals experienced “pandemic dreams” with clear connections to life during COVID-19. Many of these dreams, according to the survey, were marked by themes of not completing tasks (such as losing control of a vehicle) and being threatened by others.

Lack of sleep affects the immune system, increasing the risks for illnesses.

Proper duration and quality of sleep strengthens the immune system, Dr. Chang said. It helps us battle diseases like COVID infections and other viral infections. “It also enhances our response to vaccines, because it enhances the way our bodies generate responses to the vaccine that was given,” he added.

Adults require between 7–9 hours of sleep daily, said Dr. Chang, with some being able to function with only 6 hours of sleep. Sleeping less than seven hours a night, added the same Mayo Clinic article, is associated with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression, among other health risks. Lack of sleep may furthermore lead to increased body aches and pains and impaired performance at work.

Asians, he added, have a predilection for snoring and other sleeping disorders.

“Asians have a more petite structural frame, as compared to Western populations, who have bigger jaws,” Dr. Chang said. “Most Asians have small chins, which makes our airways narrow as compared to other races… [This means] Filipinos are prone to having obstructive sleep apnea as well.”

Don’t force yourself to sleep when you’re not sleepy.

If you’re tossing and turning in bed because of pandemic-induced anxiety, said Dr. Chang, the worst thing you can do is to force yourself to sleep when you’re not sleepy. Among the tips he shared for getting a great night’s sleep, pandemic or no pandemic, is to set a fixed bedtime schedule, get sunlight exposure in the morning, and limit naps during the daytime.

Additionally, getting a mattress or pillow that helps snoring patients fall asleep on their side allows for better breathing and deeper sleep.

If nothing works, see a doctor.

“If you’re trying to fix your sleep and all else fails, please seek professional help,” said Dr. Chang.

St. Luke’s Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center offers individualized treatments for more than 80 types of sleep disorders, including insomnia (a condition characterized by difficulty in sleeping), sleep apnea (a condition when breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep), and restless legs syndrome (a condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move one’s legs, especially at night).

The Center is composed of several specialists, including pulmonologists, ENTs, pediatric specialists, and psychologists who offer cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

“We’re here to help you,” said Dr. Chang. “Some patients try to fix their sleep by themselves not knowing that what they’re doing is actually making it worse.”

Recorded remotely on June 14. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

Medical Doctors, Inc. announces schedule of stockholders’ meeting

June 21, 2021 | 7:00 am

1...7,9077,9087,909...14,238 Page 7,908 of 14,238