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Pagadian Explorers and Iligan Archangels look to make waves in VisMin Super Cup Mindanao leg

ILIGAN Archangels homegrown players

TEAMS from Pagadian and Iligan are girding for their respective campaigns in the soon-to-start Mindanao leg of regional basketball league VisMin Super Cup.

Pagadian, which will parade a team known as the Explorers, will make its return to regional basketball competition after a decade while Iligan pins its tournament bid on homegrown talents collectively known as the Archangels.

The Explorers were one-time finalists in the National Basketball Conference before competing in Liga Pilipinas during the late 2000s.

They are seeking to have the same success now in the VisMin Cup in reviving the team.

“Before, we already had a team. I don’t know what happened because I was out of politics for six years. Right now, I have another first term and I made sure to revive a team,” said Pagadian mayor Sammy Co of the decision to assemble another squad.

He said they hope the team would serve as an inspiration for their citizens, especially the youth, to keep themselves active and healthy and stay away from drugs.

Through the league also, they want to promote Pagadian City and showcase what the place has to offer.

Bannering the Explorers is 6-foot-6 Mark Benitez, who previously played for Rizal-Xentro Mall during the 2019-21 Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup.

Head coach is Harold Sta. Cruz while team manager is Dodong Pamaran.

HOMEGROWNS
Meanwhile, Iligan will boast 12 natives out of 13 players in its roster.

According to team manager Amador Baller, Mayor Celso Regencia made sure to have an all-homegrown squad so that the province’s youth will be able to relate with the team.

“Iligan is very active in sports. It’s part of our campaigns here that will encourage the youth to get into sports and not into drugs,” said Mr. Baller, who is also the sports coordinator for the province.

Headlining the team is 6-foot-2 swingman Jericho Montecalvo, who at just 20 years old will be the youngest player in the competition.

“We expect them to perform well in the upcoming tournament,” said Mr. Baller. “Some of our players played in the MPBL while others are varsity players in known universities. Almost the entire team is from Iligan. We got them so that the kids will look up to them.”

The VisMin Super Cup Mindanao leg will kick off on May 30 with Chooks-to-Go as presenting partner. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Sports infrastructure focus of PSC online national summit on May 19

SPORTS infrastructure takes center stage in the 14th session of the online Philippine Sports Commission national summit on May 19. — JUDGEFLORO

SPORTS infrastructure takes center stage in the 14th session of the online Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) national summit on May 19.

Multi-awarded architect Gerard Lico leads the discussion which will explore sports infrastructure, providing an overview of different facilities in the country.

University of the Philippines professor Lico led the team behind the renovation of the historical Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

He is also behind notable works on Philippine architecture and cultural studies such as Edifice Complex: Power, Myth, and Marcos State Architecture (2003) and Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and Urbanism in the Philippines (2008).

For the PSC, the talk on sports infrastructure is an important component in what it wants to achieve with the online summit.

“We are elated for the chance given to us by Dr. Lico to share his breadth of knowledge and skills to our summit stakeholders on this important topic. The improvement of sports facilities has always been part of the goal to provide a better sporting experience to our countrymen,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez in a statement.

The online PSC summit is aimed at taking insights of different sports stakeholders and using them as foundations in crafting a sustainable and workable short to long-term plan for Philippine sports.

The PSC said all data gathered from the web series will be processed and studied to create a new set of resolutions to be presented to sports leaders for action. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Nadal downs Djokovic in Rome final

RAFA Nadal warmed up for the French Open with a battling (7-5, 1-6, 6-3) win over world number one Novak Djokovic as the Spaniard claimed a record-extending 10th Italian Open title in Rome on Sunday in the latest chapter of their rivalry.

After a mid-match wobble, Nadal turned up the heat in the decisive moments of his 57th meeting with top seed Djokovic — the pair’s ninth in Rome — to secure the victory over the defending champion in two hours and 49 minutes.

Nadal broke to go ahead 6-5 in a tight opening set and staved off a late comeback attempt from Djokovic to take the early advantage in the contest with a searing inside-out forehand that caught the Serbian off guard.

Second seed Nadal then saved two break points at 2-2 in the decider and fired an emphatic shot down the line to hold, before switching gears to complete the win and match Djokovic’s record of 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles. — Reuters

MLB roundup: Ohtani’s late homer lifts Angels

SHOHEI Ohtani’s two-run homer off Matt Barnes with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-5 win over host Boston on Sunday, preventing the Red Sox from completing a three-game sweep.

The Red Sox were one out away from getting that sweep when Mike Trout stepped to the plate to face Barnes (1-1), who entered the game 9-for-9 in save opportunities.

Trout, who was 0-for-15 on the trip and hitless in his last 18 at-bats overall, blooped a single into shallow right center field.

Barnes’ first pitch to Ohtani was a 96 mph fastball that the slugger wrapped around the right field foul pole for his 12th homer of the season.

ORIOLES 10, YANKEES 6
Ryan Mountcastle finished with four RBIs, Maikel Franco hit a two-run homer and drove in three, and pitcher Bruce Zimmermann gave Baltimore solid long relief as the host Orioles rallied to beat New York.

Zimmermann (2-3) shut down the Yankees after they scored four runs in the first off starter Adam Plutko. He came on in the second and allowed one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. Zimmermann struck out six and walked one.

Aaron Judge also homered, his fourth of the series, but the Yankees could not hold onto the big lead. Reliever Michael King (0-1) took the loss after giving up a run on two hits in two innings of work.

ATHLETICS 7, TWINS 6
Ramon Laureano scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth inning as Oakland edged Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Matt Chapman went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Matt Olson, Mark Canha and Sean Murphy each had two hits for Oakland, which took two out of three in the series. Lou Trivino (2-1) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win.

Max Kepler homered, doubled and drove in four runs, Andrelton Simmons belted a two-run homer and Trevor Larnach had three hits and scored a run for Minnesota. Taylor Rogers (0-2) was saddled with the loss.

MARINERS 3, INDIANS 2
Seven Seattle relievers combined to scatter seven hits and allow one earned run as the host Mariners beat ace Shane Bieber and Cleveland.

Bieber (4-3), the American League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, had his major league-record streak of 20 consecutive starts with at least eight strikeouts snapped, as he fanned seven in 4 2/3 innings while giving up three runs on five hits with four walks. Bieber also had a streak of 40 straight appearances pitching five or more innings come to an end.

Paul Sewald (1-0), making his Mariners debut, got the victory with two scoreless innings of relief of fellow right-hander Robert Dugger, who didn’t allow a hit over the first three innings.

ASTROS 6, RANGERS 2
Chas McCormick produced a two-run single as part of a four-run eighth inning and Houston capped a four-game series sweep of visiting Texas with a win.

The Astros loaded the bases with one out against Rangers reliever Joely Rodriguez (1-2) before Yuli Gurriel snapped a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly that scored Jose Altuve, who singled twice and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Rangers right-hander Kyle Gibson produced his eighth consecutive quality start, limiting the Astros to two runs on four hits — all singles — and two walks with three strikeouts over seven innings.

RAYS 7, METS 1
Manuel Margot and Willy Adames belted two-run homers, starter Josh Fleming fired five shutout innings and Tampa Bay swept New York in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Rays’ series sweep of the National League East club pushed their winning streak to four and lifted them to four games over .500 for the first time this season.

In his season debut after arthroscopic knee surgery in March, Tampa Bay’s Ji-Man Choi started at first base and went 3-for-4 with an RBI double. Margot capped his 2-for-4 day by plating Choi with the final run on an eighth-inning single. Brandon Lowe also homered and scored twice.

NATIONALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0
Erick Fedde shut out Arizona through seven innings and pinch hitter Yadiel Hernandez’s home run started a three-run rally in the eighth in Washington’s win at Phoenix.

Fedde (3-4) allowed only three hits and had four strikeouts and two walks as Washington finished the three-game series at Arizona with two wins. The Nationals have won three of their last four but only four of their last 12. The Diamondbacks are 4-11 in their past 15 games.

Closer Brad Hand picked up his fourth save in six chances. Hernandez pinch-hit for Fedde to lead off the eighth and broke the scoreless tie with his second home run of the season, a solo shot off reliever Stefan Crichton (0-1). Arizona right-hander Luke Weaver left after four innings due to right shoulder discomfort. He allowed just one hit, struck out three and walked two.

BREWERS 10, BRAVES 9
Starting pitcher Freddy Peralta gave host Milwaukee a terrific performance as it avoided a sweep by holding off Atlanta.

Milwaukee, which had lost its previous three games, had an 8-0 lead before lifting Peralta for the seventh. Atlanta put up seven in the inning but fell short of completing the rally.

Atlanta did not get its first hit off Peralta until Austin Riley singled to left with one out in the top of the fifth.

GIANTS 4, PIRATES 1
Alex Wood allowed one run and struck out six over six innings to improve to 5-0 as San Francisco earned a four-game series split with a victory at Pittsburgh.

Buster Posey had three hits, Mike Yastrzemski belted a two-run homer and three relievers held Pittsburgh batters without a hit as the Giants bounced back from dropping the previous two games of the set in walk-off fashion.

Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (2-5) yielded two runs on six hits and three walks, striking out eight, over five innings. Adam Frazier and Erik Gonzalez each had two hits for the Pirates, who were trying to match a season high with a third consecutive win.

REDS 7, ROCKIES 6
Shogo Akiyama had a career-high three hits as Cincinnati rallied with six runs over the final two innings to beat host Colorado in Denver.

Sean Doolittle (3-0) pitched the eighth inning for the win and Tejay Antone worked out of a jam in the ninth to pick up his second save. Reds reliever Amir Garrett pitched the sixth inning in his first appearance after serving a five-game suspension.

After scoring four runs in the eighth, the Reds trailed by a run to start the ninth but rallied. Mychal Givens (1-2) loaded the bases with two outs, and a passed ball allowed Tucker Barnhart to score to tie it. Eugenio Suarez walked to reload the bases and Nick Senzel scored on a wild pitch to give Cincinnati the lead.

BLUE JAYS 10, PHILLIES 8
Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette opened the bottom of the first inning with home runs and Toronto went on to defeat visiting Philadelphia at Dunedin, Florida.

Semien added two doubles and had three RBIs in a sloppy rubber match of a three-game series. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. homered for the third straight game and had an RBI double in a three-hit game.

Nick Maton had four RBIs with two solo homers and a two-run single for the Phillies. Andrew McCutchen added a solo homer.

WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 3
Jose Abreu scored the winning run on a Wade Davis wild pitch and Tim Anderson had three hits as host Chicago rallied with two runs in the ninth to salvage a four-game split with Kansas City.

Anderson started the rally by opening the ninth with a ground-rule double. Anderson scored on a Yoan Moncada single, but Moncada was thrown out moments before Abreu’s heroics as Whit Merrifield corralled a Yermin Mercedes single to nab Moncada at the plate for the second out of the inning.

Royals catcher Cam Gallagher dived across the plate after collecting Davis’ wild pitch, but Abreu, who had two hits, narrowly eluded the tag. The call was upheld following subsequent replay review.

CUBS 5, TIGERS 1
Kyle Hendricks tossed eight-plus strong innings and Ian Happ homered to lift visiting Chicago past Detroit.

Hendricks (3-4) scattered eight hits and walked none while striking out a season-high eight batters.

Happ had three hits, scored twice and knocked in two more runs. Matt Duffy also scored two runs and David Bote added an RBI double for the Cubs, who won two contests of the three-game series.

MARLINS 3, DODGERS 2
Adam Duvall hit a three-run home run and also threw out a runner at home plate from right field as Miami avoided a three-game sweep with a victory over host Los Angeles.

Pablo Lopez gave up two runs over five innings for the Marlins, while the bullpen polished off the victory with four scoreless innings to end a run where Miami lost six of eight games.

Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts drove in runs for the Dodgers, although Betts was thrown out at home plate in the fifth inning by Duvall after he tried to score on a Matt Beaty single. The Dodgers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

PADRES 5, CARDINALS 3
San Diego scored four runs in the fourth with only two singles and defeated visiting St. Louis to complete its first three-game sweep of the Cardinals since 2012.

An error by Cardinals’ Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado triggered the winning rally and left-handed St. Louis starter Kwang Hyun Kim (1-1) issued three walks in the inning, including back-to-back, bases-loaded RBI free passes.

The Padres, who played the series with four starters on the injured list due to COVID-19 protocols, drew 26 walks from Cardinals pitchers in the three games, with 10 of those scoring, including three Sunday. — Reuters

PSG cling on to title hopes as leaders Lille held

PARIS — Paris St.-Germain clung on to their hopes of winning a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title with a 4-0 home win against 10-man Stade de Reims as Lille’s lead was cut to a single point with one game remaining on Sunday.

As PSG cruised to a routine victory, Lille, who have 80 points, were held to a goalless draw by mid-table St.-Étienne and now need a win at Angers in the final round to guarantee them a first title since 2011.

Monaco stayed third on 77 points, one win away from guaranteeing a Champions League spot, as goals by Wissam Ben Yedder and Aleksandr Golovin earned them a 2-1 home victory against Stade Rennais.

They lead fourth-placed Olympique Lyonnais, in the first of two Europa League spots, by one point after Rudi Garcia’s team secured a 5-2 win at Nimes thanks to a double by Lucas Paqueta and goals by Memphis Depay, Houssem Aouar and Islam Slimani.

Second-from-bottom Nimes were relegated to Ligue 2.

Six teams — Reims, Bordeaux, Racing Strasbourg, Brest, Lorient and Nantes — are separated by two points and will battle to avoid finishing 18th, which would mean taking part in a relegation playoff.

Olympique Marseille, on 59 points, occupy the other Europa League spot in fifth place as Arkadiusz Milik’s hat trick gave them a 3-2 win against Angers, while RC Lens (56) are sixth following a 3-0 loss at Girondins de Bordeaux.

At the Parc des Princes, PSG were never troubled by a Reims side who played most of the game with 10 men in a warm-up before Wednesday’s French Cup final against Monaco.

Neymar converted a penalty in the 13th minute after Yunis Abdelhamid handled the ball in the area and picked up a straight red card in the process.

Kylian Mbappe doubled the advantage in the 24th, firing home from a terrible clearance by Thomas Foket.

Marquinhos added a third with a downward header on 68 minutes and Moise Kean netted a fourth from just inside the box.

“We saw that today, Liverpool’s keeper (Alisson Becker) scored a last-minute goal, so anything is still possible,” said PSG midfielder Ander Herrera.

Lille lacked inspiration against a sturdy St.-Étienne side and missed out on securing a victory that would have allowed them to head into the final round needing only a draw when Yusuf Yazici’s free kick crashed onto the far post in the last minute.

“The way St.-Étienne played today, I had never seen them play like this but it is what it is, it was up to us to be better,” said Lille captain Jose Fonte.

“We’re now going to focus on next Sunday to win that final.” — Reuters

Barcelona beat Chelsea to win Women’s Champions League final

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Barcelona put on a brilliant display to beat Chelsea (4-0) to win the Women’s Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history on Sunday.

Coming into the game full of confidence after winning the Women’s Super League title last week, Chelsea were on the back foot from the very beginning as Barça’s rapid passing and possession-based game proved too much for the Londoners.

Barcelona got off to the best possible start when Lieke Martens hit the crossbar and Fran Kirby’s attempted clearance bounced off Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz before spinning into the net in the opening minute.

“I was sure it was going to be good, but not that good — first goal, first minute, then I thought ‘today is ours,’” Aitana Bonmati told a news conference.

Chelsea struggled to deal with Barça’s punishing press and they went 2-0 behind in the 14th minute when Leupolz was penalised for fouling Jennifer Hermoso in the box, and Alexia Putellas made no mistake from the spot.

Chelsea did their best to get forward, but they found their path blocked by a defence that has conceded only five goals in 26 Primera Division games this season.

Aitana made it 3-0 seven minutes later, rounding off a superb passing move from a Barça throw-in with a confident left-foot finish, prompting an emergency meeting of the Chelsea players on the edge of their box as the Catalans celebrated.

That discussion failed to resolve their defensive woes as Lieke Martens skipped past Niamh Charles on the left wing and centred for Norwegian winger Caroline Graham Hansen to steer home a fourth in the 36th minute.

Chelsea’s switch to a more direct style produced an improvement in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Catalan club from coasting to victory, with the Barça bench exploding in celebration as the final whistle sounded to confirm their status as Europe’s best club side.

“We started, right from the beginning, with confidence. We didn’t feel as much pressure as we did in other games. The final is to be won, and that’s what we did,” Barça coach Lluis Cortes told reporters.

“We’ve been writing history and tonight it’s the whole of Spanish women’s football history that wins, not just us. To be the first (Spanish club) to reach the final and win it is fantastic for us.”

Chelsea coach Emma Hayes said her players were disappointed that the game was seemingly over before it began.

“Congratulations to Barça, they’re worthy winners, champions of Europe, I saw their experience count. I think they were exceptional in both boxes, it was one of those games where everything fell to them,” she told reporters. — Reuters

Kyoung-Hoon Lee wins first PGA Tour event at AT&T Byron Nelson

South Korean Kyoung-Hoon Lee won his first Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour event on Sunday, shooting a 66 for a 4-stroke win at the AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas.

The 29-year-old Lee entered the day in second, one shot behind 54-hole leader Sam Burns, but put the pressure on his playing partner immediately. He birdied five of the first eight holes at TPC Craig Ranch before a bogey at No. 9, then added three birdies and a bogey on the back nine.

A birdie at No. 17 gave him a 3-stroke lead and breathing room on the final hole, putting the topping on the tournament with a birdie at No. 18 for a 25-under 263 for the tournament.

Whatever he had rehearsed to celebrate his first win was lost in the moment.

“Before a lot of imagine when I win, like what is that,” he said through a translator. “Like, yeah, like fist pump or I imagine a lot of things, but too excited over there. Almost forget everything.

“So excited, yeah.”

With the win, Lee earned a spot in next week’s PGA Championship at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C.

After shooting rounds of 65-62-69, Burns could muster only a 2-under 70 on Sunday to finish in second, 3 shots back, at 22 under. The 4-foot putt for birdie on the final hole moved him out of a four-way tie and into second on his own.

Behind Lee and Burns in a tie for third were four players, including two who made a big rise up the leaderboard on Sunday. Patton Kizzire fired the day’s low round, a 9-under 63, to climb 23 places on the day, while Daniel Berger shot a 64 to move up from 18th place. Scott Stallings (66) and South African Charl Schwartzel (68) also finished in the tie.

Burns was going for his second win this month after winning the Valspar Championship on May 2.

Despite the second-place finish, he was happy with the results.

“I think the biggest thing for me is just knowing my game is in a good place. It’s in a good spot enough to where I can contend,” the 24-year-old from Louisiana said. “So that’s cool for me, just to see some results for some of the stuff I been working on back home.

“All in all, a great week.”

He also was happy for Lee.

“Yeah, he played awesome. I was really proud of him,” Burns said. “When it was tough, he hung in there and he got off to a great start. It was kind of gettable in the beginning. Got off to a really fast start, and then kind of midway through got tough for everybody, and he kept hitting one shot after the next and never gave anybody a chance. It was fun to watch.”

The final groups had to bear a weather delay of about two hours before finishing their rounds. The tournament started early and groups went out in threes with rain in the forecast, but the weather still got in the way.

Despite his blistering round, Kizzire said the storm had an impact.

“Yeah, so on 15 tee it came in, and, gosh, it seemed like it sped everything up,” he said. “You got the umbrella, you got the wind, rain, yardage, you got so many different factors going and it throws your routine off.”

Finishing in a tie for seventh at 19 under were Troy Merritt (65) and Joseph Bramlett (68). Jordan Spieth, who was in contention after firing a 66 on Saturday, shot a 71 to finish in a four-way tie for ninth at 18 under. He was playing for the first time since the Masters after testing positive for COVID-19.

“I guess I got back into tournament golf. Played well, hit a lot of good shots,” Spieth said. “You know, rusty mistakes here and there, and then I just didn’t putt as well as I would like to. So, stroke was a little off to start, and I’ll work on that for next week for sure.

“But coming into the week if you told me Top 10, I would probably take it. I didn’t know where anything stood.” — Reuters

Free at last to hug and party: UK reopens for business

Image via Core by Clare Smyth/Instagram
Image via Core by Clare Smyth/Instagram

LONDON — Friends will hug, pints will be pulled and swathes of the British economy will reopen on Monday giving 65 million people a measure of freedom after the gloom of a four-month coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. 

Most of the British will be free once again to hug, albeit cautiously, drink a pint in their pub, sit down to an indoor meal or visit the cinema after a series of lockdowns that imposed the strictest restrictions in peacetime history. 

The biggest public health crisis in a century was accompanied by a drastic extension of state power; during England’s lockdowns police broke up parties and protests alike, shut down religious services and handed out fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($14,000) to youngsters for partying. 

As freedom beckons once more, there is excitement. 

“I shall be hugging literally everyone I can get my hands on,” British actress Joanna Lumley told The Telegraph newspaper. “I shall snatch babies from their mothers, and lean over zimmer frames.” 

“I shall hug girls at the till, the picture framer, and lads playing footie in the park. Much later obviously I shall be hugging police personnel as I am charged at the station. Hugger-mugger, that’s me.” 

Beside the euphoria, though, there is also anxiety. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who before he imposed three national lockdowns had railed against the “nanny” tendencies of the British state, advised people to cuddle cautiously and served notice that the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India meant that the final UK reopening in June could be delayed. 

“Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement. 

There is growing concern about variant B.1.617.2 which British scientific advisers say will become the dominant variant in the United Kingdom and which is more transmissible than B.1.1.7 (the variant first identified in Kent, England). 

Broadly, from Monday in England gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed outdoors, two families will be allowed to meet indoors; cafes, bars and restaurants will reopen for indoor service; care home residents will be allowed to have five visitors; and face coverings will no longer be compulsory in schools. 

“It’s been a long, long time this one,” said Clare Smyth, the chef of London restaurant Core who won her third Michelin star in January during lockdown. 

“I’m super excited, can’t wait to get the guests through the door, it’s going to be quite emotional,” she told Reuters. “London is opening up and exciting times will be ahead and it will bounce back.” 

Though the rules are slightly different in the United Kingdom’s four constituent parts, restrictions are being eased in England, Scotland, and Wales from Monday while they will be eased slightly later in Northern Ireland. 

The scars of COVID-19 remain. 

The UK’s official death toll is 127,679 — Europe’s highest figure and the world’s fifth highest, after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

The British economy last year had its worst decline in three centuries while the government spent hundreds of billions of pounds to save jobs and companies and the Bank of England doubled its bond buying program. — Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton/Reuters 

China vaccinates nearly 14 million people a day 

REUTERS
A woman holds a small coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine bottle in front of a China flag in this illustration taken Oct. 30, 2020. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC

CHINA is vaccinating almost 14 million people a day, the fastest pace in the world, as the country races to protect its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) advantage in the face of major Western nations reopening their economies.

The ramp up in shots is being helped by a flareup of cases in the eastern province of Anhui and northeastern region of Liaoning. Videos on social media showed citizens rushing to get their vaccines, with long queues at inoculation sites despite heavy rain. Hefei, Anhui’s capital city, administered 360,000 doses on Friday, the most in a single day for the hub of 10 million people, Xinhua News agency reported.

Many nations in Asia, China included, are struggling to combat vaccine hesitation. Some people have been wooed into a sense of complacency due to the region’s early success in containing the virus while others simply don’t trust the safety or efficacy of the vaccines available. However, recent outbreaks in countries like Singapore and Taiwan are testing that reluctance as harsher lockdown measures are imposed, bringing into clearer focus the understanding that being vaccinated can help stop serious illness.

Beijing is loathe to lose the advantage it’s built up over the US and other major Western economies with its successful containment of the pathogen, and has added pressure through things like calling for mandatory vaccination among state-owned enterprise employees and communist party members.

The escalation of shots in China — figures from the National Health Commission show 13.7 million vaccines were administered on Friday — means the country is now closer to its target of vaccinating 40% of its population, or at least delivering 560 million doses, by the end of June. As of Sunday, some 393 million doses had been given, with 210 million of those occurring over the past month, a sign of the accelerating roll out, official data show. According to the World Health Organization, China can now administer 20 million doses a day.

“Don’t hesitate, get vaccinated,” Xinhua News agency says on its official WeChat account. “The fact that new infected people are not vaccinated is undoubtedly a wake-up call to all — to build an immunization barrier, vaccination is not an option but a must.”

It’s estimated China will have 900 million to 1 billion people vaccinated by next year, when herd immunity is expected to be reached, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, George Fu Gao, said in a recent interview. 

China has enforced some of the harshest approaches in the world in terms of putting whole regions into lockdown and people into quarantine, even when only cases in the single digits are detected. Because of the latest outbreak, schools have been halted in the northern coastal city Yingkou in Liaoning while people are banned from leaving their residential compound in certain regions of Anhui. — Bloomberg

Brain gain: New boutiques, deals surge lure expat bankers to Australia

Sydney central business district by Jorge Láscar/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

HONG KONG — Australian expatriate investment bankers are returning home in large numbers, lured by the launch of new boutique advisory firms, a sharp pick up in deal-making, and the safety of a country relatively unscathed by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Signs of a strong economic rebound from a brief pandemic- induced recession are underscoring a trend that is starting to reverse a long tradition of Australian bankers heading overseas to more tax-friendly global financial centers. 

“There is a brain gain happening in Australia, we are acquiring additional knowledge and experience,” said Nick Hughes, Australia co-head at UBS. 

Corporate Australia has set a scorching start to 2021, with $6.21 billion worth of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) deals already underway, more than seven times higher than the same period last year, according to Refinitiv data. That puts Australia second in the Asia Pacific in terms of deal value, behind only China, compared to its seventh place ranking over the same period in 2020. 

The trend is expected to continue in the near-term, with big-ticket deals such as the possible sale of casino operator Crown Resorts, and the divestment of some financial businesses in the pipeline. 

The entry of two boutique firms, Barrenjoey Capital and Jarden, into the fray has fueled a talent war in the country and pushed up wages by at least 20%, making it a rare bright spot for rainmakers. 

Jarden, the Australian offshoot of the New Zealand investment bank, has hired eight Australian expatriate bankers traders and analysts as part of its campaign to build out its local franchise, according to a spokeswoman. 

Goldman Sachs has had eight Australian staff return from offshore to work in Australia, and Swiss bank UBS has had four returnees in the recent months, according to the banks’ spokeswomen. 

Bank of America (BofA)has hired two senior expatriate bankers, the bank’s country head Joseph Fayyad said. 

“With new entrants establishing a presence and the incumbents defending their positions, there are more available seats for senior bankers,” Sydney-based Mr. Fayyad told Reuters. 

Most of the returnees are landing in Sydney from London and New York. Their experience ranges from mid-career to senior bankers and legal and compliance staff. 

They are among a lucky few currently allowed to enter Australia, which closed its international border to almost all travelers but returning nationals and permanent residents months ago as a pandemic shield. The dramatic step has appeared to pay off with Australia recording under 30,000 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 910 deaths, far fewer than many other developed countries. 

“I think Australia’s outperformance during COVID has put a real spotlight on the benefits of working and living down under, so the combination of more available seats and a greater desire from Australians to come home has really fueled the trend,” said Mr. Fayyad. 

‘A BIT OF HUSTLE’
The return of the expatriates counters a long-established trend of Australian finance professionals moving offshore, partly to gain experience and partly to escape Australia’s relatively high personal income tax rates. 

Local banking executives said increased onshore deals activity means banks are able to offer fatter paychecks for returnees used to New York and London salaries. 

Jarden Australia head of investment banking Aidan Allen said the “brain gain” had helped the emerging bank build its team to almost 100 since its launch a year ago. 

“A lot of our talent has come from offshore, people wanting to return home has been a massive opportunity for us,” Mr. Allen said. “We think it’s a point of difference, it’s given us the opportunity to have a more diverse and experienced bench.” 

Rival Barrenjoey launched in September with 50 staff and now has about 220 people, a spokeswoman said. 

The influx of the expatriates should also be a warning for incumbents, BofA’s Mr. Fayyad said: “Bankers that have been here for some time need to acknowledge there is a new crop of talent who have a bit of hustle, a spring in their step, who want to make their mark.” — Scott Murdoch/Reuters 

G7 urged to donate ‘emergency’ supplies to vaccine-sharing scheme

HAKAN NURAL/UNSPLASH
HAKAN NURAL/UNSPLASH

GENEVA — The head of UNICEF on Monday asked G7 countries to donate supplies to the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme as an emergency measure to address a severe shortfall caused by disruption to Indian vaccine exports. 

India has curbed exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by its Serum Institute, which had been pledged to COVAX, to be used by the country as it battles a massive second wave of infections. 

United Nations agency UNICEF, which is in charge of supplying coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, estimates the supply shortfall at 140 million doses by the end of May and about 190 million by the end of June. 

“Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, adding that this could help to prevent vulnerable countries from becoming the next global hotspot. 

As G7 leaders prepare to meet in Britain next month, the head of the World Health Organization last week denounced the “moral catastrophe” of vaccine inequity, urging wealthy countries to donate doses rather than use them for children who are less vulnerable to severe disease. 

Citing new research from scientific information and analytics company Airfinity, UNICEF’s Ms. Fore said that G7 countries could donate about 153 million doses if they shared only 20% of their available supply over June, July and August. 

This could be done while still meeting commitments to vaccinate their own populations, she said without providing further detail. 

COVAX, run jointly by the WHO and the GAVI vaccine alliance, relies heavily on the AstraZeneca shot, which accounts for the bulk of the vaccines earmarked for early rollout as it seeks to provide 2 billion doses this year. 

UNICEF said that other manufacturing limitations outside India had also slowed supply of COVAX doses but those delays are expected to be resolved by the end of June. — Emma Farge/Reuters

Long working hours are a killer, WHO study shows

PIXABAY

GENEVA — Working long hours is killing hundreds of thousands of people a year in a worsening trend that may accelerate further due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Monday. 

In the first global study of the loss of life associated with longer working hours, the paper in the journal Environment International showed that 745,000 people died from stroke and heart disease associated with long working hours in 2016. 

That was an increase of nearly 30% from 2000. 

“Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” said Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health. 

“What we want to do with this information is promote more action, more protection of workers,” she said. 

The joint study, produced by the WHO and the International Labour Organization, showed that most victims (72%) were men and were middle-aged or older. Often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, than the shifts worked. 

It also showed that people living in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region — a WHO-defined region which includes China, Japan and Australia — were the most affected. 

Overall, the study — drawing on data from 194 countries — said that working 55 hours or more a week is associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared with a 35–40 hour working week. 

The study covered the period 2000-2016, and so did not include the COVID-19 pandemic, but WHO officials said the surge in remote working and the global economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus emergency may have increased the risks. 

“The pandemic is accelerating developments that could feed the trend towards increased working time,” the WHO said, estimating that at least 9% of people work long hours. 

WHO staff, including its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, say they have been working long hours during the pandemic and Neira said the U.N. agency would seek to improve its policy in light of the study. 

Capping hours would be beneficial for employers since that has been shown to increase worker productivity, WHO technical officer Frank Pega said. 

“It’s really a smart choice not to increase long working hours in an economic crisis.” — Emma Farge/Reuters 

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