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[B-SIDE Podcast] Weathering the storm: how to protect the farming sector from typhoons

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Typhoon season isn’t over. Before 2020 finally says goodbye, two to three more storms could make landfall and wreak havoc on a country that’s already been battered by storm after storm after storm. 

The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimates that the farming sector incurred losses worth P6.72 billion from Typhoon Ulysses alone.

Raul Q. Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, talks about the impact of these natural calamities on Filipino farmers and how to protect them. Mr. Montemayor gives BusinessWorld reporter Revin Mikhael D. Ochave a crash course on the effects of the Rice Tariffication Law and what the agriculture sector will look like, moving forward.

TAKEAWAYS

Farmers need data and support that is location-specific in order to increase their preparedness and resiliency.

The DA has to translate data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration into localized information that is useful to farmers. In addition to knowing when it’s going to rain, where, and how much, farmers need to know if the amount of expected rain is too much or too little for a certain crop at a certain stage of planting, said Mr. Montemayor. 

“The needs of communities and farming areas are different,” he said.

Agriculture may not be the bright spot that the DA is making it out to be.

“I’m not surprised that agriculture had positive growth. We are comparing [2020] to 2019, which was a drought year,” Mr. Montemayor said, who characterized the reported growth as “deceptive.” He added: “We are just back to where started. I don’t call that a big achievement.”

According to Mr. Montemayor, the DA tends to oversell its achievements: “Our impression is that they [the DA] have a lot of hype in mass media, in public statements, but compare that with the feedback we get from the field, it is not the case.” 

The Rice Tarrification Law could become a political issue in the next election.

“It’s growing—the sense of desperation and the disappointment in the government,” said Mr. Montemayor, who wants stronger language on safeguards for farmers; the return of licensing as a better way to manage imports; and the clarification of the role of the National Food Authority.

“You go to the field, it’s all the same. It’s the same problems and, to some extent, even worse problems now than before. I’m a little bit pessimistic,” said Mr. Montemayor.

This episode was recorded remotely on November 17. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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US preparing new sanctions on Chinese officials over Hong Kong

WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on at least a dozen Chinese officials over their alleged role in Beijing’s disqualification of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong, according to three sources, including a US official familiar with the matter.

The move, which could come as soon as Monday, will target officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as President Donald Trump’s administration keeps up pressure on Beijing in his final weeks in office. President-elect Joe Biden takes over on January 20.

The State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Up to 14 people, including officials of China’s parliament, or National People’s Congress, and members of the CCP, would likely be targeted by measures such as asset freezes and financial sanctions, two sources said.

The US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said multiple individuals would be sanctioned. A person familiar with the matter said the group would likely include officials from Hong Kong as well as the mainland. The sources did not provide names or positions of those being targeted for sanctions. Two sources cautioned an announcement could still be delayed until later in the week.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Beijing has previously condemned US sanctions related to Hong Kong, calling it interference in China’s internal affairs.

Stock markets in Asia gave up early gains on worries the move may signal a further deterioration in relations between the world’s two largest economies.

“One thing that the market has been concerned about is that on his ‘Out of office’ Trump would look for some retribution on China. So this news speaks to that fear,” said Kyle Rodda, market strategist at IG Markets in Melbourne.

Chinese financial stocks traded in Hong Kong fell 2.3% in morning trade, their sharpest drop in six months amid worries sanctions could be extended to banks.

STAND-OFF GROWS
In October, the US State Department warned international financial institutions doing business with individuals deemed responsible for China’s crackdown in the Asian financial hub that they could soon face tough sanctions.

Washington has already put sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the territory’s current and former police chiefs and other top officials in August for what it said was their role in curtailing freedoms in a crackdown on the territory’s pro-democracy movement.

Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed government last month expelled four opposition members from its legislature after China’s parliament gave city authorities new powers to curb dissent. The move triggered mass resignations by pro-democracy opposition lawmakers in the former British colony.

It also raised further alarm in the West. The Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group — made up of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States — said last month the move appeared to be part of a campaign to silence critics and called on Beijing to reverse course.

White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in November the expulsion showed the “One Country, Two Systems” formula, under which Hong Kong’s autonomy had been promised since Britain handed the territory back to China in 1997, was now “merely a fig leaf” and promised further US action.

That month, the State Department and Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four more Chinese officials in Hong Kong’s government and security establishment, barring them from traveling to the United States and blocking any US-related assets they might have.

Hong Kong is expected to be one of Mr. Biden’s thorniest challenges with China, which will be high on his foreign policy agenda with relations between Washington and Beijing at the lowest point in decades over an array of disputes.

Mr. Biden has promised to take a tougher line than Mr. Trump over human rights in China and other countries, so his response to the crackdown in Hong Kong could be an early test of that resolve. — Reuters

India’s Serum Institute seeks emergency use nod for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate

BENGALURU — Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume, has sought emergency use authorization in the country for AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, its chief executive officer said on Monday.

The experimental vaccine can be stored at two to eight degrees Celsius and can be distributed more easily in India, which has the world’s second-highest number of infections.

Serum’s move comes close on the heels of Pfizer, Inc. applying for a similar authorization of its coronavirus vaccine candidate on Saturday.

CEO Adar Poonawala tweeted on Monday that the move “will save countless lives,” but did not give any other details.

Earlier in the day, media reports, citing domestic agency Press Trust of India (PTI), had said Serum applied to the Drugs Controller General of India, citing unmet medical needs due to the pandemic and in the interest of the public at large.

The company’s application stated that data from four clinical studies, two in the UK and one each in Brazil and India, showed that the vaccine, Covishield, was highly effective against severe COVID-19 infections, the PTI report said.

Over the weekend, a top Indian government health adviser said in a TV interview that Pfizer has applied for an emergency use authorization, making it the first to do so in the country.

“We remain committed to engaging with the Government of India and explore opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country,” a Pfizer spokeswoman told Reuters. — Reuters

Experience paying dividends for Ginebra Kings in PBA finals

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

APART from team effort, experience in big games has been paying dividends for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings as they make their final assault on the PBA Philippine Cup title.

Now up 3-1 in their best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino Cup title series after winning Game Four, 98-88, on Sunday, the Kings said they are thankful to have experienced players who could get the job done amid a tough challenge from a talented crew like the TNT Tropang Giga.

“You can’t count out experience in the playoffs,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone following their Game Four victory.

And experience in the form of the likes of LA Tenorio, Joe Devance and Jared Dillinger proved vital for the Kings as they fended off the Tropang Giga in booking the victory that thrust them on the cusp of winning the Philippine Cup title.

Veteran guard Tenorio, in particular, was clutch for his team, making big three point shots down the stretch to continuously frustrate TNT in its attempts to swing the tide in its favor.

With the Tropang Giga inching closer to the Kings with less than three minutes to play, Mr. Tenorio hit two “cold-blooded” triples to help his team create separation from which it built on to close out the game.

“He (Tenorio) was really calm under pressure. RR Pogoy [of TNT] was making incredible shots and they’re getting pumped up. It’s hard to respond but that’s what LA did,” said Mr. Cone of his floor general, who finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Messrs. Devance and Dillinger started for the Kings in Game Four and made their presence felt in being stabilizers for the team all throughout the contest.

Mr. Devance finished with a near double-double of eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists while Mr. Dillinger had seven points apart from the intangibles he brought to their cause.

“We had a definitive game plan for our veterans and they delivered,” Mr. Cone said.

Also stepping up for the team in the win was Japeth Agular and Scottie Thompson, key cogs in the Kings’ championship quests in the last few years.

Mr. Aguilar also had 22 points, to go along with nine boards and two blocks, with Mr. Thompson narrowly missing a triple-double of 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Stanley Pringle, meanwhile, had 16 points for Barangay Ginebra.  

Now in a position to close things out in their next game, Mr. Cone expressed hope that experience will be there for them anew and they continue to play well.

“I felt we played our best game of the whole bubble tonight. We hit big shots all night and we made defensive plays. I hope we can carry it over for Wednesday,” he said.

GAB’s virtual pro sports summit successfully held

THE second professional sports summit organized by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) was successfully held on Saturday.

Done virtually to adapt to the prevailing conditions with the coronavirus pandemic, the summit, which had the theme “Innovative Leadership in Crisis,” gathered various stakeholders for a day-long discussion of various matters geared towards shoring up different facets of the local professional sports scene, especially amid the ongoing health and safety concern.

Present and participated in different online activities were professional sports athletes and legends, government leaders, coaches, trainers, and sports advocates.

For the second time around, Sen. Sonny Angara, who is also the chairman of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, participated in the summit, and took the opportunity to highlight in his message the achievements of Philippine sports legends like Manny Pacquiao, Paeng Nepomuceno, and Eugene Torre, and how they are an inspiration for current and aspiring athletes to do well in their respective fields.

Also giving his message was Sen. Joel Villanueva, a former member of the University of Santo Tomas men’s basketball team, who encouraged all stakeholders to forge ahead despite the difficulties presented by the pandemic.

“We are ‘TEAM Pilipinas’ and just like what our sports legends showed in the past, we will win in this fight [against the pandemic],” Mr. Villanueva said in the vernacular.  

International guests who attended the online summit were World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman, WBC Cares International Chairperson Jill Diamond, former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Best Import-turned-school dean Sean Chambers, and sports psychologist and John F. Kennedy University alumna Dr. Sheryll Casuga.

Meanwhile, world boxing legend Gerry Penalosa, world pool legends Efren Bata Reyes and Django Bustamante, professional motocross champion Jovie Saulog, esports pioneer Julius Mariano, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, sports lawyer Mickey Ingles, UP Octa Research member Dr. Rodrigo Ong, international boxing referee Atty. Danrex Tapdasan, Pilipinas Golf Tours, Inc. member Jack Imperial, Sunrise Events General Manager Princess Galura, Philippines Football League Commissioner Mikhail Torre, Premier Volleyball League President Ricky Palou, and PBA stars LA Tenorio, and Matthew Wright joined the live press conference and gave their lectures about their best practices and inspirational talks to the virtual audience.

Given the reception it got, GAB Chairman Baham Mitra expressed his gratitude to all the participants as well as the entire professional sports community for their cooperation during the tough time with the pandemic.

“The Professional Sports Summit exceeded our expectations. During the start of the year when the pandemic started, the future of sports was very dark and with no hope in sight. Who would have known at the end of the year and even in the midst of the pandemic, that the GAB family would grow into having to welcome and embrace more members of its pro sports family,” he said.

Adding, “This year has been more than fruitful for the agency and we have been able to achieve so much with the help of our stakeholders, media friends, government agencies who helped us push for sports resumption to continue to provide livelihood to the ProSports industry and the Filipino fans, with or without the pandemic, who continue to provide their love and support to the industry.” — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Jordan Clarkson finds fit with Jazz in decision to stay

FILIPINO-AMERICAN National Basketball Association (NBA)  player Jordan Clarkson could have chosen to play for a big-market team after last season, but decided to stay with the Utah Jazz as he saw a fit with the Salt Lake City-based squad.

Had his first year with the Jazz during the coronavirus pandemic-hit 2019-20 season, Mr. Clarkson, 28, said that while his stay with Utah in his maiden season with the team was limited to just 42 games, it was enough for him to decide and re-sign for four years for $52 million.

Primary in his decision was the fit he saw for him with the organization and the city, which embraced him upon his arrival from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“It’s just the relationships with everybody. The guys have been great and my relationship with coach (Quin Snyder). And overall, just the fit with the city has been great for me as well. I’m just comfortable. It brings me peace of mind,” said Mr. Clarkson in a Zoom session with US-based reporters, the file of which was shared to Philippine media by the NBA.

“Everybody here just have the same goal of winning together. It’s where it all came for me. I wanted to continue to grow here and do great things here in Utah. Definitely, I didn’t want to leave this group,” he added.

In his first year with the Jazz, Mr. Clarkson, who played for the Philippines in the Asian Games back in 2018, averaged 15.6 points on a solid 46.2% shooting from the field.

He was a key player in the rotation off the bench, providing instant offense and energy.

Mr. Clarkson shared that as a group they have grown a lot after playing in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, and that he values the relationships he has built with Utah All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

“I didn’t really know Don much before this, but we have grown together since. The bubble kind of brought us closer, just being together every day and Rudy, too. Our relationship has grown and we are tight and we communicate well. We have each other’s back. And if you have that kind of group, that’s a good formula for winning,” he said.

The Jazz made it to the playoffs last season in the NBA bubble as the sixth seed but missed out on the opportunity to fashion out an upset after blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets in the conference quarterfinals.

Mr. Clarkson said it was tough losing, but they are determined to bounce back and make another run at it.

He went on to say that he appreciates the value the Jazz have given him and vowed to continue improving and help the team win.

“I will continue to work on my shot distributions, make my iso (isolation) plays better, and hit my three point shots. Defensively, I will find my niche on that side and continue to win,” he said.

The Jazz will open their 2020-21 season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 24 (Manila time). – Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Dy brushes off Patterson callout, has eyes on title shot

RECENTLY called out by one of the contenders in the lightweight division in Brave Combat Federation (CF), Filipino fighter Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy has chosen to brush it off and instead focus on getting a title shot.

Labelled by British stalwart Sam Patterson as “The Incredible Journeyman that talks a lot’’ and challenged to a showdown, Mr. Dy (14-9) said he is not inclined to grant the former’s request as he believes Mr. Patterson is just trying to get attention and that foremost in his mind right now is to take on reigning Brave lightweight world champion Amin Ayoub.

“He’s (Patterson) just an attention-seeker. I don’t want to fight him not because I am afraid. I don’t want to fight him because he backed out against Brewin. He chickened out. He didn’t have a valid reason to back out. I don’t believe he’s really injured,” Mr. Dy said, referring to John Brewin of New Zealand who Mr. Patterson was supposed to battle in November.

Mr. Dy, 29, took the fight on short notice after Mr. Patterson pulled out and the Filipino went on to win by unanimous decision.

It was his second straight victory in Brave, and thrust him to a title shot against Mr. Ayoub as well as being nominated for the 2020 Fighter of the Year award in the Bahrain-based promotion.

“I won’t give [Patterson] his request because I am the one who’s next for the title. I want that title shot,” he said.

Mr. Dy went on to caution Mr. Patterson to be careful of what he wishes for.

“Sam Patterson is a good and smart fighter. But he is still a child in this game. Maybe someday, our roads will intertwine. It’s going to be a hard lesson for him because he will realize how inexperienced he is as a fighter,” said Mr. Dy, son of Filipino boxing legend Rolando Navarette.

EXTRA MOTIVATED
Meanwhile, Mr. Dy shared that these days he is extra motivated as apart from angling to have a title shot, he is also enjoying married life.

Mr. Dy recently tied the knot with his partner Stephanie Rebagoda in a civil wedding held on Nov. 28 and he said things have been going smoothly since his wife is very understanding of his work as a fighter.

“I am happy because my wife understands my life as a fighter. She understands every aspect of my job description. She also attends to my needs as an athlete. It’s a blessing that I found someone who will stick with me through thick and thin,” he said.

“We’ve been living together for a year already. I just wanted to make it formal, as well as legal, in the eyes of the Lord and our families,” Mr. Dy added. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Floyd Mayweather to return for exhibition bout in February with YouTuber Logan Paul

FLOYD Mayweather Jr. will return to the boxing ring in February for an exhibition bout against YouTube personality Logan Paul, the undefeated former world champion announced on Instagram on Sunday.

Mayweather, 43 and with an unblemished record of 50-0, last fought professionally in August 2017 when he won by TKO over mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor, who was making his boxing debut.

The five-weight division world champion said he will step into the ring on Feb. 20 at a yet to be determined venue to face Paul, who has a record of 0-1, with that loss coming against fellow YouTuber KSI.

The fight is the latest exhibition bout featuring ageing former-champions and celebrities.

Former-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, now 54, returned to the ring last month to face Roy Jones Jr. in a charity exhibition bout that was ruled a draw. — Reuters

NFL Roundup: Surging Giants stun Seahawks

WAYNE Gallman Jr. rushed for a career-high 135 yards, Alfred Morris scored twice and the suddenly resurgent New York Giants, behind backup quarterback Colt McCoy, upset the host Seattle Seahawks 17-12 on Sunday.

The Seahawks (8-4), who entered the game first in the NFC West and third in the National Football League (NFL) with 31.0 points per game, didn’t get their offense untracked until late in the fourth quarter. Seattle reached the Giants’ 46-yard line on its final possession, but three incompletions and a sack ended the threat.

The Giants (5-7) won their fourth consecutive game to remain atop the NFC East.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was 27 of 43 passing for 263 yards with one touchdown and one interception. McCoy was 13 of 22 for 105 yards, also with a touchdown and an interception.

SAINTS 21, FALCONS 21
Taysom Hill threw for two touchdowns as visiting New Orleans became the first NFL team to clinch a playoff berth by beating Atlanta for the second time in three weeks.

Alvin Kamara added a rushing touchdown for the Saints (10-2), who won their ninth consecutive game and clinched their fourth consecutive playoff berth after Chicago dropped a 34-30 decision to Detroit.

The victory gave the first-place Saints a three-game lead over idle Tampa Bay (7-5) in the NFC South. New Orleans is seeking its fourth consecutive division title. Atlanta (4-8) got 273 passing yards and a touchdown from Matt Ryan, who was sacked three times after taking eight in the first meeting.

RAMS 38, CARDINALS 28
Jared Goff passed for 351 yards and one touchdown, and also ran for a score, as Los Angeles moved back into a first-place tie in the NFC West with a victory over Arizona at Glendale, Ariz.

Goff was 37 of 47 in the air without a turnover for the Rams (8-4), bouncing back from a home loss against the San Francisco 49ers last week when he threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble. The fifth-year QB had 10 turnovers (six interceptions) in his previous four games.

The Cardinals (6-6) struggled to sustain a consistent offense against a stifling Rams’ defense, but managed to take advantage of opportunities to stay close. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 21 of 39 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns.

RAIDERS 31, JETS 28
Derek Carr connected with wideout Henry Ruggs III on a 46-yard touchdown in the final seconds to help Las Vegas stun New York at East Rutherford, NJ.

Carr finished the day 28 of 47 passing for 381 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to tight end Darren Waller, who snagged 13 catches for a robust 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders’ (7-5) big offensive showing helped them snap a two-game losing streak.

New York (0-12) found a way to blow a late lead and remain winless despite three total touchdowns from quarterback Sam Darnold, who finished the afternoon with 186 yards and two TDs while also adding a rushing score. Ty Johnson led the Jets on the ground with 104 yards and a touchdown.

PACKERS 30, EAGLES 16
Aaron Rodgers stayed hot with a trio of touchdown passes as Green Bay handed Philadelphia its fourth straight loss in a game at Green Bay, Wis.

The Packers (9-3) scored 30-plus points for the ninth time this season behind 295 yards passing from Rodgers, who connected with wideout Davante Adams twice and tight end Robert Tonyan for touchdowns.

Jalen Hurts took over for Carson Wentz in the second half and led the Eagles (3-8-1) with 109 passing yards and a touchdown to wideout Greg Ward. Philadelphia also received a punt return touchdown from Jalen Reagor that briefly made it a close game in the fourth quarter before Aaron Jones iced the game for Green Bay with a 77-yard touchdown scamper.

COLTS 26, TEXANS 20
Anthony Walker recovered a fumble with 1:22 left and visiting Indianapolis escaped with a tense victory over Houston.

Texans center Nick Martin handcuffed quarterback Deshaun Watson with a bad snap on second down at the Indianapolis 2-yard line and Walker pounced on the loose football to seal the victory and lift the Colts (8-4) into a first-place tie with Tennessee atop the AFC South.

Watson passed for 341 yards, but had a hand in both Houston (4-8) turnovers. Philip Rivers completed 27-of-35 for 285 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts, and Jonathan Taylor added 91 rushing yards on 13 carries.

DOLPHINS 19, BENGALS 7
Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for a touchdown and a season-high 296 yards, leading host Miami to a win over Cincinnati in a fight-filled game at Miami Gardens, Fla., that featured five ejections.

Tagovailoa had missed one game due to a thumb injury on his (left) throwing hand, but he looked sharp in leading Miami (8-4), which also got a big game from tight end Mike Gesicki, who had nine catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Cincinnati (2-9-1) was led by quarterback Brandon Allen, who passed for 153 yards and a touchdown before getting knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter on a hit to the chest by Shaq Lawson. Allen started his second straight game in place of Joe Burrow, the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft who is out for the season with a knee injury.

BROWNS 41, TITANS 35
Baker Mayfield tied a franchise record held by Otto Graham and Cleveland set a franchise mark with 38 first-half points in a defeat of Tennessee at Nashville, Tenn.

Mayfield completed 25 of 33 passes for 334 yards and four scores for a near-perfect passer rating of 147.0. All four touchdowns occurred in the first half, matching Graham’s feat that was originally accomplished in 1951. Cleveland (9-3) scored on all six first-half possessions.

Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished 29 of 45 for 389 yards with three touchdowns and one pick. He hit Cameron Batson with an 8-yard scoring strike with 28 seconds left to pull Tennessee within six points, but Andy Janovich fell on an onside kick to seal it.

VIKINGS 27, JAGUARS 24 (OT)
Dan Bailey kicked a game-winning, 23-yard field goal with 1:49 remaining in overtime and Kirk Cousins passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns as host Minnesota defeated reeling Jacksonville for its fifth win in six games.

Jaguars quarterback Mike Glennon threw two interceptions, fumbled and was sacked in the end zone for a safety as Jacksonville (1-11) lost its franchise-record 11th consecutive game. Vikings safety Harrison Smith snagged Glennon’s second interception inside Jaguars territory to set up Bailey’s game-winning kick.

Justin Jefferson had nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (6-6), who outgained the Jaguars 420-390. Dalvin Cook overcame a slow start to finish with 32 carries for 120 yards.

LIONS 34, BEARS 30
Adrian Peterson rushed for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:37 to go, and Detroit rallied for a win in Darrell Bevell’s head coaching debut at Chicago.

Peterson pushed across the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown to lift the Lions (5-7) to a comeback win. Matthew Stafford completed 27 of 42 passes for 402 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. A strip-sack by Romeo Okwara set up Detroit for the go-ahead score.

David Montgomery rushed for two touchdowns for Chicago (5-7), which lost its sixth game in a row. Cordarrelle Patterson had a rushing touchdown, and rookie tight end Cole Kmet had the lone receiving score. The Bears tried to rally in the final 90 seconds, but Montgomery was stuffed on fourth down at the Lions’ 20-yard line.

PATRIOTS 45, CHARGERS 0
Cam Newton rushed for two of his three touchdowns, while Gunner Olszewski and Devin McCourty scored on special teams, as New England breezed to the romp over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif.

Newton threw for only 69 yards, to go with 48 on the ground, as the Patriots’ other phases excelled to help the team win for the fourth time in its last five games. New England (6-6) improved to .500 for the first time since Week 4.

Chargers rookie Justin Herbert posted his first game without a touchdown, completing 26 of 53 passes for 209 yards and two interceptions. The 45-0 shutout is the worst in franchise history for Los Angeles (3-9), which has dropped five of its last six games. — Reuters

Tottenham back on top but Liverpool fire warning

LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur reclaimed the Premier League top spot with victory over Arsenal on Sunday but champions Liverpool’s rout of Wolverhampton Wanderers showed Juergen Klopp’s side are starting to hit their stride.

Harry Kane scored his 250th career goal for club and country after laying on Son Heung-min’s 10th league goal of the season as Tottenham beat Arsenal 2-0 to reach 24 points from 11 games.

Shortly afterwards Liverpool, in their first game with fans at Anfield since they won the title, crushed Wolves 4-0 with Mohamed Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum and Joel Matip on target.

A miserable day for Wolves was capped as Nelson Semedo scored an own goal.

Liverpool joined Tottenham on 24 points, although Jose Mourinho’s Spurs have a superior goal difference.

Tottenham also welcomed fans back, 2,000 of them, for the first time in 277 days — thanks to the government’s new Tier 2 COVID-19 restrictions — and they were treated to three points against an Arsenal side languishing in 15th place.

Kane has assisted eight of Son’s goals this season and the duo, who have 18 goals between them, are in irresistible form.

“When I’m passing him through and he’s cutting inside and whipping them into the top bins it is an easy game for me,” Kane, whose goal came from Son’s assist, said.

In their last three games Tottenham have beaten Manchester City, drawn with Chelsea and beaten Arsenal without conceding, but Mourinho is refusing to get carried away.

“We are top of the league for one more week, which is good fun,” the Portuguese said.

Arsenal enjoyed 69% possession against Tottenham but their forward line continues to misfire.

They have managed only 10 goals in 11 games and manager Mikel Arteta says the situation is not sustainable.

“We need to put the ball in the net, urgently,” Arteta, whose team have lost five of their last seven league games, said. “You look at the stats, they’re all in our favour, but we have to put the ball in the back of the net.”

Liverpool boss Klopp said he had “goosebumps” hearing fans singing the club’s anthems on the Kop.

“As long as nobody tells me someone was injured then it’s been a perfect night,” Klopp said after his side’s 31st victory in their last 32 home league games.

Salah was gifted an opener by a mistake from Conor Coady and did not look back after that.

Jamie Vardy scored a last-gasp winner to give Leicester City a 2-1 victory over bottom club Sheffield United and move his side into fourth spot with 21 points, one behind Chelsea who had taken over top spot on Saturday after beating Leeds United.

Sheffield United, so impressive last season on their return to the top flight, have one point from 11 matches.

Crystal Palace scored five goals in an away game in the top flight for the first time as they thrashed struggling West Bromwich Albion 5-1 to move into 11th place.

Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke both scored twice although West Brom’s cause was not helped by having Matheus Pereira sent off in the 34th minute when it was 1-1. — Reuters

Biomaterial for plastic waste reduction wins pitch competition

Nanotronics bagged the top prize at the recent Shell LIVEWire PitchFest, winning an equity-free prize of P500,000. The technology company offers nanostructured material products that reduce plastic waste while protecting the environment. 

Only 14% of plastic packaging is recycled, said Nanotronics founder and Chief Executive Officer Jerome Palaganas, who pitched a solution that turns renewable indigenous plants into sustainable nanomaterials called cellulose nanocrystals for use in industrial applications, including three-dimensional (3D) printing resin, lubricant additives, biodegradable packaging, specialty coatings, and water filtration materials. 

Nanotronics has eight intellectual properties, seven business-to-business (B2B) clients with earned revenues, and at least five company pilot projects. A total of US $100,000 in grant funding and US$45,000 in angel investments have been awarded to the tech startup. Its revenue streams come from plant productions, licensing agreements, and client joint venture partnerships. 

“We are committed to making a significant difference in the environment and community, leveraging on our natural resources here in the Philippines. We see a good synergy with our products and the Shell ecosystem,” Mr. Palaganas said. 

Shell’s LiveWIRE program launched this September in collaboration with the Philippine government. It provides innovators with opportunities for mentorship, financial assistance, technical expertise, and a chance to be part of Shell’s supply chain.

Apart from Nanotronics, two other local tech companies were chosen out of 155 candidates to participate in a start-up bootcamp: uHoo, which measures air quality to safeguard and enhance people’s health; and Next Pay, a digital banking platform aimed for small and medium-sized business owners.

Shell LiveWIRE also tapped three community enterprises to join its program, and each took home a cash grant of Php 75,000. These enterprises are MagzWheel Furniture, which transforms used rubber tires into furniture and apparel; Green Factory by Oro Handmade Innovations Inc., which produces handmade paper products; and Revolve Eco. Logical, which recycles used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to create new products.

“Most entrepreneurs still lack the resources to reach their full potential, especially as they adapt to a digital world. We bridge that gap by connecting them with government and fintech institutions as part of our LiveWIRE program. This is our contribution to nation-building,” said Cesar Romero, president and CEO of Pilipinas Shell, in a statement. — Patricia B. Mirasol

Singapore adds charges against director in Wirecard case

The additional allegations concern 377.5 million euros ($458 million) in total, according to charge sheets seen by Bloomberg News, and bring the total number of charges to 14. Image via Reuters

Singapore authorities added three further fraud charges against the director of a local accounting firm in a case linked to disgraced German payments company Wirecard AG.

R. Shanmugaratnam, a director of Citadelle Corporate Services Pte, was charged with three counts of falsifying letters from Citadelle erroneously representing that the Singapore accounting firm held certain amounts of cash in escrow accounts.

The additional allegations concern 377.5 million euros ($458 million) in total, according to charge sheets seen by Bloomberg News, and bring the total number of charges to 14. Taken together the charges involve about 1.2 billion euros in cash, according to calculations, more than half of the amount missing from the firm, though they cover different time periods.

Shanmugaratnam is the first person to be indicted in the city-state over the spectacular collapse of Wirecard, which has reverberated across the world.

Wirecard filed for bankruptcy in June after acknowledging that 1.9 billion euros it had listed as assets didn’t exist, triggering a global investigation. Singapore is home to Wirecard’s Asia-Pacific headquarters and the company had been expanding aggressively in the region, which accounted for almost 45% of the group’s reported revenue in 2018, second only to Europe. — Bloomberg

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