Teoscar Hernandez’s three-run blast powers LA Dodgers past Phillies in Game 1 of NLDS

October 5, 2025 | 7:45 pm

TEOSCAR HERNANDEZ hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the host Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) on Saturday.

Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani uncharacteristically allowed three runs on the mound and struck out four times, but Los Angeles rallied against left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and the Phillies. Enrique Hernandez had a two-run double for Los Angeles in the sixth to close the deficit to 3-2.

“(Ohtani is) not always going to be perfect … but it’s a quality start for him. He gets the win,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “This team’s done it a lot. Different guys pick each other up.”

Sanchez gave up two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings before David Robertson (0-1) and Matt Strahm combined to surrender the lead. J.T. Realmuto knocked in two runs for the Phillies, who will aim to even the best-of-five series when the teams reconvene for Game 2 on Monday in Philadelphia.

“That’s a tough loss, but we’ve got to shake it off and come out here Monday and get after it again,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to put it behind us, but these guys are pretty good at that.”

Sanchez struck out Ohtani on three pitches to open the game as part of a 1-2-3 first inning. He allowed a pair of baserunners in the second, but retired Andy Pages on a strikeout to end the threat.

That set the stage for Philadelphia to score three times in the bottom of the second, highlighted by Realmuto’s two-run triple. Two batters later, Harrison Bader lofted a sacrifice fly to deep left to make it 3-0.

Bader later exited with groin tightness.

In the fifth, Alex Call led off with an infield hit against Sanchez, who then retired the next three hitters — recording a pair of strikeouts — to keep the visitors scoreless.

Los Angeles finally got to Sanchez in the sixth. Freddie Freeman drew a two-out walk and Tommy Edman singled to set the stage for Enrique Hernandez’s two-run double that made it 3-2 and ended the night for Sanchez.

Robertson opened the seventh by allowing a single and a hit batter. Strahm then came on and retired Ohtani and Mookie Betts before Teoscar Hernandez lofted a 1-0 fastball over the wall in right-center to put Los Angeles ahead 5-3.

“He left one over the plate and I put a good swing on it,” Hernandez said.

Ohtani (1-0) allowed three runs and three hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out nine in his first career postseason start as a pitcher.

“I was a little nervous, imagining myself out there on the mound,” Ohtani, who remained in the game as a designated hitter, said through a translator. “But once I was out there on the mound and on the field, that went away.”

Tyler Glasnow and Alex Vesia combined to get the Dodgers through the seventh and eighth innings. Vesia came on with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth and got pinch hitter Edmundo Sosa on a fly ball to center.

Roki Sasaki worked around a one-out double in the ninth to earn the save.

Philadelphia finished with just five hits, including only one from the top four batters in its lineup. — Reuters

Blue Jays break playoff losing streak with blowout of Yankees

October 5, 2025 | 7:44 pm

TORONTO — Alejandro Kirk homered twice and the Toronto Blue Jays trounced the New York Yankees 10-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, including a homer, and added a sacrifice fly while Nathan Lukes had three RBIs to help the Blue Jays earn their first postseason win since 2016 — snapping a streak of seven straight losses.

Aaron Judge had two hits for the Yankees, but the slugger struck out with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth with the Blue Jays clinging to a 2-0 lead. Kevin Gausman’s full-count pitch plunged low and outside, but Judge chased the off-speed offering.

Guerrero hit his first career postseason home run with two out in the first against Luis Gil (0-1), a shot to left on a 2-1 changeup.

In the second, Guerrero was a factor defensively. He snared Ryan McMahon’s broken-bat line drive and stepped on first for an inning-ending double play.

Kirk led off the home second with his first career postseason homer when he cranked a first-pitch fastball to left.

Tim Hill replaced Gil after Guerrero’s two-out single in the third and allowed Addison Barger’s infield hit before ending the inning. Gil gave up two runs and four hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.

Lukes made a diving catch before skidding across the right-field line to rob Jazz Chisholm Jr. of a hit in the fifth.

The Yankees loaded the bases with none out in the sixth on Anthony Volpe’s double high off the left-field wall, Austin Wells’s single and Trent Grisham’s walk. Judge struck out before Cody Bellinger’s walk forced in a run. After Gausman retired Ben Rice on an infield fly, Louis Varland came in and struck out Giancarlo Stanton with a 101-mph fastball to end the inning.

“I would take Louis Varland against anybody right now,” Gausman said. “He has taken his game to another level. That was one of the greatest trades we’ve ever made.”

Gausman (1-0) allowed one run, four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Seranthony Dominguez replaced Varland in the seventh after McMahon’s one-out single.

Luke Weaver walked Daulton Varsho to lead off Toronto’s seventh. Anthony Santander and Gimenez singled to score a run. Fernando Cruz replaced Weaver. Pinch runner Myles Straw was forced at third on Ernie Clement’s bunt and George Springer walked to load the bases. Lukes lined a two-run double to right and Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly to center for a 6-1 lead.

Brendon Little pitched around Judge’s double in the eighth.

Kirk led off the home eighth with a homer against Paul Blackburn. Gimenez added an RBI double, Clement had a sacrifice fly and Lukes contributed an RBI single. — Reuters

Survival

October 5, 2025 | 7:44 pm

The first game of a best-of-seven affair is rarely definitive, but it often sets the temperature for the rest of the series. At the Michelob ULTRA Arena the other day, it burned slowly and steadily in a contest that rewarded poise rather than precision. The Aces outlasted the Mercury despite the latter’s scorching-hot opening; starting guard Kahleah Copper scored 19 by halftime to lead an offense that made more than half its shots from the field. As the night wore on, however, the rhythm gave way to disjointed notes, and the lead thinned until it vanished altogether. Even as there was no collapse, the gradual erosion could not be denied.

Interestingly, head coach Becky Hammon needed two and a half quarters to find her footing. The Aces went to a zone defense — used sparingly all season — and it broke the Mercury’s cadence. What had been fluid turned uncertain, with shooters suddenly second-guessing open looks. In the fourth, the visitors went an ice-cold six-of-18 from the field. Meanwhile, the Aces leaned on their bench, and depth — not normally associated with them — became the difference. Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd combined for nearly forty off the pine, outscoring their bench counterparts by more than two to one. Needless to say, their force of will was rewarded with a favorable outcome.

To be sure, there was no prior indication that the set-to would be settled easily. With 24 seconds left and the Aces clinging to a one-point lead, principal nemesis Alyssa Thomas stepped to the line and missed two free throws. The sequence — with a player of her caliber faltering under pressure — hung in the air. The Mercury fouled, absorbing two points off made charities to retain possession. It was the right call; unfortunately, bench tactician Nate Tibbets’ inbounds play could not be executed as planned, and Satou Sabally’s desperate heave at the buzzer was off-target. For all intents, it was a fitting end to a contest defined by inches: protagonists on both sides collectively holding their breath while carrying polar-opposite expectations.

The numbers told part of the story. Four-time Most Valuable Player awardee A’ja Wilson posted 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and not a single turnover — the first such stat line in WNBA history. It reflected the Aces’ efficiency in halving the Mercury’s error count, a measure that, after the final buzzer, held more value than shooting splits. What truly separated the title hopefuls was intent. The black and silver played the long game, trading style for structure, flash for control. The purple and orange, for all their capacity to hit the ground running, never quite regained their preferred pace.

And so the series tilts, not decisively but meaningfully all the same. Game One revealed no clear superior — only who better understood the importance of adjustment. The Mercury will talk of missed chances and the need to solve area coverage. The Aces will seek confirmation that patience can be weaponized. Both know that Finals basketball is about survival.

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

Takaichi win as Japan leader may delay, not derail, BoJ rate hikes

October 5, 2025 | 5:57 pm

TOKYO — With Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan’s prime minister, advancing expansionist economic policies, chances have risen that the central bank will avoid raising interest rates this month, though the pause may not last if it batters the yen.

Ms. Takaichi, likely to become Japan’s first female leader next week after winning the presidency of the ruling party on Saturday, stood out in the race as the only proponent of big spending and loose monetary policy.

Parliament is expected to vote the conservative nationalist in as premier on Oct. 15 since her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is the largest in parliament, though this is not assured as the LDP’s coalition lost its majorities in both houses under her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba.

NEW LEADER COMPLICATES BOJ RATE HIKES
Upon winning the race, Ms. Takaichi made clear the government will take the lead in setting fiscal and monetary policy — and that her priority would be to reflate demand and the broader economy.

Describing recent price rises as driven by higher raw-material costs, Ms. Takaichi warned it was premature to declare victory over deflation as companies start to feel the pain from President Donald J. Trump’s US tariffs.

“What would be best would be to achieve demand-driven inflation, where wages would rise and drive up demand, which in turn causes moderate price rises that boost corporate profits,” she told a press conference after her victory.

Her ascension makes it more likely the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will refrain from raising rates on Oct. 30, analysts say.

“Takaichi is not seen as supportive of interest rate hikes, which could make it more difficult for the BoJ to proceed with tightening,” said Kazutaka Maeda, an economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute.

“While rate hikes may not be ruled out entirely, the central bank could adopt a more cautious and gradual approach,” he said, adding the next increase may be delayed until early next year.

Some analysts, however, doubt whether Ms. Takaichi will push back too hard against the BoJ’s plan for slow, moderate tightening as inflation — rather than Japan’s long-time curse of deflation — is now the bigger economic problem, costing Mr. Ishiba’s LDP a huge election loss in July.

The BoJ ended decades of massive stimulus last year, raising its policy rate to 0.5% in January on the view Japan was on the cusp of durably achieving its 2% inflation target.

Before Ms. Takaichi’s victory, markets were pricing in more than a 60% probability of a rate hike this month, with inflation above target for more than three years, a hawkish board split at the September policy meeting and calls for a near-term rate hike by a dovish policymaker.

But Governor Kazuo Ueda kept markets guessing last week, warning of global uncertainties that could discourage firms from raising wages.

“Ueda appeared to be in no rush hiking interest rates anyway. Takaichi’s win will make it even more likely the BoJ will take a wait-and-see mode and hold off raising rates in October,” said Mari Iwashita, executive rates strategist at Nomura Securities.

At the same time, former central bank official Nobuyasu Atago said, “The BoJ faces a new challenge of creating a channel of trust and communication with Takaichi’s administration, which might take some time.”

‘THINGS HAVE CHANGED’ SINCE ABE
Ms. Takaichi has been a vocal advocate of “Abenomics,” a hefty mix of government spending and monetary stimulus deployed by her mentor, then-premier Shinzo Abe, to pull Japan out of deflation and ease the pain of a surging yen on the export-reliant economy.

Although she has toned down comments such as calling last year’s rate hike “stupid,” Ms. Takaichi has retained ties with reflationist-minded lawmakers and economists who advise her on policy.

Her stance contrasts with that of Mr. Ishiba and his predecessor Fumio Kishida, who nodded to the BoJ’s efforts to roll back stimulus as accelerating food inflation — partly caused by higher import costs from a weak yen — hit households.

With markets fully pricing in another rate increase by early next year, delaying a hike for too long could unleash sharp yen falls that would boost import prices, exacerbating inflation.

Some investors expect Ms. Takaichi’s win to push the dollar, now around 147 yen, above 150 yen — a level of yen weakness that drew verbal warnings from Japanese authorities in the past.

“Given her reflationist streak, there’s a chance Takaichi could meddle in monetary policy,” said former BoJ board member Takahide Kiuchi, who expects no rate hike this month. “But I don’t think her administration would force the BoJ to overhaul its rate-hike plans altogether, unless the US economy weakens significantly.”

Diplomatic considerations could also affect Ms. Takaichi’s stance on monetary policy, some analysts say.

The Trump administration, which favors a weaker dollar to boost US exports, has signaled displeasure over the yen’s softness, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying in August the BoJ was “behind the curve” in tackling inflation.

Mr. Trump is expected to visit Japan this month, with some media reporting he could arrive days before the BoJ’s Oct. 29-30 meeting.

“In the past the yen was strong, so low interest rates were acceptable. Now that higher inflation is causing difficulties, it’s probably harder for Takaichi to criticize monetary policy as much as before,” said Tomohisa Ishikawa, chief economist at Japan Research Institute.

“Things have changed from when Takaichi used to work together with Abe.” — Reuters

Israel strikes Gaza as Palestinians pin hopes on Trump’s Gaza plan

October 5, 2025 | 5:56 pm

Palestine flag-protest — Protesters hold a large Palestinian flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinians and to condemn Israeli forces’ interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels, which were aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 4, 2025. — REUTERS/ANA BELTRAN

CAIRO/GAZA — Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Sunday, destroying several residential buildings, witnesses said, as Palestinians desperately awaited implementation of a US plan to end the war.

US President Donald J. Trump, who had called for an end to the bombing, said on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” inside Gaza and that “when Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective.”

The Israeli escalation comes as Egypt prepares to host delegates from Hamas, Israel and the United States, and Qatar, to kick off talks over the implementation of the most advanced effort yet to halt the conflict.

SENSITIVE ISSUES
Hamas had drawn a welcoming response from Mr. Trump on Friday by saying it accepted certain key parts of his 20-point peace proposal, including ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives.

But the group has left some issues subject to further negotiation, as well as questions unanswered, such as whether it would be willing to disarm, a key demand from Israel to end the war.

“Progress would depend on whether Hamas would agree to the map, which shows the Israeli army would remain in control of most of the Gaza Strip,” said a Palestinian official, close to the talks.

“Hamas may also ask for a strict timetable for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The first phase of talks will determine how things are going to proceed,” he told Reuters, asking not to be named.

In Gaza City, which Israel describes as one of Hamas’ last bastions, Israeli forces pressed ahead with attacks and warned residents who left against returning, saying it was a “dangerous combat zone.”

On Sunday, witnesses said Israeli planes escalated attacks against targets across the city, Gaza’s biggest urban center.

This followed a tense night in which drones dropped grenades on the rooftops of residential buildings and troops blew up explosive-laden vehicles, demolishing dozens of houses in two Gaza City neighborhoods, Sabra and Sheikh Radwan.

WHERE IS TRUMP?
“Where is Trump in all of this?” said Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, from Gaza City, now displaced in the city’s western side, near the beach.

“The explosions don’t stop, the drones drop bombs everywhere, as if nothing has happened. Where is the truce Trump told us about?” he asked.

Local health authorities said at least one Palestinian was killed, and several others were wounded in those attacks. Three other people were killed in separate Israeli strikes across the enclave, medics said.

Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, which liaises with the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations, said Gaza City has begun experiencing acute shortages of food and fuel, days after Israel blocked the route from the south to the north.

“We are speaking about tens of thousands of children who suffer malnutrition, elderly who need extra care, those are in danger now because of the Israeli occupation blockade of Gaza City and the escalation of the attacks,” Shawa told Reuters.

Under Mr. Trump’s plan, all Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, were due to be released within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement.

But it was not clear at what precise point the clock on that 72-hour deadline would start ticking, given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the timeline several days before Hamas responded.

Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive.

There may be logistical challenges too. Sources close to Hamas told Reuters handing over living hostages could prove relatively straightforward, but retrieving bodies of dead ones amid the huge devastation and rubble of Gaza may take longer than a few days to achieve.

Mr. Trump said on Friday he believed Hamas had shown it was “ready for a lasting PEACE” and he called on Mr. Netanyahu’s government to halt airstrikes in Gaza.

Domestically, Mr. Netanyahu is caught between growing pressure to end the war — from hostage families and a war-weary public — and demands from hardline members of his coalition who insist there must be no let-up in Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that halting attacks on Gaza was a “grave mistake.”

Smotrich and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also a hardliner, have significant influence in Netanyahu’s government and have threatened to bring it down if the Gaza war ends.

Israel began attacking Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s campaign has killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities, and decimated the enclave. — Reuters

Russia rains drones and missiles on Ukraine; Poland scrambles aircraft

October 5, 2025 | 5:55 pm

UKRAINE-CRISIS-ATTACK-KYIV — REUTERS/THOMAS PETER

LVIV, Ukraine — North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Poland said it scrambled aircraft early on Sunday to ensure its air safety after Russia launched airstrikes on Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting missiles and drones raining down on the Lviv region near the Polish border.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said in a post on X.

Eastern-flank NATO members are on high alert after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace in September and drone sightings and air incursions, including in Copenhagen and Munich, have led to chaos in European aviation.

Lithuania’s airport in Vilnius was closed for several hours overnight after reports of a possible series of balloons heading towards the airport late on Saturday.

According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, early on Sunday, commercial flights were using routings typically used when Poland’s Lublin and Rzeszow airports near the border with Ukraine were closed.

Reuters could not independently verify the Flightradar24 report.

There were no immediate notices on the US Federal Aviation Administration’s website about possible flight disruptions in Rzeszow and Lublin.

ALL OF UKRAINE UNDER THREAT OF ATTACK
All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts for several hours overnight, with Ukraine’s Air Force issuing most dire warnings of missile and drone attacks for the Lviv region.

Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv — a western Ukrainian city about 70 km (43 miles) from the border with Poland — said the city’s air defense systems were engaged heavily in repelling first a drone and then a Russian missile attack.

As of 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), parts of the city were left without power and public transport was yet to start running, with Mr. Sadovyi saying on the Telegram messaging app that it was “dangerous to go out into the streets.”

Reuters witnesses said the pounding of what sounded like air defense systems in operation came from all directions.

A late Saturday night attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia, the capital of the broader frontline region of Zaporizhzhia, left one person dead and nine injured, Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor said on Telegram.

“Apartment blocks and private houses were damaged, cars burned,” Mr. Fedorov said. “Windows were blown out, yards wrecked.”

More than 73,000 customers in the southeastern region were left without power, he added.

Some 55 km (35 miles) southwest of the city of Zaporizhzhia, the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been cut off from external power since September 23. — Reuters

How the Gaza aid flotilla used cameras and data to win global attention

October 5, 2025 | 2:32 pm

ATHENS — When armed Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of boats trying to deliver food and medicine to Gaza on Wednesday night, two web developers in Glasgow scrambled to keep track of the vessels as millions of people worldwide tuned in to monitor their fate.

As grainy footage from onboard cameras broadcast the raids live on the flotilla’s website, the developers updated the status of the vessels in real-time and posted short videos of each takeover. The clicks were unprecedented, they said: the site registered 2.5 million visits on Wednesday and 3.5 million on Thursday.

“I have never seen numbers like that – not on a website I’ve ever made,” said Lizzie Malcolm, the co-director of Rectangle, a design and software development studio that helped track the vessels on behalf of the organisers.

NEW FLOTILLA EN ROUTE IN HIGH-PROFILE CAMPAIGN
The Global Sumud Flotilla was seeking to breach an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, which has been decimated by a two-year Israeli assault.

It consisted of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The flotilla failed to reach Gaza – the boats were intercepted and escorted to Israel. But over the course of ten days it emerged as the highest-profile opposition to Israel’s blockade. Buoyed by that publicity, another flotilla of 11 boats has already set sail.

Through a sophisticated social media campaign, updated boat-tracking technology, savvy website design and grassroots organising, the mission gained massive attention and support, energising a global movement to lift the blockade.

While Israel says its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas militants in the coastal enclave, and officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a provocation, the flotilla has widespread support.

Wednesday’s seizure triggered protests in cities across Europe and as far afield as Argentina, Mexico and Pakistan, and drew criticism from politicians and leaders from Colombia to Malaysia.

CREATING A MOVEMENT
Israel first imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 when Hamas took over the territory, but efforts by activists to raise awareness have gained traction since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, which was triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel.

This latest campaign has gained more attention than ever before.

The flotilla benefited from, and contributed to, a wider political shift since June, which has seen nations including France and the UK recognise Palestinian statehood in reaction to Israel’s offensive, said Dan Mercea, a professor of digital and social change at St George’s, University of London.

“The cultural impact is beginning to show. That is not just the flotilla, but they are making a difference.”

An attempt in June by the March to Gaza group, in which activists were scheduled to march to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza, was disrupted when Egypt deported dozens of activists. Other, smaller flotillas have tried to breach the naval blockade, but their efforts have garnered less attention.

Then in June, organisations including the March to Gaza held a meeting in Tunis, in which they discussed clubbing together.

“The idea was that a bigger thing was needed. There were discussions about how to communicate with people and an exchange of knowledge,” said Antonis Faras, from the Greek contingent of the March to Gaza movement.

HUGE SUPPORT FROM THE START
The Global Sumud Flotilla was born and it had a clear mission: to break Israel’s blockade.

The organisation had huge support from the start. When it sent out an invitation for people to participate, it received 20,000 applications, Faras said. In Italy, a charity called Music 4 Peace began collecting aid donations, with a target of 40 tons. In five days they collected more than 500 tons.

Across Europe, missions started to prepare. The Greek contingent sourced 25 boats from across Europe. When it asked for donations, it received more than it could carry.

In Italy, local organisers cultivated relationships with unions, who supported the flotilla with strikes and actions at various ports. That grassroots connection paid off on Wednesday: within hours of the Israeli interception, people were on the streets in protest, and the unions had called a general strike for October 3.

The movement was broken down into countries, each one with its own press spokesperson.

“The protests’ success stems from the fact that every region meticulously worked on their territory… this structure proved to work,” said Maria Elena Delia, a spokesperson for the Italian delegation.

A LIVE FEED TO THE WORLD
The flotilla sent regular updates on X, Telegram and Instagram and held press conferences via Zoom with activists on the boat. Nelson Mandela’s grandson was on board. Thunberg gave interviews from the ship’s deck.

It had live feeds from the boats, and improved ship tracking devices. In Glasgow, Malcolm and her partner Daniel Powers, who collaborated with London-based Forensic Architecture research group, benefited from added layers of tracking capabilities, including backup from Garmin devices and even cellphones should other methods fail.

The cameras on board gave people a rare live view on Wednesday night as the Israeli navy demanded captains turn off their engines as soldiers boarded the boats with guns and night vision goggles. As part of an agreed safety protocol, the activists sat in life vests, their hands in the air.

Malcolm and Powers watched the images from their studio in Glasgow as the night went on, updating the list of boats and changing their status one by one from “sailing” to “intercepted”.

“We have seen how much people want to watch this. It does something. There is something positive in this – you are really willing them to get there,” Malcolm said. — Reuters

Japan’s Takaichi pledges to raise number of women in cabinet on par with Nordics

October 5, 2025 | 2:02 pm

TOKYO — In her campaign to become Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi made a bold promise to narrow the country’s wide gender gap in politics and lift the number of women in cabinet to a par with socially progressive Nordic countries.

Now that she has shattered the glass ceiling to be chosen leader of the ruling party on Saturday – setting her on course to emulate her hero Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female premier – Takaichi must try to deliver on promises her party has struggled to keep.

“The emergence of a single female leader alone may not drastically improve women’s standing in politics,” said Tohko Tanaka, a gender studies professor at the University of Tokyo, noting it was 26 years after Thatcher’s premiership before Britain had its second female leader, Theresa May.

FEW WOMEN LAWMAKERS FOR TAKAICHI CABINET
Japan’s next prime minister “must tackle gender issues with a long-term perspective, amid severe labour shortages and the alarmingly inadequate inclusion of women,” Tanaka said.

Japan ranked 118 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report, the lowest among the Group of Seven industrial powers.

While gender equality was not a top issue in the Liberal Democratic Party’s election campaign that focused on tackling inflation and rule-breaking foreigners, Takaichi’s promises to form a cabinet with women’s representation “not particularly lower than Nordic countries” stood out.

“I wouldn’t appoint women just because they’re women,” she told a party rally last week. “But the plan is to pick far more women who are capable and willing to serve the nation.”

Just 10% of outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s 20 cabinet members are women, while its highest female representation was just above a quarter. Nordic governments range from Denmark’s 36% to Finland’s 61% female ministers.

To fill her cabinet, Takaichi has a relatively small pool of female lawmakers to draw from, although non-politicians are allowed to head government ministries. Only 13% of the LDP’s lawmakers across both houses are women, well short of the party’s target of 30% by 2033 – a goal already trailing a government target.

PROMISES UNFULFILLED
Past initiatives to close Japan’s gender gap have delivered mixed results.

Former premier Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s mentor, pulled more women into the workforce through his “womenomics” initiatives, but critics say progress has been too slow, especially for executive roles.

In 2020, the government pushed back its deadline of having women in at least 30% of leadership posts across society by a decade to 2030.

Takaichi also proposes measures such as establishing women’s health centres nationwide, but her broader conservative policies have damaged her support among some women, polls show.

For example, she has defended legal restrictions that married couples must use a single surname, which in practice means wives overwhelmingly take their husbands’ names and which critics say disproportionately affects women’s careers. Conservatives regard the current law as indispensable to family unity.

The centre-right LDP faces a challenge from Sanseito, an upstart far-right party whose leader has criticised gender equality policies for contributing to Japan’s record-low birthrate, a claim resonating in some anti-establishment movements globally. — Reuters

US services sector activity flatlines in September

October 5, 2025 | 1:32 pm

US flag — An American flag is displayed in New York, Jan. 27, 2023. — REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY

WASHINGTON — US services sector activity stalled in September amid a sharp slowdown in new orders, while subdued employment added to mounting evidence of sluggish labor market conditions because of sagging demand and supply of workers.

The survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Friday also showed a measure of prices paid by services businesses for inputs hovering near three-year highs last month.

Signs of stagnating activity and elevated services inflation could complicate matters for the Federal Reserve, with financial markets expecting another interest rate cut this month.

The survey assumed more importance than usual after a lapse in funding forced a shutdown of the US government early this week and delayed the release of the closely watched monthly employment report for September. It was the first time since the 2013 government shutdown that the employment report, crucial for decision-making by officials at the US central bank, businesses and households, was not published.

AN ECONOMY ‘IN SUSPENDED ANIMATION’
Keeping tariffs on imports have eroded business sentiment, constraining activity across the services and manufacturing sectors.

“This is an economy that is in suspended animation, as businesses wait for the Trump administration to settle on a clear and predictable policy for tariffs and immigration,” said Stephen Stanley, chief US economist at Santander US Capital Markets. “Once policy-related uncertainty recedes, I expect business activity to pick back up.”

The ISM said its nonmanufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 50 last month, the breakeven point, from 52.0 in August. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI easing to 51.7. The services sector accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity.

Ten service industries, including public administration, wholesale trade and utilities reported growth. Among seven that contracted were mining, construction and retail trade.

Some businesses in the accommodation and food sector said import duties were starting to have an impact, “particularly for food products from India, China and Southeast Asia, coffee from South America,” adding “our year-over-year cost increases are getting progressively greater.”

Construction businesses reported “tariffs are beginning to be passed through on materials that are metal based.” Utilities providers said “we’ve had more tariff charges last month than in previous months.” For other businesses like those in wholesale trade, “demand is simply weak.”

The survey’s measure of new orders received by services businesses dropped to 50.4 from 56.0 in August. Backlog orders

were depressed for the seventh consecutive month, while export demand remained subdued.

Stocks on Wall Street were trading higher. The dollar dipped against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose.

EMPLOYMENT REMAINS DEPRESSED
Though a gauge of services sector employment inched up to 47.2 from 46.5 in August, it was the fourth straight month that it was mired in contraction territory, with companies not backfilling positions and also failing to find qualified workers. That aligns with other data that have suggested the labor market has stagnated.

Economists blame this on the drag from uncertainty stemming from tariffs as well as the rise of artificial intelligence. At the same time, immigration raids have reduced labor supply, creating a dynamic that has left the labor market in paralysis.

Data from the Chicago Federal Reserve on Thursday, which combines private and available public numbers, estimated the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3% in September.

The government reported before the shutdown on Tuesday there were 0.98 job openings for every unemployed person in August compared to 1.0 in July.

Economists expect the lackluster labor market will spur the Fed to reduce borrowing costs further this month. The US central bank resumed easing policy in September, cutting its benchmark overnight interest rate by 25 basis points to the 4.00%-4.25% range, to aid the labor market.

But with the full inflationary effects of tariffs still to be felt, a rate cut is not guaranteed.

The ISM survey’s measure of prices paid by businesses edged up to 69.4 from 69.2 in August. This price gauge has been above the 60 mark for 10 months in a row.

Services inflation has firmed up in recent months, driven by higher airline fares as well as rises in prices at restaurants, and more expensive hotel and motel rooms.

“The Fed is in a tough spot and now flying partly in the dark due to the delay of key releases,” said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. “But if other economic indicators also land on the soft side, it will likely bite its lip over sticky inflation and cut rates again later this month.” — Reuters

Samsung Care+ Premium is the perfect addition to make household investments last

October 3, 2025 | 7:20 pm

Samsung ensures your TVs and appliances stay at their best with extended protection and proactive, expert care

As premium devices become essentials in modern living, Samsung ensures these investments are protected for the long run with Samsung Care+ Premium. It safeguards the reliability and long-lasting performance of your TVs and appliances, giving users more out of their devices over time.

Samsung Care+ Premium is the perfect partner for your long-lasting TVs and appliances. Now available at up to 30% off, this service offers extended protection and expert care, preserving your devices’ peak performance and giving you the peace of mind you deserve.

Expert Setup for Peak Efficiency

Samsung Care+ Premium ensures your TVs, air-conditioners, and other digital appliances start strong with installation services designed to maximize their performance from day one. With certified experts handling setup, every detail is accounted for. From mounting to calibration and connectivity checks, you can be sure your devices function exactly as intended.

This takes away the stress and guesswork of setting up your digital appliances, giving families the confidence that their premium investments are in the hands of experts. Seamless installation ensures that your Samsung TV, like the Neo QLED 8K Vision AI TV, is ready to deliver its full 8K brilliance and cinematic audiovisual experience the moment you turn it on. Meanwhile, air-conditioners, such as the WindFree™ Air Conditione r with SmartThings, are optimized to provide efficient, comfortable cooling without hiccups.

With professional services, Samsung Care+ Premium not only preserves the longevity of your devices but also gives you confidence that your home’s smart devices are set up to perform at their very best.

Extended, Consistent Care for Enhanced Reliability

To make sure your TVs and appliances continue delivering the premium performance you expect, Samsung Care+ Premium offers professional-grade maintenance and preventive care services from trained experts. Through a wide range of services, including onsite diagnostic tests, remote device checks, and regular cleaning, Samsung Care+ Premium puts you ahead of potential issues and prevents disruptions from your daily routine.

Samsung Care+ Premium simplifies caring for your appliances, giving you peace of mind that your valuable devices continue running at their best. With regular maintenance, your Bespoke AI™ Front Load Washer and Dryer Combo can continue making laundry days smarter and lighter, while your Bespoke AI™ Family Hub Side-by-Side Refrigerator maintains the freshness of your ingredients without interruption. This also keeps your Samsung Smart Oven ready to serve up effortless, reliable cooking every day. By proactively caring for your appliances, you not only maximize their performance, but you also get lasting value out of your premium investments.

Beyond keeping every smart device in your home a dependable partner in your everyday routine, Samsung Care+ Premium extends protection for your TVs and appliances with up to 5 years of warranty coverage*. This, along with consistent maintenance care, saves you from spending on costly repairs while also keeping your appliances in prime condition for years and years.

Protect Your Investments and Get Big Savings

Keep your devices in prime condition and give them the protection and care they deserve with Samsung Care+ Premium. Enjoy up to 5 years of warranty coverage and regular maintenance services at up to 30% off until Dec. 31, 2025. Plus, earn Samsung Rewards points and redeem exclusive benefits when you invest in premium care for your devices.

Add the Samsung Care+ Premium to your TV or appliance purchases on the Samsung Online Store or the Shop app to get extended protection and preventive care for as low as P2,199.

To know more about Samsung Care+ Premium, visit https://www.samsung.com/ph/offer/samsung-care-plus/appliances/.

* Including a 1-year warranty from purchase

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InfiniVAN, Japanese parent IPS partner with BCDA in enhancing connectivity through use of Luzon Bypass Infrastructure

October 3, 2025 | 7:15 pm

**Back:** (from left) OIC Conversion & Dev’t Group Engr. Mark Torres, IPS Group Advisor for Strategic Partnerships and Business Development Alex Aquino, SVP of BCDA Investment and Financial Management Group Hedda Rulona, Government Corporate Counsel Solomon Hermosura, Ambassador Mylene De Joya Garcia-Albano, (from right) IPS GM of Business Development Wataru Okura, and IPS Managing Director & CFO Masamitsu Kawabuchi. **Seated:** InfiniVAN President Shigeki Nakahara, BCDA President & CEO Joshua Bingcang, and IPS Chairman & CEO Koji Miyashita

In an effort to deliver secure, reliable, and future-ready connectivity all over the Philippines, telco provider InfiniVAN, Inc. and its Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)-listed parent IPS, Inc. officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) pertaining to maximizing the use of BCDA’s Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI) at the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Tokyo last Sept. 30.

The signing ceremony was attended by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene De Joya Garcia-Albano, BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang, IPS President and CEO Koji Miyashita, and InfiniVAN President Shigeki Nakahara.

The LBI is a forward-looking project undertaken by the Philippine Government through the BCDA as an alternative corridor for international submarine cables, bypassing the earthquake-prone Luzon Strait. It consists of two strategically situated submarine cable landing stations (CLS) in San Fernando, La Union and Baler, Aurora, as well as a 240-kilomerer (km) multi-duct fiber optic conduit network connecting the two CLSs.

Prior to the said signing, a three-party framework agreement was signed among the BCDA, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Meta (formerly Facebook), wherein BCDA underwrote the building the of the LBI for around P1 billion in exchange for Meta – as the initial user – providing the Philippine Government 2 terabits per second (Tbps) of usable bandwidth between the Philippines and the United States on the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) submarine cable system.

Of the 2 Tbps capacity, 1.5Tbps is allocated to the DICT for its e-Gov, Free Public WiFi and other mandates; while 500 Gbps is allocated for the use of the BCDA and distribution of the same to locators in the different ecozones it manages.

Due to issues surrounding the PLCN, however, the only the CLS in Baler and a portion of the conduit network are currently in use.

Broader connectivity

By partnering with BCDA, InfiniVAN and IPS intend to support the maximization of the use of the LBI and BCDA’s existing infrastructure projects, through lease, sharing, joint use or similar arrangements, as alternative to building similar and capital extensive infrastructure from scratch.

InfiniVAN also plans to leverage its nationwide digital infrastructure—including submarine, aerial, and underground terrestrial fiber—to support this collaboration.

“InfiniVAN will strive to make effective use of this facility to contribute to improving the reliability and resilience of the domestic network and to make the Philippines one of Asia’s major international communication hubs in the future,” Mr. Nakahara said following the signing of the memorandum.

“Aside from our unsolicited proposal for the use of the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure facilities, we are also participating in the ongoing bid for the deployment of passive fiber optic network infrastructure facilities in New Clark City,” he added

IPS’s participation in the recently announced CANDLE submarine cable project, an 8,000-km system of 24-fiber-pair cables connecting six key locations in Asia, and InfiniVAN’s designation to land one of its branches in Baler have opened up possibilities for using portions of the LBI to connect InfiniVAN’s backhaul facilities to telco hubs in the National Capital Region as well as to other submarine cable systems landing in other parts of the country.

IPS’s existing international network also provides much needed redundancy to PLCN capacities that BCDA and DICT depend on.

“The strategic role that a pair of submarine cable landing stations and the interconnecting backbone for terrestrial connectivity aligns perfectly with our vision of expanding networks not only across the Philippines but also internationally,” Mr. Miyashita of IPS said.

“This undertaking reflects our strong commitment to supporting the Philippines’ ongoing digital transformation. We firmly believe that the Philippines is destined to be a major connectivity hub in the Asia-Pacific region—a role it rightly deserves,” he added.

Filling in gaps

Mr. Bingcang of BCDA added that InfiniVAN is also looking to fill the gap for much-needed last-mile connectivity in New Clark City (NCC), which is benchmarked to be equipped with the best ICT infrastructure facilities in the region

“We have benchmarked the vision for New Clark City in terms of ICT connectivity with the best in the region. We want to have the fastest internet connection, as fast as Japan and Singapore, at a much lower cost,” Mr. Bingcang shared.

Mr. Bingcang also noted the partnership with InfiniVAN and IPS heightens NCC’s potential to attract more investments from foreign companies.

“It’s high time that we provide that [last-mile] service in New Clark City. Then, it will be much easier now for us also to attract other foreign companies to do jobs in the Philippines,” he stressed.

“This partnership with InfiniVAN is a testament that we have that vote of confidence for foreign companies to do business in the Philippines, particularly in New Clark City,” he added.

The initiative is also expected to accelerate the rollout of the National Broadband Plan, support government digital services, and open opportunities for economic growth in business centers and economic zones across the country.

Besides InfiniVAN and IPS, BCDA also inked memoranda of understanding in Tokyo with Kanadevia Corp. for the prospect of redeveloping the Kalangitan Sanitary Landfill and the Development of Waste-to-Energy Facility in NCC and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for collaborative advancement of energy transition in the Philippines.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

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St. Luke’s Medical Center certified as the Philippine leader in robotic surgery with 2,500+ procedures completed

October 3, 2025 | 6:00 pm

St. Luke’s Medical Center proudly announces a groundbreaking achievement in Philippine healthcare: the successful completion of over 2,500 robotic surgeries, the highest number of robotic-assisted procedures performed by any hospital in the country.

This achievement is officially certified by Device Technologies (DTG Medical, Inc.), affirming St. Luke’s position as the hospital with the highest number of robotic-assisted surgeries in the Philippines.

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As a pioneer in robotic surgery, St. Luke’s has introduced many of the nation’s first robotic-assisted procedures, setting new benchmarks for surgical innovation and patient care. With this milestone, the institution reaffirms its commitment to advancing healthcare through cutting-edge surgical innovation and medical excellence.

On Oct. 2, 2025, St. Luke’s Medical Center held a milestone celebration at the Isla Grand Ballroom, EDSA Shangri-La, Mandaluyong City, honoring its robotic doctors, groundbreaking achievements, and patients whose lives were transformed through robotic-assisted care. The program featured the recognition of pioneering and top-performing robotic surgeons, the presentation of trailblazing and groundbreaking procedures, acknowledgment of rising stars from St. Luke’s-Quezon City, and moving patient testimonials that highlighted the human impact of advanced surgical innovation.

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Milestones in Robotic Surgery at St. Luke’s

2010 — First in the Philippines to acquire Da Vinci Si Robotic Surgery System

— First Robotic-Assisted Nissen Fundoplication in the Philippines

2011 — First Robotic-Assisted Thyroidectomy in the Philippines

2013 — First Robotic-Assisted Esophagectomy in the Philippines

2016 — First Robotic-Assisted Tonsillectomy in the Philippines

— First Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery in the Philippines

— Reached 500 robotic surgeries, setting a national benchmark

2019 — Crossed the 1,000 robotic surgery mark

2023 — Performed Southeast Asia’s and Philippines’ First Robotic-Assisted Kidney Transplant, a breakthrough in minimally invasive transplant surgery

2024 — First in the Philippines to acquire the latest Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgery System

— First Robotic-Assisted Cardiac Surgery in the Philippines and Southeast Asia using the latest robotic surgical system

2025 — Completed more than 2,500 robotic surgeries

— First Robotic-Assisted Ureteral Reimplantation in a pediatric patient in the Philippines

To learn more about St. Luke’s Robotic Surgery, schedule a consultation with our experts through our Product Information Hub at 0947-993-0471 / 0939-916-1805 / 0928-520-0239 / 0998-582-2276.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

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