Nice’s Brazilian defender Dante fires a small cannon as he celebrates with teammates after defeating
AS Saint-Etienne 8-0 at the Allianz Rivera stadium in Nice, France. PHOTO: AFP
PARIS (AFP) – Nice handed out an 8-0 mauling to Saint-Etienne in France’s Ligue 1 on Friday after racing six goals clear in the first half.
Nice’s 20-year-old striker Mohamed-Ali Cho was the chief tormentor, ripping Saint-Etienne’s left flank to pieces, scoring the third goal and providing assists in three others.
“We were overrun, 6-0 at half-time, it’s just dreadful,” said Saint-Etienne defender Dennis Appiah.
Defender Leo Petrot added: “We are ashamed, there are no words to describe this”. A Dylan Batubinsika own-goal was followed by strikes from Tanguy Ndombele, Cho, two from Youssoufa Moukoko, Evann Guessand, Sofiane Diop and a late penalty from new signing Pablo Rosario as Nice celebrated their 120th anniversary in style.
Saint Etienne had conceded seven goals in three defeats since coming up into Ligue 1 via the play-offs, but beat Lille 1-0 last weekend.
“This 120 years will remain engraved in memories and in mine because matches with such scores do not happen often, if ever,” said Nice coach Franck Haise.
Nice’s Brazilian defender Dante fires a small cannon as he celebrates with teammates after defeating
AS Saint-Etienne 8-0 at the Allianz Rivera stadium in Nice, France. PHOTO: AFP Nice’s French forward Mohamed-Ali Cho scores against AS Saint-Etienne at the Allianz Rivera stadium in Nice, south-eastern France. PHOTO: AF
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid goes up for the dunk. PHOTO: AP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Joel Embiid has signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced on Friday, with the Cameroon-born centre saying he wants to stay a Sixer his entire NBA career.
Multiple reports said the deal was a maximum extension for three years and about USD193 million that would keep him with the 76ers through the 2028-29 campaign.
“Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my career,” Embiid posted on his Instagram account.
“I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family. There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started!”
Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, is a 2.13-metre and seven-time NBA All-Star who helped the United States win Olympic gold in Paris last month.
The two-time NBA scoring champion, set to begin his ninth NBA campaign next month, said in a statement he wants to bring the 76ers their first NBA crown since 1983.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid goes up for the dunk. PHOTO: AP
“I started a Sixer and want to be right here for the rest of my career,” Embiid said. “I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia.
“Through all the ups and downs, this city and the fans have been everything and I am so grateful for how they’ve embraced me. Philadelphia is home and it’s time to bring this community an NBA championship.”
Embiid averaged a career-high 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and career-bests of 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals plus 1.7 blocked shots last season and had career-high accuracy from three-point range and the free throw line.
“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game,” 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said.
“We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come.
“He’s an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely, if ever, seen. He’s integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA championship and we’re honoured that he continues to choose this organisation as his NBA home.”
Embiid, the third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, has averaged 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots over 433 games with the Sixers.
The 76ers have reached the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons but have not reached the Eastern Conference finals during the run.
Garment factory workers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. PHOTO: XINHUA
PHNOM PENH (XINHUA) – Cambodia’s trade with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries reached USD22.92 billion in the first eight months of 2024, up 17.2 per cent from USD19.55 billion over the same period last year, said the latest report from the General Department of Customs and Excise yesterday.
The country’s trade volume with fellow RCEP members accounted for 62 per cent of its USD36.94-billion total trade volume during the January-August period this year, the report said.
The kingdom exported products worth USD6.05 billion to the RCEP countries, up 15 per cent from USD5.26 billion, while it registered the import of goods worth USD16.87 billion from the RCEP countries, up 18 per cent from USD14.29 billion, the report added.
The Southeast Asian nation’s top five trading partners under the regional mega-trade pact were China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and Singapore, the report showed.
Entering into force in 2022, RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Garment factory workers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. PHOTO: XINHUA
The Cambodian Ministry of Commerce’s Secretary of State and Spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said RCEP is a catalyst for Cambodia’s trade growth and a magnet to attract more foreign direct investments to the country.
“Despite rising protectionism and weakening global demand, RCEP has given a boost to regional trade integration and cooperation, bringing great benefits to all member countries,” he told Xinhua.
Chief Economist of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office Hoe Ee Khor said the reduction in tariffs and non-tariff barriers has made it easier for Cambodian goods to reach larger markets. “RCEP also helps to boost export diversification in Cambodia,” he wrote to Xinhua in a recent e-mail.
“Key Cambodian export sectors, such as garments and agricultural products, have benefited from improved market access and competitive pricing due to tariff reductions under RCEP.”
NEW YORK (AP) – A record-setting week for Wall Street closed on a quieter note on Friday, as United States (US) stocks drifted around the highs they hit during a worldwide rally the day before.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.2 per cent from its record, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4 per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, added 38 points, or 0.1 per cent, to its all-time high.
FedEx dragged on the market with a drop of 15.2 per cent after its profit and revenue for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. It said US customers sent fewer packages through priority services, while it had to contend with higher wages for workers and other costs. FedEx also cut its forecast for revenue growth for its fiscal year.
Helping to limit the market’s losses was Nike, which ran 6.8 per cent higher after it named Elliott Hill as its chief executive. Hill, 60, had spent more than three decades at Nike in various leadership positions before retiring in 2020. Constellation Energy also leaped 22.3 per cent after announcing it will restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant and sell the power to Microsoft.
Shares in Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) fell 7.8 per cent as its biggest shareholder, former US president Donald Trump, won the freedom to sell his shares if he wants.
Trump owns more than half of the USD2.7 billion company behind the Truth Social platform.
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange. PHOTO: AP
But Trump and other insiders in the company had been unable to cash in because a “lock-up agreement” prevented them from selling any of their shares. Before the lockup expired, Trump said he was in no rush to sell.
TMTG stock has dropped below USD14 from more than USD60 in March, and it’s taken a roller-coaster ride there. Over the last six months, the stock has often swung by at least five per cent in a day, up or down. Homebuilder Lennar fell 5.3 per cent after delivering a mixed earnings report.
Its profit for the latest quarter topped expectations. But it also said it made less in profit on each USD100 of home sales, and it expects that margin to stay flat in the current quarter.
Conditions may be set to improve for homebuilders, though. The Federal Reserve (Fed) earlier this week cut its main interest rate for the first time in more than four years, with more likely to come. That could make mortgages more affordable for home buyers. The cut closed the door on a run where the Fed kept its main interest rate at a two-decade high in hopes of slowing the US economy enough to stamp out high inflation. Now that inflation has fallen from its peak two summers ago, Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed can focus more on keeping the job market solid and the economy out of a recession.
The Fed is still under pressure because hiring has begun to slow under the weight of higher interest rates. Some critics said the central bank waited too long to cut rates and may have damaged the economy. Critics also said the US stock market may be running too hot on the belief the Fed will pull off what seemed nearly impossible earlier: getting inflation down to two per cent without creating a recession.
Chief equity strategist at Stifel Barry Bannister, is still calling for a sharp drop for the S&P 500 by the end of the year. He points to how much faster stock prices have climbed than profits at companies. When stocks have looked this expensive on such measures in the past, he said a recession and sharp downturn for stocks has followed.
He also warned in a report that slowing hiring “is now symbolic of recession risk”.
No economic releases were on the calendar for Friday to show where the economy may be heading. Next week will have preliminary reports on US business activity, the final revision for how quickly the economy grew during the spring and the latest update on spending by US consumers.
BEAVERTON (AP) – Nike Inc said it has named Elliott Hill as its president and CEO, replacing John Donahoe, who will retire next month.
Hill is returning to the company from which retired in 2020. He previously held leadership positions at the sportswear giant across Europe and North America.
Before his retirement, he served as the president of consumer and marketplace operations for Nike and the Jordan brand. Nike’s sales have weakened recently and its stock is down about 24 per cent year-to-date.
In its most recent quarter, which ended on May 31, the company reported a two per cent revenue decline.
Donahoe said at the time that the company is approaching its “near-term challenges head-on, while making continued progress in the areas that matter most to Nike’s future”.
In February, the company based in Beaverton, Oregon, announced it was cutting two per cent of its global workforce, or little over 1,600 jobs, aiming to cut costs and reinvest the savings into what it sees as big growth areas like sport, health and wellness.
Nike’s stock jumped almost eight per cent following the announcement, which came after the close of regular-session trading on Wall Street.
Google’s advertising practices are also subject to investigations or proceedings in Britain, the European Union and the United States. PHOTO: AP
PARIS (AFP) – Seven French media groups plan to sue Google seeking more than EUR1 billion (USD1.1 billion) for alleged anti-competitive practices in online advertising, a report said on Friday.
The professional information service Mind Media said the seven groups, representing a total of 22 companies, had either begun or were about to begin legal action.
The move comes after the French competition watchdog fined Google EUR220 million in June 2021 for favouring its own services in the online advertising sector.
“Google has clearly been found guilty of anti-competitive behaviour. The French competition authority has stated that Google has for years favoured its own solutions to the detriment of those of its competitors,” said Figaro CEO Marc Feuillee, quoted in the report.
Feuillee said he believed that his group was “a victim of this with the technological system we were using” and was therefore seeking “compensation”.
Google’s advertising practices are also subject to investigations or proceedings in Britain, the European Union and the United States. PHOTO: AP
The plaintiffs are Le Figaro, SIPA/Ouest-France, Prisma Media, Les Echos-Le Parisien, Adevinta/Leboncoin, CMA Media and sports daily L’Equipe.
Initial hearings to set the trial schedule took place in early September at the Paris commercial court, and the proceedings could last two to three years.
Google’s advertising practices are also subject to investigations or proceedings in Britain, the European Union and the United States.
Early in September, the United Kingdom’s (UK) competition watchdog concluded in provisional findings that Google used “anti-competitive practices… which it believes could be harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers”.
Google’s VP of Global Ads Dan Taylor argued that the case “rests on flawed interpretations” of the sector.
Its parent company Alphabet recently reported that revenue from online ad searches climbed to USD48.5 billion in the second quarter of this year.
SHANGHAI (AFP) – Youth unemployment in China climbed to 18.8 per cent in August, its highest level this year, as the country struggles to boost a flagging economy.
The unemployment rate among 16 to 24-year-olds not in education rose from 17.1 per cent in July, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday.
The closely watched metric peaked at 21.3 per cent in June of 2023, before authorities suspended publication of the figures and changed their methodology to exclude students.
Nearly 12 million students graduated from Chinese universities this June, heightening competition in an already-tough job market and likely explaining July’s sharp increase in joblessness.
In May, President Xi Jinping said countering youth unemployment must be regarded as a “top priority”.
Unemployment for those aged 25-29 edged up to 6.9 per cent in August from 6.5 per cent in July, according to the NBS.
The unemployment figures for August come after authorities announced lacklustre data for retail sales and industrial production growth for the month.
“Adverse effects of current changes in the external environment are increasing, domestic demand is still insufficient, and the economy is still facing many difficulties and challenges in its continued recovery,” the NBS said in a previous statement.
The minister in a group photo with the students. PHOTO: CURIOUS MIND
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar stressed the importance of working hard, taking the initiative and seizing opportunities during the Future Leaders Academy (FLY) programme at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) on Friday. Some 150 students attended the event where the minister shared insights into his leadership experience.
He recounted his time as an intern in Scotland, working long hours under demanding doctors, which he believes shaped his character as well as built his problem-solving skills and resilience.
During a question-and answer-session, he emphasised the need for youth to develop critical thinking skills, while advising them to be intentional in sifting through their own wealth of knowledge, “Don’t just cast a wide net; find what is useful and true.”
He also discussed his leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic and shone light on the vital support system as well as the dedication of medical personnel and volunteers.
The minister attributed open communication as the most important factor in the whole-of nation approach against the virus.
He added, “The strategy was on quickly addressing fake news through daily televised press conferences and maintaining transparency with a clear and consistent guidance as the key to success.”
The minister also outlined the Ministry of Health’s role in achieving Brunei’s Vision 2035 goal of having a high-quality healthcare.
He also noted the Incident Reporting System, allows healthcare personnel to share feedback directly, helping improve the processes and foster ownership within the system. – Lyna Mohamad
The minister in a group photo with the students. PHOTO: CURIOUS MINDMinister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar delivers a speech. PHOTO: CURIOUS MINDThe minister and programme curator Shaun Hoon during the Future Leaders Academy programme at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. PHOTO: CURIOUS MINDThe minister receives a gift from Universiti Brunei Darussalam Vice Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle. PHOTO: CURIOUS MIND
Over 11,000 people are currently registered with mental health services, and the number is expected to rise. There will likely be a growing need for mental health and psychosocial support in the coming years, said Director-General of Medical and Health Services at the Ministry of Health Pengiran Dr Haji Mohd Khalifah bin Pengiran Haji Ismail in a speech at the Canvas of Calm forum yesterday.
He added, “This calls for the need for better investments and innovations, including art therapy in mental health treatment programmes. Art therapy is gaining popularity worldwide as it offers a recovery-focused, person-centred approach that addresses emotional, spiritual and social needs. It can complement traditional mental healthcare, such as counselling and medication, and enhance cognitive function and self-confidence.”
Themed ‘Harnessing Art for Healing and Well-Being’, the forum was organised by SynARTgy Company and supported by the Health Promotion Centre.
The forum’s main objectives included exploring art as a tool for self-regulation and emotional expression, and providing a safe space for processing emotions.
As Pengiran Dr Haji Mohd Khalifah noted in his speech, mental health has become a major public health issue. Caring for the well-being is more important than ever, with nearly one billion people worldwide living with a mental disorder. These disorders can range from minor anxiety to severe behavioural issues.
Key speaker Dr Amanda Woodford, a registered creative arts therapist from New Zealand, shared her experience in art therapy, community well-being and education in her presentation ‘Making, Sharing, and Mending’.
Second speaker Nur Nadiah Suhailli, a Bruneian art therapist spoke about pioneering art therapy in the Sultanate.
The forum also featured a fireside chat, where panellists shared their personal stories on the empowering role of art.
ABOVE & BELOW: The attendees; and Creative arts therapist from New Zealand Dr Amanda Woodford at the Canvas of Calm forum yesterday. PHOTO: SYNARTGYPHOTO: SYNARTGY
Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan Ra’es Associate Professor Dr Abdul Nasir bin Abdul Haji Rani and Cambodian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Chay Borin at the 5th Southeast Asian Arabic
Language Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. PHOTO: KUPU SB
Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) Ra’es Associate Professor Dr Abdul Nasir bin Abdul Haji Rani welcomed the continued collaboration between Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia at the 5th Southeast Asian Arabic Language Conference (Mubasat) yesterday.
Cambodian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Chay Borin inaugurated the conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, jointly organised by the Cambodia University of Management and Technology and KUPU SB.
Fourteen presenters from Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam presented research papers.
Themed ‘Standards for Teaching Arabic in Southeast Asia: Between Hopes and Aspirations’, the conference’s objectives included providing a platform for discussions related to the teaching and learning of Arabic in the region. – Rokiah Mahmud
Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan Ra’es Associate Professor Dr Abdul Nasir bin Abdul Haji Rani and Cambodian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Chay Borin at the 5th Southeast Asian Arabic Language Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. PHOTO: KUPU SB
