Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson doubtful for Bournemouth clash

Sports

September 21, 2024

Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) – Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed the club’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker is a doubt for today’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.

Alisson aggravated a hamstring injury that had been troubling him for several weeks during Tuesday’s Champions League win at AC Milan.

The Brazil international has played every match for Liverpool this season, keeping three clean sheets in five games in all competitions, and his absence would be a blow to title-chasing Liverpool.

Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher would likely deputise for Alisson if the 31-year-old cannot face Bournemouth at Anfield this weekend.

“Alisson is still a doubt if he can train today and if he can’t, probably won’t play. He has a slight issue with one of his muscles,” Slot told reporters yesterday.

“We wonder if this game tomorrow is coming too early or not. He didn’t take it from the Milan game, it happened a bit before, but after the Milan game he felt it more.

“Now we have to wait and see if he is ready to be in goal tomorrow or wait a few extra days.”

With Liverpool in the middle of a gruelling run of seven games in 22 days, Alisson spoke ahead of the Milan game about his concern over the increased workload players face with the expansion of the Champions League.

“What we want is to give our best for the football. If you are tired you cannot compete at a high level,” Alisson said in Milan. “I want to give my best in all the games I play but we need a solution. It does not look like we are close to a good solution for football’s sake and players’ sake.” Slot acknowledged it is important to consider the health of players, given the extra burden placed on them by the schedule.

“We are thinking about what’s to come, we are aware of the fact it’s a long season,” he said.

“The main difference with the Premier League to Europe is we have to play at Christmas and New Year.

“We need a lot of players and we take that into account when making a line-up.”

Man City face Arsenal in Premier League title showdown

Sports

September 21, 2024

Manchester City's team players take part in a training session at Manchester City's training ground in Manchester, north-west England. PHOTO: AFP

MANCHESTER (AFP) – Manchester City host Arsenal in a showdown between the Premier League title favourites tomorrow, while Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou badly needs a win when his side host Brentford.

Liverpool are looking to bounce back from a shock home defeat to Nottingham Forest when Bournemouth visit Anfield and Manchester United seek revenge with a trip to Crystal Palace.

AFP Sport looks at the pick of this weekend’s Premier League action.

A battle between the top two pits the unstoppable force in City’s in-form striker Erling Haaland against the immovable object in Arsenal’s obturate defence.

Haaland has struck a Premier League record nine times in the opening four games of the season.

But Arsenal have only conceded once, when down to 10 men against Brighton, and kept clean sheets already away at Aston Villa and Tottenham.

The top two in each of the past two seasons already occupy those positions once more.

“It’s another unbelievable team that defend really well,” said City boss Pep Guardiola. “They don’t concede chances, they don’t concede goals. In many aspects they control everything.

“Was the biggest challenge for the title the last two seasons, they are there and will be there for many years because they created a depth of squad and a young team.”

City are the only side with a perfect 12 points so far, but a depleted Arsenal made sure they are only two points behind by grinding out a 1-0 victory over Spurs in last weekend’s north London derby.

The Gunners are set to be missing captain Martin Odegaard once more due to an ankle injury but can welcome back Declan Rice from suspension.

City are also set to be without their creative hub as Kevin De Bruyne limped out of Wednesday’s 0-0 Champions League draw against Inter Milan. Arsenal’s third consecutive away derby win at Tottenham ramped up the scrutiny on Postecoglou.

Spurs have taken only four points from their opening four Premier League games of the season and their form has been trending downwards for some time.

After a blistering start under the former Australia manager, Tottenham have won just 13 of their last 32 league games, including seven defeats in the last 11. Postecoglou has insisted he will deliver silverware in his second season in charge but narrowly avoided a League Cup exit to second-tier Coventry in midweek.

With trips to Manchester United and Brighton to come, Spurs need to steady the ship against a Brentford side that troubled City last weekend in a 2-1 defeat.

What a difference a week has made for United boss Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman returned from the international break under pressure after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool.

But two victories and 10 goals against Southampton and Barnsley has lifted the mood ahead of the trip to Palace.

The low point of a dismal league campaign last season arguably came in a 4-0 thrashing by the Eagles in May.

But Ten Hag believes this weekend will be a different story as he is now blessed with options rather than fighting an injury crisis.

“It was a 4-0, totally deserved, but Saturday will be different,” said Ten Hag. “From February onwards, we had to find 11 players to construct a team.

“Now it is 18 and we can pick one.”

Sri Lanka 134-1 to take upper hand in first NZ Test

Sports

September 21, 2024

New Zealand's captain Tim Southee and Glenn Phillips bump their fists as Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis looks on during the third day of the first Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle. PHOTOS: AFP

GALLE (AFP) – Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne forged an unbroken 128-run partnership to propel hosts Sri Lanka to 134-1 at tea on day three of the first Test against New Zealand yesterday.

Both made half-centuries as the home team dominated the afternoon session in Galle, giving Sri Lanka a lead of 99.

Karunaratne (72) was on song, punishing loose deliveries and forcing New Zealand to spread the field to protect the boundaries. Chandimal (54) was more conservative.

Rookie New Zealand pace bowler William O’Rourke struck early to send back opener Pathum Nissanka for two in the morning, after the visitors were all out for 340.

The 23-year-old O’Rourke dismissed Nissanka in his second over when the batsman edged a bouncer to a diving Tim Southee at second slip. O’Rourke had already impressed for the Kiwis with his second five-wicket haul from just three Test appearances during the first innings.

Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal plays a shot during the third day of the first Test cricket match. PHOTO: AFP

New Zealand resumed on 255-4 but lost their remaining wickets quickly despite a fightback from wicketkeeper Glenn Phillips, who made 49 off 50 balls.

It was the first time the Kiwis had managed to post a score above 300 in Galle, where they have lost all four of their previous Test encounters.

Sri Lanka drew first blood in the morning when Tom Blundell was given out caught after a review, ending a solid 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Daryl Mitchell.

Mitchell went on to post the third half-century of the innings for New Zealand after staring down the spinners.

He was eventually run out on 57 when he responded to a risky call by Phillips, who miscalculated a single following a soft push to the covers.

The second new ball turned the tables for Sri Lanka, with Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya able to find bounce.

Jayasuriya took four wickets, including that of top-scoring opener Tom Latham for 70, while Ramesh bagged three.

China eyes steady growth amid rate cut

Business

September 21, 2024

A woman shows banknotes and coins of the renminbi. PHOTO: XINHUA

ANN/CHINA DAILY – Renminbi-denominated financial assets are likely to see more foreign capital inflows in the months ahead as the United States (US) enters an interest rate cut cycle, giving Chinese policymakers more room to maneuver toward steady economic growth, analysts said.

The renminbi and Chinese equities rallied after the US Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in over four years.

The renminbi, or the Chinese yuan, strengthened by 293 basis points in the onshore market to 7.06 against the US dollar on Thursday, the strongest level since June 2023.

The Shanghai Composite Index, a benchmark of Chinese A-shares, went up 0.69 per cent to close at 2,736.02 points on Thursday, amid a wider rebound of emerging market stocks, with the MSCI index for emerging market stocks rising 1.09 per cent.

Analysts said a major driver of the rebounds was that the US Fed’s rate cut on Wednesday has signalled that the US has entered its first post-COVID monetary easing cycle, which will make financial assets of emerging market economies more attractive than before and give those economies more scope for policy easing.

The US Fed slashed interest rates by 50 basis points on Wednesday and sent its target interest rate range to 4.75 to five per cent amid easing inflation and a weakening labour market, more aggressive than a usual cut of 25 basis points. With the Fed’s focus shifting more to stabilising the labour market, the US central bank is on track for further cuts of about 50 basis points by the end of the year and approximately 100 basis points in 2025, according to the Fed’s projections on Wednesday.

“The Fed’s rate cut cycle may trigger a global wave of interest rate cuts by central banks, leading to a decline in the US dollar index, an appreciation of the renminbi and global capital flowing back to emerging markets,” said chief economist at First Seafront Fund Yang Delong.

Global stock markets diverge after global rally

Business

September 21, 2024

AFP – Global stock markets diverged and the dollar was mixed against main rivals yesterday following an equities rally triggered by a jumbo United States (US) interest rate cut this week.

In early afternoon deals, European stocks pared back hefty gains from the previous session, won after the Federal Reserve opted for a bumper 50-basis-point rate reduction and pledged further cuts as inflation cools.

There had been fears the move could signal officials were worried about the economy and were behind the curve in easing policy.

But data on Thursday showing jobless claims at their lowest since May suggested the US was heading for a soft landing, rather than recession. “The Fed’s decision to cut rates by 50-basis points has been warmly welcomed by markets, with the bank shifting towards a pro-growth stance after years of blindly trying to drive down price pressures at all costs,” said chief market analyst at Scope Markets Joshua Mahony.

Asia’s main stock markets closed out the mostly higher after Thursday’s advances.

Cabbage prices soar 70pc amid heat wave in South Korea

Business

September 21, 2024

ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – Vegetable prices in South Korea have skyrocketed due to an unprecedented heatwave affecting the country for weeks, with napa cabbage prices increasing by nearly 70 per cent compared to last year.

On Thursday, a head of cabbage, essential for making kimchi, was priced at KRW 9,337 (USD 7.02), according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp. This marks a 69.5-per-cent jump compared to the same time last year and a 32.7-per-cent increase over the three-year average price.

Continued hot weather and drought have caused a shortage of high-quality produce, pushing up the average price of agricultural products.

This phenomenon has been dubbed “heatflation”, a portmanteau of heat and inflation. The recent spike in cabbage prices follows the government’s conclusion of its discount programme for purchasing major agricultural and fish products during the recent Chuseok holiday.

During the promotional period from August 29 to September 18, cabbage prices rose to KRW7,000 per head on September 6 and jumped to the KRW8,000 range by September 13 due to increased demand.

Other vegetables are also experiencing soaring prices due to extreme weather conditions.

As of Thursday, the retail price of a single radish stood at KRW3,826, up 65.4 per cent from last year and a 38.8-per-cent increase over the average. Spinach, a crop that thrives in cooler temperatures, retailed at KRW3,728 per 100 grammes (g), reflecting a 48.5-per-cent increase from last year and more than double the average price.

Red leaf lettuce was priced at KRW2,122 for 100g, up 22.6 per cent from last year and 25.4 per cent above the average.

Cucumbers were priced at KRW13,540 for 10 pieces, up 17.1 per cent from last year, while Cheongyang chili peppers sold at KRW1,829 per 100g, marking an 18.8 per cent year-on-year increase.

Japan’s core consumer prices up 2.8pc

Business

September 21, 2024

XINHUA – Japan’s core consumer prices rose 2.8 per cent in August from a year earlier, increasing faster for the fourth straight month on higher rice prices and energy costs, government data showed yesterday.

The increase in the nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), excluding volatile fresh food, followed a 2.7-per-cent rise in July, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The inflation rate has remained at or above the two per cent inflation target of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) since April 2022, data showed.

The core-core CPI, which excludes both fresh food and energy costs and is closely watched by the BOJ as a key gauge of broader inflation trends, was up two per cent, data showed.

Ringgit clear winner from FFR cut, pivots versus US dollar

Business

September 21, 2024

BERNAMA – The ringgit is the clear winner from the 50 basis points (bps) cut to the United States (US) federal funds rate (FFR), as it continued its appreciation against the greenback, said an analyst.

At 6pm, the local note appreciated to 4.2005/2070 versus the greenback from Thursday’s close of 4.2025/2105.

Within six months, the ringgit rose 12.67 per cent against the US dollar. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the gap between the FFR and the overnight policy rate (OPR) is likely to narrow, which bodes well for the ringgit as investment returns from ringgit-denominated assets will become increasingly appealing.

“True enough, the ringgit-US dollar has pierced its immediate support level of MYR4.2128 and presently, the immediate support level is located at MYR4.0728.

“Hence, we will see the ringgit making another attempt to reach a new groundbreaking level next week,” he told Bernama.

Moving forward, markets will be monitoring key data points, namely the US Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation, which was published yesterday along with the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI).

The sentiment index rates the relative level of current and future economic conditions.

“Markets were receptive with the half-point cut by the Federal Reserve and it seems the United States economy is in for a soft landing, alleviating recession fears,” Mohd Afzanizam said yesterday. Meanwhile, the ringgit was traded mostly higher against a basket of major currencies.

It gained versus the euro to 4.6878/6950 from Thursday’s closing of 4.6976/7065, strengthened vis-a-vis the Japanese yen to 2.9182/9229 from 2.9442/95008, but marginally fell against the British pound to 5.5841/5928 from yesterday’s close of 5.5822/5928.

The local note traded mixed against ASEAN currencies.

Economic data deals new setback to UK government

Business

September 21, 2024

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. PHOTO: AFP

AFP – United Kingdom (UK) state debt is as big as the country’s economic output for the first time since the 1960s, data showed yesterday, as the new government warns of tough fiscal decisions before its maiden budget.

Public sector net debt “was provisionally estimated at 100 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of August”, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a release.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party was elected in early July, has warned Britons that the budget announcement on October 30 will be “painful”, with tax rises and spending cuts expected.

The warning has been echoed by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, who will deliver the country’s fiscal plans to Parliament.

The government is already facing criticism from all sides over scrapping a winter fuel-benefit scheme for 10 million pensioners.

Starmer has repeatedly defended the move as a necessary “tough choice” to help fill a GBP22-billion (USD29 billion) “black hole” in public finances which Labour claimed was left behind by the previous Conservative administration.

Yesterday’s data also showed “the highest August borrowing on record, outside the (Covid-19) pandemic”, senior official at the UK Treasury Darren Jones said in a statement.

“Debt is 100 per cent of GDP, the highest level since the 1960s. Because of the GBP22 billion black hole in our public finances we have inherited this year alone, we are now taking the tough decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy,” he added. The debt-to-GDP ratio was at 99.3 per cent in July.

Net borrowing in August reached GBP13.7 billion on increased spending on public services, the ONS noted.

This is set to continue after the government this week agreed bumper pay increases for doctors and train drivers.

Looking much further ahead, a government watchdog last week forecast that UK state debt could almost treble over the next 50 years owing to an ageing population and climate change.

The projection came from the Office for Budget Responsibility, which the government relies on for UK growth and inflation predictions.

Adding to the challenge, a closely-watched index revealed yesterday a big drop in UK consumer confidence. Data analysts GfK said its consumer confidence index “fell sharply” to minus 20 points in September.

“This is not encouraging news for the UK’s new government” despite stable British inflation and the prospect of more interest-rate cuts from the Bank of England, said GfK consumer insights director Neil Bellamy.

“Strong consumer confidence matters because it underpins economic growth and is a significant driver of shoppers’ willingness to spend.

“Following the withdrawal of the winter fuel payments, and clear warnings of further difficult decisions to come on tax, spending and welfare, consumers are nervously awaiting the budget decisions,” he added.

Xiaomi ranks second behind Samsung in August smartphone sales

Business

September 21, 2024

ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – Chinese smartphone makers are rapidly expanding their presence in the global market, dominating the entry-to-mid-tier segment while gaining attention with innovative premium models, aiming to close the gap with industry leaders Samsung and Apple.

In August, Xiaomi secured second place in global monthly sales for the first time in three years, surpassing Apple, according to Counterpoint Research.

Samsung Electronics retained its lead.

August is typically Apple’s slowest month, as the company tends to release its new iPhone models in October. Xiaomi appears to have benefited from Apple’s seasonal slide for the month. But as one of the fastest-growing brands in the first half of this year marking 22 per cent on-year growth in sales volume, Xiaomi’s beating of Apple is “symbolic” according to the market tracker.

“Xiaomi capturing the number two spot is symbolic of a more significant trend in the global smartphone market. As devices edge closer to each other in terms of technology and price, competition has never been higher among the top brands,” the market tracker said in its analysis.

“With new form factors (foldables) and generative artificial intelligence features helping brands differentiate their offerings, device ecosystem, product design, and marketing strategy and research remain as important as ever, as evidenced by Xiaomi’s recent surge.”

The company, having suffered from severe supply struggles in 2022, has adopted a “leaner product strategy” to create one hero model per price band while tapping into new markets and consolidating its positions in existing markets, research director at Counterpoint Research Tarun Pathak said.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

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