AP – Josh Giddey had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, helping the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 128-102 yesterday.
It was Giddey’s first triple-double of the season and 12th for his career.
Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, which had lost three of four.
Matas Buzelis scored 20 points on seven-for-10 shooting, and Zach LaVine finished with 18.
Brooklyn lost its third consecutive game – all in the last four days. Dariq Whitehead scored 18 points for the Nets, and Dennis Schroder had 16 points and 10 assists.
Brooklyn played without forward Cam Johnson because of a sprained left ankle – part of a long list of injuries for the Nets. He scored 26 points in Sunday’s 100-92 loss to Orlando.
Chicago guard Coby White also was sidelined by a sprained left ankle.
The Bulls started to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring the Nets 36-22 in the period.
Buzelis’ basket off a pass from Giddey made it 92-72 going into the fourth.
Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey shoots over Brooklyn Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe. PHOTO: AP
ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – South Korea’s consumer prices remained below the central bank’s two per cent target for the third straight month in November, according to data released yesterday.
Consumer prices, a key measure of inflation, rose 1.5 per cent year-on-year in November, following a 1.3 per cent increase in October and a 1.6 per cent rise in September, as reported by Statistics Korea.
Since April, South Korea’s inflation rate has stayed under three per cent, dipping below the two per cent target for the first time in September.
Prices of the overall agricultural, livestock and fisheries products went up one per cent on-year last month, the agency said.
Vegetables, in particular, saw a significant rise of 10.4 per cent compared with the previous year, partly due to unfavourable weather conditions and reduced shipments of key items, such as radishes and cabbages, essential ingredients for kimchi. Meanwhile, fruit prices dropped 8.6 per cent on-year due to stable supply levels.
In contrast, petroleum product prices declined 5.3 per cent from a year earlier in November, driven by easing global oil prices. “The drop is due to the decline in international oil prices compared with the same month last year,” said agency official Baek Ji-seon.
Dubai crude, South Korea’s benchmark, came to USD72.6 per barrel on average last month, reflecting a 13.1 per cent decrease from the same month last year, according to separate data.
On an on-month basis, prices rose 2.4 per cent in November, largely due to the reduction in fuel-tax cuts, the agency said. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, added 1.9 per cent, compared with a 1.8 per cent on-year increase in October, the data showed.
Prices of daily necessities – 144 items closely related to people’s everyday lives, such as food, clothing and housing – climbed 1.6 per cent in November, accelerating from a 1.2 per cent on-year increase in the previous month, the data showed.
“If no significant shocks occur, inflation is expected to remain within the two per cent range,” First Vice Finance Minister Kim Beom-seok said during a meeting with economic officials. He pledged continued government efforts to stabilise prices and support households burdened by the impact of prolonged high inflation.
South Korea has faced significant inflationary pressure in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer prices jumped 5.1 per cent on-year in 2022, marking the highest growth in decades, followed by a slightly lower 3.6 per cent increase in 2023.
The Finance Ministry has said it will alleviate the burden of high energy costs in the winter season by extending its tariff rate quota on energy imports into part of next year.
The tariff rate quota system allows a specified volume of imports to enter the country at reduced tariff rates for a defined period.
The measure is considered crucial for South Korea, which relies heavily on imports for its energy needs.
Pedestrians cross a road in front of the Bank of Korea headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO (AP) – Global shares were mostly higher yesterday after technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record finish.
France’s CAC 40 added nearly 0.9 per cent in early trading to 7,298.06. Germany’s DAX rose 0.7 per cent to 20,041.15, while Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 per cent to 8,360.63.
United States (US) shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures rising less than 0.1 per cent to 44,921.00. S&P 500 futures rose nearly 0.1 per cent to 6,065.50.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9 per cent to finish at 39,248.86. Shares in Tokyo Electron surged 4.3 per cent after the US Commerce Department expanded the list of computer chip-related companies subject to export controls.
Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from President-elect Donald Trump’s latest threats to raise tariffs on other countries.
During the weekend, Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs against a group of developing economies, iif they act to undermine the US dollar.
Taiwan’s Taiex gained 1.3 per cent and the Sensex in India was up 0.8 per cent.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6 per cent to 8,495.20. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.9 per cent to 2,500.10, after inflation data showed a rebound but remained low enough to keep rate-cut hopes alive for early 2025.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.0 per cent to 19,746.32, while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.4 per cent to 3,378.81. Unconfirmed reports said Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year, an annual economic work meeting that investors are hoping to bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy.
This week also brings several big updates on the US job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report.
They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve (Fed), which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy.
Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show US employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes.
On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 0.2 per cent from the previous session’s all-time high to post a record for the 54th time this year, closing at 6,047.15. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 per cent to 44,782.00, while the Nasdaq composite gained one per cent to 19,403.95.
In energy trading early yesterday, benchmark US crude gained 50 cents to USD68.60 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 55 cents to USD72.38 a barrel.
In currency trading, the US dollar rose to JPY149.90 from JPY149.59. The euro inched up to USD1.0525 from USD1.0500.
Currency traders at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AP
LONDON (AFP) – Enzo Maresca says Chelsea can dominate English football over the next decade but insists they are not yet ready for a Premier League title challenge despite their impressive start to the season.
The Blues are third in the English top flight, level on 25 points with Arsenal and nine points behind runaway leaders Liverpool.
Chelsea face bottom-of-the table Southampton tonight, while Liverpool have a testing trip to Newcastle and Arsenal host rejuvenated Manchester United.
Maresca, speaking to reporters yesterday, said Chelsea’s progress in his first season as manager had exceeded his expectations but he urged caution.
“They (Arsenal) have been there in the last two years very close to City and we were very far from City,” said the Italian.
“To be in the title race is a nice pressure for me and for the players – it’s that kind of pressure that you like because you are in the title race – but it is not our case because Arsenal in the last two years they were very, very, very close to City. Liverpool, they have been there and we were not there.
Chelsea’s head coach Enzo Maresca and midfielder Enzo Fernandez celebrate. PHOTO: AP
“Hopefully soon, we can be there.”
Maresca, who has fashioned an effective team from a bloated squad, said Chelsea’s future was bright.
“Because of the age and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five, 10 years, will be one of the teams or the team that is going to dominate English football,” he said.
He added: “I think we are in the right direction and in terms of a personal target, I know from outside you struggle to believe but… I’m focused on Southampton, but I’m not focused about the end of the season, next season, two seasons because it’s not real.”
The former Leicester boss said he was expecting a tough challenge at St Mary’s Stadium despite Southampton’s struggles.
“It is the worst game since we started the season for us and will be the toughest game since we started the season and we need to be ready, otherwise it will be a bad day for us,” he said.
“If you analyse the results, probably they are there but in terms of performance they were winning against Liverpool, they lost against City 1-0 and they drew the last game against Brighton.”
Maresca said defender Wesley Fofana, who reportedly suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 3-0 win against Aston Villa, would be out of action for a few weeks and captain Reece James was also weeks away from a return.
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian international Jordan Petaia said yesterday he has quit rugby to chase his National Football League (NFL) dream, joining a growing list of players setting their sights on the lucrative American sport.
Petaia has earned 31 caps for the Wallabies since his 2019 debut, and is considered one of Australian rugby’s most promising backline talents.
“The decision to step away from rugby hasn’t been easy and one that took a great deal of consideration,” the 24-year-old said in a statement on social media.
“It feels like the right time in my career to pursue this dream I’ve had for a long time.”
Les Kiss, Petaia’s club coach at the Queensland Reds, said he was “one of the most dynamic players in Australia, if not the world”.
The NFL said Petaia had joined its International Player Pathway programme, which gives stars from other sports the chance to be signed by one of 32 teams in the league.
Starting in January, he will spend 10 weeks learning the game in Florida before he gets the chance to impress scouts at a “pro day” in March.
Petaia follows in the footsteps of Australian Jordan Mailata, a little-known rugby league player signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 after coming through the programme.
Mailata, who has impressed during his six years with the Eagles, signed a USD66 million contract extension earlier this year.
Welsh speedster Louis Rees-Zammit stunned the rugby world in January when he quit the sport on the eve of the Six Nations and announced his NFL ambitions.
Rees-Zammit was used sparingly in pre-season games, and was cut from the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man playing roster.
Six athletes have made active rosters for NFL teams after completing the pathway programme, according to the NFL.
Australian international Jordan Petaia in action. PHOTO: AFPFormer Australian rugby player Jordan. PHOTO: AFP
ISTANBUL (AFP) – Turkiye’s annual inflation rate slowed for the sixth month in a row in November, official data showed yesterday, as the central bank has kept borrowing costs high to battle price rises.
Consumer prices rose by 47.1 per cent last month, down from 48.6 per cent in October, according to the Turkish statistics agency. The central bank began to raise interest rates last year to battle soaring prices, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped his opposition to orthodox monetary policy.
Its main interest rate has been kept at 50 per cent for the past eight months.
The central bank has raised its forecast for inflation for this year and the next as consumer price increases slowed less than expected in recent months.
It now expects inflation to reach 44 per cent at the end of 2024, up from a previous estimate in August of 38 per cent.
Consumer prices are expected to rise by 21 per cent by the end of 2025, compared to 14 per cent in the last forecast.
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. PHOTO: AP
AFP – American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher will join 15-a-side club Bristol in January in a bid to play in next year’s women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday.
Maher, 28, helped the USA to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the sport’s most popular player on social media.
“This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said.
“She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field.”
Maher has signed a three-month deal with Bristol ahead of the World Cup, which starts in England in August.
She made her 15-a-side debut for the USA in 2021.
“I am excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears,” Maher said in a club statement.
AP – Consumers in the United States (US) are scouring the Internet for online deals as they look to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday.
Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday – a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation – has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it.
Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expects consumers to spend a record USD13.2 billion, 6.1 per cent more than last year. That would make it the season’s – and the year’s – biggest – shopping day for e-commerce.
Online spending is expected to peak between the hours of 8pm and 10pm, per Adobe – reaching an estimated USD15.7 million spent every minute. For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Consumer spending for Cyber Week – the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday – provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.
Many US consumers continue to experience sticker shock following the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless have remained strong, and the economy has kept growing at a healthy pace.
At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies have been rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use “buy now, pay later” plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items.
Many economist have also warned that President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the US would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles.
The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent – compared to 3.9 per cent in 2023.
A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won’t emerge until the government releases sales data for the period. But some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers.
Lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights Vivek Pandya noted that discounts from Thanksgiving onward have “exceeded expectations” – and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record USD40 billion mark combined. US shoppers spent USD10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2 per cent increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in roughly USD5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record USD6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said. And on Saturday and Sunday, shoppers spent another USD10.9 billion online, up 5.8 per cent over last year.
A FedEx delivery person carries a package from a truck in Denver, United States. PHOTO: AP
Brunei Darussalam is currently in the northeast monsoon, typically persisting until around the end of March 2025, said the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD) in a statement yesterday.
During the first half of the northeast monsoon, the country usually experiences unstable weather conditions, with occasional heavy showers or thundershowers, particularly during the night until early morning. In the second half (February and March 2025), the atmospheric condition tends to become more stable with reduced rainfall activity.
Weather conditions are forecast to be active until Monday, with crossings of showers, occasionally heavy and thundery, expected to affect the inland areas in the afternoon and spread across the coastal and sea areas at night and may persist until early morning. Wind speed may reach up to 45 kilometres per hour (km/h) during heavy or gusty showers. Over Brunei waters, sea state is generally at slight to moderate, between 0.5-1.3 metres.
BDMD advised the public to take precautionary actions as there is a high risk of flash floods, especially at low-lying and flood-prone areas, as well as near the river banks during continuous heavy rain and also during high tide. The risk of landslide, fallen trees and flying roofs are also possible during heavy showers and gusty condition.
The public, road users and fishermen were also advised to always be up to date with the latest weather forecast, advisory and warning issued by the BDMD.
File photo of people using an umbrella during rainfall. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
The Brunei Darussalam Amateur Radio Association (BDARA) held a roadshow in Kampong Sungai Mau during the Recreational Camping Programme recently.
Organised by the Kampong Sungai Mau Village Consultative Council, the roadshow aimed to disseminate information to the villagers on amateur radio, with displays on amateur radio equipment used to communicate with amateur radio friends across the world.
Ten BDARA members also joined the camping activity at the village’s recreational park.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof was the guest of honour. – Lyna Mohamad
PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMADPhotos show Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof during the Brunei Darussalam Amateur Radio Association roadshow. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD
