File photo shows people walking past a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul, Turkiye. PHOTO: AFP
ANKARA (XINHUA) – Turkiye’s central bank held its key interest rate steady at 50 per cent yesterday for the eighth straight month, in line with market expectations.
“The underlying trend of inflation registered a decline in October,” the bank said in a statement, but added that while inflation expectations and pricing behaviour tend to improve, they continue to pose risks to the disinflation process.
The tight monetary stance will be maintained until a significant and sustained decline in the underlying trend of monthly inflation, and inflation expectations converge to the projected forecast range, the bank said.
Turkiye has been grappling with rising inflation and one of the worst cost-of-living crises in its history. From June 2023 to March this year, the central bank raised its key interest rate from 8.5 per cent to 50 per cent to tighten monetary policy and has kept the interest rate unchanged since March.
Turkiye’s annual inflation rate eased to 48.58 per cent in October, according to the official data, still above the government forecasts. Amid stubborn price pressures, the central bank earlier this month raised consumer inflation forecasts for this year and 2025, from previously 38 per cent and 14 per cent to 44 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively.
File photo shows people walking past a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul, Turkiye. PHOTO: AFP
Orlando Magic’s Moritz Wagner and Los Angeles Clippers’ Terance Mann. PHOTO: AP
INGLEWOOD (AP) – James Harden scored 24 points and the Los Angeles Clippers won their sixth game in a row at their new arena, beating the Orlando Magic 104-93.
Harden shot just five of 14 from the field, but he made 11 of 12 free throws to go with seven rebounds and five assists.
Amir Coffey scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac added 17 on eight-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds.
The Magic had their six-game winning streak snapped after holding every opponent under 100 points during that span.
Anthony Black had 17 points and eight assists off the bench to lead five Magic players in double figures. Jalen Suggs added 16 points.
TAKEAWAYS
Magic: They are 7-0 at home, but just 2-7 on the road.
Clippers: Already without Kawhi Leonard, they showed they could win without leading scorer Norman Powell, whose hamstring injury will also keep him out of the home game against Sacramento. Before tipoff, he visited The Wall section comprised of the loudest Clippers fans, who received Powell’s bobblehead as a giveaway.
KEY MOMENT
After leading by three at half-time, the Clippers dominated the third-quarter, outscoring the Magic 30-21.
They took control during a 14-2 spurt and later ran off seven points in a row. The Magic answered with nine straight before the Clippers scored to end the period.
KEY STAT
The Clippers outscored the Magic 17-2 in second-chance points, which nullified their 25 turnovers.
Orlando Magic’s Moritz Wagner and Los Angeles Clippers’ Terance Mann. PHOTO: AP
Stacks of containers seen at Busan Port in Busan, South Korea.
PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
SEOUL (XINHUA) – South Korea’s exports grew by 5.8 per cent year-on-year in the first 20 days of this month largely due to solid demand for locally-made semiconductors, leading to a trade surplus of USD798 million, customs office data showed yesterday.
Outbound shipment stood at USD35.61 billion in the November 1-20 period, according to Korea Customs Service. Semiconductor exports soared 42.5 per cent to USD7.71 billion in the cited period, but automotive shipment dived 17.7 per cent to USD3.1 billion.
Exports for ships, steel products and computers swelled in double figures, but those for oil products, mobile devices, precision machinery and home appliances declined in double digits.
Imports shrank 1.0 per cent to USD34.81 billion in the same period. Notably, imports for crude oil, oil products, mobile devices and cars suffered a double-digit fall.
The country’s monthly exports kept an upward trend for the 13th consecutive month through October.
Stacks of containers seen at Busan Port in Busan, South Korea. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry guarded by Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels during a match
at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, United States. PHOTO: AFP
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points, Stephen Curry added 23 points and eight assists and the Golden State Warriors beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-97.
Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Buddy Hield contributed 11 points off the bench.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Trae Young also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.
Draymond Green, who had made multiple three-pointers in each of the past five games, went zero for four from deep and had nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Warriors.
Green and Wiggins each had two blocked shots.
Guard Brandin Podziemski left the game in the fourth quarter after getting hit in the face and did not return. Coach Steve Kerr said x-rays on Podziemski’s nose, which he broke in a preseason game, were negative.
TAKEAWAYS
Hawks: Atlanta hasn’t won on the Warriors home floor since a 124-108 win on March 26, 2021.
Warriors: Lindy Waters III scored 10 points in place of De’Anthony Melton, who will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee for a partially torn ACL.
KEY MOMENTS
Jonathan Kuminga stole the ball from Bogdan Bogdanovic with 4:36 left in the opening quarter and found Hield for a transition dunk.
Kuminga assisted on a Hield three-pointer less than a minute later that put the Warriors ahead 29-17 and led to an Atlanta timeour. Golden State led 41-22 after the first.
KEY STATS
Atlanta’s 11 first-half turnovers contributed to 15 points for the Warriors, including Andrew Wiggins’ lay-up to beat the half-time buzzer, and put Golden State ahead 67-42 at the break.
Atlanta Hawks Trae Young during an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, United States. PHOTO: APGolden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry guarded by Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels during a match at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, United States. PHOTO: AFP
Pedestrians at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam. PHOTO: XINHUA
HANOI (XINHUA) – Vietnamese consumers buy online products up to four times per month, which shows that Vietnam boasts huge potential for e-commerce development, said director of the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society Tran Minh Tuan under the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Vietnam owns the potential thanks to a market of 100 million people, or 1.23 per cent of the world’s population, and its location next to large markets such as China, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Tuan said at the Vietnam Digital Industry and Trade Summit 2024 yesterday. He said Vietnam looked to transform wholesale and retail sale from physical stores to digital stores in order to earn higher values and increase efficiency.
According to the latest e-Conomy SEA report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, Vietnam’s digital economy is projected to reach USD36 billion in 2024, up 16 per cent from the previous year.
The e-commerce market remains a key pillar of Vietnam’s economy, contributing USD22 billion, up 18 per cent year-on-year, and accounting for 61 per cent of the total digital economy, said the report.
Pedestrians at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam. PHOTO: XINHUA
India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kahli. PHOTO: AP
PERTH (AFP) – Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah insisted yesterday that India were carrying no baggage from their Test whitewash by New Zealand and warned Australia that star batsman Virat Kohli was looking “ominous”.
India head into the first of five Tests against Australia today in Perth on the back of their first home series loss in 12 years.
But speedster Bumrah, who will captain the side after Rohit Sharma stayed home following the birth of his second child, said they were only looking forward.
“The beauty about cricket is even if you win, you start from zero, and even if you lose you start from zero,” he told reporters.
“So that’s how I look at the game.Obviously, yes, we were disappointed and we were down that we had a tough series (against New Zealand).
“But we are not carrying any baggages. We come with a fresh mindset, different opposition and you learn from the changes that have happened in our team.”
With Rohit out, KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran are in line to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, while there are doubts over number three Shubman Gill who has hurt his thumb.
Their bowling line-up is also unclear. Bumrah said India had settled on who would partner him in the attack, but he would wait until the toss to reveal all. Kohli is certain to play, but will pad up under increasing scrutiny after managing only two Test centuries in the last five years and averaging just 15 against New Zealand.
Despite signs that one of the world’s greatest batsmen may be past his best at 36, Bumrah cautioned that Kohli should never be written off.
Kohli has a stellar record in Australia, averaging 54.08.
“He is one of the greats of the game,” said Bumrah.
“He’s the utmost professional that we have in our team. He’s got a lot of success.
“Okay, one or two series here and there can go up and down, but the confidence that he has at this moment, I have no doubts.
“He’s looking to contribute. And the way I’ve seen him at training… the signs are ominous.”
With Bumrah taking the armband, the first Test will have two fast bowlers captaining their teams, with Pat Cummins in charge of Australia.
India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kahli. PHOTO: AP
The SK hynix logo atop the company’s semiconductor plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. PHOTO: YONHAP
SEOUL (XINHUA) – South Korea’s memory chip giant SK hynix said yesterday that it started to mass-produce the world’s first triple-level cell (TLC) 321-high 4D NAND Flash memory chip with one terabyte (TB) capacity.
The chipmaker noted that it became the world’s first supplier of the NAND with more than 300 layers by finding a technological breakthrough for stacking, planning to provide the 321-high products to customers from the first half of next year.
The NAND Flash products are categorised into single-, multi-, triple-, quadruple- and penta-level cells, depending on the amount of information in the format of bit unit that is stored in a cell. To stack more than 300 layers, SK hynix adopted the three plugs process technology that connects three plugs through an optimised follow-up process after three times of plug processes are finished.
The SK hynix logo atop the company’s semiconductor plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. PHOTO: YONHAP
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and teammates lift up the trophy after winning the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena arena in Malaga, southern Spain. PHOTO: AFP
MÁLAGA (AFP) – Italy won the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup for the fifth time as Jasmine Paolini beat Rebecca Sramkova to secure a dominant 2-0 win over Slovakia.
World number four Paolini triumphed 6-2, 6-1 in the second singles rubber to follow up Lucia Bronzetti’s 6-2, 6-4 victory against Viktoria Hruncakova. Italy were runners-up to Canada in last year’s final but went one better in Malaga to become world champions for the first time since 2013.
The victory capped a stunning year for Paolini who finished as runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
“Unbelievable year, unbelievable, to finish like this with the Billie Jean King cup, it’s amazing, I don’t have words to describe it,” said Paolini.
“I’m trying just to enjoy it, it’s important to understand where you are, I feel lucky to be in this position, I feel lucky to be part of this team…
“I’m really happy that this year we could bring the trophy home again.”
Slovakia, who won the competition in 2002, had never lost a BJK Cup tie in Spain.
The underdogs defeated United States, Australia and Great Britain on a stunning run to this year’s final, but Bronzetti breezed past Hruncakova in under 90 minutes.
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and teammates lift up the trophy after winning the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena arena in Malaga, southern Spain. PHOTO: AFP
The in-form Sramkova, ranked 43rd, survived two break points to hold for 2-2 in the first set but the superior Paolini broke for a 4-2 lead, which she consolidated.
The Slovakian double faulted to hand Paolini two set points and the Italian took the first of them when Sramkova slapped a shot into the net. Paolini broke in the second game of the second set and it looked like she might power to victory without a fight, but Sramkova immediately hit back to get back on serve.
Sramkova defeated Danielle Collins, Ajla Tomljanovic and Katie Boulter on Slovakia’s charge to the final but Paolini was a bridge too far.
The 28-year-old Italian restored her advantage with a fizzing forehand to move 3-1 ahead and then consolidated. Having spent most of her career outside the top 50, 2024 has been a huge leap forward for Paolini.
She broke again when Sramkova went long and served it out to seal an emphatic victory in one hour and five minutes.
In the first match world number 78 Bronzetti denied the experienced Hruncakova the chance to use her power and forced her opponent to move around the court.
Bronzetti secured three breaks in the first set, conceding just one in her first service game as she hit her stride. Hruncakova, ranked 159th, battled gamely in the second set, breaking for a 4-2 lead, but the Italian immediately hit back, winning the last four games to triumph.
Bronzetti sealed her victory serving to love when the Slovakian sent a return long, before Paolini finished the job for Italy.
ABOVE & BELOW: Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Nasibah attends the convocation ceremony for the graduating Year 6 students of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Primary School; and Pengiran Muhammad Abdul Haadee Mubasheer bin Pengiran Anak Abdul Badee’ receives his certificate during the ceremony. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM
Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Nasibah attended the convocation ceremony for the graduating Year 6 students of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Primary School at the school premises yesterday.
In an opening speech, school principal Hajah Mariam binti Haji Ladi expressed her jubilation on witnessing and celebrating an academic milestone for the 173 students graduating that day.
“In addition to celebrating the students’ graduation, various awards will be handed to high achieving students, including 21 students who achieved top three in their respective classes, to the special progressive award and teachers awards.”
Following her speech, the ceremony continued with the presentation of certificates and awards to the recipients. Among them was Pengiran Muhammad Abdul Haadee Mubasheer bin Pengiran Anak Abdul Badee’.
The ceremony concluded with a speech by top performing student Muhammad Naeyl Raees bin Dr Haji Norzaidi, on behalf of all the graduating students. Assistant Managing Director of Brunei Investment Agency Ahmad Jefri bin Abdul Rahman as a member of the Yayasan Board of Directors was the guest of honour. – Daniel Lim
ABOVE & BELOW: Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Nasibah attends the convocation ceremony for the graduating Year 6 students of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Primary School; and Pengiran Muhammad Abdul Haadee Mubasheer bin Pengiran Anak Abdul Badee’ receives his certificate during the ceremony. PHOTO: DANIEL LIMPHOTO: DANIEL LIMABOVE & BELOW: Photos show top performing students receiving awards. PHOTO: DANIEL LIMPHOTO: DANIEL LIMPHOTO: DANIEL LIMPHOTO: DANIEL LIM
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof at the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus in Vientiane, Laos. PHOTO: MINDEF
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof headed the Brunei Darussalam delegation to the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, Laos yesterday.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Laos, General Chansamone Chanyalath, observed a report from the ASEAN Secretariat on recent developments in ASEAN.
The ministers and representatives also exchanged views on regional and international security environment, where ADMM-Plus members reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability and recognised the significant role of ASEAN in enabling solidarity, practical cooperation and multilateralism.
The meeting also adopted the Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus on Resilience to Climate-related and Other Natural Disasters, Including Through Best Practices Exchange and Capacity Building.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the ASEAN-China Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting convened and was co-chaired by General Chansamone Chanyalath and Chinese Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun.
This was followed by the commemorative ceremony of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations and the commemorative ceremony of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Republic of Korea Dialogue Relations.
A handing over ceremony of the ADMM Chairmanship from Laos to Malaysia officially marked the conclusion of Laos’ chairmanship of ADMM for 2024. Malaysia will assume the role of Chair for ADMM and its related meetings for 2025 with the ADMM Retreat, the 19th ADMM and the 12th ADMM-Plus scheduled to take place in February and November 2025 respectively. The theme for Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ADMM and its related meetings is ‘ASEAN Unity for Security and Prosperity’.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Alirupendi bin Haji Perudin as Brunei Darussalam’s ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus (ADSOM-Plus) leader and Brunei Ambassador to Laos Haji Roslan bin Haji Yacub were part of the delegation.
The meeting was attended by defence ministers and representatives from the ADMM-Plus countries, ASEAN Secretariat as well as Timor-Leste as an observer of the ADMM, ADMM-Plus and related meetings.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof at the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Vientiane, Laos. PHOTO: MINDEF
