Finally beaten Madrid aiming for Villarreal rebound in La Liga

Sports

October 5, 2024

Real Madrid’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti looks on during a training session. PHOTO: AFP

BARCELONA (AFP) – Reigning Spanish and European champions Real Madrid have started the season below their brilliant best and this week finally tumbled to a first defeat since January.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side were beaten at Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday and trail Hansi Flick’s Barcelona by three points in La Liga.

Madrid host Villarreal today aiming to pull level on points with their Catalan rivals at the top of the table for the first time this season.

Los Blancos began the campaign with a draw at Mallorca on the first day of the season and have been playing catch-up since then.

Barca won their first seven matches in a row but finally stumbled last weekend at Osasuna.

Madrid could not take full advantage as they were held to a 1-1 draw by neighbours Atletico Madrid, but can put pressure on Barca, who visit Alaves tomorrow, with a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

To achieve that against an enterprising Villarreal side just a point behind Madrid in third, they will have to raise their game significantly.

Madrid came undone in the north of France, suffering their first loss in 37 matches across all competitions.

“When we lost the derby (against Atletico) last year it was a fantastic wake-up call and hopefully this defeat can also be a fantastic wake-up call,” said Ancelotti.

“We did everything wrong – with the ball, transitions, the intensity, we lost the duels… we have to look at things with a cool head and not throw everything away, but we have to improve.”

Madrid were able to bring on Kylian Mbappe against Lille after a thigh injury and the French striker could start against Villarreal.

As strong as the Yellow Submarine have been, spearheaded by Spain international Ayoze Perez, they have conceded in every match so far this season.

Madrid still seem to be struggling without midfield maestro Toni Kroos, who retired after helping the team to a La Liga and Champions League double.

Los Blancos will also line up with Ukrainian goalkeeper Andre Lunin between the sticks with Thibaut Courtois out injured. “We have to analyse and improve in the next game because there is no time – there are many games and we have to win,” said Lunin after the Lille defeat.

Villarreal may be without Perez, who missed Monday’s win over Las Palmas with muscular discomfort and Gerard Moreno is also sidelined, but striker Thierno Barry is finding form for Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side.

The French striker scored and got an assist as Villarreal moved up to third with the 3-1 win.

Girona and Atletico Madrid also suffered Champions League defeats on Wednesday and both are in action on Sunday, against tricky Basque sides Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad respectively.

Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay

Business

October 5, 2024

A palm oil farmer transporting palm oil seeds in Kampar, Riau province, Indonesia. PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK (AFP) – Producers from Malaysia’s palm oil industry to Vietnam’s coffee sector on Thursday welcomed a European Union (EU) decision to delay implementation of its anti-deforestation rules.

The year-long delay triggered immediate outcry from environmental groups, but the legislation had faced substantial pushback from many governments and industries.

They criticised the law, which intended to prevent the import of products that drive deforestation, for confusing rules and complex documentation requirements that they said would particularly burden small-scale farmers.

The EU’s decision to delay was a relief, said chair of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association Trinh Duc Minh.

“The extension of the timeline is necessary and reasonable,” he told AFP, though he noted coffee prices that rose as companies stockpiled before the deadline might now drop.

Head of Vietnamese coffee exporter An Thai Group Nguyen Xuan Loi also hailed the news as a “positive move”.

“In reality, Vietnam has been strictly managing deforestation issues,” he told AFP.

“There are hardly any violations anymore.”

Global Forest Watch said Vietnam’s primary forest loss has fallen from a peak in 2016, but the country still lost about 16,500 hectares in 2023, with commodity-driven deforestation a leading cause.

EU imports accounted for 16 per cent of deforestation linked to global trade in 2017, according to World Wide Fund for Nature.

When the law was adopted in 2023 it was hailed as a major breakthrough to protect nature and the climate.

It requires exporters of cocoa, soy, timber, cattle, palm oil, rubber, coffee – and items derived from those products – to certify their goods were not produced on land deforested after December 2020.

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Countries including Malaysia and Indonesia have vocally opposed the new rules and the chorus of criticism grew louder as the December implementation deadline neared, with Brazil and the United States among those voicing concern.

Malaysia’s Palm Oil Council welcomed the proposed delay as a “victory for common sense”.

The decision is a “welcome relief for all those businesses who highlighted the need for a delay,” the body’s head Belvinder Kaur Sron said.

“Malaysia has over the past two years consistently provided evidence… that the implementation date of December 30 was unworkable, and the EU systems were not ready,” the council added in a statement.

It called for the EU to address outstanding demands, including exemptions for smallholders, clear benchmarking criteria and accepting Malaysia’s sustainable palm oil standard.

Bayern look to rebound at bogey side Frankfurt

Sports

October 5, 2024

Bayern Munich’s midfielder Joshua Kimmich, forward Harry Kane and midfielder Leon Goretzka. PHOTO: AFP

BERLIN (AFP) – Bayern Munich travel to bogey side Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow looking to rebound having dropped points twice in the space of a week.

The Bavarians opened the season under Vincent Kompany with six straight wins, but were held to a 1-1 draw at home by champions Bayer Leverkusen last Sunday and then lost 1-0 at Aston Villa in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Frankfurt’s excellent start to the season means they sit just one point behind Bayern, who sit atop the Bundesliga table.

Bayern’s recent history with Frankfurt is remarkably even. In their past seven games each side have won three, with one draw.

In the corresponding fixture last season, Frankfurt dealt the previously unbeaten Bayern a telling blow, winning 5-1 to expose the vulnerabilities in a side which finished the season trophyless.

The duels have been as unpredictable as they have been entertaining, often with off-field consequences.

Frankfurt upset Munich 3-1 to lift the German Cup in 2018 – after which Bayern poached Eagles’ coach Niko Kovac.

Kovac’s time at Bayern was an unhappy one however and eventually came to an end in November 2019, after Frankfurt unleashed a 5-1 thrashing on the German giants.

In the 14 clashes since that cup final, one side has scored five or more goals seven times.

While Bayern’s status as Germany’s big cheese is unquestioned, Frankfurt have quietly improved on and off the park in recent decades.

Bayern and Frankfurt are the only two German sides to have won a European trophy this century.

Frankfurt have played in three of the past eight German Cup finals, the same as Bayern and one more than powerhouses Borussia Dortmund.

The sides’ two top goalscorers are also neck and neck. Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush leads the league with six goals, followed by Harry Kane who has five.

Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally

Business

October 5, 2024

Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AP

LONDON (AFP) – Oil prices rose further yesterday as tensions mount in the Middle East, while Hong Kong’s stock markets resumed a rally caused by China’s recently-announced measures to stimulate its economy.

Europe’s main equity indices diverged nearing the half-way stage, with London weighed down by a rebounding pound alongside gains for Paris and Frankfurt.

The dollar was mixed against its main rivals as traders awaited key US jobs data that could give a clearer idea of the pace of planned interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

“Oil prices continued their ascent,” noted investment director at trading group AJ Bell Russ Mould, as Brent North Sea crude and the main US contract each gained about one per cent.

“This is good news for oil producers but bad news for millions of companies and consumers as they face higher energy and transport costs,” he added.

Buyers of company shares were back in the driving seat in Hong Kong, after a pause on Thursday to the rally that started last week thanks to Beijing unveiling a raft of economy-boosting measures.

The stimulus – mainly targeting the property sector – has seen stocks in the city and mainland China enjoy a blistering run of more than 20 per cent on hopes that Beijing can finally reignite growth.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed up almost three per cent yesterday, with tech firms leading the charge, while developers – who have seen eye-watering gains over the past week – fluctuated as investors awaited cues from China.

Mainland Chinese markets were closed for the Golden Week holiday.

There were also gains in Tokyo at the end of a rollercoaster week dictated by a volatile yen after the election of Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister.

“Investors are likely to remain on edge as they weigh the evolving monetary policy signals from Japan against shifting geopolitical developments,” said ACY Securities currency analyst Luca Santos.

US, India to cooperate on critical minerals

Business

October 5, 2024

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States (US) and India are set to work together on supply chains for critical minerals that are key to clean energy technologies, the US Commerce Department said on Thursday in a statement.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met in the US capital Washington on Thursday, inking a deal to “expand and diversify” critical mineral supply lines.

The aim of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was to increase resilience in the critical minerals sector, said the statement.

Both sides will also identify ways to facilitate “commercial development of US and Indian critical minerals exploration, extraction, processing and refining, recycling, and recovery”, the statement added.

Tsitsipas gets revenge against Nishikori at Shanghai Masters

Sports

October 5, 2024

SHANGHAI (AFP) – Stefanos Tsitsipas served sweet revenge after months of bad form yesterday when he defeated Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets to advance into the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

Tsitsipas – who suffered a shock defeat to Nishikori in Montreal in August – battled through two tight sets to win 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.

“I’m glad of the win,” Tsitsipas said on court afterwards, adding he had shown “great fighting spirit” towards the end.

“I’m pleased I managed to overcome the obstacle of Kei”.

The Greek, once ranked third in the world, has slipped out of the ATP top 10 in recent months to now stand at 12th.

The loss in August to Nishikori, who is a former world number four but was ranked 576th at the beginning of the Montreal tournament, was followed swiftly by Tsitsipas dropping his father as coach after publicly criticising him.

“I did want to put out a fight and I wanted to show that I can go out there and play a good match against (Nishikori),” the 26-year-old said yesterday.

The match was closely fought, with the first set ending with a nail-biting tiebreaker that could have gone either way.

“Being able to win (the tiebreaker), coming back and helping me win the first set was an important and critical moment,” Tsitsipas told reporters after the match.

“Overcoming it was good, because it felt like I was able to restart now with a new mindset and it helped me get a bit of confidence.”

In the second set, 34-year-old Nishikori, who has been plagued in recent seasons by injury, required a medical time-out.

Egypt’s GDP growth slows to 2.4 per cent

Business

October 5, 2024

CAIRO (XINHUA) – The growth rate of Egypt’s gross domestic product slowed to 2.4 per cent in the fiscal year 2023/24 that ended in June, down from 3.8 per cent in the previous fiscal year, according to a statement released by the country’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development on Thursday.

The statement attributed the decline to successive external shocks, geopolitical tensions, and the austerity policies adopted by the government to restore macroeconomic stability, especially through tighter governance of public investments.

The statement noted that Suez Canal revenues were among the hardest hit by regional geopolitical tensions, suffering a 30-per-cent decline in the 2023/24 fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year.

Additionally, oil and natural gas production declined by 4.7 per cent due to reduced foreign investments in new well exploration.

Top seed Sabalenka stunned by Muchova in Beijing last eight

Sports

October 5, 2024

BEIJING (AFP) – The 49th-ranked Karolina Muchova stunned top seed Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to reach the China Open semi-finals yesterday.

The Czech player won 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4 and faces China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen or 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva for a place in the final.

Last year’s US Open champion Coco Gauff plays Spain’s former world number two Paula Badosa in the other semi-final in Beijing.

World number two Sabalenka was on a streak of 15 victories in a row, claiming titles in Cincinnati and then the US Open for the first time.

The Belarusian previously had trouble though with Muchova, who this time last year was inside the top 10 before injury struck.

US Open semi-finalist Muchova had won the last two meetings between them with both going to a deciding set.

This encounter proved to be just as tight.

Three-time major champion Sabalenka faced three break points at the start but she held firm, then had a sniff herself on her opponent’s serve at 2-1, but Muchova similarly refused to buckle.

The hard-hitting Sabalenka had set point on Muchova’s serve at 5-4 but surrendered the opportunity when she rattled her forehand wide on the Czech’s second serve.

IEA warns of complicated global gas supply as winter approaches

Business

October 5, 2024

The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency in front of its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (BERNAMA) – The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that rising global gas consumption and geopolitical tensions may complicate supply as countries approach winter, the German news agency dpa reported.

According to the agency’s latest report, industrial demand, particularly from Asia, is driving a significant increase in gas usage.

The agency projected global gas demand to rise by over 2.5 per cent this year, reaching a record high of 4,200 billion cubic metres, with an additional increase of 2.3 per cent anticipated by 2025. One of the main uncertainties as European winter approaches was the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, the IEA said.

Current contracts are set to expire at the end of 2024, which could potentially halt all Russian gas supplies to Europe via this route, the IEA said, adding that Europe would need to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the coming year.

This would place additional pressure on global supplies, as LNG is essential for maintaining the balance between supply and demand.

The IEA said that while bottlenecks in the Panama Canal and the Red Sea were impacting shipping, they had not yet caused a decline in LNG supplies.

Maguire spares Manchester United’s blushes in Europe as Chelsea, Tottenham win

Sports

October 5, 2024

Manchester United’s English defender Harry Maguire celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (AFP) – Harry Maguire struck in the 91st minute to spare Manchester United’s blushes as they rescued a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, while Chelsea kickstarted their Conference League campaign with a home win.

Tottenham maintained their 100 per cent start in the Europa League at Ferencvaros but Serie A side Roma went down 1-0 in Sweden against Elfsborg.

The beleaguered Erik ten Hag’s Man United made a blistering start in Porto with goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund firing them into a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes.

But Pepe pulled one back for the hosts on 27 minutes before a brace by Samu Omorodion either side of the break flipped the game on its head. Bruno Fernandes was given his marching orders for a high boot with nine minutes remaining and United seemed to be heading to a second defeat in a week after losing their skipper to another red card.

But Maguire popped up in injury time to head in from a corner and grab the Manchester club their second draw in two Europa League outings this term and relieve some of the pressure on Ten Hag.

Manchester United’s English defender Harry Maguire celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Europa League match against FC Porto. PHOTO: AFP

“I don’t judge us in this moment. Judge us at the end of the season,” Ten Hag told TNT Sports.

“We are in the process. Just wait. We have to develop this team. We will work and continue. We will fight.”

Chelsea marked their first-ever appearance in the Conference League with a 4-2 win over visiting Belgian side Gent.

Manager Enzo Maresca utilised his large squad, naming an entirely different starting XI to the one that played in the league at the weekend.

Renato Veiga headed Chelsea into the lead in the 12th minute, which Pedro Neto then doubled one minute after the interval.

Tsuyoshi Watanabe made it 2-1 in the 50th minute but two goals from Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in seven minutes killed off the tie before Omri Gandelman scored a consolation.

A 44th-minute penalty by Michael Baidoo was enough to give Elfsborg a surprise 1-0 win at home to Roma, who sit on one point after two games.

Earlier, Tottenham ground out a 2-1 win away to Hungary’s Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

Goals in both halves from Pape Sarr and Brennan Johnson did the job for spurs despite a late Barnabas Varga strike.

“I’m really happy. It’s never easy going away from home in Europe,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou told TNT sports.

“You saw the atmosphere tonight, there were a lot of things to deal with and also with four teenagers (in the team).”

An inexperienced Spurs side made a slow start and Ferencvaros thought they had taken the lead in the 18th minute through Varga, but VAR ruled that there had been an offside in the build-up.

The Premier League club broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Sarr was the only player in the Ferencvaros box to keep his cool.

The home side failed to clear the danger on three occasions, allowing Sarr to pounce and slot home from inside the six-yard box.

As Ferencvaros started to threaten late on, Johnson got his fifth in as many games with a left-footed finish that kissed the post on its way into the back of the net in the 86th minute.

And Spurs needed the two-goal buffer as Varga scored in the 90th minute to set up a nervous finale.

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

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