Flick takes ‘blame’ as Osasuna halt Barca’s perfect start

Sports

September 29, 2024

Barcelona’s German coach Hans-Dieter Flick reacts to Osasuna’s third goal during the Spanish league match between CA Osasuna and FC Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona.

BARCELONA (AFP) – Osasuna shattered La Liga leaders Barcelona’s perfect start to the season with an emphatic 4-2 victory on Saturday and their coach Hansi Flick said he would take the blame.

The Catalans won all seven of their opening fixtures but Flick’s heavily rotated side came badly undone in Pamplona as Ante Budimir scored a brace either side of Bryan Zaragoza’s strike.

Pau Victor had given Barca a lifeline to pull them back into the game before Budimir bagged his second from the penalty spot.

Abel Bretones added a sensational fourth from the edge of the box, before Lamine Yamal pulled one back with a fine effort of his own.

Victory would have matched Barcelona’s best ever start to a league campaign with eight consecutive wins, but they were not able to build on their four-point lead on second-place Real Madrid.

The Spanish champions visit Atletico Madrid, third, in a derby clash on Sunday.

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and Osasuna midfielder Lucas Torro Marset vie for the ball. PHOTO: AFP

“In the first half we made a lot of mistakes, it’s not normal we play like this – we had a lot of changes in the team and this is maybe one reason for that,” Flick told reporters.

“I think it was necessary. We had so many matches, a lot of players had so many minutes, I have to take care about that. This is my responsibility.

“If you want to blame someone for this defeat then take me.”

Ahead of a Champions League match against Young Boys on Tuesday, Flick felt he had to shuffle his pack, especially after Barca lost at Monaco in their European opener.

The coach, missing several key players through injury, handed starts to inexperienced defenders Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez as well as Pablo Torre in midfield and Victor in attack.

The coach rested Spain Euro 2024 starlet Yamal and Brazilian winger Raphinha among other regular picks.

Osasuna players celebrate their goal. PHOTO: AFP

As a result Barcelona failed to ignite in the first half and Osasuna winger Zaragoza took centre-stage.

Last season Zaragoza struck twice while playing for Granada in a 2-2 draw against Barca, a performance which helped earn him a move to Bayern Munich.

On loan from the German giants, Zaragoza created the opener for target-man Budimir with a fine cross, which the Croatian nodded home with ease in the 18th minute after escaping the attentions of Dominguez.

Zaragoza finished the second himself 10 minutes later after being sent through on goal, with the winger bypassing goalkeeper Inaki Pena with a fine ball roll and then slotting into the empty net.

Barcelona complained there had been a foul on Victor in the build-up but the referee waved their complaints away.

The leaders created little themselves, with the best opening falling to Ferran Torres. However the Spanish winger miscontrolled on the edge of the box and was quickly swallowed up by the Osasuna defence.

– End-to-end –
Victor pulled Barcelona back into the game after Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera gave the ball away with a poor throw and then could not keep out his early shot from distance.

With Yamal and Raphinha thrown into the fray Barcelona began to threaten increasingly, although top scorer Robert Lewandowski was taken off with 20 minutes remaining after a flat display.

Against the run of play Osasuna increased their lead.

Dominguez, 19, scythed down Budimir in the area as he went to shoot and the striker buried the penalty.

Ruben Pena wasted a glorious chance to grab a fourth but Bretones made no mistake with a vicious effort from the edge of the box.

Yamal hit back brilliantly from range and teed up Torres who struck the post, but it was too little, too late.

“It’s normal there are rotations, there are a lot of games, it’s not an excuse,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar.

“In the second half we deserved a bit more but we let in goals when we were at our best.”

Osasuna rose to sixth and Zaragoza said his team had been determined to beat the leaders.

“We knew Barca were an incredible team, they had won everything and we knew we had to get stuck into it, and that’s how we went out there,” explained the winger.

“It’s a special game and really nice to play in.”

Earlier Real Sociedad defeated Valencia 3-0 and Getafe won their first game of the season with a 2-0 home victory over Alaves. Rayo Vallecano and Leganes shared a 1-1 draw.

rbs/ea/pb

Indonesia landslide death toll revised down to 11

Southeast Asia

September 29, 2024

Rescue personnel transfer an injured villager after a landslide in West Sumatra, Indonesia. PHOTO: XINHUA

JAKARTA (AFP) – The death toll in a landslide at an illegal mine in Indonesia has been revised down to 11, with miscounting linked to the remote location, a local disaster agency official said yesterday.

The landslide hit a remote site in West Sumatra province on Sumatra island on Thursday evening after heavy rains in the area, with rescue workers struggling to locate the dead and injured.

Search efforts were being hindered by the remote location, with rescuers including police officers, soldiers and civilians having to walk for hours from the nearest village to reach the area. “The number declined, from 15 people dead to 11,” disaster agency official Irwan Effendy in West Sumatra’s Solok district told AFP.

No-one remains missing, Irwan said a day after officials reported 25 people unaccounted for.

“Due to the remote location of the landslide, which requires a four to six hour walk, and the lack of communication networks, there was a mismatched number of victims.”

He told AFP that 13 people were also found injured after the landslide at an “illegal” mine.

Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.

Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April, but some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that season in recent years.

164 illegal immigrants in Malaysia arrested in entertainment centre raid

Southeast Asia

September 29, 2024

The suspects get into a truck. PHOTO: BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR (BERNAMA) – The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) raided an entertainment centre in Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night and arrested 164 illegal immigrants.

The entertainment centre, located inside a shopping mall, is alleged to offer foreign guest relations officers (GROs) to customers for a fee ranging from MYR1,000 to MYR100,000.

Several women attempted to escape when the raiding party entered the premises, causing some of them to fall and injure themselves. A search by the JIM team found some of them hiding in toilets and a storeroom.

Kuala Lumpur JIM director Wan Mohamed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the 164 illegal immigrants arrested in the raid which started at 11.45pm on Friday and ended at 1.30am yesterday, were between 21 and 60 years old.

They comprised 114 Thai nationals, including a man; 12 Vietnamese; a woman from Laos, a Filipino woman, 27 Bangladeshi men and nine Chinese nationals, two of them women, he told reporters after the raid early yesterday.

He said they were arrested for various offences under the Immigration Act 1963, Some of the women are holders of Long-Term Social Visit Passes or Spouse Passes, but they do not know where their husbands are, he said.

He added that the owner of the premises and four caretakers were also arrested for allegedly employing and harbouring illegal immigrants.

Wan Mohamed Saupee said the raid was conducted following two weeks of intelligence over complaints from the public of drunk customers from the entertainment centre creating a nuisance, including fighting, in the surrounding area.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Immigration Department director Wan Mohamed Saupee Wan Yusoff speaks to reporters after the raid. PHOTO: BERNAMA

Search underway for missing Singaporean in Everest

Southeast Asia

September 29, 2024

THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN – Search-and-rescue efforts were underway for a Singaporean individual who reportedly disappeared in the Everest area.

According to a social media post, Harry Tan, 76, was last seen in the vicinity of the Kongma La Pass in Nepal, situated to the south of Everest Base Camp.

In response to inquiries from The Straits Times (ST), a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed that they are maintaining close communication with both the family of the missing person and the local authorities in Nepal, facilitated by the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi.

“Search-and-rescue operations are under way,” the spokesperson said, adding that MFA will continue to monitor developments and give the family consular support.

According to trekking websites, the Kongma La Pass is a challenging trekking route at a high altitude.

It offers views of Mount Everest and is part of the Three Passes Trek that can take about two to three weeks to complete.

Raj Tamang, 58, the founder of Responsible Adventures, a trekking company based in Kathmandu, Nepal, told ST that he learnt on Thursday about what had happened to Tan.

Tamang, a Nepali who grew up in Singapore, said he got to know Tan in 2015 through a golf tour in Nepal that he helped to organise for a group of golfers from Seletar Golf Club.

In 2019, the pair went on a trek to Everest Base Camp, during which Tan had hit golf balls, teeing off from a height of more than 5,000 metres (m).

Tamang said, “Harry is a very fit person. He takes very good care of himself, for example, by having proper vegan meals. He’s a good listener and is willing to learn.”

He added that before Tan started training for the conditions of Mount Everest, he could not stand the cold. But he trained himself to get used to it.

Speaking about their trek in 2019, Tamang said: “When we were at the highest point at 5,180m, that’s where he said he slept the best – when he should have been the coldest and most uncomfortable. That’s how much he had adjusted himself.

“I hope to be trekking when I’m in my 80s and Harry is one of the inspirations for me.”

In May 2023, a 39-year-old Singaporean went missing after reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

After reaching the top, he told his wife through a message from his satellite phone that he had come down with high-altitude cerebral edema, a severe type of high-altitude illness. He did not make it down the mountain and a search-and-rescue team was not able to find him.

Trolls and typos

Lifestyle

September 29, 2024

ANN/THE DAILY STAR – Ah, social media – our modern battleground where netizens, armed with memes and hashtags, engage in heated debates. On platforms like Facebook or Instagram, ordinary individuals transform into keyboard warriors, ready to spar over trivial issues like the correct usage of ‘your’ vs. ‘you’re’.

It all begins innocently enough. Imagine a peaceful sunset photo with a caption like, “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” Beautiful, right?

But then someone comments, “Actually, sunsets are just an illusion caused by Earth’s atmosphere…” And just like that, a simple post spirals into debates on climate change, flat Earth theories, and whether pineapple belongs on pizza.

Now, onto the art of making insensitive remarks. Social media comments are often a free-for-all where empathy goes to die. A user posts about their pet passing away, and amid the condolences, there’s always that one person who comments, “It’s just a dog, get over it.”

Ah, thank you, kind sir, your unsolicited wisdom has cured all grief. Why go to therapy when you can have your emotions invalidated for free in the comments section?

Then there’s the battleground of body positivity, a noble cause turned into a circus by misinterpretation and mockery.

A post meant to uplift and empower often becomes a target for ridicule because someone decides that the concept of celebrating all body types is too revolutionary.

Comments like, “Why promote unhealthy lifestyles?” “Why glorify obesity!” rain down, completely missing the point that body positivity is about self-love and respect, not health directives issued by the faceless masses of the Internet.

But why, oh why, do we engage in this digital gladiatorial combat? Are we so desperate for validation that we must triumph in every online skirmish? Is there a secret prize for the most arguments sparked in the comments section of a recipe video? If so, may the odds be ever in your favour, dear warriors?

Thanks to the lack of tone in the text, sarcasm often flies overhead, jokes land with a thud, and genuine compliments are viewed with suspicion.

It’s like playing an emotional scene from a movie with every comment you leave. Will they understand the joke? Will they send an angry mob with virtual pitchforks? Stay tuned to find out.

Now, for a radical idea: What if we were more conscientious with our comments?

Imagine a world where we pause, ponder, and proceed with kindness before hitting send. A comment could be a place for encouragement, a constructive critique, or – if you disagree and feel the urge to start a keyboard war – maybe, just maybe, keep scrolling.

It’s a wild thought, but consider the serenity of a comments section where civility reigns. Revolutionary, isn’t it?

As much as the absurdity of Facebook and Instagram comments provides endless entertainment and bewilderment, let’s remember that behind every comment is a person. A little empathy can go a long way in making social media a bit less of a battlefield and more of a community.

So, the next time you gear up to drop a comment, ask yourself: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If not, maybe keep that gem to yourself, or at least, make it funny enough that we can all have a good laugh.

Madrid can cover Mbappe injury absence in derby: Ancelotti

Sports

September 29, 2024

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe talks with Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti. PHOTO: AFP

MADRID (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team will be able to cope without injured star signing Kylian Mbappe in today’s La Liga visit to rivals Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos take on their rivals without the French forward, ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

The Spanish champions are second, four points behind leaders Barcelona and two ahead of third-place Atletico. “Obviously playing without Mbappe changes things a bit, but not much,” Ancelotti told reporters yesterday.

“We’re used to playing without him because last year he wasn’t here. It’s a pity that he’s not here but his absence we can cover for well.” Real Madrid still have plenty of attacking options including Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and potential Ballon d’Or winner Vinicius Junior.

The Brazilian has burst into form in recent weeks and is set to lead the charge against Diego Simeone’s side, though, some Atletico fans are threatening to knock him off his stride by racially abusing him.

This week a Mallorca fan was sentenced to a year in prison for abusing the forward and he has also suffered similar abuse on previous visits to Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium. On social media a group of Atletico supporters have launched a campaign this week encouraging fans to wear a face mask to the stadium, to be able to abuse Vinicius without detection.

Ancelotti did not want to discuss the issue but insisted the match would be “an entertaining spectacle”. Real Madrid lost at Atletico in September 2023 and have not been beaten in 39 La Liga matches since. “It’s a difficult game, that’s clear, but each match has its own story and we have a plan, let’s see if it goes well,” said Ancelotti.

“We have to avoid the mistakes of last year, that’s quite obvious. What we’ve learned could serve us well for tomorrow’s game.”

Ancelotti confirmed French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was fit to take part in the derby having recovered from an injury.

FIFA ban Argentina goalkeeper Martinez for ‘offensive behaviour’

Sports

September 29, 2024

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with the Golden Glove award. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (AFP) – Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been banned for two matches by FIFA for “offensive behaviour”, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced yesterday.

The 32-year-old Aston Villa star was also found guilty of “violating principles of fairplay” in two separate episodes.

Martinez was found to have violated FIFA’s code of conduct when holding a replica of the Copa America trophy to his groin after the World Cup qualifier win over Chile on September 5.

It is not the first time Martinez has performed such an action having also done it with the Golden Glove trophy for best goalkeeper after Argentina beat France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final.

FIFA also sanctioned him for hitting a TV cameraman’s camera with his gloves after their 2-1 defeat by Colombia on September 10.

The AFA expressed their dissatisfaction with the FIFA ruling.

“It should be noted that the Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee,” they said in a statement.

As a result of the decision Martinez – also a key member of the Argentina side that won the Copa America in July, as well as the 2021 edition – will miss the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15.

Argentina are top of the South American qualifying table with 18 points after eight matches. Colombia are just two points behind.

Olympic champ Zheng joins Sabalenka in Beijing 3rd round

Sports

September 29, 2024

ABOVE & BELOW: Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka; and China’s Zheng Qinwen. PHOTO: AFP

BEIJING (AFP) – Olympic champion and hometown hero Zheng Qinwen thrilled a packed house at the China Open yesterday to join top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in Beijing.

Sabalenka laboured in the first set before defeating tricky Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1 in her first match since winning the US Open.

Zheng, playing at home for the first time since winning Paris gold, swatted aside 71st-ranked Russian Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-1 in 75 minutes.

Sabalenka and Zheng are on course to meet in the semi-finals in a repeat of the Australian Open final, where the Belarusian crushed her opponent 6-3, 6-2.

But with the crowd screaming her on, the 21-year-old Zheng should be a different proposition in the Chinese capital.

The fifth seed plays Nadia Podoroska of Argentina or Ukraine’s 25th seed Dayana Yastremska next.

Sabalenka faces 68th-ranked Ashlyn Krueger of the United States.

The world number two made hard work in the first set of an opponent ranked 187 in the world and playing the biggest match of her young career.

Sabalenka barely raised a smile at the end after eventually easing to a straight-sets victory.

“I’m super-happy to get through this match,” the 26-year-old said.

“In the first set I was struggling a little bit with the rhythm, with the speed of the court, with the way balls are getting heavier.

“In the second set seems like everything started working much better.” The 22-year-old Mananchaya may have been inexperienced at this level but the athletic Thai refused to give up seemingly lost causes.

Mananchaya struggled though on serve and three-time major champion Sabalenka broke for a 4-2 first-set lead.

The Thai refused to be overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s far greater power and she broke back immediately, to roars of approval from the Beijing crowd. An error-prone Sabalenka could not get into her groove but created a first set point on the Thai’s serve, only to put a straightforward volley wide.

She made no mistake on her second opportunity and then broke for 3-1 in the second set as she belatedly found form.

Also into the third round of the WTA 1000 event is third seed Jasmine Paolini, but the Italian did it the hard way, fighting back to beat Denmark’s Clara Tauson 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.

World number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek pulled out before the tournament because of “personal matters”.

Sri Lanka scent series victory as New Zealand 199-5 after follow-on

Sports

September 29, 2024

GALLE (AFP) – Sri Lanka were just five wickets away from a crushing second Test and series victory over New Zealand yesterday, with the tourists 199-5 at stumps on the third day, having followed on after collapsing to 88 all out in their first innings.

Tom Blundell was not out on 47 and Glenn Phillips on 32 when bad light forced an early end to play in Galle after debutant off-spinner Nishan Peiris took three top-order wickets.

“Obviously the first innings wasn’t ideal. It was a bitter pill to swallow,” said Blundell afterwards. “Things were happening very quick. Sri Lanka are a very good team and their spinners bowled really well.”

Devon Conway, battling to save both his team and his place in the side, joined forces with former captain Kane Williamson in a dogged 97-run partnership for the second wicket.

De Silva lured Conway, who had made 61 off 62 balls, into a drive towards the vacant deep cover boundary that was caught by Dinesh Chandimal in a spectacular backward running catch.

SEA durian exporters vie for China’s booming market

Business

September 29, 2024

Workers pack durians at a factory in Chanthaburi, Thailand. PHOTO: XINHUA

NANNING (XINHUA) – At Youyiguan, or Friendship Pass, on the China-Vietnam border, trucks loaded with Vietnamese durians are entering China one after another.

This bustling scene at the border port, located in Pingxiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, mirrors the growing popularity of Vietnamese durians among Chinese consumers.

Fruit wholesaler Guan Caixia in Nanning, capital city of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, testified to the existence of durian fever.

Vietnamese Kanyao durians have become a top seller at her stall, often selling out by the afternoon. “Many consumers and retailers return for more after tasting Vietnamese durians for the first time,” she said.

The rise of Vietnamese durians in China is a recent phenomenon. Fresh Vietnamese durians didn’t enter the Chinese market until 2022, but they have quickly captured the palates of Chinese consumers.

Last year, some 493,000 tonnes of fresh Vietnamese durians were sold to China. China is the world’s largest importer and consumer of durians, and its demand for this thorny fruit has continued to soar, with data showing its durian imports surging over 70 per cent year on year to about 1.43 million tonnes in 2023.

This rapid growth presents a golden opportunity for durian exporters, especially those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China’s continuous efforts to facilitate trade with ASEAN countries, including the building of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), have further opened up its door to durian producers.

In June, China greenlighted fresh durian imports from Malaysia, making that country the fourth Southeast Asian nation to gain access to the lucrative Chinese market – following Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Analysts believe that the influx of more durian varieties is set to reshape China’s market landscape and predicted that the battle for market share would get more intense down the road.

Fruit dealer from Pingxiang Ye Hongxiang has businesses in both Thailand and Vietnam.

According to Ye, weather conditions this year have affected the quality and yield of durians in Thailand’s orchards, making high-quality Vietnamese durians a more attractive option for buyers. “Chinese customers are more familiar with Thai durians as they were the first to enter the market. However, with the introduction of Vietnamese durians, I believe more domestic consumers will come to appreciate their high quality thanks to promotions via channels such as e-commerce,” Ye said.

Facing increasing competition, Director of the commercial office of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Nanning Niti Pratoomvongsa, sees both opportunities and challenges for Thai durians.

Thailand plans to continuously improve product packaging, preservation and transportation while also holding events like durian festivals to build brand awareness among Chinese customers, and to develop more products made from durians to win over the Chinese market, the director said.

DSR Taiko Berhad, a major Malaysian fruit producer, debuted at this year’s China-ASEAN Expo with its signature products made from Musang King durian, the priciest cultivar known for its richness and smooth texture, as well as diverse downstream products like durian pizza, Musang King coffee and Musang King milk tea.

Recognising the vast potential of the Chinese market, with a population of over 1.4 billion, the company’s CEO Ng Lian Poh said he is targeting the high-end market. Their newly opened durian-themed restaurant in east China’s Zhejiang Province has received fantastic feedback.

Ng believes that Malaysian durians “are more on quality than quantity”, while adding that this is “one of the advantages of Malaysia’s durians”. “In recent years, Chinese consumers’ acceptance and appreciation of durians and durian-related products have steadily increased, and the durian consumption market in China has continued to expand,” said researcher with the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences Lei Xiaohua.

For durian-exporting countries, maintaining price competitiveness while ensuring consistent and reliable product quality is crucial for sustainable growth, Lei added.

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

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