MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) – A small volcano in a scenic lake near the Philippine capital blew a white plume of steam and ash 1.5 kilometres into the sky in a brief but powerful explosion yesterday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and evacuate hundreds of residents from high-risk villages.
Magma came into contact with water in the main crater of Taal volcano in Batangas province, setting off the steam-driven blast that was followed by smaller emissions and accompanied by volcanic earthquakes, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
The institute raised the alarm at the 1,020-foot Taal, one of the world’s smallest volcanoes, to the third level in a five-step warning system, meaning “there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions.” Alert level 5 means a life-threatening eruption that could destroy communities is underway.
Residents of five lakeside villages within a seven-kilometre danger zone from the crater in the Batangas towns of Agoncillo and Laurel were warned of possible hazards, including fast-moving gas and molten materials and “volcanic tsunami” in Taal lake, and began evacuating to safety.
Taal Volcano spews white steam and ash as seen from Balete, Batangas province, south of Manila, Philippines. PHOTO: AP
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Even after seeing James Harden and Joel Embiid record double-doubles in a convincing 25-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers doesn’t think his team is at its best yet.
That should be bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Harden had 29 points and a season-high 15 rebounds while Embiid added 27 points and 10 boards as the Sixers’ rolled to a 122-97 victory.
“We’re getting better. The one-two has to be there first. It is. The rest will follow,” Rivers said after Philadelphia (46-27) won its third straight to pull within a half game of the Miami Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference.
It is the first time since Harden was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade on February 10 that the two All-Stars have had a double-double in the same game for the Sixers.
Philadelphia 76ers James Harden dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers Nicolas Batum. PHOTO: AFP
Although the Sixers are streaking going into a key clash tonight against the Phoenix Suns, who have clinched the league’s best record, Harden agreed that things remain a work in progress with less than a month remaining until the playoffs.
“Things are headed in the right direction, but every single day we are focussing on execution and details,” said Harden, who is averaging 23 points and 7.6 rebounds since coming to Philadelphia. “There are going to be different ways we are going to have to win in the playoffs, and we have to be prepared for that.”
Harden had a monster first and second quarter, posting 25 points and 11 rebounds. It is the first time in his 12-year career he has done that in a half.
Harden and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James are the only players in the league to have a double-double in a half in which they scored at least 25 points. “When shots are going in, it makes it better. Tonight was one of those nights where I felt good, we got out to a big lead and the wave continued the entire game,” Harden said.
It is Embiid’s 38th double-double, which is tied for seventh in the league. He also had two blocks and a steal on what was a great defensive night for the Sixers, who blocked eight shots and forced 12 steals.
“We were in synch and focussed. We played physical. We were all over them,” Embiid said.
No fatalities were reported after a storeroom in Tanjong Maya was destroyed by a fire on Friday, said the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD).
Eleven firefighters and two fire engines led by Deputy Station Officer Haji Musa from the Tutong Fire Station responded to the incident. After arriving at the scene, firefighters found the storeroom on fire and filled with thick smoke, said the department.
The cause of the fire and cost of damages is under investigation, said the FRD.
Firefighters responding to the incident. PHOTO: FRD
SINGAPORE (CNA) – Technology company Dyson will invest SGD1.5 billion in its Singapore operations over the next four years, it announced at the official opening of its new global headquarters at St James Power Station on Friday.
“Dyson’s expansion here is possible because of the wonderful inventiveness and enthusiasm of the young Singaporean engineers and scientists who have joined us. You can feel the ambition of this ingenious country.
“It reaffirms our belief that Singapore is the right place for high-tech, research intensive businesses such as Dyson,” said founder and chairman James Dyson at the event.
“Singapore is at the centre of our global supply chain. We research, design and develop products here. We have research programmes with your outstanding universities. For these reasons, it’s our global headquarters.”
Dyson plans to hire more than 250 engineers and scientists across robotics, machine learning and other areas, as previously announced.
An illustration of Dyson’s global headquarters at St James Power Station in Singapore. PHOTO: CNA
The company will also establish a new global cybersecurity centre here, it said last year.
The technology company, famous for its vacuum cleaners and other home appliances, currently employs more than 1,400 people in Singapore, of which 560 are engineers and scientists, it said in a press release.
Dyson previously said it would invest nearly SGD5 billion in new technology to double its product portfolio and enter new fields “beyond the home” by 2025. The fresh investments, announced in November 2020, will focus on Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
The company will hold on to its other premises in Singapore – an 88,000 sq ft space at Singapore Science Park that currently serves as its main location for product development and testing, as well as an advanced manufacturing facility in Jurong that builds its patented digital motors. Dyson is also looking at other spaces, including a new factory in Tuas to manufacture a new battery, said Dyson.
WELLINGTON (XINHUA) – New Zealand reported 14,175 new community cases of COVID-19 yesterday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.
Among the new community infections, 2,652 were in the largest city Auckland, and the rest of the cases were identified across the nation, according to the ministry.
In addition, 37 new cases of COVID-19 were detected at the New Zealand border, said the ministry.
There were 841 COVID-19 patients in New Zealand hospitals, including 27 people at the intensive care units or high dependency units. The ministry also reported 20 deaths from COVID-19 yesterday.
THE STAR/ANN – Some two million recipients of the Covid-19 vaccine by Sinovac are set to lose their fully vaccinated status if they do not receive their boosters by April 1 said Malaysian Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
“Based on the latest data, about 2.09 million recipients of the Sinovac vaccine for their primary series have yet to get their booster shots.
“They will stand to lose their fully vaccinated status when the deadline ends,” the health minister told a press conference in Parliament yesterday.
The deadline for adult primary recipients of CoronaVac – the vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech – is March 31, after it was extended from February 28.
Khairy also said that those who had yet to get their Sinovac booster would be deemed “not fully vaccinated” by Singapore.
A healthcare worker in Malaysia preparing a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. PHOTO: BERNAMA
“Based on my discussion with the Singapore Health Minister, he said the country would also consider those Sinovac recipients who are not boosted as not fully vaccinated.
“So, if you want to enjoy a Singapore holiday, you know what to do. It is best to get your booster shot,” he added.
Asked if Malaysia will follow Singapore in removing the mask mandate when outdoors, Khairy said the wearing of face masks would remain mandatory here. However, he noted that current standard operating procedure (SOP) did allow for certain exemptions.
“Our mask mandate will still remain. But maybe some are not really clear that our SOP states that it is not mandatory in certain situations,” he said.
The minister cited several exceptions, among them when an individual is not around another, is at home with family, in a hotel room or a personal workspace. “You are also allowed to remove your mask in your own vehicle. Other situations when masks are allowed to be removed include during sports and recreational activities, stage performances and dining.
“Those with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or autism, and those with breathing difficulties are also exempted from wearing masks,” said Khairy.
Yesterday, Singapore announced the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, among which is that masks are not compulsory outdoors, while remaining mandatory indoors.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (AP) – California’s economy roared to life in February as employers added a surprising 138,100 new jobs, accounting for more than 20 per cent of all employment gains nationally.
“It’s a staggering jump,” said Former Director of the state Employment Development Department Michael Bernick, who is now an attorney with the firm Duane Morris. “Virtually all sectors are showing gains.”
Ten of the state’s 11 industry sectors added jobs in February. The leisure and hospitality sector had the biggest jump, adding 30,400 jobs. Most of that happened in Los Angeles County, which is heading into its first somewhat normal tourism season since 2019. The county, which has an outsized number of service industry jobs, accounted for 44 per cent of all job gains in the state.
California – the nation’s most populous state with nearly 40 million residents – was the first to issue a statewide stay-at-home order at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The state lost just over 2.7 million jobs in March and April of 2020 as its unemployment rate peaked at 16.1 per cent.
The new data made public on Friday by the California Employment Development Department showed that the state has now regained 87.2 per cent of the jobs that were lost.
California’s unemployment rate fell to 5.4 per cent from 5.7 per cent in January, giving the state the third highest rate in the country behind New Mexico and the District of Columbia. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 3.8 per cent.
The state has added jobs in 12 out of the last 13 months, averaging about 101,700 new jobs per month. California ranks third in the nation for the fastest job growth, behind Nevada and Hawaii.
“These latest numbers show that California is continuing to drive our nation’s job growth,” Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said.
Prospective employers and job seekers interact at a job fair in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. PHOTO: AP
VALLETTA, MALTA (AP) – Voters in Malta headed to the polls yesterday to elect a new Parliament and decide which party will be in government for the coming five years on the Mediterranean island nation. Voting began at 7am and ended at 10pm, with results expected today.
The election will see a few firsts for Malta. While youth aged 16 and 17 have voted in local contests and were allowed to cast ballots in the 2019 European Parliament elections, this will be the first time they can vote in a general election.
It could also be the first time the country will use a gender-balance mechanism to ensure more equal representation of men and women in Parliament. The mechanism kicks in if either gender obtains less than 40 per cent representation. Finally, the vote marks the first use of electronic vote-counting in a Maltese general election, a method that was used in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
The Electoral Commission on Friday said that of the 354,896 registered voters, 14,473 had left their voting documents unclaimed.
There are two major political parties in Malta, the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party. The Labour Party has been in power since 2013.
The election campaign was fairly quiet compared with past elections, given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which grabbed headlines, and overall political fatigue.
MIAMI (AFP) – Nick Kyrgios stressed yesterday he’s at peace with himself after a day where both sides of the Australian’s character come into sharp focus at the ATP and WTA Miami Open.
Hours before he wowed Hard Rock Stadium with a ruthless 52-minute demolition of seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev to reach the third round, the enigmatic world number 102 was fined USD25,000 by the ATP following a stormy defeat to Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells earlier this month.
The 26 year-old Aussie was fined USD20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after hurling his racket near a ball boy and USD5,000 for an audible obscenity.
Kyrgios, prone to emotional outbursts and controversial actions on court, remains among the sport’s most exciting talents when he plays as he did to eliminate the Russian.
Watching American Jenson Brooskby lose the plot on Thursday and throw his racket in similar fashion struck a chord with the Australian star, who next faces Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
“I am at peace with everything off the court,” Kyrgios told AFP afterwards.
“I am in the right mindset. It’s just one match. I was lucky to get through the first round and today I played great.
Nick Kyrgios plays Andrey Rublev during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. PHOTO: AFP
“I’ve had the biggest pre-season ever. I’ve trained hard and in the best shape I’ve been in for a while. I’m in a better space with my family. I could put it down to a few things.
“I’ve been on tour for nine years. I know some weeks will be incredible and some will be shocking. I’m not on that rollercoaster life anymore where I really enjoy those highs and almost drown my sorrows with the lows.
“That’s healthier for me.”
Brooksby sparked anger on social media and in some tennis circles after losing his temper in a match against Argentina’s Federico Coria.
Kyrgios has been there and knows why the American lost his head.
“I’ve done many things in my life just like many other people have where you question your decisions. No one is perfect,” Kyrgios said.
“I’m not one to judge anyone’s behaviour but at the same time, he’s a young kid and I wasn’t the best role model but he has held himself accountable.
“He knows it wasn’t the right thing to do. I can’t see him having the kind of personality where he will just say anything he wants to you. He didn’t mean it or mean any harm. We will have to nurture him in our sport. It happens – I’m not saying it’s okay – but I can’t see him doing that again.”
For Kyrgios, just being able to smile on a tennis court is enough.
“I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff over the last couple of years,” Kyrgios said of his well documented struggle with mental health, alcohol and drugs.
“But I’m not stressing much and just have been enjoying my tennis.”
An offender who had paid compound fines was freed from road traffic proceedings following the High Court’s recent revision of the Magistrate’s Court case.
Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, with Prosecutor Hajah Siti Mu’izzah binti Haji Sabli representing the public prosecutor, noted that the case against Sharifulrizal bin Haji Sahari had been referred from the Magistrate’s Court for revision.
The police prosecution unit produced Sharifulrizal in court on February 14. The presiding Magistrate convicted Sharifulrizal on his own guilty pleas towards three road traffic and one motor vehicle insurance charges.
The court ordered Sharifulrizal to settle fines of BND750, BND250, BND400 for the three road traffic charges and BND750 for the motor vehicle insurance charge.
The Magistrate sought for fine payment confirmation from Sharifulrizal, who said he had paid the police BND200 in compound fines for the road traffic offences two days earlier.
He also produced receipts which were conceded by the police prosecutor, and verified by the Magistrate, who then referred the case to the High Court for revision.
The Chief Justice observed that the “Police prosecutor was aware that Sharifulrizal had been offered to compound the road traffic charges by paying penalties, but was under the misapprehension that he had failed.”
The Chief Justice highlighted that the lapse resulting in the prosecution of Sharifulrizal could have been avoided with proper records in investigation papers and it would be a “travesty of justice” had Sharifulrizal been punished double.
“Fortunately, he was able to prove it with receipts,” the Chief Justice noted on handing his orders exercising the High Court revision powers.
