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    Man United knocked out of Champions League

    MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (AP) – Expensive mediocrity confirmed: Manchester United’s trophy drought completes a fifth season.

    The last path to a title was ended at an Old Trafford now accustomed to letdowns as United was knocked out of the Champions League in a 1-0 loss to Atlético Madrid early yesterday.

    In a tight and tense game, Renan Lodi made the difference by scoring his first goal in the competition in his 25th appearance, meeting Antoine Griezmann’s cross with a header after being left unmarked at the far post by defender Diogo Dalot in the 41st minute.

    “I wasn’t playing a few months ago, but everything has changed now and I’m very happy with that,” the 23-year-old left wing-back Lodi said. “It’s a tough role. I’m working at it, learning.”

    So often the team’s saviour, David de Gea was beaten. The goalkeeper feels the pain more, being the only starter still in the team from the end of the trophy-filled Alex Ferguson era in 2013.

    “Of course it’s not good enough,” De Gea said. “It’s hard for the club, for us and the fans. This is where we are at the moment. It is a difficult situation, but we have to keep fighting.”

    Atletico’s Renan Lodi heads the ball past Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot to score. PHOTO: AP

    Cristiano Ronaldo departed Old Trafford before Ferguson retired and the malaise kicked in. The 37-year-old star returned this season – after collecting trophies at Real Madrid and Juventus – to be the difference-maker.

    Rather than dazzling, as he did with last Saturday’s hat trick against Tottenham, Ronaldo didn’t manage a single shot against the Spanish champions.

    Instead, United was left relying on defender Raphaël Varane attempting to equalise in the second half, and his header was kept out by Jan Oblak. United could find no way past the goalkeeper three weeks after a 1-1 draw in Madrid that counted for nothing with away-goals no longer carrying an advantage.

    “For me, Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world,” Atlético captain Koke said. “He’s shown it once again tonight.”

    Atlético showed the blueprint to grab a win away, by scoring from one of only three shots on target.

    “We suffered when we had to,” said Rodrigo De Paul, whose long-range shot was blocked by De Gea in the first half, “and hit when we had the chance here at a great stadium, against a great team”.

    Two-time Champions League runner-up Diego Simeone leads Atlético back into the quarterfinals like in 2020. Europe is the platform for Atlético to raise its game this season, with the team clinging onto fourth place domestically after winning the title last season.

    “We wanted to show tonight that we’re a really tough side to play against,” Griezmann said.

    “We wanted to be at this level more consistently and go forward.”

    United goes backward, with only two appearances in the Champions League quarterfinals in a decade, in 2014 and 2019.

    Not since the 1970s has United gone as long without a trophy with the second-tier Europa League in 2017 the last honour for, historically at least, English football’s most successful club.

    There’s not much to show for more than USD1 billion in transfer spending since the two-time Champions League winner Ferguson retired as manager nine years ago.

    Such is the instability at United that it’s an interim coach in Ralf Rangnick who has presided over United’s exits from the FA Cup and Champions League early in 2022.

    “The second half was difficult,” said the German, who took Schalke to the Champions League semifinals in 2011. “I don’t think the game went for more than three minutes, it was always interrupted, there was always somebody lying on the floor. There were also some curious refereeing decisions.

    “I wouldn’t say they were decisive, but at least he fell too often for those time-wasting antics and, in the end, four minutes extra time was a joke for me.”

    Now the priority is just regaining the fourth spot in the Premier League to return to the Champions League next season for whoever is in charge of United.

    TotalEnergies won’t seek compensation for Myanmar exit

    PARIS (AFP) – France’s TotalEnergies said yesterday that it would not seek financial compensation for its withdrawal from Myanmar over concerns about human rights abuses since a coup last year.

    The French energy giant and United States (US) partner Chevron announced in January that they would pull out of the Yadana gas field, with TotalEnergies citing the “worsening” situation for human rights and the rule of law.

    “In light of the exceptional situation, TotalEnergies has chosen to withdraw from Myanmar without seeking any financial compensation for its assets,” the company said in a statement.

    The field in the Andaman Sea provides electricity to Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.

    TotalEnergies had been under pressure from human rights groups to cut its financial links to the junta since the army seized power from a civilian government in February 2021.

    Human Rights Watch said natural gas projects are Myanmar’s single largest source of foreign currency revenue, generating more than USD1 billion every year.

    France’s TotalEnergies and United States partner Chevron announced in January that they would pull out of the Yadana gas field. PHOTO: AFP

    Fritz, Isner, Keys lead US contingent at Indian Wells

    INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA (AP) – Taylor Fritz defeated Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2) on Tuesday in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, making him one of four American men still in the tournament.

    Fritz reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last year, his career-best result in an ATP Masters 1000 event.

    John Isner beat 14th-seeded Diego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3 to reach the fourth round. The six-foot-eleven American capitalised on his 16-inch height advantage, blasting 13 aces. Two other Americans, Tommy Paul and wild-card Steve Johnson, got beat. Paul lost to 29th-seeded Alex de Minaur and Johnson dropped a decision to 11th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz.

    “Tommy is really close to cracking into being seeded at slams,” Fritz said. “Reilly (Opelka) is consistently beating very, very good players. It’s not weird to see these guys beating really good players, having solid results.”

    John Isner at the BNP Paribas Open. PHOTO: AP

    Malaysian businesses told to support Brunei Vision 2035

    James Kon

    High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah urged Malaysian businesses to support Brunei Vision 2035 and its economic strategy as well as comply with the country’s rules and regulations.

    He said this when he continued his series of visits to the Malaysian business community in the Sultanate by heading to R&T Electronics Enterprise in Kiulap on Tuesday.

    Dato’ Raja Reza was accompanied by First Secretary Rizal of the High Commission of Malaysia in Brunei Darussalam.

    R&T Electronics Managing Director Frankie Ngu and spouse; Manager Andy Ngu and spouse; and Marketing Manager Andy Lim welcomed the high commissioner and the first secretary.

    R&T Electronisc was established in 1983 as a company supplying electronic appliances, home appliances and services equipment.

    High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah during the visit. PHOTO: R&T ELECTRONICS ENTERPRISE

    The R&T Electronic Enterprise headquarters is in Kiulap with branches in Kilanas and Gadong.

    The managing director and partners set up KLT gold shop in 2007 to support jewellery craftsmanship.

    Frankie also opened Fuzhou Restaurant in August 2014.

    He also established Get.it.com.bn and D’season enterprise.

    The workforce comprises 120 employees with 50 per cent locals.

    The high commissioner said it is important for entrepreneurs to have innovative business models in addressing the Covid-19 challenges.

    He also thanked Malaysian companies in the Sultanate for their participation in the country’s economic development and nation building as well as providing employment to locals.

    Eiffel Tower grows even higher, thanks to new antenna

    PARIS (AP) – The Eiffel Tower grew by six metres on Tuesday after engineers hoisted a new communications antenna at the very top of France’s most iconic landmark.

    Tourists watched from the Trocadero esplanade as the new digital radio antenna was helicoptered up. With the new antenna, the Eiffel Tower grew from 324 metres tall to 330 metres.

    The Eiffel Tower company’s president, Jean-François Martins, told The Associated Press (AP) that scientific progress is an integral part of the Iron Lady’s 133-year history.

    “It’s a historical moment this morning, because the Eiffel Tower is getting higher, which is not so common,” he said.

    “From the invention of the radio at the beginning of the 20th Century to right now, decades after decades, the Eiffel Tower has been a partner for all the radio technology,” Martins said.

    The Eiffel Tower was 312 metres high when it was inaugurated on March 31, 1889.

    A helicopter installs a new telecom transmission TDF (TeleDiffusion de France) antenna on the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France raising the iconic landmark’s height from 324 metres to 330 metres. PHOTO: AP

    Germany keeping watch on oil firms amid recent price swings

    BERLIN (AP) – German antitrust officials said yesterday they are closely watching oil market developments to determine whether the falling price for crude results in a similar drop at the pump.

    The Federal Cartel Office said its probe will encompass the crude market, oil refineries, wholesalers and gas station operators. Some experts have expressed concern that companies could exploit oil price volatility to increase their profit margins, especially if governments increase fuel subsidies to cushion consumers from the burden of high prices.

    Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck, said he had asked antitrust authorities to “act on any signs of abusive behaviour”.

    “It must not be possible for companies to profit in an undue way from the current situation,” he said, referring to the war in Ukraine that has contributed to the sharp rise in oil prices.

    A cab driver fills up his vehicle with gasoline at a gas station in Berlin, Germany, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

    Nice try but no potato for New Zealand couple’s giant find

    Nick Perry

    WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) – When is a potato not a potato?

    When it’s a tuber of a gourd, according to Guinness World Records.

    A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world’s largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness wrote to say that scientific testing had found it wasn’t, in fact, a potato after all.

    Colin Craig-Brown, who first hit the tuber with a hoe last August when gardening with his wife Donna, said it sure looked and tasted like a potato. Mind you, he added, he’s never tasted a gourd tuber.

    “What can you say?” said Craig-Brown. “We can’t say we don’t believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff.”

    After months of submitting photos and paperwork, the couple got the bad news from Guinness in an email last week.

    Donna Craig-Brown holds ‘Doug’ what was believed to be the world’s largest potato in the garden of her small farm near Hamilton, New Zealand. PHOTO: AP

    “Dear Colin,” the email begins, going on to say “sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application”.

    The couple had named their find Doug, which they took to spelling Dug, after the way it was unearthed. The tuber became something of a local celebrity, after the couple began posting photos of it on Facebook with a hat on and even built a cart to tow it around.

    An official weigh-in at a local farming store put Dug at 7.8 kilogrammes, equal to a couple of sacks of regular potatoes, or one small dog. The existing Guinness record will stand, a 2011 monster from Britain that weighed in at just under five kilogrammes.

    Craig-Brown remains a big believer in Dug, who still sits in their freezer.

    “I say ‘gidday’ to him every time I pull out some sausages. He’s a cool character,” Craig-Brown said. “Whenever the grandchildren come round, they say, ‘Can we see Dug’?”

    “Dug is the destroyer from Down Under,” Craig-Brown added. “He is the world’s biggest not-a-potato.”

    Craig-Brown said he’s not done yet with chasing the potato record. Dug was self-sown but Craig-Brown said that with all his subsequent research into giant potatoes, he’s ready to try and deliberately grow a record-breaking monster next season.

    And this time, it will definitely be a potato.

    Launch marks health centre’s rebranding

    Daniel Lim

    Panaga Health Centre held a soft launch ceremony as it rebranded to Panaga Health yesterday.

    Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Pengiran Haji Jamra Weira bin Pengiran Haji Petra, the guest of honour, was welcomed by Integrated Facilities Manager of Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) Mazlina binti Haji Ma’awiah.

    BSP Managing Director and Shell Country Chair in Brunei Agnete Johnsgaard-Lewis, Director-General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Pengiran Dr Haji Md Khalifah bin Pengiran Haji Ismail, government and British Garrison officials, BSP leadership team, senior Belait District community leaders and community representatives also attended.

    Mazlina highlighted that this year marks Panaga Health’s 54th anniversary since its establishment on March 16, 1968 by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. “Since then, Panaga Health Centre and Panaga Hospital before that, played a vital role in the BSJV (Brunei Shell Joint Venture companies) and Belait District communities and Brunei as a whole.”

    She highlighted how the centre contributed in the global pandemic where medical frontliners with the MoH helped combat the spread of the virus while protecting oil and gas workers along with their families.

    On the rebranding, she said, “It acts as a reassertion of our commitment to putting our clients’ needs at the forefront of what we do and to making the experience of coming to the medical facility a better one.”

    The rebranding included renovations and new uniforms.

    This was followed by a video presentation showcasing the hospital’s history, the opening of the rebranded Panaga Health and the signing of the plaque by the guest of honour.

    With the tagline ‘Committed to Care’, Panaga Health will continue to serve core clients, the Brunei Shell Joint Venture companies, and extend its services to the public.

    Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Pengiran Haji Jamra Weira bin Pengiran Haji Petra tours the centre. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM

    Badosa keeps Indian Wells title defence on track

    INDIAN WELLS, UNITED STATES (AFP) – Spain’s Paula Badosa kept her Indian Wells WTA title defence on track yesterday, holding off determined Canadian Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.

    Fifth seed Badosa saved five of the six break points she faced and kept last year’s US Open runner-up under pressure – converting three of her 12 break chances.

    “Today was very tough,” said Badosa, who lifted the trophy last October in a tournament moved from its usual March date because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    “Leylah is an amazing player, very fast and good timing. I knew I had to fight and serve very well. I think I did that the entire match.”

    Badosa is vying to become the first woman to win back-to-back Indian Wells titles since Martina Navratilova in 1990-91.

    Paula Badosa hits a forehand return at the Indian Wells tennis tournament. PHOTO: AFP

    She gained the upper hand in the second set with a break for 3-2, then saved a pair of break points in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead.

    “In the important moments, like 4-3, down the break points, I think I stayed very composed,” added Badosa, who next faces Veronica Kudermetova, a 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 winner over Marketa Vondrousova.

    World number four Iga Swiatek, the highest-ranked player remaining in the women’s field, rallied from a set down for a third straight match to book her quarter-final berth, beating crafty German veteran Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

    Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, is coming off a title in Doha last month, but the 20-year-old admitted it took her a while to figure out how to tackle Kerber – another former Grand Slam champion.

    “Truth be told, I wasn’t really sure what my tactics should be, if I should be more aggressive or play more patient game,” Swiatek said. “But at the end I think I made the right decision in right time, in right moments of the match.”

    She said Kerber showed her a different game than she’d expected after practising with the German.

    “I felt like she wanted to use her experience and kind of trick me,” Swiatek said.

    Swiatek next faces American Madison Keys, who beat British qualifier Harriet Dart 6-1, 6-4.
    Former world number one Simona Halep of Romania, seeded 24th, swept into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 26th-seeded compatriot Sorana Cirstea.

    Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion is in the quarters for the fifth time at Indian Wells, where she lifted the trophy in 2015.

    Halep will play Petra Martic for a place in the semi-finals. Croatia’s Martic beat Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.

    Sixth-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece advanced with a victory over Australian qualifier Daria Saville, who was trailing 4-1 when she retired with a left thigh injury.Sakkari will play Elena Rybakina, who beat Viktorija Golubic 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

    In the men’s tournament, sixth-ranked Matteo Berrettini shook off mid-match doldrums to defeat South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 6-4, 7-5 to reach the fourth round while world number seven Andrey Rublev powered past American Frances Tiafoe.

    The 25-year-old Italian Berrettini, winner of five ATP titles but seeking his first Masters 1000 crown, is the second-highest ranked man left in the draw behind fourth-seeded Rafael Nadal.

    But he admitted he’ll need to do better after a victory in which he trailed 4-1 in the second set.

    “I got a little bit nervous,” he said. “I didn’t like how I handled the start of the second set. I let the anger out a little bit, which helped.”

    A dozen aces also helped as Berrettini won five straight games to secure the victory.

    Rublev, who has captured titles in Marseille and Dubai this year, pushed his ATP match winning streak to 11 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tiafoe.

    Redefining local e-commerce industry

    WAWA Shopping will launch its e-commerce platform to redefine and modernise the e-commerce industry in the Sultante.

    The event will be on March 20 at WAWA Shopping’s office where offers and discounts will be given out to the public to redeem at wawashopping.com.

    There will also be a tutorial on how to navigate through the website. A list of attractions included in the website will also be explained during the event.

    “With the launch of the website, we hope this will help to reshape the e-commerce industry in Brunei. Most often Bruneians would do online shopping from other countries’ e-commerce platform due to convenience and price.

    “We hope to change that and encourage the public to support local vendors registered under our website, in which they can offer competitive prices compared to other big e-commerce platforms. We hope that we can help local vendors to connect with customers by providing a proper and convenient platform,” WAWA Shopping Director Faiz Shadiqin said.

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    Borneo Bulletin is the leading English daily in the country. It was first published by Brunei Press. Today, Borneo Bulletin has become the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs, and the region’s business news.

    © 2013 Borneo Bulletin Online - The Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak