SYDNEY (AP) — Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Cup in Australia ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, organisers said yesterday.
No reason was given but the top-ranked Serb has declined to comment on his vaccination status in recent months and Australia’s strict regulations require all players, officials and fans to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
ATP Cup organisers disclosed Djokovic’s withdrawal in a roster update that included France replacing Austria in the 16-country event following the withdrawals of Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak. Dusan Lajovic will replace Djokovic for Serbia.
Fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev of Russia also pulled out, as did teammates Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy. The ATP Cup begins Saturday in Sydney.
The Australian Open men’s entry list announced in early December had the 34-year-old Djokovic at number one in what was seen as a further indication that he’ll be playing at Melbourne Park beginning January 17 despite Australia’s tight regulations.
The nine-time Australian Open champion is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
CNA – Apple and its iPhone assembler Foxconn found that some remote dormitories and dining rooms used for employees at a Foxconn plant in southern India do not meet required standards, spokespeople for the two companies said yesterday.
Earlier this month, protests erupted after more than 250 women who work at the Foxconn plant that makes iPhones in Sriperumbudur town, near the southern city of Chennai, and live in one of the dormitories had to be treated for food poisoning.
Production at the contract manufacturing giant’s plant was halted on December 18, a news agency has reported.
Foxconn said yesterday it was restructuring its local management team to ensure it can achieve and maintain the standards needed, and was taking immediate steps to improve facilities. All employees would continue to be paid while it makes necessary improvements to restart operations.
An Apple spokesperson said it had dispatched independent auditors to assess conditions at the dormitories “following recent concerns about food safety and accommodation conditions at Foxconn Sriperumbudur”.
“We found that some of the remote dormitory accommodations and dining rooms being used for employees do not meet our requirements and we are working with the supplier to ensure a comprehensive set of corrective actions are rapidly implemented.”
Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility has been placed “on probation” and Apple will ensure its strict standards are met before the facility re-opens, the spokesperson for the United States (US) company said, adding that it holds suppliers accountable to the highest standards in the industry and regularly conducts assessments to ensure compliance.
A closed plant of Foxconn India unit near Chennai, India. PHOTO: CNA
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Half of the families living in drought-affected areas of Iraq need humanitarian food aid, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a study released recently.
Experts have warned that record low rainfall, compounded by climate change, are threatening social and economic disaster in war-scarred Iraq. The NRC said its research shows that “one in two families in drought-affected regions require food assistance because of drought, while one in five do not have sufficient food for everyone in the family”.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) based its study on interviews in 2,806 homes across seven provinces, among them Anbar in the west, Basra in the south and the north’s Nineveh.
These three are traditionally considered to be the breadbasket of Iraq but have been hit hard by the crisis. The United Nations (UN) said about one-third of Iraq’s population lives in poverty, despite the country’s oil wealth.
The effects of low rainfall have been exacerbated as the levels of the country’s two main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, drop because of upstream dams in neighbouring Iran and Turkey.
A general views of Shatt al-Arab river in Iraq’s southern city of Basra. PHOTO: AFP
“Communities across Iraq have faced damaging losses to their crops, livestock, and income.
Children are eating less, and farmers and displaced populations are hit hardest,” the report said, adding young people are particularly vulnerable.
The NRC said 37 per cent of farmers growing wheat and 30 per cent of those planting barley saw their expected crop yields fall by at least 90 per cent.
“Families are telling us they have to borrow money to eat amid soaring prices and dwindling savings,” said NRC’s Head of Programmes Maithree Abeyrathna in Iraq. “They say their only source of living is vanishing in front of their eyes. Their lands are drying up and there is nothing they can do about it.”
Last month, the World Bank warned that Iraq could suffer a 20-per-cent drop in water resources by 2050 due to climate change.
“The outlook for 2022 is worrying, with continued water shortages and drought conditions likely to devastate the coming farming season, the NRC study said.
THE STRAITS TIMES – Indonesia is set to receive its first shipment of two types of COVID-19 antiviral pills – molnupiravir made by Merck and paxlovid by Pfizer – next month, said Health Minister Budi Sadikin, as the country intensifies efforts to curb the spread of the infectious Omicron variant.
The government has filed a request to BPOM, the Indonesian equivalent of the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to issue emergency-use approval for these two pills, slated to be released in the market next month.
“But we don’t want people to get complacent; thinking there are COVID-19 drugs, (and) they go out to places not wearing a mask,” Budi told popular podcaster Deddy Corbuzier late on Tuesday.
He also revealed that the government is anticipating a possible surge in Omicron cases at the end of next month that could lead to an intense but short-lived wave.
The first community transmission of the Omicron variant in Indonesia was confirmed on Tuesday.
Passengers inside a train leaving a train station in Jakarta. PHOTO: AP
The country has so far reported 47 confirmed cases of Omicron, with the latest, the 47th case, being the first community infection.
“We are now more prepared if the next wave really comes,” said Budi, adding that there is ample stock of medication, more hospital beds, a high vaccination rate, as well as medical oxygen.
“That leaves us with the job to ensure that people continue to live normally but remain vigilant. Wearing a mask is important. Accelerating vaccination is very important.”
Budi also warned about the notable spike in the number of Indonesians travelling overseas for holidays recently, appealing to them to postpone such trips and noting that the Omicron variant may be less severe and less deadly than the Delta variant, but much more transmissible.
Most of Indonesia’s imported Omicron cases were detected in travellers returning from Turkey, followed by those from Britain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to data from the Health Ministry.
“No need to go overseas for now. We have many good tourist spots domestically,” he said.
THE JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI – Whether in an underground arena, on a street filled with onlookers, or during a classroom lesson, Baki fights without rules or taboos.
The Baki the Grappler manga series, which features an array of mixed martial arts fighters from around the world, celebrated the 30th anniversary of its publication recently.
From its beginnings in 1991, the series has continued to excite readers with just a simple theme: Who is the ultimate fighter?
Let’s take an in-depth look at the world represented by Baki through interviews with the manga’s author Keisuke Itagaki.
“I waver quite a bit along the way in making any decision, but it’s turned out these decisions were not wrong. That’s something I’d like to give myself credit for,” Itagaki said, looking back on the past 30 years.
Serialisation of Grappler Baki started in the Shukan Shonen Champion magazine and has been followed by sequels, including Baki and Baki Hanma.
The fifth and the latest series, Bakidou, features sumo wrestlers.
About 85 million books have been printed across the entire Baki series.
Serialisation of ‘Grappler Baki’ started in the ‘Shukan Shonen Champion’ magazine and has been followed by sequels, including ‘Baki’ and ‘Baki Hanma’. PHOTO: NETFLIX‘Baki the Grappler’ manga series writer and illustrator Keisuke Itagaki. PHOTO: JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
The overarching story follows Baki, a young, undefeated underground fighter, as he comes to blows with various types of mixed martial arts fighters while striving to surpass his father, who’s known as “the mightiest being on Earth”.
Itagaki said that the decision to bring Baki’s father into the story came at the suggestion of an editor.
“My first editor for this project proposed the idea of Baki ‘awaiting someone’ while he defended his champion title. That someone could be a rival, a brother or a father.
“There were several options to choose from, but I found the father to be the easiest to depict,” he said.
Baki’s father, Yujiro, symbolises power. His physical strength is so powerful that it could defeat the military of a major nation. The character is a reflection of Itagaki’s own fantasy of a father figure.
“It’s really nice to be able to look up to one’s father. My father was a completely different type of person, and I used to adore (the idea of) a father whom I would never be able to beat no matter what,” Itagaki said.
Born in Hokkaido in 1957, Itagaki worked in a hotel after a stint as a Ground Self-Defence Force member before finally entering the world of manga through a mangaka training course organised by story writer Kazuo Koike. His debut work Make-Upper was published in 1989.
The creation of all the colourful characters in the Baki series, including the mighty father-son duo, stems from the characterisation theory Itagaki learned in Koike’s course.
“Master Koike would often say, ‘You can easily make characters stand out by utilising gossip’.
When you see someone extraordinary, you can’t help saying, ‘You won’t believe the amazing person I saw today’. Those sorts of characters with outrageously great qualities make those around them feel the urge to tell others. That’s how a character should be in my opinion,” Itagaki said.
He now feels as if the characters have overtaken his intentions for them and have begun moving of their own accord.
“All I have to do is to listen to the characters. I think the reason I’ve been able to continue for 30 years is that the characters stand out,” Itagaki said.
When speaking of the Baki series, one can’t fail to mention the ferocious fight scenes featuring brawlers boasting toned bodies and V-shaped torsos.
The realism expressed in those scenes has won over so many fans because they are based on Itagaki’s own experiences in fighting sports.
During his high school days, he took up Shorinji Kempo, a martial art, and later participated in the National Sports Festival as a boxer.
“A good thing about fight scenes is that you can enjoy the pain without experiencing it yourself. The more painful they look, the better they get,” he said.
The portrayals of men’s bodies pushed to the limit not only evoke the sensation of pain but also arouses ecstatic sensations.
“When you see a body that is bent to the extreme or twisted to its limit, you also want to see the moment the muscles are released from all that tension.
“Giving in to that impulse is important. This is something I learned from manga created by Hiroshi Motomiya,” Itagaki said.
Another underlying theme in the series is the questioning of the definition of strength.
The conclusion that Itagaki has come to is that it is “the willpower needed to selfishly maintain one’s own way”, an idea that penetrates the entire series.
“Strength is the ability to stay true to one’s will and ego (by any means). On its own, that is neither a good or a bad thing. It’s a belief I’ve carried with me for more than 15 years,” Itagaki said.
Peppered among the manga’s fierce fights are contrastingly comical scenes, which is yet another of this popular series’ many charms. There are those who even insist the series is a comedy.
When asked his take on the matter, Itagaki responded, “When you describe something outrageous, you sometimes describe it as ‘almost laughable’.
“There are views that Baki is a comedy disguised as a fighter manga, which means that I’ve been able to depict greatness that elicits laughter. Being able to reach such a point makes me so happy.”
Having worked as a mangaka for more than three decades, he is now considered a veteran in the industry. While new talents are cropping up one after another, he keeps producing work that stands at the forefront of the manga scene.
“My strength lies in the experience I’ve gained over time without ever losing my passion,” he said, explaining his drive to go on.
With the latest story development becoming all the more compelling, including the father-son relationship between Baki and Yujiro, the series is more gripping than ever.
“Living up to the readers’ expectations while also going against (their predictions) is difficult. At the same time, I guess that’s also what makes it interesting.
“I don’t think I can change the way I do things at this point. I’d like to go on writing against what (readers) might expect,” he said.
LONDON (AP) – Norwich will head into 2022 in last place in the Premier League after losing 3-0 at Crystal Palace on Tuesday for its fifth straight defeat.
First-half goals from Odsonne Edouard, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jeffrey Schlupp gave Palace the win in the continued absence of its manager, Patrick Vieira, who tested positive for the coronavirus last week.
Key attacking midfielder Conor Gallagher and forward Wilfried Zaha were also missing for the hosts, too, but they were still too strong for the Canaries, who slumped to their 13th loss in 19 league games.
Both teams named two goalkeepers among the substitutes and were still unable to fill their respective benches due to coronavirus cases and injuries.
Norwich manager Dean Smith made six changes after a 5-0 thrashing at home by Arsenal but did not get the start he hoped for, with Palace winning a penalty from its first attack.
Will Hughes turned nicely in the area and went down following a challenge by Kenny McLean, which saw referee Paul Tierney point to the spot.
Edouard took responsibility – with Zaha, the usual penalty taker, absent due to suspension – and slotted home in the eighth minute to end his goal drought dating back to October.
A brief respite occurred for Norwich when the referee needed nearly seven minutes to fix a technical issue which stopped him from being able to communicate with the fourth official, but more pain was coming.
Tyrick Mitchell picked out the run of Edouard, who cut the ball back for Mateta, and the loanee from Mainz drilled into the bottom corner after 38 minutes. Mateta repaid the faith of Vieira after the French forward struggled for not just goals but also appearances since a temporary move at the start of 2021.
Edouard was involved again for the Eagles’ third goal, with a dangerous run into the area resulting in the ball ricocheting to Schlupp and the Ghana international rifled home from a tight angle in the 42nd.
TOKYO (AP) – European benchmarks opened mixed, with London’s FTSE 100 at nearly a two-year high, after Asian shares mostly finished lower yesterday.
France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.1 per cent in early trading to 7,190.22, while Germany’s DAX slipped 0.2 per cent to 15,935.45.
Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 1.1 per cent to 7,449.16 – its highest level since February 2020, amid optimism that the Omicron coronavirus variant may prove to be milder than earlier versions of the virus.
United States (US) shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures gaining 0.1 per cent to 36,329.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.2 per cent to 4,788.25.
In Asian trading, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.6 per cent to finish at 28,906.88.
South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.9 per cent to 2,993.29, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.2 per cent to 7,509.80. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.8 per cent to 23,086.54, and the Shanghai Composite shed 0.9 per cent to 3,597.00.
A man walks past an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo. PHOTO: AP
Although Asia has relatively few reported infection cases of the Omicron variant compared to the US and Europe, fears are growing that omicron will spread quickly once it gets going. The vaccination rate is about 80 per cent in Japan, but booster shots have barely gotten started.
“The wider point is that regardless of how ‘variant risks’ play out, the process of emerging from the COVID tunnel will be fraught with more heat than light,” meaning problems such as “impediments to unfettered global travel”, which will hobble any recovery, Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank said in a report.
Much is still uncertain about Omicron, which is spreading extremely quickly and leading to a return to pandemic restrictions in some places.
The variant is quickly becoming the dominant strain throughout the world.
While virus-related lockdowns and travel restrictions remain a big concern, most big investors have closed out their positions for 2021 and are likely to hold their ground until next week.
In energy trading, benchmark US crude gained 18 cents to USD76.16 a barrel from USD75.98. Brent crude, the international standard, added 28 cents to USD79.22 a barrel.
In currency trading, the US dollar rose to JPY114.97 from JPY114.81. The euro cost EUR1.1279, down from EUR1.1310.
CAIRO (AP) – Sudanese authorities said at least 38 people were killed when a defunct gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan province.
The country’s state-run mining company said in a statement the collapse of the closed, non-functioning mine took place in the village of Fuja 700 kilometres south of the capital of Khartoum.
It said there were also injuries without giving a specific tally.
Local media reported that several shafts collapsed at the Darsaya mine, and that besides the dead at least eight injured people were taken to a local hospital.
The mining company posted images on Facebook showing villagers gathering at the site as at least two dredgers worked to find possible survivors and bodies.
Other images showed people preparing traditional graves to bury the dead.
The company said the mine was not functional but local miners returned to work it after security forces guarding the site left the area.
PARIS (AFP) – Remnants of industrial chemicals in the air can potentially transform into new substances more toxic and persistent than the original pollution, according to a global study published recently.
Using samples gathered around the world, the study published in Nature found that these previously unidentified products are present in the atmospheres of 18 big cities including Lagos, New York, Tokyo and Warsaw.
Regulatory guidelines like those listed in the Stockholm Convention assess the danger of different chemical pollutants based on how long they remain in the environment, how toxic they are and to what degree they contaminate living things.
But, the study noted, this approach has been limited to a list of known substances and does not take into account how they may change as they break down.
The research proposes a new framework using laboratory tests and computer simulation to predict what chemicals will arise as products interact with the air and how toxic they will be.
Study main author John Liggio, a research scientist for Environment Canada, worked with a team to test the framework on nine flame-retardant chemicals most commonly found in the atmosphere.
“They are chemicals that are added to a large variety of materials to delay the onset of fire,” Liggio told AFP. In a laboratory, they observed how these chemicals changed over time when in contact with oxidants in the air and found that they gave rise to 186 different substances.
Comparing these new substances with field samples, they found 19 derived from the five most common flame retardants.
None of the 19 had ever been identified in the ambient atmosphere before.
The team then used computer simulations to gauge the persistence, toxicity and bio-accumulation of the derived chemicals.
They discovered that the new chemicals could have longer-lasting impacts on the environment and could be more toxic than their parent chemicals – in some cases 10 times as much.
“The framework should provide a new avenue for including transformation products in routine air-monitoring programmes and for prioritising transformation products of high concern for further scrutiny,” the study said.
While the study looked at nine common chemical pollutants and their 19 daughter chemicals present in the urban air samples, Liggio said these results are only the tip of the iceberg.
“Likely thousands of different chemicals exist,” he said, adding that future tests will look at vehicle tyre chemicals, antioxidants, and other plastic additives.
Another goal is to test toxicity of the pollutants in real-life studies, going beyond the computer modelling used for this study.
THE STAR – Following the continuous rain warning by the Malaysian Meteorological Department on Tuesday, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has predicted that floods will occur in four states in Peninsular Malaysia.
The four states are Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor.
DID predicted that flooding is expected in Kelantan starting December 31 at 8pm at Sungai Kelantan.
“It will involve several districts including Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Jeli, Tanah Merah and Machang.
“Floods near Sungai Golok will involve the districts of Tanah Merah (Jenob) and Pasir Mas (Rantau Panjang) as well as the surrounding areas that are at risk,” it said in a statement yesterday.
For Terengganu, floods are expected to start on December 31 at 8am near Sungai Besut involving the district of Besut.
Belongings are left on a roadside one week after a massive flood on the outskirts of Bentong town, Pahang state. PHOTO: AP
“It might also affect those staying near Sungai Terengganu and the surrounding areas that are at risk of floods.
“Floods might start on January 1, 2022 at 8am in Pahang near Sungai Pahang involving the districts of Maran, Temerloh and Jerantut; Sungai Kuantan involving the district of Kuantan (Sungai Lembing); and Sungai Rompin involving the Rompin district as well as the surrounding areas that are at risk of flooding.
“For Johor, floods might take place on January 1 at 8pm near Sungai Mersing involving the Mersing district and surrounding areas that are at risk of floods,” it added.
The DID has advised residents in low-lying areas to take precautions and follow the authorities’ instructions.
