RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday pulled back from a vow to place his country’s flag on an island in the Spratlys chain claimed by China and other regional states.
“Because of our friendship with China and because we value your friendship I will not go there to raise the Philippine flag,” he told about 2,000 Filipinos during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
“I will not go to any of the islands. Maybe I will send my son, just to show that our claim is clearly good for all generations of Filipinos,” he said to applause.
He was referring to islands in the territory which the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea.
Duterte first made the threat on April 6 when he told reporters: “I have ordered the armed forces to occupy all – these so many islands, I think nine or 10 – put up structures and the Philippine flag.”
“And in the coming Independence Day of ours (June 12), I might, I may go to Pag-asa island to raise the flag there. Even those that are vacant, let us habitate there.”
Pag-asa (Hope) is the Philippine name for “Thitu island” in the Spratlys, the largest of the islands occupied by the Philippines in that disputed archipelago.
Duterte’s initial declaration confused many.
His spokesmen and the military later insisted that he meant they should upgrade the facilities on about nine of the islands and outcroppings the Philippines already occupies.
Duterte’s declaration also apparently surprised China which he has been wooing since he took office in June.
Critics had attacked Duterte for supposedly failing to stand up for the country’s claims.
But he said his setting aside of the territorial dispute opened the door to improved trade, investment and assistance with China.
In Riyadh, Duterte again cited the export of Philippine bananas and pineapples to China which resumed after he took a conciliatory stance toward Beijing.
Saudi Arabia is the second-largest employer of Philippine overseas workers, hosting 760,000 Filipinos who send home remittances vital to the Philippine economy.
From Riyadh, which Duterte called “a very important ally”, Duterte travelled to neighbouring Bahrain and will finish his Gulf tour in Qatar.
Those two countries are home to more than 300,000 other Filipino workers, whose welfare Duterte has made a focus of his trip.
If you loved the 1990s Hollywood hit Sister Act, then this musical will make you say “Whoopi!”
Direct from the United States, the five-time Tony-nominated Sister Act is coming to Singapore in May.
It tells the story of wannabe disco diva Deloris Van Cartier whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. She is put into protective custody in the one place the police are sure she won’t be found – a convent!
Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Using her fabulous disco vibe and killer voice to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church, but in doing so, blows her cover.
Soon, it’s nun-on-the-run time but Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.
“To hear people laugh and cheer the way they do at Sister Act – a show people think they know but are pleasantly surprised to discover is not what they are expecting – is a magical experience for a producer,” said Whoopi Goldberg, producer of the original production, who also played the lead role of Deloris in the 1992 blockbuster and sequel. “Happily, audiences across the country are able to get in on the fun as Deloris and her fabulous sisters spread the love nationwide.”
The musical features original music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty And The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop Of Horrors), with a vast inspiration of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems.
It received five 2011 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book Of A Musical. Directed on Broadway by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls, Smokey Joe’s Cafe), the production features choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams).
It opens at the MasterCard Theatres in Marina Bay Sands on May 9 for a limited engagement. Tickets, priced from S$65, are now on sale.
For bookings, visit www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing or www.sistic.com.sg.
Novel Baswedan, an investigator with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), was flown to Singapore on Wednesday to undergo eye injury treatment after two unidentified men hurled acid into his face early on Monday.
KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said that KPK officials consulted with doctors from the Jakarta Eye Center (JEC) in Menteng, Central Jakarta, to transfer Novel to Singapore for better treatment.
“A KPK representative and a doctor is currently waiting for Novel’s arrival in Singapore,” Agus said during his visit to Novel at the JEC on Wednesday morning.
JEC president director Johan A. Hutauruk said that Novel’s eyesight, which was affected the worst by the assault, had been improving.
“Today [Wednesday], the condition of Novel’s eyes have improved three times better than yesterday,” said Johan.
“Novel did the first aid properly by washing the acid off his face with water.”
The decision to move Novel to Singapore was also based on the request of Novel’s family, he said.
“We have contacted the doctors there so [Novel] can be treated immediately,” he said.
SINGAPORE — Bicycle-sharing company oBike has introduced a credit scoring system to deter errant users who park their bikes indiscriminately, a problem that has drawn growing attention on social media.
Explaining how the scoring system works at the official launch of oBike on Thursday (April 13), the company’s general manager Elgin Ee said every user will start with 100 points upon signing up for an account. Points will then be added or deducted based on a user’s behaviour.
For example, three points will be added to a user’s account for reporting an illegally parked bicycle. But up to 20 points will be deducted if the rider parks the bicycle at non-designated parking areas.
A user’s credit score will affect how much he or she pays for renting a bicycle. Currently, oBike users pay S$0.50 for every 15 minutes of usage.
But if a user’s credit score drops to between 60 to 79, the rental cost will rise to S$5 per 15 minutes. A user with less than 60 points will be charged S$50 per 15 minutes.
A user with zero points will not be able to use the service, though oBike said it will evaluate requests to reinstate a user’s account on a case by case basis.
Photo: oBike
oBike deployed their fleet of 1,000 bicycles in February, and said it is set to introduce “thousands more” in the coming months. About 1 to 2 per cent of total rides in the past two months ended with the bicycles being parked indiscriminately, Mr Ee told reporters.
Aside from introducing the new scoring system to deter irresponsible users, Mr Ee said the company has a “maintenance team” of eight people roaming the island to remove indiscriminately parked bicycles.
oBike is one of three bicycle-sharing companies that have begun offering services in Singapore, the other two being Ofo and Mobike. While the authorities have not given any statistics on the extent of the problem, irate Singaporeans have taken to social media to complain about indiscriminately parked rental bicycles in common areas.
A new feature to be rolled out on oBike’s app on April 20 aims to tackle this problem by helping users find suitable parking spots. Designated parking zones will show up as blue “P” signs on a user’s app.
Photo: oBike
These new designated bicycle parking zones, which can be found across the island, are in addition to the seven locations introduced by the Land Transport Authority in March and existing bike-parking areas at MRT stations.
oBike is also working with the Tampines Town Council to introduce parking zones at high-traffic areas. As part of the collaboration, oBike will provide Tampines residents with a one-month free trial, said Mr Ee, adding that details will be announced later.
How oBike works:
To start using the service, users need to deposit S$49 into a mobile wallet. They can then search for an available bicycle in their area, and unlock it using a QR code.
Rides cost S$0.50 every 15 minutes. Users end their rental by manually locking the bicycle.
The prospect of an expanded Olympics programme in 2020 was hailed by local sports officials, who see more opportunities for local athletes to qualify for sport’s biggest meet.
According to website Inside the Games, which reports on major sporting meets, at least 15 international sport federations have proposed new events and disciplines for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
World swimming body Fina, for instance, has reportedly proposed 10 new swimming events – the 50m races in breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke, the men’s 800m freestyle, women’s 1500m free and the 4x100m free and 4x100m medley mixed relays.
The International Table Tennis Federation, meanwhile, have requested for the men’s and women’s doubles, as well as the mixed doubles, to be included.
These proposals were believed to be tabled last week at the SportAccord Convention in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Singapore Table Tennis Association chief executive officer Wong Hui Leng welcomed the move.
She said yesterday: “This is good news for the sport. By adding the doubles and mixed doubles events at the upcoming Olympics, this will provide more opportunities for our paddlers to qualify and win Olympics medals for Singapore.”
Apart from more swimming events, Fina have also pitched for the inclusion of high diving and mixed duet synchronised swimming events, as well as an increase in the number of water polo teams from eight to 12.
A Singapore Swimming Association spokesman said: “We are supportive of the Fina proposals as it allows for more Olympic participation. We will await the final decision from the IOC (International Olympic Committee).”
Other sports to have submitted requests for more events include basketball, whose governing body Fiba proposed a three-on-three event with two 16-team competitions .
Boxing has also reportedly proposed two new female weight classes.
siangyee@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on April 13, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
IPL team selections sometimes befuddle people. How on earth, they say, can Dan Christian be a better player than Faf du Plessis? Or how can Billy Stanlake be playing while Chris Gayle is in the dugout?
Most times, selections are explained on the basis of team balance but at the IPL, there are more variables than just that.
Since you can play only four overseas players, you have to use them to fill slots that you cannot with the seven Indian players you have at your disposal. And that is precisely what happened with Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In what is emerging as a clear trend this year, and a worrisome trend I might add, teams are discovering that the Indian bowlers aren’t quite filling captains and team-owners with confidence.
And, with the young batsmen playing some wonderful innings, the move towards playing two specialist overseas bowlers becomes easier.
So, you see, your choice of overseas cricketer is governed, not by who is the best among those in the squad, but by the absence of a skill within the domestic contingent.
So, with RPS, most days, someone like du Plessis would walk in but because they needed to play both Imran Tahir and Adam Zampa, and with Ben Stokes the big hitting seam bowling option, they had to pick between du Plessis and Steve Smith. And, quite apart from the fact that Smith is in great form, it helps being captain!
Now, if RPS had more support for Ashoke Dinda (and even he has been expensive at the death), or had another quality spin bowling option, they could have played an extra overseas batsman.
So too with RCB whose woes with bowling have carried over into another season. While Tymal Mills is a fine bowler, he isn’t yet a Mitch Starc and Shane Watson is a year older.
In the first match they chose two Indian bowlers and soon found themselves looking around for options. Big Billy Stanlake presented himself as one, and with two good fast bowlers available, RCB looked a better bowling unit.
That meant though, that only one batsmen could play and with the return of AB de Villiers, there was no room for one of their most talismanic cricketers, Chris Gayle. It didn’t matter that Stanlake isn’t of the same stature as Gayle but he presented a skill that was lacking in the larger Indian pool.
Look at what happened to Gujarat Lions. With their balance severely dented by the absence of Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, they chose to repose confidence in their Indian bowlers and played all four overseas openers available, even if it meant two of those were playing out of position. In the first two matches, they managed just one wicket and the bowling looked very inadequate.
It is a worry and while the spinners are doing well enough with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav flying the flag for the next generation, there isn’t yet a go-to seamer other than the established ones, like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, especially at the death. The big hitting seam bowling all-rounder is an even more endangered species with, really, only Hardik Pandya, answering to that description.
And so, as the IPL continues, expect that the fast bowling and all-rounder slots will get filled by overseas bowlers with Indians providing the batting and spin bowling options. It will mean that top overseas batsmen like du Plessis and Gayle will struggle to get enough games.
SINGAPORE: Rewards if you’re good, and penalties if you’re not – Singapore’s first stationless bike-sharing company oBike is introducing a credit system in its app from the week of Apr 17 to encourage better behaviour among its users.
Announcing the oBike credits feature on Thursday (Apr 13), oBike said points will be added for “positive behaviour” such as reporting broken bikes, as well as to encourage frequent use of the app. However, points will be docked for “negative behaviour” such as parking at non-designated bike parking areas and forgetting to lock a bike. The lower the points, the higher the cost of the ride.
A yellow oBike bicycle parked in a non-designated bike parking area.
The cost of borrowing the bikes for each 15-minute period will range from S$0.50 for users with 101 to 180 points to a hundred times more, or S$50, for those with less than 60 points.
In response to Channel NewsAsia’s queries, a spokesperson also explained that users start with 100 points, and once they have zero points, they will no longer be able to use the service. Some offences, such as violating traffic rules, will instantly reduce the user’s points to zero.
(Source: oBike)
Besides the oBike credits, the company will also be adding bike parking location indicators in its app from Apr 20, so users know where to park their bikes. These areas include the new bicycle parking zones at seven new locations by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
These improvements were made following trials and feedback from users. The bright yellow-and-white bikes were first spotted in Singapore in January this year but were officially launched on Thursday.
ONE-YEAR PILOT WITH TAMPINES TOWN COUNCIL
oBike is also partnering with Tampines Town Council on a one-year pilot programme called “Ride and Roll”.
Tampines, the first cycling town in Singapore, was picked for its existing infrastructure that supports cycling, like extensive and dedicated paths for bikes, oBike said.
“As Singapore’s first cycling town, Tampines Town Council has already put in place various initiatives and infrastructural features that seek to promote cycling within the community, and we believe that this partnership will help to create a stronger cycling ecosystem within Tampines”, said oBike’s general manager Elgin Ee.
The programme will be rolled out in three phases from this month.
The first phase will seek to build a strong network and infrastructure within Tampines, with on-ground demarcations of bike-sharing spaces in high-traffic areas. Residents will also get one month of free rental service when they sign up.
Phase two aims to strengthen to drive home the message of safe and responsible cycling, with educational programmes organised by oBike and the town council.
Finally, the last phase will be geared towards encouraging the sustainability of bike-sharing, and cycling data from the pilot will be used for the neighbourhood’s future plans. In this phase, oBike will also be adding more people to its maintenance team under its oBike Warden Programme which will provide job opportunities for Tampines residents, especially active senior citizens, it said in the press release.
TOKYO – North Korea may have the capacity to deliver missiles equipped with sarin nerve gas, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday, amid concerns that the reclusive state could soon conduct its sixth nuclear test or more missile launches.
“There is a possibility that North Korea already has a capability to deliver missiles with sarin as warheads,” Abe told a parliamentary session.
Members of a Japanese doomsday cult killed 12 people and made thousands ill in 1995 in simultaneous attacks with sarin nerve gas on five Tokyo rush-hour subway trains.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated over Pyongyang’s continued nuclear and missile testing programme, with the United States warning it could take unilateral action and sending a navy carrier group to near the Korean peninsula in a show of force aimed at detering more tests.
North Korea marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of state founder Kim Il Sung on Saturday, North Korea’s biggest national day called “Day of the Sun”. Leaders have in the past used the date to carry out weapons tests.
North Korea has launched several missile tests this year, the latest on April 5 when it fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast. It conducted its fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9, 2016.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight fighter Colby Covington, known for his grappling, showed he can do almost as much damage with his mouth at a UFC promotional event yesterday.
In the august halls of the ArtScience Museum, Covington showed there is as much art in throwing shade as there is in science as he battered Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos with verbal barbs.
“There are real fighters, there are scared fighters and that’s what we have over here to the right,” said the 29-year-old American.
“He’s scared, he know (sic) he’s scared. I’m the most feared guy in the game right now. I scare the ink out of pens.”
Fellow welterweight Dos Anjos, 32 and clearly irked, shot back: “I don’t know who this guy is. This new generation of MMA fighters, they try to get attention (like UFC star) Conor McGregor.
“You can’t try to copy somebody else. Just be yourself.”
The irony?
They are not even fighting each other.
At the June 17 UFC Fight Night Singapore, Covington will be up against South Korean Dong Hyun Kim, while dos Anjos will face Tarec Saffiedine.
But this combination of in-your-face braggadocio and histrionics, synonymous with the UFC, is what fans can expect to see as the event, to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, draws nearer.
Pre-fight gimmickry aside, the Singapore show will be UFC’s first fight night in Asia since a November 2015 event in Seoul and the world’s largest MMA organisation looks set to trot out its biggest names in June.
Hours before yesterday’s event, news broke online that Holly Holm could co-anchor the Singapore event in a bantamweight bout with Bethe Correia.
Holm is popularly known as the fighter who in 2015 ended Ronda Rousey’s three-year reign as champion with a brutal knockout. Her win, in the bantamweight title bout, is considered one of the sport’s biggest upsets.
Indeed, UFC are keeping fans in suspense, with the main event and co-main event of the Singapore fight card still unknown.
This is in contrast to their first event in Singapore in 2014, when the relatively unknown Saffiedine was the headline act.
But Asia is now high on their agenda. According to UFC, the region boasts an estimated 93 million UFC fans, some 35 per cent of its total fan base of 269 million.
Asked about the possibility of Holm’s participation, a UFC spokesman told The Straits Times: “Nothing is official at the moment but we look forward to confirming a main event soon.”
One thing is for sure – for all their differences, dos Anjos and Covington are united in wanting to thrill fans when they respectively enter the octagon.
Dos Anjos said: “I always come to finish off my opponents. I don’t play for points. I can’t wait.”
Covington, though, delivered the knockout blow when he said: “Dong’s had a great career and I’m going to send him out on a high note. Singapore has great food and after I beat him up, hopefully (you) will name a dish after him to commemorate his career.”
SINGAPORE LINE-UP
CONFIRMED BOUTS
Rafael dos Anjos v Tarec Saffiedine (welterweight)
Andrei Arlovski v Marcin Tybura (heavyweight)
Dong Hyun Kim v Colby Covington (welterweight)
Takanori Gomi v John Tuck (heavyweight)
Justin Scoggins v Ulka Sasaki (flyweight)
Kwan Ho Kwak v Russell Doane (bantamweight)
Alex Carceres v Wang Guan (featherweight)
Cyril Asker v Walt Harris (heavyweight)
Naoki Inoue v Carls John de Thomas (flyweight)
Tickets for UFC Fight Night are on sale now and can be purchased at www.sportshubtix.sg
siangyee@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on April 13, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
THE Indian Premier League (IPL) is back – with a bang. Cricket’s high-octane Twenty20 tournament opened in India with great fanfare on April 5.
It marked a special season: This is the 10th edition. And so there was an extra vibrancy to the opening festivities, with the organiser, the Indian cricket board, laying out more fireworks, dancers, speeches and decorated golf buggies to showcase top players around the grounds.
On the field, it has been sheer excitement – what the IPL provides and what the fans worldwide love to watch.
Young English fast bowler Tymal Mills, bought for US$1.8 million by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the players’ auction in February, touched speeds of 150kmh – and even regularly produced his party-piece fast-arm slowies.
India’s darling Yuvraj Singh blazed away with a quick-fire half-century, while dashing Australian Chris Lynn unleashed “Lynnsanity”, slamming 93 off 41 balls for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Gujarat Lions.
Scores of 180 plus were the order of the day in the opening rounds and teams were finding it difficult to defend those totals.
Australian Aiden Sherry, 15, a budding cricketer Photo: Aiden Sherry
Cue flashes, thunder, squeals as batsmen indulged in 360 degree shots and bowlers tried variations and innovations to uproot them.
And, as the pom-pom cheerleaders whipped up more frenzy at the venues, the thrills were registered even out here in Singapore.
“IPL has all the ingredients: Spice, drama, action and, of course, happy endings,” said former Singapore national team player Pramodh Raja, 37, who never misses an IPL match.
“There are a lot of close finishes and the best players in the world showcase their talents. It’s sheer adrenaline rush.”
Australian Aiden Sherry, 15, a budding cricketer who lives in Singapore with his parents, said: “The IPL is an extremely exciting competition, full of constant run scoring and a possibility of the match turning at any moment. This non-stop feeling that the game could change at any moment really provides much of the excitement and fun of watching the matches.”
Despite being dragged through a match-fixing controversy in 2013, the IPL seems to have lost none of its charm and attraction.
The world’s best cricketers are playing in this year’s tournament – from April 5 to May 21 featuring 60 matches.
Rising English all-rounder Ben Stokes joined Rising Pune Supergiant for an IPL-record US$2.23 million, while Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for US$$615,700 – the most ever offered to a player from an associate (non-Test playing) nation.
Khan and team-mate Mohammad Nabi have become the first players from Afghanistan to play in the IPL, highlighting the league’s ever-expanding global appeal.
“By attracting the best cricketing talent locally and from overseas, IPL has become a quality and entertaining product,” said IT project manager and Kerala native Ajmal Rasheed, 34, who watches the matches with his entire family and backs the Delhi Daredevils. “It has style and substance which are showcased in beautiful stadiums.”
IT project manager and Kerala native Ajmal RasheedPhoto: Ajmal Rasheed
For Singapore cricket captain Chetan Suryawanshi there is much to learn from watching IPL matches.
“It allows rookies and little known players to rub shoulders with the world’s best and make a name for themselves,” said the 31-year-old, who supports Rising Pune Supergiant.
“IPL gives me an insight on how new concepts and theories are coming into play and how the game is moving forward, which helps me as I’m both a player and a coach.”
Author and artist Subina Khaneja, 54, was “lucky enough to be invited to the first IPL tournament”.
Subina with Sunil GavaskarPhoto: Subina Khaneja
She said: “The energy was just mind-blowing. The shorter format makes it easier to watch the matches, especially since in Singapore it is not like India, where everything is late and forgiven if cricket is on. Here we still have to work and continue life, so finding time becomes a challenge. My husband (Asheesh) watches the more important matches. I am the die-hard who will watch all the matches and their repeats if I have the time.”
This season, it has become cheaper for IPL fans in Singapore to watch the matches as Eleven Sports has rolled out an attractive deal that does not need a long-term contract.
For a one-off fee of $41.90 they can watch the entire tournament on its digital platform elevensport,sg which works out to about 60 cents for each of the 60 matches. A daily pass is also available for $2.99.
“I watch as many games as possible, sometimes at home and other times at clubs” said M. Neethianathan, 64, a former vice-president of the Singapore Cricket Association and national team player.
M. Neethianathan, 64, a former vice-president of the Singapore Cricket Association and national team playerPhoto: V. Santosh
“The accusations of match-fixing have not taken away the sheen from the tournament. There is no credible evidence, so I will still watch the matches. I love cricket and so my interest will never wane in the IPL.”
Indeed fans in Singapore love the IPL so much that there are calls for some of the matches to be staged here.
“Given how it was successfully staged in South Africa and UAE and the expat Indian population in Singapore, it would be a big hit,” said Suryawanshi.
Added Ms Khaneja: “Just like F1 found its niche in Singapore, so could cricket. There are so many nationalities interested and an IPL which draws from players from all over would be a big hit.”
Players to watch
BEN STOKES (Rising Pune Supergiant)
England batsman Ben StokesPhoto: AFP
Much is expected of the English all-rounder as he is the most expensive (US$2.3 million) player in the tournament’s history. The 25-year-old is a proven performer at the international level and is an aggressive competitor.
CHRIS LYNN (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Chris LynnPhoto: AFP
The right-handed opener was in sterling form in the 2016-17 Big Bash League in Australia averaging 154.5. The 26-year-old Australian has already carried that form into the IPL, smashing bowlers all around the park. His policy, he says, is to belt the ball as soon as he sights it.
RASHID KHAN (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Sunrisers Hyderabad Rashid Khan Photo: AFP
The Afghan leg-spinner, making his debut in the IPL, is already the leading wicket-taker after the first week with five. The 18-year-old’s fastish googlies are hard to decipher and he has flummoxed batsmen with his accuracy and subtle variations.
PAT CUMMINS (Delhi Daredevils)
He made an impressive return to Test cricket last month after five years in the wilderness. The 23-year-old Australian is quick and can extract steep bounce from slow Indian pitches. His ability to move the new ball will also be an asset to his side.
GLENN MAXWELL (Kings XI Punjab)
One of the most exciting T20 batsmen, he has the ability to pull off amazing shots in pressure situations. The Australian, 28, is also confident and assured and has been given the task of leading the Kings XI this season. He can also prove useful with his off-spin
