Oil continues slide as US drillers add rigs for fourth week |
- Oil continues slide as US drillers add rigs for fourth week
- Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain ease to victory, Marseille lose again
- Greek opposition party says no to backing PM in confidence vote
- EPL: Mourinho stewing over 3-0 Etihad derailment
- India’s Modi pays visit to UAE mosque in conciliatory gesture to Muslims
- Rogers Cup: Bencic wins as Halpe quits
| Oil continues slide as US drillers add rigs for fourth week Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:58 PM PDT
Futures slid as much as 1.3 per cent in New York. The number of rigs seeking oil rose by two to 672 for the sixth weekly gain in seven weeks, Baker Hughes Inc data show. The US agreed to allow some crude to flow to Mexico in the latest step toward easing a 40-year ban on most domestic exports. Oil has slumped more than 30 per cent from the June closing peak this year amid speculation the global surplus will be prolonged. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries may boost output to a record after Iran's international sanctions are removed, according to the nation's OPEC representative. West Texas Intermediate for September delivery fell as much as 54 cents to US$41.96 (RM172.94) a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at US$42.12 at 8.38am Sydney time. The contract gained 27 cents to US$42.50 on Friday. The volume of all futures traded was about 58 percent above the 100-day average. Prices have decreased 21 percent this year. Brent for October settlement dropped as much as 59 cents, or 1.2 per cent, to US$48.60 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark crude traded at a premium of US$5.97 to WTI for the same month. — Bloomberg  |
| Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain ease to victory, Marseille lose again Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:53 PM PDT
A stunning Blaise Matuidi strike and a Thiago Silva header, both in the first half, put PSG out of sight against newly-promoted Gazelec at the Parc des Princes and left Laurent Blanc's side with six points from a possible six at the start of the new campaign. "It was a good evening. The match could have been a bit more spectacular if we had taken a couple more chances but their 'keeper made several very good saves," acknowledged Blanc. Argentina winger Angel di Maria, the 63 million-euro (£44.3m; $68.9m) signing from Manchester United, was introduced to the Paris fans before kick-off, although he was not yet fit enough to make his debut. And with Zlatan Ibrahimovic again sidelined, PSG were not at full strength, as 18-year-old forward Jean-Kevin Augustin was handed a first start in the top flight. But this was always likely to be a trying night for Gazelec, a club whose overall budget for their debut season at the top level barely equates to Ibrahimovic's annual salary at the Parc des Princes. It always seemed a question of when, not if, Paris would open the scoring and they duly did so in the 11th minute thanks to Matuidi, the France midfielder taking the ball into the box and then sending a fizzing left-foot drive high into the net at the near post. PSG added their second goal midway through the first half, captain Silva putting the disappointment of being dropped from the Brazil squad last week behind him as he headed home a Thiago Motta corner. At that point it looked like turning into a rout, but Edinson Cavani failed to convert several openings in the second half and Serge Aurier headed a great chance wide. David Luiz was denied by a brilliant Clement Maury save as the hosts settled for a win that leaves them, ominously, already in top spot on goal difference. Gazelec are still looking for their first top-flight goal, but their coach Thierry Laurey said: "We knew it would be complicated, but we kept fighting after losing the goals. Luckily for us there are not 19 teams like PSG in this league." Managerless OM reeling Earlier, Marseille slumped to a second defeat in as many games, a first-half strike by Hamari Traore giving Reims all three points in a 1-0 win in Champagne country. Marseille, still reeling from the shock resignation of coach Marcelo Bielsa following their opening 1-0 defeat to Caen, never really looked like scoring and find themselves in the relegation zone in the fledgling standings. Bielsa's former assistant Franck Passi took charge of the away side in Reims but he insisted the Argentine's departure could not be used as an excuse for a disappointing display. "We have to stop talking about trauma! We've put last weekend (Bielsa's resignation) behind us," said Passi. "We mustn't hide behind that excuse. But it's clear that it will not be easy and it will take time to find a solution." In contrast to OM, it has been a great start to the season for Reims, who had already beaten Bordeaux on the opening weekend. Yesterday's other match saw Lorient scramble a 1-1 draw at home to Bastia thanks to a stoppage-time Benjamin Moukandjo penalty, which cancelled out Floyd Ayite's early opener. Mathieu Valbuena made his Lyon debut in a 1-0 win at Guingamp on Saturday as Claudio Beauvue netted the only goal of the game against his old club. Rennes and Caen were the weekend's other winners, while Monaco warmed up for their Champions League play-off first leg away to Valencia by drawing 0-0 at home to Lille on Friday. It was a difficult night for the principality club, who lost influential midfielder Joao Moutinho to an ankle injury that will keep him out for up to six weeks. — AFP |
| Greek opposition party says no to backing PM in confidence vote Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:50 PM PDT
Tsipras had to rely on opposition groups including PASOK to win a parliamentary majority on Friday in favour of the 86 billion euro bailout programme, Greece's third with international creditors since 2010. By contrast, Tsipras suffered the biggest rebellion yet among anti-bailout lawmakers from his leftist Syriza party, forcing him to consider a confidence vote that would pave the way for early elections if he loses. PASOK made clear that while it had backed the government over bailout for the sake of saving Greece from financial ruin, that support would not extend to any confidence vote in the coming weeks. The party blamed Tsipras and Panos Kammenos, who leads the minority partner in the coalition government, for the fact that Greece had to take yet another bailout with tough austerity and reform conditions demanded by the euro zone and IMF. "The government has signed the third and most onerous bailout. All the negative consequences for the country and its citizens bear the signatures of Mr Tsipras and Mr Kammenos," the party said in a statement. "We have no confidence in the Tsipras-Kammenos government and of course will not give it if we are asked." PASOK, once the dominant force on the Greek left, now has just 13 members in the 300 seat parliament but Tsipras may need all the support he can get. Crucially, it did not say whether it would vote against the government, or merely abstain. On Friday, support for the government from within its own coalition parties fell below 120 votes, the minimum needed to survive a confidence vote if some others abstain. The main conservative opposition party, New Democracy, has also said it would not back the government, which won power in January on promises to reverse austerity policies. Tsipras was forced to back down to secure the new deal. Opinion polls show Tsipras remains popular, even though he presided over the closure of banks for three weeks, the imposition of capital controls and a near brush with financial collapse. This has raised doubts about how much the opposition parties may want to force new elections. A government official said earlier yesterday that until Greece had secured the new funding, it would focus solely on the technicalities which need to be wrapped up. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tsipras would hold meetings with government officials after Aug. 20, when a €3.2 billion (RM14.48 billion) debt payment to the European Central Bank falls due, "in order to determine further moves". — Reuters |
| EPL: Mourinho stewing over 3-0 Etihad derailment Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:48 PM PDT
Ever the pugilist, Mourinho protested that Chelsea's improved second-half performance yesterday meant the scoreline was "fake", but neither the impression left by the game nor the statistics bore him out. Eden Hazard forced City goalkeeper Joe Hart to save at 1-0, but it was Chelsea's only real chance at that stage and the hosts finished the game having recorded eight shots on target to the visitors' three. Bloodied after a week that saw him roundly criticised for demoting medics Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn over a row about their treatment of Hazard during the 2-2 draw with Swansea City, Mourinho was reduced to claiming that City had abandoned their principles by tightening up in the second half. It was a tactic he had employed after Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield, when he accused Arsene Wenger's team of "leaving their philosophy in the dressing room", and it felt like a similarly redundant observation at the newly expanded Etihad Stadium. City manager Manuel Pellegrini reacted prudently as his players fought to protect the lead procured by Sergio Aguero's 31st-minute goal, sending on Samir Nasri and Martin Demichelis. Mourinho said it was a sign that City felt "in danger", but there was a grain of truth in Pellegrini's assertion that "in our worst moment, Chelsea didn't have chances". Mourinho, whose side trail City by five points, said he was startled to see Aguero granted so much space in the first half when he and his defenders had spent "all week" planning how to stop him. He also explained that his surprising decision to remove John Terry at half-time—the first time he has withdrawn his captain in 177 league games—was purely due to a desire to add Kurt Zouma's pace to the back four and move Chelsea's defensive line further forward. Terry, 34, played every single second of Chelsea's title triumph last season and there was a note of irritation in Mourinho's voice when he was asked why it was he, and not Gary Cahill, who had been withdrawn. Aguero 'can get better' "I don't know if you ask many questions to (Rafael) Benitez, Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto di Matteo, to the ones that never played him," Mourinho replied, citing some of his predecessors in the Chelsea dug-out. "I am the one you shouldn't ask because I am the one who played John every game, made him captain, recovered him from a difficult situation with other managers and had the right to say I want Zouma on the pitch." The display is only like to accelerate Chelsea's pursuit of Everton centre-back John Stones. Left-back Abdul Rahman Baba's arrival from Augsburg was confirmed by the German club yesterday. While Mourinho stewed, Pellegrini was left to reflect on a performance that immediately reinstalled his side, deposed by Chelsea last season, as the Premier League's team to beat. Reacting to Mourinho's "fake" comment, Pellegrini said the margin of victory was "the minimum we deserved", but he shied away from the suggestion that City had made a statement at this early stage. "We are not sending a message to anyone," he said. Victory was not secure until a header from Vincent Kompany and a rasping drive from Fernandinho in the last 11 minutes swelled City's lead, but the foundations had been laid by Aguero, who looks back to his devilish best after taking time off following the Copa America. "I think Sergio Aguero is in the best moment of his career," said Pellegrini, whose side top the table on goal difference from Leicester City and Manchester United. "He is a very important player for us. He showed that also last year. He was the top scorer. "I believe this season he can be even better." — AFP |
| India’s Modi pays visit to UAE mosque in conciliatory gesture to Muslims Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:45 PM PDT
Modi, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been dogged by allegations he did not stop religious riots in Gujarat over a decade ago, when at least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in communal riots. He has denied the allegations and a Supreme Court inquiry found no evidence to suggest he was complicit in the violence. Modi toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, capital of the oil-producing United Arab Emirates, accompanied by UAE Culture Minister Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak al-Nahayan. He made no statements to journalists. Analysts said Modi, who has vowed to protect all religious groups after a series of attacks on Christians, was trying to show the same concern for Muslims. "Modi's visit to the Grand Mosque is a clear signal that he wishes to bury his own communalist baggage and build on India's pluralistic reputation and highlight Islam's role in Indian history," Kadira Pethiyagoda, visiting fellow in Asia-Middle East Relations Brookings Doha Center, told Reuters. Modi's two-day visit to Abu Dhabi is the first by an Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi's trip in 1981. The Grand Mosque, Modi's first stop in this visit, is the largest in the UAE and has the largest hand-woven carpet in the world, where thousands can pray at the same time. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan said Modi's visit comes at a time when relations between the two countries were strong. "The prime minister's visit is of strategic significance in our bilateral relations and follows on the heels of growing diplomatic, economic, energy and defence cooperation between our two countries," UAE state news agency WAM quoted him as saying. There were opportunities for bilateral security cooperation against extremists, he said. — Reuters |
| Rogers Cup: Bencic wins as Halpe quits Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:44 PM PDT
Bencic, who upset world number one Serena Williams in the semi-finals, broke twice to open the third set before the effort of battling in extreme heat and humidity proved more than Halep could take. The Swiss 18-year-old has won 21 of her last 25 matches and defeated four top-10 foes this week, improving to 6-1 this year against such high-ranked rivals. "I don't think I'm so good at speeches yet," Bencic said. "But first, I want to congratulate Simona on a great week, and my mom, my dad and my team. "Even if I lost today it would've been an amazing experience." It was the second career WTA crown for Bencic, whose first came in June at Eastbourne, and it capped an impressive week in which she defeated six Grand Slam finalists—Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic, Halep and Williams, winner of the past four Grand Slam events in a row. Bencic will jump to 12th in the world rankings after starting the week 20th, improving her position for the US Open, the year's final Grand Slam event that starts August 31 in New York. Halep and Bencic exchanged breaks over the first five games of the match before Bencic held for a 4-2 edge. The 18-year-old double faulted to surrender an equalising break in the eighth game as the two battled into the tie-breaker. Halep, who had her left leg treated in the final changeover before the tie-breaker, seized a 4-1 lead but Bencic fought back to win six of the last seven points to claim the first set, the last when Halep netted a forehand. After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Bencic broke for a 4-2 lead and Halep, taking treatment for the extreme heat at humidity, seemed near the end. But she broke back to 4-3 and answered when Bencic broke for a 5-3 edge, breaking back again at love when the Swiss was serving for the match to pull within 5-4. Halep held and broke again for a 6-5 lead and then it was her turn to serve for the set, but Bencic broke back to force the second tie-breaker. Winning six points of seven, Halep seized a 6-2 edge and rallied from a weak stretch for the third match in a row to level matters. But Halep, who beat Bencic in straight sets at Wimbledon a year ago in their only prior meeting, did not have a second wind and Bencic dominated her twice in service games before Halep called it quits, only her fourth loss in 32 hardcourt starts in 2015. "Sorry I couldn't finish, I fought as hard as I could," Halep said. — AFP |
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