The Foreign Post | MAY 9-15, 2024 | ISSUE 1617

Ex-president Zuma makes surprise comeback

Johannesburg, South Africa —

South Africa’s scandal-hit expresident Jacob Zuma has made a surprise comeback by running in May’s elections against his former party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Zuma, the fourth president of democratic South Africa between 2009 and 2018, was forced from office under a slew of graft allegations.

He is still facing trial on corruption charges.

In 2021, he was briefly jailed for contempt of court after refusing to appear before a corruption inquiry.

Sentenced to 15 months, Zuma spent only two months behind bars.

He was released initially for health reasons, after which President Cyril Ramaphosa commuted his sentence.

In recent months, he has overcome a string of legal challenges by the government seeking to disqualify the small party with which he has aligned himself, so as to invalidate his candidacy.

Zuma, now 82, announced in

December he would campaign for the small radical uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK, or the “Spear of the Nation” in Zulu) party.

The party’s name harks back to that of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC) when it fought white-minority rule.

South Africans will vote for parliament on May 29, in what is set to be the tightest election since the introduction of democratic rule with the end of the apartheid era.

It is the elected members who will vote for the president.

The ANC, after 30 years in power, risks losing its absolute majority and being forced to share power in a coalition government.

- ANC battle -

Recent polls suggest Zuma’s former political home, the ANC, is on course to score below 50 percent for the first time since it came to power in 1994 when apartheid ended.

An Ipsos survey released last week indicates that the fledgling MK could score more than eight percent.

Zuma has urged his supporters

Lee Hsien Loong: scion PM modernised Singapore, stifled dissent

By Martin ABBUGAO

Singapore, Singapore — Under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore has held its own in an era of globalised finance and cutting-edge tech, while continuing his venerated father’s policy of muzzling free media and snuffing out dissent.

But the premier announced Monday he will step down next month, passing the baton to his deputy Lawrence Wong, the second non-member of the Lee family to lead the wealthy nation.

As the son of the country’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, Lee had to live with the perception that he could not have become prime

minister without his pedigree.

But after nearly two decades at the helm, steering Singapore through a global financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic while diversifying its economy, he has left his own imprint on the city-state.

He has not hesitated to use defamation laws against critics, suing anyone who suggested corruption or nepotism in the government.

Under his watch, rules against public protests have been tightened; even a one-person demonstration can be dispersed as an illegal assembly.

Lee was sworn in as the nation’s third prime minister on August 12,

to “take back the country”.

A powerful orator, he has stepped up his attacks on the ANC, which he says he “no longer recognises”, denouncing its leaders

as “traitors”.

For a long time, Zuma prevented Ramaphosa, his successor as president, from establishing himself within the ANC, fuelling internal

Paris dream of swimming in the Seine finally within reach

By Delphine PAYSANT

Paris, France — Going for a dip in the Seine on a hot summer’s day has been the pipedream of many a Parisian since swimming in the river was formally banned a century ago.

But floating on your back under the Eiffel Tower could very soon become reality thanks to the Paris Olympics.

The river will be the star of the opening ceremony of the Games on July 26 and will host the triathlon and the swimming marathon. Then, if all goes well, next summer Parisians and tourists will be able to dive in too.

Like Zurich and Munich before it, Paris has been reclaiming its river with one of three new urban “beaches” to open under the windows of its historic town hall next year, with another almost at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Nearly 30 more -- complete with pontoons, showers and parasols -- are planned for the suburbs and along the Marne, which flows into the Seine just east of the French capital.

Once regarded as an open-air dump, former French president Jacques Chirac first floated the idea of swimming in the Seine in 1990.

But it was the current mayor Anne Hidalgo who really ran with the idea, making it a pillar of her Olympic bid in 2016.

Some 1.4 billion euros has been spent on colossal public works to counter pollution, with Hidalgo vowing to swim in the Seine herself in late June. French President Emmanuel Macron says he too will take the plunge -- but is coy about saying exactly when.

For many it feels like a longheld fantasy is finally within reach -- a return to an 18th-century idyll when Parisians splashed naked in the Seine.

- Failed water quality tests -

But there is a big if to all this: the sometimes sharp fluctuations in the Seine’s water quality after storms.

Disastrous Olympic test events last August have raised doubts over whether the triathletes and marathon swimmers will be allowed to race for gold in the river.

Most of the events had to be cancelled because the water failed to meet European standards on two bacterias found in faeces.

Unusually violent downpours and a faulty valve in the sewage system were blamed.

But it prompted the reigning Olympic marathon champion Ana

Marcela Cunha to call for a “plan B”.

“The health of athletes should come before everything,” the Brazilian great told AFP.

What happened to lifeguard Gaelle Deletang will not reassure her.

The 56-year-old, a member of the French capital’s aquatic civil defence team, got “diarrhoea and a rash” after swimming in the Seine in central Paris this winter, with the river looking decidedly brown in March as flood water poured over some of its banks.

Several other volunteers “had a bug for three weeks... and everyone had stomach upsets”, she added.

Young adventurer Arthur Germain -- who happens to be the mayor of Paris’s son -- also came across “zones where I had trouble breathing” from both industrial and agricultural pollution when he swam the whole 777-kilometre length of the Seine in 2021.

In deepest rural Burgundy -days before he got anywhere near Paris -- he measured levels of faecal matter well above EU limits for swimming. Further north he swam past farmers spraying pesticides by the riverbank.

conflict.

Zuma, a colourful and charismatic figure, given to singing and dancing on stage, has always

(COMBO) This combination of file pictures shows (L) Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking at a press conference during his visit at the South African Parliament in Cape Town on May 16, 2023 and (R) Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong delivering a speech during the Paris office opening reception of Singapore state investor Temasek in Paris. - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down in May 2024 and his deputy Lawrence Wong will take over, the second non-member of the Lee family to lead the wealthy nation. RODGER BOSCH AND JULIEN DE ROSA

New post-Brexit controls: a thorn for UK horticulture

By Olivier DEVOS

London, United Kingdom — Yuccas from Spain, rhododendrons from Germany or Dutch hazelnut trees -- flowers and plants arriving at UK ports from the European Union face tougher postBrexit border checks from Tuesday, meaning delays and extra costs for importers.

At Provender nursery in Swanley, southeast England, production and biosecurity manager Stuart Tickner inspects the leaves of a dwarf prunus to ensure it is not diseased.

A little further on, he joins general manager Richard McKenna to eye photinia and straighten fruitless mulberry trees which have just arrived from Italy.

“We’re going to have to pay for the offloading, reloading of the truck,” McKenna tells AFP.

“If a truck is delayed... plants get damaged.”

An entire damaged shipment risks costing up to £40,000 ($50,000), he says, which “could have huge financial ramifications for the business”.

Britain’s departure from the

Ex-president Zuma makes...

enjoyed fervent popular support.

He still has sway at the heart of the political machine.

- ‘He who laughs’ -

His jailing in July 2021 triggered unrest that left more than 350 dead, South Africa’s worst episode of violence since the fall of apartheid on a backdrop of economic stagnation.

When the ANC was forced into exile under apartheid, Zuma was a fearsome head of intelligence, cracking down on traitors and regime informers.

He also spent 10 years in Robben Island prison with Nelson

Mandela.

But a litany of legal woes tarnished his image.

Zuma, whose middle name Gedleyihlekisa means someone who “laughs while crushing his enemies” in Zulu, insists he has no fear of the courts.

In 2006, he was found not guilty of raping an HIV-positive daughter of one of his former comrades.

He caused a stir in court when he said he showered after unprotected sex in a bid to minimise the risk of infection.

An anti-corruption commission

European Union has already sprouted issues for the horticulture sector.

“Plants are perceived by the UK government at high risk of importing disease and pests,” McKenna explains.

“It has made importing material much harder, much more expensive and already a lot longer in time.”

Tuesday sees the introduction of physical checks at UK ports on animal or plant products deemed “medium” risk such as cut flowers -as well as “high” risk, which include plants that go in the ground.

The UK government is aiming to

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was launched to investigate the public money he had allegedly embezzled during his nine years in power.

A damning 2022 report concluded that Zuma had played a central role in state corruption.

He is due to face trial in a bribery affair more than 20 years old where he is accused of having pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars from defence firm Thales, one of the companies handed lucrative arms contracts.

Zuma has four wives and at least 20 children.

eventually inspect every shipment of “high risk” goods.

“At the moment jeopardy is very high,” says Sally Cullimore, technical policy manager at the Horticultural Trades Association.

“There is little certainty about costs.”

McKenna says his company “could not survive without importing”.

“If the new costs and new regime prevents us from importing, or makes the material so expensive that nobody wants to buy it, then that will have a profound impact on the business.”

- Shortages, price rises? -

Such concerns are shared by Aron Gelbard, co-founder and chief executive of Bloom & Wild, a company that delivers flowers through letterboxes. In France, the brand is known as Bergamotte.

About 20 percent of flowers sold in the UK are grown in Europe, notably the Netherlands.

“If there are a lot of flowers that are held up for too long... (and) they end up having to go to waste because they’re no longer fresh by the time the checks are finished, then yes, that could result in shortages,” Gelbard warns.

He says new costs to companies -- they will have to pay up to a further £145 in administration fees on each

Paris dream of swimming in the Seine finally...

His “worst day”, however, was a few kilometres downstream from the capital as he passed a sewage works at Gennevilliers.

- Sofas, scooters and corpses -

Yet there was progress in the summer of 2022, when the Seine passed EU water quality tests at three test points in Paris, only to fail at all 14 in the capital last year.

With five big anti-pollution plants due to come on stream in the weeks leading up to the Games, Paris mayor Hidalgo was bullish on Tuesday, saying the “quality of the water will be right up there.

“We are going to make it despite all the scepticism,” she declared.

Remi Delorme, captain of a boat that has been fishing rubbish from the river since 1980, has seen progress.

His 20-metre (65-foot) catamaran Belenos sucks up rubbish from dead leaves and plastic bags to bicycles.

Delorme, 36, has seen it all. “Scooters, sofas, dead animals, and once or twice a year, human corpses. You get used to it,” he told AFP.

But year after year, the rubbish the boat hoovers up has been falling, from a high of 325 tonnes to 190 tonnes in 2020.

The push to make the Seine swimmable for the Olympics has accelerated a French government plan to limit waste water and sewage getting into both it and the river Marne.

A 2018 law obliges the boats and barges that line the Seine to be hooked up to the city’s sewers to stop them flushing directly into the river. Officials said by March almost all were following the rules.

“Uncontrolled flushing has a major impact on faecal bacteria in the river,” said Jean-Marie Mouchel,

professor of hydrology at the Sorbonne University.

Another problem was leakage from sewage pipes from some 23,000 homes in the suburbs, with shower and toilet water being discharged directly into the environment.

But by going door-to-door offering subsidies to get them fixed and threatening penalties if they were not, four out of 10 of these faulty connections have so far been corrected.

“We have gone from 20 million cubic metres to two million cubic metres of discharges into the Seine per year in recent years,” said Samuel Colin-Canivez, head of major works for the Paris sewer network.

- The return of fish -

Hydrologist Jean-Marie Mouchel has seen big signs of improvement in the river’s health, with better “oxygenation, ammonium and phosphate levels”.

While the Seine “has not become a wild river again”, it now has “more than 30 species of fish, compared with three in 1970”, said the professor.

Bill Francois, who fishes up to five times a week near Pont Marie in the historic heart of Paris, caught a surprisingly large catfish the day he talked to AFP -- the likes of which he never expected to find in the Seine.

The 31-year-old physicist also hooked a small perch, which are becoming more and more numerous. Half a century ago “there were none left”, he said.

Other fish that need far higher water quality are also returning, he said, as well as “insects, crustaceans, little shrimps, sponges and even jellyfish”.

For microbiologist Francoise Lucas, who has been following

efforts to clean the Seine for years, the weather will ultimately decide the fate of the Olympic events on the river

“Everything that could be done (technically) has been done,” Lucas told AFP.

- Massive treatment plants -

Upstream from the capital, one of the newly modernised sewage plants is using an innovative treatment method based on performic acid -- an “organic disinfectant” -according to Siaap, the body that deals with the Paris region’s waste water and sewage.

It insists the acid is safe and “rapidly disintegrates even before coming into contact with the natural environment.”

Not far away, a new stormwater control station is also coming online. Dug deep underground at Champigny-sur-Marne to the southeast of Paris, it is designed to stop the river being polluted by heavy downpours.

As well as catching the stormwater, it filters and cleans it to remove floating debris and counters bacteria with ultraviolet lamps before the water is released into the Marne.

And as a final safety net to avoid a recurrence of the nightmare Olympic test events last summer, a huge new stormwater cistern is opening at Austerlitz on the eastern edge of central Paris. Fifty metres (164 feet) wide and 30m deep, it can hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic swimming pools worth of water.

A veritable underground cathedral, it is there to stop stormwater flooding the sewers and overflowing into the Seine.

Even so, “statistically there are a few rainstorms a year for which it won’t be totally sufficient”, admitted

prefect Marc Guillaume, Paris’s top state official.

- Urban beaches -

“We had forgotten about the Seine,” said Stephane Raffalli, mayor of the riverside Paris suburb of Ris-Orangis, where one of the nearly 30 new urban beaches will open next year. “There are people who have lived here for years who have never walked along the banks of the river.”

Yet suburbanites were still swimming in the Seine until the 1960s and right up to the 1970s in the Marne, where riverside lidos called “Little Trouville” or “Deauville in Paris” did their best to summon up the holiday atmosphere of English Channel beach resorts.

In Champigny-sur-Marne, the old “beach” had “a kind of small pool where children were able to touch the bottom,” recalled 74-yearold Michel Riousset. “Everyone had their own cabin.”

Ris-Orangis hopes to have its old river pool complete with cabins, first built around 1930, back in service next year.

“We have conducted pollution studies over a long period, and it is safe” to swim in the river, the mayor insisted.

With climate change, and the prospect of summer temperatures hitting 50 degrees Centigrade (122 Fahrenheit) in Paris, the need for somewhere to cool off in summer has never been greater.

But some have already taken the plunge. On a warm evening last July about 20 swimmers were enjoying the Seine off the Ile Saint Denis, where the Olympic Village has been built.

Josue Remoue swims in the river three times a month from May to October.

shipment -- could see consumers paying more for their flowers.

“I think this will be an inflationary move... partly because of the cost of the checks per consignment, and partly because of the cost of wastage,” says Gelbard.

At Provender, a huge new building under construction overlooks rows of plants and greenhouses where customers, professional gardeners and landscapers walk around.

The building will have its own “control point”, where government inspectors can carry out phytosanitary checks on-site -- a move the company says will allow it to overcome cost and shortage risks resulting from the tougher rules.

“We hope to reduce the risk of damaging material. We will hopefully eliminate the delay on trucks,” says McKenna.

Plants will be handled by the company’s specialised employees. But the soon-to-be-finished edifice comes with a cost of £100,000 to build.

From page 1

“I’ve never been sick,” said the 52-year-old civil servant. “The water is dodgier at the edge, generally I don’t linger there.” And he never “goes underwater”.

Remoue takes to the water on Sundays or in the evening to avoid barge traffic.

On the night AFP joined his group, the water was a bit earthy but not murky. With the temperature at 25C, the scene along the riverbank was almost bucolic despite the nearby tower blocks.

“It’s completely different from swimming in a pool,” said Celine Debunne, 47, as she emerged from “a super two-kilometre swim.... I love swimming like this.”

NEWS AS OF PRESS TIME

Kids study in overheated slum as Philippines shuts schools

By Cecil MORELLA

Manila, Philippines — Fourth-

grader Ella Araza sat on a tiny plastic box in her Manila slum home, trying to finish her homework before the afternoon sun sent temperatures soaring to unbearable levels.

The Philippines shut down more than 47,000 schools nationwide from Monday, as the temperature in Manila crossed a record high, clocking 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.4 degrees Fahrenheit) at the weekend.

Over 7,000 were still closed on Thursday, including 10-yearold Ella’s elementary school in the capital.

Many schools in the tropical country have no air conditioning and students must sweat it out in poorly ventilated classrooms but conditions at Baseco, Manila’s infamous docklands slum, are even more desperate.

“The heat makes her lazy. Sometimes she fails to do her online homework,” Ella’s mother Cindella Manabat, 29, told AFP from the slum community that houses 65,000 residents inside half a square kilometre (124 acres).

In their tiny one-room dwelling, Ella squints at her mother’s cell phone to decipher the day’s lesson, which her teacher posts online.

The apartment, which has no running water, must be kept dark because Ella’s younger brother, Prince, suffers from cerebral palsy and could be hit by an epileptic seizure.

Several doors down, sixthgrader Jalian Mangampo and her younger brother Sherwin lie on their

shared single bed and try to finish their schoolwork on mobile phones.

-- More days of extreme heat -The online lessons do not come cheap -- the siblings have to drop five pesos (nine US cents) into a neighbour’s WiFi vending machine to gain three hours of internet access.

Their widowed mother, shopkeeper Richel Mangampo, 43, took on a high-interest loan to buy them an 8,500-peso ($148) mobile phone. A stranger earlier gifted the siblings another phone.

“The heat is terrible because the ceiling is so low,” the mother said, pointing to the corrugated iron roofing that she has partly covered with a scrap of plywood to keep the heat at bay.

“We have to step outside from time to time just to be able to breathe.”

But she does not allow her children to stay out too long because the blazing sun is not the only danger in Baseco.

“Out of nowhere youths armed with broken bottles would be going at each other after getting high sniffing glue,” she said.

The state weather service has warned the extreme heat will persist for the next two weeks at least, meaning the students could be mostly stuck at home before the school year ends on May 31.

-- ‘Prickly heat rash’ -Mangampo said she has her children bathe twice daily, once in the morning and a second before bedtime.

“It’s so hot they have difficulty falling asleep,” Mangampo said.

‘Bloodsicles’, baths keep Philippine zoo animals cool as heatwave hits

Manila, Philippines — A Philippine zoo is giving tigers frozen treats made of animal blood and preventing lions from mating during the hottest time of the day as a heatwave scorches the country.

Unusually hot weather has sent temperatures in the capital Manila to a record high in recent days and forced schools across the archipelago nation to suspend in-person classes.

As people flock to airconditioned shopping malls and swimming pools for relief from the extreme heat, animals at Manila Zoo are also trying to cool off.

Preventing heat stroke, particularly among the big cats, was the “main priority”, zoo veterinarian Dave Vinas told AFP on Tuesday when the mercury hit 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the city. Water is splashed on the walls and ground of concrete enclosures throughout the day to help lower the temperature inside.

“Bloodsicles” made from frozen ground beef or chicken, animal blood and vitamins are given to the big cats to lick.

Tigers and lions are also regularly sprayed with water and take dips in pools inside their pens.

- Too hot to mate -

Wendell, a five-year-old Bengal tiger weighing almost 400 kilograms (882 pounds), pants non-stop as he soaks for hours in a shallow pool.

“Like the tiny cats we have at home, they need to sleep at least 1216 hours a day. But at this time since it’s really hot they are swimming to relieve the heat from the body,” Vinas said.

Gab, a lioness, looks bored as she sits on an elevated concrete platform after zoo keepers locked her male companion Diego in another pen to prevent them from mating at the hottest part of the day.

“We don’t want to expose them to the mating part in this heat,” Vinas said. “We don’t want to trigger any heat stroke.”

Water is also poured over the enclosures housing snakes and turtles to help regulate their body temperature.

While icicles and baths were normal during the hotter months of March, April and May, Vinas said this year’s heat was the most intense he had experienced.

“Even if they get good ventilation, the temperature every year gets worse and worse,” he told AFP.

“We just find ways to make it better for the animals.”

Manabat said Ella often complains because the family has just one electric fan that must be shared at night.

The mother and her three kids, including a year-old baby, sleep on the bed while her boyfriend, a house decorator, sleeps in his boxers on the

floor. The front door stays open for ventilation.

“She (daughter) gets prickly heat rash at times,” Manabat said, adding the irritation distracts Ella from her schoolwork.

But Mangampo, whose children also get rashes, avoids taking them

to the doctor as it is too expensive.

“We bathe at sea on Sundays instead. The boils disappear in no time,” she said, referring to nearby Manila Bay, declared by the government a “no swimming zone” years earlier due to extreme pollution.

In their tiny

teacher posts online.

Lee Hsien Loong: scion PM...

2004 at age 52.

Lacking his father’s fiery oratory and iron fist, the younger Lee, now 72, has projected a more consultative style.

He has presided over efforts to retool the city-state’s export-driven economy by focusing on advanced industries such as biotechnology and electronics, as well as financial services.

Singapore -- a small and open economy that imports most of its needs -- forged a wide network of bilateral and regional free-trade agreements.

Lee Hsien Loong was born on February 10, 1952, to lawyers Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo, during a time of race riots, trade union militancy and rising communist influence in the British colony.

His father was carving out a reputation as a steely leader in the rough and tumble of Singapore politics ahead of self-rule in 1959 -- when he became prime minister -and eventual independence in 1965.

“Of course, growing up as my father’s son could not but mean being exposed to politics very early... Growing up with my father, living through those years with him, made me what I am,” the younger Lee said in a eulogy after his father’s death.

He joined the Singapore Armed Forces in 1971 and graduated on a scholarship from Britain’s Cambridge University in 1974 with first-class honours in mathematics and a diploma in computer science.

When Cambridge’s Trinity College offered him a fellowship to teach maths, he wrote to his tutor: “I must go home. I’ve joined the Singapore Armed Forces, my father’s the PM and for me not to go home and do what I have to do would be bad for the country and for me.”

He became a brigadier-general, but left the military in 1984 to become an MP.

Lee Kuan Yew stepped down in 1990 as part of a succession process worked out within the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), his son becoming deputy to successor Goh Chok Tong.

Before ascending to the top job, Lee was chairman of the central bank, as well as finance minister.

- Family feudBalancing Singapore’s strong cultural and historic ties to both East and West, Lee has refused to pick a side in the US-China rivalry, carving out a niche for the country as a diplomatic honest broker.

Under his leadership, Singapore hosted historic summits between then Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou and China’s Xi Jinping in 2015, as well as 2018’s meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Despite his seemingly charmed life, Lee had to endure two major personal crises.

In 1982, his first wife Wong Ming Yang, a Malaysian-born doctor whom he met at Cambridge, died after giving birth to their second child.

From page 1

Three years later he married senior civil servant Ho Ching, the former chief executive of statelinked investment firm Temasek Holdings. They have two children.

In 1992, Singapore was stunned when the country’s two deputy prime ministers -- Lee and Ong Teng Cheong -- were both diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer.

Lee underwent intensive treatment and was pronounced cured in 1997, but Ong died of cancer in 2002 after serving as the republic’s first directly elected president.

Seen as an aloof intellectual when he first entered politics, Lee has undergone an image overhaul since becoming PM. A month after taking office, he hit the dancefloor at one of Singapore’s trendiest discos, in a bid to reach out to younger Singaporeans.

But the family’s image was stained by a bitter sibling feud that blew up after the patriarch’s death in 2015.

Lee’s sister and younger brother accused him of going against their father’s wish to have the historic family bungalow demolished.

The sister, Lee Wei Ling, publicly called him a “dishonourable son” and accused him of trying to capitalise on their father’s legacy to build a dynasty -- a charge the brother has rejected.

Younger brother Lee Hsien Yang, who has fled Singapore with his wife following police investigations for potential offences related to the family row, accused him of persecution.

Cindella Manabat (C) helps her daughter Ella Araza (L) with homework, at their house in Manila. - The Philippines shut down more than 47,000 schools nationwide as the temperature in Manila crossed a record high, clocking 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.4 degrees Fahrenheit) at the weekend. Fourth-grader Ella Araza sat on a tiny plastic box in her Manila slum home, trying to finish her homework before the afternoon sun sent temperatures soaring to unbearable levels.

one-room dwelling, Ella squints at her mother’s cell phone to decipher the day’s lesson, which her

TED ALJIBE

LIVING AND ENJOYING IT,

AROUND THE PLANET

Saudi could get first Miss Universe contestant this year

By Rania SANJAR

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia could have its first Miss Universe contestant this year, organisers said this week, after a fashion model and influencer claimed she had been selected.

The Miss Universe Organization “is currently undergoing a rigorous vetting process qualifying a potential candidate to be awarded the Saudi Arabia franchise”, Maria Jose Unda, the organisation’s coordinator of international relations, said in a statement to AFP.

“We’ll have a decision on the National Director for Saudi Arabia very, very soon,” she said, noting it was “possible” for Saudi Arabia to have a contestant in place before the next edition of the competition, scheduled for September in Mexico.

The statement came after Saudi model Rumy al-Qahtani created a buzz online in late March when she posted to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers that she was “honoured” to represent Saudi Arabia at Miss Universe at the upcoming event.

The post included pictures of Qahtani, a 27-year-old native of Riyadh, in a sequined dress holding the green Saudi flag inscribed with the shahada, or Islamic creed.

Less than a week later, Miss Universe issued a statement referring to Qahtani’s post as “false and misleading” and saying no selection process had been carried out in the Gulf kingdom.

Fielding a Miss Universe candidate, if it happens, would mark another step in Saudi Arabia’s effort to soften its ultra-conservative image as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, tries to lure tourists and investors.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, has long been associated with the repression of women because of former rules such as a ban on driving and a requirement to wear abaya robes.

While those restrictions have been lifted, human rights activists say a personal status law that took effect in 2022 still discriminates against women when it comes to matters

concerning marriage, divorce and child-rearing.

And women, including prominent activists, have been rounded up in a wide-reaching campaign against dissent.

Among them are two women who in 2022 received decades-long prison sentences for social media posts critical of the government.

- ‘Negative comments’ -

Speaking at the Riyadh home she shares with her mother and three sisters, Qahtani maintained she was in “negotiations” about participation in Miss Universe but declined to provide further details.

“I have been contacted from the Miss Universe committee to represent Saudi Arabia. Negotiations started but it was during the month of Ramadan and I wasn’t able to respond,” she told AFP in her first interview since her March Instagram post went viral.

“We are still negotiating, and hopefully it will result in a happy ending.”

Maria Jose Unda, the Miss Universe official, said the procedure calls for a national director to hold a Miss Universe Saudi Arabia pageant to choose a delegate to send to Mexico.

“We ignore the reason why (Qahtani) announced her candidacy, but if she wants to participate in the Saudi Arabia pageant, she will have to go through the same selection process as every other candidate,” she said.

Qahtani told AFP she had previously participated in various pageants in the Middle East and

Europe and posed with several sashes she said she obtained at the competitions.

She described fielding a host of unexpected questions about Saudi Arabia during her bid to take the beauty pageant world by storm, including one from a fellow contestant in Europe who wanted to know if she kept barrels of crude oil stored in her house.

All the while she has tried to manage the potential backlash back home, including from more conservative Saudis who object to her clothing or her decision to pose on Instagram last year wrapped in the Saudi flag.

“There were some negative comments about the way I dress and when I pictured myself with the flag wearing what people considered immodest clothing,” she said.

She added, though, that she had no regrets.

“Many sports supporters picture themselves with the flag the same way I did,” she said.

“In beauty pageants also, each girl carries her own country’s flag, so I didn’t mean anything offensive at all.”

Fawzia Ayed, Rumy’s mother, told AFP that she hoped her daughter would persevere despite the criticism.

“I always tell her to carry on, and that she has come a long way for a Saudi girl. Before, (society) was closed and strict,” she said.

“Rumy has encouraged a lot of girls. I see that many contact her and ask her how she has reached this level, and that they would like also to participate.”

G7 to target fashion’s climate footprint: French minister

Turin, Italy — The G7 will commit to tackling the heavy environmental and climate impacts of the fashion and textiles sector, France’s ecological transition minister said Monday.

The Group of Seven industrialised nations meeting for two-day talks in Italy will declare in a statement Tuesday that “we must face the issue we have with fast fashion”, minister Christophe Bechu told AFP.

Ministers in Turin hope to rein in “the uncontrolled development of the textile industry, which is responsible for lots of plastic pollution and (greenhouse gas) emissions”, he said.

“The emissions of textiles are already more important than all African emissions,” he added.

Emissions drive global warming and must be slashed nearly in half this decade if countries have a chance of keeping in play the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit warming at 1.5 Celsius.

The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US.

The Turin declaration is the first time the G7 has talked tough on textile emissions, according to Bechu, who said it underscored “that fashion must become more circular, there must be more recycling”.

It is expected to direct an international G7 forum on resource efficiency to come up with concrete

actions countries can adopt, from increasing producer responsibility to improving supply chain transparency.

Total greenhouse gas emissions per year from textiles production are greater than those emitted by all international flights and maritime ships combined, the McKinsey consultancy firm said in December.

Environmentalists have long urged the sector to slow down or end the wasteful trend of massproducing low-cost clothes that are quickly thrown away.

Fast fashion, they charge, uses up massive amounts of water, produces hazardous chemicals and clogs up landfills in poor countries with textile waste, while also generating greenhouse gases in production, transport and disposal.

The European Environment Agency warned last month that Europe must accelerate efforts to transform its economy into a circular one focussed on reusing or repurposing materials if it is to meet climate targets.

A recent EEA study showed that four to nine percent of textiles introduced to the European market ended up being destroyed without ever having been used.

The G7 pledge follows a vote in France’s parliament in March to back a string of measures making low-cost fast fashion, especially from Chinese mass producers, less attractive to buyers.

Saudi model Rumy Al-Qahtani poses for a picture during an interview with AFP at her home in Riyadh. FAYEZ NURELDINE

BREAKTHROUGHS AND COMMON SENSE IN STAYING HEALTHY

The heatwave baking parts of Asia

By Sara HUSSEIN

Bangkok, Thailand — Large swaths of Asia are sweltering through a heatwave that has topped temperature records from Myanmar to the Philippines and forced millions of children to stay home from school.

Here are some questions and answers about the extreme heat, which scientists warn will become more frequent and intense because of human-induced climate change. Where is affected?

The heat has hit much of South and Southeast Asia, with record temperatures in Myanmar’s Chauk and the Philippine capital Manila in recent days.

Thai authorities have issued warnings about “severe conditions”, while authorities in Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh all forecast temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Philippines and Bangladesh both suspended in-person classes, while India is reviewing whether heat has affected turnout in national elections.

Even northern Japan has been affected: temperatures in Japan’s Sapporo this month passed 25C (77F) at the earliest point of any year on record.

What is causing the heat?

The months preceding the region’s monsoon, or rainy season, are usually hot but temperatures this

year are well above average in many countries.

Experts say climate change is causing more frequent heatwaves that are more intense and last longer.

Asia is also warming faster than the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization, a UN agency.

And the El Nino weather phenomenon is playing a role this year, said Milton Speer, a meteorologist and visiting research fellow at the University of Technology Sydney.

“The lack of cloud in El Ninos means that temperatures are likely to be higher on average,” he told AFP.

Sea surface temperatures in the region are currently several degrees Celsius above normal, “which helps keep the temperatures higher than average inland overnight”.

“So daytime temperatures start climbing from a higher base.”

There are other factors at play too, including deforestation that reduces shade and increases dry surface area, and the urban heat island effect, where concrete, glass and steel structures absorb rather than reflect heat.

Who is affected?

Extreme heat disproportionately affects children, the elderly and those living in poverty.

Children, older people and those with pre-existing conditions or disabilities can overheat more quickly.

US approves gene therapy treatment for hemophilia

Washington, United States — Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has received US approval for a gene therapy against a form of hemophilia, a rare and inherited blood clotting disorder, the company said Friday.

Beqvez, which is given as a single intravenous infusion, was shown in a clinical trial of 45 people to be better at preventing bleeding among adults with moderate to severe hemophilia B compared to regular infusions of a protein that promotes clotting, called protein factor IX (FIX).

The current standard of care is cumbersome, requiring infusions up to several times per week.

“Many people with hemophilia B struggle with the commitment and lifestyle disruption of regular FIX infusions, as well as spontaneous bleeding episodes, which can lead to painful joint damage and mobility issues,” said Adam Cuker, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Comprehensive Hemophilia and Thrombosis Program, in a Pfizer statement.

“A one-time treatment with BEQVEZ has the potential to be transformative for appropriate patients by reducing both the medical and treatment burden over the long term.”

The therapy was generally well

tolerated but a common side effect was elevated liver enzymes, a sign of liver inflammation that wasn’t accompanied by outward symptoms. Still, patients are advised to avoid alcohol for up to a year following their treatment, to prevent liver damage.

Patients will be followed up to gather more data for up to 15 years.

Pfizer’s genetic therapy targets hemophilia B, the second most common form of the condition, which primarily affects males. More than 38,000 people worldwide live with hemophilia B, according to the World Federation of Hemophilia.

It works by infecting the body with a virus, modified to be harmless, which delivers a functional copy of the factor IX gene to liver cells, instructing them to produce the protein that promotes clotting that the patient otherwise lacks.

It received approval by Canada in January and is awaiting review by the European Medicines Agency.

It comes with a hefty list price of $3.5 million. But a Pfizer spokesperson said that the cost for people with insurance would likely be less. By comparison, the annual cost of the current treatment “may be more than $600,000 and as high as $1.1 million,” whereas Beqvez is a one-time dose.

Those living in poverty also often lack cooling solutions at home or are forced to work in conditions without adequate heat protection.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF warned this month that 243 million children across the Pacific and East Asia are at risk from heatwaves.

“Child exposure to heatwaves leads to heat stress,” said Salwa Aleryani, health specialist for UNICEF’s regional East Asia and Pacific office.

“Severe issues can develop, such as cardiovascular diseases, organ failure, muscle and nerve dysfunction,” she told AFP.

How have countries reacted?

Authorities in several countries asked citizens to stay at home. Hospitals in Nepal were put on standby, while Cambodian officials asked public schools to keep doors and windows open for ventilation.

Measures went further in Bangladesh and the Philippines, with schools closed for days.

But many children will not have cooler conditions at home, warned Aleryani.

They may also be left unsupervised by parents who cannot afford to stay home from work, and risk serious interruptions to their education.

How long will the heat last?

The heat in Bangladesh is not expected to recede until Thursday at the earliest, and in Thailand forecasters warned that annual rains may arrive in late May, several

weeks later than normal.

Speer said the overall warming trend will continue even when the region’s monsoon arrives to lower temperatures.

“Heatwaves will continue to happen more often because the oceans and atmosphere are gradually heating up due to global warming,” he said.

That in turn poses growing risks to crops and livestock, as well as humans whose jobs require them to work outdoors.

Adaptation will be crucial, including offering “sustainable neighbourhood structures with air conditioning where people could go during the day and sleep at night,” Speer said.

A boy uses a towel after taking dip in a pond on a hot summer day in New Delhi. Extensive scientific research has found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense. SAJJAD HUSSAIN

THE BIG GAMES AND PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD

Ipswich on brink of Premier League return after 24 years

London, United Kingdom —

Ipswich took a huge step towards a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002 after a 2-1 win at Coventry on Tuesday.

The Tractor Boys move three points clear of Leeds in second place in the Championship with just one

match for both sides remaining.

Ipswich need just a point to guarantee promotion when they host Huddersfield, who are already practically relegated, on Saturday.

Leeds, who do boast a better goal difference than Ipswich, must beat Southampton at Elland Road to

have any chance of finishing in the top two.

Under the guidance of former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna, Ipswich are on the brink of back-to-back promotions.

“It’s another emotional night and we have had a few of them,”

Thirty years on, Brazil pays tribute to late F1 hero Senna

By Pau RAMIREZ

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil — Thirty years to the day since his death following a crash that sent shockwaves around the world, Brazilians paid homage Wednesday to Formula One superstar Ayrton Senna -- a beloved symbol of national pride comparable only to compatriot Pele.

Fans of the three-time Formula One world champion laid flowers, photos and Brazilian flags at Senna’s grave in his hometown of Sao Paulo, where he was laid to rest after his tragic accident at the Imola circuit on May 1, 1994.

Some participated in a fun-run staged on the twists and turns of the Interlagos motorsport circuit, where Senna scored two emotional Formula One victories near the end of his career in 1991 and 1993.

Mourners, including Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira, also gathered for a ceremony at the Imola circuit in Italy, in memory of Senna and his colleague Roland Ratzenberger, an Austrian driver who had died in a separate accident the day before.

“May their memory inspire all of us through the unifying power of sport!” Vieira wrote on social

media.

A wave of television programs have been aired to mark the anniversary, while an exhibition titled ‘I, Ayrton Senna da Silva -30 years’ opened in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday after a nationwide tour.

The exhibition features an artificial intelligence-powered recreation of Senna’s voice recounting the defining moments of his turbulent life and career.

- ‘Brazil came to a standstill’On Rio’s famous Copacabana beach, a procession of fans old and young stopped to take photos with a bronze sculpture of Senna, arms aloft and waving a Brazilian flag in triumph.

Among them was Joao Paulo Bertoloni, 30 -- only a baby when Senna died aged 34.

“I didn’t get to see him live, but everyone was a fan of him in my family,” Bertoloni said Tuesday.

“My father, my grandparents... Everyone told me about Senna. Brazil came to a standstill on Sundays when he was racing,” the business manager said.

Marilane Mattos, 66, can still vividly recall the moment she watched on television as Senna’s Williams car hurtled off the Imola track at about 190mph and ploughed

PUBLIC NOTICE

ERRATUM

Notice is hereby given that the Notice of Extra-Judicial Sale RE: BANK OF COMMERCE versus SPS. TANY B. TAN and MARIBEL B. TAN represented by their Attorney-in-Fact, MARIANO R. BAGAY, FORECLOSURE FILE NO. FRE NO. 2023-338. It should be read as Certificate of Ownership, Parking Slot No. 27, Location, Basement Level 2, Area 12.50 sq.m., which was published last December 14, 21 & 28, 2023.

Our Apology.

Foreign Post - January 11, 2024.

into a wall.

“It was horrible, it still makes me sad today,” she told AFP. “But I prefer to remember the good times. He was a simple guy like us.”

- ‘Sense of pride’ -

Senna’s legacy in Brazil has extended far beyond the sporting theatre.

The Ayrton Senna Institute was recognized by UNESCO in 2004 for its educational projects which aim to help children from poor neighborhoods.

“Ayrton always said that if you wanted to change things you had to start with education,” Viviane Senna, Ayrton’s sister and president of the institute, said in a recent video posted on social media.

Founded six months after Senna’s death, the institute claims to have benefited some 36 million students in 3,000 Brazilian cities and towns.

For Brazilian writer Ernesto Rodrigues, author of the biography “Ayrton: The Hero Revealed,” Senna remains an important cultural figure because he “restored selfesteem to Brazilians” at a time the country was grappling with political and economic crises.

“His name is on streets throughout the country. Every time his name is mentioned, he gives Brazilians a sense of pride. His legacy has been largely preserved,” Rodrigues said.

The Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning for Senna, who died in an Italian hospital of head injuries after the crash.

A million Brazilians turned out to pay their respects in Sao Paolo, crowding the airport and lining city streets to catch a glimpse of his coffin before a private burial.

said McKenna.

“It’s a great night to enjoy in front of the supporters. We know the significance of tonight will not be determined until Saturday.

“To be on 93 points with a game to go is an incredible tally and credit to the boys.

“I never thought this could unfold so quickly. I came here because of the ambition of the club.

The journey has accelerated, I have to say.”

McKenna’s men had not won in their previous four games as they failed to take full advantage of Leeds’ faltering form at the business end of the season.

But they righted the ship just in

time with a precious victory over the FA Cup semi-finalists.

Kieffer Moore fired the visitors into the lead after just eight minutes.

However, Ipswich’s nerves showed during a tense second half and Haji Wright’s powerful effort flew through the grasp of Vaclav Hladky.

Coventry were only level for five minutes as Cameron Burgess fired in at the near post to spark jubilant scenes among a packed out away end.

Those celebrations were repeated at full-time with Ipswich closing in on a £200 million bounty ($251 million) by making it back to the English top flight.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF VALENZUELA CITY OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT AND EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, (otherwise known as Pag-IBIG FUND), Mortgagee, -versus-

JOCELYN C. EBORA, Mortgagor, x--------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE

Upon extrajudicial foreclosure of sale under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118, filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (otherwise known as Pag-IBIG Fund), mortgagee, a government financial institution duly organized and existing under and by virtue of Republic Act No. 9679, with principal office at the Petron Mega Plaza Building, No. 358 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against JOCELYN C. EBORA, mortgagor, with postal address at 11 Tampoy 2, Marulas, Valenzuela City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which, as of October 8, 2023, amounts to EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TWELVE PESOS AND 19/100 (Php888,112.19) inclusive of interest and other charges, the undersigned Ex-Officio Sheriff or her duly authorized deputy sheriff will SELL at PUBLIC AUCTION on May 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, to the highest bidder/buyer, for cash and/or manager’s check and in Philippine Currency, the herein below real property with all the improvements existing thereon, to wit:

TCT No. V-101754

A parcel of land (Lot 4 of the cons. subd, plan Pcs-13-003314, being a portion of the cons. of Lots 3 & 4 (LRC) Pcs-18996, LRC Rec. No. 8951), situated in Brgy. Marulas, Mun. of Valenzuela, MM, Is. of Luzon. Bounded on the NE., along lines 1-2 by Lot 5, on the SE., along line 2-3 by Lot 7 (Road 3.00 m. w.) both of the cons. subd. plan, on the SW., along line 3-4 by Lot 2 (LRC) Pcs-18996, and on the NW., along line 4-1 by Lot 5 of the cons. subd. plan. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan xxx containing an area of SEVENTY SIX (76) SQUARE METERS. xxx

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction sale should not take place on said date, it shall be held on May 23, 2024 without further notice.

Interested parties are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Valenzuela City, April 17, 2024.

Publication: THE FOREIGN POST

(sgd) ATTY. GEMMA A. LUCERO-PELIÑO Clerk of Court VI and Ex-Officio Sheriff (sgd) JIM C. BAJE Sheriff IV

Dates: April 25, 2024 and May 2 and 9, 2024

CC:

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND

(Pag-IBIG FUND)

Maria Victoria D. Capiral, c/o Atty. Melanio A. Badenas Jr.

RM. 209 Megastate Bldg., No. 737 G. Araneta Ave., Tatalon, Quezon City

JOCELYN C. EBORA 11 Tampoy 2, Marulas, Valenzuela City

WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface, or destroy this Notice on or before the date of sale, under penalty of law.

Coventry City’s US striker #11 Haji Wright (3L) celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal from the penalty spot during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in north west London. IAN KINGTON

Barca reach final with ‘worst decision in Women’s Champions League history’

London, United Kingdom — Chelsea boss Emma Hayes claimed Barcelona benefitted from the “worst decision in Women’s Champions League history” as the holders reached the final with a controversial 2-0 win on Saturday.

Trailing 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Jonatan Giraldez’s side took the lead through Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan was sent off in the second half for a contentious second booking.

And Fridolina Rolfo wrapped up Barcelona’s 2-1 aggregate victory with a debatable penalty.

In the final in Bilbao on May 25, Barca will face either Paris Saint-

Germain or Lyon, who meet in the second leg of their semi-final on Sunday with Lyon holding a 3-2 lead.

It will be Barca’s fourth successive final berth as they look to lift the trophy for the third time.

Hayes was furious with the decisions that went against her side, saying: “The second half we were coming on top. Then when you get such a shocking officiating decision, there’s nothing you can do about it.

“It’s hard when you’ve got 11. When you’ve got 10 it’s virtually impossible.

“Even the Barca players said they knew the referee was helpful for them. I didn’t think it was a foul, let alone a yellow card.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF MANILA NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF rtc1mnlocc@judiciary.gov.ph 0956-250-6851 / (02) 8660-8759

UNIONBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner-Mortgagee, -versus- Foreclosure No. 24-4495

SPS. MARIA TERESA N. PANCHO and RONALD L. PANCHO, Respondents-Mortgagors,

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended by Act 4118, filed on April 15, 2024 by UNIONBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner-Mortgagee, with principal office address at the UnionBank Plaza Building, Meralco Avenue corner Onyx and Sapphire Roads, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila, against SPS. MARIA TERESA N. PANCHO and RONALD L. PANCHO, Respondents-Mortgagors, with postal address at No. 7, S. Catillo Street, Taal, Bocaue, Bulacan Province, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which, as of March 25, 2024, amounts to ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO and 67/100 (PHP1,155,952.67), Philippine Currency, inclusive of accrued interest, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Real Estate Mortgage which was dated and notarized on July 22, 2022, the undersigned Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff of Regional Trial Court of Manila, through her deputy Sheriff LAWRENCE CHRISTOPHER C. DE GUZMAN will sell at public auction on May 30, 2024 at 10:00 am or soon thereafter but not later than 2:00 pm in front of the Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC, Manila, 4th Floor, Manila City Hall, to the highest bidder, for CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following property with all the improvements existing thereon, more particularly described as follows: Registry of Deeds for City of Manila CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. 002-2020010793

(Republic Act No. 4726)

IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the unit identified and described as: UNIT NO. 1021 — A STUDIO UNIT, LOCATED AT THE 10TH FLOOR LEVEL OF AMAIA SKIES AVENIDA TOWER 1, WITH AN AREA OF 18.60 SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS.

in the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 2013000056; 2013000057; 2013000058; 2013000059; 2013000060 which embraces and describes the land located at T. MAPUA CORNER DOROTEO JOSE STREETS AND RIZAL AVENUE, STA. CRUZ, MANILA with an area of (2,280.00, 504.00, 350.00, 991.00 & 2,647.38) Square Meter, is registered in the name of:

Owner: SPOUSES MARIA TERESA NICOLAS PANCHO AND RONALD LOPEZ PANCHO, BOTH OF LEGAL AGE, FILIPINO CITIZENS

Address: 7 S. CASTILLO STREET TAAL BOCAUE BULACAN 3018

Prospective bidders and/or buyers are enjoined to investigate, verify and conduct proper due diligence on the property above described.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on said date due to fortuitous event or if the same be declared a non-working holiday, or for any other lawful/valid reason, it shall be held on June 13, 2024 without the need of further notice, posting and republication.

Manila, Philippines, April 22, 2024.

(sgd) JENNIFER H. DELA CRUZ-BUENDIA Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff

(sgd) LAWRENCE CHRISTOPHER C. DE GUZMAN Sheriff-in-Charge

“I was surprised when I saw the referee selected. She’s famous for easy cards. I think that’s probably the worst decision in Women’s Champions League history.”

Chelsea’s first-leg victory last week is the only defeat Barca have suffered this season, ending the club’s five-year unbeaten record on home turf.

Hayes, who leaves to take charge of the USA women’s national team at the end of this season, said Chelsea would have to produce a perfect display to overcome “the best team in the world” again in the rematch.

Chelsea were unable to rise to the challenge and their wait for a first Champions League crown goes on.

- ‘It’s special’They have now lost to Barca in successive Champions League semi-finals after being beaten by the Spanish club in the 2021 final.

“We are very happy. We deserved the victory. The first leg we were not better than the opponent. Today we created more clear chances,” Giraldez said.

“The connection with the players is amazing. I’m proud of them. I’m really happy to get another final. It’s special.”

Bonmati fired an early warning shot that Hannah Hampton dived to her right to save.

It was a threat that Chelsea failed to heed and Bonmati punished them to open the scoring in the 25th minute.

Conceding possession in sloppy fashion, Chelsea were unable to stop Bonmati, who cleverly side-stepped Niamh Charles on the edge of the area before unloading a fierce strike that deflected in off Buchanan. Hayes’ side should have levelled when Sjoeke Nusken lunged for a shot that cannoned back off the post early in the second half.

To her intense frustration, Buchanan received her marching orders in the 59th minute after a challenge on Patri Guijarro that appeared to take the ball but was deemed worthy of a second yellow card.

Barca delivered the knockout blow in the 75th minute when Bonmati was fouled in the area by Jess Carter and Ashley Lawrence.

African players in Europe: Gueye clinches

survival for Everton

Paris, France — Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye assured Everton of Premier League football next season by scoring the goal that beat Brentford 1-0 at the weekend.

The win at Goodison Park lifted the Toffees to 36 points and safety, leaving Nottingham Forest, Luton and Burnley in danger with two of them destined to be relegated with Sheffield United.

It was the third straight home victory for Everton, who had eight points deducted this season for two breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

IDRISSA GUEYE (Everton)

Gueye scored the only goal as Everton beat Brentford to guarantee their Premier League survival. Gueye, 34, fired home through a crowd of players in the 60th minute for his sixth goal in 189 English topflight games.

JEFFREY SCHLUPP (Crystal Palace)

Ghana midfielder Schlupp, 31, scored a stunning goal from distance as Palace rescued a point at Fulham. The substitute received a pass from Adam Wharton before hitting a thunderous strike into the top corner in the 87th minute to make it 1-1.

ITALY

EVAN NDICKA (Roma)

Ivory Coast defender Ndicka returned to action, starting in a Serie A fixture at Napoli after being cleared to play following an on-pitch collapse this month. Ndicka fell to the turf at Udinese with what was initially feared to be heart problems, causing play to be suspended with 18 minutes left and the teams drawing 1-1.

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (Atalanta)

The England-born Nigeria striker scored the second goal of Atalanta’s 2-0 win over Empoli. Lookman found the net after a run down the left in the 52nd minute and almost had a second moments later.

GERMANY

AMINE ADLI (Bayer Leverkusen)

FRANCE

ANDRE AYEW (Le Havre)

The veteran Ghana star gave a reminder of his class by playing a major role for struggling Le Havre as they held Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-3 draw and delayed the capital side’s title coronation by 24 hours. Ayew, now 34, played a part in Le Havre’s opening goal by starting the move with a neat back-heel pass. He then scored his team’s second goal, his fifth of the season. Ayew was substituted on 71 minutes and without him Le Havre gave up a 3-1

lead.

PAPE GUEYE (Marseille)

The Senegal midfielder started Marseille’s home game against Lens and marked the occasion by scoring a late winner as his side claimed a 2-1 victory to keep their hopes of European qualification via Ligue 1 alive. Gueye, 25, is not in Marseille’s Europa League squad and so misses the semi-final against Atalanta. He is also set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, with Villarreal tipped to be his next destination.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Las Piñas City

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT AND EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK., Mortgagee, -versus-

SPS. JORSAL CHRISTOPHER DELA CRUZ TAN AND MANILYN S. TAN, Debtors/Mortgagors,

JORSAL JOHN DELA CRUZ TAN, Co-Borrower/Mortgagor. x------------------------------------------------x

FORECLOSURE NO. F-24-048

EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135, AS AMENDED BY ACT 4118

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon verified petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118, filed by the Mortgagee/s PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK, with office/business/residence address at Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Centre, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, against the Mortgagor/s/Debtor/s SPS. JORSAL CHRISTOPHER DELA CRUZ TAN AND MANILYN S. TAN and Co-Borrower/Mortgagor JORSAL JOHN DELA CRUZ TAN with residence/postal/office address at (1) 19 Yen St., Camella 3 A & B, Pamplona, Las Piñas City (2) Lot 4, Block 1, St. Matthew Street, St. Joseph Subd., Brgy. Pulang Lupa Dos, Las Piñas City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 29, 2024 amounts to Php7,679,878.26 including/excluding interests, penalties, charges, attorney’s fees and expenses incidental to this foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Las Piñas City or any of the Deputy Sheriffs will sell at public auction on June 07, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. or soon thereafter at the ground floor (main entrance) of the Hall of Justice of Las Piñas City to the highest bidder, for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the following described real property/ ies, together with all the improvements existing thereon to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 005-2018004088

Copy Furnished:

UNIONBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES

Petitioner-Mortgagee UnionBank Plaza Building, Meralco Avenue corner Onyx and Sapphire Roads, Ortgias Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila

MARIA TERESA N. PANCHO

RONALD L. PANCHO

No. 7 S. Castillo Street, Taal, Bocaue, Bulacan Province

Note: Failure to attend at the said auction sale, despite proper notice, shall be construed as a waiver. Thus, the auction sale shall held as scheduled.

NEWSPAPER: FOREIGN POST

DATES OF PUBLICATION: May 2, 9 and 16, 2024

WARNING: It is hereby absolutely prohibited to remove, destroy or deface this Notice of Extra-Judicial Sale on or before the date of sale UNDER THE PENALTY OF LAW.

Robert Andrich may have equalised with the last kick of the game, which kept Leverkusen’s unbeaten run alive with a 2-2 home draw against Stuttgart, but coach Xabi Alonso credited Moroccan Adli with starting the comeback. Stuttgart scored two quick secondhalf goals and looked on course to break Bayer’s 45-game unbeaten run. Adli drilled in a low shot after 61 minutes to halve the deficit and keep Leverkusen’s hopes alive.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)

Star Stuttgart forward Guirassy had an unusually wasteful time in front of goal, missing three excellent chances.

A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 4, BLOCK 1 OF THE SUBDIVISION PLAN (LRC) PSD-113865, BEING A PORTION OF THE PARCEL OF LAND DESCRIBED ON PLAN PSU-179108, LRC RECORD NO. N-21340), SITUATED IN THE BO. OF MANUYO, MUNICIPALITY OF LAS PIÑAS, PROVINCE OF RIZAL, ISLAND OF LUZON. BOUNDED ON THE NE., POINTS 3 TO 4 BY LOT 5, BLOCK 1, ON THE SE., POINTS 4 TO 1 BY ROAD LOT 1, ON THE SE., POINTS 1 TO 2 BY LOT 3, BLOCK 1, AND ON THE NW., POINTS 2 TO 3 BY PROPERTY OF REGINO GERVACIO. XXXXXX CONTAINING AN AREA OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN (215) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS. XXXXXX

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date. In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date. It shall be held on June 28, 2024 without further notice.

Las Piñas City, this 17th day of April 2024.

(sgd.) DON LYNWEN ARON L. RAMOS Deputy Sheriff

Publication: THE FOREIGN POST Dates: April 25, May 2 & 9, 2024

WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove,

(sgd) JERRY R. TOLEDO Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff

Is Brazil still the land of football?

By Rodrigo ALMONACID

Sao Paulo, Brazil — With its famed “jogo bonito”, iconic stars and record five World Cup titles, Brazil has long been known as the “land of football”.

But is it still?

The country of Pele, Garrincha and Ronaldinho, which once wowed the world with its ‘samba’ style, has not won the World Cup since 2002. Nor has it produced a Ballon d’Or winner since Kaka in 2007.

With the “Selecao” currently struggling to book its place at the 2026 World Cup, many in Brazil and beyond wonder why.

“We’re at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes,” the late Pele’s eldest son, Edinho, told AFP recently.

Even President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has joined the national soulsearching, admitting Brazil “doesn’t play the greatest football in the world anymore”.

So what happened?

- Disappearing pitches -

One answer could be the decline of street football, where some of Brazil’s all-time greats started out, such as Rivellino, Zico and Romario.

“Nobody plays in the street anymore. You don’t hear stories about that kick that broke somebody’s window,” says amateur footballer Lauro Nascimento, his jersey stained with orange mud after playing on one of the few dirt pitches left on Sao Paulo’s north side.

Nascimento, a 52-year-old finance professional who plays for local side Aurora, broke several toes

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Regional Trial Court

National Capital Judicial Region OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF Caloocan City, Metro Manila

NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION, Mortgagee/Assignee,

-versus-

Extra-Judicial Foreclosure of Real Estate Mortgage under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118 EJF-10337 (2023) MA. TERESA L. SAZON, Debtor/s/Mortgagor/S.

x----------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118 filed by NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION with address at Filomena Bldg. III, 104 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City against MA. TERESA L. SAZON, mortgagor/s with residence and postal address at Lot 7 Block 6 Villa Luisa Homes North, Barangay Bagumbong, Caloocan City; 88-C Brixton Hill Street, Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of August 31, 2023 amounts to TWO MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED PESOS AND 29/100 (Php2,868,900.29) Philippine Currency, including/excluding interests, penalties, attorney’s fees, plus sheriff’s fees and all other necessary expenses of foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff hereby gives notice to all interested parties and to the public in general that on May 21, 2024 at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 a.m.) or soon thereafter, infront of the main entrance of Caloocan City Judicial Complex, located at 10th Avenue, Poblacion, Caloocan City, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the real estate properties with all improvements existing thereon, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 286398

“A parcel of land (Lot 7, Block 6 of the cons. subd. plan Pcs-007501-004915-D, being a portion of the cons. of Lot 579, Tala Estate, and Lot 7, Pcs-13-002829, LRC Rec. No. 6563), situated in Brgy. Bagumbong, City of Caloocan, Metro Manila, Island of Luzon. Bounded on the SW., along line 1-2 by Lot 9, Blk. 6, on the NW. along line 2-3 by Alley 4 (4.00 m. wide), on the NE., along line 3-4 by Lot 6; and on the SE., along line 4-1 by Lot 10, both of Block 6, all of the cons. subd. plan. Beginning at a point marked “1” x x x containing an area of SIXTY FIVE (65) SQUARE METERS, more or less x x x”

Prospective buyers or bidders are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property/ies and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

In the event that public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 28, 2024 at the same time and place without further notice. Caloocan City, Metro Manila, April 12, 2024.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

(sgd) ELWIN DS. BACHO Sheriff-in-Charge

playing football barefoot as a boy.

Today, the district of Vila Aurora, is covered in concrete sprawl. Two buildings stand on what was once open pasture used as a football pitch.

“Any open space used to be enough for kids to get their start in football. Now, they’re seen as prime development real estate,” says sports historian Aira Bonfim.

Nascimento and his friends pay $160 a month to rent the battered scrap of land where they play matches but that kind of money is a barrier for working class families.

To access a pitch today, poor kids in Brazil often depend on school, social programs or a football academy.

Just one in five such academies is free, according to a 2021 study.

And many of those pitches are synthetic, a surface some say develops players’ technique less than the rough, rocky fields of yesterday.

- ‘Mechanical’ style -

The decline in time spent playing the sport has had “a giant impact on our football”, says researcher Euler Victor.

“We have a huge number of Brazilians playing in Europe but very few stars.”

Brazil’s latest great hope, Neymar, shone at Barcelona, but struggled to lead the national team to championships in a career bogged down by controversy and injury.

Brazilians now have their hopes pinned on 23-year-old Vinicius Junior and young phenomenon Endrick, who is set to join Vinicius at Real Madrid when he turns 18 in July.

Brazil is still the world’s top exporter of footballers but they are bringing in less money.

According to FIFA figures, clubs paid $935.3 million in transfer fees for 2,375 Brazilian players last year, down nearly 20 percent from 2018, when the number of players was smaller -- 1,753.

Part of the drop is because teams are paying less to hire free agents and younger players.

But there is also a shortage of standout stars.

“Our technique has suffered,” says Victor Hugo da Silva, a coach at Flamengo’s youth academy in Sao Goncalo, outside Rio de Janeiro.

The next generation still has football in its veins, but has “difficulties” with training, a problem Da Silva attributes to their sedentary lifestyles and “addiction” to screens.

Brazil, population 203 million, has more cell phones than people. More than one-third of children aged five to 19 are overweight or obese, according to the World Obesity Atlas.

Robson Zimerman, a talent scout for Sao Paulo club Corinthians, says emerging footballers today face tougher conditions, including the ability to play multiple positions and outsize expectations from family and the media.

“Before, they just had to worry about playing football,” he says.

But Leila Pereira, president of cross-town rivals Palmeiras, the reigning league champions, insists Brazil will never stop being the country of football.

Brazilian teams have claimed the past five Copa Libertadores titles with Palmeiras claiming two of those.

The club is the cradle of Endrick -- whose sale to Real Madrid brought in a reported $65 million with bonuses -- as well as rising prospects Estevao and Luis Guilherme.

face of a new brand of Brazilian football -- more like Europe’s, with lavish salaries, by South American standards, and expensive ticket prices.

“With the absurd salaries they pay the players, clubs have to raise ticket prices, which excludes fans like me,” says Flamengo supporter David Santos.

In 2019, he founded a fan club for Flamengo die-hards like himself from the impoverished favelas.

From atop the hillside slum that overlooks the trendy beach

neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, they recreate the ambiance of the Maracana on match days, decorating an old pitch with flags, grilling barbecue and belting out chants as the match plays on a giant screen.

“The ‘country of football’ thing -- we’re losing that,” says one attendee, 38-year-old Vasco fan Pablo Igor.

“Football is what you see here. It’s a game of the people. But street kids like I was don’t have access to it anymore.”

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 114, PASAY CITY

Rm. 402, 4th Floor, Hall of Justice, F.B. Harrison St., Pasay City Contact No. 8833-8821

Email address: rtc2psy114@judiciary.gov.ph

IN RE: PETITION FOR RECOGNITION OF DIVORCE AND DECLARATION OF CAPACITY TO REMARRY UNDER ARTICLE 26 OF THE FAMILY CODE

ZYRA M. HERNANDEZ, Petitioner, -versus- Sp. Proc. Case No. R-PSY-24-00559-SP

KIYOHARU TAZAWA, CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE and CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR OF PASAY CITY, Respondents, x----------------------------------------------------x ORDER

This verified petition for Recognition of Divorce and Declaration of Capacity to Remarry under Article 26 of the Family Code was filed by petitioner Zyra M. Hernandez respectfully praying to this Honorable Court that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered in favor of the petitioner recognizing the foreign divorce judgment entered and registered in the Official Family Register, 10-banchi azarokulan, Sakasaki, Ookusa, Kouta-chou, Nukada-gun, Aichi-ken, Japan, dissolving the marriage between the petitioner and the respondent; declaring the petitioner to have the legal capacity to remarry under the Philippine law; and ordering the Local Civil Registrar, Pasay City and the Civil Registrar General to cancel the certificate of marriage of the petitioner Zyra M. Hernandez and the respondent Kiyoharu Tazawa with Registry No. 2013-07102.

In her petition, petitioner averred that sometime in 2011, petitioner’s friend introduced the respondent to her; that the respondent was smitten by the good looks of the petitioner, the reason why he immediately courted her; that he would always send flowers and chocolates to the petitioner; that at that time, the respondent was already divorced with his Filipino wife; that in the later part of 2011, the respondent was able to get the nod of the petitioner in entering into a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; that respondent went home to the Philippines that year; that since the respondent was staying in Japan, they communicated through call and text; that at that stage of their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, the respondent was engaged in gambling like “pachingko”; that the petitioner would confront the respondent regarding his gambling and they would end up in a heated argument; that whenever the respondent would go to the Philippines, he would stay in a hotel in Manila; that petitioner would meet the respondent and they would go on dates; that respondent was a heavy drinker and was also engaged in gambling in the Philippines; that it was also the habit of the respondent to regularly visit night clubs not only in the Philippines but also while in Japan; that after few months of being boyfriend-girlfriend, the petitioner and the respondent decided to get married in the Philippines; that there was a conflict between the petitioner and the respondent as to where the marriage would be celebrated; that the petitioner was the one who prepared all the necessary requirements for the said marriage while the respondent had no participation at all; that on November 6, 2011, the petitioner and the respondent got married before Rev. Isidro V. Liwanag in Pasay City, Philippines; that after one month of their marriage, the respondent returned to Japan; that after a month, the petitioner followed him in Japan; that while in Japan, the petitioner and the respondent lived in the same house; that the petitioner was forced to work because she was the one who shouldered all their household expenses like water, electricity, groceries, and other bills; that the petitioner was also the one who did the household chores while the respondent would just go to sleep whenever he arrived home from bar, gambling, and drinking; that it was the routine of the petitioner until the year 2015; that the petitioner was treated oddly by the respondent; that the respondent would force her to have sex with her; that he would shout at her and threw invective words; and that he would always come home late in the evening and always drunk; that these are the reasons why the petitioner lost her feelings towards the respondent; that until the time that respondent filed a divorce in Japan because he already had another girlfriend; that even before their divorce was granted, the respondent had already a girlfriend who was introduced to him by petitioner’s friend; that the respondent and the said girlfriend would meet while the former was in the Philippines; that the respondent filed a divorce before the Mayor of Kouta-Chou, Nukada-gun, Aichi-Ken, Japan and the registered with the Official Family Register of 10-banchi azarokulan, Sakasaki, Ookusa, Kouta-chou, Nukada-gun, Aichi-ken, Japan; and that the foregoing divorce notification was granted on the basis of the Civil Code of Japan where matrimonial relationship is terminated by divorce.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that the hearing of the petition is set on 16 July 2024 at 9 o’clock in the morning sitting at Room 402, 4th Floor, Hall of Justice, F.B. Harrison St., Pasay City at Which date and time, any interested person may appear and show cause why the said petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in the newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines at the expense of the petitioner to be chosen by raffle.

Likewise, let copies of this Order and Petition be sent to the Office of the Solicitor General, the Trial Prosecutor of this Court, the Local Civil Registrar of Pasay City, the Philippine Statistics Authority, the petitioner and her counsel. SO ORDERED.

Copy furnished:

All parties concerned

Publication: FOREIGN POST

Date: April 25, May 2, & 9, 2024

“I disagree with those who think (Brazilian players) have lost quality. Look at the astronomical sums they bring in,” says Pereira.

- Favela partyFor many people, Pereira, one of Brazil’s wealthiest people, is the

Pasay City, Metro Manila, 22 March 2024.

(sgd) ELMER JOSEPH R. GUERZON Presiding Judge Publication: THE FOREIGN POST

Fans of Flamengo and Vasco da Gama football teams gather to watch the Carioca derby match on a giant screen in the Pavao-Pavaozinho-Cantagalo favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The country of Pele, Garrincha, and Ronaldinho, which once wowed the world with a style so stunning it drew comparisons to dance, has not won the World Cup since 2002 or a Ballon d’Or since Kaka in 2007.

PABLO PORCIUNCULA

Red Bull confirm design chief Newey to leave F1 team in 2025

By John WEAVER

London, United Kingdom — Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that celebrated chief technical officer Adrian Newey will leave the Formula One team in early 2025 after 19 years.

It was widely reported last week that the 65-year-old, regarded as the greatest designer in the sport’s history, was set to quit following a controversy involving allegations about team principal Christian Horner.

The British-based Red Bull team have won six constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles, split between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with Newey-designed cars to date.

They are on course to do the double again in 2024, with Dutch driver Verstappen the dominant force in the sport.

Ferrari, soon to be joined by Lewis Hamilton, appear to be in pole position to sign up Newey.

The British designer, a chief architect of Red Bull’s dominance, is set to end his stay in the “first quarter” of next year, according to a statement from the team.

“Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula One, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality,” Newey said.

“For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF MARIKINA CITY

Email address: rtc1marocc@judiciary.gov.ph Telephone No. (02)87258496

CREDIT PILIPINAS, INC.

Petitioner-Mortgagee, FILE NO. F-2024-3224-MK - versus -

EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY ACT 4118

BERNALYN M. NICOMEDES, Mortgagor.

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE

Upon petition for extrajudicial foreclosure under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118, filed by CREDIT PILIPINAS, INC., Petitioner-Mortgagee, with office address at Suite 610 West Tower, Tektite Towers, formerly Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, against mortgagor BERNALYN M. NICOMEDES, with residential address at Lot 29-C Blk. 12, No. 22 (Old #21) 5 th St., Goodrich Village, Brgy. Concepcion Uno, Marikina City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of April 03, 2024 amounts to FOUR MILLION ONE HUNDRED FORTY NINE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR & 25/100 PESOS (P4,149,164.25), plus interest and penalty charges thereafter to date of foreclosure sale, attorney’s fees, and the expenses of foreclosure and sale, the Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Marikina City, through his authorized Deputy Sheriff, will sell at public auction on May 23, 2024 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter but not later than 12:00 o’clock noon, at the Office of the Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Marikina City, located at the Ground Floor of the Bulwagan ng Katarungan, City Hall Compound, Brgy. Sta. Elena, Marikina City, to the highest bidder, for CASH or manager’s check, and in Philippine Currency, the following real estate property, together with all the improvements existing thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 009-2023004928

LOT NO: 29-C, PLAN NO: PSD-00-100568

PORTION OF: LOT 29, BLOCK 12, (LRC) PCS-2776

LOCATION: BGY. CONCEPCION UNO, MARIKINA CITY, METRO MANILA, ISLAND OF LUZON

BOUNDARIES:

LINE DIRECTION ADJOINING LOT(S)

1-2 NE ACCRETION (FOR FUTURE APPLICATION),

2-3-4 SE LOT 29-B, PSD-00-100568

4-5 SW ROAD LOT 13, (LRC) PCS-2776

5-6 NE LOT 29-E (RIGHT OF WAY), PSD-00-100568

6-7-8-9- NE, NW LOT 29-D, PSD-00-100568 10-11-1

TIE POINT: BLBM NO. 1, BO. OF BAYANBAYANAN, MUNICIPALITY OF MARIKINA LINE BEARING DISTANCE

TO CORNER 1 S. 50O00’ E 1131.03 M.

1-2 S. 39O16’ E 9.68 M.

2-3 S. 17O49’ W 3.58 M.

3-4 S. 17O49’ W 4.38 M.

4-5 N. 69O54’ W 14.24 M.

5-6 N. 20O06’ E 10.69 M.

6-7 S. 77O16’ E 2.02 M.

7-8 N. 21O29’ E 0.57 M.

8-9 N. 21O29’ E 0.78 M.

9-10 S. 77O16’ E 1.23 M. 10-11 N. 25O11’ E 0.40 M. 11-1 S. 70O51’ E 2.30 M.

AREA: ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE (155) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS

“All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.”

In the event that the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 30, 2024, at the same time and place, without further notice.

Prospective buyers or bidders may investigate for themselves the title hereinabove described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

City of Marikina, April 15, 2024.

(sgd) RAUL E. DILAO

Sheriff IV - In Charge

Raffled to : FOREIGN POST

Dates: April 25, May 2 & 9, 2024

cc: All concerned parties

progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team.”

Horner lavished praise on Newey, saying “all of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller”.

“His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons,” he said.

“His exceptional ability to conceptualise beyond F1 and bring wider inspiration to bear on the design of Grand Prix cars, his remarkable talent for embracing change and finding the most rewarding areas of the rules to focus on, and his relentless will to win have helped Red Bull Racing to become a greater force than I think even the late (founder) Dietrich Mateschitz might have imagined.”

Red Bull said Newey would step

back from design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the RB17.

- ‘Called the shots’He will continue to attend specific races to support the team until the end of the current season.

Newey, expected to be in Miami for this weekend’s race, has also worked with championship-winning teams at Williams and McLaren in his long career.

It was reported that he became unsettled after Horner was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by a female employee.

Former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone told AFP that Newey’s legacy to the team would take a while to assess.

“Teams have been trying to poach him for a long time,”

Ecclestone, 93, told AFP by phone in Portugal.

“After the recent events at Red Bull he probably thought ‘it may be best I leave now’.

“Let us wait and see legacy wise.

“I think obviously he has been around a long time, the good thing about him is he was not a dreamer, he called the shots as they were.

“How much contribution he made to the success we have to wait and see.”

Verstappen’s Red Bull future was thrown into doubt last month after his father, Jos, said the team was in danger of being “torn apart” if Horner remained in his job.

Last year, Verstappen and Red Bull produced the most dominant season in F1 history, with the Dutchman winning 19 of the 22 races and the team all but one.

Maxey magic fires Sixers past Knicks, Bucks stay alive

New York, United States — Tyrese Maxey produced a 46-point gem as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the New York Knicks 112-106 in overtime to keep their NBA Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive on Tuesday.

Maxey led the Sixers back from the brink of defeat in the fourth quarter with a late burst of scoring before dominating in overtime to ensure a game six back in Philadelphia.

The Knicks, leading the bestof-seven series 3-1 heading into Tuesday’s game, had looked poised to clinch after Jalen Brunson helped the second seeds take a six-point lead with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

But Maxey drained a threepointer from 24 feet and then hit a stunning 34-footer from the logo with nine seconds left to send a pulsating duel into overtime.

It looked as if the Knicks had reclaimed the initiative after Brunson scored five points to give New York a five-point lead before a raucous Madison Square Garden.

Yet Maxey and NBA MVP Joel Embiid had other ideas, launching a 9-0 run to give the Sixers a 106102 advantage. New York pegged it back to 106-106 but the Sixers regrouped and pulled clear again to seal victory.

“Season on the line, we fought for 53 minutes and never gave up,” Maxey said.

“Even when we were down late guys still went out there and made plays -- that was big time.”

A pumped-up Maxey could be seen roaring in defiance after helping the Sixers take the game to overtime in the fourth quarter.

“I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn’t like,” he said. “I’m a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing.”

Maxey’s 46-point haul included seven three-pointers while Embiid posted a triple-double of 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 rebounds.

Tobias Harris added 19 points for the Sixers while Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 14.

Brunson led New York’s scoring with 40 points while Josh Hart had 18 and O.G. Anunoby 17.

Game six is in Philadelphia on Thursday.

- Bucks trounce Pacers -

In other games, the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks stayed afloat by beating the Indiana Pacers, winning 115-92 to extend their series to game six.

(sgd) PETER PAUL A. MATABANG

Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff

Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 29 points apiece while Malike Beasley added 18.

Tyrese Haliburton top scored for Indiana with 16 points but endured a frustrating night against a sterling Milwaukee defensive effort.

Game six takes place in Indiana on Thursday.

In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell

rattled in 28 points -- including 14 in the fourth quarter -- as the Cavaliers ground out a 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference first round series.

Orlando had fought back from 2-0 down to level after recording emphatic wins in games three and four in Florida.

But Cleveland dug deep to ensure they will head back to

Orlando for game six on Friday with a chance of clinching the series.

“It’s not gonna be pretty but it’s the playoffs,” Mitchell said after Cleveland’s win.

“The fourth quarter -- that’s what I do. But I’ve got to play better for my group.

“We’ve played well at home as a group. Now we’ve got to go down there in a hostile environment and handle our business.”

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Regional Trial Court

National Capital Judicial Region PASIG CITY OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

BDO UNIBANK, INC., Mortgagee, -versus- 24-053-REM EXTRA JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY ACT 4118

SPS. ELISEO S. CAMPITA AND MARISSA D. CAMPITA, Debtors/Mortgagor. x-------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE

Upon extrajudicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118 filed by the mortgagee BDO UNIBANK, INC. with office address at 11th Floor BDO Towers Valero (formerly Citibank Tower) 8741 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, against the debtors/mortgagors SPS. ELISEO S. CAMPITA AND MARISSA D. CAMPITA with postal address/es at Lot 10, Blk. 7, No. 33 London Street, Ciudad Grande Executive Village, Brgy. Rosario, Pasig City and for the satisfaction of the mortgage debt which as of February 29, 2024 amounts to PESOS: FOUR MILLION TWO HUNDRED FIFTY NINE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR AND 08/100 (P4,259,984.08) inclusive of interests, penalty and other charges but exclusive of all legal fees and expenses incidental to this foreclosure and sale the Clerk of Court & Ex Officio Sheriff of Pasig City or her duly Authorized Sheriff will sell at public auction on 04 June 2024 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter, infront of the Main Entrance of Pasig City Hall, Brgy. San Nicolas Pasig City to the highest bidder and for CASH in Philippine Currency the real property mentioned in the said real estate mortgage together with all the buildings and other improvements existing thereon, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. PT-125219

IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that certain land situated in the Mun. of Pasig Metro Manila, Phils., bounded and described as follows:

A parcel of land (Lot 10, Block 7, of the cons. subd. plan, Pcs-13-000410 being a portion of the consol. of Lots 3, Psu-90504, Lot 19, Psu-25457, Lots 7-C & 7-D, Psd-04000190, Lots 16-B & 16-C (LRC) Psd-277416 & Lots 1 to 4, (LRC) Psd-169959, LRC Rec. No. See Tabulation), situated in the Bo. of Rosario, Mun. of Pasig, Metro Manila. Bounded on the SW., along line 1-2 by Lot 9, on the NW., along line 2-3 by Lot 8; both of Block 7, all of the cons. subd. plan. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan x-x-x-x-x-x to the point of beginning; containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) SQUARE METERS, more or less.

Prospective bidders and/or buyers are enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the said properties and the encumbrances thereon if there be any.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on 18 June 2024 at the same time and place without further notice. Pasig City, April 15, 2024.

(sgd) BIENVENIDO V. CALINDAS, JR. Sheriff IV

(sgd) ATTY. ROSALIE C. AROSA Officer-in-Charge

Publication: “THE FOREIGN POST” Date: April 25, May 2 & 9, 2024 Copy furnished:

‘Cricket reasons’ for white-dominated S. Africa T20 World Cup squad

Johannesburg, South Africa —

“My number one imperative is to create a winning Proteas team,” said South Africa coach Rob Walter when asked to explain the whitedominated racial make-up of the 2024 T20 World Cup squad.

“In order to do that I have to pick the best team that has the best chance

of doing that.”

Coming from most national coaches, that would have been a case of stating the obvious. In Walter’s case, though, it signalled a change of policy on the part of his employer, Cricket South Africa (CSA), and his immediate boss, director of cricket Enoch Nkwe.

CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki told the Sport24 website that the composition of the team chosen by Walter was a concern, but added that he and Nkwe agreed that there were “cricket reasons” for the racial balance.

The 15-man squad for the tournament in the United States and the West Indies from June 1-29 contains nine whites, just one black African –- fast bowler Kagiso Rabada –- and five mixed race or Asian origin players.

Not since 2016, for the T20 World Cup in India, has a South African squad for an International Cricket Council event been so dominated by whites.

A month after the 2016 tournament, then minister of sport Fikile Mbalula said CSA would not be allowed to bid to stage major international events following a report from a governmentappointed committee that the pace of transformation in the sport was too slow.

LeBron tight-lipped on future after Lakers playoff exit

Los Angeles, United States — LeBron James declined to be drawn on his NBA future on Monday in the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff exit to the Denver Nuggets.

The 39-year-old NBA superstar once again produced another superb

performance that belied his age with 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

But it was not enough to stop the Lakers from falling to an agonizing 108-106 loss as Denver completed a 4-1 series victory to end James’ hopes of adding a fifth NBA

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF Caloocan City, Metro Manila

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, (otherwise known as PAG-IBIG FUND), Mortgagee/Assignee, -versus- Extra-Judicial Foreclosure of Real Estate Mortgage under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118 EJF-10451 (2024)

ALVIN N. LOPEZ married to ELLANIE L. LOPEZ, Debtor/s/Mortgagor/s, x--------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118 filed by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (otherwise known as PAG-IBIG FUND) with address at The Petron Mega Plaza Building, No. 358 Sen Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City against ALVIN N. LOPEZ married to ELLANIE L. LOPEZ, mortgagor/s with residence and postal address at #58D MLQ, Purok 1, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, Metro Manila; Lot 15 Blk. 13 Bagumbong Road, Neo Vista Homes, Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City, Metro Manila to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 20, 2024 amounts to ONE MILLION TWENTY THOUSAND TWENTY PESOS AND 48/100 (Php1,020,020.48) Philippine Currency, including/excluding interests, penalties, attorney’s fees, plus sheriff’s fees and all other necessary expenses of foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff hereby gives notice to all interested parties and to the public in general that on May 21, 2024 at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00a.m.) or soon thereafter, infront of the main entrance of Caloocan City Judicial Complex, located at 10th Avenue, Poblacion, Caloocan City, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, the real estate properties with all improvements existing thereon, to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 001-2018005059

“A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 15, BLK. 13 OF THE SUBD. PLAN PCS-007501-004020-D BEING A PORTION OF LOTS 550-A, 550-B, (LRC) PSD-314282, 633-C-2, 633-C-3, PSD-04-002416, 633-A, 633-B, PSD-04-002003, LOT 790-A-1-A & 790-A-1-B, (LRC) PSD-87565, L.R.C. RECORD NO. 6563), SITUATED IN BRGY. BAGUMBONG, CALOOCAN CITY, METRO MANILA, ISLAND OF LUZON. BOUNDED ON THE NE., ALONG LINE 1-2 BY LOT 16, BLK. 13; ON THE SE., ALONG LINE 2-3 BY ROAD LOT 8; ON THE SW., ALONG LINE 3-4 BY ROAD LOT 32; AND ON THE NW., ALONG LINE 4-1 BY LOT 13, BLK. 13, ALL OF THE CONS. SUBD. PLAN. BEGINNING AT A POINT MARKED “1” x x x CONTAINING AN AREA OF EIGHTY THREE (83) SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS x x x”

Prospective buyers or bidders are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property/ies and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

In the event that public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 28, 2024 at the same time and place without further notice.

Caloocan City, Metro Manila, April 12, 2024.

Copy furnished:

All parties concerned

Publication: FOREIGN POST

Date: April 25, May 2, & 9, 2024

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF:

(sgd) ELWIN DS. BACHO Sheriff-in-Charge

Later that year CSA announced that formal targets for racial representation would be introduced with immediate effect, to be assessed over the course of a season.

A maximum of five whites could be included in a 11-man team and there had to be at least two black Africans.

- QuotasMoseki said that quotas at domestic level –- which call for at least three black Africans in a starting team –- were aimed at ensuring a larger pool of black players of international standard.

He said targets for the national team remained in place.

“They wouldn’t be based on just one tournament, but as Rob explained, it (the T20 World Cup selection) was quite a challenging thing to deal with as we haven’t done this in ages.”

Nkwe said CSA was working

to meet transformation objectives ahead of the 2027 50-overs Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

“We have different formats where some players may struggle and succeed better than others,” said Nkwe. “We find ourselves in the struggling situation in T20 cricket.”

Walter said he hoped to see more black players coming through.

“The system needs to really up the ante so that in six months, 12 months or in two years’ time, in particular when we reach the 2027 World Cup at home, the demographics and representation in our team starts to look a bit different,” he said.

“Outside of the World Cup, we will continue... to grow our base of players to create international opportunities for players to pit their skills at a higher level and make sure we have bought in on delivering a process that is going to change what our team looks like going forward.”

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT CITY OF MANILA OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF rtc1mnlocc@judiciary.gov.ph 0956-250-6851 / (02) 8660-8759

championship ring in the twilight of his career.

A year ago, James had sparked speculation he could retire after the Lakers were swept 4-0 by Denver in the Western Conference finals, confirming to reporters he was considering walking away from the sport.

On Monday, questions about James’ future dominated the postgame press conference in Denver after a disappointing end to the 21st season of a glittering career.

Asked if Monday’s defeat could have been his final appearance in a Lakers’ uniform, James smiled before replying: “I’m not going to answer that.”

James, who has a year left on his current Lakers contract but reportedly has an opt out clause that leaves him free to join other teams, said he had not given serious thought to his next steps.

“I just want to get home to the family honestly,” James said.

“I’ll start looking at the schedule. One of my boys is just trying to decide if he’s going to enter the Draft or go back to school, I’ve got another kid playing ball, my daughter’s playing volleyball. And my wife is doing so many great things. So it’s about family right now.

“And then in a couple of months I gotta go to Vegas for (Olympics) training camp. So I’m gonna rest my body for USA Basketball. That’s kind of the initial thoughts.”

James has previously talked about prolonging his NBA career in order to play alongside eldest Bronny James if he eventually enters the league.

James though played down that possibility on Monday, insisting he hadn’t “given it much thought lately.”

“Obviously I’ve thought about it in the past but at the end of the day the kid has to do what he wants to do ... he will decide what he wants to do and how he wants his career to go.”

Lakers defensive stalwart Anthony Davis meanwhile said he had no inkling of what James might decide to do next season.

“He’s been in this position numerous times in his career where he had to make a decision, for himself and his family,” Davis said.

“And I’ll be right there supporting him whatever he decides to do. I don’t know but I’m pretty sure he’ll come and talk to me and tell me what’s going on before it becomes public.

“Obviously it’s been a great five seasons. If he does decide to come back, this is not where we want to be -- over in the first round. We want to be a championship contender.”

HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, (otherwise known as Pag-IBIG Fund), Mortgagee, -versus- Foreclosure No. 24-4488

CARMELITA C. ANTONIO, Borrower/Mortgagor, x----------------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under ACT 3135 as amended by ACT 4118, filed on March 22, 2024 by HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (otherwise known as Pag-IBIG Fund), Mortgagee, with principal office at The Petron Mega Plaza Building, No. 358 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against CARMELITA C. ANTONIO, Borrower/Mortgagor, with postal address at #121 Villanueva St., Sumilang Subd., Dalandanan, Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which, as of March 20, 2024, amounts to ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TEN PESOS and 82/100 (PHP1,197,510.82), Philippine Currency, inclusive of interest and other charges, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Loan and Mortgage Agreement notarized on January 24, 2014, the undersigned Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Manila, through her deputy, Sheriff JOSE CARLO Q. INFANTE, will sell at public auction on May 21, 2024 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter but not later than 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, in front of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court of Manila, 4th Floor, Manila City Hall, to the highest bidder, for cash or manager’s check and in Philippine Currency, the following property with all its improvements, more particularly described as follows:

CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 002-2019008470

IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the unit identified and described as: UNIT NO. 1402 — A RESIDENTIAL 1 BR PROVISION TYPE CONDOMINIUM UNIT, LOCATED AT THE 14TH FLOOR OF THE “MANILA RIVERCITY RESIDENCES — RHINE BUILDING”, WITH A FLOOR AREA OF 29.20 SQUARE METERS, MORE OR LESS.

in the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 290457 which embraces and describes the land located at STA. ANA MANILA with an area of ONE THOUSAND THREE (1,003) Square Meter, is registered in the name of: Owner: CARMELITA C. ANTONIO, OF LEGAL AGE, SINGLE, FILIPINO CITIZEN Address: 121 VILLANUEVA ST., SUMILANG SUBD., DALANDANAN, VALENZUELA CITY

Prospective bidders and/or buyers are enjoined to investigate, verify and conduct proper due diligence on the property above described.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on said date due to fortuitous event or if the same be declared a non-working holiday, or for any other lawful/valid reasons, it shall be held on June 05, 2024 without the need of further notice, reposting and republication.

Manila, Philippines, April 01, 2024.

(sgd) JENNIFER H. DELA CRUZ-BUENDIA Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff (sgd) JOSE CARLO Q. INFANTE Sheriff-in-Charge Copy Furnished: HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (otherwise known as Pag-Ibig Fund)

The Petron Mega Plaza Building, No. 358 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City

CARMELITA C. ANTONIO #121 Villanueva St., Sumilang Subd., Dalandanan, Valenzuela City, Metro Manila

Note: Failure to attend at the said auction sale, despite proper notice, shall be construed as waiver, Accordingly, the auction sale shall be held as scheduled.

NEWSPAPER: “THE FOREIGN POST”

DATES OF PUBLICATION: April 25, May 2 & 9, 2024

WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, destroy or deface this Notice of Extra-Judicial Sale on or before the date of sale, under the penalty of law.

(FILES) India’s captain Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the fourth Twenty20 international cricket match between India and South Africa at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. INDRANIL MUKHERJEE

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WHO’S DOING WHAT, WHERE, WITH WHOM

Hollywood stunt performers rev up ‘Fall Guy’ premiere

By Andrew MARSZAL

Los Angeles, United States — Fresh from the high-profile success of “Barbie,” Ryan Gosling used the Los Angeles premiere of his next movie “The Fall Guy” to cede the spotlight to Hollywood’s unsung heroes -- stunt performers.

Loosely based on the 1980s TV series of the same name, “The Fall Guy” stars Gosling as a veteran stunt double who must recover from a severe on-set injury to save an old flame (Emily Blunt) from a mysterious real-world threat.

The movie’s release comes as

pressure is mounting in Hollywood for stunt performers to receive more recognition, including an Oscar category of their own.

“He got set on fire eight times for me,” said Gosling, pointing to one of his stunt doubles during Tuesday’s red carpet event.

“How do you thank somebody for that?”

In the film, Gosling’s hero must draw on all of his impressive stunt tricks and know-how -- navigating high-speed chases, and fighting goons with hastily improvised weapons -- to save the day and win back the girl.

Those techniques were on show alongside the A-list stars at the Los Angeles premiere, as stunt actors roared motorcycles down the red carpet, leapt from a sky-high platform, and brawled through a plate-glass window.

“We just came out and tried to smash some glass and make a fun show for everybody,” joked stunt performer Justin Eaton.

“The Fall Guy” -- out in US theaters Friday -- is directed by David Leitch, a former stuntman who took beatings for Matt Damon in “The Bourne Ultimatum” and Brad Pitt in “Fight Club,” among

Jazz is about ‘sharing’, says music icon Herbie Hancock

By Kaouthar OUDRHIRI

Tangiers, Morocco — Jazz icon

Herbie Hancock performed this week in Tangiers at the end of a fourday jazz festival he launched more than a decade ago, telling AFP the genre is all about unity and diversity.

“It’s all about teamwork and making joy and sharing that with the people who are listening,” Hancock said in an interview in the Moroccan city on Tuesday.

Tangiers hosted the latest edition of UNESCO’s International Jazz Day for four days from Saturday, 12 years after the inaugural concert held in Paris, New Orleans and New York.

Hancock recalled that he introduced the idea for International Jazz Day at a time when he was a goodwill ambassador for the UN’s cultural agency.

Back in 2011, he said, “I was thinking about how jazz is played all over the world.”

Jazz, said the musician, composer and bandleader, is “a story of your own life”.

“And when you have a band, that’s several people’s lives, that they’re expressing. And bringing it into a unit. You know, so that collective experience, kind of oneness, is built into the fabric of jazz,” said Hancock.

Fans of jazz fill auditoriums “because they want to feel that experience”, said the 84-year-old who over the years has amassed 14 Grammy awards for his work.

On Tuesday night in Tangiers, Hancock performed during the “All-Star Global Concert” which concluded the festival’s latest edition.

It featured other top artists including bassist Marcus Miller and singer Dee Dee Bridgewater.

- The ‘magic’ of gnawaTangiers has a long history as a haven of inspiration for American jazz greats such as Randy Weston, Idrees Sulieman and Max Roach who crossed the Atlantic to play and record music in the North African port city, perched on the edge of the Strait of Gibraltar.

This year musicians from as far as Brazil and Japan travelled to Tangiers for the festivities which included talks and open-air performances.

Tuesday’s concert was launched by musician and healer Abdellah El Gourd, 77, a master of Morocco’s centuries-old gnawa practice rooted in African rituals and Sufi traditions.

The ancient gnawa art form, which includes ancient religious hymns and dance, can be traced back to the descendants of slaves and was inscribed in UNESCO’s

list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2019.

American jazz pianist and composer Randy Weston had joined forces with El Gourd to promote gnawa and fuse it with jazz during a prolonged stay in Tangier.

Weston, who lived in Tangiers for five years from 1967 after touring a number of African countries, was among artists who turned the spotlight on the Moroccan city, turning it into a jazz haven.

In 1973, years before he died, Weston dedicated his album “Tanjah” to Tangiers.

“Randy was an exceptional, kind, and respectful man. He gave a lot to the city and its musicians,” said El Gourd said of his friend and collaborator.

Hancock added to AFP that Weston brought home to the United States from Tangiers and other Moroccan cities an array of musical “flavours”, including gnawa.

Hancock said the rhythm of gnawa “brought tears” to his eyes.

“It has like a magical influence on your being,” added the jazz master.

When asked to elaborate on the meaning of jazz, he said: “It absolutely does function as so people can recognise and promote diversity.”

others.

Leitch made the leap into directing with 2014’s smash hit “John Wick,” and has since helmed blockbusters like “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2” and “Bullet Train.”

But “The Fall Guy” is Leitch’s first movie to specifically highlight and honor his former profession.

And with computer-generated visual effects increasingly used for action sequences in Hollywood movies, Leitch relished the chance to put some of the industry’s best to work at the sort of old-school practical stunts that are seldom performed on camera these days.

“It was really important -we wanted to lean into practical (stunts), because it was a celebration of that artisanship that the stunt communities had,” he told AFP.

“So we leaned into the classic stunts, and did them for real.”

- Stunt Oscars?Gosling’s latest role required multiple specialized stuntmen.

Logan Holladay, a driving stunts expert, broke a world record during the film, by flipping a fast-moving car into an astonishing eight-and-ahalf sideways “cannon rolls.”

Calls have been growing for a “best stunts” category at the Oscars, with supporters arguing that their input equals that of the sound

mixers, makeup artists and visual effects gurus already honored.

“You can get a Best Screenplay Oscar for typing in your shed for a year,” said Drew Pearce, the film’s writer.

“You have to literally risk death every day -- and not just like ‘metaphorical death’ death, but real death -- to be a stunt person.”

Stunt work is already honored at some prestigious movie and TV ceremonies, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

“The Fall Guy” stars Gosling and Blunt paid tribute to stunt performers during this year’s Academy Awards, presenting a video montage featuring hair-raising sequences from Charlie Chaplin through to Leitch’s “John Wick” films.

“They’ve been such a crucial part of our community since the beginning of cinema,” said Gosling, at April’s Oscars.

Whether that campaign will prevail remains to be seen. But for now, the movie has at least raised awareness of the risks of the job.

“(As) people who work in the shadows, we accept that, we signed up for that,” said Eaton.

“But just having some recognition from our audience is really the biggest thing.”

‘Persepolis’ author wins top Spanish prize

By Rosa SULLEIRO

Barcelona, Spain — FrenchIranian artist Marjane Satrapi, whose graphic novel “Persepolis” tells the story of a girl growing up in post-revolutionary Iran, was Tuesday awarded Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias communications and humanities prize.

The prize jury praised the 54-year-old as “one of the most prominent names in international comics, author of what is, for many, one of the best graphic novels ever published.”

“Satrapi is a symbol of civic engagement led by women,” it added, calling her “an essential voice in the defence of human rights and freedom”.

Born in Iran, Satrapi recounts in “Persepolis” her years as an outspoken teenager chafing at the Islamic revolution and its restrictions imposed on women, especially for one from a progressive family like hers. It also tells of the hardships of the Iran-Iraq war.

At 14, her parents sent her to school in Vienna to avoid arrest over her defiance of the regime. She later returned to Tehran but left for France in 1994, embarking on her career as an author, film director and painter.

Her animated film adaptation of “Persepolis” won her a nomination at Academy Awards in 2008.

Satrapi said it was “a great honour” to win the prize, which she dedicated to rapper Toomaj Saleh, who was sentenced to death last week in Iran.

The verdict was seen by activists as retaliation for his music backing nationwide protests that erupted un

“I take this opportunity to celebrate the fierce fight of my people for human rights and freedom. Today it is all the young people who lost their lives and the ones who continue the combat for liberty in Iran that are celebrated,” she added in a statement.

Amini had been detained over an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women. The months of unrest following her death on September 16, 2022, saw hundreds of people killed including dozens of security personnel, and thousands more arrested.

Satrapi last year coordinated the graphic novel “Woman, Life, Freedom” with a group of artists which illustrate the revolts. Her other graphic novels also include “Embroderies”, an exploration of the love lives of Iranian women, and “Chicken with plums” about musician’s struggles after his cherished instrument is broken which was also adapted onto a film.

The 50,000-euro ($54,000) award is one of eight Asturias prizes covering the arts, science and other areas handed out yearly by a foundation named for Spanish Crown Princess Leonor.

Past winners of the communications and humanities prize include US feminist icon Gloria Steinem and Italian novelist Umberto Eco.

The awards will be handed out at a ceremony hosted by Spain’s King Felipe VI in October.

2022 following the death in police custody of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

US singers Blake Shelton (L) and Gwen Stefani attend the premiere of “The Fall Guy” at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. VALERIE MACON