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Supporters fuel Gunners’ Rapid-fire performance

LONDON • For the first time in 270 days, fans were back inside a Premier League ground as Arsenal welcomed 2,000 supporters into the Emirates for Thursday's routine 4-1 Europa League Group B win over Austria's Rapid Vienna. The hosts had already qualified for the knockout phase, but the sparse crowd in the 60,000-capacity stadium were still in high spirits as Alexandre Lacazette, Pablo Mari, Eddie Nketiah and substitute Emile Smith Rowe all netted to maintain their 100 per cent record. "I'm delighted to have fans back, they make a huge difference," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. "We had 2,000 but they were loud and they were supportive to the team so thanks to them for coming and making the effort." Outside the ground, fans held up a banner reading "Home at last, Thank you NHS" in tribute to those working on the healthcare front line battling the coronavirus pandemic. Before kick-off, a video was screened with a message from captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that read: "Football is all about you, the fans - we have missed you and we are so happy to be welcoming you back." Club mascot Gunnersaurus also made a belated return after long-serving employee Jerry Quy, who was initially retrenched, was reinstated after midfielder Mesut Ozil stepped in to cover his salary. The last game on English soil to have fans was back in March, so they were thrilled to once again go through the turnstiles even though Thursday's game had no significance other than to confirm Arsenal as group winners. The club's website crashed due to the demand for tickets and supporter Dan Anderson felt it was a small step towards normality. "It's just getting back to normal. You work hard all week and to have that reward to be able to go to a game at the weekend or at night is what you want," he said. While the norm is a long road ahead - pubs around the Emirates remain closed as Tier 2 restrictions mean alcohol cannot be served without food - the players made it clear they missed the support. "It's just great to have that sound back and have our 12th man back," said Ainsley Maitland-Niles. DIFFERENCE MAKERS They make a huge difference. We had 2,000 but they were loud and they were supportive to the team so thanks to them for coming and making the effort. MIKEL ARTETA,  Arsenal manager, on the home support that filled just over 3 per cent of the Emirates' 60,000-capacity. In Group J, Tottenham warmed up for tomorrow's north London derby with Arsenal by reaching the last 32 of the Europa League but their 3-3 draw at Austria's Lask left Jose Mourinho unhappy at the lack of commitment. While Gareth Bale and Dele Alli converted penalties either side of Son Heung-min's strike, the Spurs boss felt it showed why his fringe players remain on the periphery. "Nothing new really," he said. "The fact the Europa League group phase doesn't motivate some of the players, I knew it." Spurs must beat Belgium's Antwerp next week to finish as group winners. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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Ronaldo in good spirits on return to scoresheet

TURIN • Cristiano Ronaldo refused to be drawn on his social media comments after describing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests as "b***s***" but marked his return after recovering from Covid-19 in the best possible fashion of scoring. More than two weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus on Oct 13 while on international duty with Portugal, the forward came off the bench as Juventus got back to winning ways in Serie A with a 4-1 win over promoted Spezia on Sunday to move into third place. The game had been deadlocked at 1-1 when Ronaldo was introduced in the second half and he went on to grab a brace as the nine-time defending Italian champions put a stop to a sequence of two successive draws in the league. This was Ronaldo's first game for Juve since Sept 27 - he missed four games in all competitions - and the Portugal captain was thrilled to be back on the pitch. "I have been stationary. I had no symptoms and I felt good. I was stopped for a long time even though I had no symptoms and felt good. Today I went back to doing what I like - playing football," he told Sky Sports. "Serie A is a competitive league. (AC) Milan are doing a great job, as well as Lazio and Napoli. We have to work hard, but we are growing. "Cristiano is back, and this is the most important thing." Ronaldo, who had been furious at not being allowed to play in Juve's Champions League 2-0 defeat by Barcelona last week, hit out at the accuracy of PCR tests, sparking controversy. However, the 35-year-old, who is just two strikes behind league top scorer, Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (nine), did not want to expand on his frustration at being forced to isolate while asymptomatic, adding: "I don't want to talk about it. The important thing is that I came back and we won." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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TEC presents Welcome Back to The Office! Good to leave, even better to come back?

HONG KONG, Oct 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The COVID-19 work-at-home has pushed businesses and employees globally to re-evaluate the workplace. The Executive Centre (TEC), the leading premium flexible workspace provider in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, is also re-evaluating - with a 'Welcome Back to The Office' video campaign, and characters that find new ways of adapting to the new normal working environment.The 'Welcome Back' video campaign is a take on the work-at-home phenomenon, and while the characters in the videos are fictional, their triumphs and struggles are drawn from real experiences of TEC's 1000+ global team.Don't miss: "Welcome Back to the Office!" Episode 1: "Good to leave, even better to come back"Watch the premiere [3'40] :: https://youtu.be/cGzLjfneslESynopsis: "They were told that as a precautionary measure and in-line with their global head office's pandemic response, that they would be 'WFH'. Some were excited. Some unphased. And some were really not enthused in the slightest. Find out how the typical workday has, and is continuing to change. Follow four co-workers on their first day back to work: Welcome Back To The Office addresses the full spectrum of what an office really is."It's clear work-from-home arrangements are becoming the new normal, people are commuting less, less dressing to impress and more time with the family. However, on the flip side, there are also irreplaceable benefits of the office such as proper coffee in a proper coffee cup, chatting to colleagues and collaborating on projects, IT that works, comfortable ergonomic furniture, admin support, and a highly-productive environment that boosts concentration and minimises distraction."After an extended period of time working from home, we were inspired to explore how the typical workday has changed, and is continuing to change," said Paul Salnikow, TEC Founder and CEO. "We believe the future of the workplace hinges on its relationship with the people who truly make it work. "The pandemic has accelerated the shift to flexible workspaces. We are certain that the office, rather than becoming obsolete, will become an increasingly valuable asset, facilitating collaboration and driving business growth. Our clients are saying their offices of the future will need solutions that are tailored to their success, limit current challenges, give their staff maximum flexibility and provide the best office environment that they can find."Please join the 'Welcome Back" campaign at https://www.backtotheoffice.executivecentre.com.About The Executive CentreThe Executive Centre (TEC) opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today manages 135+ Centres in 32 cities and 14 countries. The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space - they are looking for a place for their organisation to thrive. TEC has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its Members. Walking with Members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organisations to succeed. Privately owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business' needs. Learn more at www.executivecentre.com.Press Enquiries:FinsburySheena Shah / Crystal ChowSheena.Shah@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9855Crystal.Chow@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9838 Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

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9 months’ jail for maid who hit one-month-old baby to ‘vent her stress’

SINGAPORE - A domestic helper hit her employer's one-month-old baby three times on his back to "vent her stress". Indonesian Lana Ngizatul Mona, 26, was caught after the infant's mother viewed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident. The baby boy sustained a bruise on his right shoulder as a result of the incident. Lana was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 21) to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of ill-treating the baby, who cannot be named owing to a gag order. The child's mother had employed Lana, who started working at the woman's flat near Hougang on Feb 26. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei told the court the maid was tasked to care for her employer's four children and perform general household chores. The mother was in her bedroom at around 7.30am on April 30 when she heard the baby crying loudly in the living room. She checked the CCTV footage and saw Lana hitting her son's back three times. The DPP added: "In the CCTV footage, the accused is seen hitting the victim on the back with her wrist. The victim cried immediately. "The accused was next seen hitting the victim on the back with her fist twice, causing the victim to cry again. All three blows were forceful and had audible impact." Lana later told investigators that she had hit the infant due to stress. More on this topic   Related Story 27 years' jail for parents of 5-year-old boy who was scalded with hot water, confined in cage before his death   Related Story Maid who abused child and lied about it jailed 6 months Her employer alerted the police that morning and the child was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. On Wednesday, DPP Tan urged District Judge Salina Ishak to sentence Lana to at least nine months' jail. The prosecutor said: "The victim was only one month old at the material time and was absolutely defenceless against the offender. "He was unable to run away from the offender and his only means of expressing his distress at her blows was to cry." For ill-treating a child, an offender can be jailed for up to eight years and fined up to $8,000. More on this topic   Related Story Slight fall in child abuse last year to 1,088 cases, but physical abuse spikes to 10-year high   Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories

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The Executive Centre launches the “Welcome Back to The Office” campaign

HONG KONG, Oct 20, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The COVID-19 outbreak has led to businesses and employees re-evaluating what the workplace means to them. Today, The Executive Centre (TEC), the leading premium flexible workspace provider across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, launches the "Welcome Back to The Office" video campaign, where characters find ways to adapt to the new working environment.The campaign is a take on the work-from-home phenomenon, and while the characters in the videos are fictional, their triumphs and struggles are drawn from real experiences of TEC's 1000+ global team.What's clear is that while homeworking arrangements are becoming normalised and people are enjoying less commuting, not having to dress to impress and spending more time with their families; on the flip side, there are also irreplaceable benefits of working in an office such as proper coffee in a proper coffee cup, chatting to colleagues and collaborating on projects, IT that works, comfortable ergonomic furniture, admin support, and a highly-productive environment that boosts concentration and minimises distractions."After an extended period of time working from home, we are inspired to explore how the typical workday has changed, and is continuing to change," said Paul Salnikow, TEC Founder and CEO. "We believe the future of the workplace hinges on its relationship with the people who truly make it work. As the pandemic has accelerated the shift to flexible workspaces, we are certain that the office, rather than becoming obsolete, will become an increasingly valuable asset facilitating collaboration and driving business growth. Our clients are telling us that their offices of the future will need solutions that are tailored to their success, limit current challenges, give their staff maximum flexibility and provide the best office environment that they can find."Welcome Back to the Office - Good to leave, even better to come back. The videos can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzLjfneslE&list=PLfHtsCPeKvS_hVeEC_AUxLGDvlLWzFhTBFor more details, please visit https://www.backtotheoffice.executivecentre.com About The Executive CentreThe Executive Centre (TEC) opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today boasts over 135+ Centres in 32 cities and 14 countries.The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space - they are looking for a place for their organisation to thrive. TEC has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its Members. Walking with Members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organisations to succeed.Privately owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business' needs.For more information please visit www.executivecentre.com Press EnquiriesFinsburySheena Shah / Crystal ChowSheena.Shah@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9855Crystal.Chow@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9838 Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

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Ronaldo in dispute with sports minister

MILAN • Cristiano Ronaldo become involved in a public row with Italy's sports minister on Friday, as the pair indirectly accused each other of lying over whether the Portugal international had broken health rules after testing positive for Covid-19. Mr Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday that the Juventus forward might have infringed the rules by flying back to Italy from national team duty in Portugal, after he tested positive for the virus earlier last week. But, in a social media post on Friday, Ronaldo hit back and said he had done everything by the book. "A gentlemen here in Italy, whose name I won't mention, said I didn't obey the protocol - that's simply a lie," he said in an Instagram post from his Turin villa, where he is in quarantine and asymptomatic. "I followed all the protocols and I will continue to follow them, my conscience is clear... Everything I did was authorised." He tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday while he was with the Portugal squad and flew back in a private jet the following day. "They said I broke Italian law and this and that... it's all lies, I did everything properly," he added. "We did everything the right way - leaving the (Portugal) team, in the air ambulance, arriving in Turin... I did not have contact with anyone." Mr Spadafora later replied in an interview with the Italian news agency Ansa, saying: "The fame and skill of certain players does not entitle them to be arrogant, disrespectful to the institutions and to lie. "On the contrary, the more well known you are, the more you should feel the responsibility of setting a good example." Juventus said on Thursday that Ronaldo returned to Italy in a "medical flight authorised by the competent health authorities". SHOW SOME RESPECT The fame and skill of certain players does not entitle them to be arrogant, disrespectful to the institutions and to lie. MR VINCENZO SPADAFORA, Italy's sports minister, on Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The entire Juve team were back in isolation on Wednesday evening after midfielder Weston McKennie tested positive. Both he and Ronaldo must test negative before rejoining their teammates. Under Uefa rules, a player must provide evidence that he is no longer sick a week before a European match. Ronaldo, who misses Juve's Serie A match with Crotone yesterday and their Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday, must test negative on Wednesday to play against Barcelona and old foe Lionel Messi a week later. REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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