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PM Lee plants bonsai trees in first Tree Planting Day event to be held at rooftop garden

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong planted bonsai trees at a rooftop garden in Hougang on Sunday morning (Nov 1) to mark Tree Planting Day, an occasion that scored several firsts in the history of the annual event. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was held without participation from residents for the first time in its 49-year history. It was also the first tree planting event to be held at a rooftop garden and the first time bonsai trees were planted. Armed with shovels, PM Lee and fellow Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs - Mr Darryl David, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Ms Ng Ling Ling - planted 10 Podocarpus macrophyllus trees, commonly known as the Buddhist pine, in their bonsai form at the rooftop garden of the multi-storey carpark at Block 933 Hougang Avenue 9. Kebun Baru SMC MP Henry Kwek and Yio Chu Kang SMC MP Yip Hon Weng joined them at the event. The origins of the event go back to June 16, 1963, when Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew started a tree-planting campaign by planting a mempat tree in Farrer Circus. The first Tree Planting Day was held on Nov 7, 1971, when then-acting prime minister Goh Keng Swee planted a rain tree on the summit of Mount Faber. The annual event is usually held on the first Sunday of November. Each town council usually holds tree-planting day activities with its own Members of Parliament. The event on Sunday was streamed live on the Ang Mo Kio Town Council's Facebook page. It was viewed about 13,000 times as of 11.30am on Sunday. PM Lee and fellow Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs (from left) Mr Darryl David, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Ng Ling Ling. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY More on this topic   Related Story Number of trees in industrial estates to go up by three times by 2030 under nationwide greening effort   Related Story Nine multi-storey carpark rooftops in Singapore to be converted to urban farms The Buddhist pine tree is a tropical, evergreen tree that can grow up to 20m tall. It has dark green and narrow leaves. It also responds well to pruning and trimming and is largely resistant to pests and diseases. Due to their sturdy features, bonsai plants pose minimal safety hazards, especially when faced with strong winds during the rainy season. After planting the trees, PM Lee visited the rooftop garden's herbs and spices area, which houses plants such as basil, rosemary, pandan and lemongrass, and was presented with various leaves and seeds from the garden. From Monday, Ang Mo Kio Town Council will give out 160 bags of salad crop seedlings. Participants can go to the town council's Facebook page for details on how to get the bags.

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All Blacks’ Bledisloe Cup yet again

SYDNEY • New Zealand served up a Halloween nightmare for an inexperienced Wallabies side by romping to a record 43-5 victory in the Tri-Nations opener yesterday. The ruthless All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup for an 18th straight year by blitzing a young Australian team to reinforce their trans-Tasman dominance. After winning 27-7 in Auckland, which followed a tense 16-16 draw in Wellington, they accomplished their mission in Sydney by their biggest winning margin against the Wallabies, with one match of the series to go next week. Fly-half Richie Mo'unga bagged 23 points to ensure bragging rights went to New Zealand coach Ian Foster who, like his opposite number Dave Rennie, is in charge for his first Bledisloe Cup tournament. "It's more than a relief, it's exciting," said All Blacks captain Sam Cane, adding that the team would celebrate with "a few fizzies". "It's a lot of feelings but I'm just really proud of the group and excited about what's ahead." Mo'unga scored two brilliant individual tries in six first-half minutes and forwards Karl Tu'inukuafe and Dane Coles also crossed as the visitors raced to a 26-0 lead in just half an hour. While the match was the third Bledisloe fixture, it was also the first of the Tri Nations - also featuring Argentina - rebranded from the Rugby Championship after world champions South Africa pulled out. In front of just 25,000 fans at a wet ANZ Stadium, fewer than the 38,000 allowed under Covid-19 rules, the All Blacks overwhelmed the Wallabies in a breathless first half that saw two yellow cards, four tries and two disallowed tries. A ragged Australia were fortunate to be down only 26-0 at the break and there was no way back for Rennie's men. The pain eased for the home crowd early in the second half when Australia flyhalf Noah Lolesio scored a try on his Test debut, but Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett blew out the score in the last 10 minutes. Mo'unga converted five of six tries and added a penalty to ensure the highest victory margin for the All Blacks in 169 Tests against their neighbours. New Zealand were physically too strong and again exposed the frailties of Australia's defensive wall. The hosts badly missed the calming presence of experienced backs Matt To'omua and James O'Connor, who were both injured. "We're hurting a lot from that," said Wallabies captain Michael Hooper. "It's a hit to the confidence now. We're going to go look back at sticking to our game plan, we got out on the field and we changed direction." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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Honda Sets Half of Fiscal Year Records for Automobile Production in China

TOKYO, Oct 30, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for for the first half of the current fiscal year (April 2020-March 2021) and the month of September 2020.World ProductionThe First Half of Current Fiscal Year- Production in Japan for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in five years.- Production in regions outside of Japan for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the second consecutive year.- Worldwide production for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in nine years.September 2020- Production in Japan experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in 13 months.- Production in regions outside of Japan experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in two months.- Worldwide production experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in 14 months.Sales in the Japanese MarketThe First Half of Current Fiscal Year- Total Japanese sales for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in four years.- New vehicle registrations for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in two years.- Sales of mini-vehicles for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in four years. September 2020- Total Japanese sales experienced a year-on-year decrease for the 12th consecutive month.- New vehicle registrations experienced a year-on-year decrease for the 12th consecutive month.- Sales of mini-vehicles experienced a year-on-year decrease for the seventh consecutive month.- Fit was the industry's sixth best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of September 2020 with sales of 8,922 units. Freed was the industry's eighth best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of September 2020 with sales of 7,689 units. - N-BOX was the industry's top-selling car in the mini-vehicle category for the month of September 2020 with sales of 18,631 units. N-WGN was the industry's sixth best-selling car in the mini-vehicle category for the month of September 2020 with sales of 8,977 units. Exports from JapanThe First Half of Current Fiscal Year- Total exports from Japan for the first half of the current fiscal year experienced a year-on-year decrease for the second consecutive year.September 2020- Total exports from Japan experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in two months.About HondaHonda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267 / NYSE:HMC / LSE:HNDA) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com. Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

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Agilex Biolabs Client Shasqi Announces Click Chemistry Breakthrough with First-Ever Human Application in Launch of Clinical Program

ADELAIDE, AU, Oct 30, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Agilex Biolabs, Australia's most advanced FDA-inspected specialist bioanalytical laboratory for clinical trials, congratulates client company Shasqi on the announcement of the first-ever application of click chemistry in humans, with the launch of the Company's lead clinical candidate, SQ3370. Shasqi is the first Y Combinator-backed biotech company to reach clinical development.San Francisco-based Shasqi said in the announcement: First Patients Dosed in Phase 1 Clinical Study of SQ3370 for Advanced Solid Tumor Malignancies Shasqi is First Y-Combinator Biotech Company to Reach First-in-Human Clinical StudiesShasqi, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision activated oncology therapeutics with its proprietary Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPACtm) Platform, announced today the first-ever application of click chemistry in humans, with the launch of the Company's lead clinical candidate, SQ3370. Shasqi is the first Y Combinator-backed biotech company to reach clinical development. The first two patients have been dosed in Shasqi's Phase 1 clinical study of SQ3370 for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. SQ3370 is a novel investigational product that activates a non-toxic protodrug into a powerful chemotherapy agent, doxorubicin, precisely at a pre-injected tumor. SQ3370 is designed to allow substantially higher drug doses to be given to the patient, increasing tumor destruction while minimizing toxicity in the rest of the body. "Shasqi is founded on the belief that one day we will be able to beat cancer without poisoning our bodies. We are excited to reach this milestone with our CAPAC Platform and the launch of Shasqi's first clinical program," said Jose M. Mejia Oneto, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Shasqi. The CAPAC Platform is a new therapeutic modality based on click chemistry, which leverages biocompatible chemical reactions, to activate protodrugs at a selected tumor that has been pre-injected with a biopolymer. The CAPAC platform is agnostic to tumor characteristics that can vary from patient to patient, such as biomarker expression and enzymatic activity, rendering it applicable to a broad array of tumor types. Additionally, the CAPAC Platform is highly modular and can be applied to a wide variety of cancer therapeutics in addition to doxorubicin."Doxorubicin has been proven effective for dozens of cancers, but severe side effects limit its use. Guiding it directly to the tumor while avoiding damage to the rest of the body may allow us to use doxorubicin and potentially many other drugs in a completely new and effective way for patients," commented Wayne Saville, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Shasqi. "Shasqi has taken a novel concept through a rigorous preclinical regulatory path all the way to treating patients in near-record time." "Shasqi was Y Combinator's first therapeutic biotechnology investment and now the first of our life sciences companies to reach clinical development," said Jared Friedman, Partner, Y Combinator. "We are extremely impressed by the team's rapid advancement and capital-efficient execution. SQ3370 and CAPAC are not just a standard new small molecule, but rather a broad and powerful new platform leveraging state of the art science and materials to transform the treatment of cancer." SQ3370-001 (NCT04106492) is a multicenter, first-in-human, dose-escalation, Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immune effects, and preliminary anti-tumor efficacy of SQ3370 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor malignancies ineligible for standard-of-care therapy. The study is being conducted in the United States and Australia at multiple cancer centers, including MD Anderson Cancer Center and Stanford University. The study is expected to be completed in 2021. More information about the trial is available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04106492. See the announcement here. https://tinyurl.com/y2splohjAgilex Biolabs is known internationally for its continued investment in the latest technology, and for attracting some of the leading scientists from Australia and around the world.Agilex Biolabs, the only FDA-inspected lab of its type in the region, also features a rebate of up to 43.5% on clinical trial bioanalytical services spend as part of the Australian Government clinical trial attraction program.Agilex Biolabs' world-class bioanalytical facilities have OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.The company has recently expanded its labs by more than 30% to accommodate biotech demand from APAC and the USA. Watch the New Labs Walkthrough Video Here https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/new-labs-videoAgilex Biolabs specialises in bioanalysis of small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity, biomarkers and immunological pharmacodynamics assessments utilising LC-MS/MS, immunoassay (Mesoscale, Gurolab, Luminex) and flow cytometry (BD FACSymphony A3, 20 colour cell analyser).Agilex also offers pharmacodynamics services that include immunobiology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology to support immunology, cell biology and mode of action assays, including: - Immunophenotyping- Receptor occupancy- Cytokine release assays (whole blood or PBMC stimulation assays) and cytokine/biomarker profiling- PBMC assays and cellular mechanism of action assays (eg: ADCC)Agilex Biolabs has more than 90 staff including 65 dedicated laboratory staff, and annually support more than 80 clinical trials. This year they will analyse more than 60,000 samples for pharma/biotechs companies from US, Europe and APAC.Please Book a Briefing with us before you start your next clinical trial.About Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/Agilex Biolabs, Australia's leading bioanalytical laboratory, has more than 20 years' experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. We have successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world where customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process and access to the world's most attractive R&D rebate of more than 40% on clinical trial work conducted in Australia.We offer services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.Agilex Biolabs Media Contact:Media@AgilexBiolabs.com Kate NewtonShasqi media contact:David Rosen, Argot Partners media@shasqi.com +1 (212) 600-1902 Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

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Toyota’s Global Sales and Production Up Year-on-Year in September

Toyota City, Japan, Oct 29, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Even in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, which broke out early this year, Toyota has maintained corporate activities by implementing comprehensive measures to prevent infection and working in close cooperation with business partners including suppliers and dealers. In addition to these measures, Toyota has enjoyed the support of customers around the world who use Toyota vehicles, and as a result, in September both global sales and global production recovered and exceeded the previous year's levels.Global Sales- Results in September were driven primarily by sales in the U.S. and China, and global sales were up approximately 2 percent year-on-year.U.S.The market as a whole is trending toward recovery, and sales of the Camry, RAV4, and Lexus brand models were strong, resulting in a 16 percent year-on-year increase.ChinaIn addition to local motor shows and other measures to draw customers to dealers and enhanced measures to secure orders, strong sales of the Corolla, Levin, and other models also had an impact, and as a result, sales were up approximately 25 percent year-on-year, the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year increases.- From April to September, global sales were down approximately 19 percent, exceeding forecasts.*Global ProductionResults in September were driven primarily by production in China and Japan, and production was up approximately 12 percent year-on-year.ChinaStrong sales of the Levin and Corolla had an impact, and production was up approximately 49 percent year-on-year.JapanIn addition to the recovery of the global market, sales in Japan of new models including the Harrier and Yaris were strong, and production was up approximately 4 percent year-on-year.Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces its sales, production, and export results for September 2020, as well as the cumulative total from January to September 2020 and the first half of fiscal year (from April to September 2020), including those for subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. and Hino Motors, Ltd.September 2020Sales ResultsToyotaWorldwide sales: First increase in nine monthsSales inside of Japan (incl. minivehicles): Twelfth consecutive month of decreaseSales outside of Japan: First increase in nine monthsConsolidatedWorldwide sales: First increase in nine monthsSales inside of Japan (incl. minivehicles): Twelfth consecutive month of decreaseSales outside of Japan: First increase in nine monthsProduction ResultsToyotaWorldwide production: First increase in nine monthsProduction inside of Japan: First increase in twelve monthsProduction outside of Japan: First increase in nine monthsConsolidatedWorldwide production: First increase in twelve months;Production inside of Japan: First increase in twelve months;Production outside of Japan: First increase in sixteen monthsExports ResultsToyotaFirst increase in ten monthsConsolidatedFirst increase in ten months*April - Junedown approximately 40 percent, July - Septemberdown approximately 15 percent, October - Decemberdown approximately 5 percent, January - Marchup approximately 5 percent; it was anticipated that sales would return to the previous year's level from the end of this year to the beginning of next year (released at the time of the financial results announcement for this year).For the full press release, please check the link: https://bit.ly/3kDBHpVAbout Toyota Motor CorporationToyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com. Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

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Football: Real Madrid snatch draw at Gladbach with late Casemiro goal

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany (REUTERS) - Real Madrid scored two goals in the final minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their Champions League Group B match on Tuesday (Oct 27) and snap a three-game losing run in the competition. Marcus Thuram fired in for the lead with the hosts' first chance of the game in the 33rd minute and tapped in on the rebound in the 58th just as Real were pushing for an equaliser. But Karim Benzema cut the deficit in the 87th minute and Casemiro got the equaliser in stoppage time. The 13-time European champions, who had lost their previous three games following last season's two defeats to Manchester City in the knockout stage and their shock 3-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk last week, earned their first point in the competition. Gladbach are in second place on two points, with Shakhtar top on four after a 0-0 draw with Inter Milan. Real coach Zinedine Zidane had been hoping to carry his side's momentum from their 3-1 weekend win over Barcelona in La Liga into the game. Yet despite their confidence in possession, chances were few and far between with Gladbach's Matthias Ginter completely shutting out Benzema for most of the game. The Foals struck on the break with Alassane Plea pouncing on a Toni Kroos mistake to set up Thuram for his first goal in the competition. Real initially had more spark after the break and hit the woodwork when Asensio's 46th-minute shot was headed on to the crossbar. Forward Vinicius should have scored two minutes later when he was left completely unmarked in the box but his effort sailed wide. Gladbach then struck against the run of play, with 23-year-old France youth international Thuram tapping in on the rebound after keeper Thibaut Courtois had pushed out a shot from Plea. But with the Germans thinking the game was already won, Real pulled a goal back when Casemiro headed on for Benzema to score. Brazilian Casemiro then dashed Gladbach's hopes of a memorable win, driving the ball into the roof of the net in stoppage time.

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Golf: McDonald celebrates birthday with first LPGA triumph

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Ally McDonald celebrated her 28th birthday Sunday (Oct 25) by winning her first LPGA title, capturing the Drive On Championship by one stroke over fellow American Danielle Kang. The world number 62 fired a final-round three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes at Reynolds Lake Oconee on 16-under 272 for an extra-special birthday gift. "It's definitely towards the top that's for sure," McDonald said. McDonald's best prior LPGA finish was third at last year's Shoprite Classic. "I've never doubted my ability but it's really hard to win out here," said McDonald, her voice breaking with emotion. "I hung in there and I was really happy to get a win." Fifth-ranked Kang trimmed her lead from four strokes to a single shot on the back nine but settled for second after shooting 68 to finish on 273. "It shook me up pretty bad," McDonald said. "I had to gather myself up and get my heart rate under control. "I knew Danielle was going to put the pedal to the metal. I told myself to calm down and do what I've been doing, follow my game plan and control what I can. "I was happy to hang in there and pull it out - just the resilience I have." Filipino 22-year-old Bianca Pagdanganan, the world number 233 and LPGA driving distance leader in only her sixth professional start, shot 70 to finish third on 274 with American Mina Harigae and Spain's Carlota Ciganda sharing fourth on 275. Kang originally was to have been seeking a third consecutive LPGA crown in Shanghai this week befire Covid-19 wiped out the event, leading to the creation of this week's tournament. McDonald birdied the par-3 fourth and made the turn with a two-stroke lead over Pagdanganan and Kang. She then sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 10th to launch a run of three consecutive birdies that left her on 17-under with a four-stroke edge. More on this topic   Related Story Golf: McDonald clings to one-shot LPGA lead over Pagdanganan   Related Story Golf: Ally McDonald's birthday will be sweeter with first win Kang rolled in a 10-footer for birdie at the par-4 13th while McDonald missed a five-footer for par, her lead halved with five holes remaining. Kang curled in a tricky downhill 12-foot birdie putt at the par-3 14th, reaching 15-under to pull within one with her third birdie in four holes. At 15, the course's toughest hole for the week, Kang went over the green, pitched to five feet but missed her par putt and fell two back with three to play. McDonald birdied the par-3 16th but missed a seven-foot par putt at the par-3 17th to keep the lead at two heading for the par-5 18th. McDonald put her approach onto the green at the last and Kang lofted her eagle attempt so it barely missed the edge of the cup. She made birdie but McDonald two-putted for par and the win. "I tried," Kang said.

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Quah Ting Wen: Splashing off rust with the Tridents

On Oct 16, I attended my first swim meet since our local time trials in January. The LA Current, Cali Condors, NY Breakers and Energy Standard were in action on the first day of the International Swimming League (ISL), a professional inter-team competition, in Hungary. That day, after our practice, my team - DC Trident - went up to the stands to watch the competition. It was a strange experience sitting in empty stands. The health and safety protocols in place here to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are very strict, and the public are not allowed into the venue to watch, so as to keep the swimmers in a quarantine "bubble". Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

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Football: Jota seals Liverpool comeback win against Sheffield

LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Liverpool survived a scare to beat Sheffield United 2-1 as Diogo Jota's winner capped a spirited fightback that lifted the Premier League champions into second place on Saturday (Oct 24). Jurgen Klopp's side trailed to Sander Berge's controversial first half penalty at Anfield. But Roberto Firmino equalised before the break and Portugal forward Jota completed the escape act with his second goal since signing from Wolves in September. After losing Virgil van Dijk to a serious knee injury in last weekend's Merseyside derby draw at Everton, the Reds have proved they can survive without their influential Dutch centre-back. A gritty 1-0 Champions League win against Ajax in midweek set the tone and Liverpool again dug deep to earn their first win in three Premier League games. Van Dijk, who is unlikely to feature again this season, had started 94 consecutive league matches before this weekend. And while his stand-in Fabinho was responsible for conceding the penalty converted by Berge, Klopp must be largely satisfied with the way his team have coped with such a major injury blow. Liverpool are level on points with leaders Everton, who have a superior goal difference and play their game in hand at Southampton on Sunday. Anxiety eased Liverpool came out firing and almost went ahead inside the first minute when Sadio Mane flicked the ball past United keeper Aaron Ramsdale before John Egan hacked clear. Trent Alexander-Arnold tried his luck with an audacious free-kick from the halfway line that Ramsdale had to tip over. But despite that lively opening it was United who took a shock lead in the 13th minute. When Fabinho tripped Oli McBurnie right on the edge of the Liverpool area, Mike Dean gave a free-kick but VAR intervened to review the challenge and ruled it had taken place just inside the box. It was the first Premier League penalty Liverpool had faced at Anfield in over two years and Norway midfielder Berge showed no nerves as he sent Alisson Becker the wrong way for his first goal of the season. Alisson was back after missing the last four matches with a shoulder injury and Liverpool's keeper marked his return with an excellent save from Ben Osborn's volley as United pressed for a second goal. Klopp had sent out an even more attacking line-up than usual, with Brazilian forward Firmino deployed in midfield behind a front three of Mane, Jota and Mohamed Salah. It was Firmino who dragged Liverpool level in the 41st minute with his first goal of the season. Mane met Jordan Henderson's cross with a powerful header that was parried out by Ramsdale and, with the keeper prone on the turf, Firmino slotted in the rebound from close-range. Salah should have completed Liverpool's comeback moments later, but Ramsdale denied the Egypt forward when he surged through on goal. United were inches away from regaining the lead soon after the interval when Berge headed down to George Baldock, whose deflected effort flashed just wide. Salah thought he had scored Liverpool's second with a cool finish from Alexander-Arnold's pass, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside by VAR. Jota eased Liverpool's angst in the 64th minute. Mane's cross was misjudged by United defender Enda Stevens and Jota took advantage to head home from close-range. Liverpool never look completely comfortable when the error-prone Adrian is deputising for Alisson and the Brazilian underlined why he was so badly missed with a superb save from Berge. United substitutes David McGoldrick and Oliver Burke fired over in a tense finale, while Salah's chip hit the post as Liverpool stood firm.

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Football: Sweet 16 for Messi as Barcelona thump Ferencvaros

BARCELONA (REUTERS) - Lionel Messi became the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons as he guided 10-man Barcelona to a 5-1 victory over Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Group G opener at the Camp Nou on Tuesday (Oct 20). Messi netted from the penalty spot in the first half for his 116th career goal in the competition, before the lively Ansu Fati added a second. Philippe Coutinho grabbed another goal early in the second half but Barca defender Gerard Pique was dismissed for impeding the lively Tokmac Nguen, leading to a penalty for the visitors that was converted by Igor Kharatin. Any thoughts of a dramatic comeback were quashed though as 17-year-old Pedri netted his first Barca goal after arriving from second-tier Las Palmas at the start of the season, and Ousmane Dembele added the fifth late on. The Catalan side move above Juventus on goal difference at the top of the table after the Italian champions won 2-0 away at Dynamo Kyiv earlier on Tuesday. The pair meet in Turin on Oct. 28. Barca coach Ronald Koeman left stalwart midfielder Sergio Busquets and striker Antoine Griezmann on the bench, perhaps with one eye on Saturday's 'El Clasico' against bitter rivals Real Madrid.

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Tennis: Zverev, Rublev savour home comforts in wins

COLOGNE (Germany) • Top seed Alexander Zverev bagged his first ATP crown of the year after beating Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 to lift the bett1Hulks Indoor title in Cologne yesterday. The German, who lost the US Open final last month and exited the French Open in the fourth round, needed only 80 minutes to get the better of the 20-year-old Canadian thanks to a dominant service performance. Zverev won 80 per cent of his first service points and an overwhelming 88 per cent on his second serve, while he also converted four of 10 break points to hand Auger-Aliassime - who is still searching for his first title - a sixth defeat in a final. "I had a very tough final in New York and the next final I played here, I wanted to come out and obviously play my best tennis," the 23-year-old said. "Felix, you're an unbelievable player. I know it doesn't mean much right now, but I'm sure you're not only going to win one title, you're going to win multiple titles in your career, bigger titles than this." Victory gave Zverev his 12th ATP title and his third on home soil after he won the Munich Open in 2017 and 2018. He has already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in London next month but will remain in Cologne as the top seed at the bett1Hulks Championships, which start today. Auger-Aliassime, who lost his first ATP final in February last year at the Rio Open, said: "I just played bad from start to finish." There was another win for a home favourite yesterday, when Russian Andrey Rublev took the honours at the St Petersburg final for his fourth title of the year. The 22-year-old defeated Borna Coric 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 as the Croatian finished runner-up here for a second straight year. Rublev now has 34 ATP Tour match wins this season, behind only world No. 1 Novak Djokovic (37) - the only other man with four titles this term. REUTERS

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Football: Atonement for errant duo as Manchester United get going

LONDON • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declared Manchester United's season "starts today" after Bruno Fernandes and "inspirational" Harry Maguire enjoyed sweet moments of redemption in their side's 4-1 win at Newcastle on Saturday. Solskjaer's side suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat against Tottenham at Old Trafford just before the international break. But they made partial amends for that embarrassment with a much-needed second win of the Premier League season. After Luke Shaw's own goal gave Newcastle an early lead, United captain Maguire scored the equaliser just days after he was widely criticised for his red card in England's Nations League defeat against Denmark at Wembley. Maguire's first Premier League goal since February was a cathartic moment after a troubled few months marred by poor performance on the pitch and his Greek court case off it. "Harry scored and leads by example. He showed good character, I am happy for him. He had a couple of difficult weeks since he last played for us," Solskjaer said. Fernandes also went from zero to hero as the midfielder's second-half penalty was saved by Karl Darlow - his first miss from the spot for United, before he hit a superb strike to put United ahead in the closing minutes. The Portugal international has now been directly involved in 20 goals in his 18 United league appearances (11 goals, nine assists), scoring in the last three games. Aaron Wan-Bissaka made it three with his first goal for United and Marcus Rashford wrapped up the late goal blitz in stoppage time. Although United left it late to finish off Newcastle, the result was no more than they deserved and Solskjaer will hope it is the start of a better period for his team after their troubled opening to the campaign. "Great result and great character to come back, led by a very inspirational captain," said the manager. "We don't want to use it as an excuse, but we needed preseason. We wanted to get to this international break with more points than we have, but now we know our season started today, because we've come up to the speed of the game." 11 Penalties taken by Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes before his first miss against Newcastle. He made amends by scoring later. Maguire also dismissed talk of a crisis following their slow start to the season. "It's funny, three games into the season and it seems like a big crisis. Won two, lost two. There is a long way to go, we have to improve," the 27-year-old told Sky Sports. "When you play for this club and get beat at home, we ask questions. We work hard in training, it is a great group and we knew we had to bounce back." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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