MUNICH (REUTERS) - Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich on Wednesday (Dec 8), failing to make it past the group stage of the competition for the first time since the 2000-01 season. First-half goals from Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane put the Germans, who won all six matches to top Group E, firmly in the driving seat before Jamal Musiala tapped in the third just past the hour. Barcelona had advanced to at least the round of 16 every time they competed in the Champions League since 2001 but will continue in the second tier Europa League after ending up third in the group. Benfica qualified as group runners-up with a win over bottom club Dynamo Kyiv. Barca, who made not a single chance in the second half and scored just twice in six group games, have lost their last two matches in all competitions following new coach Xavi's first defeat in charge of the side by Real Betis on Saturday. More on this topic Related Story Football: Man United's youngsters held by Young Boys in Champions League Related Story Football: Chelsea blow bid for first place as Zenit snatch dramatic Champions League draw
SINGAPORE - Some 150 work passes for foreigners in the technology sector have been approved by the Government since the launch of the Tech.Pass scheme in mid-January. This is a large jump from the 90 approvals announced in July, and the 22 approvals reported in March. 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.
CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA (AFP) - US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Tuesday (Oct 26) claimed her first victory since her shock triumph in New York as the British teenager beat Polona Hercog at the Transylvania Open in Romania. Raducanu, 18, recovered from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after nearly two hours and 30 minutes in the first round in Cluj-Napoca against Hercog, the world number 124 from Slovenia. Making just her second appearance since the US Open, the 23rd-ranked Raducanu led 4-1 in the first set before Hercog won five games in a row. The third seed saved a break point at 5-all in the second set and won a lengthy following game on Hercog's serve to force a decider. Raducanu, born in Canada to parents from Romania and China, dominated the third set to secure her first victory in a WTA event and advance to a meeting with Romania's 106th-ranked Ana Bogdan. "It means a lot to play in my dad's country," said Raducanu, who delighted the crowd by conducting most of her post-match interview in Romanian. Raducanu stunned the tennis world at Flushing Meadows by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title. She had suffered a second-round loss to Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Indian Wells earlier this month in her first outing since the US Open. "I don't think there is any pressure on me," Raducanu said on Monday. "I feel like everyone should just be a little patient with me." More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Patience required as Raducanu looks to build on US Open win Related Story Tennis: Raducanu is new ambassador for fashion house Dior
NEW YORK (AFP) - Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, battling back from injury, advanced to the second round of the US Open on Monday (Aug 30) as the hardcourts showdown began before full-capacity crowds. The 29-year-old Romanian 12th seed defeated Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to book a second-round match against Slovakian lucky loser Kristina Kucova, who ousted American Ann Li 7-5, 6-1. Halep, the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion, tore a left calf muscle at the Italian Open, missed the French Open and Wimbledon, then suffered a right thigh injury at Cincinnati, but made a solid New York start. Halep fired six aces and won 83 per cent of her first serve points, hitting 14 winners against 16 unforced errors while taking advantage of 31 unforced errors by Giorgi. Defending champion Naomi Osaka, seeking her third US Open crown in four years, was set for the feature night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium against 87th-ranked Czech Marie Bouzkova. Osaka won their only prior meeting in the first round of this year's Australian Open on the way to her fourth Grand Slam title. The 23-year-old Japanese star could become the first back-to-back US Open women's champion since Serena Williams won her third in a row in 2014. Osaka enters on a 15-match Grand Slam win streak, having skipped the French Open last year and Wimbledon this year and withdrawn after a first-round win at this year's French Open over mental health issues. Also on the night schedule is second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Serbia's Nina Stojanovic. Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys meet in a first-round rematch of the 2017 US Open final won by Stephens. On the men's side, while top-ranked Novak Djokovic waits until Tuesday to begin his quest for a US Open crown to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam, his top-seeded rivals take the court. Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will face three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray of Britain at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Murray, ranked 112th, won the 2012 US Open and 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon crowns. He would be the lowest-ranked player to ever beat a top-three foe at the US Open since the rankings began in 1973. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Simona Halep out of Italian Open after calf injury Related Story Tennis: Halep targets Stuttgart success on return to clay after recovering from shoulder injury Two-time Olympic champion Murray is 14-0 in prior US Open first-round matches and the 34-year-old Scotsman seeks his biggest win since downing then-world number two Novak Djokovic in the 2016 ATP Finals. Tsitsipas, the French Open runner-up, is Murray's highest-ranked foe since he lost to third-ranked Stan Wawrinka in a 2017 French Open semi-final Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev opens in the Ashe night finale against Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Medvedev, the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open runner-up, seeks his 200th career match win and his 160th on hardcourts. Gasquet is 1-35 against top-two rivals, having dropped 35 in a row since beating then-number one Federer in 2005 at Monte Carlo. Croatia's 221st-ranked Ivo Karlovic, at 42 the oldest US Open qualifier in the Open Era (since 1968), would become the oldest player to defeat a top-10 foe if he can upset Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Halep pulls out of Qatar Open Related Story Tennis: Disciplined Simona Halep beats Begu to extend winning run to 16
LONDON (REUTERS) - Thomas Tuchel praised his Chelsea side's response to last week's shock defeat by West Bromwich Albion after Saturday's (April 10) impressive 4-1 victory away to Crystal Palace. Two goals by Christian Pulisic and one each for Kai Havertz and Kurt Zouma secured Chelsea's biggest victory since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in the Stamford Bridge hot seat. Tuchel had enjoyed a 14-match unbeaten run since being hired and while a 5-2 home defeat by relegation battlers West Brom was a reality check, Chelsea have got back on track with a Champions League win over Porto and then demolishing Palace. "Everything was bad against West Brom. The result was horrible but the stats were not as bad," Tuchel said. "Today we were very hungry, full of confidence and wanted to play a very aggressive game in terms of high recoveries. "We were totally focused. It was good with the attitude today. It's a part of our DNA to be aggressive and should be." The win put Chelsea back in fourth spot in the Premier League although West Ham United could dislodge them on Sunday if they beat Leicester City. "Of course I came to England for the targets which was to finish in the top four," Tuchel said. "We have our own way to go. We need results continually. "We had a setback last week but it is not the moment to look at other teams all the time. We are in the middle of the race." German youngster Havertz produced one of his most effective games for Chelsea, scoring a well-taken goal, his first in the league since October, and setting up another for Pulisic soon afterwards to put Chelsea in control. Tuchel said the challenge was for Havertz to show his quality on a consistent basis. More on this topic Related Story Football: Chelsea demolish Palace with Pulisic double Related Story Football: Chelsea's Tuchel won't be swayed by players' Euro 2020 hopes "He needs to show his quality, it's as easy as that. Kai will never be our emotional leader and we don't expect that from him. We expect him to show his quality," Tuchel said. "Honestly he needed to show he could do better, that was a personal challenge for him. He got a second chance to show up after Porto and he did that. "There is still room to improve in finishing, he can be more ruthless, he should have scored more, but it was a good step and a good performance."
SINGAPORE - Two directors of transport operator SBS Transit will retire along with chairman Lim Jit Poh next month. In a statement on Thursday (March 25), the company said Mr Benny Lim, a former deputy police commissioner who joined the board in 2018, and veteran unionist John De Payva, who has been on the board since 2003, will also be stepping down at the next annual general meeting on April 29. The chairman's retirement, reported by The Straits Times on Wednesday, had long been anticipated. Mr Lim said it was part of a board renewal which began four years ago. "I believe the time is right for me to hand over the reins to a new chairman who will lead the group through its next phase of growth," he said. "The board, as it stands now, is well balanced in terms of tenure, age and gender." Mr Lim has been chairman of SBS Transit since 2003. His tenure with the public transport group, however, goes back to 1997, when he joined SBS Bus Services as a director, and subsequently sat on the board of DelGro Corp after SBS was restructured. More on this topic Related Story Lim Jit Poh to step down as SBS Transit chairman Related Story SBS Transit posts slide in 2020 profits, mitigated by govt relief and higher fares Mr Benny Lim and Mr John De Payva. Mr Lim will remain as senior adviser of SBS Transit to "provide continuity to the group as it navigates a changing environment in a tightly regulated industry", SBS Transit said on Thursday. Mr Lim added: "At the board and management level, we are always cognisant of the fact that SBS Transit is not just any listed entity, it is also a public transport operator with a sizeable workforce. Our responsibilities go beyond just our shareholders, they also extend to the commuting public, the union and the regulator." In the 12th Annual Governance and Transparency Index Survey 2020, which assessed listed companies on corporate governance disclosures and practices, as well as timeliness, accessibility and transparency of their financial results announcements, SBS Transit improved its score from 87 to 106 to be ranked in the 17th spot from its previous 40th position.
SINGAPORE - After stellar showings at the last three SEA Games, Singapore could see a dip in its gold medal haul at next year's edition in Vietnam. The Republic has crossed the 50-gold mark at three consecutive Games since 2015 - the country's previous best was 50 when it hosted the 1993 Games - but that sequence is in danger of ending. 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.
TOKYO, Nov 18, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda's first battery-electric vehicle for Europe, the Honda e, has been named 'German Car of the Year 2021' in the country's prestigious annual Car of the Year Awards, becoming the first vehicle from a Japanese brand to do so. The car also won in the "New Energy" category.This is the latest in a series of prestigious accolades to be given to the Honda e since its launch in Spring 2020, including the top honour in the Red Dot Design Awards.The German Car of the Year awards are decided by a jury of leading German car journalists. The panel tests and reviews the latest cars, ranking them according to their usability, driving characteristics, market relevance and level of innovation. The winners of five categories - Compact, Premium, Luxury, New Energy and Performance - then go head-to-head to decide an overall winner."For Honda e to be the first Japanese car to be awarded German Car of the Year is a great honor and one we are incredibly proud to receive," added Katsuhisa Okuda, CO & President of Honda Motor Europe. "Customer and media response to the Honda e since it was first unveiled has been overwhelmingly positive. The Honda e is a perfect example of a product with a unique design, featuring cutting-edge technology and advanced intelligent connectivity to keep owners connected with their everyday life. We are very thankful for this award.""Honda e represents a new type of mobility where the car plays a central role in creating a "seamless connection" between various facets of life," commented Tomofumi Ichinose, Honda e Large Project Leader."Honda e was also developed to be the best urban commuter in response to environmental issues, especially in city areas. Development of Honda e was a big challenge, however at the same time, it was fun to envision a beautiful and brighter future in which Honda e plays its part. Team members and I are delighted to receive this award, a recognition that the vision this car represents has value."This latest award for the Honda e follows notable success and recognition from across Europe. In the UK, the Honda e triumphed in Autocar's 'Britain's Best Car' Awards 2020 in the 'Best Car Tech' category, and it was recently named 'City / Small Car of the Year' in the News International Motor Awards 2020.In Germany, the Honda e has also added a EuroCarBody 2020 award from Automotive Circle to its German Car of the Year title, just months after receiving two prestigious Red Dot awards for outstanding design, including top 'Best of the Best 2020' honours. The Honda e has since been on display at the world-renowned Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany.In Belgium, Honda's urban electric supermini has been nominated for an Autogid Magazine award, in the 'Electric Small' category, and is also in the running for 'Hungarian Car of the Year', after being named the 'Most Exciting Novelty/New Car' by Vezess.hu last year. Elsewhere in Europe, the Honda e has been nominated in Spain's Axel Springer Motor Awards in the 'small cars' category and in Italy it's in the running to be named Quattroruote's 'Car of the Year'. Meanwhile in Denmark, the car has been shortlisted for Denmark Car of the Year 2021.The Honda e was launched earlier this year and is an important model in Honda's commitment to electrify 100% of its European mainstream models by 2022. Setting new benchmarks for contemporary car design and advanced e-mobility, the Honda e has been designed without compromise with a focus on functionality and usability. It features a seamless, sleek and modern appearance, with cutting-edge technology and advanced intelligent connectivity to keep owners in sync with everyday life.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