BIRMINGHAM (REUTERS) - Aston Villa substitute Keinan Davies scored in stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion in their Premier League clash on Sunday (April 25) with the outcome doing neither side any favours. The result dented West Brom's forlorn hopes of avoiding relegation as they stayed 19th on 25 points from 33 games, nine adrift of the safety zone, while Villa's fading bid to clinch a European spot also faltered as they stayed 11th on 45 from 32. Anwar El Ghazi fired Villa ahead with a ninth-minute penalty after Semi Ajayi fouled Ross Barkley as the home side pegged the Baggies back early on. After weathering the storm, West Brom levelled in the 22nd when Matheus Pereira drilled a penalty past Emiliano Martinez, with Ezri Konsa having hauled down Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Chances went begging at either end before the visitors' Mbaye Diagne took advantage of a Konsa error and raced clear to beat Martinez with a low shot which was took a heavy deflection off Tyrone Mings in the 48th minute. There were more chances and brilliant saves at both ends before Davies, who had rattled the post in the 86th minute, capitalised on a defensive mix-up between defender Kyle Bartley and keeper Sam Johnstone and to poke home the equaliser.
LONDON (REUTERS) - Timo Werner ended his goal drought in timely fashion to earn Chelsea a crucial 1-0 victory over West Ham United in the battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League on Saturday (April 24). The German had gone 14 games without scoring for club and country but produced a clinical finish shortly before halftime as Chelsea took the points at the London Stadium. Victory enabled Thomas Tuchel’s fourth-placed side to open up a three-point gap over West Ham for whom two successive defeats have dented their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Both have five games remaining. West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski was the busier of the two goalkeepers and West Ham struggled to open up their visitors as Chelsea kept a 16th clean sheet in 21 matches under Tuchel. The hosts showed plenty of endeavour but their cause was not helped when Fabian Balbuena was harshly sent off late on. Balbuena accidentally made contact with Ben Chilwell with his follow through after making a clearance and looked bemused when referee Chris Kavanagh took out his red card after being instructed by VAR to check a pitch-side monitor. It was an incident that left West Ham manager David Moyes looking furious, although Chelsea’s win was merited. “The boys are very, very happy in the dressing room, it was a great performance, an amazing result and I think a well-deserved win for us,” said Tuchel, whose side travel to face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final next week. Moyes accepted that his side had been below their best but said Balbuena’s sending off had denied his side any late momentum. “I think it was a decision made by somebody who has never played the game,” Moyes said. “I don’t know where Fabian Balbuena is supposed to plant his foot. “He has kicked through the ball and there is no malice. It was a rubbish decision.” Werner’s last goal for Chelsea came on Feb. 15 against Newcastle United and his only other goal this year was against Morecambe in the FA Cup in January. His first season at Chelsea has been a struggle but in the 43rd minute the 25-year-old showed the kind of precision that earned him such a big reputation at RB Leipzig. Chelsea had looked the more threatening with Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic testing Fabianski but it was just as West Ham were getting a foothold into the game that Chelsea struck. Pulisic played in Chilwell down the left and the England full back’s cut back picked out Werner in front of goal to stroke home first-time past Fabianski. Werner should have made it 2-0 early in the second half when Fabianski saved from Mount and the ball fell to the striker who prodded the ball wide. “The second chance I have to score, but I have to come back slowly,” Werner said. “One goal is enough. Two goals might be too much for the beginning!” Chelsea remained rock solid at the back and West Ham struggled to get in-form forward Jesse Lingard into the game. Lingard did come closest to scoring for the hosts when his looping effort landed just wide.
LEICESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (AFP) - Leicester blitzed West Brom 3-0 on Thursday (April 22) to strengthen their grip on a Premier League top-four place and snuff out the Baggies' revival. Brendan Rodgers' men were wobbling after losing their previous two top-flight matches but produced a dazzling attacking display against the insipid visitors at the King Power Stadium. First-half goals from Jamie Vardy, Jonny Evans and Kelechi Iheanacho gave West Brom a mountain to climb and Leicester kept a firm grip on the match after the break. Third-placed Leicester, whose implosion at the end of last season cost them a Champions League place, now have a valuable four-point lead over Chelsea and West Ham, with just six games to go. James Maddison made his first start since February as the FA Cup finalists took a firm grip of the match and they could easily have scored six goals in a one-sided opening 45 minutes. Sam Allardyce's West Brom had beaten Chelsea and Southampton to give them hope of a dramatic escape from the relegation zone but they remain in 19th spot, nine points from safety, and look doomed. Vardy ended his two-month goal drought when he swept in Timothy Castagne's pass after the pair had broken clear, putting the Foxes in front midway through the first half. It was Vardy's first goal in 12 appearances for Leicester in all competitions, ending his longest run without a goal for the club since 2016. Defender Evans doubled the home side's lead against his former club in the 26th minute when he headed in Youri Tielemans' corner. Iheanacho continued his fine form, making it 3-0 when he collected Vardy's pass and fired past Sam Johnstone. It could have been even worse for the Baggies. A heavy touch from Iheanacho cost him when he was through one on one with Johnstone and he later fired over from close range while Castagne hit a post. Leicester maintained their grip on the game in the second half but lacked their earlier sharpness in attacking areas. West Brom were a sporadic threat as the game wore on but never seriously threatened a comeback as Leicester celebrated a vital three points.
WOLVERHAMPTON (REUTERS) - West Ham United boosted their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four and earning a Champions League berth after an impressive first half helped them to a 3-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday (April 5). West Ham moved three places up to fourth on 52 points from 30 games, one more than fifth-placed Chelsea and three ahead of sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in seventh. Wolves stayed 14th on 35 points. West Ham also equalled the club’s Premier League record of seven away wins in a season and gave themselves every chance of breaking it with eight games remaining. Jesse Lingard, Pablo Fornals and substitute Jarrod Bowen, who replaced the injured Michail Antonio, fired the Hammers into a 3-0 lead before Leander Dendoncker pulled one back for the home side in an action-packed first half. Fabio Silva struck for the resurgent Wolves midway through the second but the home side were unable to make their late pressure count as the visitors held out in the closing stages. Lingard fired West Ham ahead after he capped a darting solo run from his own half with a fine left-footed finish in the sixth minute after Antonio had hit the post with a ferocious long-range effort. Fornals made it 2-0 in the 14th with a deft side-footed finish after good work from Lingard and Arthur Masuaku, who squared the ball back to the Spaniard. Bowen added the third in the 38th minute, shortly after coming on for Antonio, as he found space in the heart of the penalty area to beat home goalkeeper Rui Patricio with a firm low shot inside the near post. Wasteful Wolves, who compounded their poor defending in the first half by wasting several gilt-edged chances, hauled themselves back into the contest when Dendoncker headed home an Adama Traore cross in the 42nd minute. West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek had a goal disallowed for handball on the hour and the visitors were forced to hang on in the final 20 minutes after Silva beat visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski with a neat finish midway through the second half. Wolves were missing Spanish defender Jonny who was ruled out for the rest of the season shortly before kick off with a recurring knee injury. The home team’s manager Nuno Espirito Santo rued their sloppy defending. “We were very poor in defence and it takes away from all the good things we did in attack,” he told Sky Sports. “The reaction was good but we started very bad. Conceding three goals against a top team like West Ham makes it very difficult to reverse the result.” More on this topic Related Story Football: Lingard on target as West Ham beat Leeds to go fifth Related Story Football: West Ham victory lifts them into Premier League top four
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA (REUTERS) - Michelle Wie West, in only her second tournament after a nearly two-year absence, showed she can still compete with the game's best as she made an encouraging start to the first major of the LPGA season on Thursday (April 1) in Rancho Mirage, California. Wie West, who was out of action while on maternity leave and recovering from a wrist injury, fired a two-under-par 70 at the ANA Inspiration to sit four shots off the early first-round lead at Mission Hills Country Club. "I am just happy to see my name on the first page of the leaderboard," said Wie West. "That's really special to me. Been a long time since I've seen that." For Wie West, who has been playing Mission Hills since 2003 when she was a 13-year-old amateur, it was a remarkable turnaround considering she missed the cut last week in the first event of her comeback. Wie West made a bogey on her first hole, but got back to even par when she nearly aced the par-three 14th. She made three consecutive birdies after the turn but dropped a shot at the par-four sixth. "Especially after last week, it was really good to see those putts roll in," said Wie West, who counts the 2014 US Women's Open among her five LPGA Tour wins. "Put myself in some interesting spots today, but really proud of how I grinded it out out there." Wie West still has plenty of work ahead if she is to secure an improbable victory this week and make the winner's traditional leap into Poppie's Pond. But it was a remarkable first step that even Wie West likely did not think was possible 21 months ago when she broke down and walked away from reporters while discussing her playing future in what was the final event before her break. "It was fun today making putts out here. I have a lot of great memories, my first one being 18 years ago," said Wie West. "This place is really special to me and I'm just glad to be here." More on this topic Related Story Golf: Michelle Wie rips ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani for objectifying podcast comments Related Story Golf: It's a girl for Michelle Wie and husband West
SINGAPORE - Residents in Toa Payoh West requiring kidney dialysis will now be able to conveniently go for treatment closer to their homes. The new Seck Hong Choon-National Kidney Foundation (NKF) dialysis centre, located on the third storey of Toa Payoh West Community Club (CC), was officially opened by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport Chee Hong Tat on Sunday (March 28). It is the first NKF dialysis centre to be located in a community club and is a collaboration between NKF, Toa Payoh West CC and Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, which donated $1.4 million to the project to cover renovation and equipment costs. There are now 39 NKF dialysis centres islandwide, mostly located at Housing Board (HDB) void decks. NKF chairman Arthur Lang said the new centre at Toa Payoh West, with 20 dialysis stations, can serve up to 120 patients. Mr Lang said: "With our ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, it is important that Singaporeans continue to have access to affordable and sustainable healthcare in the community." Mr Azman Hamzah, 60, an NKF haemodialysis patient at the new Toa Payoh West dialysis centre, said that the location is very convenient, as it is a quick five-minute taxi ride from his home in Toa Payoh Lorong 5. Before the new centre opened, he used to go for dialysis sessions at the NKF centre in Kim Keat. The former crane operator who has been a patient with NKF since 2016 added: "It is easy to tell the (taxi) drivers where the centre is, since the CC is a prominent landmark. When I need to get personal care and first aid supplies, there is a medical supplies store located at the ground floor of the CC." Mr Lang said NKF plans to engage the community by stepping up outreach and advocacy on kidney health. For example, as residents are now going to the CC for their Covid-19 vaccinations, NKF will be setting up a booth to share with them the importance of a healthy lifestyle and taking good care of one's kidneys, he added. Another community outreach initiative in the works at Toa Payoh West CC is a mobile coffee kiosk, to be manned by NKF patients, said Mr Lang. The kiosk is meant to allow patients to showcase their skills as baristas and find some meaningful employment, as well as for them to act as NKF ambassadors in sharing their kidney failure and dialysis journey. NKF is also partnering the Toa Payoh West-Thomson grassroot organisations to provide public education on prevention and management of kidney diseases, such as having NKF posters displayed on the digital panels of HDB flats located within Toa Payoh West, said Mr Lang. Mr Chee, who is also an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said: "We want to help our residents stay healthy, go for health screening regularly and seek early treatment if they need medical intervention." More on this topic Related Story Oldest NKF centre in S'pore's west gets new equipment, more capacity Related Story NKF opens new dialysis centre in Yishun Community Hospital
LONDON (REUTERS) - West Ham United maintained their push for a top-four finish as goals by Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson earned them a 2-0 home victory over Leeds United in the Premier League on Monday (March 8). Lingard converted a rebound from his own saved penalty in the 21st minute for his fourth goal in six appearances since arriving on loan from Manchester United. Dawson headed in West Ham's second goal seven minutes later to help his side up to fifth spot with 48 points from 27 games. David Moyes's side are two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea having played a game less. Leeds twice had goals ruled out before West Ham scored and squandered several good opportunities to get back into the game. In the end a frustrating night for Marcelo Bielsa's side left them in 11th spot.
SINGAPORE - At the age of 37, Madam Nurseriwaty Rahim is a caregiver to six: Her four pre-teen children, one of whom has special needs, her 63-year-old mother, who recently had a stroke, and her 86-year-old grandmother, who has dementia. The former guest relations officer had to quit her job in 2013 to take care of her 11-year-old son, who was born with a condition known as spina bifida, leaving him permanently unable to control his bowel and bladder movements. Since then, she has made ends meet by running a home-baking business, now called Violet Frost, which can bring in up to $1,200 in good months. But business took a hard hit in recent months because of Covid-19, with earnings dropping as low as $400 at times. On Sunday (Feb 7) she received some small festive cheer in the form of diapers, vouchers for school shoes, and a carepack containing food and daily essentials, as part of a campaign called WeCare @ North West - Service Weeks 2021. For the past month, volunteers have brought festive cheer to needy residents who, like Madam Nuseriwaty, live in rental blocks in Singapore's North West District. These residents received a total of more than $385,000 worth of donations, which include home improvement services for some, under the campaign which ended on Sunday. Madam Nuseriwaty, who is also receiving ComCare assistance, said the donations were very helpful. "I (need) this extra (help) because I need to put my son through tuition... this year is his PSLE, and he's been doing so badly compared to the past years," she explained. The drive, which has been running since 2014, is coordinated by the North West Community Development Council (CDC). Despite the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's campaign saw a record number of 1,700 volunteers - up from a yearly average of 1,600 in previous years - step up to help with the packing and distribution, as well as the home improvement services. From Jan 6 this year, volunteers from various schools put together a series of festive packs worth about $50, each containing items such as powdered drinks, instant noodles, oatmeal and canned food. Some 20,000 residents in about 6,500 households received the packs over the last month, along with over $60,000 worth of other donations. The downturn caused by the pandemic has also not stopped some companies from stepping forward to offer their services to residents in need. Mr Chris Tan, managing director of Lih Ming Construction, said that participating in last year's drive had been an eye-opening experience for him and his employees. Back then, his company helped six needy households with their home improvements. Mr Tan added: "Last year we witnessed a number of low-income families struggling to make ends meet and having little space to live comfortably in. Although the company being in the construction sector was badly hit by the pandemic crisis, I feel happier simply knowing that I have made a difference to help people live better in their everyday lives." The positive experience has spurred Mr Tan to do more this year - his company is helping 11 households, with only finishing touches to go. In addition to the donation drive, five companies - 3M Singapore, Gold Kili Trading Enterprise, Select Group, Eligo and Bigfoot Logistics - also joined a pilot employability drive, which aims to provide the residents with job opportunities. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung speaking to volunteers at the final distribution event in North West Community Development Council on Feb 7, 2021.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Madam Seah Po Poh, director of human resources at Eligo, an industrial solutions provider, said that some of the positions on offer require little to no experience, and that her company has already received inquiries from residents. "We hope to help our residents rise above their current situation," she said. At the final distribution event on Sunday, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, who is also adviser to Sembawang GRC Grassroots Organisations, thanked those who had helped make the campaign possible. He said: "There are many others, including those living in this estate, who are not as fortunate as us. They need a bit of help, so I'm very glad North West CDC put all this together." He added: "But I think the most important ingredient is consistency. We have such a three week programme - it's useful - but we also hope that after this three week programme it leaves behind a group that will stay with us on a consistent basis... whatever frequency they're comfortable with, to continue to engage the families (and) engage the community." More on this topic Related Story About 95,000 people received financial help through Covid-19 Support Grant Related Story Lower- and middle-income workers to get extra support under new Covid-19 Recovery Grant
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League table in emphatic fashion on Tuesday (Jan 26) by crushing West Bromwich Albion 5-0 at the Hawthorns. City, who scored three goals in the opening half hour, have 41 points, one more than rivals Manchester United who have also played 19 games and will return to the summit if they beat bottom club Sheffield United at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Ilkay Gundogan put City ahead in the sixth minute, showing great control as he collected a pass from Joao Cancelo and curled a shot into the far corner. Cancelo then made it 2-0 with another fine strike into the same corner, although West Brom were unhappy that the assistant's flag had been raised before his shot. The impressive Gundogan added his second and City's third on the half-hour, when he robbed Romaine Sawyers on the edge of the box, danced past Dara O'Shea and fired home. On the stroke of halftime, Riyad Mahrez made it 4-0 with a trademark strike, cutting in from the right and blasting a left-foot shot into the far top corner past the helpless Sam Johnstone. Mahrez turned provider after the interval, with his low ball across the face of the penalty area tapped in from close range by Raheem Sterling in the 57th minute. The win was Pep Guardiola's team's 11th straight victory in all competitions. Struggling West Brom remain second-bottom on 11 points, six points from the safety zone. They have conceded 22 goals in their last five home league games, the most a team have conceded across five top-flight matches since Aston Villa in December 1935 (22).
LONDON (REUTERS) - West Ham United became the latest club to challenge the Premier League hierarchy after Tomas Soucek's double helped secure a well-deserved 3-2 win at London rivals Crystal Palace and took them up to fourth spot on Tuesday (Jan 26). Relegation battlers last season, David Moyes's Hammers side are now contenders for a European spot in what continues to be a fluid situation in the upper reaches of the table. Palace had made a perfect start when Wilfried Zaha struck after two minutes at a drizzly Selhurst Park but a West Ham side brimming with confidence hit back to claim a fourth straight league victory. Czech Soucek headed the equaliser in the ninth minute and gave his side the lead after 25 minutes in a dominant first half by the visitors for whom Michail Antonio twice struck the post. Craig Dawson's header gave West Ham breathing space midway through the second half and Palace could not respond until deep into stoppage time when Michy Batshuayi struck a consolation. West Ham moved above Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool into fourth place with 35 points from 20 games although their nearest rivals all have games in hand. Palace have now won once in their last seven league games and remain in 13th spot on 23 points. Commanding display While the scoreline looked close it was a commanding display by West Ham who would have won by more with sharper finishing. "Really pleased with the performance and the comeback. Our finishing boots weren't on though," Moyes, whose side are the first in the club's history to win their opening six games of a calendar year in all competitions, told reporters. "I want to grow the club steadily, we are doing brilliantly but we need to take it steadily." It had looked bright for Palace when an intricate passing move ended with Zaha combining superbly with Christian Benteke before fizzing a low shot past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Rather than build on that, though, Palace fell apart. Within seven minutes West Ham were level when Pablo Fornals worked his way into the area and found Antonio whose clever flicked cross was headed home by Soucek. From the restart Palace gave the ball away and Antonio hit the woodwork but West Ham went ahead when Aaron Creswell's free kick was missed by Antonio but Soucek was lurking to volley in at the far post. Antonio then wasted a golden opportunity when he diverted Creswell's shot against the post when it looked easier to score. Zaha had a chance for Palace immediately after the break but Fabianski saved well and when Dawson headed home in the 65th minute West Ham were in complete control. "I thought we lost to the better team, our first half performance was nowhere near as good as we expected," Palace manager Roy Hodgson said.
LONDON (REUTERS) - A rare Kieran Tierney goal, a superb team effort finished by Bukayo Saka and a brace from Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal their third Premier League win in a row as they beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in snowy conditions on Saturday (Jan 2). Fullback Hector Bellerin signalled Arsenal's attacking intent with an early effort that was parried by Sam Johnstone before Tierney cut in from the left and curled home his second goal for Arsenal in the 23rd minute. With his direct running and superb close control, teenage winger Saka tormented West Brom throughout, and he combined brilliantly with Lacazette and Emile Smith-Rowe before tapping home a simple second goal for the visitors five minutes later. West Brom finished the first half strongly and had an early second-half strike ruled out for offside before Arsenal took control of the game again, never to relinquish it. Saka's cross on the hour mark was volleyed on to his own post by Semi Ajayi and Smith-Rowe's follow-up was blocked, but Lacazette blasted home to make it 3-0 as the Baggies' woeful defence, which with 39 goals conceded is the leakiest in the league, fell apart once again. Minutes later it was 4-0 as the tireless Tierney crossed for Lacazette to steer the ball home with his shin to complete the comprehensive victory. "The perfect way to start the New Year, we've won three in a row so we want to keep building. We're really happy with the performance," Saka told the BBC. "It was so cold but I was getting so many touches in good positions, so I enjoyed the game a lot." The win lifts Arsenal to 11th place in the table on 23 points, six points off the European places. West Brom remain second from bottom with eight points after 17 games.
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - A farcical early own goal from Romaine Sawyers summed up a miserable day for West Bromwich Albion as the Premier League strugglers were thumped 5-0 by Leeds United on Tuesday (Dec 29). Further first half goals from Ezgjan Alioski, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo, and a brilliant strike in the second from Raphinha, gave Leeds their biggest top-flight victory since a 6-1 win at Charlton Athletic in April 2003 and confirmed the enormous task facing West Brom manager Sam Allardyce to keep his side up. Leeds move up to 11th in the table with 23 points, while West Brom remain second-bottom on eight points from 16 games, five shy of safety. The home side fell behind in the ninth minute as Sawyers put the ball into his own net. He was pressured 25 yards from his goal, swivelled and played a back-pass to where he expected goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to be. But the gloveman had taken up a position to the left of his goal to give Sawyers an option for the pass, and the ball nestled into an empty net, a calamity from which the home side never recovered. "Things can happen like that, they are unexpected, but when they do happen they (his players) have to pick themselves up and fight, be determined," Allardyce told Amazon Prime. "I was shocked to see such a poor performance and we have to work hard to put it right. "When we lost the ball and tried to defend, we were terrible. We have got to get that balance right in the transition. Life will get difficult if we can't get results quickly." The match was billed as the defensive structure of Allardyce against the swagger and verve of Leeds under their manager Marcelo Bielsa, but it was proved no contest. "We dominated the game and we made few errors, so they couldn't capitalise on anything. We attacked constantly and were efficient," Bielsa said. "All of the goals gave me happiness. It's (also) important for us not to concede goals because we've conceded way too many (this season)."
LONDON • Former England boss Sam Allardyce returned to management for the first time in 21/2 years after being appointed as West Bromwich Albion manager on Wednesday. The 66-year-old takes over the Premier League strugglers after Slaven Bilic was sacked despite earning a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Tuesday. The Baggies are 19th in the table on seven points but sit just two points off safety. Englishman Allardyce has joined on an 18-month contract and will take charge for the first time in a Midlands derby against Aston Villa on Sunday. "In Sam, we have a man who has a proven Premier League pedigree with a track record of improving every club he has managed," said Luke Dowling, West Brom's sporting and technical director. "We believe and, more importantly, Sam believes we have a group of players that have the quality needed to give the club its best chance of Premier League survival." Bilic, 52, led West Brom back to the top flight in his only full season in charge, but paid the price for winning just one of the club's first 13 Premier League games of the campaign. The Croat's relationship with the club's board had also soured in recent months after he was given little funding to bring in players in the close season. He became the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season. Allardyce was named England manager in 2016 but was sacked 67 days later. He has not been involved in a coaching role since being fired by Everton in May 2018. But he has a wealth of experience when it comes to keeping sides in the Premier League and now takes charge of a record eighth club after previous spells at Bolton, West Ham, Newcastle, Blackburn, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. According to The Daily Mail, Allardyce will earn a £2 million (S$3.6 million) bonus should he keep the Baggies up but also has a break clause in his contract should they be relegated. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Circuit breaker trip coils along Tuas West Extension replaced; cable replacement to start next month
SINGAPORE - All 113 circuit breaker trip coils along the Tuas West Extension (TWE) on the East-West Line (EWL) have been replaced, with work to replace 150km of power cables along the stretch starting next month. Plans for these replacement works had been announced earlier after a massive three-line breakdown left more than 6,700 passengers stuck on stranded trains for up to three hours on Oct 14. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in an update on Thursday (Dec 17) that it has worked with rail operator SMRT and main contractor Alstom to change the trip coils. Trip coils are components in circuit breakers which isolate power faults. A faulty trip coil had failed to isolate a fault on the Tuas West Extension on Oct 14, which resulted in the problem snowballing. LTA said the early closures carried out last month along the Tuas-West Extension helped to accelerate completion of the trip coil replacement programme. On the power cable replacement, LTA said that the new batch of higher-specification cables are scheduled to arrive from mid-December. Works to replace existing cables will start next month on the section along Tuas Depot Intake and Tuas Link station. LTA said: "For a start, these works will be carried out during normal engineering hours. "LTA and SMRT will subsequently schedule early closures/ late openings on weekends or full Sunday closures from March to May 2021 along the TWE to speed up cable replacement work that is expected to complete by end-2021." It said the public will be given early notice of the scheduled early closure dates and affected stations. SMRT had said the breakdown on Oct 14 during the evening peak affected around 123,000 commuters - 110,000 on the North-South and East-West lines for 3½ hours; as well as 13,000 passengers on the Circle Line for just over an hour. More on this topic Related Story 3-line MRT fault: A timeline of what happened on Oct 14 Related Story 3 MRT lines hit by power fault: Other major train breakdowns in Singapore
LONDON • Slaven Bilic yesterday became the first managerial casualty of the Premier League campaign after West Bromwich Albion fired the Croatian after 18 months in charge. A club statement read: "West Bromwich Albion have today parted company with head coach Slaven Bilic. "Albion would like to thank Slaven and his coaching staff for their efforts in achieving promotion last season and wishes them all well in the future. The club will make no further comment at this time." According to multiple British media reports, Sam Allardyce is set to take over as the short-term manager for six months. The former England boss has not coached since being sacked by Everton in May 2018, while Bilic led the Baggies to promotion in his first full season in charge, West Brom managed to garner a surprise 1-1 league draw at Manchester City on Tuesday, but the point was not enough to keep Bilic in the job. They remain second from bottom on seven points with one win in 13 games, leading City manager Pep Guardiola to curse their inability to put away the lowly visitors, who cancelled out lkay Gundogan's opener via Ruben Dias' own goal. The hosts remain out of the top four and the Catalan is worried the two points dropped could prove costly in their bid to regain the league title. "It is not about the points (off the top), you have to win games like this," said Guardiola. "We know it, we drop points. These are the ones you have to win. "It's not far away to the top of the league but you have to beat West Brom at home. You don't have to be so clever to see the gap between this year and previous years (in our results). It is not confidence, Sergio Aguero is injured for four months, but we create chances, we are there, we just can't score." However, Gundogan blamed the congested calendar, saying: "All over Europe, all the big teams are struggling with the tight fixtures and it's not going to be easier in the next weeks. That's an explanation why it is not always as easy as the expectations people have for us. We are not machines but we also know when we have not played our best game." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester City's hopes of closing the gap on the Premier League pacesetters were frustrated as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday (Dec 15). City took the lead on the half hour when Raheem Sterling did well to work his way to the byline and pull the ball back to Ilkay Gundogan who expertly side-footed home. But West Brom drew level two minutes before the break when a shot on the turn from Semi Ajayi hit City defender Ruben Dias and deflected past wrong-footed goalkeeper Ederson. The hosts camped in West Brom's half throughout most of the second period but Slaven Bilic's side showed tremendous determination and defensive solidity. City had late chances though - Kevin De Bruyne went close with a free-kick that West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone did well to reach while Sergio Aguero blasted wide from a good position. Johnstone did well again in stoppage time to keep out a close-range Gundogan header and denied another great opportunity for Sterling who headed straight at the keeper. After 12 games Pep Guardiola's City are in sixth place, five points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool who both have 25 points and face each other at Anfield on Wednesday. West Brom are second-bottom on seven points.
LONDON (REUTERS) - West Ham United climbed to fifth in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Monday (Nov 30) as for the second successive home game they benefited from a missed penalty. Goals by Angelo Ogbonna and Jarrod Bowen at the start of each half earned West Ham the points, although Villa will rue an Ollie Watkins penalty that rattled the crossbar. Watkins then thought he had made amends in stoppage time but he had a goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside. Jack Grealish had levelled with a deflected effort in the 25th minute but it was a frustrating night for Villa who could have gone fourth with a win. West Ham's third successive victory leaves them on 17 points from 10 games, four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur. Villa have slipped to 10th with 15 points, having played a game less. Three weeks ago West Ham beat Fulham 1-0 at the London Stadium after a comical last-gasp penalty miss by Ademola Lookman and they got lucky again as they bagged the points, despite being second-best for much of the game.
Bandung, W Java, Indonesia, Nov 25, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The 2020 West Java Investment Summit (WJIS 2020) was held in Bandung City this week, Nov 16 to 19, hosted by the West Java provincial government in collaboration with the Bank of Indonesia Representative Office in West Java. Through the WJIS 2020, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil invited international investors from around the world to invest in the province of West Java, particularly through the Rebana Metropolitan project.Rebana Metropolitan is the northern / northeastern area of West Java Province that includes the six districts of Sumedang, Majalengka, Cirebon, Subang, Indramayu, and Kuningan and the city of Cirebon. The Metropolitan area has a population of 9.28 million, or some 18.82% of the total 49.3-million populace of West Java as of 2019.As many as 1,434 foreign and domestic investors participated in the one-on-one meeting session on Monday, in which 16 land projects were offered with a total investment value of US$2.8 billion (Rp 39.5 trillion). Governor Ridwan Kamil offered the advantages of investing in West Java for international investors. First, West Java has quality infrastructure, and one of them is the Patimban Port, which, located in Subang district, will soon open in December 2020. "Besides, West Java is going to have the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train that will be completed next year," said Ridwan. Moreover, West Java also continues the development of several toll roads that will facilitate industrial and community access.The other advantages of investing in West Java are its quality infrastructure and competitive human resources. With these two pros, quality infrastructure and competitive human resources, the governor ensures that West Java can compete with provinces in other countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. "West Java is one of the most competitive regions in Indonesia," he stated. Ridwan emphasized that to strengthen the provinces competitiveness, the West Java local government remained committed to making improvements in four important fields: education, infrastructure, socio-political stability, and bureaucratic reform. The governor also expressed optimism that West Java would become a globally competitive region to attract investment, especially with the existence of the Rebana Metropolitan area. "For the last three years, West Java has been the premier investment destination. This year, we are still 'champs' for investment realization, almost reaching IDR 90 trillion," said Governor Ridwan.West Java Province is currently still one of the main destinations for foreign and local investment. Up to the third week of November 2020, the province managed to record total inbound investment of more than IDR 380 trillion. That total consists of four categories, namely (1) Realized Investment (for the period of January to September 2020); (2) Preparation-stage Investment; (3) Commitment-stage Investment; and (4) Ready-to-offer Investment.For Realized Investment, based on Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data for the January to September 2020 period, the West Java province ranks first in investment realization based on location with a value of IDR 86.3 trillion or 14.1 percent.Noneng Komara Nengsih, West Java Investment Agency (DPMPTSP) Head, mentioned five sectors in the province that are favourable to investors: (1) construction; (2) transportation, warehouse and communication; (3) housing, industrial and office areas; (4) electricity, gas and water; (5) motor vehicles and other transportation equipment industries.Preparation-stage Investment in West Java comes from 11 investors: (1) PT Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia; (2) PT Amazon Data Services Indonesia; (3) PT UPC Sukabumi Bayu Energi; (4) PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC); (5) PT Tanjung Jati Power Company; (6) PT Pertamina Power Indonesia dan PT Jawa Satu Power; (7) PT Premier Qualitas Indonesia dan Trisula Group; (8) Masdar Mubadala Company; (9) China Petroleum Corporation; (10) Frisian Flag Indonesia; and (11) PT Jasa Marga Japek Selatan.For Commitment-stage Investment, as many as five MoUs and cooperation agreements among parties were signed, with an investment value of some IDR 4.10 trillion, or around USD 292.9 million. The signing ceremony was held on the first day, Monday Nov 16 at the Savoy Homann Hotel, Bandung City.The parties in the Commitment-stage Investment were regionally owned, PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) and PT Jaswita Jabar, as well as PT Jasa Sarana, Aspen and Docta Proprietary Limited, PT Gobel Internasional, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance. These companies have committed to investment in infrastructure development, starting from hotels; meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) facilities; warehouses, energy, to hospitals.Meanwhile, for the Ready-to-offer Investment, West Java has 16 investment projects, with a total value of IDR 39.5 trillion or around USD 2.802 billion, that are ready to be tendered. The 2020 WJIS is expected to enhance investment realization in West Java in the fourth quarter this year -- before the end of 2020 -- and trigger the province's economic growth.According to Bank Indonesia Representative Office in West Java, the Province had become a crucial contributor to Indonesia's economic growth since 2015. West Java is one of the three most competitive provinces in Indonesia in 2020, supported by three driving factors: foreign direct investment (FDI), quality infrastructure, as well as competitive and reliable human resources.In the last three years, on an average, West Java's economy grew by 5.4 percent, higher than Indonesia's economic growth averaging 5.1 percent. The province's strong economic growth was driven by the manufacturing industry and household consumption. Furthermore, investment has played a vital role in contributing to economic growth of West Java. Hence, in a bid to facilitate economic recovery, it is necessary to formulate a well-planned and comprehensive strategy to encourage investment inflow that could function as a driver for national economic recovery.Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo stated at the WJIS that regional investment is one of the keys to driving the national economic recovery. Bank Indonesia (BI) West Java Office Head Herawanto said that Bank Indonesia in collaboration with West Java provincial government had taken strides to accelerate infrastructure development in various sectors, from transportation and renewable energy, to water management and urban infrastructure.The West Java provincial government is also offering an alternative scheme for partnership and investment by involving the private sector in financing infrastructure development.Luke Mackinnon, Infrastructure Country Manager at Amazon Web Services, said that Indonesia represented a great opportunity as an investment destination, with its growing economy. "This (growing economy) is also beneficial for Amazon Web Services, especially in terms of expanding investment opportunities in Indonesia. We do envision huge investment growth and we can't wait to add resources and infrastructure to serve consumers."Lee Kang Hyun, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific, said that the company has the full support of the Indonesian central government and the West Java provincial government in running its business. "As investors, we certainly choose West Java because we can get full support here and the province has quality infrastructure," said Lee."Hyundai Motor has been building a factory in Cikarang. Despite the pandemic, with the full support of the governor and the minister, the factory development has reached 65 percent. Based on the plan, the factory can start local production in Indonesia by the end of 2021, and in 2022, it will produce Indonesia's electric cars which will be sold locally," he added.The 2020 WJIS was held from Monday, Nov 16 to Thursday, Nov 19. The main agenda included launching the Rebana Metropolitan project, MoU Signing and Project Announcements, High Level Sessions, Market Sounding & One-on-One Meetings, Investment Talkshows, a Trade and Tourism Webinar, groundbreaking for Subang Smartpolitan development, and site visit to Rebana Metropolitan area.Bank BJB fully supports the Rebana Metropolitan development. The West Java regional development bank has offered full support to the provincial government in establishing and developing the Rebana Metropolitan area. "Bank BJB acts as a driving agent that supports the development of new economic area, as initiated by the West Java Provincial Government. The Rebana Metropolitan project is a long-term strategic plan that requires support from various parties, including investors and banks," said President Director of Bank BJB Yuddy Renaldi.Renaldi stated that Bank BJB in cooperation with West Java's two other regional-owned enterprises, PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) and Jaswita Jabar, will support the development of tourism and transportation infrastructure in the Rebana Metropolitan area.The three inked a cooperation agreement to build three-star and five-star hotels in the Kertajati International Airport area in Majalengka, West Java. Facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) will also be built in the airport area to accelerate development integration that supports economic activities. The Rebana Metropolitan project is in line with the direction of Bank BJB's plan to create new economic areas that can improve the welfare of local communities. "Bank BJB will also expand its collaboration network with various stakeholders so that it can contribute more optimally in executing the project plan," said Renaldi.The Rebana Metropolitan area is currently equipped with infrastructure facilities, including the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) and Palimanan-Kanci (Palikanci) toll roads; the Cikampek-Cirebon railroad; Balongan, Cirebon, and Patimban (Phase I) Ports; West Java's Kertajati International Airport; and the Subang, Indramayu, and Cirebon bus stations.Bank BJB will also provide financing for the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road project in support of efforts to improve connectivity in West Java. Bank BJB's involvement will not only support the infrastructure projects, it will also help prepare local communities to take advantage of opportunities for economic projects in the province.Contact person:Lia EndianiTeam communication Ridwan KamilEmail: lia.endiani@gmail.com Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
MANCHESTER (REUTERS) - A twice-taken penalty from Bruno Fernandes gave an unimpressive Manchester United a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (Nov 21), their first home victory of the Premier League season. Fernandes's first effort was saved by West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone but referee David Coote ordered the kick be re-taken after ruling the keeper had come off his line. The Portuguese midfielder made no mistake with the second attempt. Winless West Brom's frustration was doubled by the fact that the penalty, awarded for a handball by Darnell Furlong, came eight minutes after they had a penalty award overturned after review. Coote pointed to the spot after he ruled Fernandes made shin-to-shin contact with Conor Gallagher in the box but the referee reversed his decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor. Substitute Callum Robinson went close to an equaliser for West Brom in the 65th minute with a superb curling shot that struck the bar. United, who had struggled to break down Slaven Bilic's side until their goal, had chances to extend their lead but the outstanding Johnstone produced a series of good saves. The win moved United above local rivals Manchester City into ninth place, on 13 points, seven behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE West Brom 0 Tottenham 1 LONDON • With 260 goals, many consider Alan Shearer's feat as the all-time record scorer in the Premier League to be untouchable. Harry Kane, however, has time on his side and if the 27-year-old continues his exploits in front of goal, he has every chance of eventually passing the Newcastle great. The England captain nabbed his 150th English top-flight goal in 218 games on Sunday, heading home an 88th-minute winner as Tottenham beat West Brom 1-0 at the Hawthorns yesterday. His strike was perfectly timed after Spurs had laboured to break down stubborn opponents. And having scored his 200th goal in all competitions for the club last Thursday, he now has 13 goals this season. Kane is the first player born after the Premier League started in 1992 to score 150 times and in doing so, he broke out of a tie with former Spurs forward Les Ferdinand to move to joint-ninth with former Liverpool forward Michael Owen on the all-time list. While Spurs were only momentarily top of the table for the first time since August 2014 before Leicester's victory over Wolves later in the day, manager Jose Mourinho told reporters he was happy with his side's progress amid talk of a title tilt. "If Liverpool and Leicester win, it's not a problem for me," he said. "So many good clubs. You can have a good season and still not be champions. We'll just try to win. "I'm not bothered about Leicester v Wolves or (Manchester) City v Liverpool. I just want us to win games and we'll see where we are. 150 Harry Kane's 150th strike places him 9th on the English Premier League list. "I would start with West Bromwich's performance, because their performance is what made us play in the way we did. They played defensively very well... "Let's say that defensively, we controlled the game well, but we couldn't find lots of spaces to play and create lots of chances. The goal arrived and I think deservedly, but I have to feel sorry for them because they fought so hard for the point. "I prefer not to speak (about Kane) because he speaks by himself... This guy does much more than scoring goals. For example, last five minutes, he was playing as a No. 6 and winning balls in front of the defence. Special." Only Shearer (212 games) and Sergio Aguero (217) have gotten to 150 faster than Kane and the striker was just as happy as his manager with the "big win". "Obviously delighted to reach 150 Premier League goals," he said. "Obviously, when you win the game, that's the most important thing, we dug deep but let's keep it going." Spurs are now unbeaten in their last seven league games and have won their past three, but were below their best for long periods against a West Brom team still without a league win this term. The hosts suffered a pre-match blow when defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielder Matheus Pereira were ruled out after both tested positive for the coronavirus. But amid reports that Charlton manager Lee Bowyer is being lined up as a replacement for Slaven Bilic, the West Brom boss said he saw enough from his players to indicate the Baggies will not make a swift return to the Championship without a fight. "When I see my team fighting and playing, then I'm very, very positive, the win will come," he added. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE