
Cambodian PM says 19% US trade tariff 'the best news'
'This is the best news for the people and economy of Cambodia to continue to develop the country,' Hun Manet wrote on Facebook.
Trump had originally threatened a swingeing 49 percent tariff on Cambodia as part of his 'Liberation Day' measures aimed at rebalancing world trade in America's favour, but cut it to 36 percent last month.
Dozens of countries face steep levies under the tariff regime approved by Trump in Washington on Thursday, set to come into force in a week.
Cambodia is a major manufacturer of low-cost clothing for Western brands, with garment products accounting for most of its $10 billion in exports to the United States last year.
Many factories in Cambodia are Chinese-owned and the White House has accused the kingdom of allowing Chinese goods to stop over on the way to US markets, thereby skirting steeper rates imposed on Beijing.
The tariff announcement came days after Trump intervened to help broker a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia to end border clashes that left more than 40 people dead -AFP
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Malay Mail
5 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Dominating abroad, dismissed at home: Nigerian sportswomen battle glory and neglect
ABUJA, Aug 7 — As Nigerian women dominate sports on the continent, they're facing off not just against top talent abroad but a domestic atmosphere of mismanagement and pay disparities — and even the risk of repression for speaking out. Nigeria is fresh off a win at the finals of Women's AfroBasket, their fifth-consecutive championship at the continent's top hardwood tournament, while last month the Super Falcons clinched their 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations football title. The football team's successes in particular have come in the face of pay disparities compared to their male counterparts — when they get paid at all. The women receive a training camp allowance but the bulk of their pay comes from per-match bonuses, which vary depending on the team's results. Both the women's basketball and football teams have been plagued by late or unpaid match bonuses for years, despite their records as arguably the best teams on the continent. But when the Super Falcons landed in Abuja after their 3-2 Wafcon victory over host Morocco last month, none of the players answered questions shouted by an AFP reporter in the press scrum about whether they would ask the president, who was welcoming them at his villa, about being paid the same as the men's team. Nigerian journalists on the scene said the question was useless: it was far too politically charged. 'If you speak up against what's going on, you completely lose the possibility of getting what you're entitled to, you could actually be blacklisted,' Solace Chukwu, senior editor at Afrik-Foot Nigeria, later told AFP. Strikes over late payments Not that there aren't clashes: in 2021, basketballers called out the authorities when they topped Africa, protesting against unpaid match bonuses. The Nigeria Basketball Federation at the time denied any wrongdoing, blaming the issue on clerical errors. Like the basketball team, the women's football team has found remarkable success, stemming in part from the country's population of more than 200 million — the largest on the continent, complemented by a widespread diaspora. They also benefited from early investments in women's football at a time when other African countries focused on men's teams, Chukwu said, helping the Super Falcons win the first seven editions of the Wafcon, from 1991 to 2006. Yet they only played a handful of test matches before they landed in Morocco for this year's competition, cobbled together at the last second. The Super Falcons haven't been completely silent in the face of mismanagement and disinterest from authorities. But rocking the boat too much appears to come with a cost. Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade holds the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy as she emerges from the plane carrying the Super Falcons at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday, July 28, 2025 after their victory over Morocco. — AFP pic 'Players who lead or dare to protest... always risk not being invited or sidelined outrightly,' said Harrison Jalla, a players' union official. After Super Falcons captain Desire Oparanozie — now a commentator — led protests over unpaid wages at the 2019 Women's World Cup, she was stripped of her captaincy and was not called up for the 2022 tournament. Former men's coach Sunday Oliseh — who himself was let go from the national squad amid protests over backpay in the early 2000s — called the situation a case of 'criminal' retaliation. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) at the time denied that it dropped Oparanozie over the protests. The NFF and the Super Falcons did not respond to an AFP request for comment on the allegations that players are afraid to speak out. 'Sky is the limit' Players still have hopes for women's sports to expand. 'I think the sky is the limit,' Nigerian point guard Promise Amukamara told AFP in Abuja, fresh off her AfroBasket win. 'Obviously, more facilities should be built around Nigeria. I feel like maybe, one year we should host the AfroBasket.' Aisha Falode, an NFF official, meanwhile, called on the government to 'invest in the facilities, invest in the leagues and the players, because the women's game can no longer be taken lightly'. Despite the challenges, women's sports are still finding a foothold among younger fans. Justina Oche, 16, a player at a football academy in Abuja, told AFP that the exploits of the team inspired her to pursue a career in the sport. 'They say what a man can do, a woman can do even better,' said the youngster, whose role model is six-time African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala. 'The Super Falcons have again proved this.' — AFP


The Star
31 minutes ago
- The Star
Oil slides as US-Russia talks stir sanction uncertainty
Brent crude futures fell 75 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at US$66.89 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 81 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at US$64.35. NEW YORK: Oil prices slid about 1% to an eight-week low on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump's remarks about progress in talks with Moscow created uncertainty on whether the US would impose new sanctions on Russia. Brent crude futures fell 75 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at US$66.89 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 81 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at US$64.35. Those moves marked a fifth consecutive day of losses for both crude benchmarks, with Brent closing at its lowest since June 10 and WTI closing at its lowest since June 5. Trump said on Wednesday that his special envoy Steve Witkoff made "great progress" in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington continued its preparations to impose secondary sanctions on Friday. Trump has threatened additional sanctions on Moscow if no moves are made to end the war in Ukraine. "Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come," Trump said, without providing further details. Russia is the world's second-biggest producer of crude after the US, so any potential deal that would reduce sanctions would make it easier for Russia to export more oil. Earlier in the day, oil prices rose after Trump issued an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on goods from India, saying it directly or indirectly imported Russian oil. The new import tax will go into effect 21 days after August 7. India, along with China, is a major buyer of Russian oil. "For the time being, the 21-day start to the new Indian tariffs, while Russia tries to put together some kind of cease fire agreement ahead of President Trump's August 8 deadline, still leaves too much uncertainty around the situation," Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, said in a note. In addition to the tariff and sanction uncertainty, analysts said a planned Opec+ supply increase has weighed on the market in recent days. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, will visit China for the first time in over seven years, a government source said on Wednesday, in a further sign of a diplomatic thaw with Beijing as tensions with the US rise. In other news, Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, on Wednesday hiked its September crude oil prices for Asian buyers, the second monthly rise in a row, on tight supply and robust demand. Oil markets found support earlier in the day from a bigger-than-expected decline in US crude inventories last week. The US Energy Information Administration said energy firms pulled 3 million barrels of crude from inventories during the week ended August 1. That was much bigger than the 0.6-million-barrel draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll, but was smaller than the decline of 4.2 million barrels that market sources said the American Petroleum Institute trade group cited in its figures on Tuesday. — Reuters


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cautious market outlook for Hartalega
CIMB Research said near-term catalysts remains limited as tariff-related uncertainties and expansion of Chinese players' overseas capacity could further weigh on the industry. PETALING JAYA: The market remains cautious on the outlook for glovemaker Hartalega Holdings Bhd despite efforts on cost optimisation and the gradual recovery in demand as inventories from restocking diminishes. The company released its first quarter ended June 30, 2025 of financial year 2026 (FY26) results on Tuesday that were below market expectations due to lower demand and weaker average selling prices (ASPs). While the company told analysts at a briefing that it expects gradual recovery in FY26, observers have largely maintained a cautious stance due to oversupply from Chinese glovemakers leading to competitive ASPs and a looming RM101mil tax issue stemming from additional assessment for the years 2017 to 2022. CIMB Research, which maintained a 'hold' rating on the stock with a lower target price (TP) of RM1.45 from RM2.30, said near-term catalysts remains limited as tariff-related uncertainties and expansion of Chinese players' overseas capacity could further weigh on the industry. 'However, we see limited downside to the stock at current levels, with price-to-book value valuations now back to levels last seen during the glove supply glut in 2023, when industry-wide losses were prevalent,' it added. MBSB Research has kept its 'neutral' recommendation on the stock with a TP of RM1.24 from RM2.45. The research house pointed out to the thinning profit margins due to continued pricing pressure from Chinese glovemakers in the non-US markets. 'Note that the blended ASP contracted by 5% year-on-year. 'Given the pressure on both revenue and cost, we observed that the profit margin contracted to 2.4% from 6.8% a year ago,' it said, adding that the tough operating environment has translated to downward earnings revision of more than 50% for FY26 and FY27. Phillip Capital has also maintained a 'hold' rating with a TP of RM1.34 from RM1.64, reflecting lower ASP assumptions of US$19 to US$21 per 1,000 pieces from US$20 to US$22 as well as reduced sales volume in line with the company's latest guidance of six billion to six-and-a-half billion pieces. Maybank Investment Bank Research has maintained a 'sell' call with a TP of RM1.35 from RM1.41. The reserach house noted that that the company would continue to focus on its core nitrile glove segment and cost optimisation efforts, including workforce redeployment together with investing RM200mil to RM300mil over the next 18 to 24 months in automation and energy-saving upgrades. UOB Kay Hian Research expects the challenging outlook to continue pressuring sales and while the company expects US demand to recover, intensifying Chinese competition and oversupply dynamics continue to impact earnings. It has maintained a 'hold' call with a TP of RM1.40 from RM1.55.