Oxford Economics: Wuhan coronavirus seen to cut tourism revenues in Asia, including PH

MANILA, Philippines — The influx of Chinese tourists to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries would take a hit from the outbreak of Wuhan coronavirus, but most economies in the region were expected to be ready in offsetting any potential economic impact of the illness, UK-based Oxford Economics said Sunday.

“The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak could potentially be a high-impact but short-lived event, similar to the SARS experience in 2003. As such, we think that the current virus outbreak poses a downside risk to our China growth forecast, particularly in the first quarter and possibly the second quarter should the outbreak be prolonged. But beyond that the impact should begin to fade,” Oxford Economics senior economist Tommy Wu and head of India and Southeast Asia economics Priyanka Kishore said in a Jan. 26 research briefing titled “Wuhan virus raises downside growth risks in short-term.”


Oxford Economics explained that while China’s gross domestic product (GDP) may be impacted especially on the consumption side (such as retail and tourism), and to a lesser extent on investments and industries, the economic effect would be “less severe compared to the SARS episode, at least for now.”

“The faster reaction time by the Chinese authorities this time around, with increased transparency and firm actions taken recently, are certainly helpful in mitigating the impact on public health, confidence and the economy. That is so even though municipal and provincial governments have at times been late, faulty and non-transparent in their response, especially at the early stage of the outbreak. We also expect the government to roll out measures, if needed, to stabilize growth,” Oxford Economics said.

Elsewhere in Asia, the economic impact of the Wuhan coronavirus would be felt by countries hosting many Chinese tourists as they get locked down in the mainland.

“We expect the economies that have a higher share of tourism in GDP and are more reliant on Chinese tourists—Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines—to feel the impact more,” Oxford Economics said.

Citing Tourism Economics and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) data, Oxford Economics noted that travel and tourism activities accounted for up to 25 percent of the Philippines’ GDP.

“Tourism and related industries, such as food and beverages, recreation, clothing, etc., are prominent drivers of growth for most Southeast Asian economies and Hong Kong. Moreover, Chinese tourists account for a higher share of total tourist arrivals in these economies compared to the SARS outbreak period,” Oxford Economics pointed out.

Asian economies were nonetheless seen to be able to withstand decline in foreign tourism receipts, especially from China. “All these economies have available policy space to buffer domestic demand, if needed,” Oxford Economics said.

As of Sunday, the Philippines remained free from infection of Wuhan coronavirus.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia last week said “there’s always a potential impact” on the economy when diseases such as the Wuhan coronavirus and African swine fever strike.


In a separate Jan. 24 report, London-based Capital Economics said that “if the outbreak continues to spread, one of the main channels through which the region will be affected is through a decline in tourist arrivals from China.”

“The number of Chinese travelling abroad has increased nearly ten-fold since the SARS outbreak in 2003 and spending by Chinese visitors now accounts for sizeable share of some countries’ GDP, most notably Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore,” Capital Economics senior Asia economist Gareth Leather said in a report titled “Coronavirus to hit tourism, upside surprise on growth.”

In the case of the Philippines, spending by Chinese visitors in the country was still very low compared to most of its Asean neighbors, at less than 1 percent of GDP, estimates compiled by Capital Economics showed.

“During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Chinese tourist numbers fell by around one-third. If they fell by a similar amount again, it would knock around 1.5-2 percentage points from GDP in the most vulnerable countries. Overall though, lessons from past epidemics show that while the initial hit to the economy can be severe, growth tends to bounce back quickly after the virus is contained,” Capital Economics said.

source: business.inquirer.net

BTS sweeps top prizes at 2019 MAMA in Nagoya

SEOUL — K-pop sensation BTS picked up nine prizes at this year’s Mnet Asian Music Awards in the Japanese city of Nagoya on Wednesday, monopolizing the biggest Asian music awards event.

The septet took home the top three prizes at the 2019 MAMA — Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year — winning big at the awards ceremony held at Nagoya Dome.


Six other awards including Best Male Group, Best Dance Performance-Male Group and Best Music Video also went to BTS.

“Year 2019 has been a year of really intense and hard work. Looking back, we had (a time) when we almost gave up, but after some time we can now smile over the past,” member Suga said, lifting the Artist of the Year trophy.

“Over the past year, we have grown more and become stronger,” he said.

Member J-Hope said in a separate speech after taking the Album of the Year prize that BTS “will try to provide a positive influence and good messages.”

Member Jimin hinted at the band’s next album, saying, “We are preparing our next album and we might be able to come up with an album that is far better than what you are expecting.”

Separately, veteran singer Lee So-ra’s 2019 song featuring Suga, “Song Request,” was named Best Collaboration during the three-hour awards and performance ceremony.

Girl band TWICE took home Best Dance Performance-Female Group and Best Female Group, while female quartet Mamamoo won Favorite Vocal Performance.

ITZY and Tomorrow X Together lifted Best New Female Artist and Best New Male Artist, respectively.

The 2019 MAMA was well received by fans in Japan despite on-going diplomatic and trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo stemming from their shared history.


MAMA organizer CJ’s choice of Nagoya had raised eyebrows among South Korean fans after the city temporarily suspended the exhibition of a symbolic Korean sculpture during the city’s hosting of the Aichi Triennale art festival in the wake of the bilateral rows earlier this year. Yonhap

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

BTS writes history with Arab fans at Riyadh concert

RIYADH – For BTS and the 30,000 screaming Arab fans who filled King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday evening, it was a night to remember.

“We’d never thought we would perform here. Thanks to all the people, to all the ARMYs (BTS’ fandom) who made this possible. There is a beautiful full moon up in the sky. Remind of us, remind of tonight,” band leader RM called out to the crowd.
Indeed, BTS’ Saudi Arabian leg of its ongoing “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour was a new experience for the group.


While BTS is no stranger to stadia, given its past concerts in London’s Wembley Stadium and California’s Rose Bowl Stadium, the K-pop juggernaut’s performance in the ultra-conservative kingdom has been veiled in mystery, with questions about how it might differ from the act’s previous shows.

As expected, the weather was extremely dry and hot. Female fans were mostly shrouded in abaya, a body-covering black dress that Saudi women wear in public, and Azan, the Islamic call to prayer, went on and off around the stadium prior to the event. It was all quite different from your typical buildup to a K-pop concert.

But other things seemed more familiar: some 100 fans greeting the act at the airport, the ear-shattering screams, enthusiastic singalongs and thousands of dazzling ARMY bomb light sticks at the venue, all of which were a sign to how much fans here have waited for the K-pop phenomenon to come.

Signaling the start of the nearly three-hour set was the electrifying first note of party anthem “Dionysus” that blared through the stadium. Fireworks followed, and as two gigantic silver-metallic panthers that had been guarding the stage slowly rose the seven polished men of BTS appeared behind them.

Back from their headline-making five-week vacation, the group’s stage presence was a spectacle. In front of a backdrop of Roman pillars, the singers ruled the stage with nonstop energy, jumping from chair to chair and showcasing their tight performance atop a Last Supper-inspired marble table that moved around the stage.

After ending their lung-busting first song, BTS immediately launched into another pulsating banger, “Not Today,” with the same level of energy.

Moments later, the members finally took a close look at their adoring fans, who responded with such volume that nearly rattled the venue with capacity of almost 70,000.

“Hello, we are BTS. Welcome to BTS World Tour: Love Yourself, Speak Yourself, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!” exclaimed RM to the exhilarated crowd. Other members followed suit, with Jimin shouting out, “We’re finally having a stadium tour here,” and Jin belting out, “Unbelievable. Riyadh, can you hear me?”

In an attempt to connect with fans in their mother tongue, V said, “Look at this! BTS and ARMY, we made this. Ahbak (‘I love you’ in Arabic). You made this concert. Thank you ARMYs.”

J-Hope also thanked fans in Arabic for making the event happen.

It was a truly surreal moment. In the lead-up to the concert, BTS’ decision to play in the kingdom had sparked controversies as a result of Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record, all the more after other international artists faced criticism for performing in the country in recent months.

Women have only been allowed to enter King Fahd Stadium since 2017. And both the band and its fans seemed to weigh on the significance of their long-awaited encounter.

“We know that you always give us so much love and support even we live a thousand miles away. Tonight is the festival for ARMYs for sincerely waiting for us,” said RM.

Smoothly moving onto next song “Wings,” he announced, “Now it’s time to fly around the stadium!”

The rest of the show was an ebb and flow through BTS’ seven-year career. Running at full throttle, the band went onto serve up its quintessential hits like “Boy with Luv,” “Idol,” “Fake Love,” “MIC Drop,” “Dope,” “Baepsae,” and “Fire,” coupled with extravagant light displays, fireworks and explosive energy.

Audience members, regardless of gender or age, staff and even security personnel held up their cellphones to record the act’s head-turning performance, especially during the bombastic “Idol.” The Riyadh show also featured some slight modifications in consideration of local sentiment, such as “non-revealing outfits and the absence of choreographies that show the singers’ abdominal muscles,” according to an official from BTS’ agency Big Hit Entertainment.

Highlights included solo performances from each member. J-Hope rapped to “Just Dance” and Jungkook crooned while harnessed onto a zipline.

Jimin emerged from a plastic bubble-cocoon during his sensual “Serendipity,” RM boasted his leadership by making the crowd chant “sarang,” the Korean word for love, for his rap solo “Love,” while V’s mesmerizing “Singularity” began with the singer rising up from a suspended bed while wearing a wine-colored robe. Suga softened fans’ hearts with his mellow rap in “Seesaw,” while Jin did the remaining job of melting them with his emotional “Epiphany.”

The event also had a birthday surprise for Jimin, during which the members celebrated their bandmate’s birthday by singing a birthday song in Arabic.


“I had forgotten it was my birthday. Thank you for the wishes, and I’m so glad that I could celebrate with the fans and the members,” Jimin replied, jumping around the stage with joy.

As the show came to its close, the boys reunited on the stage to share their feelings. V went first.

“So many fans are here. I can’t believe that we could have filled this stadium. I hope to come back here again. I’ll go back home with happiness thanks to you guys. See you next time,” he said.

Suga picked up from him and said, “It’s our first time here in Saudi, and I was very surprised by how much you guys have enjoyed our show. Shall we come back again, like seriously?”

“As we’ve worked hard, we could have finally come to Saudi,” Jungkook added. “Tonight was a blast thanks to ARMYs. I hope you guys also felt happiness from this show. Please keep supporting and loving us.”

Jin drew out laughter by kindly yet jokingly requesting the event’s translator to “include their emotions to the translation,” and Jimin, with his eyes twinkling with potential tears, said, “Every moment has been a happiness. Today, we’ve once again realized that there are so many people who support us in this world. We won‘t forget to work harder to reciprocate. With all my heart, love you.”

J-Hope took his turn: “I missed this scream, this atmosphere. We’ve been very nervous, but also very happy to have finally met you in a long time. I’m your amal (‘hope’ in Arabic). Shukran!”

At RM’s orchestration, the venue lit up with a beautiful wave of cellphone lights. BTS wrapped up a memorable night with encore tracks “So What,” “Make it Right” and “Mikrokosmos.”

There were no more mysteries left. The night with BTS was awe-inspiring and the fans overflowed with love. Overall, it was a testament to BTS’ perpetual global popularity that has already dominated one of the most conservative countries in the world.

“What is important here is that the universal charm and message of BTS’ music have been constantly accepted by, and speaking to a completely different Islamic culture. There have been some K-pop events held in Islamic regions in the past, but I think the heat and attention on BTS’ Riyadh show are something very unique,” culture critic and the author of book “BTS — The Review: A Comprehensive Look at the Music of BTS” Kim Young-dae told The Korea Herald.


“Through this concert, BTS’ music and message will be able to deliver some positive messages to Islamic countries. I think the show has a historic meaning in that beyond its successful result, it has the possibility to serve as a momentum for the continuous BTS phenomenon. Furthermore, it might provoke further global interest in K-pop and its culture, providing opportunities for other groups.”

BTS is set to wrap up its world tour with concerts in Seoul from Oct. 26-29.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Indonesia launches online fintech monitoring platform

JAKARTA — The Financial Services Authority (OJK) of Indonesia has launched the Electronic Gateway for Digital Finance Information Systems (Gesit), which is said to be a more efficient way to monitor the development of financial technology (fintech) amid the industry’s rapid growth in the country.

“This platform is in the early stages. Further developments are on their way,” OJK deputy chairman Nurhaida said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Gesit is an online registration system for fintech startups wanting to grow its business through the OJK Infinity, an innovation hub, business incubator and education center for fintech established last year.

Through the newly launched platform, fintech industry stakeholders could also get access to the latest news on fintech issues and make consultation appointments with the OJK Infinity team.


The OJK Infinity has received 121 new fintech registrations, of which 48 fintech startups have been verified and ready to start their businesses.

The authority is preparing several policies to spur Indonesia’s fintech development, OJK chairman Wimboh Santoso said.


“We will launch them before year-end,” he added, without elaborating on the proposed policies further.

The OJK is also assessing possible partnerships with other Southeast Asian countries to realize such a vision, Wimboh said.

The OJK, which is responsible for regulating peer-to-peer fintech lending, has issued operational licenses to 127 fintech firms as of July. In the month alone, fintech lending transaction value stood at Rp 49.7 trillion (US$3.5 billion), an increase from Rp 44.8 trillion recorded in the previous month, its data shows.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Hong Kong’s ‘front line’ protesters explain their stance

HONG KONG — On a recent sweltering Saturday, a day now reserved for protest in Hong Kong, a demonstrator named Wayne stepped past a row of plastic barricades, lifted a pair of binoculars and squinted.

Four hundred meters away, a line of riot police stood with full-length shields, batons and tear-gas launchers.

It was a familiar sight for Wayne after more than two months on the front lines of Hong Kong’s turbulent pro-democracy demonstrations. Along with hard hats and homemade shields, face-offs with police have become part of the 33-year-old philosophy professor’s new normal.

The stories of Wayne and three other self-described “front line” protesters interviewed by The Associated Press provide insights into how what started as a largely peaceful movement against proposed changes to the city’s extradition law has morphed into a summer of tear gas and rubber bullets. They spoke on condition they be identified only by partial names because they feared arrest.

The movement has reached a moment of reckoning after protesters occupying Hong Kong’s airport last week held two mainland Chinese men captive, beating them because they believed the men were infiltrating their movement.

In the aftermath, pro-democracy lawmakers and fellow demonstrators — who have stood by the hard-liners even as they took more extreme steps — questioned whether the operation had gone too far.

It was the first crack in what has been astonishing unity across a wide range of protesters that has kept the movement going. It gave pause to the front-liners, who eased off the violence this past weekend, though they still believe their more disruptive tactics are necessary to get the government to answer the broader movement’s demands.

The demands grew from opposing legislation that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be extradited for trials in mainland China’s murky judicial system to pressing for democratic elections, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s resignation and an investigation into allegations of police brutality at the demonstrations.


The protesters on the front lines are the ones who throw bricks at police and put traffic cones over active tear gas canisters to contain the fumes. They have broken into and trashed the legislature’s chambers, blocked a major tunnel under Hong Kong’s harbor, besieged and pelted police headquarters with eggs and halted rush-hour subways by blocking the train doors from closing.

To Lam, these are “violent rioters” bent on destroying the city’s economy. To China’s ruling Communist Party, their actions are “the first signs of terrorism.”



To these most die-hard protesters, there’s no turning back.

“The situation has evolved into a war in Hong Kong society,” said Tin, a 23-year-old front-line demonstrator. “It’s the protesters versus the police.”

___

When Hong Kong’s youth banded together for this summer’s protests, they established a few rules: They would not have clear leaders, protecting individuals from becoming symbols or scapegoats. And they would stick together, no matter their methods.

The peaceful protesters would not disavow the more extreme, sometimes violent tactics of the front-liners, who would distract the police long enough for others to escape arrest.

These were lessons learned from 2014, when the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement fizzled after more than two months without winning any concessions. Many involved feel internal divisions partly led to defeat.

Chong, a 24-year-old front-liner, said everyone’s opinion is heard and considered, and they decide on the right path together. But no decision is absolute: The demonstrators have pledged to not impede actions they may disagree with.

Two massive marches roused Chong and others who had given up on political change after the failure of Occupy Central, also dubbed the Umbrella Revolution.

On consecutive weekends in June, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to oppose the extradition bill. It struck at fears that China is eroding civil rights that Hong Kong residents enjoy under the “one country, two systems” framework.

“I didn’t think I would ever do this again,” said Chong, who quit his job as an environmental consultant to devote himself to the protests. “But this time, society is waking up.” 



On June 12, three days after the first march, protesters blocked the legislature and took over nearby streets, preventing the resumption of debate on the extradition bill. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Lam suspended the bill indefinitely the day before the second march, but it didn’t mollify the protesters, who turned out in even greater numbers.

As their demands expanded, Lam offered dialogue but showed no signs of giving ground.

That’s when hard-liners like Chong and Wayne became convinced that peaceful protest might not be enough.

They blocked roads with makeshift barricades and besieged the Chinese government’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong, defacing the national seal over its entrance. Week after week, they clashed with police, who became an object of their anger. Every round of tear gas only seemed to deepen their conviction that the government did not care.

“We’ve had numerous peaceful protests that garnered no response whatsoever from the government,” said J.C., a 27-year-old hairstylist who quit his job in July. “Escalating our actions is both natural and necessary.”

Then came the “white shirt” attack. On July 21, dozens of men beat people indiscriminately with wooden poles and steel rods in a commuter rail station as protesters returned home, injuring 44. They wore white clothing in contrast to the protesters’ trademark black.

A slow police response led to accusations they colluded with the thugs. Police Commissioner Stephen Lo said resources were stretched because of the protests.

Many saw the attack as proof police prioritized catching demonstrators — around 700 have been arrested so far — over more violent criminals. That view has been reinforced by other images, including police firing tear gas at close range and a woman who reportedly lost vision in one eye after being hit by a beanbag round shot by police.

Each accusation of police brutality emboldens the hard-core protesters to use greater violence. Gasoline bombs and other flaming objects have become their projectiles of choice, and police stations are now their main target. 



___

In this cauldron of growing rage, the protesters set their sights on Hong Kong’s airport.

Hundreds of flights were canceled over two consecutive nights last week as protesters packed the main terminal, blocking access to check-in counters and immigration.

While the major disruption of one of the world’s busiest airports got global attention, it was the vigilante attacks on two Chinese men that troubled the movement.

In a written apology the following day, a group of unidentified protesters said recent events had fueled a “paranoia and rage” that put them on a “hair trigger.” During the prior weekend’s demonstrations, people dressed like protesters had been caught on video making arrests, and police acknowledged use of decoy officers.

At the airport, the protesters were looking for undercover agents in their ranks. Twice they thought they found them.

The first man ran away from protesters who asked why he was taking photos of them. Protesters descended on him, bound his wrists with plastic ties and interrogated him for at least two hours. His ordeal ended only when medics wrested him away on a stretcher.

The second man was wearing a yellow “press” vest used by Hong Kong journalists but refused to show his credentials. In his backpack, protesters found a blue “Safeguard HK” T-shirt worn at rallies to support police.

A small group of protesters repeatedly beat him, poured water on his head and called him “mainland trash.” He turned out to be a reporter for China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper.

Footage of the mob violence inflamed anti-protester sentiment in China, where the reporter became a martyr. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy lawmakers said it was something that “will not and should not happen again.” 



Within the movement, some apologized for becoming easily agitated and overreacting. Others questioned whether provocateurs had incited the violence.

Through it all, the front liners called for unity. They pointed to the injuries sustained on their side and the rioting charges that could lock them up for 10 years.

On the night of the airport beating, Wayne couldn’t get through the crowd to see what was happening, but he understood how the attackers felt.

“I would have done the same thing,” he said. “It’s not rational, but I would have kicked him or punched him at least once or twice.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

YouTuber fined for ‘misleading advertising’ of weight-loss products

SEOUL — A YouTuber with millions of followers was fined 5 million won ($4,100) Monday for false advertising of food products.

Food content YouTuber Jung Man-su, who goes by the name Banzz online, was fined for falsely promoting that his products had weight-loss effects, according to Daejeon District Court.

Eat4U, a health food company Jeong launched in March 2017, marketed its products as diet aids in a misleading ad, according to prosecutors.

During a July 18 trial, prosecutors had asked for a six-month jail term for the 28-year-old on a false advertisement charge. Jeong denied the accusations and pleaded innocence, claiming he had not intended to deceive consumers.


In an online statement posted July 18, Jeong apologized for “causing disappointment.” He also promised to take full responsibility and pledged there was “nothing wrong” with his products.

Following the lawsuit, Jeong suffered a net subscriber loss of around 100,000, down to 3.1 million from 3.2 million.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Hong Kong airport cancels outbound flights

TAIPEI – Hong Kong International Airport canceled all flights out of Hong Kong for the rest of the day, after thousands of anti-government protesters descended on the airport.

Demonstrators donned eye patches at Lantau Island hub, one of the world’s busiest international airports, in anger after a girl was allegedly hit with a police beanbag.

Airport chiefs said inbound flights already in the air would be allowed to land, but any flights which had not departed would be delayed.

This is the fourth straight day of protests as anti-government demonstrations have continued to escalate.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press (AP) reported that in Beijing, the Cabinet’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office issued a statement saying the situation in Hong Kong was “beginning to show the sprouts of terrorism” and constituted an “existential threat” to the population of Hong Kong.


“One must take resolute action toward this violent criminality, showing no leniency or mercy,” said the statement, attributed to spokesman Yang Guang. “Hong Kong has reached an inflection point where all those who are concerned about Hong Kong’s future must say ‘no,’ to law breakers and ‘no’ to those engaged in violence.”

Only flights that had already begun boarding or those cleared for landing were allowed to use runways at the airport.

“All other flights have been canceled for the rest of today,” the airport statement said.

A massive traffic jam soon formed on the highway leading back to Hong Kong’s city center. Some protesters were seen walking toward the airport amid the stifling heat.

Earlier Monday, Hong Kong police showed off water cannons that could be deployed in the case of future demonstrations, a development which Amnesty International has warned could lead to serious injuries if misused within the densely-populated city’s confined spaces.


Legislators and journalists were invited to witness the display of extreme crowd control tactics, which came after a weekend of protests at the airport and on the streets of one of the city’s main shopping districts.

During the weekend protests, website Hong Kong Free Press showed footage of one arrest that appeared to include officers in plain clothes pinning a demonstrator pressed to the ground. The young man, who said his name was Chow Ka-lok and asked for a lawyer, was shown with a bleeding head wound and said he had a broken tooth.

Police have also reported injuries among their ranks, including eye irritation from laser pointers, burns from petrol bombs and bruises and cuts from flying.

Protesters hurled bricks at officers and ignored warnings to leave before tear gas was deployed in the Sham Shui Po area, police said, calling a march there an “unauthorized assembly.”

Tear gas was also deployed in central Hong Kong on both sides of Victoria Harbour, in the Tsim Sha Tsui area on the Kowloon side and in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. At one point, protesters blocked the entrance to a plaza to prevent police from entering.

A train station in Kwai Fong filled with smoke after about a dozen police officers fired tear gas inside. It was not clear how many protesters were inside the station at the time, but it has been rare for officers to fire tear gas indoors.

Earlier, a large group of mostly young protesters marched down the middle of Hennessey Road, a main shopping drag in the Causeway Bay area, as a rally was held in nearby Victoria Park. Many wore face masks to shield their identities, and a few had helmets. Others just carried backpacks over the black T-shirts that have become their uniform.

The protest movement’s demands include the resignation of the Chinese territory’s leader, Carrie Lam, democratic elections for her successor, the release of those arrested in earlier protests and an investigation into police use of force.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the principle of “one country, two systems,” which promises the city certain democratic rights not afforded to people on the mainland. But in recent years, some have accused the Communist Party-ruled central government of steadily chipping away at their freedoms.

Banners at the rally in Victoria Park read “Give Hong Kong back to us” and “Withdraw the evil law,” the latter a reference to an extradition bill that was the original spark for the protests. A large crowd sat under umbrellas, which are both a protest symbol in Hong Kong and protection from the summer heat. 


At the airport, a flight attendant protesting on his day off, who gave only his surname, Lau, to avoid repercussions from his employer, said heavy-handed police tactics had alienated some people.

“The police have told a lot of lies to Hong Kong people. We cannot believe them anymore. We have to come here to protest,” Lau said. China has reportedly threatened to bar aircrew who take part in protests from its air space.

Another protester, who identified herself only as Bea, said she took the day off from work to express her outrage.

“I feel that I have to do something. … It’s just too sad to see what has happened. The police action has gone totally nonsensical,” she said. With a report from AP/ac

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

No space? No problem. Anywhere can be a restaurant in Hanoi

HANOI — Twenty years ago, Nguyen Hong Van opened her restaurant in an alleyway close to her home. From the outside looking in, it really doesn’t look much.

The criteria needed to open a restaurant in downtown Hanoi are thin at best.

Location, well anywhere will do. Space doesn’t necessarily need to be plentiful and as far as furniture goes, a few plastic chairs will suffice.

It’s difficult to actually put a number on the amount of eateries operating in the capital. You would struggle to walk just a few yards without passing a place selling food.

Even with your eyes closed, the aromas given off are a tell-tale sign that something good to eat is literally just around the corner.

Anywhere, it seems, can easily be converted into a restaurant.

Twenty years ago, Nguyen Hong Van opened her restaurant in an alleyway close to her home. From the outside looking in, it really doesn’t look much.

Space is tight, as alleyways usually are, but that doesn’t stop customers coming for her specialty: dried beef salad, or nom bo kho.

“I used to sell at a different location and had lots of customers,” she said.

“But when someone else rented that place, I moved into this alley because my house is right behind it.

“My neighbors also sell stuff here and gradually we have built up regular customers and they like it this way.

“But when it gets too crowded, I have to let them sit outside on the pavement.”


Hong Van makes preparation look easy. She’s a dab hand with a pair of scissors, expertly chopping up dried beef and mixing in the required herbs and broth to serve up a mouth-watering dish.

A friend told her what was needed to make the dried beef salad, but she added her own twist to make her dish stand out from the rest.

“A friend of mine showed me how to make this dish but she just showed me how to assemble the dish, not how to get the flavor right,” she said.

“I tried to learn it myself and my customers also gave me their suggestions so I made adjustments and finally came up with my own recipe.”

At Quan An Ngon restaurant in Hanoi, dried beef salad is often ordered as a side dish, enjoyed while waiting for the main meals. This, according to the chef, is because it is so quick to prepare.

“Diners come here, before ordering other dishes, almost everyone will order salad, and they really like the dried beef salad because this dish is very fast-served so they can enjoy it while waiting for other dishes,” said chef Tran Van Kien.

“When eating dried beef salad, they really like it because it delivers a delicious taste such as the creamy flavor of peanuts, and when blending with the broth, the taste is very special.”

The mixture of meat, herbs and vegetables has to be as fresh as possible. The beef is marinated in salt, sugar, garlic, oil, ginger and chili and often left overnight to ensure the flavors soak through.

As well as adding to its taste, the vegetables and nuts used also bring out a rich color making the dish even more appealing on the eye.

“The ingredients of making this salad are a combination of dried beef, papaya, carrots, herbs and roasted peanuts,” Kien added.

“It’s very crunchy when eating, with the creamy taste of peanuts that creates a very special flavor.

“A perfect salad will have the aroma of the beef. You can feel the crispness of the papaya and the creaminess of the peanuts.

“The sour of the broth has to be moderate, not too much and not too sweet. When using with salad, everything will be harmonious and very delicious when blending everything together.”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Outdoor leisure gets more exciting with 5G thrills in South Korea

SEOUL — Telecom service provider KT has taken over Surfyy Beach, a rising surfers’ beach party area in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, with various activities related to 5G services for 10 days from Friday to Aug. 18.

The first thing visitors can see is a banner “KT 5G 5WAG,” written so that the number 5 in the last word looks like the alphabet “S.” The words are emblazoned across a giant screen installed at the entrance to the beach, which livestreams footage of jet surfer riding the waves wearing KT’s 360 degrees neckband camera called Real 360.

Next to the screen is KT’s 5G experience zone, and KT ON Restaurant where a robot serves free shaved ice.

Ranging from a zip line ride, Super VR goggles that play horror films and an icy liquid-nitrogen cryotherapy tank, KT has prepared summer specific events to bring the 5G network closer to people’s lives.


“Work-life balance has become an important facet of modern life since the adoption of the 52-hour workweek regulation in South Korea,” said Kim Won-Kyung, senior managing director at KT, at a press event held in Gangwon Province on Friday.

KT’s initiatives are driven by the outdoor activities market here, which has been growing steadily at an annual average of 7 percent over the past few years, he added.


“More millennials want to enjoy special, extreme sports, and share their adventures with friends via social media in a faster, easier way,” Kim said. To meet their needs, KT is attempting to expand its 5G services to a variety of outdoor activity spots.

“People are not yet familiar with 5G services. The industry’s claims about the hyperspeed connections come off as way too technical and irrelevant to everyday life,” said Sung Eun-mi, KT’s VP of 5G services.

“So what value can the 5G technology really offer? To show this we focused on the marriage of dynamic leisure activities and low-latency services,” Sung said.

It has been around 130 days since KT first launched its next-generation 5G services in Korea.

Starting Sept. 1, KT will open 5G Activity Shops in Gangwon Province, Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, Ganghwa Island and Jeju Island, where it will freely distribute Real 360 cameras and 5G devices for users to try out while surfing, going on a zip line, riding ATV bike, para gliding, riding on luge, alpine coaster and cart riding.


In a bid to draw more subscribers to the service, the firm is planning to roll out more cultural events across the nation in 2020 paired with 5G broadcasting.

Meanwhile, back on Surfyy Beach, those who complete four quests, such as downloading KT’s 5G karaoke app, get a chance to try out cryotherapy on the beach for free. After spending two minutes in the freezing minus 145 degrees Celsius of liquid-nitrogen tank you wish to rush back under the scorching sun.

Visitors who upload a photo taken from the 5G experience zone including the “stairway to heaven,” a short flight of 10 stairs ending at a red frame against the sky in the shape of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note 10, are rewarded with a free shaved ice served by a robot at KT’s ON Restaurant temporarily opened at the Corona Sunset Bar at Surfyy Beach.

The telecom firm’s domestic rivals — SK Telecom and Uplus — are also rushing to increase user exposure to 5G services. SKT is operating 5G virtual reality and augmented reality activities at Busan’s Haeundae Beach, Jeju’s Hamdeok Beach, Boryung’s Daecheon Beach and Donghae’s Mangsang Beach.

LG Uplus, on the other hand, has opened U+ 5G halls at Megabox movie cinemas in Coex, World Cup Stadium and Hanam Starfield Mall, where it offers people exclusive virtual overseas travel experience.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Gold market demand quiet despite recent strong gains in Vietnam

HANOI — Gold futures for the first time in six years broke the US$1,450 an ounce last week, gaining 1.75 percent last Friday and a total 13.6 percent since May 28.

The strong growth of gold futures is attributed to previous speculations of a Fed rate cut – which was realized on May 31, worries about the global economy outlook, and increasing political, geographical and economic tensions.

Those developments, especially the Fed rate cut, sent US bond yield rates down and weakened the US dollar, which are the key factors making gold more expensive.

In addition, more tensions around the globe have pushed investors away from risky assets like stocks and towards safety in gold. Meanwhile, the possibility of a global economic slowdown increases after China reported its Q2 economic growth of 6.2 percent is the lowest in 30 years and central banks have delivered gloomier economic growth forecasts.

Those negative factors are forecast to boost gold prices to $2,000 an ounce at the end of the year as they may make investors more pessimistic and avoid purchasing risky assets.

The increases of gold futures on global markets also raises the prices of Vietnamese gold products to around VNĐ40 million per tael, equal to VND30 million ($1,290) an ounce


Since May 28, prices of gold products have gained about 10 percent at Phu Nhuan Jewellery JSC (PNJ) to VND39.92 million for a tael, equal to VNĐ29.94 million an ounce.


Though prices have reached new levels, market demand is quiet, proving Việt Nam’s success with its anti-gold policy.

According to Phan Dung Khanh, director of investment consultancy department at Maybank Kim Eng Securities Co Ltd, the domestic gold market may not heat up like it did eight years ago.

Some factors that may benefit the domestic gold market include the stability of foreign exchange rates between the Vietnamese dong and foreign currencies, a zero per cent US dollar savings yield rate and tightened policies regarding the number of eligible gold businesses, he told Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper.

According to banking expert Can Van Luc, the domestic gold market was quite quiet in the first six months of the year though gold prices gained 10 per cent globally and 6.3 per cent in the domestic market.

In the past, buyers rushed to gold shops immediately when they heard gold prices were up only 2-3 per cent, he said.

The gold market had been controlled well and the stability of the foreign exchange rates had increased the economy’s creditability to people, making them less interested in buying gold, Luc said.

The domestic gold market had remained stable, economist Nguyen Minh Phong said, as there was not much difference between buying and selling rates as well as between global and domestic gold prices.

The daily trading was stable, plus, the central bank did not have to make public announcements to stabilize the market – which had been done before whenever the market turned volatile, Phong said.

In addition, rushing into gold at the moment may not be a smart decision, especially after the Fed cut lending rates, business insiders said.

Buying gold is somewhat risky in the short term while there are also other attractive options for investors such as securities, real estate and corporate bonds, they said.

Gold should be a long-term investment for institutional investors and any individuals buying in gold must stay updated about prices to lock in profits at the right moment, they said.

source: business.inquirer.net

Dengue outbreak in Bangladesh: Hospitals struggling

DHAKA — Last Sunday, when Shahjadi Akter’s five-year-old daughter began running a fever, she rushed the child to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from her Hosni Dalan house. Doctors there diagnosed her with dengue, but could not admit her due to a lack of beds.

They told Shahjadi that since the infection was at an initial stage, it could be treated at home.

That, however, was not the case as the situation took a turn for the worse.

Five-year-old Alia’s condition deteriorated and she was rushed back to DMCH around 2:00am on Friday. Again, there were no beds available.

Left with little choice, Shahjadi spent the next five hours going to three different hospitals — Mitford Hospital, Icddrb, and Dhaka Shishu Hospital — with her daughter in tow. Unfortunately, she got the same response.

As a last-ditch effort, she took Alia to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMC) around 7:00am. Doctors there were initially reluctant to take her in, but seeing Alia’s blood pressure dropping fast, they finally admitted her.


“I could manage a place on the walkway of the hospital. Alia is doing better now,” Shahjadi told The Daily Star yesterday.

Alia’s predicament sums up the grim picture of how medical centers in the capital (Dhaka) are struggling to accommodate a growing number of dengue patients.

This year, hospitals have seen a record number of dengue patients, unmatched in the past 18 years.

A total of 10,528 people have been infected with the mosquito-borne disease till July 27. Last year, the total number was 10,148, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The number of dengue patients exceeded the 10,000 mark only twice in the last 18 years: in 2018 and this year, according to a DGHS report. The previous highest was 6,232 in 2002.

Meanwhile, authorities of different hospitals in the capital said at least 30 dengue patients have died so far. But the DGHS maintains that only eight have died of the disease.

Explaining the disparity in the number of deaths, Prof Dr Meerjady Sa-brina Flora, director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and also the head of death review committee of the government, said after a patient dies, they collect information, as well as blood samples, of the deceased to confirm the cause of the death. Only after getting all those, they can declare whether it was dengue-related or not.

Director of Shishu Hospital Prof Syed Shafi Ahmed said 87 children were taking treatment in the hospital, and they were given free dengue tests and treatment to 25 to 40 patients every day at the outdoor.

Around 400 patients have so far taken dengue treatment at the 664-bed hospital since March.

“Round the year we have a shortage of seats due to the large number of patients, but even then we have kept 87 seats in the hospital for dengue patients,” he said.

Shafi said they did not allow patients to stay on the floor as it was difficult to manage.

HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at ShSMC, said that considering the present dengue situation, they do not refuse any dengue patients despite having a capacity to handle only 60 patients.

Many patients are taking treatment at the hospital’s veranda and walkways, he said.

In DMCH, of the 800 beds in its medicine wards, 561 were occupied by dengue patients yesterday morning. The number was around 200 last week. At least 233 dengue patients were admitted to the hospital yesterday.

Dengue-related deaths

In Narayanganj, a man died of dengue on July 11 in the city’s Isdair.

His father Kaykobad Siddiqui said his son Sawon Kabir Salehin, 38, was diagnosed with dengue on July 11 and died in Islamia Heart Centre in Narayanganj.

Elsewhere, a first year student of Jahangirnagar University died of dengue yesterday, while she was on her way to Chattogram Medical College from Cox’s Bazar.

The victim U Khein Nu, a first year student of Pharmacy department, hailed from Cox’s Bazar.

Dengue outside capital

According to the DGHS, 373 people have been infected with dengue outside the capital since January.

Of them, 72 are in Dhaka division, 142 in Chattogram division, 71 in Khulna division, 40 in Rajshahi division, 35 in Barishal division and 13 in Sylhet division.

Most of the hospitals outside Dhaka, however, are struggling to diagnose dengue patients due to a lack of NS1 kits, which are used to do the diagnosis at the initial stage.

Saiful Ferdous, deputy director of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said they did not have the kits, but they were using the old method to diagnose patients.

Akhterul Islam, deputy director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said other than the blood separation machine, the hospital did not have any facility for dengue diagnosis.


“We can provide treatment to patients already diagnosed with dengue, but cannot diagnose a new patient. The tests have to be done elsewhere,” he said.

Bandarban civil surgeon Aung Shwe Prue Marma said no dengue pa-tient was detected in the district so far. Besides, the district had no laboratory for diagnosing the virus, he added.

Talking about the doctors dealing with dengue patients outside the capital, DGHS officials said the physicians did not have the NS1 kit to diagnose dengue instantly.

IEDCR’s Flora said they were yet to provide dengue diagnosing kits as the number of cases outside Dhaka was still comparatively very low.

The NS1 antigen test (nonstructural protein 1), is a test for dengue, introduced in 2006, which allows for rapid detection of the disease on the first day of fever, as antibodies appear some five or more days later.

DSCC fines building-owners for spreading infection 

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) yesterday fined eight owners of under-construction buildings Tk 2.70 lakh as they found Aedes mosquito larva at the structures.

The mobile court visited 78 under construction buildings and found Aedes mosquito larva in eight of them.

Executive Magistrate of DSCC Mizanur Rahman said they fined them under section 269 of the penal code-1860, which has a provision for awarding six months’ imprisonment and fine or both for anyone who “unlawfully or negligently does any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life.”

Dengue guidelines issued

The government yesterday issued a statement to raise awareness of the steps needed to stop the spread of dengue and the measures to protect themselves from being infected by the mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue peaks in the monsoon (April-October) season. Be alert during this period, a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID) said.

It further said, “The carrier of the dengue fever, Aedes mosquito, breeds in clear water”, adding that one must not let water accumulate around their office, house or in neighboring areas. It suggested changing accumulated water in containers every three days.

“Aedes mosquito usually bites during the day. Cover your body, as much as possible, with your clothing to protect yourself from possible mosquito bites,” the release added.

“Use mosquito nets even while sleeping in the day time,” it advised.

Dengue-affected persons have been advised to identify it by not only the symptoms of fever, headache, muscular pain or red skin rash, as lately it has been observed that there are some exceptions, the release noted.

It advised dengue patients from taking any other medicine except paracetamol. The patient should be given plenty of fluids, it said, requesting a dengue test at the first sign of a fever.

It cautioned patients that even after remission of fever, one can have severe complications due to dengue.

Information ministry media cell

The information ministry introduced a media cell to provide necessary information to make people aware of the necessary guidelines about dengue treatment through both print and electronic media.

It would also give out information regarding flood, relief and shelter and spread awareness over the recent child kidnapping rumors.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

China tells India: Let’s fight together against Trump’s unilateralism, protectionism

NEW DELHI — China says it values India’s concerns on the bilateral trade imbalance between the two Asian giants and is willing to discuss new approaches to address the issue, and has asked New Delhi to join Beijing in its fight against “unilateralism and protectionism” amidst a bruising trade war with the United States.

India for long has been pressing China to open its pharmaceutical market for Indian pharma exports to address the yawning trade deficit which last year according to Chinese figures, crossed US$ 57 billion in a $ 95.5 billion trade.

China’s new Ambassador to India Sun Weidong said: “China highly values India’s concerns on trade imbalance. But I have to point out that we have never deliberately pursued a trade surplus against India.”

China for its part, Sun said, has taken measures to increase import of rice and sugar and accelerated the process of review and approvals of Indian pharmaceuticals and agricultural goods.

He said latest figures show that China’s imports of Indian goods grew by 15 per cent and more Indian goods have found their way to the Chinese market.

India’s export of agricultural goods to China last year actually doubled, he said. “According to the statistics in the first half this year, India’s trade deficit against China is down by five per cent. So, I am convinced that with the concerted efforts the issue of trade imbalance between India and China will be gradually addressed,” he said.


“China and India have various channels for dialogue to talk about issues like trade imbalance. We are willing to discuss and find new approaches to address the trade imbalances with our Indian friends,” he said.

Sun also asked India to join China in the fight against unilateralism and protectionism, a reference to US President Donald Trump’s policy using tariffs as a weapon to assert his America first policy.

Trump kicked off a trade war with China last year by slapping 25 per cent duties on more than $ 250 billion of Chinese imports, demanding Beijing to reduce massive trade deficit which climbed to over $ 539 billion.

There has been a trade friction between India and the US on several issue. India wants foreign companies to store data locally and announced a review of the rules around e-commerce, moves that alarmed U.S. technology and financial giants.

Without directly referring to China’s current trade war with the US and India’s trade frictions with America, Sun said: “We are facing unprecedented challenge that is unseen in a century”. “We are both faced with the challenges from unilateralism and protectionism. So, we have to resolutely defend the multilateralism and economic globalization and stand against unilateralism and protectionism,” he said.

Without directly referring to concerns in India over China’s big push into South Asia with huge investments in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Sun referred to Beijing’s proposal in the past for a China-India Plus approach to address the issues involving these countries.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

First batch of 5G phones get quality certification in China

BEIJING — The battle over 5G smartphones has intensified in China, with the first batch of eight 5G phone models having obtained the quality certificate needed to hit the market.

Huawei Technologies Co’s four 5G models, including Mate 20X 5G and Mate X 5G, have obtained China Compulsory Certification, according to the website of the China Quality Certification Centre.

Other smartphone vendors Oppo, Vivo, ZTE and One Plus also each have one 5G model that secured the certificate.

It is worth noting that Xiaomi, Samsung and Lenovo failed to make their way into the first batch. Xiaomi said on Wednesday that it will apply to conduct quality tests next week in accordance with its product launch schedule.

Smartphones in China need to acquire three licenses before they are allowed to be sold to the public. The licenses include China Compulsory Certification, a license to allow smartphones to get connected to the 5G network, and Radio Type Approval Certification.

Oppo said on Wednesday that its Oppo Reno 5G model has already secured all of the three licenses and the phone will be available in the China market in the third quarter of this year.

Tang Hai, chief 5G scientist at Oppo, said obtaining the licenses proves that the quality and the performance of Oppo’s 5G smartphone is recognised by industry regulators. The company’s Reno 5G has already been available in Switzerland since May.

Huawei announced in June that its Mate 20X 5G had obtained the country’s first license to allow terminal telecommunication equipment to enter the 5G network in China. The company is scheduled to release the phone on its home turf on July 26.

On Wednesday, the IMT-2020(5G) Promotion Group, an organisation affiliated with the country’s top industry regulator to boost the development of the superfast technology, said Huawei’s self-developed 5G chip has already passed the tests of all networks.

Qin Fei, general manager of Vivo’s telecom research institute, said the company’s 5G smartphone will hit the streets in August and the testing speed of its model has reached one gigabit per second.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said this year will only see a very small number of 5G smartphones sold, but companies are all trying to have the first-mover advantage to appeal to consumers.

According to a report by market research company Counterpoint, global 5G smartphone shipments are expected to reach 108.2 million units in 2021, up an estimated 255 per cent year-on-year.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Vietnam plans to become leading digital economy in Asean by 2030

HANOI — Vietnam will become the leading digital country and economy in the Asean region by 2030 and allow testing of new technologies in the digital economy.

This is one of the proposals in a draft project on national digital transformation by the Authority of Information Technology Application (AITA) under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

The ministry assigned AITA to develop the project and submit it for approval in November. The project aims to realize orientations and policies of the Government to develop the economy based on digital technologies.

Speaking at a conference to review MIC’s activities in the first half of the year this week, Nguyen Thanh Phuc, AITA’s director, said in the draft all people would be able to participate in the digital economy.

Phúc said the main targets would include improving competitiveness of the economy, with an average growth rate of the digital economy reaching 20 per cent a year and labour productivity growth of 7 to 10 per cent by 2030.

The project also aims for Vietnam to be in the global top 20 and Asean top three in terms of the global competitiveness index, as well as building a transparent and effective Government to be in the world’s top 50 in terms of e-government.

In addition, the project plans to have everyone using mobile payment services by 2030.

“Electronic identification will be widely recognized and used by the State to promote not only transactions between people and Governmental agencies but also other transactions in the digital economy,” Phuc said.

The draft expects all Vietnamese people to be equipped with skills to be safe in cyberspace. ICT human resource must meet the country’s development requirements in its digital transformation.

AITA proposed that the digital transformation roadmap in Vietnam would be implemented in three periods. Accordingly, the country would digitalize industrial sectors and implement digital transformation of the economy, society and State agencies in 2020-22. It would focus on digital transformation to improve labour productivity, creating new growth momentum and competitiveness in 2023-25. Vietnam would move towards the development of a comprehensive digital economy and society in the last period of 2026 to 2030.

AITA said Vietnam had paid attention to the application and development of ICT. However, digital transformation had been ignored, thus breakthroughs in terms of models, production processes and products based on data and digital technologies had been lacking.

“For a successful digital transformation, all social components need investment, especially in resolving current shortcomings,” he added.

Network security

The Ministry of Information and Communications clarified that Vietnam needed to develop a safe network security ecosystem. Of which, there would be 100 strong network security businesses in the next two years while 50 network security products and services by Vietnamese firms would be widely used. The number of specialists in the sector would reach some 1,000 people and bring the market to US$1-2 billion by 2020.

Nguyen Huy Dung, director of the ministry’s Authority of Information Security (AIS) said although Vietnam had a modest position in the world’s network security map, the country still had opportunities to develop.

To realize the target, Vietnam’s network security products and services must be widely used around the world. There should be reputable Vietnamese experts working in the world’s leading corporations on network security. Security experts should return to Vietnam to start a business, Dung said.

“We expect a wide local market for the development of strong network security companies as well as a safe and trusted cyberspace,” he added.

Each organization and business should use at least 10 per cent of their total spending on IT to ensure network security. They should prioritize local products and services.

Statistics from the ministry show that the network security sector has seen strong development. In the first half of the year, there were 20 firms granted business registration on trading of network security products and services.

source: business.inquirer.net

It’s all in the genes: Why some people stay thin no matter what they eat

JAKARTA — It’s the question we are all dying to have answered: How can some people eat whatever they want and never seem to gain any weight?

We all know that one person. They gorge on cookies, cake, burgers and candy, but somehow manage to maintain their trim figure without lifting a finger in the gym. For those struggling to keep a healthy figure, it can be maddening to watch.

Finally, scientists might have uncovered one of the secrets about that fortunate person who seems utterly blessed in ways you wish you were.

A report by Science Alert has put it down to some people having different genetic coding that helps them stay the same weight for life. For most of us, this is not the case, and we must rely on a balanced diet alongside regular exercise to maintain a healthy figure.

Previous research has linked genetics to obesity, however, this is the first study to look at genes related to genetic thinness.

The results suggest there is indeed a “thin” mix of genes that can be inherited – or more specifically, an absence of obesity-associated genes.

“This research shows for the first time that healthy thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person’s chances of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, as some people like to suggest,” said Sadaf Farooqui, a member of the research team from the University of Cambridge.

“It’s easy to rush to judgement and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex. We have far less control over our weight than we might wish to think.”

To carry out the study, researchers compared DNA from 1,622 people with a low body mass index, 1,985 severely obese people and 10,433 people of normal weight. The patterns were clear in the coding across the three groups. Lifestyle factors were also considered, ruling out things that could be significantly contributing to participants’ weight, such as eating disorders.

Researchers found that thin people had fewer genetic variants that increase the chances of developing obesity.

Of the naturally thin people in the study, 74 percent had a family history of staying thin and healthy, confirming that the “thin” genes are not unhealthy ones to have.

Of course, the study does not show that thinness and obesity are all based on a person’s genetics. It does, however, show that people gain weight differently, and sometimes genetics can be to blame.

It does seem unfair to some that in terms of weight, we are not all on a level playing field. It is still important to bear in mind the food and lifestyle choices we make, as researchers confirmed that diet and exercise are hugely important to our overall health.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Hainan envisions China as a medical tourism destination

BEIJING — Southern China’s Hainan province has unveiled plans aimed at building the tropical island into a world-class medical tourism hub, combining high-end medical tourism with characteristic Chinese healthcare.

The move follows a plan released a week ago by the National Development and Reform Commission to encourage tourism-related activities in Hainan, such as medical tourism, horse racing, sports betting and an instant lottery.

Focusing on four key areas — medical treatment, medical cosmetology, rehabilitation and health promotion — Hainan will introduce internationally renowned institutions, insurance providers and intermediary service agencies to build a high-end foundation for the international medical tourism market, the plan said.

In 10 years, Hainan is projected to become a major medical tourism destination with total annual business revenue reaching 40 billion yuan ($5.84 billion).

Eight major tourism projects will be developed, covering fields such as cancer treatment and rehabilitation, fertility therapy, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease treatment and rehabilitation, environmental healing and sports recuperation, traditional Chinese medicine and spiritual retreat.

Medical tourism has become one of the world’s fastest-growing emerging industries, and Hainan has unique conditions for developing it, Governor Shen Xiaoming said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in April.

Under the plan, Hainan will tap its characteristic resources of vast coastal areas, tropical rainforests and hot springs to cultivate innovative healthcare and leisure products, and develop a high-end and characteristic medical tourism service system.

It will strive to establish a complete healthcare tourism service system that provides high-end, precision medical treatment and high-quality specialty in medical beauty and health promotion services, it said

To stimulate the industries, Hainan will explore flexible policies, regulatory models and management systems for investment, financing, fiscal and taxation, financial innovation, entry and exit, to create a highland for medical tourism opening up.

Worldwide, increasing convenience in transportation, expansion of the internet and improvement of people’s incomes have led to a booming medical tourism industry, which grows at about 20 percent annually around the globe. According to media reports, the business volume of medical tourism jumped to $700 billion in 2017 from $10 billion in 2000. In China, more than 600,000 people went overseas as medical tourists in 2016.

As a demonstration project, launched in 2013 by the State Council to explore international medical tourism, Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has been granted nine special preferential policies including permission to import medical technology, equipment and medicine, and cutting-edge technological research on stem cells before other parts of China.


Twenty-seven medical projects have been completed or are under construction in the pilot zone, and another 38 projects have passed medical technology appraisals. Eight projects are now open. All projects in the pilot zone are targeted to be completed within five years.

According to Shen, the pilot zone will first attract domestic patients who would otherwise travel abroad, and later patients from Southeast and even the whole of Asia. Last year, medical institutions in Sanya alone received nearly 20,000 medical tourists from overseas.

“Hainan will first attract domestic tourists with advantages of prices, convenience, language and culture over outbound medical tourism,’’ said Chen Yang­le, a professor at Hainan University’s Tourism College.

“The industry will also attract international medical institution investors. … In the long run, there will also be comparative advantages for Hainan to attract medical tourists from southeast Asian countries and other areas in terms of natural environment, favorable policies and convenient air services,’’ said Chen.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

After US hype, Asia greets ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ with a shrug

“Crazy Rich Asians” has been hailed as a win for diversity in Hollywood and sparked controversy in Singapore for its portrayal of the city-state — but in much of Asia, the movie is being greeted with little more than a shrug.

The first Tinseltown film to feature a majority-Asian cast for a generation, the adaption of author Kevin Kwan’s bestseller about Singapore’s ultra-rich Chinese elite has soared to the top of the North American box office.

The rom-com, which tells the Cinderella-like story of an ordinary Asian-American woman and her super-rich boyfriend, will likely do well in parts of Asia when it is released this week.



But it is not generating the same level of excitement as in Hollywood, where the Asian-American community has long been marginalized, and many in the region may well be wondering what all the fuss is about.

“Asians have been seeing themselves on screen in their own domestic films since cinema began,” Maggie Lee, chief Asia film critic for Variety, told AFP.

Still, those that watch the movie are likely to enjoy the film for what it is — an entertaining rom-com — and recognize the Hollywood hype is something particularly related to the Asian-American experience, she added.

Fabulous wealth, stunning clothes

A two-hour celebration of fabulous wealth, stunning clothes and idealized love, the movie’s main character is economics professor Rachel Chu — played by American actress Constance Wu — who flies to Singapore for a break with her lecturer boyfriend Nick Young.

It is only in the affluent city-state that Rachel realizes the man she has been dating for a year, played by British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding, is the scion to one of Asia’s wealthiest families.

Dazzling jewels, private jets and an imperious mother are all thrown into the mix, as Rachel seeks to navigate the world of Singapore’s super-wealthy.

The first Hollywood production since the “Joy Luck Club” in 1993 to have a majority-Asian cast, the movie has generated frenzied publicity in the US and has generally been well reviewed.


Asians have often been relegated to sidekick roles in Hollywood in recent times while there have also been much-criticized attempts at “yellowface” casting when white actors attempt to make themselves look Asian.

This was the case when Scarlett Johansson was cast in the Hollywood remake of Japanese anime classic “Ghost in the Shell”.

Other Hollywood productions, such as “The Great Wall” set in China and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” in India, have been criticized for drafting in a major white star to play the lead role or their cliche-filled representations of Asia.

‘Just a movie’ 

In Singapore, where much of the film’s action takes place, there has predictably been considerable buzz, with many curious to see how local culture is depicted and happy that their tiny country is starring in a Hollywood hit.

But some have been angered about how the film focuses primarily on the country’s ethnic Chinese, who make up about three-quarters of the city-state’s inhabitants.

The country of 5.6 million, where the film is released Wednesday, is also home to substantial ethnic Indian and Muslim Malay minorities, as well as large numbers of expatriates.

Singapore activist Kirsten Han has been strident in her criticism, writing that the movie “isn’t really a win for diverse representation.”

“What I would like to see as a Singaporean is something that reflects my country and society in all our diversity and complexity,” she said.

In other parts of Asia, the reception is likely to be much more muted, with a Hollywood production offering little real competition to booming domestic entertainment industries, from Bollywood and Korean movies to Chinese soap opera.

Even in Singapore, many accepted the film was meant to be light entertainment, rather than an attempt to accurately depict the city-state’s society.

“People, it’s just a movie,” said one Facebook post under an article on the website of broadcaster Channel NewsAsia discussing the portrayal of Singapore in the film.

“Sit back and enjoy”. NVG

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Asian stocks recover after news of US-China trade talk

Asia stocks opened sharply lower on Thursday, joining a global sell-off on concerns over Turkey’s financial crisis but later pared losses on news that China and the US would hold trade talks.

Equities across the region suffered steep losses at the opening bell, with Tokyo and Shanghai off by more than one percent, dragged down by a weak session on Wall Street as traders fretted over possible contagion from Turkey’s currency crisis.

Japan’s main Nikkei 225 index shed 1.20 percent in early trade and China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite was off by 1.17 percent after another day of volatile trading driven by Turkey.


On Wednesday, Ankara hiked tariffs on imports of several US goods in retaliation for American sanctions, the latest step in a tit-for-tat spat between the two NATO allies that shows little sign of easing.

The crisis has sent the Turkish currency into free-fall and sparked concerns that European banks and other emerging markets exposed to the unit could also suffer.

A bearish mood saw European markets close down nearly two percent and the broad US S&P 500 market off by nearly one percent.

However, the lira managed to claw back some ground after losing just under a quarter of its value on Friday and Monday, a loss that had prompted fears of a fully-fledged economic crisis in the critical emerging economy.

And equities in Asia staged a fightback after news hit the wires of upcoming talks between the US and China, currently embroiled in a trade spat that economists warn could harm the global economy.

China’s Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen, the deputy representative on international trade negotiations, will meet with a senior US treasury official, David Malpass, at the invitation of the United States, the ministry in Beijing said in a statement.

Traders saw a glimmer of hope of a detente in the ongoing trade battle that has seen the two sides hit each other with reciprocal tariffs on goods worth $34 billion, with much more threatened.

The two countries plan to launch a new round of tariffs on $16 billion worth of goods from each country on August 23.



“It is hard to tell how the talks will go but it’s a positive signal that the two countries are looking for some compromise plan,” said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

“If they were determined to fight it out, they wouldn’t meet,” he told AFP.

A few hours into the trading session, the Nikkei was back in positive territory while markets in China and Hong Kong had almost erased all of their losses.

Key figures around 0300 GMT 

Dollar/Turkish lira: STABLE at 5.98 lira

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1381 from $1.1349

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2720 from $1.2700

Dollar/yen: UP at 110.86 from 110.73 yen

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.01 percent at 22,206.66

Hong Kong – Hang Seng: DOWN 0.1 percent at 27,290.26

Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,716.31

Oil – Brent Crude: UP 45 cents at $71.21 per barrel

Oil – West Texas Intermediate: UP 14 cents at $65.15 per barrel

New York – Dow Jones: DOWN 0.5 percent at 25,162.41 (close)

London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.5 percent at 7,497.87 (close)

/vvp

source: business.inquirer.net

Threshold for foreign investors to be lowered in China

BEIJING — China plans to lower the threshold for foreign investors to make strategic investment in listed companies in the nation, which is the latest in a series of measures to further open the market.

That’s according to a draft of revised rules released by the Ministry of Commerce, which has been sent for public comments. The ministry said the revisions were drafted to expand the channels of using foreign investment and promote the healthy development of China’s securities market.

“The move is an important incentive for foreign investors to invest in China, a part of the nation’s substantial measures to further open up the economy,” said Li Shuguang, an economist and a professor at China University of Political Science and Law.

In the draft, the ministry suggested that A shares acquired by foreign investors through strategic investment are not tradable for 12 months. Under current rules, such shares are not tradable for three years.

“This shortened lockup period would create more liquidity for foreign investors, so they can control their capital flow in a much more flexible manner,” Li said.

The ministry also proposed loosening controls over the requirements for foreign investors in the draft as follows: To participate in strategic investments in listed firms in China, a foreign company must own actual overseas assets of no less than $50 million or manage actual overseas assets of no less than $300 million.

Current regulations require that a foreign firm own assets of no less than $100 million or manage assets of no less than $500 million.

Li said: “The capital threshold, according to the revised rule, would be lowered by around 50 per cent, which will generate fresh opportunities for more foreign investors to enter the Chinese market.”

The ministry suggested reviewing strategic foreign investment applications in national security related areas, in line with national security rules.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy. The government has rolled out a set of measures to facilitate foreign investment and improve business environment.

In early July, the country released a shorter negative list for free trade zones and a list applicable nationwide. The list shows areas where investment is limited or prohibited for foreign investors, with all other areas presumed to be open.

The new list reduces the number of sectors restricted for foreign investors to 45 in all free trade zones, from 95 last year.

Wei Jianguo, a former vice-minister of commerce, said China’s stance on opening-up has offered and will continue to, offer opportunities for other countries to share the benefits of its growth.

source: business.inquirer.net

Canada will show us if pot is beneficial

BANGKOK — Starting in October, marijuana will be entirely legal in Canada, where lawmakers passed sweeping cannabis legalization last week. Recreational use of pot and hashish by adults will be lawful, and the decision should have a much farther-reaching impact. Interest in the purported health benefits of cannabis will now considerably increase.

While several nations have decriminalized marijuana in part or by region or jurisdiction, Uruguay was until now the only country to legalize it across the board. Canada follows suit with the Cannabis Act, which allows each of the 10 provinces to devise its own system of licensing and regulating related business.

“It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “Today, we change that.” The change is in fact sure to make it even easier for “kids” to access marijuana, if their parents are buying and using it without fear of prosecution, but it will also indeed sever the profits going to illicit dealers, which of course cannot be taxed.


The Canadian move is extremely bold. Critics are howling, but the law displays a political resoluteness based in no small measure on faith. The health benefits of cannabis continue to be debated, but the dispute cannot be resolved without serious, long-term research, and perhaps the Canadian experiment will enable that. Meanwhile, what’s about to happen in Canada will have other members of the international community reviewing their attitudes towards a plant that’s been used since primitive times as a mild intoxicant.

Thailand is among the nations linked unfavorably to marijuana. It is not only a supply source, but also has tough laws that class “ganja” as a dangerous narcotic – as well as inconsistent enforcement of those laws. Its stance and its overseas reputation aren’t going to change anytime soon, but the authorities have at least given hints of progressive thinking, mooting a proposal to allow cannabis to be cultivated for health research.

If health benefits are established, doctors might have a valuable new tool, not least in easing the pain and discomfort of diseases. But such a drastic development might also explain why academic interest in marijuana has been limited. The medical establishment might be clinging to the status quo.In the US, nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis, but federally it remains classified as a prohibited drug because there is no official proof of medical merit, and instead high potential for abuse. Thailand too, and most countries, await the evidence it can do some good.

So let’s get on with the serious research. Scientists around the world should be pooling resources and dissecting the claims made for marijuana’s wholesome benefits. Shown proof the benefits exist, politicians would have to choose between public health and conservative reluctance. First comes the science, then the politics.

Few young people today believe cannabis is harmful, apart from coughing when it’s smoked. But doubt has been renewed recently with declarations that the touted medicinal benefits have been inadequately researched. Canada’s leap of faith might turn out to be a terrible mistake, but it has at least encouraged other nations to consider long-overdue action and launch unbiased and unhindered research that will either give the world a minor medical miracle or prove it was all just a pipe dream.

source: opinion.inquirer.net