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Kamis, 25 April 2024

Heatstroke kills 30 in Thailand this year as kingdom bakes - theSun

BANGKOK: Thailand issued fresh warnings about scorching hot weather on Thursday as the government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year.

City authorities in Bangkok gave an extreme heat warning as the heat index was expected to rise above 52 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).

Temperatures in the concrete sprawl of the Thai capital hit 40.1 C on Wednesday and similar levels were forecast for Thursday.

A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted parts of South and Southeast Asia this week, prompting schools across the Philippines to suspend classes and worshippers in Bangladesh to pray for rain.

The heat index -- a measure of what the temperature feels like taking into account humidity, wind speed and other factors -- was at an “extremely dangerous” level in Bangkok, the city’s environment department warned.

Authorities in Udon Thani province, in the kingdom's rural northeast, also warned of blazing temperatures on Thursday.

The health ministry said late Wednesday that 30 people had died from heatstroke between January 1 and April 17, compared with 37 in the whole of 2023.

Direk Khampaen, deputy director-general of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, told AFP that officials were urging elderly people and those with underlying medical conditions including obesity to stay indoors and drink water regularly.

April is typically the hottest time of the year in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern.

Last year saw record levels of heat stress across the globe, with the United Nations weather and climate agency saying Asia was warming at a particularly rapid pace.

The kingdom has sweltered through a heatwave this week, with a temperature of 44.2 C recorded in the northern province of Lampang on Monday -- just shy of the all-time national record of 44.6 C hit last year.

Across the border in Myanmar, the temperature reached a blazing 45.9 C on Wednesday, with more of the same expected Thursday.

The chaos and conflict unleashed by the military's 2021 coup has led to rolling power blackouts in much of the country, hampering people's ability to keep cool with fans and air-conditioning.

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2024-04-25 08:03:00Z
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Malaysia mulls over casino as part of Special Economic Zone plans to boost Forest City, say sources - The Straits Times

Such a development is among proposals for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is looking at allowing a casino to operate in the RM450 billion (S$128.5 billion) Forest City project in Johor, which would revitalise the troubled reclaimed islands.

Sources with knowledge of the discussions told The Straits Times that such a development is among proposals for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ), an integrated commercial and investment hub to ease movement of goods and people between the two countries.

Bloomberg had reported that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Berjaya Corp founder Vincent Tan as well as Genting Group chief Lim Kok Thay at Forest City in mid-April with Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, who also began his five-year term as Malaysia’s King in January, also represented. Genting controls Malaysia’s only casino and operates Sentosa’s Resorts World Sentosa, one of two integrated resorts (IRs) in Singapore. The other IR is operated by Marina Bay Sands.

An official source, who asked not to be named, confirmed the premier’s presence at the development during his April 18 visit to Johor, during which he proclaimed the southern state would be Malaysia’s most developed with economic growth outpacing the rest of the country.

The PM’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting that was among several on April 18 focused on the SEZ as well as a Special Financial Zone – offering special tax rates and visas – in Forest City.

“Interestingly, gaming is one of the key sectors to be promoted under the SEZ for Forest City,” the source told ST.

However, opening a second casino in Malaysia could prompt political backlash from the Malay-Muslim majority which Datuk Seri Anwar’s government is already struggling to win over. About two-thirds of these voters backed the opposition in 2023 polls to elect new administrations in six states.

Although Johor’s state government claimed on April 22 that 70 per cent of properties in Forest City have been sold, it has repeatedly been dubbed a “ghost town” due to low occupancy. PHOTO: FOREST CITY

But proponents of a casino see such a development as a boon for the 2,000ha Forest City township, off Singapore’s western coast and about four times the size of Sentosa, as well as for the wider Johor economy.

Several Johor-based businessmen also told ST that proposals for a casino in Johor have been mooted for over a decade, as south Johor’s Iskandar region, conceived as a development corridor in 2006, has failed to live up to expectations.

“There has not been a strong pull factor. A casino would have major spillover effects as high-value individuals would make footfall here and boost other commercial sectors,” one tycoon with wide business interests in the state told ST.

Although Johor’s state government claimed on April 22 that 70 per cent of properties in Forest City have been sold, it has repeatedly been dubbed a “ghost town” due to low occupancy.

Forest City is being built by a joint-venture company led by Chinese developer Country Garden Holdings. Sultan Ibrahim himself controls about a fifth of the joint-venture firm.

Although politically sensitive as Islam prohibits gambling, those that support the idea note that the existing casino in Genting Highlands has operated for over half a century without any issue as regulations bar Muslims from entering the gaming halls. Many Muslims visit Genting Highlands to enjoy other attractions such as theme parks, restaurants and retail shops in the cool mountain air.

According to its annual reports, Genting Malaysia – which mainly runs the highland resort, a couple of beach resorts in Malaysia and small operations overseas – contributed nearly RM5 billion to government coffers annually before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

A similar boost from a new gaming-centred attraction would help ease the Anwar administration’s struggles to rein in the fiscal deficit having inherited over RM1.5 trillion in debt and liabilities.

In a note to clients, UOB-Kay Hian said that if the new casino materialises, it would likely not impact Genting Highlands which is largely frequented by Klang Valley visitors while “Genting Singapore has a different landscape and customer profile” and “cannibalisation from a potential Forest City casino will eventually be digested”.

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2024-04-25 05:25:00Z
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Some young Hong Kongers turn to youth hostels as housing crisis persists - CNA

YOUTHS ATTEMPT TO SAVE FOR FUTURE HOUSING

In 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for young Hong Kongers to receive help in housing purchases, studies, employment, and entrepreneurship.

“Hong Kong will only prosper when its young people thrive,” he said.

Shortly after that, a project to provide young people with affordable and better quality housing in the city kicked into higher gear – including Mr Chan’s youth hostel, located on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, another type of housing in Hong Kong has attracted scores of negative headlines over the years.

Many people, including youths, have turned to subdivided flats or cage homes due to insufficient housing supply. The current average wait time for public housing is 5.8 years.

More than 214,000 people live in such cramped, tiny apartments – some the size of a parking lot, with Ms Sophie Li being one of them.

The 32-year-old’s family members had either passed away or left Hong Kong by the time she graduated from university, leaving her to find a place of her own, she told CNA.

She capped her housing expenses to one-third of her income, at about HK$6,000 (US$766) a month. A subdivided flat was the only viable option for her budget if she wanted to stay relatively close to the city centre.

“I earn around HK$20,000 per month, and the rent here is HK$5,300. It’s about HK$5,500 per month if I include water and electricity. Every month, I can have a few thousand dollars in savings,” added Ms Li, who works in the media industry.

Ms Zerlina Zeng, head of East Asia corporates at financial research firm CreditSights, told CNA’s East Asia Tonight programme that despite government intervention, housing remains out of reach for young residents.

Hong Kong authorities have made efforts to increase the availability of land for both private and public homes.

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2024-04-25 07:08:44Z
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Rabu, 24 April 2024

TikTok CEO expects to defeat US ban threat: ‘We aren’t going anywhere’ - South China Morning Post

In 2020, Trump was blocked by the courts in his bid to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat, a unit of Tencent, in the United States.

02:15

Singaporeans fume over US lawmaker grilling of TikTok CEO

Chew added: “Make no mistake – this is a ban on TikTok.” He emphasised that TikTok would continue to operate as the company challenges the restrictions.

Driven by widespread worries among US lawmakers that China could access Americans’ data or surveil them with the app, the bill was overwhelmingly passed late on Tuesday by the US Senate. The US House of Representatives approved it on Saturday.

The four-year battle over TikTok is a significant front in a war over the internet and technology between Washington and Beijing. Last week, Apple said China had ordered it to remove Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China over Chinese national security concerns.

TikTok is set to challenge the bill on First Amendment grounds and TikTok users are also expected to again take legal action. A US judge in Montana in November blocked a state ban on TikTok, citing free-speech grounds.

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it

The American Civil Liberties Union said banning or requiring divestiture of TikTok would “set an alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms”.

However, the new legislation is likely to give the Biden administration a stronger legal footing to ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to divest the app, experts say.

If ByteDance failed to divest TikTok, app stores operated by Apple, Alphabet’s Google and others could not legally offer TikTok or provide Web hosting services to ByteDance-controlled applications or TikTok’s website.

The bill would also give the White House new tools to ban or force the sale of other foreign-owned apps it deems to be security threats.

04:16

‘I think there might be a bias’: Young Americans address China fears amid potential TikTok ban

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said he was concerned the bill “provides broad authority that could be abused by a future administration to violate Americans’ First Amendment rights”.

Trump said on Monday that President Joe Biden was “pushing” for a ban on TikTok and would be the one responsible if a ban were imposed, urging voters to take notice.

Biden’s re-election campaign plans to continue using TikTok, a campaign official said on Wednesday. Trump’s campaign has not joined the platform.

TikTok is also under pressure across the Atlantic.

TikTok responds to EU ultimatum on risks of new TikTok Lite app

On Wednesday, it announced the suspension of a feature in its spin-off TikTok Lite app in France and Spain that rewards users for watching and liking videos, after the European Union launched a probe.

TikTok said the suspension would remain “while we address the concerns that they have raised”.

TikTok Lite is a smaller version of the popular TikTok app, taking up less memory in a smartphone and made to perform over slower internet connections.

It arrived in France and Spain – the only EU countries where it is available – in March. Users aged 18 and over can earn points to exchange for goods like vouchers or gift cards through the app’s rewards programme.

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton addresses a media conference regarding the Digital Markets Act at EU headquarters in Brussels in March. Photo: AP

The European Commission on Monday announced an investigation into TikTok Lite, and threatened to have the rewards programme suspended, raising concerns about the risk to users’ mental health.

The commission demanded TikTok provide more information by a Wednesday deadline, along with any defence against the threatened suspension.

The commission’s top tech enforcer, Thierry Breton, said the EU investigation would continue, stating: “Our children are not guinea pigs for social media.”

“We suspect that this [rewards] feature could generate addiction and that TikTok did not do a diligent risk assessment and take effective mitigation measures prior to its launch,” he said.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse

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2024-04-24 19:18:23Z
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'Black hole' of alluring content: Chinese social media apps like Xiaohongshu pull in S'pore users - The Straits Times

YouTuber sisters Michy (left) and Tiffanie Lim began exploring Xiaohongshu and Douyin to reach a wider audience, while FoodStamp.SG founder Marcus Goh started a Xiaohongshu account for his business. PHOTOS: TIFFWITHMI, FOODSTAMP.SG

BEIJING – Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu has been Ms Eldrida Yeong’s constant companion as she navigates her way around the kitchen.

A week ago, as the 26-year-old senior programme executive was planning to make a tomato beef short rib stew, the Singaporean looked up 10 recipes on the Instagram-like photo- and video-sharing app before adapting them for her own dish.

“Xiaohongshu users seem to just be blogging their thoughts; there’s a more authentic vibe as compared with TikTok and Instagram,” said Ms Yeong, who has been an avid user since 2021.

“As part of the Chinese diaspora, it’s interesting to connect – though we are not China Chinese, it’s interesting to think about how back then my ancestors did come from this country,” she added.

Like her, other users in Singapore have been drawn in big numbers to Chinese social media apps, in particular Xiaohongshu and Douyin, in the last five years, following the Covid-19 pandemic that saw people with more time on their hands turn towards the content-rich apps.

Topics such as beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel and food have scored with Singaporeans, while users have lauded these apps’ effective algorithms for pushing relevant content.

When asked, Xiaohongshu, which means “little red book” in Chinese, said it could not provide figures on its user base, but a marketing company based in Singapore that utilises the app estimates there are about 600,000 users in the Republic.

The number of active users globally is now estimated to be at least 300 million, with Singapore, Malaysia and Japan among its top overseas markets, according to digital marketing agency MediaOne.

In Singapore, the user demographic is about 80 per cent female, and largely from the 18 to 35 age group, said Ms June Goh, chief operating officer at MediaOne, citing market research.

Young Singaporeans comfortable in Chinese are tapping these apps’ ability to bring together functions from Instagram, Pinterest and Google as they seek to keep updated with Chinese trends, products and entertainment.

One passionate fan is Ms Zhang Zhi Xuan, 28, who catches up daily on behind-the-scenes clips of her favourite Chinese dramas on Xiaohongshu, while also scrolling through memes of cartoon beaver Zanmang Loopy, a favourite among young Chinese who love its sassy personality.

She began using the app two years ago on the recommendation of a friend. “Xiaohongshu is now among my most used social media apps, about the same as Instagram,” she noted.

“Close to no one” in Singapore was using the app before the pandemic, said Deren Marketing director Lou Peng, though it launched in 2013.

Originally a shopping and product-review platform, the app has since become an all-encompassing lifestyle and e-commerce one.

While the privately held Shanghai start-up has not disclosed its earnings, the Financial Times reported in March that it generated US$500 million (S$680 million) in net profit in 2023 on revenues of US$3.7 billion, citing sources.

Another app gaining popularity in Singapore is Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Meant for the Chinese market, it cannot be downloaded through app stores outside China.

But that has not stopped users like communications professional Emily Goh from finding a way to access it through a direct file download.

The 27-year-old downloaded Douyin in August 2018 – before TikTok was popular – after being told about the app by a friend who used it for “light-hearted content” such as comedic skits and Chinese jokes related to the local culture.

When the pandemic hit, she found herself “sucked into its black hole”, indulging in woodworking videos, do-it-yourself content and live streams of people eating.

When asked if Douyin tracks statistics of overseas users, its spokesperson said only that the app is not available for download in app stores outside China.

The waves of Singaporeans on Xiaohongshu and Douyin have spurred local influencers and businesses to jump on board.

Mr Marcus Goh, 30, founder of FoodStamp.SG, started a Xiaohongshu account for his business in June 2023. He was previously on only Facebook, where he has 36,000 followers, and Instagram, on which he has 25,000 followers.

“Xiaohongshu users will search when they need something, as compared with Facebook and Instagram, where users have to be persuaded. Their purchasing power is even stronger,” he said.

Another benefit of the app is that a user does not need a sizeable number of followers for a large reach, added Mr Goh. The FoodStamp.SG account, which recommends food spots in Singapore, has 9,200 followers, but more than 60,000 likes and each post has over 10,000 views, he noted.

“This is a good chance for small to medium-sized enterprises to get on it; since not many businesses are on the app yet, you can have first-mover advantage and benefits.”

Influencers and businesses are also hoping to reach the China market through these apps.

YouTuber sisters Tiffanie and Michy Lim, both in their 20s, started their channel TiffwithMi five years ago and have garnered more than 700,000 subscribers. They started posting actively on Xiaohongshu recently, while their shared Douyin account has 40,000 followers.

While their YouTube and Instagram followers are largely in Singapore and Malaysia, Ms Michy Lim said the pair want to expand to China as the Singapore market is small.

They have more targeted content on Douyin, where they upload shorter, funny lifestyle videos.

Mr Melvin Lim, chief executive and co-founder of real estate firm PropertyLimBrothers, said it started its Xiaohongshu and Douyin accounts in 2022, to reach Chinese buyers looking for properties in Singapore.

It now produces videos specifically for Xiaohongshu users, rather than using the same content from its Instagram account, he added.

“Over the last few years, Chinese audiences looking for real estate have increased, so we want to reach them as they may not be on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok as they cannot access them in China,” Mr Lim said.

The majority of its Xiaohongshu and Douyin views come from Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, he noted.

“It’s a bit of a long game for marketing strategy, since they are not in Singapore, but we thought it is worth putting some resources there,” he added.

But it is not all smooth sailing for the Chinese social media apps. TikTok, the international version of ByteDance’s short-form video app, has been facing headwinds in other parts of the world. Chinese-owned ByteDance is Douyin’s parent company.

The US Senate just passed a Bill giving TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, about nine months to divest of the US assets of the short-video app, or face a nationwide ban, following worries that the Chinese government could tap TikTok’s trove of personal data.

Countries such as Australia and Britain have banned TikTok from government staff devices amid cyber-security concerns, while Canada has ordered a national security review of the app after implementing a similar ban on phones.

In Singapore, these apps are among the likely factors that have contributed to Singaporeans’ favourable view of China, said Dr Terence Lee, a professor of politics and communication at the Sheridan Institute of Higher Education in Perth, Australia.

He cited a 2021 study by American think-tank Pew Research Centre, where the Republic stood out in the region as the only country with a favourable disposition on China.

“This presents a problem because being an outlier on global China sentiments makes Singapore an attractive place for the Chinese government to exert greater influence (so it can spiral),” he said.

On whether these apps contribute to China’s soft power, MediaOne chief executive Tom Koh pointed out that the notion of what was considered beauty, art or quality entertainment used to be very Hollywood-centric but is increasingly becoming more North Asian.

“Korea is leading with Japan a distant third, but China at second is closing the gap. These notions are changing due to these platforms,” he said.

Xiaohongshu is certainly a good fit for Ms Joelle Fong, 45, who likes the user-verified nutritious recipes and workout videos.

“I can see users comment on whether a particular exercise worked for them and these reviews feel more genuine on Xiaohongshu,” said the spine surgeon who now uses the app more than Facebook and Instagram.

Popular Chinese social media apps

WeChat

Launched in 2011 by Tencent
Headquartered in Shenzhen
Estimated total monthly active users: 1.3 billion

WeChat began as a simple messenger app a la WhatsApp. It has since grown to become a social media platform and is one of China’s most frequently used mobile payment apps as the country moves towards becoming cashless.

Weibo

Launched in 2009 by Sina Corporation
Headquartered in Beijing
Estimated total monthly active users: 600 million

A microblogging service akin to X, formerly known as Twitter, Weibo is where many personalities, brands and organisations set up official accounts to reach followers.

Xiaohongshu

Launched in 2013
Headquartered in Shanghai
Estimated total monthly active users: 300 million

Meant to be a place for users to share product reviews, Xiaohongshu has more recently been called China’s answer to Instagram. It covers a range of lifestyle topics from travel to beauty, and allows users to share photos and videos with lengthy captions.

Douyin

Launched in 2016 by ByteDance
Headquartered in Beijing
Estimated total monthly active users: 750 million

The video-sharing app is known for short clips of light-hearted content such as viral dances or challenges, food plus beauty and make-up recommendations. It has since expanded to e-commerce.

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2024-04-24 11:05:00Z
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'Northern Lights' coming to Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay in May - The Straits Times

The Borealis is an immersive experience which is accompanied by a dreamy soundtrack. ST PHOTOS & VIDEOS: LIM YAOHUI

Thirty lasers and cloud machines are mounted on the trunks of the Supertrees to create the "aurora". ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE – People in Singapore will soon be able to get a feel of the Northern Lights, which can usually be seen only in the northern parts of the world, such as Norway, Iceland and Finland.

On May 5, a new light installation called Borealis will make its debut at Gardens by the Bay.

The installation is timely because in 2024, natural occurrences of the Northern Lights will be at an all-time high in more than two decades due to the peak of the solar cycle.

During an exclusive preview on April 22, The Straits Times had a glimpse of how the light experience by Switzerland-based artist Dan Acher is being created in Singapore.

Thirty lasers and cloud machines are mounted on the trunks of the Supertrees to create the visual effect of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, shrouding the Supertree Grove. The “aurora” is formed by laser light passing through cloud particles generated by the machines.

The display is accompanied by a dreamy soundtrack scored by French composer Guillaume Desbois.

The immersive experience has so far travelled to 40 cities in Europe, Australia, US and Asia.

It will run at the Gardens from 9pm to 9.30pm every Saturday and Sunday, and from 8pm to 8.30pm on Mondays. Visitors can view the installation free.

It will join the staple line-up of night activities at Supertree Grove, such as the nightly Garden Rhapsody light and sound show.

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2024-04-24 05:30:39Z
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Selasa, 23 April 2024

FBI chief warns on TikTok as Senate set to back ban - CNA

The popular app has come under scrutiny from lawmakers accusing it of being under Chinese government influence, while supporters have decried a ban as a free speech infringement.

The Bill would give ByteDance as long as a year to sell TikTok or be banned in the United States, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

Likely buyers for TikTok would be Microsoft or Oracle, the analyst said in a note to investors.

"The broader worry is retaliation from China could come from this forced sale/ban of TikTok and add more pressure for regulatory and geopolitical headwinds US companies face ... within mainland China," Ives added.

Meta is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of a TikTok ban, with fans of the app resorting to Facebook or Instagram.

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2024-04-24 01:16:00Z
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