Show proof that missing Chinese star Peng Shuai is safe, says Women's Tennis Association head - The Straits Times

BEIJING - Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) head Steve Simon on Thursday (Nov 18) called for proof that missing tennis star Peng Shuai is safe, after he received an e-mail allegedly from Ms Peng seeking to gag the professional organisation. 

The former world doubles No. 1 player has not been seen in public since Nov 2, right after she supposedly accused former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing himself on her three years ago.

The non-consensual act had purportedly happened after Mr Zhang, 75, invited Ms Peng, 35, to play tennis with him and his wife at his house. It also apparently rekindled an extramarital affair that ended only on Nov 2, after Mr Zhang started ignoring Ms Peng. 

The two had been romantically involved before, when they first met seven years ago.

Her purported 1,500-word account that was posted on her official Weibo page on Nov 2 - based on screenshots seen by The Straits Times - can no longer be found. A search on Chinese search engine Baidu using Ms Peng’s and Mr Zhang’s names yielded no results.

Media reports noted that her Weibo post was taken down within 30 minutes.

In her supposed e-mail to the WTA, Ms Peng had sought to assure Mr Simon that she was not missing, nor was she in any danger. The screenshot of the e-mail did not carry a date. 

She said that the sexual assault allegations were not true, and that Mr Simon and the WTA should check with her first before running any news about her. 

“I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine,” she added.

Mr Simon said in a WTA statement that he doubted the origins of the e-mail he received, which was first shared by Chinese state broadcaster CGTN on Twitter at 1.36am on Thursday.

Mr Simon said that CGTN’s tweet in the wee hours “only raises my concerns” about Ms Peng’s safety and whereabouts.

“I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the e-mail... or believes what is being attributed to her,” he said.

“The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail,” he added.

On Sunday, Mr Simon had called for Chinese authorities to investigate Ms Peng’s allegations against Mr Zhang, who was China’s first-ranked vice-premier and a member of China’s most powerful Politburo Standing Committee between 2013 and 2018 under President Xi Jinping.

He told The New York Times that the tour would consider stopping its business in China if it did not see “appropriate results” . 
Grand Slam champions Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka and Chris Evert have also expressed similar worries about Ms Peng’s safety earlier this week.

The e-mail that Mr Simon received marks the latest development in the mystery surrounding China’s most high-profile sexual assault allegation to date, involving the highest echelons of the Communist Party of China.

Mr Zhang has yet to respond to Ms Peng’s allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday that he was unaware of the matter, and that it was not a diplomatic issue.

Former Chinese vice-premier Zhang Gaoli has yet to respond to Ms Peng Shuai's allegations. PHOTO: AFP

Photos of Ms Peng wearing a pendant bearing the letter "Z" during matches from years ago quickly began circulating after screenshots of her allegations went viral on messaging app WeChat.

Before the photos were taken down, media reports have also questioned whether the pendant was a gift from Mr Zhang.

Snippets of earlier interviews showed Ms Peng responding coyly to reporters when asked her then if the pendant was significant, and that she did not provide a clear reply to their queries. 

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2021-11-18 12:58:41Z
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Explainer-Delta dominates the world, but scientists watch for worrisome offspring - Yahoo Singapore News

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus now accounts for nearly all of the coronavirus infections globally, fueled by unchecked spread of the novel coronavirus in many parts of the world. So far, vaccines are still able to defend against serious disease and death from Delta, but scientists remain on alert.

Here is what we know:

DELTA - STILL DOMINANT

The Delta variant, first detected in India in December 2020, remains the most worrisome version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The World Health Organization classifies Delta as a variant of concern, a category that means the variant is capable of increasing transmissibility, causing more severe disease or reducing the benefit of vaccines and treatments.

Delta's "superpower" is its transmissibility, according to Shane Crotty, a virologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego.

Delta is more than two times as contagious as previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies suggest it may be more likely to put infected people in the hospital than prior forms of the virus.

Delta also can cause symptoms two to three days sooner than the original coronavirus, giving the immune system less time to mount a defense.

People infected with Delta carry around 1,200 times more virus in their noses compared with the original version of the coronavirus. The amount of virus in vaccinated individuals who become infected with Delta is on par with those who are unvaccinated, and both can transmit the virus to others.

In vaccinated people, however, the amount of virus drops more quickly, so they likely spread the virus for a shorter time.

According to the WHO, Delta makes up 99.5% of all genomic sequences reported to public databases and has "outcompeted" other variants in most countries.

A key exception is South America, where Delta has spread more gradually, and other variants previously seen as possible global threats - notably Gamma, Lambda and Mu - still contribute to a significant proportion of reported cases.

DELTA OFFSPRING

Given Delta's global dominance, many vaccine experts now believe that all future variants will be offshoots of Delta.

One notable Delta "grandchild" is known as AY.4.2 and is concentrated largely in the UK, where it makes up roughly 10% of sequenced virus samples.

AY.4.2 carries two additional mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter cells. Scientists are still studying what advantage, if any, these mutations confer.

The UK Health Security Agency has designated the AY.4.2 a "Variant Under Investigation." A preliminary analysis suggests it does not significantly impair vaccine effectiveness compared with Delta, but there is some evidence that it could be slightly more transmissible, the agency said.

According to the WHO, AY.4.2 has spread to at least 42 countries, including the United States.

MORE ON THE WAY?

Virus experts are closely watching the evolution of Delta, looking for any sign that it has acquired mutations that would allow the highly transmissible variant to pierce the immune protection of vaccines and natural infection.

Even so, while current vaccines prevent severe disease and death, they do not block infection. The virus is still capable of replicating in the nose, even among vaccinated people, who can then transmit the disease through tiny, aerosolized droplets.

To defeat SARS-CoV-2 will likely require a new generation of vaccines that also block transmission, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccine developer at the Mayo Clinic. Until then, Poland and other experts say, the world remains vulnerable.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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A 28-Year-Old Aims to Build Southeast Asia's Top Solar Farm - Bloomberg

The Ivy League-educated son of a prominent Philippine congresswoman wants to build the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia using proceeds from an initial public offering next month.

Leandro Leviste, 28, will seek to raise as much as 2.7 billion pesos ($54 million) by selling shares in Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp., a unit of his Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. 

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2021-11-16 01:46:00Z
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Australia property market ignores China snub as Singapore, US funds rush in - South China Morning Post

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Australia property market ignores China snub as Singapore, US funds rush in  South China Morning Post
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2021-11-15 23:30:20Z
CAIiELjjx4IapeLU8Q-5XCubvFoqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowief2CjCJ2dUCMMuZxwU

Delta dominates the world, but scientists watch for worrisome offspring - CNA

CHICAGO: The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus now accounts for nearly all of the coronavirus infections globally, fuelled by unchecked spread of the novel coronavirus in many parts of the world. So far, vaccines are still able to defend against serious disease and death from Delta, but scientists remain on alert.

Here is what we know:

DELTA - STILL DOMINANT

The Delta variant, first detected in India in December 2020, remains the most worrisome version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The World Health Organization classifies Delta as a variant of concern, a category that means the variant is capable of increasing transmissibility, causing more severe disease or reducing the benefit of vaccines and treatments.

Delta's "superpower" is its transmissibility, according to Shane Crotty, a virologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego.

Delta is more than two times as contagious as previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies suggest it may be more likely to put infected people in the hospital than prior forms of the virus.

Delta also can cause symptoms two to three days sooner than the original coronavirus, giving the immune system less time to mount a defense.

People infected with Delta carry around 1,200 times more virus in their noses compared with the original version of the coronavirus. The amount of virus in vaccinated individuals who become infected with Delta is on par with those who are unvaccinated, and both can transmit the virus to others.

In vaccinated people, however, the amount of virus drops more quickly, so they likely spread the virus for a shorter time.

According to the WHO, Delta makes up 99.5 per cent of all genomic sequences reported to public databases and has "outcompeted" other variants in most countries.

A key exception is South America, where Delta has spread more gradually, and other variants previously seen as possible global threats - notably Gamma, Lambda and Mu - still contribute to a significant proportion of reported cases.

DELTA OFFSPRING

Given Delta's global dominance, many vaccine experts now believe that all future variants will be offshoots of Delta.

One notable Delta "grandchild" is known as AY.4.2 and is concentrated largely in the UK, where it makes up roughly 10 per cent of sequenced virus samples.

AY.4.2 carries two additional mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter cells. Scientists are still studying what advantage, if any, these mutations confer.

The UK Health Security Agency has designated the AY.4.2 a "Variant Under Investigation." A preliminary analysis suggests it does not significantly impair vaccine effectiveness compared with Delta, but there is some evidence that it could be slightly more transmissible, the agency said.

According to the WHO, AY.4.2 has spread to at least 42 countries, including the United States.

MORE ON THE WAY?

Virus experts are closely watching the evolution of Delta, looking for any sign that it has acquired mutations that would allow the highly transmissible variant to pierce the immune protection of vaccines and natural infection.

Even so, while current vaccines prevent severe disease and death, they do not block infection. The virus is still capable of replicating in the nose, even among vaccinated people, who can then transmit the disease through tiny, aerosolised droplets.

To defeat SARS-CoV-2 will likely require a new generation of vaccines that also block transmission, according to Dr Gregory Poland, a vaccine developer at the Mayo Clinic. Until then, Poland and other experts say, the world remains vulnerable.

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2021-11-15 19:44:11Z
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Police appeal to find man, 32, after elderly woman raped in own home - Yahoo Singapore News

Brady Hickman was spotted in Minchinhampton, near Stroud, on Sunday. (Gloucestershire Police)

Police have released new images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the rape of an elderly woman at her home in Gloucester.

Detectives are trying to trace Brady Hickman, 32, after the pensioner was attacked at an address in Linden in the early hours of Thursday.

Police warned people not to approach Hickman who is described as "a real danger" to the public

Hickman was spotted in Minchinhampton, near Stroud, on CCTV footage between 7.37am and 7.52am on Sunday.

Read more: Joyrider leads police on 'ridiculous' 115mph car chase

Brady Hickman has links to Tetbury, Gloucester city centre, Coney Hill, Stroud and Quedgeley. (Gloucestershire Police)

Gloucestershire Constabulary released images of 5ft 8in Hickman who has dark brown hair, and is of slim build with tattoos on his right hand.

He is thought to be travelling on a blue mountain bike, which he is pictured with.

Hickman has links to Tetbury, Gloucester city centre, Coney Hill, Stroud and Quedgeley.

Police also released a CCTV image of Hickman from accommodation in Gloucester on Thursday.

Read more: Man who drowned 17-year-old ‘friend’ after robbing him is jailed for life

Gloucestershire Constabulary released images of 5ft 8in Hickman. (Gloucestershire Police)

Detective Sergeant Faye Satchwell-Bennett said: "This individual represents a real danger to the public, so we would please ask members of the public not to approach him and to instead contact police immediately.

"I also appeal directly to Brady Hickman to come forward and hand himself into police."

Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to call 999 and quote incident number 169 of 14 November, or phone 01452753035 directly.

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Some women observe period changes after Covid-19 jab; effects temporary, vaccines are safe, say gynaecologists - TODAY

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1. Some women observe period changes after Covid-19 jab; effects temporary, vaccines are safe, say gynaecologists  TODAY
2. Can the Covid-19 jab give me an irregular period?  TimesLIVE
3. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-11-14 08:02:40Z
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