Ageing pope admits he must slow down, or quit - CNA

In 2014, a year into his papacy, Pope Francis told reporters that if his health got in the way of his functions as pope, he would consider stepping down.

In May, as reported in the Italian media, Pope Francis joked about his knee during a closed-door meeting with bishops, saying: "Rather than operate, I'll resign."

"The door is open, it's one of the normal options, but up until now I haven't knocked on this door," he said Saturday.

"But that doesn't mean the day after tomorrow I don't start thinking, right? But right now I honestly don't.

"Also this trip was a little bit the test. It is true that you cannot make trips in this state, you have to maybe change the style a little bit, decrease, pay off the debts of the trips you still have to make, rearrange.

"But the Lord will tell. The door is open, that is true."

INTENSE SPECULATION

The comments come after intense speculation about Pope Francis's future, after he was forced to cancel a string of events due to his knee pain including a trip to Africa planned for earlier this month.

Talk was also fuelled by his decision to call an extraordinary consistory for Aug 27, a slow summer month at the Vatican, to create 21 new cardinals - 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave.

Benedict's decision to quit caused shockwaves through the Catholic Church. He was first pope to resign since the Middle Ages, but the precedent has now been set.

"In all honesty, it is not a catastrophe, it is possible to change pope, it is possible to change, no problem! But I think I have to limit myself a bit with these efforts," Pope Francis said on Saturday.

He mostly used a wheelchair during his trip to Canada, where he offered a historic apology for decades of abuse of Indigenous children at residential schools run by the Catholic Church.

But he did stand up in his "popemobile" to greet crowds.

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2022-07-30 12:15:00Z
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Safety in the spotlight in Hong Kong after string of Mirror boy band concert accidents - CNA

“SORRY FOR MAKING EVERYONE WORRY”

In an incident on Tuesday, Mirror member Frankie Chan lost his footing and fell about a metre off the edge of the stage while giving a speech. He later posted on social media, saying: "Sorry for making everyone worry … Only some bruises. I'm a lucky man." 

The night before, local media reported that band member Anson Kong nearly fell off a rising platform he was dancing on, adding that the structure and other stage features were shaking and wobbling under the weight of performers.

Fans also filmed other Mirror members appearing to miss dance steps while on dimly lit and fenceless structures, some suspended in mid-air.

An online petition urging concert organisers to better ensure safety was launched on Tuesday night, garnering more than 13,000 signatures since.

The Hong Kong government also contacted the organisers that same night to demand improvements, resulting in “dangerous moves” being cancelled and fences installed at the next performance on Wednesday, according to local media.

Thursday’s incident – where the audience can be heard screaming in horror in distressing footage being circulated online – was the final straw for the Hong Kong government, which has halted the Mirror concert series until the stage production can be proven safe. 

Hong Kong film stalwart Louis Koo, who is president of the city’s performing artistes guild, on Friday morning called for people to stop reposting the accident clips.

The key thing is to review the safety issues to avoid repeating the same mistakes, he said on social media.

Fellow entertainer Aaron Kwok meanwhile spoke out against reports that Mirror performers had only rehearsed for two days before the start of the concert series on Monday.

Kwok said he needed at least three to four days to rehearse at venues, and before that, he would also practise in a different venue with a replica stage, according to Variety magazine.

With the Hong Kong Theatre Arts Practitioners Union and several city lawmakers calling for a probe, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee issued a statement early on Friday ordering a thorough investigation and review of safety requirements at similar events.

This was to ensure the safety of performers, crew and the public, said Mr Lee, adding: “I express sympathy to those who were injured and hope that they will recover soon.” 

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2022-07-29 08:21:30Z
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China signals no big stimulus is coming, while Covid controls remain - CNBC

A worker in a protective suit cleans the floor at a subway station, after the lockdown placed to curb the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak was lifted in Shanghai, China June 2, 2022. 

Aly Song | Reuters

BEIJING — China's top leaders signaled Thursday that no big stimulus for economic growth was on the way, and downplayed the necessity of achieving the "around 5.5%" GDP target.

In the second half of the year, authorities said they would stabilize employment and prices, according to a state media readout of the leaders' meeting Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping headed the economic meeting, held regularly with China's leadership, known as the Politburo.

That high-level mention of stabilizing prices indicates there won't likely be any additional expansionary policies, Wang Jun, a director at the China Chief Economist Forum, said in a phone interview. He noted high inflation overseas, and expected China would face greater inflationary pressure in the coming months.

One of the largest stimulus announcements came in late May when China's State Council, the country's top executive body, announced 33 economic support measures ranging from tax refunds to infrastructure investment.

While Wang expected continued use of credit and local government bonds to support the economy, he said authorities would not likely "force" 5.5% growth. That's according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks.

China's gross domestic product grew by just 2.5% in the first half of the year from a year ago, after the economy slumped in the second quarter. The country's worst Covid-19 outbreak since 2020 locked down the metropolis of Shanghai in April and May, while related restrictions in other parts of China hit business activity.

Sticking to zero-Covid

However, on Thursday China's leaders did not signal any change in the country's "dynamic zero-Covid" policy.

"Regarding the relationship between pandemic control and the development of the economy and society [we must] ... take the long view, especially from a political point of view, calculate the political cost," the state media readout of the Politburo meeting said in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation.

The readout did emphasize how local governments should take a more localized approach, especially on economic policy and resolving problems in real estate.

"Provinces with the conditions to achieve the economic targets should strive to," the readout said.

Shanghai's GDP contracted by 5.7% in the first half of the year from a year ago, while Beijing city's grew by just 0.7%, according to data accessed through Wind Information. The provinces of Shanxi, Jiangxi and Fujian were among the fastest growing, by at least 4.6% in the first six months of 2022.

The leaders' meeting reflects "a more flexible and pragmatic attitude toward [the] GDP target," said Bruce Pang, chief economist and head of research for Greater China at JLL.

He estimated the year's urban unemployment rate of 5.5% can still be achieved if the economy rebounds by about 5% or more in the second half of the year.

Real estate: A local matter

On real estate, the Chinese leaders stuck with their mantra that "houses are for living in, not speculation,” while stating that local governments are responsible for delivering completed houses.

Developers in China typically sell apartments before finishing construction, generating an important source of cash flow. However, recent construction delays have prompted many homebuyers in the last month to suspend mortgage payments, putting developers' future sales at risk.

The meeting readout also noted how policy for resolving real estate problems shouldn't be the same across all cities, said Qin Gang, executive director of China real estate research institute ICR.

Instead, he said the readout encouraged local governments to take a localized approach in supporting people's purchases of a first home or an upgraded property.

The tech crackdown

On the internet tech crackdown that's hit companies from Alibaba to Didi, Chinese authorities again signaled they were reaching a turning point.

The Politburo meeting readout called for the continued "healthy" development of the "platform economy" and "completing" the businesses' adjustments. The leaders also said lists of allowable "greenlit" investment areas should be published.

The readout said policy must also support business confidence, so that, among other items, foreign businesses "dare to invest."

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2022-07-28 13:10:20Z
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China drops GDP target mention, aims for 'best possible' results instead - CNA

BEIJING: China will try hard to achieve the best possible results for the economy this year, state media said on Thursday (Jul 28) after a high-level meeting of the ruling Communist Party, in contrast to previous calls to meet its full-year economic growth target.

In the second half of 2022, China should "stabilise employment and prices, maintain economic operations within a reasonable range, and strive to achieve the best possible results", state-run Xinhua news agency reported, after the 25-member Politburo chaired by President Xi Jinping met to assess the economy.

China is widely expected by analysts to miss its 2022 economic growth target of around 5.5 per cent for the first time since 2015, with its US$18 trillion economy battered this year by extensive COVID-19 curbs including full lockdowns of cities like Shanghai.

Gross domestic product in the first half grew 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, pointing to huge pressure in the second half, amid fears of a global recession, uncertainties from the Ukraine war and worries of any recurring COVID-19 lockdowns.

Xi, at the opening of a BRICS forum on Jun 22, said China would take more measures to achieve its annual economic goals while minimising the impact of its COVID-19 prevention and control as much as possible.

But during an inspection tour in the central city of Wuhan on Jun 28, he said China will "strive to reach a relatively good level of the economic development this year".

Similarly, last week, Premier Li Keqiang said at the World Economic Forum that China will "strive for relatively good results in economic development for the whole year".

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2022-07-28 10:38:08Z
1498966758

China Covid: Beijing Reopens for International Flights, First Time in Two Years - Bloomberg

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1. China Covid: Beijing Reopens for International Flights, First Time in Two Years  Bloomberg
2. China Reopens Beijing For International Flights  Simple Flying
3. International Air Routes to S.Korean Airports Opened For 1st Time Since Pandemic  News18
4. Lofty Expectations After Tokyo-Seoul Flights Return  NHK WORLD
5. Korean carriers resume direct flights from Cebu| SUNSTAR  SunStar Philippines
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2022-07-27 10:24:35Z
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CNA Explains: What do Indonesia's new licensing rules mean for tech companies? - CNA

JAKARTA: Indonesia has asked technology companies, both at home and overseas, to register themselves by Wednesday midnight (Jul 27) if they want to continue to operate in the country. 

The government has warned that companies that do not sign up in time would be blocked.

As of Wednesday afternoon, just under 9,000 entities – 8,500 of which are local firms – have registered themselves via a website run by the Indonesian Communication and Information Technology Ministry. Among those that have signed up include tech giants Alphabet Inc, Meta Inc and Twitter Inc.

But there are many other technology companies that have not registered and are therefore at risk of being banned from offering their services in the archipelago. Among these companies are some of the world’s biggest e-commerce services, web browsers and social media platforms.

The new licensing regulation applies to local and foreign companies which offer services ranging from search engines, social media, streaming services and fintech to email providers, messaging applications and online games.

Observers are worried that the ministerial regulation on Electronic System Operators will stifle innovation as companies first have to be licensed by the communications ministry before they can start offering their services to users in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, critics warned that the regulation poses a threat to freedom of expression and privacy as it allows law enforcers and government agencies to monitor the platforms and order tech firms to remove content deemed as unlawful.

WHAT THE REGULATION IS ABOUT 

Passed in November 2020, the ministerial regulation on Electronic System Operators, known in Indonesia by its abbreviation PSE, requires technology firms to provide a general outline of how their systems work. Companies also need to disclose the type of user personal information that they are storing and processing.

However, the government did not start enforcing this requirement until recently because of the pandemic. 

The communications ministry argues that the regulation is just administrative in nature.

“This is just so that we know who is operating digitally in Indonesia and the type of services they provide. Unless (these companies) are committing a corporate crime, they have nothing to fear,” the ministry’s director general for applied information sciences, Semuel Pangerapan said during a press conference last week.

But the regulation also stipulates that technology firms must provide access to law enforcement and government agencies so they can better monitor their platforms.

Government agencies can also order companies to take down content that is violating Indonesian law or deemed to be “disturbing public order”. Such content needs to be removed between four and 24 hours.

Companies must also agree to provide law enforcement and government agencies with the personal data of specific users on the platforms.

WHY THERE ARE CONCERNS

There have been concerns over the impacts of the regulation.

“We feel that the term ‘disturbing public order’ is too broad … and can be used by government agencies to curb peaceful criticisms directed at the authorities,” advocacy group Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) said in a statement last month.

Technology experts have also expressed the same concerns, saying that the regulation allows the government to invade people’s privacy as it enables enforcement agencies to look at private e-mails, messages and even documents stored on cloud platforms.

“Accessing such information must be done for investigation purposes only and the decision has to be made by a court of law,” Pratama Dahlian Persadha, chairman of research firm Communication and Information System Security Research Center, told CNA on Tuesday.

Currently, the regulation states that such access can be given for “monitoring and law enforcement purposes”. It does not mention the need to secure a court order.

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2022-07-27 10:14:00Z
CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9pbmRvbmVzaWEtdGVjaC1jb21wYW5pZXMtbGljZW5zaW5nLXJlZ3VsYXRpb24tZmFjZWJvb2stZ29vZ2xlLXR3aXR0ZXItMjgzODg4NtIBAA

China Economy Strengthens Despite Housing Mortgage Boycott, Covid Outbreaks - Bloomberg

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1. China Economy Strengthens Despite Housing Mortgage Boycott, Covid Outbreaks  Bloomberg
2. China's economy strengthens in July despite housing,...  Daily Maverick
3. Chinas economy strengthens in July despite housing crisis, covid woes  Business Standard
4. China’s Economy Strengthens in July Despite Housing, Covid Woes  BNN
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2022-07-26 02:23:00Z
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