Myanmar ambassador to China died on Sunday - Reuters

A man walks past a paramilitary police officer keeping watch outside the Myanmar embassy in Beijing, China August 8, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

BEIJING, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ambassador to China died suddenly on Sunday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, according to an obituary in Myanmar state media and diplomatic sources in Beijing.

The obituary for Ambassador U Myo Thant Pe by Myanmar's foreign ministry in a state newspaper on Monday did not specify his cause of death.

Diplomats in Beijing and a Chinese language Myanmar media report said the cause was likely to be a heart attack.

U Myo Thant Pe was last seen on Saturday meeting a local official in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan which borders Myanmar, according to a local news report.

The Myanmar embassy in China did not immediately respond to a query for comment.

U Myo Thant Pe was appointed ambassador to China in 2019 and stayed in his post after Myanmar's military took power in a coup in February 2021.

He was the fourth ambassador to die in China in the past year.

German ambassador Jan Hecker, 54, died in September, less than two weeks into his Beijing posting. Ukraine ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev, 65, died in February during or shortly after a visit to a Beijing Winter Olympics venue. read more

Philippines ambassador Jose Santiago "Chito" Sta. Romana, 74, died in quarantine in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui in April.

Reporting by Yew Lun Tian and Reuters staff; Editing by Lincoln Feast

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2022-08-08 06:48:00Z
CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJldXRlcnMuY29tL3dvcmxkL2FzaWEtcGFjaWZpYy9teWFubWFyLWFtYmFzc2Fkb3ItY2hpbmEtZGllZC1zdW5kYXktc291cmNlcy0yMDIyLTA4LTA4L9IBAA

Commentary: World's first 'synthetic embryo' - why this research is more important than you think - CNA

THE TINIEST CLUSTER

What’s particularly interesting about the newly published model is its very complex structure; not only does it mimic the cell specification and layout of an early-stage body plan – including precursors of heart, blood, brain and other organs – but also the “support” cells like those found in the placenta and other tissues required to establish and maintain a pregnancy.

The earliest stages of pregnancy are difficult to study in most animals. The embryos are microscopic, tiny clusters of cells, difficult to locate and observe within the uterus.

But we do know that at this stage of development, things can go awry. For example, environmental factors can influence and interfere with development, or cells fail to receive the right signals to fully form the spinal cord, such as in spina bifida. Using models like this, we can start to ask why.

However, even though these models are a powerful research tool, it is important to understand they are not embryos.

They replicate only some aspects of development, but not fully reproduce the cellular architecture and developmental potential of embryos derived after fertilisation of eggs by sperm – so-called natural embryos.

The team behind this work emphasises they were unable to develop these models beyond eight days, while a normal mouse pregnancy is 20 days long.

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2022-08-07 22:08:32Z
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Thailand's tourism industry rebounds as it heads into high season - The Straits Times

BANGKOK - Tourist arrivals in Thailand have been promising - with 3.12 million international travellers turning up in the first seven months of the year.

The authorities and industry players are optimistic but the nation, which before the Covid-19 pandemic relied heavily on tourism, is not out of the woods just yet.

"Honestly, I don't think we are even halfway to rebuilding tourism in South-east Asia. It went down to such low levels that everything compared with last year is a big increase," said Ms Hannah Pearson, founding partner of travel consultancy firm Pear Anderson.

Several challenges threaten to dampen the "slow but steady" recovery, including high inflation rates and operational and manpower issues that will increase travel costs, say industry operators.

External factors, like the Ukraine-Russia war that has pushed up energy prices, the reimposition of travel rules in some countries seeing Covid-19 resurgences and concerns over the global monkeypox outbreak, will continue to cloud Thailand's efforts to rebuild the crucial tourism sector.

"But at least it is steady progression, instead of the one step forward, two steps back situation last year," added Ms Pearson, whose firm specialises in the South-east Asian market.

Since the country dropped its last slew of border entry rules on July 1 - removing the Thailand Pass registration and compulsory insurance - foreign arrivals have grown by 50 per cent, crossing the one million mark per month for the first time since the pandemic.

Thailand was one of the first places in the region to ease border restrictions, beginning with the experiment to ring-fence the island of Phuket for tourists in July last year.

And, with each move to scale back entry rules, Travel agencies like Contiki started to see the gradual return of tourists.

"Demand has consistently increased for our Thailand itineraries in line with restrictions continuing to be relaxed," said a spokesman, adding that these offerings are its top sellers in Asia.

Currently, travellers need to show only their vaccine certificate or a negative polymerase chain reaction test to enter.

According to official figures, about 1.07 million tourists visited last month, with those from Malaysia, India and Singapore leading the pack.

This yielded 125 billion baht (S$4.83 billion) in travel receipts.

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2022-08-06 04:59:38Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zZS1hc2lhL3RoYWlsYW5kcy10b3VyaXNtLWluZHVzdHJ5LXJlYm91bmRzLWFzLWl0LWhlYWRzLWludG8taGlnaC1zZWFzb27SAQA

Why can't teenagers sleep early? Can parents and schools do more to combat its ill effects? - TODAY

Some parents said that the digital age has blurred the boundaries between school work and downtime, resulting in students here being too wired up to go to bed early.

Mrs R Lim, 46, a homemaker, said that parents must keep an eye on their children’s sleep, but schools and teachers have a part to play in how they engage students during after-school hours.

She can no longer enforce a strict 9.30pm bedtime for her 13-year-old son Ray since he started secondary school this year.

“I’ve had to extend his bedtime (to 10pm) because he seems to have endless things and projects to do on his school laptop.

“Then, there’re class chats (over WhatsApp) and he tells me that teachers sometimes give last-minute assignments or classmates want to do last-minute project work,” Mrs Lim added.

“Why can’t announcements and information about homework be communicated during school hours, like how it used to be back in my time?”

WAKING TOO EARLY FOR SCHOOL 

Sleep experts said that a main contributing factor for school-going teenagers not getting enough sleep is not so much about later bedtimes, but that they have to wake too early for school.

Teenagers have a natural biological tendency to sleep later, compared with younger children and adults. 

Dr Lim explained: “As you go into the teenage years, there is a gradual delay of the circadian rhythm (the ‘body’s 24-hour clock’ that regulates physical functions and behavioural changes).

“(An earlier bedtime) may be possible with younger children but in the teenage group, their natural sleep comes better later, for example, 10pm to 11pm.

“Generally, teenagers may not really go to sleep well until 11pm. And if they need (eight or) nine hours of sleep, then their wake time should be at 8am for them to get the recommended amount of sleep.”

That is why some sleep experts here have called for the Government to step in and let schools adopt later starting times every day, particularly for the teenage group.

Sleep scientists such as Professor Michael Chee from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in the National University of Singapore, and Associate Professor Joshua Gooley from Duke-NUS Medical School, have been vocal in advocating for secondary schools and junior colleges here to start every day at 8.30am or later, based on scientific evidence.

Ms Chai from Think Psychological Services and Think Kids said: “Research has shown that starting school around 8.30am supports the biological needs of adolescents as this provides an opportunity for them to increase their amount of sleep.”

Dr Lim also said that she is “all for” later start times in schools. “If the reasons for not delaying school start time is logistical, I hope we can find ways to get around it.”

Two research studies commissioned by the Ministry of Education (MOE) are now underway to look at the impact of factors affecting sleep duration and sleep quality of students in Singapore to better understand how later start times in schools could contribute to students’ longer sleep duration.

When approached by TODAY, MOE said that it takes a “holistic approach” in helping students develop good sleep hygiene and healthy habits. This is done at age-appropriate junctions through physical education and character and citizenship education lessons.

MOE said that it also works with schools to monitor the overall work and activities load — both academic and co-curricular — of students in school, as well as their parents.

SOME SCHOOLS SHIFT START TIMES

MOE repeated its stance that schools are not to start earlier than 7.30am and that schools have the autonomy to decide on the appropriate start time, adding that some have shifted their start times in recent years.

For example, Junyuan Secondary School starts at 8am on three days of the week and 8.30am on two days. TODAY understands that Loyang View Secondary School also recently shifted its start time on Mondays to 8.30am.

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2022-08-06 00:00:00Z
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Commentary: Taiwan dominates the world's supply of computer chips – no wonder the US is worried - CNA

NOTTINGHAM, England: One aspect of Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan that has been largely overlooked is her meeting with Mark Lui, chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC).

Pelosi’s trip coincided with US efforts to convince TSMC – the world’s largest chip manufacturer, on which the US is heavily dependent – to establish a manufacturing base in the US and to stop making advanced chips for Chinese companies.

US support for Taiwan has historically been based on Washington’s opposition to communist rule in Beijing, and Taiwan’s resistance to absorption by China. But in recent years, Taiwan’s autonomy has become a vital geopolitical interest for the US because of the island’s dominance of the semiconductor manufacturing market.

Semiconductors – also known as computer chips or just chips – are integral to all the networked devices that have become embedded into our lives. They also have advanced military applications.

Transformational, super-fast 5G Internet emerged is enabling a world of connected devices of every kind (the Internet of Things) and a new generation of networked weapons. With this in mind, US officials began to realise during the Trump administration that US semiconductor design companies, such as Intel, were heavily dependent on Asian-based supply chains for the manufacturing of their products.

In particular, Taiwan’s position in the world of semiconductor manufacturing is a bit like Saudi Arabia’s status in OPEC. TSMC has a 53 per cent market share of the global foundry market (factories contracted to make chips designed in other countries). Other Taiwan-based manufacturers claim a further 10 per cent of the market.

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2022-08-05 22:00:00Z
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Singapore reports first local linked case of monkeypox; total of 15 infections confirmed since June - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore on Friday (Aug 5) reported two new cases of monkeypox, including its first local linked case - a contact of a man whose infection was confirmed earlier this week. 

The 54-year-old man had no recent travel history, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in an update on its website.

He tested positive on Friday and is a contact of a 33-year-old man known as Case 13.

The other case that was confirmed on Friday is a 25-year-old man. He had no recent travel history and his infection is classified as local unlinked, said MOH. 

The two new cases bring the total number of infections in the country since June to 15.

Of the 15 cases, five are imported while 10 are local. 

According to the Health Ministry, monkeypox is a viral disease that is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.

It is typically a self-limiting illness that presents with fever and rash. However, serious complications or death can occur in some individuals.

Those infected usually experience fever, headache, muscle ache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and lethargy. 

As the disease progresses, infected persons develop a rash, often starting from the face before spreading to other parts of the body, including the palms and soles.

Symptoms may appear from five to 21 days following infection. These individuals are generally infectious from onset of fever until the skin lesions have scabbed over, said MOH. 

From Aug 1, monkeypox cases assessed by public hospitals to be clinically stable will be transferred to a dedicated isolation facility.

For close contacts of monkeypox cases, the quarantine period will be adjusted to 14 days, followed by seven days of monitoring for symptoms via regular phone calls, said MOH. 

According to the ask.gov.sg website, those on phone surveillance can leave their home as long as they are well. They should contact an MOH duty officer if they are unwell. 

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2022-08-05 11:59:00Z
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Asia markets trade higher; RBI rate decision, U.S. jobs report ahead - CNBC

SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific traded higher Friday as investors look ahead to the Reserve Bank of India's interest rate decision and the U.S. jobs report.

Markets appear unfazed by China's military drills around Taiwan, though Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Chinese missiles landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone and called the military drills a "serious problem," according to an NBC News report.

Taiwan's Taiex jumped 1.74%, with chipmaker TSMC rising 2%.

The Nikkei 225 in Japan rose 0.45% and the Topix index gained 0.46%.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.14%.

In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 0.68% and the Kosdaq added 0.61%

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 0.14%.

Alibaba's Hong Kong shares dropped around 1% after the company reported flat revenue growth, though fiscal first-quarter earnings beat expectations.

Mainland China markets were higher. The Shanghai Composite was up 0.21% and the Shenzhen Component gained 0.48%.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.66%.

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The Reserve Bank of India will announce its interest rate decision later Friday.

Out of 63 respondents to a Reuters poll, 26 expect a 50-basis-point hike to 5.4%, while 20 predict a 35-basis-point increase.

"We think optimal policy anchoring will require at least another 50bp hike," Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, wrote in a Friday note. He pointed to underlying inflaton risks and a hakwish Fed.

"All said, it is in the interest … of the RBI to front-load a 50bp than to spare 15bp-25bp but squander macro-stability derived from May/June hikes," he said.

Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 85.68 points, or 0.26%, to 32,726.82. The S&P 500 was about flat at 4,151.94 at the close. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.41% to 12,720.58.

Friday's jobs report is expected to show that 258,000 jobs were added in the U.S. last month, according to Dow Jones economist estimates. That's fewer than the 372,000 added in June.

Currencies and oil

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was last at 105.858 after a recent drop from about 106.5.

The Japanese yen changed hands at 133.26 per dollar. The Australian dollar was at $0.6966, after a sharp fall from above $0.7 on Tuesday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was fractionally higher at $88.62 per barrel, after shedding 2.3% in the previous session.

Brent crude futures gained 0.16% to $94.27 per barrel after ending the Thursday session 2.75% lower at $94.12 a barrel. Both benchmarks touched their lowest levels in months.

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2022-08-05 00:01:00Z
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