40-year-old Malaysian singer Eison Ai, husband of Taiwanese actress Hitomi Wang, falls to his death - AsiaOne

Malaysian singer Eison Ai, the husband of Taiwanese actress Hitomi Wang, fell to his death at around 10am today (Aug 17).

According to Taiwanese media, the 40-year-old fell from a building near Exit 3 of Taiwan's Luzhou MRT station. He was pronounced dead on the scene and was not transported to the hospital, Taiwan police stated.

It was also reported that preliminary investigations suggest Eison is suspected to have fallen from the balcony at the rear of a kitchen on the seventh floor.

He was allegedly in a bad mood last night and went to said building to visit his 35-year-old wife. However, the latter left for Yilan for work this morning. He reportedly locked himself in the room before he ultimately fell from the balcony.

A spokesperson from his agency Phoenix Talent Company stated: "We are very shocked to receive such news. Eison was akin to family and it's hard to accept the fact that he has died.

"At present, we are doing all we can to prepare for his funeral and sincerely ask everyone to give Hitomi space and time to herself as we continue processing and understanding the incident with the help of the police." 

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Hitomi has yet to comment on his death, Taiwanese media reported.

The couple, who married in 2020, celebrated their second wedding anniversary on July 28.

Eison last appeared on a livestream two days ago on his Facebook account, where he sang for his audience. The video has since been removed from the account. 

He was the champion of the second season of the singing competition Taiwan's Super Idol held between 2008 and 2009.

He also wrote on a separate Facebook post, which has also been removed: "Love is the most difficult subject in the world, but also the easiest. Love her and you will have eternity!"

Police investigations are ongoing.

ALSO READ: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's trail-blazing Uhura, dies at 89

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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2022-08-17 08:05:00Z
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Southeast Asians spend US$3.66 billion on bubble tea annually: Study - CNA

SINGAPORE: Bubble tea lovers in Southeast Asia spend US$3.66 billion a year on the beverage and similar “new tea” drinks, with Singapore having the highest spending power despite its smallest population among the region's six key markets.

This was found in a study which provides analyses and insights into the business dynamics behind bubble tea.

Jointly conducted by venture outfit Momentum Works and digital payments solution firm qlub, the report also found that the average price of bubble tea in Singapore is double that of other countries in the region.

"(This makes) it a great entry point for premium brands,” Momentum Works said in a news release on Tuesday (Aug 16), adding that there are currently more than 60 active brands of bubble tea chains.

The largest market in the region is Indonesia, with an estimated US$1.6 billion annual turnover. Thailand came in second, with US$749 million through more than 31,000 bubble tea stores and other retail channels.

Vietnam is ranked third with US$362 million, with Singapore fourth at US$342 million.

Taiwanese and homegrown brands have “long dominated” the Southeast Asian bubble tea market, the study found.

“In addition, recently many Chinese brands have entered the region,” it added. “The bubble tea market in China is estimated to have an annual turnover of US$20 billion, saturating and hyper competitive.”

Chinese brands that have made their way into Southeast Asia include Mixue, Chagee and HEYTEA, all of which have outlets in Singapore.

HIGH MARGINS, LOW DIFFERENTIATION MARKET

However, the study found that despite the high margins, few bubble tea stores are profitable.

“The bubble tea industry has a good product gross margin of 60 per cent to 70 per cent,” the release said. “Yet, few players have managed continuous profitability at a large scale.”

It cited Nayuki, the first “new tea” brand to go public, whose market cap plunged by more than 70 per cent since it listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

“There is also an industry saying that nine out of 10 bubble tea stores lose money,” it added.

The study also highlighted that pricing is not the only factor that affects customers’ purchasing decisions.

“Customers also decide based on the product selection at stores, as well as the ease of access which means the number of stores a brand has,” it said.

Brands are also providing more health-conscious options to cater to customers, through customisable sugar levels and “healthier" alternatives like brewed fresh fruit tea.

“While consumers in Singapore are more health conscious, it’s not the same across other markets”, it added.

Last week, it was announced that Singapore will soon require food and beverage outlets to include nutrition labels on their menus to indicate drinks that contain higher levels of sugar and saturated fat. This includes bubble tea outlets.

Advertising prohibitions will also apply to such drinks. These measures are part of efforts to help consumers to make more informed, healthier choices, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.

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2022-08-17 04:37:00Z
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Korea Inc's foreign labour crunch puts older workers back in factories - CNA

In South Korea, the world's fastest ageing society, 33.1 per cent of people aged between 70 to 74 are still working, topping the OECD's scale measuring the employment for the age group and far higher than the OECD average of 15.2 per cent.

Central bank data shows over 230,000 of those aged 60 or over have found jobs at factories and construction sites since early 2020, while younger people have been leaving those sectors.

While South Korea's foreign worker contingent, at 848,000, is relatively small compared with other industrialised economies, migrants make an important contribution to the factory sector.

Since early 2020, the monthly inflow of new foreign workers is about 35 per cent of what the country had in 2019, before the pandemic, government data showed.

Japan is experiencing a similar problem, with strict pandemic controls keeping migrant labour out, prompting an even greater reliance on the elderly population to fill vacancies.

Hwang at Iljin Enterprise says while the physical demands of work at his factory make it better suited for younger foreign and local workers, he doesn't have much choice.

"If I can't get any younger folks or foreign workers, it would be my bottom choice but I might need to hire more older folks," said Hwang, who recently gave all his crew a raise on top of the 700,000 won monthly bonuses he gave his foreign staff.

The government said last week it plans to loosen visa restrictions and cut red tape for foreign workers to help fill vacancies.

For Kim Ji-hwang, a land developer in Danyang, two-and-a-half hours south of Seoul, a staff shortage prompted him to hire 64-year-old Park Jang-young.

Park's new job requires him to clean trucks and equipment at the development site and earns him about 3.7 million won (US$2,844.18) a month, significantly more than his previous job at a parking lot.

"I know my boss prefers to find younger folks but young people go to Seoul after graduation - even foreign workers are picky, they have a good network and community to share information about pay, working conditions," Park said. "I will stick to this job unless I get fired - it's good pay I think for my age."

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2022-08-15 23:11:00Z
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Ikea Shoppers Panic After Security Locks Down Store on Covid Risk - Bloomberg

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1. Ikea Shoppers Panic After Security Locks Down Store on Covid Risk  Bloomberg
2. IKEA shoppers rush out of Shanghai store amid COVID-19 lockdown attempt  CNA
3. #Shorts | Five Positive Cases, Shanghai IKEA Shuts Down With Customers Inside | China Covid Lockdown  CRUX
4. Shoppers rush for the exits as Shanghai Ikea goes into lockdown  CNN
5. “Like a Zombie Apocalypse” – Chaotic Scenes in Shanghai as People Flee Building after Abnormal Test Result  What's on Weibo
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2022-08-15 10:42:19Z
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Scotland's police investigate threat made to JK Rowling after Salman Rushdie tweet - CNA

LONDON: Scotland's police said on Sunday (Aug 14) they are investigating a report of an "online threat" made to the author JK Rowling after she tweeted her condemnation of the stabbing of Salman Rushdie.

The Harry Potter creator said she felt "very sick" after hearing the news and hoped the novelist would "be OK".

In response, a user said: "don't worry you are next"

After sharing screenshots of the threatening tweet, Rowling said: "To all sending supportive messages: Thank you police are involved (were already involved on other threats)".

A spokeswoman for Scotland's police said: "We have received a report of an online threat being made and officers are carrying out enquiries."

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2022-08-14 10:49:36Z
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Beijing's pet lovers turn to acupuncture to treat their furry friends - CNA

Before starting the treatment, the vet first checks the animal's body, examines its eyesight and the colour of its tongue, takes its pulse and asks its owner questions.

He then plants his needles at acupuncture points specific to dogs and cats.

"Out of the 10 animals that I receive on average every day, there are always one or two who rebel," Li says.

"You have to communicate with them, treat them gently, reassure them that you're not here to hurt them."

Recordings of soft bamboo flute music and the chirping of birds are played at the clinic to help the animals relax.

Li mainly deals with cases of paralysis, limb weakness, epilepsy, pain and urinary retention.

But acupuncture can also be used for ailments when no other treatment is available.

That was the case with Xiaomei, a 12-year-old male Labrador suffering from nerve compression in his lower back.

"Last September, after swimming, he was unable to get back on his feet. A veterinarian then told us that it was impossible to treat and that he would become paralysed," his owner Ma Li, 41, tells AFP.

"Thanks to acupuncture, he still has difficulties but can walk normally and even run."

"HE LOVES IT!"

"The first time, he was scared," says Yang Lihua, a 65-year-old retiree accompanied by her Pekingese Niannian, who is suffering from a herniated disc.

"Now he loves it! After the session, he is so relaxed that he sleeps in the car on the way home."

The acupuncture market for animals remains limited for the moment, Li says.

"But since 2016, it has been gaining popularity," he adds.

"As education levels, living conditions improve and incomes rise, more and more people are realising the benefits of this medicine."

Ma's Labrador jumps into the back seat of her mistress's car after her session, looking content.

"Doesn't he look happy?" she exclaims.

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2022-08-14 04:37:11Z
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Shanghai extends weekly COVID-19 testing requirement until end of September - CNA

SHENZHEN, China: China's most populous city Shanghai has extended its weekly COVID-19 test requirement and extended free testing until the end of September in a bid to keep the virus in check, authorities announced on Saturday (Aug 13).

Citizens without a record of a nucleic acid test from within seven days will be assigned a yellow code on Shanghai's health code system, the official notice said. A yellow code restricts access to some public venues.

On Saturday health authorities in the financial hub of 25 million said they detected one symptomatic and three asymptomatic cases a day earlier.

The southern province of Hainan is currently China's worst hit region, with 594 symptomatic cases and 832 asymptomatic cases reported on Saturday for 24 hours earlier.

Tight restrictions and lockdowns in the popular tourist destination are expected to last over the weekend.

On Saturday China's National Health Commission reported a total of 2,144 new COVID-19 infections on Aug 12, of which 704 were symptomatic and 1,440 were asymptomatic.

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2022-08-13 10:43:00Z
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