Fear of bedbugs prompts Hong Kongers to take precautions against the pesky bloodsuckers - The Straits Times

People in Hong Kong are buying insect killers and hiring pest control services as fears over bedbugs in the city grow.

A now-widely shared photo of a brown, oval-shaped insect on an Airport Express train seat has sparked fear over an invasion of these pesky bloodsuckers in the city.

The picture, snapped last Thursday, prompted Hong Kong’s rail operator MTR Corp to carry out a deep cleaning of some of its trains, including those on the Airport Express, high-speed rail and Disneyland lines.

While an MTR spokesman said no bedbugs were found, the incident was enough to spark panic among people in Hong Kong, after reports of bedbug infestations from South Korea, France and Britain.

Inquiries about pest controls have increased in Hong Kong, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Mr Francisco Pazos, owner and head technician at pest control company Nobedbugs-HK, said the firm has an “unbelievable” amount of work, having “done a month’s work in the last three days”.

He told SCMP: “Hong Kong is like Disneyland for bedbugs... because it is so dense, there are lots of places for them to lay eggs but also move from person to person.”

The Hong Kong newspaper also said e-commerce platform Shopline has seen a 172 times increase in sales of pest control and bedbug-killing products during the Singles’ Day 11.11 sales over the weekend.

One of the top sellers was an anti-bedbug travel kit.

The Hong Kong authorities have also begun distributing bedbugs warning leaflets to passengers at the airport, reported British media outlet The Independent.

An Airport Authority Hong Kong spokesman said on Monday that no bedbugs have been found at the Hong Kong International Airport, reported SCMP.

Speaking to RTHK’s Hong Kong Today programme, Professor Chiu Siu-wai, honorary senior research fellow of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Life Sciences, said bedbugs were already common in Hong Kong.

“A bed bug is a blood-sucking insect. It is quite common in Hong Kong. We have conducted a survey in 2021 and, at that time, one-sixth of the respondents said they had found bed bugs at their home,” she said.

The best way to prevent bedbugs is through good personal hygiene, she added.

Fears of bedbugs aside, Pest Control Personnel Association of Hong Kong vice-president Chan Wai-keung said a possible bedbug invasion in Hong Kong’s public transport was unlikely, the SCMP reported last Wednesday.

“Luckily in Hong Kong, there have been no bedbug outbreaks in public transport where pest control is conducted regularly. If it is done properly, there is no chance of infestation in public transport.”

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2023-11-14 08:04:00Z
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Heavy machinery brought in to pull out workers from collapsed tunnel in India - CNA

LUCKNOW, India: Excavators began drilling with heavy machinery on Tuesday (Nov 14)  to fix a wide steel pipe that will help pull out almost 40 Indian workers trapped inside a collapsed Himalayan highway tunnel that caved in two days ago in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand.

The tunnel, which was being built on a national highway that is part of a Hindu pilgrimage route, caved in around 5.30am on Sunday (2400GMT on Saturday).

"We have been supplying food, water and oxygen to the trapped labourers and the officials are in continuous touch with all of them," Devendra Singh Patwal, a disaster management official said.

Excavators have been removing debris for two days to carve out a path to reach the workers and had been awaiting delivery of a wide steel pipe which will be pushed into an opening of excavated debris to safely pull out the workers.

Patwal said it was not easy to ascertain the time required to pull out the workers.

A team of geologists from the state government and educational institutions had arrived to determine the cause of accident, he added.

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2023-11-14 06:47:00Z
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Indonesian President Widodo urges Biden to 'do more' to stop Gaza 'atrocities' - CNA

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, is the largest Muslim-majority nation. Many Muslims have been outraged by Biden's support for Israel after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages on Oct 7, according to Israeli officials. Palestinian officials have said Israeli strikes have killed more than 11,000 Gaza residents.

"The president will look to ask Indonesia to a play a larger role and to assist us," in the Middle East, the US official said, without elaborating on what such an expanded role might entail.

Like several of its neighbours in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is economically intertwined with China as it navigates territorial disputes with its larger neighbor and wants to avoid getting caught in the middle by hostile Washington-Beijing relations.

Jakarta is expected to formally upgrade relations with Washington to the highest diplomatic tier at the meeting. Biden will also announce new funding for Indonesia's semiconductor industry, the people said.

The two leaders will also discuss Indonesia's diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Myanmar, where the military took control in a 2021 coup and has been engaged in clashes with rebel alliances, one of the officials said.

"It's going to be time soon for us to think about what our next steps are together to deal with a situation that is untenable," the person said.

Jokowi, first elected in 2014, is constitutionally required to leave office next year after serving the maximum two terms.

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2023-11-13 23:34:00Z
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Too close and too cold, premature babies in grave peril at Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital - CNA

GAZA: The tiny babies lie side by side, some wrapped in green fabric roughly taped around them for warmth, others wearing only nappies, a picture of vulnerability, their lives in grave danger with every minute that passes.

The newborns are under the care of exhausted medics at Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital, which is besieged by Israeli tanks battling Hamas fighters, and lacks electricity, water, food, medicines and equipment.

"Yesterday I had 39 babies and today they have become 36," said Dr Mohamed Tabasha, head of the paediatric department at Al-Shifa, in a telephone interview on Monday (Nov 13).

"I cannot say how long they can last. I can lose another two babies today, or in an hour," he said.

The premature babies, who weigh less than 1.5kg each and in some cases only 700g or 800g, should be in incubators where the temperature and humidity can be regulated according to their individual needs.

Instead, they had to be moved to ordinary beds over the weekend because of a shortage of electricity, said Tabasha. They were placed side by side, surrounded by packets of nappies, cardboard boxes of sterile gauze and plastic bags.

"I never expected in my life that I would put 39 babies side by side on a bed, each with a different disease, and in this acute shortage of medical staff, of milk," said Tabasha.

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2023-11-13 15:29:00Z
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Some pest control firms report increase in bed bug infestations, expect more to come - CNA

BEDBUG TREATMENT

Aardwolf and Pestbusters offer chemical and heat treatment to deal with bedbug infestation.

They look at places like cracks in the parquet flooring, headboards and even cable trunking and power points. Cupboards, sofas, drawers are also common areas bed bugs may be hiding. 

These areas are typically close to the source of their food - humans - as they feed on their blood.

For the chemical treatment, chemicals are sprayed in places with infestation and potential harbourage areas, said Mr Chan. 

A residual effect from the spray means that any remaining eggs that come in contact will die, he added.

His firm keeps stock of chemical sprays that can last up to six months to ensure there is enough supply in the event of a spike in cases.

He noted that in 2014, there was a surge. At the time, there were 20 to 30 cases a month compared to less than 10 a month.

Heat treatment is done especially in homes with toddlers or seniors, the firms said.

“For clients that do have certain concerns, especially those with elderly in their homes, young children or babies or people with immunodeficiencies or sensitive skin, we would generally not try to use the chemical because it might cause repercussions later,” said Mr Lee.

Treatment typically takes half a day, and follow-ups are done to ensure that the problem is being solved.

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2023-11-13 09:29:41Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL2JlZC1idWdzLXRyZWF0bWVudC1hd2FyZW5lc3Mtc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWhvdGVscy1ob21lcy1kb3JtaXRvcmllcy0zOTE2OTU20gEA

Thailand's Plan to Deploy Chinese Police Patrol Sparks Outcry - Bloomberg

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Thailand's Plan to Deploy Chinese Police Patrol Sparks Outcry  BloombergView Full coverage on Google News
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2023-11-13 04:27:19Z
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Australia frees Malaysian man held over Altantuya's murder - CNA

Malaysia's top police official Razarudin Husain confirmed news of Sirul's release from Australian detention and said police would discuss with the Attorney-General and the courts the possibility of seeking extradition.

Malaysia in April passed legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty, allowing people facing the punishment to seek a sentencing review.

Under Australian law, a person cannot be deported if they face the death penalty. Azilah, Sirul’s co-accused, remains on death row in Malaysia.

Shaariibuu's murder has been at the centre of a political scandal for years. She was killed in a forest on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital in 2006, according to court records, but the question of who ordered the killing has never been answered.

Sirul was serving as a member of Najib’s personal security detail at the time of the murder. Civil society groups have alleged her murder was linked to her role as an interpreter in Malaysia’s purchase of two French submarines in 2002.

Najib, who was then defence minister and later became prime minister, has repeatedly denied allegations of links to Shaariibuu or corruption in the submarine purchases.

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2023-11-13 01:29:16Z
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