Songket, known as “Ratu Kain” in Malay weaving, once again has made history when it was listed under Unescos (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the 16th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In a recent statement, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) said the session took place online from Dec 13-18 at the Unesco headquarters in Paris, France.
The listing was decided by a committee comprising 24 member states of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, chaired by Sri Lanka.
“MOTAC, through the National Heritage Department, nominated songket under the Unesco List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This intangible cultural heritage nomination document was submitted to the Unesco Secretariat on March 31 last year,” said a statement.
The listing under the Unesco Representative List is the highest recognition in the world for intangible cultural heritage, which can promote and highlight heritage at the world level.
Apart from that, it shows Malaysia’s commitment to protect intangible cultural heritage, in line with Thrust 3 of the National Cultural Policy (DAKEN) which is to focus on efforts to preserve and conserve cultural heritage, according to the statement. – Bernama
The United States Senate—led by Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell—passed a bipartisan Myanmar (originally “Burma) amendment in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to support democracy in Myanmar. It will be sent to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
Provisions such as “requiring senior Biden Administration officials to present to Congress within sixty days a strategy to impose costs on the military government, legitimizing representative organizations such as the National Unity Government, restoring democratic governance, and fostering national reconciliation were included in the amendment.”
“To address the crisis (in Myanmar), I led a bipartisan effort to reaffirm American support for democracy in Burma through the NDAA process. I’m proud of my amendment was included in the final NDAA bill that passed the Senate earlier today,” says Senate Minority Leader McConnell.
The Republican leader adds that in order to restore Myanmar’s democratic development, the United States needs to keep meaningful pressure on the military government and secure international recognition of the democratically-elected government.
The amendment will also require senior officials from the State Department, USAID, Treasury Department, and Defense Department to brief Congress on specific U.S. policy and security objectives in Myanmar.
These objectives involve: assessment of current sanctions on Myanmar, assessing the need for additional sanctions, efforts to support the democratic actors in Myanmar, objectives such as restoration of democracy and establishment of representative civilian government, accountability for human rights violations in Myanmar, and a review of China and Russia’s strategic interests in Myanmar.
The government plans to extend measures to strengthen border controls against the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus that are currently scheduled to expire at the end of the year, sources close to the government said.
Under the extended measures, the government will suspend the entry of nonresident foreigners from all countries and regions in principle. The government will make a careful decision on how long it will extend the period by monitoring the spread of the omicron variant, according to the sources.
The current border control measures were launched for one month on Nov. 30, when the omicron variant began to spread around the world.
All Japanese nationals returning from abroad are required to quarantine at accommodation facilities or at home for 14 days after entering Japan.
As of Thursday, returnees arriving from 48 countries and regions where omicron variant cases have been confirmed are required to stay at designated government facilities for three to 10 days after entering Japan.
The government has concluded that an extension of these measures is inevitable, with a Cabinet minister saying, “It has yet to be clarified from an epidemiological point of view what the omicron variant is, and thus we cannot ease the measures.”
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, a total of 50 people had been infected with the omicron variant in the nation as of Friday. The government believes that it has been able to stop the spread of the variant in Japan through measures to strengthen border control.
The World Health Organization has said that the omicron variant is spreading “at an unprecedented rate” and is already present in most countries.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Thursday, “We must continue to take a cautious approach until we reach a situation where the degree of risk can be predicted.”
■ Mix-match 3rd doses start
Mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccination booster shots from a different manufacturer than the first two injections began Friday.
At the Tokyo Medical Center in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, 15 doctors and nurses who had received the first and second doses of vaccines manufactured by Pfizer Inc. were administered a third dose of vaccine made by Moderna Inc. on Friday.
The ministry granted special approval to use Pfizer’s vaccine for booster shots, followed by the same decision for Moderna’s vaccine on Thursday. Accordingly, people who received Pfizer’s vaccine for the first and second doses will be able to have Moderna’s vaccine for the third shot.
“Increasing the number of vaccine types available will lead to a stable supply of vaccines. We hope to accelerate the vaccination of the elderly in the future,” said Yukihiko Momiyama, director of the center.
A nurse in her 30s who received different vaccines for her initial and booster shots said, “Both vaccines have been approved after their safety was confirmed, so I don’t have to worry about them and can provide medical care with a sense of security.”
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — Thousands of people in the Visayas and parts of Mindanao on Saturday appealed for food and water two days after Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) wreaked havoc and left at least 76 people dead in the devastated regions, becoming the deadliest storm to hit the country this year.
Long lines formed on Saturday at gas and water refilling stations in at least three city centers—Cebu City; Tagbilaran City, capital of Bohol province; and Surigao City in northeastern Mindanao.
The typhoon’s fierce winds toppled power pylons, downing electric lines and causing widespread outages across the Visayas and northern Mindanao.
The outages are causing water supply interruptions because electric pumps which are used to distribute water to consumers are not running.
Long lines in Cebu
Shocked by the ferocity of the typhoon that caught many unprepared for its fierce winds, people in Cebu City filled up grocery stores to stock up on food and other essentials—the first time this has happened to this major Philippine city after the devastating Typhoon “Ruping” (Mike) in November 1990, locals said.
“We did not expect Odette to bring very strong winds. Of all the typhoons I have experienced, including Ruping, Odette had the strongest winds,” said Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak. “Ruping brought strong rains while Odette had strong winds. Both of them were devastating.”
Odette slammed first into Siargao Island on Thursday afternoon with 195-kilometer per hour winds and gusts of up to 270 kph. With no major landmass to cause a sharp weakening except for Bohol, by the time the typhoon hit Cebu later that night, it was packing 175-kph winds and gusts of 240 kph.
It blew out of the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday afternoon with 165-kph winds and 205-kph gusts. It was moving at 25 kph toward the Kalayaan Island Group where forecasters raised Typhoon Signal No. 3, which means the area could experience destructive winds.
Bohol situation
In Bohol, a staffer of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado who was distributing some noodles and bottled water said relief supplies were unable to reach the province’s worst-hit town of Ubay because roads were still unpassable due to fallen trees and electric poles.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap responded to residents who asked for water on Facebook by sending water tankers.
Others, like Lito Alagadmo, 44, endured the long queue at Garcia Park near Bohol’s Provincial Capitol to get free water for his family.
“Water is what is important at this time, “ he said.
In Cebu City, a 32-year-old father walked almost 2 kilometers before he got lucky, finding a leaking water pipe in Barangay Labangon.
“I have a 1-year-old child. I needed water so we could cook rice. But there was no water in our village,” he told the Inquirer.
Landslides, floodwater, and storm debris that littered roads — fallen and uprooted trees, toppled power pylons, electric cables — are making it difficult for rescuers and those bringing relief supplies to reach communities in dire need of food and water.
Still no signal
The loss of cellular phone signals was also hampering rescue operations and the transmission of information to central authorities.
Majority of about 460,000 customers of Visayan Electric, the second largest power utility in the country next to Meralco, were still without power as of 3 p.m. on Saturday. Its service area covers the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, and Naga as well as the towns of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, and San Fernando.
In a statement, the company said it would prioritize restoring electricity to hospitals, water providers, and other “vital institutions.”
Visayas deaths
According to data from various local disaster management offices, 61 people were killed in the typhoon across the Visayas. Cebu City reported 13 killed, adjacent Mandaue City had seven and six in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island.
Negros Occidental reported 20 dead, six in Negros Oriental, three in Southern Leyte, one in Samar, two in Iloilo, two in Guimaras, and one in Bohol.
Among the fatalities were two patients — Junilyn Ferrer, 33, and Leonara Papa, 76 — who were in an ambulance that was swept away by a flash flood in Bais, Negros Oriental, while trying to get to the hospital on the eve of Odette’s landfall.
In Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, 5-year-old Clareiz Solteda, died as she was pinned under a piece of wood when the typhoon blew her family’s house away on Friday.
Jose Ariel Valenzuela, 57, was found hanging from a tree with his neck caught between branches.
The authorities in Caraga (northeastern Mindanao) and Northern Mindanao reported that 15 people died, including 11 members of a family who were buried in a landslide at Barangay Kiayo in Sibagat town, Agusan del Sur province.
Two people died on Siargao Island, according to Surigao del Norte Gov. Francisco Matugas. A man was also reported to have died in San Fernando, Bukidnon, after a tree uprooted by the typhoon’s strong winds struck him and injured his two companions.
In the Dinagat Islands, where Odette made its second landfall, Gov. Arlene Bag-ao reported that there were a “few casualties” that were still being verified in the capital town of San Jose.
“The fields and boats of our farmers and fisherfolk have been decimated,” she said, adding that most of the province’s commercial and cargo vessels were now “unsuitable for sea voyages, effectively cutting us off from the rest of the country.”
Odette left a landscape that is “reminiscent if not worse than when ‘Yolanda’ (Haiyan) hit our province,” Bag-ao said, referring to the supertyphoon that struck in November 2013.
‘Yolanda Part 2’
The provincial government said Dinagat residents urgently needed food, water, temporary shelters, fuel, hygiene kits, and medical supplies.
“We may have survived, but we cannot do the same in the coming days because of our limited capacities as an island province. Through your help, we will be able to rise again,” she said.
Journalist Danilo Adorador called the devastation of Surigao City, the provincial capital of Surigao del Norte, “Yolanda Part 2.”
“No power, no running water, no internet signal. It’s safe to say everyone didn’t expect the damage to be this bad,” Adorador wrote on social media.
State of calamity
“Long lines of people in gas stations (most have been damaged and only few are open), several stores have been ransacked. People are roaming everywhere to find water,” Adorador wrote.
He said that road access was difficult as local authorities, still reeling from the disaster’s immediate impact, have yet to start removing debris.
Adorador appealed for food, water, shelter as many have lost homes and power generators.
In Butuan City, Caraga’s regional capital, local legislators declared a state of calamity on Dec. 17.
Odette affected 10 of the country’s 17 regions, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
As many as 364,501 people from Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga were preemptively evacuated. About 90 percent are still taking shelter at 2,283 evacuation centers.
It said 222 cities and municipalities in Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao (Regions 4B, 7, 8, 9, 10, respectively), and the Bangsamoro Administrative Region in Muslim Mindanao were without telecommunications services, and 193 cities and municipalities in nine regions lost electricity. Power was restored to only 21 percent, or 10 percent, on Saturday.
The hyper mutated Omicron variant of Covid-19 has now spread to about 89 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
Omicron is a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations, including 26-32 in the spike protein, some of which are concerning and may be associated with immune escape potential and higher transmissibility.
“As of December 16, 2021, the Omicron variant has been identified in 89 countries across all six WHO regions,” the WHO said in its latest update. It added that there is “consistent evidence” Omicron will soon outpace Delta where community transmission occurs.
It is because “Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time between 1.5-3 days”, WHO said.
The WHO also noted it is uncertain whether the observed rapid growth rate can be attributed to immune evasion, intrinsic increased transmissibility or a combination of both.
Moreover, on severity of Omicron, the UN health body stated that the data is “still limited”.
However, hospitalisations in the UK and South Africa due to the variant continue to rise, and given rapidly increasing case counts, it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed.
Preliminary data suggest that there is a reduction in neutralising titres against Omicron in those who have received a primary vaccination series or in those who have had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may suggest a level of immune evasion.
“There is still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron,” the WHO said.
Meanwhile, preliminary findings from South Africa, the US and the UK and even China on Covid vaccines such as Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca as well as Sinovac have shown vaccine ineffectiveness with two doses. However, a booster dose has shown to be much effective.
HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee has asked the Ministry of Health to send more medical personnel to the city amid a surge in hospitalisations of COVID-19 patients.
In its proposal, the city asked for 1,000 doctors and 2,000 nurses, including ICU 300 doctors and 600 nurses, to fill the shortage at COVID-19 treatment hospitals which need to expand the number of beds.
There were 1,175 cases recorded in the city on Thursday (December 16). More than 1,000 patients with severe complications were hospitalised on Thursday and 65 deaths were recorded.
As of Thursday, a total of 71,832 COVID-19 patients were under quarantine and treatment, including 11,574 patients with moderate and severe symptoms being treated at hospitals in the city.
More than 3,100 patients are in ICUs and on ventilators.
The southernmost province of Cà Mau on Thursday also asked the Ministry of Health to mobilise additional medical personnel, and more medicine, ventilators and vaccines.
The number of daily cases in the province has surpassed 1,000 in recent days, causing a shortage of medical personnel and medicines.
The daily number hit a record 1,339 on Thursday, the highest number of cases in the country, followed by HCM City with 1,175 and Tây Ninh Province, with 932.
The province asked the ministry for 10 doctors and nurses to treat patients with moderate and severe symptoms for three weeks, starting from December 20.
Five medical teams with two doctors and six nurses each are also needed to provide home-based treatment for COVID-19 patients from December 20 to January 22.
It also asked the ministry to provide additional doses of the anti-viral medicine Molnupiravir for treatment of 50,000 cases and Favipiravir for treatment of 20,000 cases.
It petitioned the ministry to allocate 65,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines to administer shots for immunocompromised people and frontline workers this month. —VNS
MYAWADDY—–There are 2,503 displaced peoples fleeing to Thailand due to continuous fighting broke out in Lay Kay Kaw new city, southern part of Myawaddy Township, Kayin State.
Among displaced villagers, most are children and elders.
The rescue teams are now sending the displaced villagers who already take a shelter in Htee Mae Wah Khee monastery to the Thailand because there had been continuous fighting in Lay Kay Kaw city this morning. Moreover, there have been artillery attacks.
“We are going to flee to Thailand because the sound of heavy gun firing is very close to monastery where we already take a shelter. So, we are going to flee to Thailand,” said a young woman.
Thai authorities put the displaced villagers at the school in Maetaung village, Southern part of Mae Sot, in Thai border and they are now caring for the displaced villagers.
Moreover, the Thai authorities providing food and accommodation facilities to the Myanmar displaced peoples and they urged Myanmar citizen in Thailand to donate feedstuff and clothes for the displaced villagers.
As for Thailand government, they are temporarily receiving Myanmar displaced villagers in accordance with the humanitarian assistance. If the fighting will end, those displaced villagers must return to their homes.
There are over 5,000 displaced people who already fled to Myanmar-Thai border from Mae Htaw Talay, Htee Mae Wah Khi, Ingin Myaing, Min Let Pan, Yathegu, Phalulay, Phalugyi, Pali Kalaw and Lay Kay Kaw villages.
The World Health Organisation on Friday approved emergency use listing of Covid vaccine Covovax, produced by the Serum Institute of India under licence from Novavax and part of the Covax facility portfolio.
“This is yet another milestone in our fight against Covid-19. Covovax is now WHO approved for emergency use, showing excellent safety and efficacy. Thank you all for a great collaboration,” Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawala said.
Covovax has a two-dose regimen and is the ninth to receive emergency use approval from the WHO. However, it is yet to be granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the top drug regulator, the DCGI, in India.
The listing aims to increase access particularly in lower-income countries, 41 of which have still not been able to vaccinate 10 per cent of their populations, while 98 countries have not reached 40 per cent, said the global health body.
Covovax was assessed under the WHO EUL procedure based on the review of data on quality, safety and efficacy, a risk management plan, programmatic suitability, and manufacturing site inspections carried out by the Drugs Controller General of India.
The Technical Advisory Group for Emergency Use Listing (TAG-EUL), convened by the WHO and made up of experts from around the world, has determined that the vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against Covid-19, that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs any risks, and that the vaccine can be used globally, the WHO said in a statement.
The Covovax vaccine, developed by the SII in partnership with the US-based Novavax, is the third India-related vaccines to be approved by the WHO. The other two vaccines are Covishield and Covaxin. Covaxin is India’s first indigenous Covid vaccines, while Covishield is Indian version of Britain’s AstraZeneca jab.
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has assured those affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) that he is trying to look for funds for their aid, saying that government coffers have already been “immensely depleted” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a briefing on the disaster situation in Visayas and Northern Mindanao on Friday, Duterte said that as soon as he gets the funding, assistance will be sent to the provinces ravaged by the super typhoon.
“We are trying to raise the money, I was also late (because) I was talking with the budget, alam mo depleted ‘yong budget natin immensely because of the COVID, naubos talaga ‘yong pera natin,” he said.
(We are trying to raise the money, I was also late (because) I was talking with the budget, you know our budget has been depleted immensely because of the COVID, we really spent our money.)
“Itong COVID, naubos ang pera natin. So we’re trying to screen how much we can raise so that we can marshal it to the areas affected,” he added.
(This COVID really emptied our coffers. So we’re trying to screen how much we can raise so that we can marshal it to the areas affected.)
Duterte also asked Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad if the runway at the airport of Siargao island in Surigao del Norte is functional.
When Jalad answered in the affirmative, the Chief Executive said he would visit the area and other provinces if time permits it.
“As per information from the area, the terminal ng (of) Siargao was damaged but the runway is usable Mr. President,” Jalad said.
“The runway is good? Take off and land. I’m flying tomorrow to the area also, I would hit maybe Leyte, Surigao, and if there is enough time, Bohol, then the day after, I would try to visit Cebu then dito sa (here in) Western, Eastern side of the Islands, Bacolod, Iloilo,” the President replied.
Earlier, Jalad also reported to Duterte that his office received information that 14 people have already died due to Typhoon Odette. But this information is still being validated by OCD, Jalad noted.
Duterte said he is not worried about damage to infrastructure, as he worries more about the lives lost.
“I am not so much worried about damage to structures, infrastructures of government, ang ano ko is, ang takot ko kung maraming namatay (my real fear is that many might have died). Eh I am as eager as you to go there, to see for myself,” he said.
“I’d like (to have) a report or sa, ako nanonood din (about the damage, I have seen it), for the Secretary of DPWH, that’s one worry. I’ve been trying to call persons there but I would want the Secretary to make the report to us,” he added.
Based on OCD’s presentation during the briefing with the President, the 14 fatalities were from Western Visayas (6), Central Visayas (4), Caraga (2), Eastern Visayas (1), and Northern Mindanao. (1)
As of Friday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Odette was able to maintain its strength as it moves over mainland Palawan.
Most recent data from the government’s weather bureau showed that Odette was packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 215 kph as it moved west at 25 kph.
Odette weakened a little after its 9th landfall but before that, it barreled through Caraga and Northern Mindanao at its peak strength of 195 kph near the center prior to moving over the Visayas region and then Palawan.
Odette managed to maintain its super typhoon status despite the slight slide in its strength, according to Pagasa.
China is making preparations for a moon landing that will place its astronauts on the lunar surface, according to a senior official at the China Manned Space Agency.
Dong Nengli, head of the agency’s technology bureau, said at a news conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing on Friday that space program planners and engineers are researching the roadmap and technologies for the manned moon landing.
“The results of their work will be seen in due course. Our astronauts will definitely touch down on the moon,” he told reporters.
The news conference invited key figures in China’s manned space programs, who are also members of the Communist Party of China, to share their stories and thoughts with journalists.
China’s space authorities have a long-term plan to land astronauts on the moon and set up at least one scientific station there. They hope to use the manned missions to carry out scientific surveys and technological research, explore ways to develop lunar resources and strengthen the nation’s space capabilities.
Zhou Yanfei, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space program, said in September 2020 that the country has the capacity to independently land astronauts on the moon because of its technologies, well-trained, innovative professionals and efficient research and management systems.
Toward that goal, Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said Chinese engineers need to build new, stronger carrier rockets and spacecraft before they arrange a moon-bound journey for Chinese astronauts.
“The nation’s current rockets and manned spaceships can’t send astronauts to the moon because they are not designed for such mission. We need to design a new rocket, a new spacecraft, a lunar landing capsule, and a new spacesuit fit for moon walk. We also need to upgrade our ground support system that was designed for operations in low-Earth orbit rather than on the lunar surface,” he said.
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