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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/world/china/40020869

China’s fashion industry relies on digital avatars to bolster livestreaming

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

A group of digital models dressed in sports outfits strutted down the runway in an online virtual fashion show during China Fashion Week in September. Led by Xijiajia, tech company Baidu Inc’s virtual spokesperson, they presented the latest garments by homegrown sportswear maker Anta Sports in different virtual scenarios – stadiums, snowfields, the Gobi Desert and even outer space.

Virtual humans and fashion shows, unbounded by time and space in the way a physical event would be, offer myriad benefits to the fashion industry, bringing to audiences a fresh, immersive and interactive experience.

Thanks to AI advances, digital avatars bearing a close resemblance to real humans in appearance and behaviour have been put to service in not only fashion and livestreaming, but also a wide range of other activities, industry experts said.

Li Shiyan, chief of Baidu’s digital human and robotics section, said that by leveraging the real-time calculation and animation rendering technologies offered by Xiling — the company’s digital avatar platform — the production cost of virtual clothing has been reduced dramatically, and production periods shortened from more than one month to just a week.

Li noted that an increasing number of brands are looking to use virtual beings in livestreaming and other marketing campaigns, which is expected to help enterprises reduce at least 50 per cent of operational costs by cutting spending on brick-and-mortar livestreaming locations, hardware and hiring real human anchors.

“The virtual human industry is still in an early stage, and there are some challenges, such as how to produce low-cost digital assets and digital content, and how to make digital humans interact with real people more naturally,” Li said.

Resolving these issues relies on the iteration of technologies such as natural language processing and computer vision, Li said, adding that the company will continue to pour capital and manpower into the digital human industry.

The size of China’s virtual human market is forecast to reach US$37.9 billion by 2030, according to an industry report released by Qbit-AI, an industry services platform focusing on AI and other cutting-edge technology.

According to experts, the fashion landscape is rapidly expanding its virtual horizon to prepare for a future populated by digital avatars, and the most accessible way for fashion brands to engage with virtual replicas is by dressing them in their latest collections.

“The application of virtual humans in the fashion field has distinctive advantages. Holding virtual fashion shows doesn’t just mean moving real-world shows online; more importantly, we can utilise digital space to expand our interpretation of fashion and imagination for what is possible,” said Chen Duan, director of the Digital Economy Integration Innovation Development Center at the Central University of Finance and Economics.

Chen said, for example, people can make use of textures that do not exist in the physical world, and digital humans are able to go beyond the physiological limits of real humans and present new fashion styles in new ways.

Digital humans are increasingly being used in brand promotion, advertisement, livestreaming, gaming and entertainment, said Zhu Xiaowen, an analyst at Lead-Leo Research Institute. However, she added that a new set of problems have also emerged, such as personal privacy protection and data security. Experts said unregulated use of digital humans might open a way for fraud, given that digital humans can be difficult to distinguish from real people.

China’s first virtual influencer Ayayi, who debuted on the social-media platform Xiaohongshu in May 2021 and garnered over 20,000 followers overnight, has attracted the attention of well-renowned fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Guerlain.

Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Centre at Zhejiang University’s International Business School, said he is optimistic about the business prospects of virtual humans in fashion and livestreaming, and called for more efforts to improve 3D modelling, rendering and motion capture technologies to bolster the development of the country’s digital human sector.

China Daily

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020866

Military deployed to guard Bangkok Apec summit venue

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

THE NATION

Thai police and military personnel will be ready to deal with possible unrest during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok next month.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the deployment of both police and soldiers to guard the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on November 18 and 19.

All five police special forces will be deployed – the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s “Arintaraj 26”, Border Patrol Police’s Naresuan 261 unit, Special Service Division Commandos, the Crime Suppression Division’s Hanuman unit and Narcotics Suppression Bureau’s Sayop Pairee force.

Meanwhile the Royal Thai Armed Forces will provide security for Apec members on land, water and air while working with related agencies to monitor the movement of terrorists worldwide.

Once Apec members’ aircraft enter Thai airspace, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) will be responsible security of flight routes and airports, said RTAF chief ACM Alongkorn Wannarot.

Alongkorn said the RTAF is now clearing aircraft from its parking slots in preparation for Apec members’ arrival.

He added that up to 800 officials from Saudi Arabia would also visit Thailand during the summit and that preparations at airports would not affect other passengers.

Police will be responsible for providing security inside Apec venues, while the military will guard the exterior of venues, according to a Thai security source.

Thai security agencies will also cooperate with their counterparts from Apec countries to maximise effectiveness of security operations.

The source said security agencies were also monitoring the movements of Thai protesters in a bid to ensure they do not disrupt the Apec meet.

On August 24, more than 300 protesters from the Northern Peasant Federation rallied outside Le Meridien Hotel in Chiang Mai where the 5th Apec Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry was being held.

The group were demanding that Apec members oppose the confiscation of Thai state forestland and eviction of forest-dwellers, claiming the land was being handed to corporations as part of “greenwashing” to offset carbon emissions.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020864

Canadian naval ship anchors in Chonburi for a friendship call, exercises

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

THE NATION

HMCS Winnipeg arrived for a five-day port call in Chonburi’s Sattahip district on Friday (October 7) as part of Canada’s defence engagements in the Indo-Pacific.

As part of the port call, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will be interacting with its local counterparts to promote collaboration and friendship, including capability demonstrations, sporting events and community engagement outreach.

HMCS Winnipeg will remain in the Indo-Pacific region, working with other allies and partners, before returning to Canada in December.

“It has been three years since an RCN ship, HMCS Ottawa, last visited Thailand, and we are pleased to welcome an RCN vessel once more,” Canadian Ambassador Sarah Taylor said.

Taylor added that Canada and Thailand marked 60 years of diplomatic relations last year and have a dynamic, cooperative bilateral and multilateral relationship that continues to expand.

Thailand and Canada have cooperated in defence and security relations since 1985 through a robust Military Cooperation Training Programme, she said.

“Canada and Thailand continue to work actively through the United Nations on issues such as peacekeeping, women, peace and security, and regional security,” Taylor added.

Meanwhile, HMCS Winnipeg’s commanding officer Annick Fortin said the vessel has 250 highly trained and professional sailors, including 30 women, who are well prepared to meet the challenges of their deployment.

She added that HMCS Winnipeg has been deployed since June and has so far visited San Diego, Pearl Harbour, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia.

“We look forward to meeting and training alongside the Royal Thai Navy in this, our fifth port visit of Operation PROJECTION 2022,” she said.

“As per our motto ‘One with the strength of many’,” HMCS Winnipeg is ready to uphold Canada’s ongoing commitment to global peace and security, as well as enhance relationships with Canada’s allies and partners.”

Operation PROJECTION demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to increasing security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the operation, HMCS Winnipeg conducts forward naval presence operations, cooperative deployments and participates in international naval exercises with partner nations

THE NATION

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China renews ‘orange’ alert for persisting drought in many areas

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

The national observatory on Saturday renewed an orange alert for droughts in several parts of China.

Parts of Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi and Chongqing are experiencing moderate to severe droughts, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre.

Some areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan have also witnessed extreme droughts, the centre said.

Over the next three days, moderate to heavy rain is forecast for some parts of Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and Chongqing, alleviating the drought, the centre said.

However, other parts will get little rain and drought will persist, it said.

The centre advised local authorities to utilise emergency and other available water sources within their region to ensure continued supply, particularly for residents and livestock.

It also suggested promoting strict water-conservation measures and producing artificial rainfall when necessary.

China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

China Daily

Asia News Network

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Enjoying Thai-style Vietnamese food with an open mind

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

Eating Vietnamese food in Thailand was not on my itinerary when I took a working trip to the Southeast Asian country in September. On the last day of my trip, our group of 10 decided to try something nice together.

The tight schedule packed with workshops and a field trip didn’t spare me time to wander around and try much Thai food. When we got one evening free, we asked one of our Thai colleagues who knew his way around Udon Thani to take us to a nice place with signature food. The Northeast province is some 600 kilometres from Bangkok.

“Thai-style Vietnamese food,” he said. I thought he was joking, but it turned out he was serious.

He explained that Udon Thani is not the best place for Thai food, adding that Vietnamese food is very popular here and many good restaurants serve great Vietnamese cuisine.

It makes sense as this province hosts the largest number of people of Vietnamese origin in Thailand.

One of the receptionists at the hotel we stayed at is from central Vietnam’s Da Nang City who pursued a hospitality degree in Udon Thani and will be working here for a few years before moving back to Vietnam. It’s no wonder my Thai colleagues all said this was Thailand’s “most Vietnamese” place.

Though initially hesitant, we all went to the restaurant as recommended. After about 20 minutes on a tuk-tuk costing 180 baht, we stopped in front of a fancy building complex named “VT”, which looked like a four- or five-star hotel.

We saw a large complex with a few courts displaying and selling Vietnamese-packed food and souvenirs. Some looked strange to us, but some were very Vietnamese, including toothpick containers, coffee filters, and even army hard hats, which Vietnamese soldiers used during wartime.

VT stands for Vee and Tuan, the husband-and-wife owners, while “Nam Nueng” is the Thai pronunciation of nem nuong, a type of Vietnamese grilled pork paste. The owners wanted to name the restaurant after nem lui, their signature dish but decided to change it to nem nuong as the former is a bit difficult for Thai people to pronounce.

Then we headed to the restaurant, which was large enough to accommodate about a hundred customers.

There was a wide variety of choices, and based on the recommendation of my Thai colleague, who had been here a few times, we ordered nem lui (Hue grilled pork paste served with rice noodles, herbs and dipping sauce), bun (rice noodles served with fried egg, Vietnamese pork sausage, fresh vegetables, roasted peanut and minced pork), and Thai-style grilled pork.

At first sight, the nem lui didn’t look very appetising. It didn’t strike me as authentically Vietnamese, and I expected it would taste strange. But to my utmost surprise, and surely also for my Vietnamese colleagues, the first bites were impressively tasty.

The grilled pork paste was first cut into smaller pieces and wrapped with bún (rice noodles) and fresh herbs in rice paper, making it look like a burrito. The mixture is then placed with a few spoons of dipping sauce, which is perfectly right. The grilled ground pork had a balance between fat and lean content. Therefore, it has a tender texture and juicy taste, while the herbs are fresh and aromatic.

Most of the dishes we ordered involved wrapping meat-based food with noodles and aromatic herbs before adding the perfect final touch of superb sauce. Each dish has a different type of sauce but tastes similar with a nice balance of savoury, sour, sweet and spicy.

The stronger and bolder flavours here made the dishes even better than those I have tried in Vietnam.

Some other dishes that are recommended include roasted ground shrimp and pork skewers served with rice noodles, aromatic herbs, cucumbers and tomatoes, and dipping sauce (250 baht for a large portion; Thai-styled grilled pork balls served with herbs and dipping sauce (90 baht); and noodles served with shredded fried egg, Vietnamese sausage, fresh vegetables, roasted peanut and minced pork (60 baht).

Though eating at VT Nam Nueng was not on my plan, it was a worthwhile, tasty and delightful experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Udon Thani.

Van Nguyen

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40020858

Prevention best policy: Threat of Covid-19 not over yet

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

Liu Wei Zi has certainly had her share of bad luck this year after testing positive for Covid-19 four times in quick succession.

The 24-year-old operations consultant had to quarantine herself in March, May, July, and most recently last month, when all her PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests came back positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

She tells us how her second infection was the worst of them all.

“I had all the symptoms at the time and felt like I was going to die. It was definitely the worst experience compared to the other times.

“And right after my quarantine, I had the worst cramps I’ve ever experienced as soon as I got my period,” she says.

She believes her four bouts of Covid-19 are due to her immunosuppressed status.

“I went on a trip to Port Dickson with my friends. And among the seven of us, only I got Covid,” she shares.

Back in February 2021, Liu was diagnosed with psoriasis after a few red patches appeared on her skin, especially her legs and hand.

Her dermatologist prescribed her methotrexate, along with some steroid creams and one session of phototherapy, which involves exposing the skin to ultraviolet light.

“Phototherapy was like magic. My skin cleared up in the span of two days,” she says.

However, she was still required to take the methotrexate pills on a regular basis as there is no cure for psoriasis, and the treatments available are aimed at controlling the symptoms.

Methotrexate, which is also used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, works by slowing the abnormally rapid growth of skin cells in psoriasis.

However, it also has the effect of suppressing the immune system, making the patient vulnerable to infections.

Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital medical officer Dr Jayaganthan Manaugar notes that immunosuppressed people are generally considered a high-risk group as they are prone to catching infections easily.

The doctor who is currently completing a master’s in internal medicine says: “The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is an airborne virus that spreads very easily, hence, it directly increases the possibility of infections to those high-risk groups.”

According to consultant infectious diseases physician Dr Christopher Lee, those who are immunosuppressed also respond less to vaccines.

“Those in this category are more likely to get infected, and when they do get infected, they are also more likely to have severe disease.

“To be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, they actually need three shots in the primary vaccination series, instead of two,” says the adjunct professor at Taylor’s University School of Medicine.

Besides getting all the recommended shots, it’s important for those who are immunosuppressed to practise good infection prevention measures like physical distancing, wearing more protective face masks such as the N95, and practising good hand hygiene, he adds.

Indeed, although almost all of the restrictions enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic have now been eased, Liu is still being cautious and encourages everyone else to be too.

“If you are sick, it is better for you to wear a mask to protect yourself, as well as the people around you.

“My friends and I still practise doing self-tests before meeting up, just to be safe,” she says.

She also still religiously wears her face masks and takes good care of both her physical and mental health.

With new Covid-19 cases still averaging above 1,000 every day in Malaysia, it is clear that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating.

And with the wearing of face masks and physical distancing no longer being enforced, everyone is still at risk of catching the disease.

Therefore, those in high-risk groups, like people who have chronic diseases or are immunosuppressed, are advised by doctors to continue taking precautions to prevent themselves from getting Covid-19.

The Star

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020855

Cute fish-shaped bus shelters hidden on island go viral in Japan

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

Fish-shaped bus shelters have begun making waves as cute Instagram-worthy spots on Japan’s Kakinoura Island in northwestern Kyushu.

Kakinoura, part of a string of islands off the west coast of Nagasaki Prefecture connected to Kyushu by a series of bridges, was incorporated into the city of Saikai in 2005. The aesthetic fish-shaped shelters were created at four bus stops in the late 1990s before the island was absorbed into the city limits.

Social media users are also discussing the heart shape subtly hidden in the shelter artwork. There are even posts saying, “If you find them all, your wishes might come true,” but it is not clear how the heart shapes became part of the equation.

The original design for the shelters included no such game-like plans, according to a city office official, who said, “I guess it was probably a playful idea on the part of the builder.”

The bus shelters were supposed to be made in the image of marbled rockfish, something for which the city is well-known. However, one location has a shelter that resembles a sea bream — the reason for this is also a mystery.

Whatever the reason, these cryptic tidbits seem to be part of why the shelters have become pic-bait. Despite their distance from Kyushu — about 80 minutes by car from Nagasaki City and 60 minutes from Sasebo — the shelters reel in a steady stream of tourists, who travel to see the constructs and stand in front of them to take photos.

The city government is intent on promoting the area, gaining confidence from the opening of the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed train line in September.

The Japan News

Asia News Network

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Drones shoot down fireworks to launch new era of celestial spectacle

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

Drone light shows are taking over festivals and company promotion events as a new crowd-pleaser.

The small vehicles, equipped with colourful LED lights and capable of flying at speeds of 6 metres per second, rapidly gather and scatter to form various shapes and messages on the black canvas of the night sky.

At one moment, the light-bearing quadcopters morph into a slow-moving whale and the next into an angry bull, dazzling spectators on the ground.

South Korea is fast catching up in the field that requires both technology and artistic skill, industry officials said.

Helping drive this new trend is Pablo Air CEO Kim Young-joon.

“It was after watching a drone show during the opening ceremony of PyeongChang Winter Olympics that I first learned that a swarm of drones could make a wonderful and colourful show,” said Kim, who founded the start-up in 2018.

He was referring to a show by Intel that mobilised 1,218 high-tech drones to conjure the image of five Olympic rings in the night sky during the ceremony held in the Korean city.

On Wednesday, Kim’s company held an extended reality drone art show “Flying Art in Jeju” in which 300 drones, fireworks, music and dance came together for a new musical experience on Jeju’s Boromwat, a themed outdoor garden on the southern island.

Lim Hyon, CEO of UVify, which was founded in 2015 by a team of aerospace, mechanical engineering, and machine vision specialists, also shifted the firm’s focus to drone-powered shows after the Olympics. Before the company had focused on racing drones.

“UVify’s mission is to make the experience for those who attend outdoor events more rewarding. Drone light shows and their beauty are an experience meant to be shared,” the company said.

The firm has built its track record securing deals from big names like Hyundai Motors and K-pop sensation BTS.

Busan Gwangalli Marvelous Drone Light Show, which has taken place every Friday on Gwangalli Beach since last December, is one of the company’s ongoing main projects. The contract between Suyeong-gu and the drone company ends in May next year.

The 10-minute show uses 500 synchronised, illuminated drones to not just put up a visually stunning show, but to relay messages, like for peace in Ukraine and global megahit “Squid Game”.

To celebrate Chuseok, one of the most important and festive holidays of the year here, a whopping 1,000 drones were mobilised for an aerial show on September 10, which illustrated traditional Korean outdoor games.

The Guinness World Record for the most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles is held by Hyundai marque Genesis, with its 3,281-drone show in Shanghai in March last year.

“The drone light show is expected to emerge as a representative tourism product in Busan. It will revitalise the Gwangalli commercial district, which was hit hard by Covid-19 pandemic,” a Suyeong-gu official said.

Precision is all that matters

To make hundreds of drones fly in a choreographed formation, precise coding and programming are needed. Among the factors to be considered are airflow generated by drone rotors and safety distance between drones to prevent collision.

Onsite variables or small mistakes can easily result in crashes that would cost millions of won per unit, aside from the potential damage they could inflict on something or someone on the ground.

UVify’s flagship quadcopter IFO, which was first unveiled at the world’s largest technology event CES 2019, has a maximum flight time of 20 minutes. It is also equipped with an integrated Real Time Kinematic GPS and redundant communication, which ensures accurate positioning and the ability to overcome interference.

“Drones can think for themselves and draw a map, avoid obstacles, and recognise their location even indoors or in bad weather conditions where GPS is not available,” Lim, the company’s CEO said.

Replacing fireworks?

Many festivals and large outdoor events make fireworks the grand finale.

As drones are reusable and do not produce air and noise pollution, industry experts expect that they could replace nearly half of traditional fireworks displays.

The global fireworks market was valued at $2.48 billion (93.3 billion baht) in 2020 and is expected to reach $3.24 billion by the end of 2027, according to Industry Research.

Currently, drones are all the rage in South Korea: Some replace fireworks or guest stars in fireworks shows at festivals. But others are carving out a market of their own.

K-pop star IU opened her concert at Seoul Olympic Stadium, held on September 18 and 19, with a drone show that formed a portrait of the singer and other symbolic icons of her songs.

The drone show was intended to be seen from outside the stadium as well so fans who couldn’t get tickets to the concert could also enjoy the spectacle.

Large conglomerates like Hyundai and LG have used drones as a tool for promoting newly launched products.

On September 24, LG Electronics hosted a drone show, featuring 1,000 drones, to celebrate the launch of its new refrigerator line LG Dios Objet Collection MoodUP.

The scenery of Seoul and a simplified image of a refrigerator illuminated the sky of Yeouido Hangang Park. The performance was also livestreamed on YouTube.

In the upcoming months, several festivals are scheduled to feature drone shows, including ones at Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, Seongnam city in Gyeonggi Province and Donghae city in Gangwon Province.

The use of drones for entertainment and promotion is likely to be expanded as companies like UVify provide a package of services enabling clients to design and carry out their own shows with software and operational training courses.

Park Han-na

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network

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Fire on Crimea’s Kerch Bridge after explosion reported by Ukraine media

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

A fuel tank was on fire on the Kerch bridge in Crimea early on Saturday (October 8) , Russia’s RIA state news agency reported, while Ukraine’s media reported an explosion.

“According to preliminary information a fuel tank on fire on one of the sections of the Crimean bridge, the shipping arches are not damaged,” RIA reported citing a local official.
 

Traffic on the bridge was suspended.

Ukraine’s media reported that a blast took place on the bridge at around 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT).

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

THE NATION

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Ales Byalyatski, Russia’s Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties win 2022 Nobel Peace Prize

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 07, 2022

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is going to jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties, the award’s judges said Friday.

Belarusian security police in July last year raided offices and homes of lawyers and human rights activists, detaining Byalyatski and others in a new crackdown on opponents of Lukashenko.

Authorities had moved to shut down non-state media outlets and human right groups after mass protests the previous August against a presidential election the opposition said was rigged.

Memorial was ordered to close after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled in December 2021 that the umbrella organisation Memorial International and the Memorial Human Rights Center should be liquidated for violating the country’s “foreign agents” law.

The court upheld its decision to shut down one of Russia’s most venerated human rights groups on February 28.

The award, the first since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, has echoes of the Cold War era when prominent Soviet dissidents such as Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn won Nobels for peace or literature.

The prize will be seen by many as a condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is celebrating his 70th birthday on Friday, and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, making it one of the most politically contentious in decades.

Nobel Committee Chair Berit Reiss-Andersen called on Belarus to release Byalyatski from prison and said the prize was not against Putin.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence in the neighbour countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine,” said Reiss-Andersen.

“The Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens,”Reiss-Andersen added.

“They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.”

She called on Belarus to release Byalyatski from prison and said the prize was not against Putin.

“The (Nobel) Committee is sending a message that political freedoms, human rights and active civil society are part of peace,” Dan Smith, head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told Reuters.

“Although Memorial has been closed in Russia, it lives on as an idea that it’s right to criticize power and that facts and history matter,” Smith added.

Memorial said on Friday that winning the award was a recognition of its human rights work and of colleagues who continue to suffer “unspeakable attacks and reprisals” in Russia.

Ukraine’s human rights campaigners said they were in a “delightful shock” after learning they were among co-winners of Nobel Peace Prize.

“It was a complete surprise for us. Even half an hour ago we had no clue. We are in a delightful shock. We learnt about it literally 2 minutes before journalists started calling us,” Anna Trushova, 
Communications Manager for Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties said.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 10 million Swedish crowns, or about $900,000, will be presented in Oslo on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will. The money comes from a bequest left by Nobel. 

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system.

Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information.

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of “snapping molecules together” that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely.

French author Annie Ernaux won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature Thursday. The panel commended her for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

The 2022 Nobel Prize in economics will be announced on Monday.

The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10.