Now’s Your Time to Shine: Men Compete for Shiniest Bald Head
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Eight men on Saturday competed to outshine each other. Aged between 40 and 90 years old, they took part in an annual competition for the shiniest balding head in Yokote, Akita Prefecture.
Founded by a group of enthusiasts, the Koto-kai (shining heads organization) has held this annual event since 1991 as a New Year’s tradition, hoping to brighten and invigorate the community.
The men participated in a suction cuptug-of-war, in which suction cups linked by a string are attached to each participant.
At one point there was a heated battle that lasted more than five seconds with the string taut, and the audience cheered when one of the suction cups came loose and the victor was decided.
Hiroshi Fujiwara, 84, the chairman of the group, won the competition for the second time in about 10 years.
In the Koto sumo event, the winner was determined by the shine and luster of his head. Participants facing off removed a hand towel covering their heads at the same time, while the gyoji referee used a penlight to determine the winner.
“I didn’t realize how painful it was to be pulled by the suction cup,” said Takashi Kunugihara, 49, a company owner from Nabari, Mie Prefecture, who heard about the event on TV last year and participated for the first time.
“I want to take care of my head next year by putting on some lotion,” he said with a smile.
61% of 2022 Cambodian imports came from just 3 markets
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The three largest exporters to Cambodia – mainland China, Vietnam and Thailand – accounted for 60.94 per cent of the Kingdom’s total merchandise imports last year, at $18.245 billion, which was up 11.99 per cent over 2021, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise.
Cambodia’s total imports grew by 4.32 % on a yearly basis to $29.942 billion in 2022, with mainland China representing the lion’s share at $10.446 billion or 34.89 %, up 7.86 % year-on-year, followed by Vietnam ($3.967 billion; 13.25% share; up 26.20%) and Thailand ($3.833 billion; 12.80% share; up 10.66%).
In December alone, total imports dipped by 33.34 per cent on a yearly basis to $2.195 billion, with mainland China again ranked first at $975.790 million or a 44.46 % share, down by 11.57 per cent year-on-year, followed by Vietnam ($349.887 million; 15.94% share; up 3.29%) and Thailand ($290.481 million; 13.24% share; down 25.35%).
Rounding out the list of top 20 exporters to Cambodia for 2022 were: Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the US, India, Laos, Australia, the UK, Belgium, Botswana, Germany, Italy and France, according to the General Department of Customs.
Of note, Cambodian imports from the southern African country of Botswana saw the largest year-on-year growth in 2022, at 393.6 % to $64.079 million, compared to $12.981 million in 2021.
Although GDCE figures for individual commodities were not immediately available, data from the online portal Trading Economics show that all official Cambodian imports from Botswana in 2021 were in the “pearls, precious stones, metals, coins” category, corresponding to Chapter 71 of the harmonised tariff schedule.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) vice-president Lim Heng commented to The Post on January 29 that, as a developing country, the Kingdom requires relatively large volumes of imported raw materials to meet domestic demand as well as to process into export products.
He put down Cambodia’s reliance on the big three exporters to proximity, good diplomatic relations, and the generally acceptable quality and prices for their products.
Heng predicted that the three markets would remain key suppliers of raw materials and other essential goods for the long term, stating that Cambodia’s bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with China would increase two-way export flows going forward.
Major imports from these markets include Chinese textiles and other raw materials for export processing, daily necessities, electronics and electrical appliances, fruits, vegetables, foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals and construction materials, he said.
Hong Vanak, director of International Economics at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, similarly remarked that demand for raw materials and consumer goods is quite high in the Kingdom, adding that export-oriented production accounts for the “majority” of imports.
Still, with GDCE statistics indicating a collective 15.02 % on-year expansion in Cambodia’s trade deficit with the three markets, Vanak called for additional public-private efforts to promote the cultivation, production and processing of more local goods to boost supply and reduce imports.
“Improving the productivity of SMEs [small- and medium-sized enterprises] is an absolute must and could have a slew of positive effects for Cambodia’s overall economic growth in the future,” he said.
UK PM Sunak fires party chairman Zahawi after breach of ministerial code
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired the Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi from the government on Sunday after an investigation into his tax affairs found a serious breach of the ministerial code.
Sunak had ordered an independent adviser to investigate questions over the tax affairs of Zahawi, who was briefly finance minister during a period of political turmoil in Britain last year.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC on Sunday morning, British Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said the independent adviser Laurie Magnus was asked ‘to look rapidly’ at the situation and wrote to the Prime Minister today.
Zahawi has said Britain’s tax authorities ruled he had been “careless” with his declarations but hadn’t deliberately made an error to pay less tax.
“Following the completion of the Independent Adviser’s investigation – the findings of which he has shared with us both – it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code,” Sunak said in a letter to Zahawi.
“As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government.”
The independent adviser found that Zahawi had been misleading when he said that reports last July over his tax affairs were “clearly smears.”
Zahawi did not correct the record until last week when he said he had reached a settlement with the authorities.
“I consider that this delay in correcting an untrue public statement is inconsistent with the requirement for openness,” Magnus said in a letter to Sunak.
He added that Zahawi had shown “insufficient regard” for the requirement “to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour.”
“Mr. Zahawi’s conduct as a Minister has fallen below the high standards that, as Prime Minister, you rightly expect from those who serve in your government,” he said.
Voters from Zahawi’s Stratford-upon-Avon constituency said the Conservative Party Chair had failed in that test of leadership.
“And I think it brings shame on the town and shame on the country and shame on the party that he represents,” said local resident Kevin Hand.
Chair of the Labour Party Anneliese Dodds criticised the Prime Minister for not acting earlier.
“This shows an incredibly weak approach from Rishi Sunak, and this has been part of a pattern under the Conservatives – of Ministers feeling that rules that apply to the public simply don’t apply to them,” Dodds said.
Sunak had initially stood by Zahawi before ordering an independent adviser to investigate questions over his tax affairs after it emerged Zahawi had settled a probe by Britain’s tax authority HMRC last year.
Zahawi’s response to Sunak did not mention either the HMRC or the independent adviser’s investigation. He expressed concern at the conduct of some in the media in recent weeks and said he would support Sunak’s agenda as a backbench lawmaker.
“I am sorry to my family for the toll this has taken on them,” he said.
It is a setback to Sunak’s attempt at a government reset after a chaotic year that saw three different British prime ministers. An investigation into alleged bullying by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab is ongoing and could cause further headaches.
Zahawi’s sacking comes as Sunak’s government, facing decades-high inflation and a wave of public sector strikes, trails badly in opinion polls ahead of an expected 2024 election.
Boeing’s 747, the original jumbo jet, prepares for final send-off
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Boeing’s 747, the original and arguably most aesthetic “Jumbo Jet”, revolutionized air travel only to see its more than five-decade reign as “Queen of the Skies” ended by more efficient twinjet planes.
The last commercial Boeing jumbo will be delivered to Atlas Air in the surviving freighter version on Tuesday (January 31), 53 years after the 747’s instantly recognizable humped silhouette grabbed global attention as a Pan Am passenger jet.
Designed in the late 1960s to meet the demand for mass travel, the world’s first twin-aisle wide-body jetliner’s nose and the upper deck became the world’s most luxurious club above the clouds.
But it was in the seemingly endless rows at the back of the new jumbo that the 747 transformed travel.
The jumbo also made its mark on global affairs, symbolizing war and peace, from America’s “Doomsday Plane” nuclear command post to papal visits on chartered 747s nicknamed Shepherd One.
Now, two previously delivered 747s are being fitted to replace U.S. presidential jets known globally as Air Force One.
When the first 747 took off from New York on Jan 22, 1970, after a delay due to an engine glitch, it more than doubled plane capacity to 350-400 seats, in turn reshaping airport design.
Its birth became the stuff of aviation myth.
Pan Am founder Juan Trippe sought to cut costs by increasing the number of seats. On a fishing trip, he challenged Boeing President William Allen to make something dwarfing the 707.
Allen put legendary engineer Joe Sutter in charge. It took only 28 months for Sutter’s team known as “the Incredibles” to develop the 747 before the first flight on Feb. 9, 1969.
Although it eventually became a cash cow, the 747’s initial years were riddled with problems and the $1-billion development costs almost bankrupted Boeing, which believed the future of air travel lay in supersonic jets.
After a slump during the 1970s oil crisis, the plane’s heyday arrived in 1989 when Boeing introduced the 747-400 with new engines and lighter materials, making it a perfect fit to meet the growing demand for trans-Pacific flights.
The same swell of innovation that got the 747 off the ground has spelled its end, as advances made it possible for dual-engine jets to replicate its range and capacity at a lower cost.
Yet the 777X, set to take the 747’s place at the top of the jet market, will not be ready until at least 2025 after delays.
This week’s final 747 delivery leaves questions over the future of the mammoth but now under-used Everett widebody production plant outside Seattle, while Boeing is also struggling after the Covid pandemic and a 737 MAX safety crisis.
Chief Executive Dave Calhoun has said Boeing may not design a new airliner for at least a decade.
Whither women’s reproductive health in Asia Pacific
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
While the world has made many advancements in healthcare, millions of women and girls in low- and low-middle income countries are still far away from having bodily autonomy and are not able to make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
Even in countries like Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, or Thailand where total fertility rate is relatively low, despite such commendable progress, there are challenges yet to be overcome.
Progress on women’s health but challenges remain
Data from the FP2030 Measurement Report 2022 does offer some consolation by way of more than 141 million unintended pregnancies, 29 million unsafe abortions, and nearly 148,000 maternal deaths being averted in countries of Asia Pacific during 2021-2022 due to an increase in the number of women using modern contraceptive methods.
However, there are an estimated 140 million women in the Asia Pacific region who still lack access to modern methods of contraception, despite wanting to avoid or delay pregnancy.
Over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of all abortions are unsafe, accounting for up to 13% of all maternal deaths recorded, as per the State of World Population 2022 report. Maternal mortality in the Asia Pacific region is high, with 10 women dying every hour in pregnancy and childbirth. Harmful practices such as child marriage and the preference of having a son, still abound.
Citizen News Service ( CNS ) spoke with some leaders from the field of obstetrics and gynaecology in the Asia Pacific region on the status of women’s reproductive health in their countries.
Taiwan
At 1.08, Taiwan’s current fertility rate is the lowest in the world.
“As more and more women are getting higher education and entering the workforce, they prefer their career over raising a family. They postpone marriage as well as child birth or even prefer not having children at all”, said Prof Yi Yung Chen, Director, Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Senior Attending Physician, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mackay Memorial Hospital.
Chen shared that Taiwan’s national health insurance scheme covers all health-associated expenditures of its people, including fertility-related problems. All Taiwanese couples where the wife is under 45 years old, can get reimbursement of all expenses incurred for the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique to help people with fertility problems have a baby.
There are education programmes for high school students to avoid unintended pregnancies. Condom use is promoted not only for contraception but also to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which are an emerging problem in Taiwan. That is why most hospitals provide anonymous testing for them.
Preconception check-up programmes for women check for anaemia and other blood-related diseases and also for STIs like syphilis, HIV and chlamydia. Pregnant women are offered free HIV tests, to control vertical transmission of HIV. They are also checked for syphilis as part of the antenatal care programme and given free treatment if needed, added Chen.
Thailand
The country’s fertility rate has come down to 1.2. Its maternal mortality ratio is low at 37, and the unintended pregnancy rate per 1,000 women is 38. With more than 70% of married couples now using modern contraception methods, Thailand has a successful family planning programme. However, there is still a group of the population that is underserved, and these are the adolescents, cautioned Dr Unnop Jaisamrarn, Chief of the Family Planning and Reproductive Health Unit in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at Chulalongkorn University, and Secretary General of Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
“We are trying to bring down the rate of unintended pregnancies in adolescents. We need the strong leadership of government departments, and the cooperation of partners like academic institutions, universities, and NGOs, to address this problem. Most important is education and awareness around unintended pregnancies and providing easy access to family planning and contraceptive services throughout the country. We also need to have a very good referral system for clients who need these services”, he said.
Reinforcing the importance of integrating reproductive health and family planning services in the healthcare system, he shared that “In Thailand, we have integrated family planning, maternal healthcare and reproductive health services, into the national healthcare or universal healthcare system and all Thai citizens have access to all these services.”
Japan
Despite a low fertility rate of 1.34, even a developed country like Japan is facing the problem of unintended pregnancies.
“Abortion rate is high at 17%. Japan’s sexual education is focused on avoiding unintended pregnancies. We are also promoting the use of oral contraceptive pills whose current usage for birth control is less than 10%. They are mostly used for control of menstrual disorders”, shared Professor Tadashi Kimura, Professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Osaka University School of Medicine, and Chair of Executive Board of Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
However, the country has practically eliminated vertical transmission (mother-to-child transmission) of HIV, with only such case being reported in 2022, he added.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s fertility rate is 1.9; the maternal mortality ratio is low at 29 and all births are attended by skilled healthcare personnel. The unintended pregnancy rate per 1,000 women is 62.
Dr K Balanathan, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Seberang Jaya, Malaysia, and President of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia, said that Malaysia has made a lot of progress in the field of family planning and contraception prevalence has increased dramatically. However, despite the progress made, the current modern contraceptive usage is only 57% in women aged 15-49 years, as per UNFPA data.
Adolescent and unintended pregnancies remain a challenge in Malaysia. The 2022 Sexual Health and Intimate Wellness Survey of Malaysian youths revealed that although more Malaysian youths are sexually active today than they were in the past, their knowledge about STIs and pregnancy is poor and misconceptions abound. Given that more and more Malaysian youth are becoming sexually active at a young age, Balanathan strongly advocates for helping them in a constructive manner, by way of providing comprehensive sexual education to youngsters from secondary school level so that they know about reproductive sex and behave responsibly.
“Both males and females need to be advised to avoid unintended pregnancies. We want the young ladies to complete their education rather than get pregnant and become mothers, thus disrupting their own progress. We have to educate the youth to take precautions and not have unprotected sex to not only avoid unintended pregnancies but also prevent STIs, including HIV.”
By Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service)
Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
Indonesian, Philippine water experts push for more sustainable dams amid climate change
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
Experts warn that dams in both Indonesia and the Philippines, crucial for irrigation, drinking water and electricity generation, may face increased strain as climate change brings unpredictable and high-precipitation weather patterns.
Budi Santoso Wignyosukarto, a hydraulic engineering expert at Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, said that Indonesia had been accustomed to heavy rain, however, climate change would cause the weather to become less predictable, which would also affect dams.
Budi emphasized the need for Indonesia to be prepared for these uncertainties, as the country is already facing challenges such as rapid population growth that lead to land use changes, as more people need more food, shelter and industry, which all affect the climate.
He said that Indonesia needed to be more flexible and adaptable to climate change by improving its resilience.
“Building this resilience can be done through building infrastructure that can absorb [extreme] rainfall well, such as reservoirs coupled with dams whose capacities have been optimized,” Budi said.
Evi Anggraheni, a lecturer in water resource management at the University of Indonesia’s Civil Engineering Department, agreed that climate change would lead to unstable weather that affected dams, particularly through erosion in upstream areas caused by extreme rainfall. This erosion leads to sedimentation in the reservoirs of dams.
“Conservation [of the environment] at the upstream of dams is needed to improve their performance,” Evi said.
Airlangga Mardjono, the director of dams and lakes at the Public Works and Housing Ministry, said that all dams in Indonesia would be able to withstand the effects of climate change, as they have been designed with their probable maximum flood (PMF) capacity in mind to ensure they can contain large amounts of water.
“Dams are built that way because of the high risk [from holding large amounts of water], so we use the most conservative calculations,” Mardjono said.
There were 228 dams operating in Indonesia as of 2022, an increase from the previous year’s 205 dams.
Mardjono also said the ministry had adjusted the operation patterns of dams to withstand high rainfall by making sure to release excess water from dams’ reservoirs ahead of the rainy season, as well as installing early release floodgates and automating weather monitoring at dams.
One of the best options
The Philippines is also home to dams mainly used for irrigation and energy generation.
The Philippines Biodiversity Management Bureau recorded 39 water storage areas or dams in the country. Nine of these are major dams that are closely monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the country’s meteorological agency, particularly during typhoons.
Additional dams are expected to become operational soon as a result of the administration of then-president Rodrigo Duterte’s massive infrastructure program, also known as the “Build, Build, Build” project.
According to the Ibon Foundation, a non-profit development organization, the program introduced eight dam projects from Abra in Northern Luzon to Iloilo in the Visayas. Many of these projects are funded by official development assistance from China.
While supporters of dam construction argue that the facilities will address water and energy issues in the Philippines, critics assert that dams have negative impacts on the environment and indigenous communities near the sites, and are vulnerable to typhoons made worse by climate change.
Franz Kevin Geronimo, a Philippine consultant for the World Water Council, said that the intensifying rainfall in the Philippines due to climate change would mean that dam operators needed to release water more frequently or they would break.
“If the dam breaks, there will definitely be a bigger amount of water that will be released,” Geronimo said, adding that the changing rainfall patterns would produce heavy rain in a short span of time.
While dams could provide water and clean energy for the Philippines, Geronimo said that there were other options aside from dams to address these issues.
Geronimo said solar panels or hydrogen fuel were alternatives for providing energy. However, the latter, while feasible, is not yet available in the country due to high cost and safety fears.
To address water issues, Geronimo suggested that the country consider harvesting rainwater. The Philippines already has a Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Act, which requires the public works department to construct rainwater collectors to prevent flooding.
Geronimo also mentioned the options of recycling wastewater and utilizing groundwater, however, they might not be able to provide the amount of water dams do.
“We are talking about big supplies of both water and energy. I think [dams are] still one of the best options at the moment.”
By A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil
The Jakarta Post
Asia News Network
*Freelance journalist Siegfred Lacerna from the Philippines collaborated for this article, which is supported by Climate Tracker and Internews’ Earth Journalism Network through the Climate and Water Nexus Media Fellowship program.
After West pledges tanks, Zelenskiy says Ukraine also needs long-range missiles
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday said Ukraine wanted to preempt Russian attacks on Ukrainian urban areas and civilians with more firepower.
“Ukraine needs long-range missiles … to deprive the occupier of the opportunity to place its missile launchers somewhere far from the front line and destroy Ukrainian cities,” he said in an evening video address.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed the US-made ATACMS missile, which has a range of 185 miles (297km). Washington has so far declined to provide the weapon.
Ukraine has secured promises for hundreds of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line.
Zelenskiy also said Kyiv would redouble its efforts to stop Russian athletes from participating in the 2024 Olympics, which will be held in Paris.
Ukraine, he said, had written to major international sports federations asking them to clarify their position on what he called the International Olympic Committee’s desire to “open up sports to the propaganda influence of the terrorist state”.
The IOC said on Wednesday (January 25) the Olympic Council of Asia had offered Russian and Belarusian athletes the chance to compete in Asia, giving them a qualification pathway for the 2024 Olympics. Ukraine says it could boycott the Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes take part.
Returning workers crowd China train stations, play down Covid concerns
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
The railway station in China’s financial hub Shanghai was bustling with migrant workers and travellers on Sunday as they returned from their hometowns where they had spent the Lunar New Year holiday.
China abandoned its strict “zero Covid” policy in early December and many workers who had not been able to see family since the pandemic started, rushed to leave cities taking advantage of restriction-free travel.
After a week, many are returning to go back to work and concerns of a Covid-19 resurgence seem far from their minds.
“Personally I am not worried about the epidemic. I think it is over,” said Li Hongwei, who works as a welder in Shanghai.
Lunar New Year holiday trips inside China surged 74% from last year after authorities scrapped Covid-19 travel curbs, state media reported on Saturday, though the number of journeys was still only half of pre-pandemic levels.
According to official data, the number of Covid deaths a showed weekly decline, however. Between January 20-26, a week that overlapped with six days of the holiday period, China registered 6,364 Covid-linked deaths, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday, compared to 12,658 a week earlier.
Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year in China, when huge numbers of people working in prosperous coastal cities head to their hometowns and villages for family reunions.
New Zealand roiled by flash floods, landslides for third day
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
Heavy rainfall hit New Zealand’s north island again on Sunday, causing landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads, with the death toll rising to four after a person who had been missing was confirmed dead.
Thousands of properties remained without power, while hundreds were without water, authorities said on Sunday and some families were housed in evacuation facilities to ride out the bad weather.
Auckland, New Zealand‘s largest city of 1.6 million people, remained under a state of emergency after it experienced its wettest ever day on Friday (January 27). The nation’s weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather on Sunday and Monday for the north island. Intense rainfall could also cause surface and flash flooding, it said.
The focus of the emergency has since moved south, with Waitomo District – located about 220 kms (137 miles) from Auckland – declaring a state of emergency late on Saturday.
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