Experts say Thailand’s ‘must carry’ rule must end after World Cup fiasco

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Experts say Thailand’s ‘must carry’ rule must end after World Cup fiasco

Experts say Thailand’s ‘must carry’ rule must end after World Cup fiasco

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022

Experts at a seminar slammed the way Thailand obtained broadcasting rights for the 2022 Fifa World Cup as a fiasco on Sunday.

The seminar was held by the Democrat Party to air complaints after the rights were purchased for 1.2 billion baht under the “must carry” rule for free broadcasts.

Half of the purchase fund came from public money in the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF).

However, three conglomerates – Charoen Pokphand Group (CP)ThaiBev and PTT – stepped in with contributions to meet Fifa’s asking price.

CP’s broadcasting arm True Corp was then allocated half of the World Cup’s 64 matches including the final, which sparked complaints from other broadcasters.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) was severely criticised by experts and politicians for approving the rights purchase.

Experts say Thailand’s ‘must carry’ rule must end after World Cup fiasco

Paisan Limsathit, a legal expert from Thammasat University, said the NBTC had overstepped its jurisdiction by organising the purchase, which should have been managed by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

He explained that the NBTC is responsible for regulating broadcasters but that did not include purchasing broadcasting rights or approving funds to do so from the Universal Service Obligation fund.

The purchase of World Cup rights was also not in line with the objectives of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for Public Interest (BTFP), which had only 2 billion baht, he added.

Paisan said the rights should have been purchased with money from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) or the private sector.

Kemmatat Poldej, former president of the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand (MCOT), said broadcasting licences for sport were the most expensive. Higher viewership means higher licence prices, so their purchase needs to be discussed first, he added.

Watanya Bunnag, former manager of the Thailand national under-23 football team, pointed out that money to buy the rights came from the sale of digital broadcast licenses, which are a national asset. She added that the NSDF was also funded by the national budget.

Watanya, a Democrat candidate for the next election, explained that Thailand had never faced difficulties obtaining broadcasting rights before the digital television era because back then, television channels gathered purchase budgets and found revenue from sponsors.

The problems only arrived with the NBTC’s “must have/must carry” rule in the digital television era, as the regulator’s attempt to disrupt the market had backfired, she said.

Watanya reiterated her call for the NBTC to review the “must carry” rule to avoid future problems.

Read More

All 64 matches of the World Cup in Qatar will be broadcast live on 17 subscription-free Thai television channels.

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Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come true

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Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come true

Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come true

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

A powerful smartphone that takes beautiful snapshots to share instantly is the dream for most users, but the reality in their pockets can often be disappointing.

Step forward Sony’s new Xperia 5 IV – it may just be the holy grail snap-happy people may be seeking.

The fourth edition of Xperia 5 is powered by the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform chipset with a hefty working memory of 8 gigabytes and 256GB storage.

It’s 6.1-inch wide, 21:9 format display using a 120-Hertz OLED panel with a 2,520×1,080 pixel resolution serves as a perfect viewfinder for both still photos and videos.

Enthusiasts will love that Sony has packed Xperia 5 IV with the advanced photography technology it developed for its famous Alpha series cameras.Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come true

With a ZEISS-quality lens calibrated specially for this smartphone and its Exmor RS sensors, the new Xperia 5 IV can make snapping and sharing a joyful experience.

The smartphone camera comes with three lenses and three focal lengths, each with a 12-megapixel resolution. For ultrawide focuses of 16mm, it uses a 1/2.5-inch Exmore RX sensor, a 1/1.7-inch sensor for a 24mm standard focal length and a 1/3.5-inch sensor for a tele-focal length of 60mm. Each lens is bright with a wide aperture of F1.7 to F2.4.

The smartphone comes packed with Sony’s own photography software called Photo Pro, which offers two modes – Basic and Auto/P/SM modes.

In most cases, you can use the Basic mode to snap regular photos or clips, but if you want to be more creative and produce high-quality clips or pics, you can opt for the Auto/P/S/M modes.Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come true

For the Basic mode, the software uses AI technology to detect scenes and lighting conditions before it adjusts shooting parameters automatically. The AI can choose from shooting formats like gourmet, macro, soft snap, infant, backlight portrait, backlight, night portrait, night scene, low light, landscape and spotlight and display the respective icon on the screen.

While testing the Xperia 5 IV, I found that it managed to easily capture top-quality shots using Basic mode. It effectively handled difficult backlit conditions effectively capturing dark subjects clearly with a brightly lit background.

The Auto/P/S/M modes were also fun, as they turn the phone’s display into a large viewfinder with control buttons on the right for horizontal shooting.

However, the buttons take up almost half of the screen if you try to take a vertical picture.

The Auto mode is much like the Basic mode when it comes to AI detecting scene types and automatically adjusting shooting parameters, though the Auto mode gives you more control.

For instance, you can use the control panel on the right-hand side to select between single-shot autofocus (AF) and continuous AF.

You can also choose between a wide and centre focus, as well as the drive mode, which offers single and continuous shooting both in high and low quality, self-timer and HDR continuous shooting.

While testing, I used the continuous shooting Hi mode to capture shots of flying seagulls. Normally, it’s difficult to capture clear, in-focus shots of flying birds, but I used the continuous shooting mode to capture bursts of images before selecting those that caught the birds in focus with bright colours.

Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come trueIf you are an experienced photographer, you will enjoy the P/S/M modes or Programme auto, Shutter speed priority and Manual exposure.

The P mode gives you more control compared to the Auto mode. For instance, you can select a white balance and ISO setting. You can even select a metering mode among multi, centre and spot modes of light metering, as well as adjust the exposure value to make the image brighter or darker.

In S mode, you select the shutter speed and the camera will adjust the rest of the parameters for you or you can try to set some parameters.

The M mode is more advanced as the Xperia 5 IV gives you full control from shutter speed to other parameters.

Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come trueThe smartphone is also capable of shooting 4K HDR video at a high frame rate of 120fps and also comes with a 12MP front camera with an f2.0 lens for beautiful selfies.

Its display with a native refresh rate of 120 Hertz is very good for enjoying movies and playing games.

The display function comes with Motion Blur Reduction technology that reduces the blurriness of fast-moving pictures and the phone also comes with a Game Enhancer function that helps adjust various settings so you can play graphics-intensive games smoothly.

The phone also comes with three apps for video and music creators. Music Pro lets you record and edit your compositions like you are in a studio, while the Cinema Pro and Video Pro apps allow you to shoot and edit your clips like a pro.

The Xperia 5 IV can also function as a high-quality digital music player, capable of playing high-resolution audio (Hi-Res Audio) formats.

Tech Review: Sony Xperia 5 IV: Every budding photographer’s dream come trueI played the old Eagles classic “Hotel California” in Flac 24bit/192kHz Hi-Res Audio format, using Audio-Technica ATH-ANC700BT headphones that support Hi-Res Audio and heard it delivered with clarity, good details and deep bass.

The CPU chipset of the phone is really fast thanks to its eight cores, one running at 3GHz, three at 2.50 GHz and the remaining four at 1.79GHz, according to Geekbench 5 benchmarking app. The app reported that the phone has a single-core score of 1,146 and a multi-core score of 3,311.

As a smartphone, Sony Xperia 5 IV runs on the Android 12 operating system and supports the 5G network.

Its large 5,000mAh battery is packed with fast-charging technology which has the phone getting a 50% charge in 30 minutes.

Sony Xperia 5 IV has a suggested retail price of 39,990 baht, though early birds will get wireless LinkBuds S worth 7,490 baht or an 8,000 baht discount. The offer is only valid until November 30.

Key specs

OS: Android 12

Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform

Memory: 8GB RAM

Storage: 256 GB UFS

Rear camera: Triple cameras with 12MP resolution each with f1.7, f2.2 and f2.4 lens

Front camera: 12MP with f2.0 lens

Display: 6.1-inch 120hz OELD panel with 2520×1080 pixel resolution

Battery: 5000mAh

Dimensions: 156x67x8.2 mm

Weight: 172g

Paisal Chuenprasaeng

Special to The Nation

How Jubilee Diamond is using personal digital touch to sparkle in economic gloom

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How Jubilee Diamond is using personal digital touch to sparkle in economic gloom

How Jubilee Diamond is using personal digital touch to sparkle in economic gloom

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Thailand’s near century-old jewellery brand is celebrating sparkling success after wedding tradition with digitization’s personal touch.

Unyarat Pornprakit, CEO of SET-listed Jubilee Enterprise, the mother company of Thailand’s leading jewellery brand Jubilee Diamond, told a press conference on Monday that data combined with artificial intelligence (AI) is helping the company meet the individual needs of clients.

“It assists our designers and marketing teams in predicting what type of design they prefer or which promotion we should use for each customer segment,” Unyarat explained.

She also highlighted the importance of data digitization, stating that it allowed her brands to respond quickly during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic.

After closing all nationwide stores and counters in 2020, Jubilee launched its online channel within five days.

Currently, data digitalization is sustaining the growth of Jubilee Diamond, Unyarat revealed. The internet is now the main platform for engagement with customers.

“We now know in real time whether or not customers are satisfied with our products and services. If not, we are alerted and can correct it quickly,” she said.

The CEO explained that the personal touch is powered by systematic data collection, which is being expanded via advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Net Promoter Score (NPS), a tool that measures customer satisfaction after using services or products. World-class brands use NPS as a business management standard.

How Jubilee Diamond is using personal digital touch to sparkle in economic gloom

The CEO said the results of the analysis have been very satisfying, especially when used in marketing activities and product development.

For instance, it has driven up repeat purchases among Jubilee Diamond’s membership programme, which currently accounts for 55% of total revenue.

Under advanced data digitalisation, the programme has been rebranded “The Sparkling Club”, offering a whole new level of benefits.

How Jubilee Diamond is using personal digital touch to sparkle in economic gloom

Jubilee Diamond now has a new member base that accounts for 60% of its total 200,000-plus members. The company expects to add 20,000 new customers this year and 30,000 in the following years.

Unyarat also revealed that by the end of this year, Jubilee Diamond will have 130 branches nationwide, with 6-8 new flagship stores and counters opening in 2023.

She dismissed the idea that inflation and looming economic recession would affect her business, stating that diamonds are always in demand and that data digitisation allows her to target market segments accurately and quickly.

“The brand is growing 5-7% per year on average,” she said.

Jubilee Diamond has been innovating in the jewellery trade for more than 93 years, making it the top jewellery company in Thailand. It is also the only diamond jewellery retailer listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

SEC suspends all operations of broker Asia Wealth Securities

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SEC suspends all operations of broker Asia Wealth Securities

SEC suspends all operations of broker Asia Wealth Securities

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suspended all operations of brokerage firm Asia Wealth Securities (AWS) after its net capital was recorded at below zero for more than five days.

The company blamed this on the More Return Plc (MORE)’s trading debacle.

The SEC announced on Tuesday that it has also ordered AWS to transfer its clients’ assets to other brokers immediately.

The SEC said AWS’s capital had stayed at below zero since November 14 and it had failed to take proper action as required by the law, like cancelling all advance selling and purchasing orders placed by clients.

The commission also accused AWS of failing to inform its clients and transferring their accounts to other brokers as required by law.

Meanwhile, Asia Wealth Securities explained on its website that its stock broking rights had been suspended on November 18 because it had been hit by default orders to buy MORE shares.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office and police said major shareholder, Apimuk Bamrungwong, and 24 alleged accomplices, had issued a purchase order for 1.5 billion MORE shares in a supposed move to manipulate share prices. However, they defaulted on the payment, causing severe damage to brokers handling the orders.

AWS has apologised for the inconvenience caused and said it always complied with SEC regulations and would try to solve the issue as soon as possible.

AWS clients can call the SEC 1207 hotline and press 7 to file complaints against the broker or they can e-mail info@sec.or.th.

Related report:

Amlo freezes THB5.3bn in assets of alleged MORE stock manipulator

Amlo freezes THB5.3bn in assets of alleged MORE stock manipulator

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Amlo freezes THB5.3bn in assets of alleged MORE stock manipulator

Amlo freezes THB5.3bn in assets of alleged MORE stock manipulator

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has frozen 5.3 billion baht in assets belonging to the fourth-largest shareholder in More Return Plc (MORE) and his associates over suspicion they manipulated the share price.

Amlo said it froze the assets of Apimuk Bamrungwong and 24 other suspects and is seeking legal action against them over alleged money laundering.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) last week suspended trading in MORE stock at the request of brokers after a major buyer defaulted on payment for 1.5 billion shares worth 4.4 billion baht.

An investigation then found that Apimuk and 24 of his alleged accomplices had lodged purchase orders with their broker to buy 1.5 billion shares at 2.90 baht on November 10 – after the MORE stock closed at 2.79 baht on November 9.

Amlo took action after receiving the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) report on the deal dated November 20 (Sunday).

The CIB launched its investigation after representatives of 11 security brokerages met with the Economic Crime Suppression Division on Wednesday, seeking a probe of Apimuk and MORE.

According to the SET, irregularities were spotted on November 10 when trading in MORE stocks rose to more than 7.14 billion baht – the highest in both the SET and MAI (Market for Alternative Investment) – while the share value plummeted from 2.9 baht to 1.95 baht, shocking investors.

Amlo said the 25 suspects have no family connection but their purchase orders shared the same Internet Protocol (IP) address as the IP address of Apimuk.

Amlo alleged that Apimuk and his associates did not really intend to buy the MORE shares but were instead manipulating the share price to profit from the margin.

On Monday, the SET removed the suspension on MORE stock trading, which resulted in the price plummeting another 29.93% to close the day at 0.96 baht. Trade volume in the stock on Monday hit 8.5 million baht.

SET president Pakorn Peetathawatchai said the resumption of trading in MORE stock would not affect the system as the SET has anticipated all possible impacts by running a computer simulation. He said the affected brokers would still be able to conduct their business as normal.

Related stories:

SET suspends More Return stocks over irregularities

Brokers urge action against mastermind behind MORE share trading irregularities

All eyes on MORE shares this week after suspension for irregular trading practices

How business schools are gearing up to create future global business leaders

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How business schools are gearing up to create future global business leaders

How business schools are gearing up to create future global business leaders

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Vitaya Saeng-Aroon

Top-notch local and international business schools gathered in Bangkok recently to examine their responsibilities and future in light of growing pressure to create the next generation of business leaders.

Since the focus nowadays is not just on making profits, but also on caring for people and protecting the planet, we wanted to know how they tackled these challenges.

“I don’t think most of them have the answer. In higher education, there are new challenges. Business managers now go back to school, and they need a new skill set to make societal changes,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, president and CEO of the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in an interview with The Nation.

While working as dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University as well as the College of Business at Florida State University and the Jon M Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, Beck-Dudley identified the persistent demands of enterprises and challenges faced by business schools in producing future leaders.

So what qualities should future leaders have to successfully run businesses?

“Historically, they were taught to make profits. That cannot be the goal anymore. They have to make societal impacts as well. Business leaders should have these new skill sets: compassion, empathy, and depolarisation, which is the ability to deal with conflicts,” she said.

In addition, she said, business schools should collaborate more across disciplines. From her experience and observation, business schools are well behind other disciplines like law, engineering, medicine, and architecture in getting connected to industry.

“It has become apparent, following the pandemic, that we are globally connected. The world has difficult and complex problems. To solve these problems, [we] require a whole bunch of people to work in a whole bunch of ways,” she said.

AACSB is a non-profit organisation, providing quality assurance, business education intelligence, and learning and development services to over 1,850 member organisations and more than 950 accredited business schools worldwide. AACSB’s accreditation processes are ISO 9001:2015 certified.

At the annual two-day Asia Pacific Annual Conference, held recently at Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok, participants were provided with networking opportunities and stages to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from the classroom in the post-Covid era; application of technology and innovation; integrating diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and supporting changes in the faculty’s role, both in terms of research and teaching.

Geoff Perry, executive vice president and Chief Officer: Asia Pacific at AACSB InternationalGeoff Perry, executive vice president and Chief Officer: Asia Pacific at AACSB International

“The purpose of the conference is to bring together business schools around Asia-Pacific to share and analyse challenges and trends in business education. We also talked about details around credentials. We support networking,” said Geoff Perry, executive vice president, and chief officer for Asia Pacific at AACSB International.

One challenge for business schools is that the pandemic has accelerated online learning. There are growing concerns about how teachers now engage students in learning, he said.

“Business schools should be more ‘purposeful’ to differentiate themselves and that’s what students are looking for. Students tend to have more interest in companies with a bigger purpose,” he said.

In April 2022, the organisation released an insight report titled “Five Forces Driving the Future of Business Education”. The 25-page paper points out how business schools should adjust to the changing landscape of the market’s demand by lining up five areas of development.

1. Commit to a positive societal impact
The new generation of learners is rethinking what business education could – and should – be as customers and employees to push businesses into prioritising their purposes.

While many business schools are enmeshed in structures that impede them from increasing societal impact, they are called to generate good change in the communities they serve. The development of the information, abilities and behaviours necessary for future leaders with societal effect will require educators and administrators to think strategically about how they might generate research with impact.

Suggested action: Encourage the faculty to explicitly address societal effects in their research, teaching and outreach in a way that is consistent with your institution’s mission, values, and impact goals by increasing incentives and success indicators.

A session on AACSB: Asia Pacific Annual Conference:  Lessons on Hybrid PedagogyA session on AACSB: Asia Pacific Annual Conference: Lessons on Hybrid Pedagogy

2. Embed principles of DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) into organisational culture and strategic planning
Business schools should incorporate DEIB into all aspects of their operations, from faculty hiring to programme development to student enrolment, to fostering inclusive and fair work cultures that advance their goals, values and the communities they serve. To improve standards, business schools should encourage DEIB among their students, teachers, and staff, much as corporations seek workplace diversity.

Suggested action: Examine your strategy for enhancing DEIB by identifying shortcomings or potential improvements. Invite your co-workers to do the same, and after getting input from various stakeholders, create a micro-strategic plan to handle DEIB.

3. Evaluate existing partnerships and create new ones to ensure the business school is solution-driven and relevant to the learner and industry needs
To maintain objective alignment and market distinction, business schools must evaluate how collaborations will affect every aspect of the institution, from curriculum development and educational delivery to research and outreach programmes.

Successful partnership necessitates a deliberate strategy, such as prioritising cross-disciplinary cooperation to address difficult problems or utilising education technology providers’ experience to enhance educational delivery.

Suggested action: Analyse present alliances critically, making sure they support strategic objectives. Are you in agreement on concrete initiatives or are you just checking boxes? Check the relationship’s worth versus organisational goals to see if the effort is paying off.

A session on AACSB: Asia Pacific Annual Conference: Transforming the Face of Higher Education Through Innovations.A session on AACSB: Asia Pacific Annual Conference: Transforming the Face of Higher Education Through Innovations.

4. Strategically invest in technology that serves diverse learners’ needs and addresses the educational demands of the future
All forms of learning are now accepted, and business schools are required to provide for them. Both online and in-person learning will benefit from technological advancements, for example, immersive platforms to increase distance learners’ engagement or AI-enabled tests to measure each learner’s skill attainment specifically.
Business schools will need to catch up with developing technologies, such as decentralised finance, or DeFi, in their curricula and learning experiences as the future ushers in a workforce that is driven by technology.

Suggested action: Examine the learners’ experience for chances to produce more individualised and experiential learning. Keep up with industry best practices as the business IT landscape changes and create curricula that support the future workforce. They may use cutting-edge technologies, such as decentralised finance (DeFi), in their curricula and educational activities.

5. Equip faculty for success as their roles expand to meet new expectations
The faculty will need to adjust to technology and hybrid models that are essential to the success of their school in addition to taking on new, demanding duties. Faculty now serve as mentors, facilitators, and counsellors in addition to teaching and conducting their own research, which necessitates that business schools support faculty in a variety of ways, enable the sharing of best practices, and recognise creative online teaching initiatives.

Suggested action: Determine whether faculty members in your institution have the essential skills required to achieve the objectives and deliver results by reviewing their portfolios. If not, think about recruiting a more diverse pool of faculty and determine which areas require more support and training to guarantee effective delivery across a range of delivery modalities.

Vitaya Saeng-Aroon

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Vitaya Saeng-Aroon

PTTEP agrees to pay Indonesian seaweed farmers $129 million over 2009 oil spill

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PTTEP agrees to pay Indonesian seaweed farmers $129 million over 2009 oil spill

PTTEP agrees to pay Indonesian seaweed farmers $129 million over 2009 oil spill

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022

PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP)’s subsidiary PTTEP Australasia (PTTEPAA) has come to an out-of-court settlement with Indonesian seaweed farmers and will pay US$129 million in compensation.

The oil spill and subsequent slick took place when the Montara wellhead platform in the Timor Sea had a blowout on August 21, 2009. The leak off the northern coast of Western Australia could only be plugged on November 3 that year, making it one of Australia’s worst oil disasters.

The West Atlas rig is owned by the Norwegian-Bermudan Seadrill and operated by PTTEPAA.

Some 13,000 Indonesian seaweed farmers filed a class action lawsuit against PTTEPAA demanding $200 million in compensation and an Australian court ruled in favour of them on March 19 and October 25 last year. PTTEPAA appealed against the verdicts on December 13, 2021, prompting the court to urge both parties to settle their differences in out-of-court negotiations.PTTEP agrees to pay Indonesian seaweed farmers $129 million over 2009 oil spill

PTTEPAA said the group of farmers has agreed to drop its lawsuit and the settlement does not mean PTTEP Australasia is at fault. It added that details of the settlement cannot be released now because it is still being deliberated in court.

Presence of Kim Jong-un’s daughter may not signal change: analysts

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Presence of Kim Jong-un’s daughter may not signal change: analysts

Presence of Kim Jong-un’s daughter may not signal change: analysts

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Though the unexpected appearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter raised speculation that she could be a successor in the making, analysts say it would be an unprecedented uphill struggle in the male-dominated dynasty

Each change at the top in North Korea has raised the prospect of a leadership vacuum or collapse of the Kim dynasty, which has ruled the country since its founding in 1948.

Kim Jong-un’s daughter – who was not named in state media – appeared in coverage of a ballistic missile launch on Saturday, watching the firing and holding her father’s hand as he examined the missile. This provided the first official confirmation that Kim has children, and underscored a message that the family is here to stay, analysts said.

However, the unveiling of Kim’s daughter may not be evidence that the reclusive regime is ready for a woman as its future leader, a North Korean defector said.

“In North Korea, gender is still an important [factor] to be a leader. It would have been possible if Chairman Kim Jong-un didn’t have any sons, however, as far as it’s known, he does have sons. Under that circumstance, he can’t disregard his sons and let a girl be a [future] ruler,” said Hyun In-ae, who now works at the Ewha Institute of Unification Studies in Seoul.

“When I was in North Korea, I had a perception that a leader should be a man. In North Korea, it is said that women have equal rights, but women are still seen as supporting figures for men. Marking Mother’s Day on November 16, the North published an editorial. It says a mother’s role is to raise children well and make them contribute to the country,” Hyun added.

Presence of Kim Jong-un’s daughter may not signal change: analysts

Even so, some analysts said gender may not disqualify a daughter or other women from taking on the reins, despite North Korea’s deeply patriarchal society. Kim has elevated several women to powerful positions, including his sister Yo Jong, and Choe Son Hui, the country’s first female foreign minister.

“The fact that Kim Jong-un came out with one of his three children suggests that he has the daughter in mind as a successor to his nuclear weapons-enhancing rhetoric for the future,” said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Sejong Institute’s North Korean Studies Centre.

“Since he’s come to power, he has appeared in public with Ri Sol Ju, like the other leaders of the West. He is showing a fairly gender-equal image. So I think being a woman would not be a particular disadvantage to be made a successor for Kim,” Cheong added.

Yet, other analysts cautioned that it is far too early to tell whether she is a successor or simply a symbol used to assure citizens that nuclear weapons would protect children and be “monuments to be passed down to our descendants for generations”, as state media reported.

“If we focus too much on her, we would forget the essential parts, such as the impact of North Korea’s Hwasong-17 on the international community. Only his daughter is being highlighted now. So I think we need to be a little cautious so that we don’t get distracted by the daughter’s appearance and see her as everything about the North Korean regime,” said Prof Kim Yong-hyun at Dongguk University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Reuters 

World Cup fans ‘freeze’ in Qatar’s frigid stadiums

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World Cup fans 'freeze' in Qatar's frigid stadiums

World Cup fans ‘freeze’ in Qatar’s frigid stadiums

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Fans attending World Cup matches for the thrills and chills were surprised to find they were getting a bit too much of the latter.

Qatar’s high heat is of the biggest challenges to overcome as it stages the first-ever World Cup held in the Middle East.

Though air-conditioning systems were installed in most of the stadiums to make it more bearable for fans to watch the action, they were instead bundling up to keep warm.

Some wore long-sleeved shirts or jackets, while others wrapped themselves with the national flag they brought with them.

“I put on a jacket during the first half of the game,” said a Japanese fan who wore a short-sleeved shirt and shorts to the match at Al Bayt Stadium. 

“I’ll wear long sleeves and long pants at the next game.”

His seat was next to a vent blowing cold air at his feet.

“A supporter from Ghana sitting in front of me also said it was cold,” another fan said

The Japan Times

Asia News Network

The latest news on what’s happening in the region

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The latest news on what's happening in the region

The latest news on what’s happening in the region

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Check out what’s hot in the region on November 22, as The Nation puts together headlines from members of Asia News Network (ANN). Click to read more:

ANN news highlights: Tue, Nov 22, 2022
Bringing Asia Closer

Earthquake Indonesia
More than 162 dead, hundreds injured after 5.6 earthquake hits Indonesia – Straits Times
 

Elections Malaysia
M’sians urged to be patient until new govt is formed – The Star
 

Anwar named for PM post | The Star
 

Editorial: Uncertainty in Malaysia – Jakarta Post

Politics Thailand 
Real-estate tycoon Srettha top choice as next PM among Thai CEOs: survey – The Nation
 

Diplomacy US-Philippines
Harris reiterates US commitment to defend PH | Inquirer
 

South China Sea 
Chinese vessel, PH Navy boat face off in Palawan waters | Inquirer 
 

Devel’t India 
‘Act East Policy’ helped develop Northeast: Rajnath Singh – The Statesman
 

Gov’t Japan
Kishida’s Southeast Asia trip hard pressed to buoy administration amid resignations – The Japan News
 

Space China
China eyes new global partnership in space exploration |China Daily
 

Population
Editorial: Eight billion people – Dawn
 

Energy Bangladesh
Opinion: Is there a way out of Bangladesh’s energy crisis? Experts tell all. | The Daily Star
 

Economy Thailand
Thailand’s economy maintains growth momentum, GDP expands 4.5% in Q3 – The Nation
 

Jobs Nepal 
High inflation and unemployment are forcing youths to seek foreign jobs – Kathmandu Post
 

Energy Myanmar
Nearly $23bn invested in Myanmar’s oil and gas sector till October | Eleven Media
 

Digital Singapore-Korea 
Singapore, South Korea ink digital economy deal to boost online trade, partnerships – Straits Times
 

Economy Laos
Reform essential to restore economic stability in Laos – Vientiane Times
 

Export Vietnam
Coffee export faces pressure from global uncertainties after record year / Vietnam News
 

Auto Japan
METI to set 60% renewable energy target for auto manufacturing – The Japan News
 

Startup Korea 
Busan hosts Asia startup expo – Korea Herald