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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018305

Students of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) are poised to take classes and interact with their peers in a virtual campus after the university announced its plan to build the world’s first virtual campuses in the metaverse.

Announcing the plan at a news conference on Thursday, Pan Hui, director of the Centre for Metaverse and Computational Creativity (MC2) at HKUST, said that in the project’s initial stage, physical infrastructure such as extended-reality classrooms, sensors, cameras, and visualisation tools will be installed.

Once completed, the university’s students, from both the main campuses in Hong Kong and Guangzhou will be among the world’s first to receive their diplomas and transcripts in the form of blockchain-secured digital documents, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) — popular and trendy cryptographic assets in the form of digital files such as photos, videos, and artworks.

Hui said that all university members will be invited to scan the physical campuses and upload photos to the cloud, helping provide the images needed to build the virtual campuses.

After the primary ecosystem is set up, one can generate content such as avatars, NFTs, tokens, or virtual artworks for the virtual world, which may also be viewed or used in the physical campuses with augmented reality technology.

The exchange of information and administrative procedures will become more convenient, Hui said, adding that blockchain-secured diplomas or transcripts may be awarded in NFTs, while events like the Open Day or graduation can be held online or onsite at the same time.

The opening ceremony of the Guangzhou campus will be a trial run. According to Hui, the entire Guangzhou (GZ) campus will open its doors to students on September 1, and an opening ceremony will take place in the metaverse at the same time. About 250 guests will be invited to join the virtual ceremony with their pre-designed avatars.

In addition, the university will complete the construction of the first mixed-reality classroom with 223 square metres on the HKUST(GZ) campus before September 1 for the HKUST(GZ) opening.

Wang Yang, HKUST’s vice president for institutional advancement and the leader of the MetaHKUST project, said a similar classroom will soon be constructed on the Hong Kong campus, after which faculty and students of the two campuses can attend the same lecture simultaneously in two parallel physical spaces.

Wang said the platform will not just provide students with an immersive study experience but will serve as a holistic platform for all students, faculty, and alumni to create, innovate and connect across campuses.

China Daily

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Published : July 29, 2022

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018301

Japanese police have alerted multiple semiconductor firms in the country that a staff member of Russia’s Trade Representation has been in contact with their employees, according to investigative officials.

The police Public Security Bureau believes the man may have engaged in espionage activities, attempting to steal the companies’ technological information.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) decided to alert these companies to the threat of technology leakage over concern that it could not prevent such cases through its investigations alone.

The move is believed to be part of economic security measures being promoted by the government.

Giving an example of the Russian staff member’s activities, officials said that he pretended to ask for directions from employees of a semiconductor company on a street near the company around the end of 2020, before asking for their contact information and inviting them out for a drink.

In approaching the employees of such companies, the man would hide the fact that he belonged to the Russian Trade Representation.

The MPD bureau last year called on such companies to be cautious of the man. The firm’s employees have not been in touch with the man since then, but the man is still in Japan, the officials said.

In January 2020, a then-employee of SoftBank Corp was found to have leaked the firm’s confidential information at the request of another member of the Russian office’s staff. The employee was found guilty of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Law.

The Japan News

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Published : July 29, 2022

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018286

The inflation forecast for Southeast Asia for 2022 has been raised significantly from 3.7 to 4.7 per cent, according to the latest report from the Asian Development Bank.

Laos has one of the highest inflation rates in the region, with the price rise recorded at 23.6 per cent year-on-year in June, according to ADB’s “Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2022 Supplement”.

Meanwhile, the inflation rate reported in other Asean nations for the same month included Thailand (7.7 per cent), Vietnam (3.4 per cent), Philippines (6.1 per cent) and Indonesia (4.3 per cent).

The ADB also revised up inflation next year from 3.1 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

The higher rates for both years are due to rising energy and food prices and supply chain disruptions. The inflation forecast for Indonesia for 2022 is raised from 3.6 per cent to 4 per cent.

In the meantime, inflation forecasts for Thailand are revised up from 3.3 per cent to 6.3 per cent for 2022 and from 2.2 per cent to 2.7 per cent for 2023.

The raised inflation forecast linked rising energy prices and higher cost pass-throughs, which are expected to affect prices for a wider range of products.

In Laos, the consumer price index jumped sharply above expectations and the ceiling rate of 12 per cent set by the government.

The soaring price of fuel, gas and other imported goods, compounded with the depreciation of the kip, are among the main factors driving inflation, according to the latest report from the Lao Statistics Bureau.

At the government’s recent open meeting, cabinet members and provincial governors agreed to stabilise currency exchange rates, ensure a sufficient supply of fuel, and regulate the price of products on sale at markets.

Nevertheless, Southeast Asia’s economies still face the challenges of higher oil prices, the end of low global interest rates, and continuing trade and supply disruptions, according to the ADB.

These factors have lowered the outlook for some economies in 2022 and 2023. In addition, smaller economies, in particular, are being more heavily affected by supply disruptions and inflation from higher oil prices.
Tourist arrivals are picking up in Southeast Asian nations including Laos.

However, economies in the region with high vaccination rates have yet to see meaningful tourism revivals, according to the ADB. Against this backdrop, the economic growth forecast for Southeast Asia is revised up slightly to 5 per cent in 2022 from ADO 2022’s projection of 4.9 per cent. The forecast for 2023 is maintained at 5.2 per cent.

In the smaller economies, rising fuel prices and a significant currency drop against the US dollar are building up pressure on inflation, particularly in Laos and Myanmar. Headline inflation is at double-digit levels in most of the Caucasus and Central Asia, in Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Laos and Myanmar.

Vientiane Times

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Published : July 29, 2022

By : Vientiane Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018285

For the past 22 years, Ye Lianping, a 95-year-old retired teacher from Buchen village in East China’s Anhui province, has been teaching left-behind children for free.

Teaching has always been part of Ye’s life. After retirement in 1991, he often went back to school to teach voluntarily.

In 2000, he began offering free English-language classes to those children whose parents work far away. He first set up a classroom – “home for left-behind children” in his own house. Later, the local government transformed a storage area across his house into two classrooms, where more than 2,000 children have benefited from Ye’s tutoring in the past 22 years.

In 2012, he also set up the Ye Lianping Scholarship Fund with almost all his life savings, along with donations from the local government and the school. So far, it has provided financial aid to hundreds of left-behind children.

Despite his generous support for students, Ye lives a very simple life. As he has no children of his own, he lives with his wife in a house built over 30 years ago, where he sometimes provides the children who live far away food and living space. To save money, Ye never wastes a penny on his own, even on a bottle of water. For instance, he has been using the same enamel mug for decades.

Although he is getting older, he’s never tired of teaching. In 2010, Ye was diagnosed with cataracts but went for surgery only when he couldn’t read anything from the students’ papers. In the summer of 2018, Ye got injured while riding a bicycle to buy vegetables for volunteer teachers. Instead of resting in bed for recovery, he returned to class with a stick within a week.

Ye is racing against time to spend as much time as possible he can on rural education. “My time is limited and I hope to draw my last breath on the podium,” he said.

He has been called “the candlelight of the village, burning forever”. But he said, “I’m just a firefly, a little firefly (making little light), not as much light as a candlelight can give.”

China Daily

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Published : July 29, 2022

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018274

Phase II of the Lao-Thai railway construction project (section II) is now almost complete after delays. The project is expected to open for the public at the end of this year.

Vientiane Station, or Khamsavath station of the Phase II is located in Khamsavath village, Xaysettha district, with the goal of improving regional logistics services.

The project was originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.

An official in charge told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that the project is now 99.37 per cent complete.

“The project is expected to open for public use at the end of this year or beginning of 2023,” he said.

Phase II of the project comprises a 7.5km extension of the railway from Thanalaeng Station at the Thai border to Vientiane Station.

This section will cost 994.7 million baht (about 235.6 billion kip), of which 30 per cent is a grant and 70 per cent is a low-interest loan from Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency.

Section II of the railway includes the construction of dormitories for staff, the station itself, track, and other components. Work began on October 1, 2019, and was scheduled to finish in December 2021, according to the original plan.

Phase II of the Lao-Thai railway project (section I) opened for service in 2017 after the project began in September 2013.

Section I comprises a siding track at Thanalaeng Station, 5,800 metres of railway mainline extension from Thanalaeng Station to a container yard, and the upgrade of signalling and telecommunication systems from analog to digital, allowing computer control.

Also completed were a 38,000-square-metre container yard and more than 2,000 metres of concrete access roads, a 5,000sqm warehouse, three floors of administration offices, a weighing entry gate and other amenities such as electricity and water supply, a fire prevention system, and waste management facility.

Phase I of the railway was completed in 2008 and officially opened for service in March 2009. It comprised a 3.5km railway line between Thanalaeng Station in Laos across the border to Nong Khai province in Thailand via the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. Work is also ongoing on the Laos-China railway to lay track and build the Southern Vientiane Station in Thanalaeng village, where it will link up to the Lao-Thai railway.

The Laos-China and Thai-Sino railways are part of a planned regional rail network to link China with Singapore through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. The railway will enable efficient logistics service in the region and internationally.

Vientiane Times

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Published : July 28, 2022

By : Vientiane Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018272

Cannabis extract products for medical purposes, whether made locally or imported, can be registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) before it is approved for sale in Malaysia, the country’s deputy health minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said.

He said if there were any groups with enough scientific proof on the use of medicine containing cannabis extract, they were welcome to register their products with the DCA.

“The Health Ministry does not reject any studies on the efficacy of medicinal cannabis. If there are products concerning medical cannabis that were approved overseas, the said company can register their products in Malaysia,” he said.

Dr Noor Azmi added that medical cannabis falls under the purview of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, the Poisons Act 1952 and the Sale of Drugs Act 1952.

“It does not stop the import, sale, supply, and mass production of cannabis extract for medical purposes, as long as the activity is in accordance with the law,” he said during the oral question and answer session in the lower house on Thursday.

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) then asked what would happen to people using medicinal cannabis and ketum for treatment saying that in Thailand and Indonesia, the process to approve medicinal cannabis had started.

“Doctors here are ready to prescribe, but according to the law, criminal charges can be made against the doctor and even patients, as well as their guardians,” he said.

Dr Noor Azmi said there were benefits of using medical cannabis to treat depression, cancer, epilepsy and other diseases, but stressed that until the present laws are amended, those using the drug will be charged.

“If we are still stuck with previous laws, we can’t do anything. That’s why we need everyone’s cooperation to amend it.

“Studies have shown that these products can be used and are efficient in treating certain illnesses.

“The issue here is the stigma when we mention cannabis, people are still scared. But, those involved are patients who are benefitting from it, so they shouldn’t be arrested or jailed,” he said.

Dr Noor Azmi said presently there were no clinical trials on any products containing cannabis extract for those who were using it for medical purposes in Malaysia.

Section 6 of the DDA prohibits the possession of cannabis, which is an offence punishable with five years in prison or a fine not exceeding 20,000 ringgit (164,000 baht).

Section 39A of the DDA states that those found with over 50 grams of cannabis are punishable with five years’ jail and at least 10 strokes of a rattan cane.

The Star

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Published : July 28, 2022

By : The Star

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018252

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia signed a joint research agreement Wednesday with six government-funded research institutes that encompass aeronautics and space capabilities to develop mobility for moon surface exploration, the companies said.

Through this joint research, they will not only develop technologies needed to make mobility for moon surface exploration but also come up with specific strategies and methods to operate such mobility on the harsh environmental and geographical conditions of the moon, according to Hyundai Motor.

The moon has millions of large and small craters on its surface caused by collisions with meteorites, comets, and asteroids.

In addition, the moon is exposed to the radiation of the universe, which makes its weather more extreme. The moon has temperatures between 130 degrees Celcius and minus 170 degrees Celcius and is exposed to fine yet sharp dust.

The South Korean carmaker lined up its renowned robot-development team at Hyundai Robotics Lab, as well as those that have expertise in making equipment needed for space exploration.

Hyundai Motor and Kia hope to take the lead in securing mobility-related future technologies through this joint research and development and actualize their mobility vision.

At CES 2022, the carmaker unveiled its plans for next-generation robotics dedicated to expanding human reach beyond limitations.

“This can be seen as our first step to achieving our robotics vision. By preemptively preparing for the future that will someday come to us, we will put effort into making Korea lead the technology of the space era, and further expand the realm of mobility experience to contribute to human progress,” said an official from Hyundai Motor and Kia.

Hyundai Motor and Kia expect the joint research to kick off in August at the earliest.

The government-funded research institutes to take part in this joint research are Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Korea Automotive Technology Institute.

Hong Yoo

The Korea Herald

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Published : July 28, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018251

Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is likely to face charges of graft and war crimes, and encounter a new wave of protests should he return to the crisis-hit country.

Opposition political parties Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Marxist parties like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna have said they will file corruption charges against Rajapaksa if he is in Sri Lanka.

The Tamil National Alliance that represents Tamils, the largest minority in Sri Lanka, has demanded that Rajapaksa face trial for alleged war crimes committed in the military crackdown against Tamil insurgents in 2009 when he was the defence secretary.

Observers said that Sri Lankan citizens enduring severe fuel, food and medicine shortages are not likely to welcome Rajapaksa, a leader they ousted with nationwide protests because of his regime’s ill-advised policies and corruption that led to the country’s bankruptcy.

“If Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes back, it would be hard to keep him safe within Sri Lanka,” said a political analyst who did not want to be named.

Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on July 13 for Maldives and then to Singapore. He arrived in the Republic on a private visit on July 14. The once-popular president’s resignation was officially announced by the Sri Lankan parliament a day later.

After Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana told reporters on Tuesday that the former president would return home from Singapore, rumours about his coming back this week have been flying wild in the island nation.

Mr Gunawardana, who is also the Cabinet spokesman, said that Mr Rajapaksa was “not hiding in Singapore” and was expected to return home. He did not offer any timeline.

The minister made the comments when reporters asked about the South Africa-based International Truth and Justice Project’s criminal complaint to the Attorney General of Singapore requesting Mr Rajapaksa’s arrest for alleged war crimes.

Sri Lankan media reports claimed that his visa extension request was denied by Singapore authorities, prompting discussions about his imminent return.

However, The Straits Times reported on Wednesday that Singapore authorities have granted a 14-day extension to the short-term visit pass Mr Rajapaksa was issued when he arrived.

Many protesters, including farmers, teachers, students and Buddhist monks, said Mr Rajapaksa and his brothers mishandled the nation’s finances, leading to soaring prices of essential goods. Inflation is now almost 55 per cent and food inflation has crossed 80 per cent.

“Our stance is very clear: Gota must be brought to justice and his family must be compelled to pay back the money they embezzled,” said protester Chameera Dedduwage. He has been agitating since April with thousands at the “Gota Go Village” demonstration site at the Galle Face seaside in Colombo.

Protests have dwindled since Parliament voted in Rajapaksa foe-turned-ally Ranil Wickremesinghe as president on July 20. He has imposed a nationwide state of emergency that empowers security forces to detain citizens without warrant.

Before dawn on July 25, hours before a new Cabinet was sworn in, security forces raided the protest camp at Galle Face, chasing out and beating protesters. Since then, police have arrested at least five key activists, including student union leaders.

Protesters said most ordinary Sri Lankans were tired and afraid at the moment.

“The crackdown seems to be aiming to target prominent figures but what they don’t comprehend is that we never had or needed (protest) leaders . The only thing the crackdown will achieve is to slow down the next wave,” said Mr Dedduwage.

Rohini Mohan

The Straits Times

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Published : July 28, 2022

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40018229

Hanoi’s Soc Son waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at the Nam Son Waste Treatment Complex was connected to the national grid on Monday.

Once completed, it will be the largest in Vietnam with a capacity to handle 4,000 tonnes of dry solid waste per day. The plant is expected to generate up to 75MW of electricity per hour.

Nguyen Thi Hong Van, general director of market development in Southeast Asia for Thien Y Environmental Energy JSC, the project’s investor, said from now until the end of September the plant would operate an incinerator with a capacity of 800 tonnes of waste daily. It can produce 15MW of electricity for the grid per hour.

The company is finalising procedures to complete the second and third phases of four incinerators. It is expected that all five incinerators will be put into operation this year.

The Soc Son waste-to-energy project was approved by Hanoi’s authorities in late 2017 with a total investment of VNĐ7 trillion (THB11.1 billion).

According to the Hanoi Department of Construction, the city currently discharges 6,500-7,000 tonnes of waste each day.

There is another waste treatment complex in Son Tay district, but this is overloaded.

Until now, trash has been mostly buried or turned into fertiliser, with a very small portion being burnt to produce electricity.

The capital city has been facing serious waste handling problems. Scenes of trash overflowing the streets left uncollected for days have recurred in recent years.

According to the city’s master plan for 2030, Hanoi will have 17 waste treatment zones. However, many have been delayed due to obstacles relating to site clearance.

Viet Nam News

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Published : July 27, 2022

By : Vietnam News

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Hybrid durian trees such as the Musang King species are not suitable to be planted in Malaysian forests, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said.

He said Musang King was not among the 11 species approved for the Kedah project, which had violated the terms on forest farms.

Takiyuddin said the state government had approved the cultivation of Musang King durian on more than 20 per cent of the allowed area in 2019.

“The Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department [JPSM] sees this as a violation of terms because Musang King is not a forest plantation species and, despite that, 5,000 trees were planted in an area of 52ha [324 rai] on Gunung Inas,” said Takiyuddin during question time in Parliament on Tuesday.

Some villagers claimed the mammoth durian plantation was behind the floods that destroyed their properties on July 4 when the Sungai Kupang stream overflowed after a three-hour downpour.

More than 800 houses in 12 villages were flooded and strong currents swept away 16 houses.

MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim asked whether the three water ponds near the durian plantation had caused the tragedy.

“Can we remove these three ponds? It’s like a ticking time bomb and the ponds are only covered with a canvas,” he pointed out.

Takiyuddin, in response, said a joint study by the ministry found those ponds intact and had not ascertained the cause of the floods.

“However, the ministry guarantees if there are proposals to close the ponds, immediate action will be taken. This will also depend on the cooperation of the Kedah government,” he added.

Saifuddin Nasution Ismail asked the ministry to come up with tougher action against the durian plantation.

“Can we do the right thing, with the ministry issuing a clear statement on the matter? I request a stern order so this episode won’t repeat itself,” he said.

Takiyuddin pointed out that under the Constitution, forestry administrative matters fall under the purview of state governments.

Takiyuddin also said that the JPSM had told the Kedah government to gazette Gunung Inas as a forest reserve so that it could act as a water catchment area.

“Whether or not the 5,000 trees planted on the 52ha will be removed will depend on them [the state government].

“The federal government can only advise, give their views but not enforce rules,” added Takiyuddin.

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Published : July 27, 2022