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UNESCO sounds alarm on collapse of independent media

UNESCO has highlighted the importance of World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3, noting that the current crisis is forcing the closure of many independent media outlets and forcing job-cuts and an overall reduction in the number of working journalists while increasing the trend towards political capture of media outlets by governments, their proxies and other business interests.

In a letter released on April 26, UNESCO promoted the idea of “information as a public good”, saying urgent policy shifts are needed to help support the independent news media outlets which underpin fact-based journalism internationally.

“Already, we face drastic losses … The result is that we live in ever-expanding ‘news deserts’ devoid of local coverage and journalists are increasingly working under precarious conditions,” the letter read.

UNESCO said there needs to be a media “new deal” – referencing the vast and wide-ranging government programmes and reforms enacted by former US President Franklin Roosevelt in response to the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression during the 1930’s – that secures the viability of a free and pluralistic media ecosystem, while also enacting safeguards for the editorial independence essential to journalism as a public good.

UNESCO added that this ongoing “collapse” of the media industry has occurred at the very juncture when the information independent media could make the difference between life and death for millions of people or between the ending of the pandemic and the indefinite extension of the crisis caused by Covid-19.

UNESCO also called upon internet and tech companies to be more transparent about what they are doing to promote information and to outline the steps they are taking to stop the distribution disinformation, arguing that enhanced transparency makes for better public accountability.

UNESCO also noted that citizens need to learn the skills necessary to discern good information from bad and to incorporate critical thinking about media consumption into their daily decision-making.

“This calls for a renewed national and international commitment to “walk the talk” and take concrete actions that demonstrate our shared commitment to the principle of accurate information as a public good,” it said.

Meas Sophorn, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Information, said that in the context of Covid-19 the recent lockdown did not put any added pressure on any Cambodian media outlets and that the ministry had actually provided journalists with a special right to cover news in locked down areas and issued them special permits to travel while on duty – a privilege he said very few professions outside of those working in government have been granted.

“During this outbreak, the media profession’s practices in Cambodia are the same as ever and the scope of media coverage has remained the same. And if we compare the media industry from 2019 and 2020 to today, online media outlets have actually increased in overall number,” he said.

Sophorn added that this year, online media outlets had risen by over 100 new organisations with nearly 700 licensed outlets now in total. Additionally, over 4,000 press cards have been delivered to national and international journalists in Cambodia for this year, an increase of over 400.

Published : April 28, 2021

By : Long Kimmarita/The Phnom Penh Post/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40000267

Typical commuter crowds seen in Tokyo, 3 prefectures despite new state of emergency

The usual commuter crowds were seen in Tokyo and the prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo on Monday, the first weekday after a third state of emergency was declared for these areas amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The central and local governments have set a goal of reducing the number of people who commute to work by 70%, but no significant drop in commuters was seen at major stations in Tokyo and Osaka.

The new state of emergency went into effect Sunday in the capital and the three prefectures based on the special measures law against new strains of influenza. During the 17-day state of emergency, which includes the Golden Week holiday period and is scheduled to end on May 11, the four prefectures have requested a wide range of industries to close businesses or shorten operating hours. They are also asking for events to be held without spectators, in principle.

The main focus of the measures is to curb the flow of people.

At Shinjuku Station, company employees and others wearing masks hurried to work, passing through ticket gates from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday. In front of the station, sidewalks were crowded with commuters waiting for traffic lights.

“The train was jam-packed,” said a 22-year-old company employee from Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki. “I’m scared to ride in crowded trains” for 20 or 30 minutes.

Many people were also seen at Tokyo Station. “The number of commuters is down slightly from last week,” a 25-year-old station employee said.

Telework holds the key to curbing the number of commuters.

To ascertain the percentage of companies that have introduced remote working, the Tokyo metropolitan government regularly surveys about 400 companies with 30 or more employees in the capital. The percentage using telework rose from 24% in March last year to 62.7% in April 2020 after the first state of emergency was declared. From June last year, after the state of emergency ended, the figure was at the 50-60% level.

When the second state of emergency was declared in January this year, the percentage of companies using remote work climbed to the 60-70% level again. However, it dropped to 56.4% in the latter half of March after the state of emergency was lifted.

The JR Osaka Station area also saw typical crowds Monday, with many commuters coming and going.

A 43-year-old man who works as a tax accountant in Osaka said he had worked from home in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, for half the week last spring when the first state of emergency was in place. After that ended, however, he has commuted to work since May last year.

“I think the introduction of telework should be promoted to reduce the risk of infections, but it may be easier for companies to manage their employees if staff are kept within sight.” he said.

Published : April 27, 2021

By : The Japan News/ANN

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Phnom Penh, Takmao lockdown extended for another week

The government late on April 26 announced an extension of lockdown in Phnom Penh and adjacent Takmao town in Kandal province for another seven days – or longer if residents do not comply with Covid-19 preventive measures and the community outbreak does not subside – until May 5.

According to the new 14-page directive signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 26, lockdown areas will now be designated as Red Zone, Dark Yellow Zone, and Yellow Zone depending on the severity of the outbreak.

A red zone is considered to be at highest risks of Covid-19 transmission, a dark yellow zone is considered to be moderate and a yellow zone is at lowest risks. Travelling in a red zone is forbidden and residents must remain in their homes, except for medical reasons and other emergencies. Exempted are health workers, officials with a travel permit and provision of essential public services.

In a dark yellow zone, people are allowed to commute if they have a permit issued by the authorities, but a curfew is imposed from 8pm to 5am. For a yellow zone, travelling and essential businesses are allowed as long as health measures are strictly followed.

The designation, according to the directive, will take effects from April 29.

The government also directed the national ad-hoc commission for Covid-19 vaccination programme to use all means to accelerate its campaign and inoculate all residents aged 18 and over in Phnom Penh and neighbouring Kandal province.

Published : April 27, 2021

By : Voun Dara/The Phnom Penh Post/ANN

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Modi reiterates commitment to vaccine friendship in phone call with Biden

During a phone call with US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday reiterated New Delhis commitment to containing the Covid-19 pandemic globally through vaccine friendship.

The Indian prime minister informed the US president about India’s initiative at the World Trade Organization for a relaxation in the norms of the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries.

Modi conveyed to Biden India’s participation in global vaccine alliance Covax and the Quad vaccine initiatives taken by the US, India, Australia and Japan, a readout issued by the Indian PMO said.

The readout said Modi “mentioned India’s commitment to contain the COVID-19 pandemic globally through vaccine maitri (under which India exported millions of doses of vaccines to other countries) and its participation in Covax and the Quad vaccine initiatives.”

Modi underscored to Biden the need to ensure smooth and open supply chains of raw materials and inputs required for manufacture of vaccines, medicines and therapeutics related to Covid-19.

Biden affirmed that the United States was determined to support India’s efforts by quickly deploying resources such as therapeutics, ventilators and identifying sources of raw materials to be made available for the manufacture of Covishield vaccines.

The two leaders discussed the Covid-19 situation in their respective countries, including India’s ongoing efforts to contain the second wave of Covid-19 through expedited vaccination efforts, and ensuring supply of critical medicines, therapeutics and healthcare equipment.

“Modi conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for the offer of assistance and support from the government of the United States of America,” according to the readout.

Both leaders underlined the potential of the India-US partnership in vaccine development and supply to address the pandemic and directed their respective officials to maintain close coordination and cooperation in their efforts in this domain.

Published : April 27, 2021

By : The Daily Star/ANN

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HK-Singapore air travel bubble opens May 26

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s air travel bubble arrangement with Singapore will come into force on May 26 after being delayed for half a year after the two governments hammered out rules for quarantine-free travel.

Only vaccinated Hong Kong residents who received the compulsory two shots and waited for two weeks after receiving the second dose are eligible to sign up for the travel bubble, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said at a briefing. “Our goal remains striking a right balance between public health and travel convenience so that the public will rest assured while maintaining certainty,” he said. 

People in Hong Kong and Singapore, irrespective of nationality, can avail of the travel bubble but they shouldn’t have visited any other places two weeks before departure. Negative COVID-19 test results must be collected within 72 hours of flying.

“I am happy that Hong Kong got the COVID-19 situation under control,” the Minister for Transport of the Republic of Singapore, Ong Ye Kung was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Hong Kong government. “It is a significant ATB between two aviation and financial services hubs in Asia,” he was quoted as saying with reference to the air travel bubble. 

Hong Kong travelers are required to use Singapore’s TraceTogether mobile app to record their travel history while in that city. In Hong Kong, travelers from Singapore need to download LeaveHomeSafe app for the same purpose, Yau said.

The travel bubble will be suspended for two weeks if the daily average of untraceable COVID-19 cases is found to be more than five during any seven-day period in either city, and may only resume when the infection tally on the last day of the suspension does not exceed five.

As part of the latest arrangement, Yau said, the governments need to not only ensure that the original threshold is fulfilled but also that the daily number of unlinked local cases on either side does not exceed three for the subsequent three consecutive days. 

From May 26 to June 9, there will be one flight a day from Hong Kong to Singapore with 200 travelers per aircraft and another from Singapore to Hong Kong, with the same number of passengers alloted. From June 10, there will be two flights a day from either side.

Preparations for the travel corridor have been stop-start since an initial plan to open it last November was shelved after coronavirus cases picked up in Hong Kong.

Singapore last week eased restrictions on travelers from Hong Kong, who now can stay in home isolation for seven days rather than two weeks in a government-chosen hotel. 

Hong Kong started its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February and had administered a total of about 1.28 million shots as of Sunday, while Singapore has done about 2.2 million doses. Hong Kong has a population of about 7.5 million people and Singapore’s is 5.7 million.

With Bloomberg inputs

Published : April 27, 2021

By : Wang Zhan/China Daily/ANN

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Youn Yuh-jung wins Oscar

Veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung, 73, won the best supporting actress prize at the 93rd Academy Awards on Monday for her portrayal of eccentric grandmother Soon-ja in the US film “Minari.”

Youn became the first Korean to win an Oscar trophy in an acting category. No other Korean actor, including those from last year’s breakthrough Oscar winner “Parasite,” had received any trophies from the Academy Awards.

“Tremendous thanks to Academy members who vote for me,” Youn said during her acceptance speech made at Union Station in Los Angeles, where this year‘s ceremony was held in a hybrid form.

She also thanked her four co-stars in the film — Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim and Noel Kate Cho — as well as Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung.

“He was our captain and my director, so thanks to him,” she said.

“Minari” depicts the story of a first-generation Korean immigrant family of four — dad Jacob (Yeun), mom Monica (Han), son David (Kim) and daughter Anne (Cho). The family relocates to rural Arkansas to pursue the American dream. One day, grandma Soon-ja comes to America to look after the two kids. At first, David does not like Soon-ja, but as they spend time together she starts to grow on him.

In her speech, Youn spoke modestly about her win.

“I don’t believe in competition. How can I win over Glenn Close? I’ve watched her so many performances. All five nominees are winners of different movies,” she said.

The four other actors vying for the prize were Maria Bakalova for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Glenn Close for “Hillbilly Elegy,” Olivia Colman for “The Father” and Amanda Seyfried for “Mank.”

She ended her speech by showing gratitude to late director Kim Ki-young who helmed her first movie “Woman of Fire.” That came out in 1971, with Youn portraying housemaid Myungja.

“I like to dedicate this award to my first director Kim Ki-young, who was a very genius director. I think he would be very happy if he was still alive,” Youn said.

Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in posted a message on his social media congratulating Yoon on her win.

“Becoming the first Korean to win the Academy Award for best supporting actress has a very special meaning because she wrote a new history to Korea‘s 102-year-long cinema history,” Moon wrote. “Also, it is meaningful because second-generation Korean Americans Lee Isaac Chung and Steven Yeun worked together to achieve this.”

Moon continued, “The movie depicted a universal life of mankind through a family’s immigration story and showed that we are all closely connected even though we are living in different places. Youn’s acting shined in her lively performance as a Korean mother and grandmother figure.”

In addition to Youn’s nomination, “Minari” had earned five other nominations at the Academy Awards — best picture, best directing, best original screenplay and best score. Steven Yeun was also nominated for best actor for the film.

Meanwhile, the best picture award at the Oscars on Monday went to Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland.” Zhao also won the best director award.

Anthony Hopkins won best actor in the leading role for “The Father” and best actress went to Frances McDormand for “Nomadland.”

Published : April 27, 2021

By : Song Seung-hyun/The Korea Herald/ANN

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[Mongolia] Strict lockdown extends until May 8

Non-regular cabinet meeting was held today and approved the decision to extend a strict lockdown until 6 AM, May 8.

Astrict lockdown was imposed between April 10 and 25 due to the increase of Covid-19 infection cases. The Ministry of Health made a proposal to extend the term and the State Emergency Commission supported. 

The cabinet held a meeting after that, and approved the decision. As of April 23, 2021, total 27956 cases of Covid-19 registered and 69 death cases registered in Mongolia. Currently, 4127 patients are under treatment; 2338 are having light symptoms, 1374 less heavy, 351 heavy and 64 are in critical condition. Total cases include:

Ulaanbaatar 24,242

Arkhangai 258

Bayan-Ulgii 5

Bayankhongor 81

Bulgan 74

Govisumber 37

Darkhan-Uul 437

Dornogovi 59

Dornod 22

Dundgovi 39

Zavkhan 129

Orkhon 336

Uvurkhangai 208

Sukhbaatar 143

Selenge 361

Tuv 606

Uvs 26

Khovd 197

Khuvsgul 62

Khentii 53

As of today, 649,236 citizens have 1st dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 64,469 have 2nd dose nationwide. The 2nd shot has started today at 120 sites and 60 thousand citizens are planned each day. 

Published : April 26, 2021

By : Gogo Mongolia/ANN

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‘BTS effect’: Why corporations want a piece of the action

From McDonald’s to Samsung, the septet’s strong presence on Twitter has companies line up to collaborate with them

BTS’ success in the music industry is fast spilling over into the advertising business as more companies seek a promotional boost from the group and their fans’ social media omnipresence.

Last Monday, McDonald’s announced it would team up with South Korean pop group BTS for a new celebrity meal named The BTS Meal. A few days later, French fashion house Louis Vuitton named the pop icons as its new House Ambassadors.

The two companies’ posts on Twitter were soon met with a great amount of engagement, prompting memes and racking up over 1 million likes altogether as of Friday.

In a sign that it is part of the group’s fan base known as the BTS Army, the official McDonald’s account now has a purple heart emoji in its bio as well as a little seven at the end of its name. Other household-name company accounts such as those of Guinness World Records, Uno and Barbie have also chimed in under the fast food chain’s viral tweet.

Experts said corporations collaborating with the stars are not just targeting their fans as consumers. Their goal would also include the buzz that they create on social media and beyond.

“When a social media post does numbers, it makes people curious about what it is about and why is trending. And general consumers are inclined to want to feel secure by being in on the buzz, making the advertisement more effective,” said Lee Young-ae, a professor at the Department of Consumer Science at Incheon National University

Social media accounts are a great asset for companies, especially if they are targeting millennial and Gen Z consumers many of whom are heavy social media users.

“In the past, information has been delivered in a one-sided way from corporations to consumers, making the relationships unequal and leaving the information incomplete sometimes. However, social media where consumers can talk and give instant feedback have alleviated those issues,” Lee added.

The group is also currently a global ambassador of five other brands including Samsung Electronics, Fila, Hyundai Motor, Coway and Lotte Duty Free, according to Hybe. BTS also has four other ongoing local advertisement deals including with Indonesian technology company Tokopedia, Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s beer brand Kloud, Filipino telecoms company Smart Communications as well as representing Coca Cola in select few countries.

“With Fila being a global brand with its business in operation across the world, (teaming up with BTS) has been very helpful in raising awareness of our brand in the US and other countries,” a Fila official said of the impact BTS has had on its brand image.

The sportswear brand’s Twitter account, which the company opened in December 2019 after signing a two-year advertising deal with the group, now has over 950,000 followers.

Home appliance maker Coway also saw its YouTube channel grow. The channel which opened in 2009 racked up millions of views within weeks thanks to the new commercials featuring the septet.

“Reaching over 10 million views in 17 days is our biggest record yet for advertisements, which makes it more meaningful,” Shim Byung-hee, head of the company‘s marketing office, said.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage also singed a new deal with BTS in April for its beer brand Kloud following a one-year contract with the group to promote one of its flagship carbonated beverage Chilsung Cider which ended the same month.

The company said tapping BTS again as its brand ambassador model was part of its “aggressive marketing plan.”

The economic impact of BTS’ success, which has been dubbed in Korea as “the BTS effect,” has been foreseen by experts in recent years.

In 2018, a report by the Hyundai Research Institute said the band’s annual production inducement effect — the total value generated in related industries — is estimated at 4.14 trillion won.

Another academic report in 2019 from a research team led by Pyun Ju-hyun, a business professor at Seoul‘s Korea University, said the group’s three-day shows in Seoul created an economic effect worth 1 trillion won.

Published : April 26, 2021

By : Yim Hyun-su/The Korea Herald/ANN

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Sunken missing Indonesian submarine found cracked open, officials say 53 crew members dead

SINGAPORE/BANYUWANGI – Indonesian authorities said on Sunday (April 25) that the submarine which went missing during naval exercises was found cracked into three parts on the seabed in the waters north of Bali island, and all 53 crew on board were dead.

Indonesian national armed forces commander, Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, told a press conference that the KRI Rigel, Indonesia’s hydrographic survey vessel, had carried out a “more accurate scan” of the spot where the ill-fated submarine was last detected.

Singapore rescue vessel MV Swift Rescue, which arrived early on Sunday, had sent down its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and captured with its camera several images of the wreckage, including hull parts, a vertical rear steer, anchor, dive rudder and escape suit.

“Based on the authentic evidence, I declare that the KRI Nanggala-402 has sunk and all the crew have died,” Air Chief Marshal Hadi said. “They’re the best soldiers… and may the God Almighty reward their good deeds and dedication.”

The 44-year-old submarine was taking part in a torpedo-firing drill off Bali last Wednesday when it dove and lost contact. More than 20 vessels from Indonesia and countries including Singapore and Australia were deployed in search-and-rescue efforts.

At the same briefing, Indonesia’s Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Yudo Margono, said the KRI Rigel had carried out “significant underwater contact using a multi-beam sonar”, but its ROV could not go deeper than 800m, so the task was handed over to the MV Swift Rescue for visual confirmation.

A tattered bright orange escape suit floating in the dark waters gave a glimpse of what might have happened.

“This escape suit was usually kept in a box. The fact that it has come out of the box means there was an emergency situation… Either they were not able to put the suits on fast enough, or the submarine shook while they were trying to put them on,” Adm Yudo said.

The next step will be to coordinate with other agencies, as well as foreign navies, to lift the wreckage, he added.

Earlier, debris such as a prayer mat and periscope lubricant were recovered from the waters. Searchers also detected an oil spill and an unidentified object with high magnetism at a depth of 50m to 100m.

The tragedy marked the first submarine disaster in Indonesia, which has been replacing its ageing military equipment. Adm Yudo dismissed the possibility of human error, saying the crew had met all necessary requirements for the dive.

The disaster has devastated the country.

President Joko Widodo said in a statement broadcast on Sunday: “This tragedy has shocked us all.

“We convey our deep sorrow for this tragedy, especially to families of the submarine crew. They were the best sons of the nation, the best patriots who guarded the sovereignty of the country.”

Mr Oni Suryono, a 50-year-old driver and resident of Banyuwangi, a coastal city in East Java close to the rescue operations, said: “They are our compatriots, national heroes. Before this naval exercise, they had gone everywhere to guard the nation and maintain the country’s sovereignty.”

Singapore’s Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean expressed his condolences, and hoped the find would bring the families some closure and certainty on the fate of their loved ones.

He wrote on Facebook: “As a fellow naval officer, we are saddened that our rescue team was not able to save the sailors.”

Residents of the East Java town of Banyuwangi, which hosts the naval base from where search-and-rescue operations are being conducted, joined nationwide calls to accelerate the modernisation of Indonesia’s defence forces. 

“This can be a learning point for the government to advance its military technology and be careful in how it uses its (existing) technology because its people’s lives are at stake,” said 29-year old resident Hein Ferdy Sentoso. 

Indonesia had five submarines before the latest accident: Two German-built Type 209s including Nanggala and three newer South Korean vessels. 

Published : April 26, 2021

By : Arlina Arshad and Linda Yulisman/The Straits Times/ANN

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Human trials start for Chinas new COVID-19 vaccine

BEIJING – Sinopharm, the Chinese pharmaceutical giant, has commenced phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials for its new recombinant vaccine against COVID-19 in central Chinas Henan province.

Developed by the China National Biotec Group (CNBG), a Sinopharm’s bioscience subsidiary, the vaccine was issued with a clinical research permit from the National Medical Products Administration on April 9.

This is the CNBG’s third COVID-19 vaccine candidate approved for human trials.

Researchers started the early-staged clinical trials in the city of Shangqiu, Henan Province. The trials were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, according to a company statement.

Zhang Yuntao, vice president of the CNBG, said the recombinant vaccine candidate has been genetically engineered. Unlike the company’s inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, the new one does not need a high-grade biosafety laboratory for manufacture, and it can quickly achieve large-scale production.

“It is designed for people aged three and above,” Zhang said.

Whether the gene recombinant vaccine should be administered in three doses will be determined by the results of clinical trials, Zhang added.

Published : April 26, 2021

By : China Daily/ANN