(CNN)Is imported air the solution to China's smog problem?
A Canadian company selling air bottled in a ski resort says it's now seeing huge demand from Chinese customers.
Vitality Air said that the first batch of 500 canisters filled with fresh air from the Rocky Mountain town of Banff went on sale in China last month and sold out within two weeks.
"Now we're taking lots of pre orders for our upcoming shipment. We're getting close to the 1,000 mark," said Harrison Wang, director of China operations.
The air sells for $14 to $20, depending on the size of the canister.
Northern China is often cloaked in smog, especially during the cold winter months when homes and power plants burn coal to keep warm. Last week, Beijing issued its first ever red alert because of poor air quality, closing schools and restricting traffic.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
China internet: Xi Jinping calls for 'cyber sovereignty'
China's President Xi Jinping has called on countries to respect one another's "cyber sovereignty" and different internet governance models.
Mr Xi said countries had the right to choose how to develop and regulate their internet.
He was speaking at the Beijing-sponsored World Internet Conference held in Zhejiang province.
China has been criticised for its strict internet regulations where it blocks major sites and censors posts.
The BBC's John Sudworth, who is at the conference, says the keynote speech by President Xi is a clear sign that internet security and control have been elevated to national priorities.
His message is that China, with 650 million internet users, should have a say in drawing up the global rules and that they should include the right to decide what to censor and block, our correspondent adds.
Mr Xi said countries had the right to choose how to develop and regulate their internet.
He was speaking at the Beijing-sponsored World Internet Conference held in Zhejiang province.
China has been criticised for its strict internet regulations where it blocks major sites and censors posts.
The BBC's John Sudworth, who is at the conference, says the keynote speech by President Xi is a clear sign that internet security and control have been elevated to national priorities.
His message is that China, with 650 million internet users, should have a say in drawing up the global rules and that they should include the right to decide what to censor and block, our correspondent adds.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Sydney storms: tornado warning as hail hits, flash flooding fears
Sydney’s desalination plant has been damaged and three people
are injured after a tornado tore through the city’s south with winds of
more than 200km/h.
The desalination plant in Kurnell was evacuated after reportedly sustaining significant damage and workers were also cleared out of the Caltex refinery.
The strong and unusually high winds hit Kurnell just after 10.30am today along with heavy rain and hail the size of golf balls.
About 7000 businesses are without power, including Kurnell Public School. The SES has received over 160 call outs, with 65 from the Sutherland shire.
Sydney airport was closely monitoring the storm activity with passengers being advised to check flight details with their airlines, an airport spokeswoman said.
Qantas has delayed some flights until the storm clears up, a Qantas spokesman said.
A second storm cell was moving north up the coast and expected to hit Wollongong around 12.30pm.
The NSW Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning at 8am, saying severe thunderstorms were forecast for parts of Sydney, the Illawarra and Hunter regions.
A Bureau warning at 11.13am warned that “very dangerous thunderstorms” were detected near Sydney airport and in waters off Bondi Beach.
A 40-year-old man suffered head injuries in Kurnell and ambulance NSW said officers treated two other people.
They were all transferred to Sutherland Hospital in a stable condition.
A strong wind warning is in place for parts of Sydney and the Macquarie coast area and flash flooding may occur across Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong and the NSW south coast, the BOM said.
The storm is moving north, and warnings are also in place for the Sydney suburbs of Gordon, Mona Vale and Terrey Hills.
The SES has warned people to move cars and stay away from trees, and to stay away from trees.
They have also been warned to avoid creeks and stormwater drains.
Westpac Life Saver Helicopter CEO, Stephen Leahy, said winds changed significantly within five minutes.
“If the storms and wind collide there is potential for a tornado,” Mr Leahy told AAP.
VIDEO: NSW Golf Club lashed by rain, hail
Lightning strikes have hit the Wollongong region with thunderstorms set to move up the coast throughout the day, BOM said.
State Emergency Services are advising residents to secure their homes and to remain indoors as storms sweep across the affected area on Wednesday.
80mm of rain fell in one hour near Nowra, 160km south of Sydney.
.
A balcony in Maroubra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs collapsed and the roof of a unit was damaged as storms travelled north.
Jenny Zhou, who works at the local Friendly Grocer in Kurnell, said the roof leaked and the shop flooded.
“I think about 10am, a big storm came,” she said. “There is water everywhere .. all through the shop.”
The CEO of Sydney’s Desalination plant Keith Davies said no workers were seriously hurt.
“Site operators were able to get into a safe place during the storm, and are in the process of making the site safe now,” Mr Davies said.
“No-one has been seriously injured but one person has been taken to local hospital with minor injuries.” Mr Davies said it was too early to determine the precise extent of the damage, or the repair bill.
He said it was an extraordinary event.
“Right now, people’s safety is coming first,” he said.
Beth, who lives and works in Cronulla in the city’s south, said “golf ball-size hail” fell on St Andrew’s Anglican Church.
“We had some brown-outs, lots of thunder and lightning, and some large hail,” she said.
“The wind was strong and it was hitting our glass windows. I have a big dint in the front of my car.”
Kurnell’s
Bridges St has been particularly hard hit with a number of homes
suffering significant damage, a Fire & Rescue spokeswoman told AAP.
BOM issued a midday warning for a severe thunderstorm which is due to hit the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions within the following hour.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-storms-tornado-warning-as-hail-hits-flash-flooding-fears/news-story/4acd0f356f5726f84666379f93bd2691
The desalination plant in Kurnell was evacuated after reportedly sustaining significant damage and workers were also cleared out of the Caltex refinery.
The strong and unusually high winds hit Kurnell just after 10.30am today along with heavy rain and hail the size of golf balls.
About 7000 businesses are without power, including Kurnell Public School. The SES has received over 160 call outs, with 65 from the Sutherland shire.
Sydney airport was closely monitoring the storm activity with passengers being advised to check flight details with their airlines, an airport spokeswoman said.
Qantas has delayed some flights until the storm clears up, a Qantas spokesman said.
A massive storm front has closed in on Sydney. Picture: Twitter
The NSW Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning at 8am, saying severe thunderstorms were forecast for parts of Sydney, the Illawarra and Hunter regions.
A Bureau warning at 11.13am warned that “very dangerous thunderstorms” were detected near Sydney airport and in waters off Bondi Beach.
Tornado sweeps through Sydney
They were all transferred to Sutherland Hospital in a stable condition.
A strong wind warning is in place for parts of Sydney and the Macquarie coast area and flash flooding may occur across Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong and the NSW south coast, the BOM said.
The storm is moving north, and warnings are also in place for the Sydney suburbs of Gordon, Mona Vale and Terrey Hills.
A massive storm front near Bexley, in Sydney’s south-west. Picture: Twitter
They have also been warned to avoid creeks and stormwater drains.
Westpac Life Saver Helicopter CEO, Stephen Leahy, said winds changed significantly within five minutes.
“If the storms and wind collide there is potential for a tornado,” Mr Leahy told AAP.
VIDEO: NSW Golf Club lashed by rain, hail
The NSW Bureau of Meteorology’s blunt warning.
State Emergency Services are advising residents to secure their homes and to remain indoors as storms sweep across the affected area on Wednesday.
80mm of rain fell in one hour near Nowra, 160km south of Sydney.
.
Large hail has hit Cronulla, in Sydney’s south. Picture: Instagram
Jenny Zhou, who works at the local Friendly Grocer in Kurnell, said the roof leaked and the shop flooded.
“I think about 10am, a big storm came,” she said. “There is water everywhere .. all through the shop.”
The CEO of Sydney’s Desalination plant Keith Davies said no workers were seriously hurt.
“Site operators were able to get into a safe place during the storm, and are in the process of making the site safe now,” Mr Davies said.
“No-one has been seriously injured but one person has been taken to local hospital with minor injuries.” Mr Davies said it was too early to determine the precise extent of the damage, or the repair bill.
He said it was an extraordinary event.
“Right now, people’s safety is coming first,” he said.
Wind damage to a unit block at Mauroubra, in Sydney’s east. Picture: John Grainger
The storm cell moves north.
“We had some brown-outs, lots of thunder and lightning, and some large hail,” she said.
“The wind was strong and it was hitting our glass windows. I have a big dint in the front of my car.”
Twitter pictures of Storm damage after a Tornado passed through Kurnell. Picture: Twitter
BOM issued a midday warning for a severe thunderstorm which is due to hit the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions within the following hour.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-storms-tornado-warning-as-hail-hits-flash-flooding-fears/news-story/4acd0f356f5726f84666379f93bd2691
Why are Chinese fishermen destroying coral reefs in the South China Sea?
What I came across on a reef far out in the middle of the South China Sea has left me shocked and confused.
I'd
been told that Chinese fishermen were deliberately destroying reefs
near a group of Philippine-controlled atolls in the Spratly Islands but I
was not convinced. "It goes on day and night, month after month," a Filipino mayor told me on the island of Palawan.
"I think it is deliberate. It is like they are punishing us by destroying our reefs."
I didn't take it seriously. I thought it might be anti-Chinese bile from a politician keen to blame everything on his disliked neighbour - a neighbour that claims most of the South China Sea as its own.
But then, as our little aircraft descended towards the tiny Philippine-controlled island of Pagasa, I looked out of my window and saw it. At least a dozen boats were anchored on a nearby reef. Long plumes of sand and gravel were trailing out behind them.
Even so, I was unprepared for what we found when we got out on the water.
A Filipino boatman guided his tiny fishing boat right into the midst of the Chinese poachers.
They had chained their boats to the reef and were revving their engines hard. Clouds of black diesel smoke poured into the air.
"They are using their propellers to break the reef," he said.
Again I was sceptical. The only way to see for sure was to get in the water.
It was murky and filled with dust and sand. I could just make out a steel propeller spinning in the distance on the end of long shaft, but it was impossible to tell exactly how the destruction was being carried out.
The result was clear, though. Complete devastation.
This place had once been a rich coral ecosystem. Now the sea floor was covered in a thick layer of debris, millions of smashed fragments of coral, white and dead like bits of bone.
Then, down below me, I spotted two of the poachers, wearing masks and trailing long breathing hoses behind them. They were manhandling something heavy.
As they struggled up the sandy underwater slope, through a stream of bubbles, I caught sight of what they were carrying - a massive giant clam, at least 1m (3ft) across.
They dropped it on to a pile near their boat. Next to it lay three others they had pulled out earlier. Clams of this size are probably 100 years old, and - as I discovered later on an internet auction site - can sell for between $1,000 (£665) and $2,000 a pair.
We motored out to a group of much larger fishing boats anchored just off the reef. These are "mother ships" to the small poacher boats on the reef. On board the big boats I could see hundreds of clam shells stacked high.
I'd heard of Tanmen before. It's a fishing port on the large Chinese island of Hainan.
Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered and protected under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
Beijing was furious. The foreign ministry demanded the convicted poachers be immediately released and accused the Philippines of "severely violating China's sovereignty… by illegally detaining Chinese fishing vessels and fishermen in waters off China's Nansha Islands".
None of this proves China is protecting the poachers. But nor does Beijing appear to be doing anything to stop them. The poachers we saw showed absolutely no sign of fear when they saw our cameras filming them.
Back on Pagasa, a Philippine marine corps officer told me the destruction of the reef has been going on for at least two years, day and night.
"You men are armed," I said to him. "Why don't you go over there in your speedboat and chase them off or arrest them?"
"It's too dangerous," he said. "We don't want to start a shooting war with the Chinese Navy."
I still found it hard to understand why these Chinese fishermen, who have a long tradition of fishing on these reefs, are now destroying them.
There is another sad fact about what is going on out here.
However shocking the reef plundering I witnessed, it is as nothing compared to the environmental destruction wrought by China's massive island building programme nearby.
The latest island China has just completed at Mischief Reef is more than 9km (six miles) long. That is 9km of living reef that is now buried under millions of tonnes of sand and gravel.
More from the Magazine
Read more: Flying close to China's new South China Sea islands
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From the Monitor
News from Elsewhere
The employees shut inside coffins
- 14 December 2015
- From the section Magazine
U.S. envoy Glyn Davies faces probe over Thailand's royal defamation law
(CNN)-Thai police have opened an inquiry into remarks made by the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies during a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club Thailand (FCCT).
The comments may have fallen foul of Thailand's strict "lese majeste" laws, which relate to defamation against the country's revered royal family.
The remarks under investigation are understood to refer to prison terms handed down for application of the laws, or Section 112 of the country's criminal code.
The U.S. State Department said in a press conference that it was "aware" of reports of the inquiry.
"The U.S. government has the utmost respect for the Thai monarchy," spokesman John Kirby said.
"Ambassador Davies reiterated longstanding U.S. policy on the issue of freedom of expression."
The Bangkok Post quoted an unnamed official from Bangkok's Lumpini police station, which has jurisdiction over the area that the FCCT is located in, confirming that officials are investigating.
"It's not yet a formal investigation as we're still in the process of gathering information and fact-finding. If we find the ambassador's remarks defamatory according to the law, then we will launch the official investigation," the official said.
The FCCT said the police have asked for its assistance.
"The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand has been asked by the Thai Police to assist them in an official investigation into whether comments made by U.S. Ambassador Glyn Davies at the club on 25 November violated article 112 of the criminal code, the lese majeste law. The FCCT is cooperating with the police," Jonathan Head, President, FCCT, said in a statement to CNN Wednesday.
Demonstration
The speech, which Davies delivered at the FCCT's premises late last month, provoked nationalists to demonstrate outside the U.S. embassy a few days later, the Bangkok Post reported.
Davies, a senior career diplomat who was sworn into the post in September this year, previously served as the Special Representative of the U.S. Secretary of State for North Korea and has a number of other ambassador-level postings.
International groups like Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticized Thailand's tough laws against defaming, insulting or threatening the royal family.
Two arrested in Australia over terror plot
Two people, including a 15-year-old boy, were arrested on Thursday in Sydney over a terror plot targeting a government building, with authorities expressing alarm at the age of those being radicalised.
The teenager and a 20-year-old man were seized at their homes in Sydney and charged with one count each of conspiracy to conduct an act in preparation for a terrorist act.
Three others currently in jail were also expected to be charged with the same offence, police said.
The arrests stem from evidence gathered during pre-dawn raids in Australia late last year in which 15 people were taken into custody and an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a member of the public was uncovered.
Australian Federal Police’s Deputy Commissioner for National Security Michael Phelan said it was not a new plot, but one related to the operation last year, where material about targeting a government building was first discovered.
“Last December, there were a number of documents seized as related to the search warrants we undertook in Sydney and those documents clearly talked about a plan and there was government buildings named in those plans,” he said, adding that one of them was the Australian Federal Police offices.
“As a result of putting all of that information together, working through those documents, putting physical and electronic surveillance together, we were able to build a case of conspiracy for five people involved in the preparation of these documents.”
Asked how far along the plot was, Phelan replied: “Enough for us to disrupt it at the time in December.”
Disturbing
The arrests were part of Operation Appleby, a rolling investigation into persons suspected of being involved in domestic acts of terrorism, foreign incursions into Syria and Iraq and the funding of terrorist organisations.
Canberra is concerned about the prospect of lone-wolf attacks by individuals inspired by organisations such as the Islamic State group, and has cracked down on Australians attempting to travel to conflict zones including Syria and Iraq.
The country lifted its terror threat alert to high over a year ago, introduced new national security laws and has conducted several counter-terrorism raids since.
The most recent were in October when four people were arrested in Sydney over the terror-linked murder of a police employee.
The person blamed for that killing, Farhad Jabar, was also only 15, and police subsequently said they were aware of 12 men or boys in the community who they believe could commit an act of terror.
Phelan said while those detained were likely influenced by jihadists overseas, police were not alleging they were working to orders from the Islamic State group.
“It’s disturbing that we’re continuing to see teenage children in this environment,” New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that the fact that we’re charging a 15-year-old with a very, very serious offence, one that has a maximum of life imprisonment, this is concerning not only to us in law enforcement but should be concerning to everybody.”
Six attacks in Australia have been foiled over the past year, according to the government, but several have not.
The latest arrests come just days ahead of a memorial to mark the one-year anniversary of Iranian-born self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis taking hostages in a 17-hour cafe siege in Sydney that shocked Australia.
Monis and two hostages were killed when police stormed the premises.
Monday, December 14, 2015
SE Asia Stocks-Thai, Singapore, Malaysia stocks fall for 5th day
SE Asia Stocks-Thai, Singapore, Malaysia stocks fall for 5th day
BANGKOK, Dec 14 Most Southeast Asian stock
markets fell on Monday, with key stock indexes in Thailand,
Singapore and Malaysia suffering a fifth straight session of
losses, as investors remained cautious over the U.S. interest
rate outlook and amid weak global oil market.
Thai stocks underperformed in the region, with the key SET
index sliding over 1 percent to its lowest close since
January 2014 and taking the decline since Dec. 4 to over 5
percent.
Crude oil futures, which fell for a seventh straight session
on Monday, brought shares of biggest Thai energy firm PTT
to an over six-year low at one point.
Investors also unloaded telecoms shares ahead of the auction
of fourth generation licences on Tuesday, sending shares of True
Corp down 6.5 percent and Total Access Communication
7.2 percent lower.
Singapore and Malaysia eased 0.6 percent,
both extending the losses since Dec. 7 to more than 2 percent,
while stocks in Indonesia hit the lowest close since
Oct. 5.
Stocks in the Philippines rebounded from an over
three-month intra-day low in light trading volume, which was 83
percent of the 30-day average. Vietnam drifted into
negative territory, also with volumes below the 30-day average.
Central banks in Southeast Asia, including Thailand,
Indonesia and the Philippines, are expected to keep their
benchmark interest rates unchanged at their policy meetings
later in the week.
For Asian Companies click;
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
Change on day
Market Current Prev Close Pct Move
Singapore 2815.04 2834.63 -0.69
Kuala Lumpur 1629.96 1640.14 -0.62
Bangkok 1267.61 1280.92 -1.04
Jakarta 4374.19 4393.52 -0.44
Manila 6745.99 6735.01 +0.16
Ho Chi Minh 562.22 563.43 -0.21
Change on year
Market Current End 2014 Pct Move
Singapore 2815.04 3365.15 -16.35
Kuala Lumpur 1629.96 1761.25 -7.45
Bangkok 1267.61 1497.67 -15.36
Jakarta 4374.19 5226.95 -16.31
Manila 6745.99 7230.57 -6.70
Ho Chi Minh 562.22 545.63 +3.04
Health Experts Scrutinize IPB as after Hepatitis A Outbreak
Health Experts Scrutinize IPB as after Hepatitis A Outbreak
The Health Ministry, the Bogor Health Agency and authorities from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) have set up a special team to conduct monitoring at the college campus following an outbreak of hepatitis A, which has infected at least 28 students.
The ministry’s director general for disease control and environmental health (P2PL), Mohamad Subuh, said on Sunday that the team had been working to discover the source of the outbreak and how the virus had spread across the campus and its vicinity.
“We have moved quickly and will see the results soon. However, we believe that the virus spread through contaminated food or eating utensils or the drinking water supply at the IPB campus canteen or dormitories,” Subuh said.
To determine the primary source of the virus, the team had taken samples, including mineral water samples from two dormitories and canteens as well as water for bathing from two dormitories, for further examination, he said.
He added that the ministry expected that results from the tests would be available in two weeks.
The hepatitis outbreak made news on Wednesday after IPB officials reported to the Bogor Health Agency that several students in one dormitory had fallen ill.
The students reported symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle ache, joint pain and light fever.
They were treated at several nearby hospitals, including Karya Bhakti Pratiwi, Medika Graha, Hermina and Bogor General Hospital.
Laboratory tests showed that the students had contracted hepatitis A — a contagious disease caused by a virus that is spread through food and water.
The health agency declared a health emergency (KLB) within the campus until Thursday, when it detected no other outbreaks outside the IPB area.
The Health Ministry’s Subuh added that the public did not need to worry about the KLB status as the ministry had confirmed that there were no similar outbreaks reported outside of Bogor.
“We just need to be more careful and aware of food and drink hygiene in our surroundings, particularly during this rainy season,” Subuh said.
Meanwhile, IPB deputy rector for academic and student affairs Yonny Koesmaryono said the campus had conducted medical checkups on a large number of IPB students since Friday.
Out of 480 students that underwent the checkups on Friday and Saturday, 46 were suspected of having Hepatitis A and were therefore referred to Karya Bhakti Pratiwi Hospital for further examination.
However, Yonny confirmed that blood and laboratory checks on the 46 showed that they had not contracted hepatitis A.
“IPB itself is conducting a quick response on the sources of food, such as canteens. We have deployed a team to clean all 137 campus cafeterias today [Sunday],” Yonny said.
He added that the team had also conducted a campaign to promote hygiene among all food vendors operating inside the campus.
Next Thursday, the team will also target food vendors outside of the campus.
“It will be our target to conduct more aggressive monitoring of the canteens,” Yonny said.
“But we also urge the students to be more careful when choosing their food. It’s quite difficult because students usually aren’t that worried about the food they eat.” (foy)
_______________________________
The ministry’s director general for disease control and environmental health (P2PL), Mohamad Subuh, said on Sunday that the team had been working to discover the source of the outbreak and how the virus had spread across the campus and its vicinity.
“We have moved quickly and will see the results soon. However, we believe that the virus spread through contaminated food or eating utensils or the drinking water supply at the IPB campus canteen or dormitories,” Subuh said.
To determine the primary source of the virus, the team had taken samples, including mineral water samples from two dormitories and canteens as well as water for bathing from two dormitories, for further examination, he said.
He added that the ministry expected that results from the tests would be available in two weeks.
The hepatitis outbreak made news on Wednesday after IPB officials reported to the Bogor Health Agency that several students in one dormitory had fallen ill.
The students reported symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle ache, joint pain and light fever.
They were treated at several nearby hospitals, including Karya Bhakti Pratiwi, Medika Graha, Hermina and Bogor General Hospital.
Laboratory tests showed that the students had contracted hepatitis A — a contagious disease caused by a virus that is spread through food and water.
The health agency declared a health emergency (KLB) within the campus until Thursday, when it detected no other outbreaks outside the IPB area.
The Health Ministry’s Subuh added that the public did not need to worry about the KLB status as the ministry had confirmed that there were no similar outbreaks reported outside of Bogor.
“We just need to be more careful and aware of food and drink hygiene in our surroundings, particularly during this rainy season,” Subuh said.
Meanwhile, IPB deputy rector for academic and student affairs Yonny Koesmaryono said the campus had conducted medical checkups on a large number of IPB students since Friday.
Out of 480 students that underwent the checkups on Friday and Saturday, 46 were suspected of having Hepatitis A and were therefore referred to Karya Bhakti Pratiwi Hospital for further examination.
However, Yonny confirmed that blood and laboratory checks on the 46 showed that they had not contracted hepatitis A.
“IPB itself is conducting a quick response on the sources of food, such as canteens. We have deployed a team to clean all 137 campus cafeterias today [Sunday],” Yonny said.
He added that the team had also conducted a campaign to promote hygiene among all food vendors operating inside the campus.
Next Thursday, the team will also target food vendors outside of the campus.
“It will be our target to conduct more aggressive monitoring of the canteens,” Yonny said.
“But we also urge the students to be more careful when choosing their food. It’s quite difficult because students usually aren’t that worried about the food they eat.” (foy)
_______________________________
To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/14/health-experts-scrutinize-ipb-after-hepatitis-a-outbreak.html#sthash.Bwlz6aOQ.dpufNational scene: BNPT warns of IS influence
National scene: BNPT warns of IS influence
The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has warned that alleged Indonesian supporters of the radical Islamic State (IS) group, since their return to Indonesia from Syria, have integrated with other members of society.
BNPT chief Comr. Gen. Saud Usman feared that the returnees could spread their radical views of Islam through religious events to other people. “They live among us and they spread their beliefs,” Saud said in Jakarta on Saturday, as reported by tribunnews.com.
According to identification procedures by the Foreign Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s immigration directorate general, 169 Indonesians who were deported from Syria now live in various places in Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Saud asked the people to report any suspicious activities or suspicious groups of people in their neighborhoods to the authorities.
According to Saud, Indonesia faces a threat of terrorist acts like kidnappings, bombings or shootings. He said the people had to support the security personnel in maintaining security in the face of terrorist intentions.
“If they have the opportunity, they will execute [their terrorist acts]. Therefore, we have to strengthen our protection of vital facilities like airports, markets, seaports, stations and other places whether many people gather,” Saud said. -
The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has warned that alleged Indonesian supporters of the radical Islamic State (IS) group, since their return to Indonesia from Syria, have integrated with other members of society.
BNPT chief Comr. Gen. Saud Usman feared that the returnees could spread their radical views of Islam through religious events to other people. “They live among us and they spread their beliefs,” Saud said in Jakarta on Saturday, as reported by tribunnews.com.
According to identification procedures by the Foreign Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s immigration directorate general, 169 Indonesians who were deported from Syria now live in various places in Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Saud asked the people to report any suspicious activities or suspicious groups of people in their neighborhoods to the authorities.
According to Saud, Indonesia faces a threat of terrorist acts like kidnappings, bombings or shootings. He said the people had to support the security personnel in maintaining security in the face of terrorist intentions.
“If they have the opportunity, they will execute [their terrorist acts]. Therefore, we have to strengthen our protection of vital facilities like airports, markets, seaports, stations and other places whether many people gather,” Saud said. -
North Korea must be referred to ICC, UN human rights chief says
The UN human rights chief has told the Security Council it is "essential" that the council refer North Korea's bleak human rights situation to the International Criminal Court, a proposition that the reclusive country views with alarm.
Zeid Raad al-Hussein spoke on Thursday after China tried to keep the meeting from happening. China, North Korea's neighbour and a traditional ally, demanded a rare vote on whether to discuss the issue, saying the council is not the place to discuss human rights.
A woman holds up a poster with photos from an internment camp in North Korea during a vigil outside the White House Photo: AFP
Russia, Venezuela and Angola backed China, but the United States and eight other countries voted to go forward. Nigeria and Chad abstained.
US Ambassador Samantha Power, the current council president, replied to the objections with an incredulous "Really?" And without mentioning China by name, she called for an end to the practice of sending North Korean refugees back to their country, where they can face imprisonment and torture.
Samantha Power addresses the security council on the situation in North Korea at UN headquarters in New York Photo: Amanda Voisard/AP
The council put North Korea's rights situation on its agenda a year ago, and this was its second meeting on the issue. The council took up the issue after a UN report, based on interviews with scores of defectors, detailed widespread government abuses such as mass starvation.
The UN report also recommended a referral to the ICC, an idea that 112 countries supported last month in a vote in the UN General Assembly's human rights committee. The assembly itself is expected to vote on the non-binding resolution next week.
North Korea rejects criticism of its human rights record, but in September its foreign minister extended an unprecedented invitation to Zeid to visit the country.
Zeid told reporters after Thursday's meeting that he hopes to go to North Korea "in the near future" and that discussions on the details continue.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last month that he will try to visit North Korea "at the earliest possible date" in an effort to promote peace on the Korean peninsula. Zeid said Thursday that "mine is a separate invitation."
Top Indian artist found dead in Mumbai sewer
A renowned Indian artist whose works depicted Mumbai’s dark underworld has been found floating dead in a city sewer.
The discovery of the bodies of Hema Upadhyay, 43, and her lawyer Harish Bhambhani, 65, on Saturday evening has sent shockwaves through the city's art scene.
Police said two separate cardboard boxes containing the victims’ bodies had been found in a sewage drain by a street cleaner in Mumbai's Kandivli district late on Saturday.
They were thought to have been strangled to death hours earlier, and were found semi-naked with their limbs bound.
Ms Uphadyay's ex-husband Chintan, 43, who is also a renowned contemporary artist and whose works have been displayed in Britain and around the world, was questioned on Sunday before being released without arrest.
The pair were once seen as the poster couple of the metropolis’s modern art scene.
But their messy divorce hit the headlines in India in 2013 when Ms Upadhyay sued her then-husband for harassment after he painted graphic images of women engaged in sexual acts on the walls of their shared home in Mumbai.
Ms Upadhyay had claimed the drawings were “an insult to women” and had been painted “knowing fully well that the said painting would be seen by his servants, drivers and other persons”, but ultimately lost the lawsuit. Mr Bhambhani had represented Ms Upadhyay in the case.
On Monday, police in Uttar Pradesh detained key suspect Sadhu Rajbhar, who is said to have have called Ms Upadhyay on the night before her death offering to provide evidence against her estranged ex-husband in their ongoing legal battle.
At least three others were being questioned in Mumbai on Monday after a driver who had transported the boxes containing the bodies to Kandivli - believing them at the time to contain “broken antiques” - contacted police.
Ms Upadhyay, who was born in Gujarat but moved to Mumbai a decade ago, created award-winning paintings and sculptures of migrant life in Mumbai that were shown in galleries in China, Australia, France, Israel, Italy and the US.
Fellow artist Jitish Kallat, who was among the first to arrive at the Kandivali police station on Sunday, said: “Her death is truly devastating … a chilling end to a life spent in artistic pursuit.”
Sunday, December 13, 2015
For China, climate deal is imperfect but huge step forward Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-china-idUSKBN0TW0B320151213#Owra2ukI9OzJMLHX.99
For China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the global climate accord reached in Paris marked a huge step toward greener growth that safeguards its sovereignty while falling short on funding for cleaner energy.
Xie Zhenhua, Beijing's senior climate change envoy, said he welcomed what he described as a flawed agreement, echoing a similar summation from U.S. President Barack Obama.
On Saturday, the global climate summit in Paris produced a landmark accord that set the course for an historic transformation of the world's fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a bid to arrest global warming.
Xie Zhenhua, Beijing's senior climate change envoy, said he welcomed what he described as a flawed agreement, echoing a similar summation from U.S. President Barack Obama.
On Saturday, the global climate summit in Paris produced a landmark accord that set the course for an historic transformation of the world's fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a bid to arrest global warming.
Beijing issues first-ever ‘red alert’ due to severe air pollution
Half of Beijing's private cars have been ordered off the streets, while construction sites, factories and schools are closed as authorities in the smog-shrouded Chinese capital respond to public criticism over air pollution.
The alert – the most serious warning on a four-tier system adopted in 2013 – is in effect through Thursday, meaning authorities have forecast three consecutive days of severe smog.
In addition to public warnings and restrictions, authorities recommended businesses to implement flexible working hours, and that all "large-scale, outdoor activities" be stopped.
The Beijing City Emergency Office said that "still weather, reduced cold temperatures and an increase in humidity" prompted the red alert, according to China Xinhua News.
Despite some improvement in Beijing's air over the past year, readings of dangerous particles Tuesday were as high as a dozen times the safe level, in what has become an embarrassment for a government trying to clean up the legacy of pollution left from years of full-tilt economic growth.
The alert – the most serious warning on a four-tier system adopted in 2013 – is in effect through Thursday, meaning authorities have forecast three consecutive days of severe smog.
In addition to public warnings and restrictions, authorities recommended businesses to implement flexible working hours, and that all "large-scale, outdoor activities" be stopped.
The Beijing City Emergency Office said that "still weather, reduced cold temperatures and an increase in humidity" prompted the red alert, according to China Xinhua News.
Despite some improvement in Beijing's air over the past year, readings of dangerous particles Tuesday were as high as a dozen times the safe level, in what has become an embarrassment for a government trying to clean up the legacy of pollution left from years of full-tilt economic growth.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Suu Kyi discusses power transition with Burma's outgoing president
Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi discussed the smooth transfer of power to her party with President Thein Sein on Wednesday, the first time the two have met since her National League for Democracy (NLD) swept a November election.
When the new administration is sworn in early next year, it will be the first time since 1960 that a democratically elected government will take office in the country crippled by decades of military rule.
But workable ties with the military, which retains considerable power, will be crucial for Suu Kyi as herparty seeks a smooth debut in government.
Among the Nobel laureate’s first post-victory moves was to ask for reconciliation talks with reformist ex-general Thein Sein and armed forces supremo Min Aung Hlaing, whose military runs the interior, defence and border affairs ministries under a constitution drafted before the end of its half-century rule.
Suu Kyi had a closed-door meeting with Thein Sein at his residence in Naypyitaw and the 45-minute talks were centred on the transfer of power, said the president’s spokesman and information minister, Ye Htut.
She was due to meet Min Aung Hlaing in the afternoon.
“We have opened a communication channel between the two sides,” Ye Htut, told a news conference.
“They mainly focused on the smooth and peaceful transfer of the state responsibilities to the future government... to cooperate bilaterally so that there won’t be any concerns among the people.”
He said the transfer to a new president was “completely unprecedented in our history.”
However, Burma’s constitution is likely to be a bone of contention between the NLD and the military. It enshrines a power-sharing arrangement between the armed forces and an elected ruling party, regardless of the size of its public mandate.
The military argues that is necessary to protect a fledgling democracy and maintain peace, but it means the NLD will need military support in governing an underdeveloped country with an outdated bureaucracy, weak infrastructure and ailing healthcare and education sectors.
Suu Kyi, 70, wants to work with the military but has been clear about wanting to change parts of the constitution, including a clause that bars her from becoming president because her two children are foreign citizens.
Ye Htut said amending that article was not discussed and it would be up to the new parliament to decide.
It is uncertain whether the NLD plans to tread carefully once it take office, or take a risk by launching another push to reduce the political role of the armed forces. The military gets a quarter of legislative seats under the constitution and that amounts to holding a veto on changing the charter.
Both Thein Sein and Min Aung Hlaing have endorsed the election win and offered support in ensuring a smooth transition to the new government between February and April next year, easing jitters about possible turbulence.
Suu Kyi has taken a more conciliatory tone towards the military since becoming a lawmaker but her meeting with Min Aung Hlaing comes after she spoke out at against him in June for influencing military legislators.
After the bloc voted in unison to keep its veto powers, Suu Kyi said: “He’s not elected by the people, so why does he have the right to decide?”
Chinese tycoon Guo Guangchang detained by police
One of China's richest men, Guo Guangchang, has been detained by police.
His company, Fosun International, confirmed on Friday that he was assisting authorities with an investigation.
The confirmation followed reports that he had gone missing.
Financial magazine Caixin said that staff at Fosun had been unable to contact Mr Guo since Thursday afternoon.
Fosun, one of China's biggest private conglomerates, halted trading of its Hong Kong shares following the reports.
The company said that its shares would resume trading on Monday.
Fosun said that Mr Guo, 48, who has been described as China's Warren Buffett, was still able to be involved in major decisions.
It was not clear why police had detained him.
Earlier, a source close to the Fosun Group had told the BBC: "It's very likely he's been asked by the Chinese authorities to co-operate in an investigation. He is not being investigated himself."
He declined to speculate about the details of the investigation.
Sally Yim, senior credit officer at Moody's Investors Service, said: "Guo is one of the high-profile Chinese entrepreneurs and this incident will raise eyebrows among foreign regulators, as Fosun has been aggressively expanding its global insurance footprint. But it is too early to say how this incident will impact Fosun's operations."
Mr Guo was linked to a corruption court case in August.
BBC Asia-Pacific analyst Michael Bristow says Mr Guo's empire extends across the world, while Forbes magazine estimates his fortune at $7bn (£4.6bn).
Fosun Group has interests spanning media, insurance, real estate and retail. It recently took control of French holiday group Club Med.
Fosun International, the parent company of Shanghai-based Fosun Group, was listed in Hong Kong in 2007.
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