Business

The crafting of Asean’s ‘protector’ role
9Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

The crafting of Asean’s ‘protector’ role

The crafting of Asean's 'protector' role The Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was established just over a decade ago to promote and protect human rights in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Yet, its activities, to date, have been more to do with promotion activities, such as workshops, rather than protection measures, such as to receive complaints and to provide remedies. Currently a panel of experts is due to be set up to review the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the AICHR, but until now, only four countries -- Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia -- have named their appointees, and none of the appointees are women. There is thus an urgent need for all the other six Asean countries to name their appointees so that the panel can start to fun...
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Thousands protest lockdown in Sydney, several arrested
9Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Thousands protest lockdown in Sydney, several arrested

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of people took to the streets of Sydney and other Australian cities on Saturday to protest lockdown restrictions amid another surge in cases, and police made several arrests after crowds broke through barriers and threw plastic bottles and plants. The unmasked participants marched from Sydney’s Victoria Park to Town Hall in the central business district, carrying signs calling for “freedom” and “the truth.“ There was a heavy police presence in Sydney, including mounted police and riot officers in response to what authorities said was unauthorized protest activity. Police confirmed a number of arrests had been made after objects were thrown at officers. New South Wales Police said it recognized and supported the rights of free speech and peaceful assembly, but the
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US maintains entry restrictions due to rising Delta cases
9Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

US maintains entry restrictions due to rising Delta cases

US maintains entry restrictions due to rising Delta cases A US army soldier is tested for Covid-19 upon arrival at Morocco's Agadir military airport in June 2021 amid ongoing restrictions on travel due to the pandemic. WASHINGTON - The United States said Monday it would maintain restrictions on international travel into the country, sidestepping European pressure, pointing to a surge of cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant at home and abroad. "We will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. "The more transmissible Delta variant is spreading both here and around the world." In its latest advisories, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended avoiding travel to Spain and Portugal, two popular destinati...
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Carrying on the legacy of Coca
8Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Carrying on the legacy of Coca

The third-generation operator of the celebrated sukiyaki chain is looking to evolve the business in light of the pandemic, but vows to stay true to its roots Ms Natalie says creativity is just as important as speed and accuracy to lure customers. Some people may think success in a family business is a bit like being handed a title on a silver platter, but it wasn't so for Natalie Phanphensophon, chief operating officer of Coca Holding International Co, a pioneer in the sukiyaki restaurant business in Thailand. Ms Natalie, 35, is a third-generation descendant of the family that owns Coca Holding. She is braving a spate of challenges related to continued outbreaks that have reshaped the restaurant industry. With a master's degree in food science from Reading University in the UK, Ms Nata...
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Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reports 185 cases of COVID-19, seven deaths; cases have nearly tripled in the U.S. over two weeks; China says no to WHO’s further probe of virus origins
8Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Today’s coronavirus news: Ontario reports 185 cases of COVID-19, seven deaths; cases have nearly tripled in the U.S. over two weeks; China says no to WHO’s further probe of virus origins

The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available. 8:13 p.m. British Columbia’s COVID-19 cases are creeping up again with the province reporting the highest numbers in a month, The Canadian Press reports. Health officials reported 89 cases of COVID-19 Thursday, figures last seen in mid-June, according to CP. In a news release, officials say the total number of active infections in B.C. is 781 and there have been no new deaths. There are 53 people are in hospital with 15 in intensive care. Health officials say there are two outbreaks in the Fraser Health region, in an acute care facility and a long-term home. Officials say more than 80 per cent of those eligible have received th
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Indian officials say 10 combatants killed in Kashmir
7Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Indian officials say 10 combatants killed in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Eight suspected rebels and two Indian soldiers were killed in a series of counterinsurgency operations in disputed Kashmir, police said Thursday, as many shops were shut in parts of the region to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of a popular rebel commander whose killing triggered open defiance against Indian rule. The deaths in five separate incidents starting Wednesday came as violence in the Himalayan region has increased in recent weeks. India’s military said two soldiers and two insurgents were killed Thursday in a clash along the Line of Control, the highly militarized de facto frontier that divides Kashmir between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India. The fighting erupted after soldiers intercepted a group of militants who crossed into the Indian-
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Chinese hackers compromised SE Asia telecom companies, researchers say
7Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Chinese hackers compromised SE Asia telecom companies, researchers say

Chinese hackers compromised SE Asia telecom companies, researchers say Chinese state-backed hacking groups compromised at least five global telecommunications companies and stole phone records and location data, according to cybersecurity researchers. The hacking groups waged a campaign across Southeast Asia from 2017 to 2021, in some cases exploiting security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp’s Exchange servers to gain access to telecommunication companies’ internal systems, according to a new report published Tuesday by US-based security firm Cybereason Inc. Lior Div, the chief executive officer of Cybereason, said the hackers had obtained “the holy grail of espionage”, by gaining total control of the telecommunication networks they penetrated. Cybereason named the groups Soft Cell, N
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Vaccinating seniors against Covid-19 will pave the way to a new normal in Singapore
6Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

Vaccinating seniors against Covid-19 will pave the way to a new normal in Singapore

SINGAPORE - "Instead of greeting an elderly person with 'Jiak ba buay', which means 'have you eaten' in Hokkien, ask them 'vax liao buay?', which means 'have you taken the vaccines?'" suggested my colleague. Whichever method or language you use, the point is to persuade others, particularly seniors who are at risk of becoming critically ill when infected, to get the Covid-19 vaccines. As the virus is now spreading among markets and food centres, infecting more seniors than expected, Singapore is going back to phase two (heightened alert) and determined to get more seniors vaccinated. It is to prevent a pandemic of the unvaccinated, a term used by the director of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to warn of the situation there, as Covid-19 cases are once again ...
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China setting back old theory of business and democracy
5Aug By Online DeskNo Comments

China setting back old theory of business and democracy

When any country let the private company business in its territory, it is to be thought that the country is getting democratic, but China which is taking business from four decades breaking all the stereotypes and getting more stronger in terms of one-party state. When China began allowing private businesses and foreign investment four decades ago, many outside the communist country expected that as its economy became more capitalist, its politics also would become more democratic. They didn’t. Instead, the Chinese system, which puts stability and cohesion ahead of individual freedoms, became adept at delivering prosperity, with the Communist Party still firmly in control. For Beijing, its success legitimizes its model as an alternative to the liberal values of the West, an idea the U.
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US, allies accuse China of global cyber hacking campaign
1Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments

US, allies accuse China of global cyber hacking campaign

US, allies accuse China of global cyber hacking campaign Computer code is seen on a screen above a Chinese flag in this July 12, 2017 illustration photo. (Reuters photo) WASHINGTON: The United States and a coalition of allies accused China on Monday of a global cyber hacking campaign that employed contract hackers, specifically attributing a large Microsoft attack disclosed earlier this year to actors working on Beijing's behalf. Opening a new area of tensions with China, the United States is joined by Nato, the European Union, Britain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Canada to level the allegations. "The United States and countries around the world are holding the People’s Republic of China accountable for its pattern of irresponsible, disruptive, and destabilizing behavior in cyber
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