South Korean military’s solid fuel rocket test sparks UFO scare

The test flight was a follow-up to another launch conducted on March 30, the ministry said. 

PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

SEOUL – South Korea’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that the multiple, unidentified aircraft flying over the capital Seoul was a successful test of its solid-fuel space rocket, appeasing concerns that it could be aliens visiting Earth.

The test flight was a follow-up to another launch conducted on March 30, the ministry said.

It added that the launch was conducted to beef up national defence capabilities in areas like independent, space-based surveillance and reconnaissance.

The ministry also apologised for not warning the public in advance.

At around 6pm, strange rainbow-coloured lights were spotted in the sky across South Korea, including in Seoul and parts of Gangwon, Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces.

The meandering path and colour of the rocket caused some witnesses to initially speculate it was an unidentified flying object, or UFO, until the ministry made an announcement.

South Korea launched a solid-fuel space rocket for the first time in March, as part of a project to develop civilian and military surveillance satellites.

It was the first test since South Korea and the United States agreed in 2021 to end restrictions on the country’s ballistic missile and rocket development. 

THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Spain to strip Franco-era police officers of honours

Interior minister enforces the Democratic Memory Law, which tackles the legacy of Franco's dictatorship from 1939-1975 and the three-year civil war that preceded it.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez walks past a wall with the names of people killed by late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's forces during the Civil War, as he visits the exhumation work of a mass grave at El Carmen cemetery in Valladolid, Spain last October. (Reuters Archive)

Spain's leftist government has announced that it will strip decorations awarded to police officers involved in state repression during the right-wing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska ordered police forces to make the move to comply with a new law focused on the historical impact of the leader, the interior ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The Democratic Memory Law aims to tackle the legacy of Franco's 1939-1975 dictatorship and the three-year civil war that preceded it, including measures honouring those who suffered persecution or violence under his rule.

It calls for the withdrawal of honours from police officers involved in "events incompatible with democratic values and the principles of respect for human rights," the interior ministry statement said.

Among those reportedly affected is Juan Antonio Gonzalez Pacheco, a notorious former Madrid police inspector known as "Billy the Kid" who died in 2020 of Covid-19.

He is accused of torturing prisoners during Franco's rule.

READ MORE: The Silence of Others: “The past is never the past”

Officers targeted by the measure will be given the opportunity to present "defences" before a final decision is made, the statement said.

These decorations allowed police officers who were awarded them to collect higher pensions.

Iron fist

Franco ruled Spain with an iron fist from the end of the country's 1936-39 civil war until his death in 1975, marking one of Europe's longest dictatorships.

Honouring those who died or suffered violence or repression during the war and decades of dictatorship that followed has been a top priority for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez since he came to power in 2018.

In 2019, he had Franco's remains removed from a vast grandiose mausoleum near Madrid and transferred to a discreet family plot.

READ MORE: Spain to exhume ex-dictator Franco's remains to discreet grave

Spain to exhume ex-dictator Franco's remains to discreet grave

Sanchez wins cliff-hanger Spain vote to form new govt

Spanish separatist lawmakers blast 'anachronistic' monarchy

The Silence of Others: “The past is never the past”

Spain passes decree to exhume Franco from mausoleum

Brazil's Bolsonaro lands in Florida, avoiding Lula handover

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks in Brasilia, Brazil, December 30, 2022 in this screen grab taken from social media. ― Presidency of Brazil/Handout via Reuters

Saturday, 31 Dec 2022 

BRASILIA, Dec 31 ― Outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro landed in Florida yesterday, after delivering a teary message to his supporters less than two days before his fierce leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to take office.

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An official Brazilian plane landed in Orlando, Florida late yesterday, flight tracking website FlightAware showed. Although Bolsonaro's destination has not been officially confirmed, his security staff were already in place in Florida.

Bolsonaro's exit from Brazil came after he repeatedly said he would not hand over the presidential sash to Lula at Sunday's inauguration, breaking with Brazil's democratic tradition. He may also face legal risks from remaining in Brazil as his presidential immunity expires when Lula takes office.

His departure followed an emotional final address on social media earlier yesterday, in which he ran through the highlights of his time in office, sought to defend his legacy, and tried to inspire his followers into keeping up the fight against Lula.

Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now acting president after Bolsonaro left the country, his press office said. But Mourao will not pass the presidential sash to Lula, a spokesperson noted, raising doubts about who will do the ceremonial handover.

The presidential plane departed Brasilia shortly after 2pm local time.

“I am in flight, back soon,” Bolsonaro was quoted as saying by CNN Brasil earlier in the day. His press office did not respond to a request for comment.

The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The US embassy in Brasilia referred questions about Bolsonaro's trip to the Brazilian president's office.

Final words

Bolsonaro's exit follows weeks of silence, after he lost Brazil's most fraught election in a generation.

Some of Bolsonaro's supporters have refused to accept Lula's victory, believing his baseless claims that the October election was stolen. That has contributed to a tense atmosphere in the capital Brasilia, with riots and a foiled bomb plot last week.

In his social media address, Bolsonaro labeled the bomb plot a “terrorist act” for which there was no justification. He sought to distance himself from George Washington Sousa, the man who confessed to making the bomb, and who told police that Bolsonaro's call to arms inspired him to build an arsenal of guns and explosives.

“The man had ideas that are not shared by any citizen, but now they classify him as a 'Bolsonarista',” the president said.

Yet Bolsonaro also praised protesters who have been camping outside army barracks across the country, urging the military to stage a coup.

“I did not encourage anyone to enter confrontation,” he said, adding that his supporters had merely been seeking “freedom.” He said the protests had been “spontaneous,” with no leadership or coordination.

Bolsonaro's swift exit was a disappointment for many on the right, where his reputation has taken a beating for his post-election silence. Some of his diehard supporters at the entrance of the Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence where he lived, called him a “coward” during his speech, according to a Reuters witness.

Others felt abandoned by his departure.

“It feels as if my boyfriend has left me,” said Deise Casela, a 57-year-old widow, touching the Brazilian flag that was lowered after Bolsonaro left the residence. “I am mourning again.” 

― Reuters

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2022/12/officials-say-president-bolsonaro-may.html

Teary Bolsonaro flees to Florida after calling election loss unfair

Gabriela Sá Pessoa

Dec 31 2022

Two days before leaving office, ending a tumultuous four years as the race-baiting, Amazon-developing, coronavirus-downplaying, vaccine-sceptical leader of Latin America's largest country, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro remained defiant in a teary farewell address on Friday (local time), defending his record and saying the election that led to his ouster was not impartial, but condemning violence against the result.

Then he flew to Florida, Brazilian media reported, where in the past he has met with former US president Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. He apparently planned to skip the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday (local time), when the outgoing leader traditionally presents the presidential sash to his successor, a ceremony intended to reaffirm the country's young democracy.

Bolsonaro's remarks, live-streamed for nearly an hour, were his most extensive since he lost the election in October. He still has not conceded the race, but acknowledged that a new administration would take over on Sunday.

"Nothing is lost," he told supporters. "Brazil is a fantastic country, and Brazil doesn't end on January first."

Concern is growing over security around Lula's inauguration in Brasília on Sunday (local time). Bolsonaro supporters have camped outside army installations since his October 30 defeat to call for a military coup to keep him in power. A group of radical bolsonaristas set fire to buses and tried to invade federal police headquarters in the capital this month after the arrest of a Bolsonaro supporter who was accused of having "expressly summoned armed people to prevent the certification of elected" officials.

On Saturday (local time), police said they defused a bomb planted by a Bolsonaro supporter in a tanker truck full of gas near the international airport in Brasília. They said the suspect told investigators his plan was to provoke chaos to draw military intervention.

Bolsonaro asked supporters last month not to block highways, but said the gatherings outside army installations were legitimate protests. On Friday, he condemned violent demonstrations - and lamented that the Brazilian media had connected the bomb suspect to him.

"Nothing justifies this attempted terrorist act here in Brasília airport," Bolsonaro said. "[Have] Intelligence. Let's show we are different from the other side, that we respect the norms and the Constitution."

ERALDO PERES/AP
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has fled Brazil for Florida.

His actions might sound familiar to Americans. Trump, a Bolsonaro ally, blamed his 2020 re-election loss on unfounded claims of fraud, declined to concede, urged his supporters to protest the result and skipped the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

Bolsonaro said it had been difficult to stay mostly silent for two months, but refrained from speaking because anything he said "could make things more tumultuous”.

"I didn't leave the four lines" of the Constitution, he said, comparing the document to a soccer pitch. "Either we live in a democracy or we don't. Nobody wants an adventure."

Bolsonaro sought to explain to his more radical supporters why he didn't embrace stronger efforts to stay in power. After he spent years casting doubt on the security of electronic voting machines, many of his supporters have claimed without evidence that the election was stolen.

THE WASHINGTON POST
Jair Bolsonaro getting ready to board a plane for Florida.

"Now, many times, even within the four lines, you need to have support," he said. But he found no support in the electoral court, the congress or the armed forces to reverse the election result. He asked his party to file a lawsuit alleging possible fraud in balloting, but the electoral court quickly rejected the claim.

He said he recognised the suffering of his supporters, but asked them to put themselves in his place. He said they had lost a battle, but not the war. As he spoke, comments expressing frustration began to appear on his Facebook page.

"Unfortunately we are adrift," one person wrote. "So there was no fraud??? Hope is over."

Bolsonaro said he would lead the opposition to Lula.

"The picture is not good, but that's not why we are going to throw in the towel and stop opposing," he said.

After the valedictory, Brazilian media reported, he boarded Força Aérea Brasileira - Brazil's Air Force One - on a flight to Orlando. The presidency did not confirm his departure to The Washington Post, but recent filings with the Federal Register have indicated preparations for such a trip.

Days after Bolsonaro's loss, allies met with Trump aides in the United States to discuss his next steps. His son Eduardo, a Brazilian congressman, met Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month in Palm Beach, Florida.

READ MORE:
* Jair Bolsonaro contests Brazil election, demands votes be annulled
* Caution and hope: Expat Brazilians troubled by unrest and deepening divide
* Jair Bolsonaro refuses to concede Brazil election loss, but clears way for transfer of power
* Roads blocked, flights cancelled as Bolsonaro silent on Brazil election loss

 

‘Not one more’ woman can fall victim to Poland’s abortion laws


Women must be able to count on the EU to protect them — especially when their own governments are the ones endangering their lives.

"Not one more" is the slogan of large anti-governmental protests dedicated to the memory of a victim of Poland's abortion laws

| Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

BY ROBERT BIEDROŃ
DECEMBER 31, 2022 4:04 AM CET

Robert Biedroń is a member of the European Parliament and chair of the FEMM Committee on women’s rights and gender equality.

During the Cold War, women from Western Europe would travel behind the Iron Curtain to access free and legal abortion services in Poland. However, the tables have since turned.

For the last 30 years, Polish women have been subject to increasingly restrictive abortion laws, culminating in the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling, which introduced a near-total abortion ban in 2020, leaving them with fewer sexual reproductive health rights than in fundamentalist states like Iran

Since the implementation of this barbaric law, at least six women have died because they were deprived of life-saving abortions — and those are just the known victims. They have names and mourning families. Many other cases remain unreported.

But Polish women and girls shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves. Brussels must take immediate steps against the country’s authorities and implement measures to protect women in Poland, so they can finally enjoy the same rights as those in Belgium, France or Germany.

The worrisome phenomenon of rolling back women’s sexual reproductive health rights isn’t exclusive to Poland. It’s the result of an organized and well-funded worldwide movement, orchestrated by organizations that, for many decades, have been pushing an anti-feminist agenda, gradually gaining significant influence over right-wing politicians and sponsoring policies undermining women’s rights. They’ve been active in several European countries, including Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and Spain.

In Poland, it is Ordo Iuris — an organization closely connected to the Catholic Church and the country’s ruling politicians — that became the driving force behind attacks on women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Their key “achievements” include bans on abortion and sexual education, as well as the creation of “LGBT-free zones.” They are also behind the country’s sinister pregnancy register — a database offering public prosecutors all the information and tools to hunt women accused of abortion, and may well lead to the criminalization of miscarriages.

Regrettably, however, the European Commission and the European Council have so far refrained from any action, claiming their hands are tied since abortion isn’t under their competence — but the European Parliament dares to differ.

Since the 2020 ruling, the Parliament has adopted two resolutions that not only condemned the violations of women’s rights in Poland but also urged its government to guarantee access to safe, legal and free abortion services. It has adopted the landmark Matić report as well, affirming that the right to abortion is a fundamental human right.


In addition, as the Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), we carried out a mission to Warsaw and held a hearing with the representatives of the families of the women who died because of this draconian law.

Both confirmed the immediate threat to women’s health and life in Poland.

Contrary to the assurance of the Polish authorities, access to legal abortion in the country is currently negligible — in 2021, only 107 abortions were performed among a population of 40 million. And the restrictive legislation also has a chilling effect on doctors, who refuse to perform abortions out of fear of criminal consequences. Polish women are thus forced into clandestine abortions or to seek help abroad.

For the last 30 years, Polish women have been subject to increasingly restrictive abortion laws | Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

Moreover, virtually no abortions are performed in the case of a pregnancy resulting from rape — something that is now strongly affecting Ukrainian women as well, many of whom have been violated by Russian troops and fled to Poland during the war.

Gathering all this information has now enabled us to propose a package of recommendations the European Union should urgently adopt.

Firstly, we must remember that women’s rights are fundamental rights, and that member countries have a duty to uphold them. Polish women now have fewer rights than when their country joined the EU in 2004, which is why the Council needs to address Poland’s violations of women’s rights under Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU.

In the meantime, by including the right to abortion in the next EU health strategy, the Commission should ensure all women in Europe enjoy full sexual reproductive health rights.

Since many are forced to seek treatments abroad, we also need to find systemic solutions to facilitate this process. Thus, it’s necessary to co-finance NGOs that support women against oppressive governments, and we need to improve cooperation between member countries, so European women can access free and safe abortion services within national health systems.

The recent case of an American woman denied a life-saving abortion while on vacation in Malta is just one of many examples of this need. And it’s worth mentioning that this headline-grabbing case pushed the Maltese government to work on easing its anti-abortion law, the strictest in the EU, allowing for the procedure when a woman’s life or health is at risk.

On the grave of Izabela Sajbor, the first known victim of Poland’s barbaric abortion ban, there’s an epitaph that reads, “Not one more.”

This motto, the slogan of large anti-governmental protests dedicated to her memory, should be engraved on all our hearts. And at a time when fundamentalists are usurping the right in order to make political decisions, the EU must fight for women with even greater determination.

All European women have equal fundamental rights, and the bloc must be there to safeguard them — especially when their own governments are the ones endangering their lives.

That is why — together with the socialist fraction in the parliament — we’ve been working on an EU Charter of Women’s Rights. Something that will guarantee standardized access to sexual and reproductive health care, including legal and safe abortion, in addition to key socioeconomic and political rights.

And once this charter enters into force, “not one more” woman in Europe will be deprived of their fundamental rights, and the future will finally hold real gender equality.

Rent-a-robot schemes gain popularity in Malaysia as cheap machines replace costly workers

Robots help businesses to save on costs by not having to hire too many workers. 

PHOTO: JOHNNY'S RESTAURANT


JOHOR BAHRU - Renting a robot to perform simple tasks is becoming a trend in Malaysia, especially for businesses that want to cut labour costs.

The demand is high in places such as Kuala Lumpur, George Town and Johor Bahru, said Mr Jeremy Ng, a business development manager of a robotics company.

“Kuala Lumpur is adapting to the technology very fast,” he added. “This is partly because the wages in the city are higher compared with other places.”

These robots, he said, help businesses to save on costs by not having to hire too many workers.

Companies supplying the technology are now allowing customers to rent robots instead of buying them at full price.

Mr Ng said the option to rent the machines was made available early in 2021 after many businesses expressed interest in doing so.

Instead of spending at least RM35,000 (S$10,700) for a single unit, he said, employers could rent a robot with just a monthly payment of around RM1,500 to RM2,000.

“They can decide how long they want to rent it. And if they feel that it works well, then they can consider buying it later,” Mr Ng said.

He added that the robots can perform tasks such as delivering food to tables, carrying a large number of dishes at a time, directing customers to specific locations within a building, and providing information.



“For now, a majority of businesses that are keen to use the robots are those in the food and hotel industries,” he said. “We also have customers from malls, hospitals and factories.”

Mr Ng said the use of robots in Penang, for example, started in restaurants during the pandemic.

“Back then, these restaurants lost many workers after they returned to their home countries,” he said. “The practice of maintaining physical distance also encouraged the use of such robots.”

“In Johor, robots are most beneficial to the hotel industry as it is facing a lack of manpower with many locals moving to other places to pursue their careers,” he added.

The Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo said that apart from recruiting part-timers during busy periods, hotels as well as the food and beverage industry are turning to robots, too.

“The use of robots has helped some hotels and restaurants cope with the manpower issue,” he said. “It is also relatively cheaper compared with hiring a worker.”

Human workers are still required, though.

“For now, the robots’ only task is to deliver food to the tables. We still need workers for other areas,” Mr Teo said.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Robot barista uprising: AI-powered machines shake up S'pore coffee scene

NEA exploring table-cleaning robot at hawker centres to support manual labour

 THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

WORD OF THE DAY

Covid 19 coronavirus: Top Australian medical figures in stoush over China Covid treatment

news.com.au

30 Dec, 2022

Victorian AMA president Dr Roderick McRae wants the state to begin quarantining Chinese arrivals for up to a week to tackle inbound Covid cases. Photo / NCA NewsWire

A war of words has erupted between medical leaders over how Australia should handle visitors entering the country from Covid-stricken China.

China is experiencing an explosion in Covid-19 infections and deaths after Beijing reversed its policies and let the virus run rampant.

According to authorities in Italy, 50 per cent of passengers on China flights to the country have Covid-19.

Victorian president of the Australian Medical Association Dr Roderick McRae attracted the ire of industry peers after calling for arrivals from China to be quarantined at Victoria’s Mickleham facility for seven days.

Authorities had to assume every plane arriving at Melbourne Airport from China was “riddled with Covid”, McRae told the Age this week.

“Do we want to fill our hospitals with tourists from China coming to the Australian Open, or do we want to look after Victorians who have already got deferred care, larger cancers in their bodies,” he said.

“It was the circumstances in China that started SARS-COVID-2 … if someone comes off a plane from China coughing or sneezing, they’ve got Covid.”

Top emergency doctor and former Victorian AMA president Dr Stephen Parnis took to Twitter to blast McRae for his hard-line comments.

“I would expect these sorts of crude, inflammatory comments to come from an extremist politician, not a current state AMA leader,” Parnis wrote.

“Our responses to Covid in Dec 2022 must, of necessity, be very different to those of Feb 2020.”

Australia has so far resisted calls to follow countries including the US, UK and France in imposing restrictions or mandatory Covid testing on Chinese arrivals, amid fears from infectious disease experts that concerning new variants could be released overseas.

Another Melbourne doctor, Dr Kate Gregorevic, tweeted that she “absolutely did not stand with” McRae’s comments.

“I look forward to the AMA putting out a statement that will confirm that they do not support labelling people from an ethnic group or country as a threat,” Gregorevic wrote.

It comes as Victorian Covid cases decreased by more than 30 per cent on the previous week, according to new Department of Health data released Friday.

There were 745 people hospitalised and 44 in intensive care due to the virus, with 16,568 new Covid cases reported during the week.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton warned the drop away may be due to lower levels of reporting during the holiday period.

“Covid hospitalisations edged higher in the past week, having stabilised earlier in December,” Sutton said.

Pharmacist prepares medication for a customer at a pharmacy in Beijing. China's National Health Commission scaled down its daily Covid-19 report, in response to a sharp decline in PCR testing since the government eased antivirus measures after daily cases hit record highs. Photo / AP

“The risk of Covid infection can increase through large family and social gatherings.

“It is important to consider older family and friends and those who may be more vulnerable to severe Covid illness.”

Spain, South Korea and Israel on Friday became the latest countries to impose mandatory coronavirus tests on visitors from China.

They join Italy, Japan, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States in requiring negative Covid tests for all travellers from mainland China, in a bid to avoid importing new variants from the Asian giant.

Chinese state media reacted furiously to the restrictions.

“... the real intention is to sabotage China’s three years of Covid-19 control efforts and attack the country’s system,” the Global Times stated in a report.

It also published a cartoon attacking Japan for its policies targeting Chinese citizens.

The paper described the restrictions as “unfounded” and “discriminatory”.

Shielded by Russia and China, the Myanmar junta is becoming more brutal

Victoria Fetcher

December 30, 2022



(Bloomberg) – When Myanmar carried out the death penalty in July by executing four activists for the first time in three decades, China and Russia remained silent while the US and its allies condemned the junta. Now the regime is about to do it again.

Seven university students were sentenced to death by a secret military tribunal last month for their alleged involvement in the shooting death of a retired military officer, and their punishment could come at any time.

They are among more than 130 people who have been put on death row since the junta seized control in a coup last year, ousting former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose sentence has now been extended to 33 years.

The military is employing increasingly brutal tactics to subdue its enemies – even as it further cements Myanmar as a pariah state abroad. A rare United Nations Security Council resolution last week called for an end to the violence and the release of all political prisoners.

But with China, Russia and India abstaining on the UN vote, it’s unlikely to make much of a difference as the junta sees regimes from Iran to North Korea defy international sanctions and test the will of world powers.

“With India on your side, with China not your enemy – a bit upset about what happened but clearly not keen on bringing Myanmar, with Russia a strong backer, the world looked like a comfortable enough place,” said Richard Horsey, senior Myanmar adviser at the International Crisis Group.

Western sanctions on coup leaders and related companies, and an exodus of investors, have hurt the junta’s finances. But while presiding over an economy in disarray, it retains control of major economic interests, including lucrative natural gas exports.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s armed groups remain divided, with different factions fighting across the country. International support was elusive as Western aid flowed to Ukraine and diplomatic efforts were ineffective.

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, senior spokesman for Myanmar’s ruling State Administrative Council, did not respond to requests for comment.

“The junta attaches little importance to international consensus or outside pressure,” said Hunter Marston, a research fellow at Melbourne’s La Trobe University, who has been following developments in Southeast Asia since 2007, of course, as long as no country sends troops to stop it. “

Solid ties

The impending executions point to a regime unable to look beyond immediate challenges as it struggles to hold territory against Suu Kyi supporters and ethnic armed groups. While the junta patrols key cities, it has stable control of only 17% of the country’s total land area, according to a group of Myanmar experts.

It is increasingly turning to airstrikes to secure ground. In October, the US and European nations accused them of causing “extraordinary harm” to civilians after more than 60 people were killed in an airstrike on a concert organized by ethnic rebels.

The regime has also failed to stabilize an economy that shrank 18% last year and is now experiencing rising inflation, a weakening currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Myanmar approved inbound investment worth just US$1.46 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, down 56.4% year-on-year.

This is where China and Russia have become of significant importance to the junta.

China remains Myanmar’s largest trading partner and continues to play a key role in its economic development. When China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar earlier this year, he said ties remained “rock-solid and unbreakable” and he praised cooperation on projects such as the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor.

What is not clear is how far this work is progressing. Government data on foreign investment shows that less than $100 million has come from China so far this fiscal year, with Singapore topping the list of foreign investors.

Military chief Min Aung Hlaing has increasingly turned to Russia for support, visiting the country at least twice this year and hailing Vladimir Putin as the “leader of the world.” The two sides have since made several economic pacts to strengthen ties.

Russia’s ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov, told Bloomberg News sanctions and international pressure would only exacerbate the crisis. He said Russia “never interferes in internal affairs” but supports the release of political prisoners and dialogue between all parties involved.

With Russia and China continuing to show support, Myanmar’s military will see little reason to deviate from a level of brutality that has surpassed that of previous regimes.

“China and Russia only care about their business and not about human rights and democracy,” said Soe Thura Tun, Minister of Electricity and Energy of the shadow government of national unity. “They have been in discussions with the junta to ensure that they become early risers for profitable projects in the long term.”

Deposed leader

Suu Kyi, 77, had his sentence extended to 33 years after completing an 18-month series of trials. A special court on Friday found her guilty of five corruption charges during her reign and extended her sentence by a further seven years.

Since the coup that overthrew Suu Kyi’s government and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,600 people, the US has spearheaded efforts to punish the regime. But it is wary of measures that could harm the country’s 55-million population, and the Western response has been largely limited to humanitarian aid, targeted financial sanctions and working with Myanmar’s Southeast Asian neighbors to pressure the junta.

America’s major security partners in the region, including Australia, have refused to impose sanctions, opting instead to keep lines of communication open. Japan has strong business ties, while India has known ties to the junta. Last month, Myanmar released four foreign prisoners under an amnesty, including Suu Kyi’s former adviser, Australian economist Sean Turnell, and a Japanese filmmaker.

“This is probably something we see as the end result of these governments’ diplomatic efforts,” said Moe Thuzar, a fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. “But the death sentences that have been passed are against Burmese nationals, so we have to be aware of that too.”

(Updates with Aung San Suu Kyi’s verdict)

Most Read by Bloomberg Businessweek

Norwegian Cruise Line Ordered to Pay $110 Million for Use of Cuba Port

December 30, 2022 
Reuters

A sign for the new Norwegian Cruise Line terminal is shown, April 7, 2021, in Miami.

MIAMI —

Norwegian Cruise Line must pay $110 million in damages for use of a port that Cuba's government confiscated in 1960, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday, a milestone for Cuban Americans seeking compensation for Cold War-era asset seizures.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami follows her March ruling that the use of the Havana Cruise Port Terminal constituted trafficking in confiscated property owned by the plaintiff, Delaware-registered Havana Docks Corp.

"Judgment is entered in favor of Plaintiff Havana Docks Corporation and against Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd," reads the decision.

"Plaintiff is awarded $109,848,747.87 in damages," it says, adding that Norwegian should also pay an additional $3 million in legal fees and costs.

Norwegian Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has harshly criticized the Helms-Burton Act, describing it as an extraterritorial violation of international law.

Havana Docks had also sued cruise lines Carnival, Royal Caribbean and MSC, an Italian cruise line, under the Helms-Burton Act, which allows U.S. nationals to sue over the use of property seized in Cuba after 1959.

The ruling could fuel more lawsuits by Cuban exiles pursuing claims, which according to one estimate are worth $2 billion, involving asset seizures under late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

It may also serve as a reminder to multinational firms of the complications that can come with doing business in Cuba.

U.S. cruise ships in 2016 began traveling to Cuba for the first time in decades following a detente negotiated by former President Barack Obama that eased some provisions of a U.S. embargo in place since the Cold War.

But the Trump administration in 2019 ordered a halt to all such cruises amid efforts to pressure Cuba over its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an ideological adversary of Washington.

The Trump administration also allowed U.S. citizens to sue third parties for using property seized by Cuban authorities, a provision of the Helms-Burton Act that had been waived by every previous president since the law's 1996 passage.

Havana Docks says Cuba, which has been subject to a decades-old U.S. trade embargo, never compensated it for the takeover of the property.

It sued the four cruise lines in 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Bloom in March held that the companies were liable for damages under the Helms-Burton Act, also known as the Libertad Act.

According to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a nonprofit that provides information on relations between the two countries, the 5,913 certified claims for property seized in Cuba represent nearly $2 billion in liability.

Forty-four lawsuits have been filed under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, the organization says.

"For those current plaintiffs of Cuban descent, (the decision) will give them a moment of satisfaction," said John Kavulich, the group's president. "It'll give them a moment to say, 'You can run, but you can't hide.'"

CUT OUT SALT

Uptick in sales of low-sodium salt amid push to reduce sodium consumption

FairPrice and Sheng Siong introduced K-Salt, a more affordable

 lower-sodium salt product, in October. 

PHOTO: ST FILE

Zhaki Abdullah and Lucas Tan

SINGAPORE – Some supermarkets here are seeing greater interest in low-sodium salt, amid efforts by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to reduce sodium consumption for health reasons.

In September, HPB said it was working with major retailers to introduce house brand lower-sodium salt by 2023, with supermarket chains FairPrice and Sheng Siong introducing K-Salt, a more affordable lower-sodium salt product, in October.

This is in line with efforts by the authorities to cut the sodium intake of people here by about 15 per cent over the next five years.

Singaporeans consume an average of about 3,600mg of sodium a day – well above the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily salt intake of not more than 2,000mg, or about one teaspoon.

Excessive sodium consumption can result in high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

A spokesman for Sheng Siong said the supermarket chain, which has 67 outlets here, has observed an uptick in demand for lower-sodium salt since HPB’s September announcement.

He added that Sheng Siong currently carries three types of low-sodium salt products, though these make up less than 5 per cent of its total sales of salt products.

DFI Retail Group, which operates the Cold Storage, Giant and Market Place supermarkets, among others, also said it has seen an increase in sales of low-sodium salt since late September.

“While supermarkets under the DFI Retail Group have not started selling the low-sodium K-salt, we have plans to bring in K-salt soon,” said a DFI spokesman.

The group currently sells one type of low-sodium salt and intends to source for more such products, the spokesman added.

Neither Sheng Siong nor DFI provided figures for the increase in sales of low-sodium salt.

FairPrice noted that K-Salt is currently available at more than 60 of its outlets, as well as online. The supermarket chain said it is too early to provide meaningful data on sales of K-Salt, but added that it is optimistic about the demand for lower-sodium options from a growing number of health-conscious consumers.

Checks on some smaller chains, such as the Ang Mo and U Stars supermarkets, found that they also carry low-sodium salt alternatives.

However, several minimarts that The Sunday Times visited did not carry such products.

“Only if the customer asks (for them), then we will sell,” said 45-year-old Veerappan Sivaraman, who runs the Fairmart Mini Mart in Toa Payoh.

Of the 14 consumers approached, only two said they were aware of such low-sodium substitutes.

“I usually buy low-sodium salt as it is healthier and tastes less salty than normal salt,” said 73-year-old retiree Neo Chew Keat.

One way to encourage the adoption of low-sodium salt is by subsidising its cost to encourage more people to try it, said Assistant Professor Mary Chong from the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Greater demand from consumers is also likely to bring prices down, noted Prof Chong, a clinical dietitian by training.

Although K-Salt is cheaper than other low-sodium alternatives – which can be up to 10 times more expensive than normal salt – it is still significantly more expensive than conventional table salt. A 400g packet of K-Salt costs $2.50, while a 500g box of Pagoda fine salt is typically priced at 50 cents.

“Providing samples of low-sodium alternatives to the public, along with recipes on how best to use them, is another practical way of encouraging uptake,” said Prof Chong.

She cautioned that while low-sodium salt substitutes can help reduce blood pressure levels, people should still watch how much they use as these can still contain a considerable amount of sodium.

For those with kidney disease or who are taking certain medicines, such as potassium-sparing diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, using such products excessively could lead to dangerously high potassium levels, she added.

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Duterte’s China gambit to Bongbong’s balancing act

31 December 2022

Author: Jenny Balboa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Hosei University

Former president Rodrigo Duterte dramatically changed the foreign policy landscape of the Philippines when he announced his intentions to pivot to China during his term. Duterte’s decision to shift away from the United States and build stronger alliances with China and Russia sent shockwaves through the Philippines’ economy and its political and diplomatic relations.

In pursuit of this so-called pivot, Duterte actively encouraged Chinese investment in the Philippines and teamed up with the Chinese government to finance his own flagship infrastructure project — ‘Build, Build, Build’. Duterte also visited Russia to seek the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin on his new foreign policy path.

By the end of Duterte’s term in June 2022, it became clear that his controversial foreign policy pivot did not yield the expected returns. China failed to fulfill its promise to finance Duterte’s big-ticket infrastructure projects. Despite Duterte’s efforts to attract Chinese investors, China’s share of net foreign direct investment (FDI) remained small — sitting at 1.12 per cent in 2021.

At the same time, the Philippines’ trade deficit with China steadily increased. This is not surprising given that China had always been a significant trade partner due to its links with the Philippines in the regional production chain and the ASEAN–China free trade agreement. Under Duterte’s watch, Chinese exports grew to more than 20 per cent of total Philippine imports. Import increases are not necessarily bad, but it is worth examining whether the surge in imports from China remains beneficial or disadvantageous to the Philippine economy.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines finds itself in a dire situation due to rising poverty, inflation, food insecurity and unemployment. The Philippine government’s external debt has grown to US$234 billion (13.5 trillion pesos). Sovereign debt continues to increase, with the debt-to-GDP ratio currently at 63.7 per cent due to the peso’s depreciation against the US dollar and enormous government budget and expenditure needs.

The Duterte administration left the country in a worse situation than when it took over. It became clear that the former president’s China-friendly foreign policy gambit did not improve the Philippines’ economic condition. On the national security front, while Duterte was able to avoid conflict with China in the short run, he completed his term without cutting a deal to moderate China’s aggressive behaviour in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite Duterte’s outbursts against traditional Western allies, the technocrats and economic institutions maintained a business-as-usual attitude. Economic policies were shielded and beneficial policies from past administrations — such as the industrial program from the Aquino administration — were continued. New policies to improve the investment environment were also implemented. By preserving policy stability, Duterte did avert an economically catastrophic scenario of decoupling from the West.

After the Philippines transitioned to a new government under President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong Marcos Jr, foreign policy direction became uncertain. Early on, Marcos stated that he wants to maintain a cozy relationship with China. But some experts argue that he will likely seek a delicate balancing act between China and the Philippines’ Western allies.

Notably, despite the low expectations of his critics, Marcos has earned praises for his handling of foreign affairs, especially his declaration of an independent foreign policy — which resembles his father’s diplomacy — in contrast to the heavily pro-China policy of his predecessor. Compared to the mercurial Duterte, Marcos seems more calculating and circumspect with his foreign policy engagements. His version of an independent foreign policy demonstrates recognition of the indispensable role of the Philippines’ Western allies.

In the months since ‘Bongbong’ became president, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris have visited the Philippines. They assured Marcos that the US is committed to supporting the Philippine government. Those diplomatic missions signalled the renewal of ties between the Philippines and the US. While Marcos expressed zeal to continue the partnership with China, he also made it clear that he will not be as defeatist as the former president when it comes to territorial disputes with China.

On the economic front, Marcos’ plans will focus on creating business, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure jobs. He has actively encouraged foreign investors and tourists to visit the country to support these plans. He also distanced himself from the brutal drug war of Duterte, which made the Philippines the fourth most dangerous country in the world for civilian-targeted violence. Unlike Duterte, Marcos said that his anti-drug campaign will focus on education and rehabilitation, and less on punitive measures.

The domestic and foreign challenges facing his presidency offer Marcos a ‘golden ticket’ to rebrand his politics and redeem his family’s tarnished reputation. Whether he has what it takes to seize that opportunity and achieve gains that will benefit the country remains to be seen. Despite some initial missteps, his initial performance shows there is room for hope.

Jenny D Balboa is lecturer at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and the GIS-Hosei University. She is the author of the book, Policy Innovation in a Weak Democracy, published by the Ateneo De Manila University Press and the Kyoto University Press.