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Bali to ban building of some hotels to tackle overdevelopment

FLORIAN GIORGIO-UNSPLASH

JAKARTA — Indonesia has agreed to set a moratorium on the construction of hotels, villas and nightclubs in some areas on the tourist resort island of Bali, as it grapples with the over-development of land, a senior ministry official said on Monday.

The moratorium is part of the government’s bid to reform tourism on Bali, one of Indonesia’s main attractions, to try to boost quality and jobs while preserving the island’s indigenous culture.

Hermin Esti, a senior official at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs, told Reuters the government had agreed to set the moratorium, although the exact timeline was still being discussed.

On Saturday, Bali’s interim governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said he suggested the moratorium in four of Bali’s busy areas to the central government, taking aim at over-development for commercial purposes, such as hotels, villas, and beach clubs.

The governor’s office and Indonesia’s tourism ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The moratorium could stretch up to 10 years, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan was quoted by news website Detik as saying on Sunday.

Luhut has previously said about 200,000 foreigners now live in Bali, contributing to problems such as crime, over-development and competition for jobs.

Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since it re-opened for tourism after the coronavirus pandemic. Videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering residents and sparking harsh responses from social media users in Indonesia.

Government figures show 2.9 million foreign visitors arrived through Bali airport in the first half of the year, making up 65% of total foreign arrivals in Indonesia by air.

There were 541 hotels in Bali last year, the figures show, up from 507 in 2019. — Reuters

Multisector collaboration needed to mitigate animal-to-human disease transmission, experts say

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By Patricia B. Mirasol, Producer

Health experts convened in a September 9 event, co-organized by the French Embassy in the Philippines and CFI Media Development, to launch the Media for One Health project. 

One Health is an approach that recognizes the connection between the health of people and the health of animals and our shared environment.  

At least 61% of human pathogens are from zoonotic diseases (or diseases transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans), according to Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario, Jr., president of the Philippine Academic Consortium for Public Health. 

“Increasing international travel and trade, [as well as] the expansion of human populations into new geographic areas,” have contributed to the quicker and wider spread of diseases, he said. 

One health as an approach requires the mobilization of multiple sectors and disciplines, given that it also encompasses issues such as antibiotic resistance and food safety and security. 

One such city that already applies the concept is Parañaque, according to Dr. Amado A. Antonio III, veterinarian IV of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry’s Animal Health and Welfare Division. 

“In Parañaque, the city veterinarian’s office directly collaborates with the city health office, so when there’s a rabies case in the city, it’s immediately reported to the city vet, who reports it to the city health office,” he said. 

“We still need to strengthen this approach for national interests,” Mr. Antonio added, “especially for emerging and re-emerging diseases.” 

Former health secretary Dr. Manuel M. Dayrit remarked that describing the implementation of One Health as complex would be an understatement. 

“In a world where there’s a crisis in every silo, how do we focus people’s attention on one health?” he asked at the event. 

“Who among the line agencies is going to take the lead?” he added. “How will they unify their approach [and broadcast this] all the way to community channels?” 

Communication is key to its success, Mr. Belizario said. 

“In the public sector, we want disease control…When we protect one, we help protect all,” he said. 

 

Schistosomiasis 

One such disease that has low awareness – leading to rampant misdiagnosis – is the parasitic disease schistosomiasis.

According to the World Health Organization, schistosomiasis is especially prevalent in poor communities without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. 

Transmission can occur when people bathe or swim in freshwater sources with feces or urine that contain parasite eggs.  

Chronic liver damage and seizures are among the complications one can get from the disease. 

Agriculture is not largely modernized in the Philippines, Mr. Belizario pointed out.  

“There’s still the use of the farmer’s best friend – the carabao [water buffalo],” he said. 

“Carabaos are a major supplier of schistosomiasis japonicum [an infectious agent of schistosomiasis],” he said. “For as long as the carabaos are being used…schistosomiasis is never ever going to be eliminated.” 

Kanlaon alert level may be raised due to rising seismic activity

INTERAKSYON/PNA FILE PHOTO

The Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) currently in effect for Kanlaon Volcano may be raised due to heightened seismic activity recorded since Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). 

In a volcano advisory issued by PHIVOLCS on Tuesday, a total of 25 volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes have been recorded since 8:32 am on Monday morning, with the most recent 22 occurring after 10:35 p.m. 

Residents of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental felt at least five of the VT earthquakes.  

“VT earthquakes are generated by rock fracturing processes and the increase in VT activity may possibly precede eruptive activity,” PHIVOLCS said in a written statement.  

The public is advised to remain vigilant and avoid entering the four-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) “to minimize risks from volcanic hazards such as pyroclastic density currents, ballistic projectiles, rockfall and others,” PHIVOLCS said. 

Civil aviation authorities are also advised to prohibit pilots from flying close to the volcano’s summit, as ash and ballistic fragments from sudden eruptions can pose hazards to aircraft.   

During ashfall events, PHIVOLCS recommends covering the nose and mouth with a damp, clean cloth or a dust mask. 

Precautionary measures are also advised for communities living near river systems on both the southern and western slopes, as the risk of lahars and muddy streamflow is expected when heavy rainfall begins over the volcano. – Edg Adrian A. Eva

RCBC elevates digital transformation with Versa Secure SD-WAN

Contract Signing Ceremony and Presentation of Plaque of Appreciation. Executives from Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), Versa Networks, Trends and Technologies, and VSTECS Phils., Inc. came together for the ceremonial contract signing and presentation of a plaque of appreciation to RCBC. This contract marks the largest deployment of Versa Secure SD-WAN in the country, aimed at upgrading the network infrastructure of RCBC’s branches and ATMs. This strategic partnership will significantly enhance RCBC’s digital transformation, providing seamless, secure, and high-performance connectivity across its entire network. In the photo (L-R): Leo Vallente, 3rd AVP and GM, Network Technology Group 2, VSTECS; Cherry Centeno, 3rd VP and Group GM, Value Business Group, VSTECS; Rachel Ler, Vice-President, APAC, Versa Networks; Jimmy Go, President and CEO, VSTECS; Nilo Zantua, Senior VP, CIO and Group Head, RCBC; Racel Samson, IT Head and First VP for Shared Technology Services Division, RCBC; Hasan Fard, Chairman and CEO, Trends and Technologies; Anthony Berjamin, IT Director and VP, Network and Communications Department, RCBC; Rodgerson Dy, Business Unit Head, Service Provider Group, Trends and Technologies; Nestor de Vera, Network Infrastructure and Security Technology Group Head, Trends and Technologies; and Joshua Mallabo, Account Manager, Trends and Technologies.

VSTECS Phils., Inc., the leading ICT distributor in the Philippines, is proud to announce the successful deployment of Versa Secure SD-WAN for RCBC, one of the country’s largest commercial banks. Through a strategic partnership with Trends and Technologies, Inc. (Trends), this collaboration represents a pivotal milestone in RCBC’s digital transformation journey. Leveraging Trends’ cutting-edge expertise, RCBC is set to revolutionize its network management, fortify security measures, and significantly boost operational efficiency across its expansive branch and ATM network.

A Future-Ready Network

RCBC’s primary goal was to improve user experience, enhance network resiliency, security and control across its wide area network (WAN), and support business growth. With over 505 branches and 890 off-site ATMs, RCBC required a solution that could meet its current needs while also preparing for future demands. Versa Secure SD-WAN, with its centralized orchestration and automation capabilities, was the answer. This solution not only streamlined network operations but also significantly reduced the need for on-site IT support, boosting overall efficiency.

Meeting the Challenges of a Complex Network

Managing a network of this scale is a complex task, with challenges ranging from maintaining consistent performance and security to ensuring operational efficiency. Versa Secure SD-WAN addresses these challenges head-on. By centralizing control, the solution simplifies the management of RCBC’s vast network, allowing the bank to oversee all branches and ATMs from a single platform. This reduces the complexity of managing multiple locations and ensures that security policies are consistently applied across all sites.

Security was another critical concern, particularly for a distributed network spread across 505 branches and 890 ATMs. Versa Secure SD-WAN integrates advanced security features directly into the network, ensuring that every location is protected without the need for standalone security devices at each site.

Network performance is essential for delivering a seamless customer experience. Versa Secure SD-WAN optimizes bandwidth usage through intelligent traffic management, ensuring that critical applications are prioritized and performance is maintained across the network. The deployment included equipping branch Data Centers with 20G NGFW and SD-WAN capacity, and equipping ATM Data Centers with 5G SD-WAN capacity. Branch equipment supported 200Mbps NGFW and SD-WAN, while ATM equipment supported 100Mbps SD-WAN. Prior to this deployment, standard branch and ATM network bandwidth was set at 20Mbps, with current branch link utilization now peaking at 85% per location.

“We are dedicated to providing our customers with seamless and secure banking experiences, and the deployment of Versa Secure SD-WAN represents a critical milestone in our digital transformation journey,” said Nilo Zantua, Senior Vice-President, Chief Information Officer and Group Head of RCBC. “Versa Secure SD-WAN has not only simplified network management and strengthened security across our extensive branch and ATM network, but it has also empowered us to greatly enhance the customer experience by ensuring reliable, high-performance connectivity. With this solution, we are positioning RCBC to be future-ready, capable of scaling our network to meet growing demands while upholding our commitment to exceptional service. The partnership with VSTECS and Trends and Technologies has been instrumental in achieving our goals, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration as we advance our digital capabilities.”

“We are thrilled to have partnered with RCBC on this transformative project,” said Rachel Ler, Versa Vice-President, Asia-Pacific Region. “Versa Secure SD-WAN has proven to be a powerful solution for organizations seeking to modernize their networks and deliver exceptional digital experiences. As RCBC continues to evolve, Versa is committed to working hand in hand with them to ensure our solution seamlessly adapts to their growing demands for the very best customer experience.”

As RCBC continues to expand, the ability to scale its network without significant investments in new infrastructure is crucial. Versa Secure SD-WAN provides the scalability and flexibility needed to support this growth, allowing new branches and ATMs to be added seamlessly with minimal reconfiguration.

VSTECS Phils., Inc., as the leading ICT distributor in the Philippines, played a pivotal role in making this global technology locally available and accessible. Through its extensive network and strong relationships with top ICT brands, VSTECS ensures that cutting-edge technologies like Versa Secure SD-WAN are within reach for Philippine enterprises. The successful deployment at RCBC was notably supported by Trends whose role included critical evaluation and consolidation of RCBC’s existing network architecture. Trends helped to centralize network monitoring and management on Versa’s unified platform, ensuring a seamless integration that minimized disruption to bank operations.

“We are honored to be part of RCBC’s digital transformation journey,” said Jimmy Go, president and CEO of VSTECS Phils., Inc. “Our role as the leading ICT distributor is to bridge the gap between global technology innovations and local businesses, ensuring that Philippine enterprises have access to the best solutions available.”

“We are grateful to RCBC for trusting us with their network transformation,” said Hasan Fard, Chairman & CEO of Trends. “Based on our understanding of their infrastructure challenges and long-term goals, we consolidated their existing SDWAN into a single, robust platform and ensured a smooth transition without disrupting their operations. This project underscores our commitment to delivering innovative, reliable solutions that drive operational efficiency and security.” 

RCBC’s successful deployment of Versa Secure SD-WAN highlights the power of advanced networking solutions to drive business growth and innovation. For organizations seeking to modernize their networks and enhance their digital capabilities, Versa, in partnership with VSTECS and Trends and Technologies, offers a comprehensive and scalable solution.

About VSTECS Phils., Inc.  

VSTECS Philippines is the leading and largest ICT distributor in the country, recognized for its extensive portfolio of products, solutions, and services across diverse market segments. Our portfolio is unparalleled, representing over 100 renowned brands and encompassing a wide range of technology solutions, Since 1998, we have established as the go-to partner for businesses in need of reliable, state-of-the-art solutions to address their evolving ICT needs. Our meticulously tailored solutions serve the retail, mobility, commercial, and enterprise markets, precisely meeting industry-specific requirements and driving innovation across sectors.  As a proud member of VSTECS Holdings, a leading regional IT distribution firm, we benefit from a vast network of operations spanning Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, and the Philippines. This regional distribution network grants us the leverage to access global technologies and partnerships, allowing us to bring the latest and most advanced solutions to our customers. For more information, visit https://vstecs.com.ph.

About Versa  

Versa, a global leader in SASE, enables organizations to create self-protecting networks that radically simplify and automate their network and security infrastructure. Powered by AI, the VersaONE Universal SASE platform delivers converged SSE, SD-WAN, and SD-LAN solutions that protect data and defend against cyberthreats while delivering a superior digital experience. Thousands of customers globally, with hundreds of thousands of sites and millions of users trust Versa with their mission critical networks and security. Versa is privately held and funded by investors such as Sequoia Capital, Mayfield, and BlackRock. For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com and follow Versa on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) @versanetworks.

About Trends

Trends & Technologies, Inc. is a leading technology-enabled business services provider with over 30 years of ICT experience, with local offices in Manila, Cebu, and Davao and regional offices in Vietnam and Cambodia. Trends specializes in helping industries and organizations of all sizes navigate digital transformation and business adaptation, providing long-term and sustainable value. Our team of experts offers comprehensive services, from strategic consulting and planning to seamless deployment, effective maintenance, and dedicated after-sales support. For more information, visit www.trends.com.ph and follow Trends on LinkedIn.

 

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Salmon Pera Serye: Pioneering financial literacy series by Salmon surpasses 1 million views

Salmon, the leading fintech company committed to expanding financial inclusion and innovation in Southeast Asia, is celebrating its groundbreaking financial literacy series, Salmon Pera Serye, which surpassed 1 million views on TikTok. The viral series, which aims to make financial education more accessible for Filipinos to build prosperity in their lives through engaging, bite-sized videos, continues to grow rapidly in popularity.

“Our mission has always been to empower customers with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed financial decisions,” said Raffy Montemayor, Co-Founder of Salmon and Chairman of its bank subsidiary, the Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna). “We still feel that educating the customer and caring about their long-term needs is still a gap in the market.  Through Salmon Pera Serye, we’re able to reach and educate Filipinos in a relatable, accessible way, breaking down the barriers to financial literacy.”

Since its launch earlier this year, the Salmon Pera Serye has resonated strongly with Filipinos, offering essential financial advice in a fun and easy-to-understand format. The series features episodes that cover key topics such as debt management, fraud prevention, savings and debt repayment strategies.

“We’re thrilled that Salmon Pera Serye has so shortly hit this milestone. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Pavel Federov, Co-founder and Executive Director at Salmon.  “It’s an exciting step in our broader mission to provide not just financial services but also enabling people to access these tools with knowledge necessary for our customers to thrive. Salmon’s top priority is to make its customers better off.” 

For more information and to watch the latest episodes of Salmon Pera Serye, visit Salmon’s TikTok page or scan the QR code below.

 

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OUR HOME opens at the GH MALL

A great home shopping experience awaits as OUR HOME opens its new store at the GH Mall.

Since opening its first store in 1997, OUR HOME has become the country’s leading lifestyle furniture store chain. It established a presence in Virra Mall in 2005 and has since become the go-to-store for home furnishings in the area. With the opening of OUR HOME in GH Mall, it aims to continue offering home furniture, décor and accessories with great designs and great prices.

Reflective of OUR HOME’s philosophy of helping customers create their ideal modern contemporary home by providing new and exciting home furnishing ideas, OUR HOME GH houses the different modern contemporary furniture styles that OUR HOME is known for. You’ll find furniture pieces and decor that are easy to mix and match.

As you enter the store, you’ll be greeted with a friendly and relaxed ambiance as well as with our helpful staff, giving you a seamless home shopping experience. Lifestyle vignettes for living room, bedroom and dining room give inspirations to your style.

OUR HOME’s commitment to continue improving the home shopping experience goes far beyond the store’s look. Personal Shoppers are ready to assist with in-store browsing, selection, and payment. Free Interior Design Advice is available to all customers, as well as Bespoke Services like customization of select furniture.  Customers who prefer to shop online can expect the same great shopping experience through www.ourhome.ph. In addition, OUR HOME has Call to Deliver 0917-830-8037 for customers who prefer to shop from their homes.

Visit OUR HOME GH where you find Great Designs and Great Prices. Bring home happiness with you for every piece that you get.

OUR HOME GH is located at the 4th Level of the GH Mall along Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila.

 

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Biden administration sends Congress long-awaited Ukraine strategy report, sources say

Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith

WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden‘s administration has sent Congress a classified report on its strategy for the war in Ukraine, three sources said on Monday, months after a June deadline mandated in a multibillion-dollar spending bill lawmakers passed in April.

A congressional aide said the long-awaited report had reached lawmakers on Monday and they had not yet had a chance to review it. Two other sources, requesting anonymity to discuss a classified matter, confirmed that it had been delivered. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Congress has approved nearly $175 billion of aid and military assistance for Ukraine and allied nations in the 2-1/2 years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

After months of delay, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a $95 billion supplemental spending bill in April that included $61 billion in funding for Ukraine, as well as billions for Israel, civilians in conflict zones around the world and to “counter communist China” in the Indo-Pacific.

As part of that bill, Congress asked the Biden administration to submit a detailed strategy for Ukraine by early June.

Mr. Biden’s support for Ukraine is backed by Democrats and many Republicans in Congress. Some Republicans, however, have criticized his administration for restricting how Ukraine can use US equipment, for example by refusing to supply weapons that could strike targets deep inside Russia.

Washington has restricted the weapons’ use because of limited supply of missiles, the lack of a rationale for using them given most Russian aircraft are out of range and for fear it would escalate the conflict.

Weeks after the deadline passed with no report, some members of Congress said they were frustrated and would consider blocking further funding.

In a statement emailed to Reuters in late August about the report, Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he supported assisting Ukraine but did not do so blindly.

“Since the earliest days of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war on Ukraine, we have asked the Biden-Harris Administration for a strategy on how the U.S. and our allies can help Ukraine win the war,” Mr. Risch said.

“When they did not respond to our requests, we mandated in law that a strategy be sent to Congress, but the deadline has passed with no response. President Biden and VP (Kamala) Harris owe a strategy not just to us, but to the American people, and their dereliction suggests they don’t have one or are afraid to share it.” – Reuters

James Earl Jones, renowned actor and voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93

By John mathew Smith Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA - [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingkongphoto/5113180682/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74924607
By John mathew Smith Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA – [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingkongphoto/5113180682/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74924607

LOS ANGELES – American actor James Earl Jones, an imposing stage and screen presence who overcame a childhood stutter to develop a stentorian voice recognized the world over as intergalactic villain Darth Vader, died on Monday at the age of 93.

Mr. Jones, a longtime sufferer of diabetes, died at his home surrounded by family members, his agent, Barry McPherson, said.

No cause of death was provided.

Mr. Jones had a great physical presence on stage and television, as well as in movies, but he would have been a star even if his face was never seen because his voice had a career of its own. The resonating bass could instantly command respect – as with the sage father Mufasa in “The Lion King,” and many Shakespeare roles – or instill fear as the rasping Vader in the “Star Wars” films.

Mr. Jones laughed when a BBC interviewer asked if he resented being so closely tied to Darth Vader, a role that required only his voice for a few lines while another actor did the on-screen work in costume.

“I love being part of that whole myth, of that whole cult,” he said, adding that he was glad to oblige fans who asked for a command recital of his “I am your father” line to Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.

“#RIP dad,” Mr. Hamill wrote on X on Monday with a broken heart emoji above a story about the death of Jones.

Mr. Jones said he never made much money off the Darth Vader part – only $9,000 for the first film – and that he considered it merely a special effects job. He did not even ask to be in the credits of the first two “Star Wars” movies.

His long list of awards included Tonys for “The Great White Hope” in 1969 and “Fences” in 1987 on Broadway and Emmys in 1991 for “Gabriel’s Fire” and “Heat Wave” on television. He also won a Grammy for best spoken word album, “Great American Documents” in 1977.

Although he never won a competitive Academy award, he was nominated for best actor for the film version of “The Great White Hope” and was given an honorary Oscar in 2011.

He began his movie career playing Lieutenant Luther Zogg in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”

Later acclaimed movie roles included novelist Terence Mann in 1989’s “Field of Dreams” and South African Reverend Stephen Kumalo in 1995’s “Cry, the Beloved Country.” He also starred in “Conan the Barbarian,” “Coming to America,” “The Sandlot,” “Matewan,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Field of Dreams,” among others.

Mr. Jones also was heard in dozens of television commercials and for several years CNN used his authoritative “This is CNN” to introduce its newscasts.

 

ESTRANGED FROM FATHER

James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in the tiny community of Arkabutla, Mississippi, to a family with a mixed ethnic background of Irish, African and Cherokee.

His father, prizefighter-turned-actor Robert Earl Jones, left the family shortly afterward. James was raised by his maternal grandparents, who forbade him to see his father, and the two did not get together until James moved to New York in the 1950s. Eventually they appeared in several plays together.

Mr. Jones was about 5 years old when his grandparents moved the family from Mississippi to a farm in Michigan and it was around that time that he quit speaking because of his stutter.

He was mostly silent for a decade until a ploy by his high school English teacher got him to speak up. The teacher made Jones recite to the class a poem that he said he had written to prove he was familiar enough with it to be the author.

Although after that he said he still had to choose his words carefully, Jones learned to control his stutter and became interested in acting.

After studying drama at the University of Michigan, he moved to New York, where his theater performances increasingly attracted critical attention and acclaim.

His breakthrough role on Broadway was “The Great White Hope,” playing a character based on Black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. The play examined racism through the lens of the boxing world and critics raved about Jones’ performance.

A popular theater draw for decades, his Shakespeare leading roles included Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear and Othello. He also had a notable portrayal of singer-actor-activist Paul Robeson on Broadway in 1977 and of author Alex Haley in the television mini-series “Roots: The Next Generation.”

He was “capable of moving in seconds from boyish ingenuousness to near-biblical rage and somehow suggesting all the gradations in between,” the Washington Post wrote in a 1987 review of “Fences.”

Mr. Jones’ first wife was Julienne Marie Hendricks, one of his “Othello” co-stars. Earl and his second wife, actress Cecilia Hart, who died in 2016, had one child, Flynn Earl Jones.

Mr. Jones was a trailblazing Black actor, winning big roles in racially charged movies and plays that broke ground for Black actors that came after him.

But Mr. Jones, who first found fame at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s, largely kept himself out of direct action on matters of race.

In a 2013 interview with the Toronto Star, Jones said he imagined that a lot of people felt he was cowardly at the time for not using his fame and voice to more robustly support the cause. But the actor said he preferred to let his work do the talking for him.

“Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the same things that all those people demonstrating believe in, but I just look for plays or movies that say the same thing and play characters in them,” Mr. Jones told the Star.

Dominic Hawkins, a spokesperson for the NAACP in Washington, said Jones’ winning of big roles even as the Jim Crow racial caste system still plagued the American South was hugely important for the Black community.

“That was his contribution to civil rights, his representation on screen and stage,” Mr. Hawkins said. “Film and TV has the power to shape hearts and minds, and that’s what he did.”

Australia plans social media minimum age limit, angering youth digital advocates

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SYDNEY – Australia plans to set a minimum age limit for children to use social media citing concerns about mental and physical health, sparking a backlash from digital rights advocates who warn the measure could drive dangerous online activity underground.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his center-left government would run an age verification trial before introducing age minimum laws for social media this year.

Albanese didn’t specify an age but said it would likely be between 14 and 16.

“I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts,” Mr. Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm,” he added.

The law would put Australia among the first countries in the world to impose an age restriction on social media. Previous attempts, including by the European Union, have failed following complaints about reducing the online rights of minors.

Representatives of Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, which has a self-imposed minimum age of 13, YouTube owner Alphabet and TikTok were not immediately available for comment.

Australia has one of the world’s most online populations with more than four-fifths of its 26 million people on social media, according to government and tech industry figures.

Albanese announced the age restriction plan against the backdrop of a parliamentary inquiry into social media’s effects on society, which has heard sometimes emotional testimony of poor mental health impacts on teenagers.

But the inquiry has also heard concerns about whether a lower age limit could be enforced and, if it is, whether it would inadvertently harm younger people by encouraging them to hide their online activity.

Australia’s own internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, warned in a June submission to the inquiry that “restriction-based approaches may limit young people’s access to critical support” and push them to “less regulated non-mainstream services”.

The commissioner was not immediately available for comment on Albanese’s plan.

“This knee-jerk move … threatens to create serious harm by excluding young people from meaningful, healthy participation in the digital world, potentially driving them to lower quality online spaces,” said Daniel Angus, director of the Queensland University of Technology Digital Media Research Centre.

Jordy Kaufman, a psychology researcher at Swinburne University, said that “for teens who gravitate to social media because of their struggles, a ban could potentially worsen their situation by reducing one of the interaction options available to them”.

A 2023 University of Sydney study found three quarters of Australians aged 12 to 17 had used YouTube or Instagram. – Reuters

Japan nominates ex-currency diplomat Kanda to head ADB

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

TOKYO – Japan will nominate Masato Kanda, the country’s former top currency diplomat, as its candidate to become next head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday.

Since the ADB was founded in 1966, its top post has always been filled by someone from Japan which, along with the United States, is the bank’s biggest shareholder. That makes Kanda a strong candidate to take up the post.

“(Kanda) is most appropriate to lead the ADB as he is well-versed in Asia-Pacific affairs and has built deep networks with executives from various countries and international institutions,” Mr. Suzuki said at a regular press conference.

Mr. Kanda, if elected, will succeed Masatsugu Asakawa, who announced on Monday his intention to step down from his position effective Feb. 23, 2025.

The development lender said in a statement that election of the next ADB president would follow “an open, transparent, and merit-based process”.

Mr. Kanda, who stepped down in July after three years as vice finance minister for international affairs, led massive bouts of yen-buying intervention in the currency markets in 2022 and 2024. He currently serves as a special adviser to the cabinet.

Mr. Asakawa, also a former top Japanese currency diplomat, became ADB president in January 2020 and oversaw measures to help the region’s economies deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several emerging economies, emboldened by their rapid growth, have questioned the tradition of advanced economies taking the top posts at global financial institutions.

Officials from the United States head the World Bank and Europeans head the International Monetary Fund. – Reuters

Huawei teases tri-fold smartphone, raising competition with Apple in China

REUTERS

SHENZHEN, China – China’s Huawei Technologies unveils a three-way foldable phone on Tuesday, as it seeks to widen its lead over Apple in the world’s biggest smartphone market with a new form factor that has gained popularity in the China market.

Just hours after Apple unveiled its latest iPhone model, Huawei is holding a launch event of the new Z-shaped smartphone Mate XT which was displayed on its flagship e-commerce stores in mainland China a day earlier.

Huawei’s website showed on Tuesday that it had garnered more than 3.3 million pre-orders, for which no deposit is required, for the new smartphone.

By comparison, the entire global market for foldable phones was around 4 million units in the second quarter, according to research firm IDC.

The latest launch, which follows a series of successful smartphone debuts since last year, underscores Huawei’s ability to navigate U.S. sanctions and solidifies its position against Apple in China.

Huawei already has two-way foldable phones in its lineup and their strong sales in China helped it overtake Samsung Electronics this year as the biggest vendor of such phones globally.

But the hefty price tag and limited quantity are likely to make the new model more of a symbol of Huawei’s tech prowess than a major sales driver, analysts said.

“The upcoming Huawei products are not expected to significantly impact Samsung and Apple’s businesses in terms of product quantity,” said Jene Park, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint.

“There is a limit to the quantity of products supplied. However, there may be some impact on sales in certain Chinese markets.”

The foldable smartphone market grew 57% year-on-year in the second quarter with 3.9 million units shipped, largely as Chinese smartphone makers pushed into overseas markets, according to consultancy IDC.

That still remains just 1.3% of the wider smartphone market, with 292.2 million smartphones shipped in the second quarter, IDC said.

“The average consumer still has limited knowledge about them, not to mention the benefits and value of the products,” said Will Wong, a senior researcher with IDC.

High prices of such models remain another barrier. While the new model’s price tag is unknown, last year’s Mate X5 still retails for over 10,000 yuan ($1,406) domestically, almost twice as much as a new iPhone 15.

Overcoming issues such as screen wrinkles and reduced durability due to the use of more hinges will also be important for foldables’ increasing usage, said Park.

Huawei ranked as the world’s biggest foldable smartphone seller in the second quarter with a 27.5% market share, ahead of South Korea’s Samsung, with 16.4%, according to IDC.

That share rises to 42% in China’s home market, ahead of Vivo and former Huawei unit Honor, which it spun off under pressure from US sanctions in 2020.

In the broader smartphone market in China, Apple’s ranking fell from third to sixth place in the second quarter, as Huawei emerged as the third-largest vendor on the back of strong sales of its latest smartphones. – Reuters

From Peru to Tuvalu: World Bank chief says global lender must change

REUTERS

SYDNEY – World Bank President Ajay Banga said in a speech on Tuesday after visiting 27 countries from Peru to Tuvalu that the global lender needs to work faster and simplify its processes in a world experiencing greater polarization.

Speaking at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on Tuesday, Mr. Banga said his visit on Friday to Tuvalu in the South Pacific marked the end of a journey that began just over a year ago when he started in the job and promised to listen to voices in every region where the Washington-based lender operates.

“Though aspirations of people around the world are universal, we live in a world of greater polarization and extremes,” Mr. Banga said.

The countries he visited “need more and require us to be faster, simpler, and more impact oriented”, he added, after meeting Pacific Islands leaders in Fiji last week, who said small island states sometimes struggled to meet World Bank requirements.

In Fiji, Mr. Banga visited chronically understaffed health clinics facing rising rates of non-communicable disease such as diabetes, an example of the importance of the bank’s new focus on job creation. The bank’s new targets include bringing affordable health care to 1.5 billion people by 2030.

The World Bank saw global challenges of climate change, inequality and fragility as intertwined, he said.

“We understand that the challenges of the Pacific Islands are a microcosm of forces playing out around the globe,” he added.

The Pacific Islands, the region most impacted by warming oceans, is also the most aid-reliant region, according to the Lowy Institute.

Mr. Banga said reforms to the World Bank in the past year were already starting to bring change, citing a corporate scorecard cutting the bank’s goals from 150 to 22 items and the shortening of approval times for projects by an average three months.

Finding new ways to stretch the World Bank’s balance sheet had found $120 billion of additional lending over 10 years, he said.

Mr. Banga said governments, philanthropies and multilateral development banks need to work together to bridge a forecast gap between the 1.2 billion young people in emerging markets who will seek work over the next decade and the 420 million projected jobs.

A “significant replenishment” of the International Development Association (IDA) in December by the World Bank’s shareholders was critical, he said. – Reuters

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