Vietnam bans vapes, will fine tourists up to US$78 and jail e-cigarette traders, producers
By dpa
Tourists arriving in Vietnam with vapes now face painful fines following new rules that came into force at the start of the year banning the possession, sale and use of vapes and liquids.
Australia, Turkey, Singapore, Mexico, India, Brazil, the Maldives and Thailand are among other countries that do not allow travellers to bring vapes with them, largely due to health concerns over irreversible lung damage. Hong Kong has banned them too.
Anyone using e-cigarettes in Vietnam faces fines of up to 2 million dong (US$78.50), while those caught importing, trading, transporting and producing vapes and materials for cigarette alternatives face fines of up 3 billion dong or up to 15 years in prison, depending on the quantity.
People who vape are generally advised to double check whether they are allowed to bring their device with them on holiday before getting on a flight.
In Thailand, which has some of the world’s strictest anti-vaping rules, anyone caught breaking the e-cigarette laws can be punished with a steep fine or even imprisonment for up to five years.
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By dpa
Tourists arriving in Vietnam with vapes now face painful fines following new rules that came into force at the start of the year banning the possession, sale and use of vapes and liquids.
Australia, Turkey, Singapore, Mexico, India, Brazil, the Maldives and Thailand are among other countries that do not allow travellers to bring vapes with them, largely due to health concerns over irreversible lung damage. Hong Kong has banned them too.
Anyone using e-cigarettes in Vietnam faces fines of up to 2 million dong (US$78.50), while those caught importing, trading, transporting and producing vapes and materials for cigarette alternatives face fines of up 3 billion dong or up to 15 years in prison, depending on the quantity.
People who vape are generally advised to double check whether they are allowed to bring their device with them on holiday before getting on a flight.
In Thailand, which has some of the world’s strictest anti-vaping rules, anyone caught breaking the e-cigarette laws can be punished with a steep fine or even imprisonment for up to five years.
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Pilot at airport of South Korea’s Jeju Air crash says he ‘assumed’ concrete mound was dirt
By The Korea Times
A pilot with seven years of experience at South Korea’s Muan International Airport testified that he had never been informed about the existence of a concrete mound housing a localiser on the airport’s runway, nor had he been able to distinguish it from a dirt pile.
The concrete structure is believed to have significantly exacerbated the severity of the accident, as the aircraft’s collision with the solid mound during its belly landing is thought to have triggered the catastrophic explosion.
Pilot and flight instructor A, who has used Muan airport for seven years, told Yonhap News on Thursday, “I’ve seen the mound from the air during countless take-offs and landings and assumed it was a dirt pile. It never occurred to me that it was made of concrete.”
He said, “There was no indication in the airport charts or separate guidance mentioning that the mound was a 2-metre-high, 4-metre-thick concrete structure. Other pilots were also unaware of its true nature.”
He also addressed the bird strike issue, which has been suggested as a possible cause of the accident.
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By The Korea Times
A pilot with seven years of experience at South Korea’s Muan International Airport testified that he had never been informed about the existence of a concrete mound housing a localiser on the airport’s runway, nor had he been able to distinguish it from a dirt pile.
The concrete structure is believed to have significantly exacerbated the severity of the accident, as the aircraft’s collision with the solid mound during its belly landing is thought to have triggered the catastrophic explosion.
Pilot and flight instructor A, who has used Muan airport for seven years, told Yonhap News on Thursday, “I’ve seen the mound from the air during countless take-offs and landings and assumed it was a dirt pile. It never occurred to me that it was made of concrete.”
He said, “There was no indication in the airport charts or separate guidance mentioning that the mound was a 2-metre-high, 4-metre-thick concrete structure. Other pilots were also unaware of its true nature.”
He also addressed the bird strike issue, which has been suggested as a possible cause of the accident.
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Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s Ying Ying cares for twin cubs together for first time
By Fiona Sun
Panda Watch is a blog by the Post that tracks the latest on the baby panda twins – the first to be born in Hong Kong – until they are ready to meet the public. To read our previous blog entries, click here.
Hong Kong panda mum Ying Ying has cared for her newborn cubs together for the first time ahead of their public debut, which is expected to be after Lunar New Year.
A video released by Ocean Park showed Ying Ying playing with her cubs, licking and cuddling “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”.
“She is observed [to be] very calm and peaceful! With such adorable siblings, Ying Ying shows no favouritism – she loves them both equally,” the park said in a social media post.
Bear caretakers marked the back of “Younger Brother” with animal-safe purple food colouring to distinguish him from “Elder Sister”.
The keepers have been taking turns caring for the twins since they were born in August last year, as Ying Ying was too old to handle them. Also, given the nature of giant pandas, she would have only taken care of the stronger one –“Younger Brother” – as “Elder Sister” was more fragile upon birth.
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By Fiona Sun
Panda Watch is a blog by the Post that tracks the latest on the baby panda twins – the first to be born in Hong Kong – until they are ready to meet the public. To read our previous blog entries, click here.
Hong Kong panda mum Ying Ying has cared for her newborn cubs together for the first time ahead of their public debut, which is expected to be after Lunar New Year.
A video released by Ocean Park showed Ying Ying playing with her cubs, licking and cuddling “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”.
“She is observed [to be] very calm and peaceful! With such adorable siblings, Ying Ying shows no favouritism – she loves them both equally,” the park said in a social media post.
Bear caretakers marked the back of “Younger Brother” with animal-safe purple food colouring to distinguish him from “Elder Sister”.
The keepers have been taking turns caring for the twins since they were born in August last year, as Ying Ying was too old to handle them. Also, given the nature of giant pandas, she would have only taken care of the stronger one –“Younger Brother” – as “Elder Sister” was more fragile upon birth.
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China preps for inbound Lunar New Year travel surge after visa-free expansion
By Alice LiRalph Jennings
Inbound travel to China is expected to increase significantly over the coming Lunar New Year holiday, driven by the country’s expansion of its visa-free entry list and other efforts to attract international visitors and revitalise its tourism sector.
According to Trip.com, a major online platform for tourism bookings in the country, total inbound travel purchases for the period – which runs from January 28 to February 4 this year – have increased by over 200 per cent year on year.
Bookings from South Korea surged by 452 per cent year on year, with Singapore, Japan and the United States also well-represented on the list of inbound travellers’ countries of origin.
“The newly implemented visa-free policy for South Korean travellers has been particularly significant, drawing large numbers of Korean tourists to destinations like Harbin, Chengdu and Shanghai,” the platform said in a statement.
Meanwhile, during the recent break for New Year’s Day – a public holiday in China, but not as busy as the annual Lunar New Year travel rush – about 185,000 inbound and outbound trips were made by foreign tourists.
This was a 33.6 per cent year-on-year increase according to the National Immigration Administration, and outpaced the 11.1 per cent growth in total trips made by mainland Chinese travellers and 12.8 per cent growth in trips made by residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
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By Alice LiRalph Jennings
Inbound travel to China is expected to increase significantly over the coming Lunar New Year holiday, driven by the country’s expansion of its visa-free entry list and other efforts to attract international visitors and revitalise its tourism sector.
According to Trip.com, a major online platform for tourism bookings in the country, total inbound travel purchases for the period – which runs from January 28 to February 4 this year – have increased by over 200 per cent year on year.
Bookings from South Korea surged by 452 per cent year on year, with Singapore, Japan and the United States also well-represented on the list of inbound travellers’ countries of origin.
“The newly implemented visa-free policy for South Korean travellers has been particularly significant, drawing large numbers of Korean tourists to destinations like Harbin, Chengdu and Shanghai,” the platform said in a statement.
Meanwhile, during the recent break for New Year’s Day – a public holiday in China, but not as busy as the annual Lunar New Year travel rush – about 185,000 inbound and outbound trips were made by foreign tourists.
This was a 33.6 per cent year-on-year increase according to the National Immigration Administration, and outpaced the 11.1 per cent growth in total trips made by mainland Chinese travellers and 12.8 per cent growth in trips made by residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
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Hong Kong retailers, hoteliers gloomy over Lunar New Year business prospects
By Edith Lin
Hong Kong’s retail and hotel sectors have sounded a cautious note about business prospects for the coming Lunar New Year break, noting residents are hesitant to spend money and mainland Chinese visitors may opt for shorter stays.
The pessimistic outlook from business coincided with the release of the latest retail figures on Thursday, with sales falling by 7.3 per cent to HK$31.7 billion (US$4 billion) in November, marking the ninth straight month of decline.
The Hong Kong Retail Management Association said nearly 60 per cent of the companies it surveyed expected a decline in business during the period around Lunar New Year, compared with last year.
The period spans the two weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year break, which will run from January 29 to February 2.
“Hongkongers travelling abroad during long holidays remains a concern to the retail sector in January. We are also worried about reduced spending as people have been cautious about their spending,” association chairwoman Annie Tse Yau On-yee said.
“But the multi-entry permits have brought hope to some retailers as these customers can bring in more people and business growth.”
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By Edith Lin
Hong Kong’s retail and hotel sectors have sounded a cautious note about business prospects for the coming Lunar New Year break, noting residents are hesitant to spend money and mainland Chinese visitors may opt for shorter stays.
The pessimistic outlook from business coincided with the release of the latest retail figures on Thursday, with sales falling by 7.3 per cent to HK$31.7 billion (US$4 billion) in November, marking the ninth straight month of decline.
The Hong Kong Retail Management Association said nearly 60 per cent of the companies it surveyed expected a decline in business during the period around Lunar New Year, compared with last year.
The period spans the two weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year break, which will run from January 29 to February 2.
“Hongkongers travelling abroad during long holidays remains a concern to the retail sector in January. We are also worried about reduced spending as people have been cautious about their spending,” association chairwoman Annie Tse Yau On-yee said.
“But the multi-entry permits have brought hope to some retailers as these customers can bring in more people and business growth.”
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North Korea strengthens ties with Russia over China in New Year’s diplomatic shift
By Maria Siow
North Korea’s decision to spotlight ties with Russia over China in its New Year’s diplomacy appears to signal the reclusive nation’s evolving strategy: leveraging Moscow’s desperation for support while testing Beijing tolerance for being sidelined.
In a letter to President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to solidify the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, state media outlet KCNA reported on Tuesday.
In the message, Kim extended New Year greetings to Putin and all Russians, including their troops and expressed his willingness to further strengthen bilateral ties, which he said the two leaders elevated to new levels this year, KCNA added.
While the agency reported that Kim had received New Year greetings from many heads of state, including the “Chinese President”, which was put in quote marks, but did not mention Xi Jinping by name nor disclose further details. It also did not indicate if Kim sent greetings to Xi.
Last year, reporting on New Year’s greetings from foreign leaders, North Korea listed Xi ahead of Putin. However, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between North Korea and China concluded last year without a closing ceremony, a break from past practices, according to South Korea’s Chosun Daily.
When asked why the event had not taken place, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning declined to comment during a briefing on December 30.
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By Maria Siow
North Korea’s decision to spotlight ties with Russia over China in its New Year’s diplomacy appears to signal the reclusive nation’s evolving strategy: leveraging Moscow’s desperation for support while testing Beijing tolerance for being sidelined.
In a letter to President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to solidify the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, state media outlet KCNA reported on Tuesday.
In the message, Kim extended New Year greetings to Putin and all Russians, including their troops and expressed his willingness to further strengthen bilateral ties, which he said the two leaders elevated to new levels this year, KCNA added.
While the agency reported that Kim had received New Year greetings from many heads of state, including the “Chinese President”, which was put in quote marks, but did not mention Xi Jinping by name nor disclose further details. It also did not indicate if Kim sent greetings to Xi.
Last year, reporting on New Year’s greetings from foreign leaders, North Korea listed Xi ahead of Putin. However, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between North Korea and China concluded last year without a closing ceremony, a break from past practices, according to South Korea’s Chosun Daily.
When asked why the event had not taken place, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning declined to comment during a briefing on December 30.
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Hong Kong can boost tourism by repositioning itself as gateway to Asia
By Christopher Tang
Given the stability and security associated with government jobs in Hong Kong, often referred to as “iron rice bowls”, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s decision to replace tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung in December was a surprising and unexpected move. But with the city’s tourism industry facing many challenges, the change was necessary to signal a fresh start.
To address the multifaceted issues that have hindered Hong Kong’s tourism growth since 2018, new minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui should develop fresh strategies. Considering the limited success of mega-events, the government should instead foster collaboration with the private sector in Hong Kong and other Asian countries to boost tourism for the region, not just the city.
Hong Kong welcomed more than 65 million tourists in 2018, but less than 34 million in 2023 and barely 40 million in the first 11 months of last year. Many factors, including the 2019 political demonstrations, the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine measures, and the exodus of expatriates and foreign residents, have led to this decline.
In contrast to Hong Kong’s slow post-pandemic recovery, tourism numbers in other major Asian cities have rebounded strongly. Singapore, for example, attracted more than 15 million visitors in the first 11 months of 2024, over 80 per cent of its 2018 total.
Tourism is a critical sector in Hong Kong, driving economic growth and creating jobs across several industries including retail, hospitality and food services. It is worrisome therefore to observe that many bustling neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, which once thronged with tourists, have quietened down.
Several challenges are changing the landscape of Hong Kong tourism.
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By Christopher Tang
Given the stability and security associated with government jobs in Hong Kong, often referred to as “iron rice bowls”, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s decision to replace tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung in December was a surprising and unexpected move. But with the city’s tourism industry facing many challenges, the change was necessary to signal a fresh start.
To address the multifaceted issues that have hindered Hong Kong’s tourism growth since 2018, new minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui should develop fresh strategies. Considering the limited success of mega-events, the government should instead foster collaboration with the private sector in Hong Kong and other Asian countries to boost tourism for the region, not just the city.
Hong Kong welcomed more than 65 million tourists in 2018, but less than 34 million in 2023 and barely 40 million in the first 11 months of last year. Many factors, including the 2019 political demonstrations, the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine measures, and the exodus of expatriates and foreign residents, have led to this decline.
In contrast to Hong Kong’s slow post-pandemic recovery, tourism numbers in other major Asian cities have rebounded strongly. Singapore, for example, attracted more than 15 million visitors in the first 11 months of 2024, over 80 per cent of its 2018 total.
Tourism is a critical sector in Hong Kong, driving economic growth and creating jobs across several industries including retail, hospitality and food services. It is worrisome therefore to observe that many bustling neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, which once thronged with tourists, have quietened down.
Several challenges are changing the landscape of Hong Kong tourism.
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FDA approves Chinese eye cancer treatment for development support in the US
By Dannie Peng
A breakthrough treatment developed by a group of Chinese researchers to treat a rare but deadly eye cancer has been granted a special status in the US that will “greatly facilitate” its transition from laboratory to clinic.
Known as an aptamer drug conjugate (ApDC), the next generation gene-based treatment is the first of its kind in the world to be granted orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The medication was jointly developed by researchers at the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wenzhou Medical University.
The FDA grants orphan status to medicines and biologics for rare diseases that meet certain criteria, opening the way for incentives such as accelerated approval and tax breaks to support their development.
Announcing the FDA’s decision on Saturday, the HIM said the treatment has the potential to bring new hope to patients around the world with uveal melanoma, which affects around 2,500 people in the US each year.
Because the early symptoms of the disease are often not obvious, many patients are not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage.
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By Dannie Peng
A breakthrough treatment developed by a group of Chinese researchers to treat a rare but deadly eye cancer has been granted a special status in the US that will “greatly facilitate” its transition from laboratory to clinic.
Known as an aptamer drug conjugate (ApDC), the next generation gene-based treatment is the first of its kind in the world to be granted orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The medication was jointly developed by researchers at the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wenzhou Medical University.
The FDA grants orphan status to medicines and biologics for rare diseases that meet certain criteria, opening the way for incentives such as accelerated approval and tax breaks to support their development.
Announcing the FDA’s decision on Saturday, the HIM said the treatment has the potential to bring new hope to patients around the world with uveal melanoma, which affects around 2,500 people in the US each year.
Because the early symptoms of the disease are often not obvious, many patients are not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage.
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Hong Kong’s MTR Corp ‘reinventing’ business model amid property market woes
By Denise Tsang
Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation is urgently “reinventing” its business model to fulfil a HK$165 billion (US$21.2 billion) financial commitment to improve and expand rail services amid a struggling property market, the Post has learned.
A source said on Thursday that the company was revising its proven “rail-plus-property” business model by finding new sources of revenue, while cutting costs, to boost its financial health and prepare for development works in the coming years.
The company pledged in June 2023 to set aside HK$65 billion between that year and 2027 to upgrade ageing rail assets, on top of HK$100 billion earlier promised to extend lines, create new stations and develop properties over a 10-year period.
The total of HK$165 billion is equivalent to its market capitalisation when the stock market closed on Thursday at HK$26.55 a share.
The source said the company could generate cash by selling minority stakes in its shopping malls or commercial properties, in addition to cutting costs by automating trains and repair works, among other technology-based strategies.
“The business model needs to be reinvented, i.e., to find new sources of income and ways of lowering costs,” the source said. “The financial commitment in the coming decade is massive.”
The MTR Corp was founded 45 years ago and at one point was considered the most profitable rail company in the world, charging relatively affordable fares for reliable services thanks to its business model.
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By Denise Tsang
Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation is urgently “reinventing” its business model to fulfil a HK$165 billion (US$21.2 billion) financial commitment to improve and expand rail services amid a struggling property market, the Post has learned.
A source said on Thursday that the company was revising its proven “rail-plus-property” business model by finding new sources of revenue, while cutting costs, to boost its financial health and prepare for development works in the coming years.
The company pledged in June 2023 to set aside HK$65 billion between that year and 2027 to upgrade ageing rail assets, on top of HK$100 billion earlier promised to extend lines, create new stations and develop properties over a 10-year period.
The total of HK$165 billion is equivalent to its market capitalisation when the stock market closed on Thursday at HK$26.55 a share.
The source said the company could generate cash by selling minority stakes in its shopping malls or commercial properties, in addition to cutting costs by automating trains and repair works, among other technology-based strategies.
“The business model needs to be reinvented, i.e., to find new sources of income and ways of lowering costs,” the source said. “The financial commitment in the coming decade is massive.”
The MTR Corp was founded 45 years ago and at one point was considered the most profitable rail company in the world, charging relatively affordable fares for reliable services thanks to its business model.
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Hong Kong developer cuts prices in Shau Kei Wan project as oversupply plagues market
By Salina Li
A developer is relaunching several residential units at a high-rise project on Hong Kong Island at prices below the levels set about two years ago, suggesting the city’s property market will need at least six more months to overcome excess supply and halt a three-year slump.
Hip Shing Hong (Holdings) is taking orders for 50 units at Oria in Shau Kei Wan after an attempted sale in June 2023. The mid-sized private developer is cutting the prices on 30 of the units by more than 30 per cent, according to its revised list published on Thursday.
The cheapest unit, an open studio, is priced at HK$3.35 million, representing a 38 per cent drop from HK$5.38 million the developer set in 2023.
The flats in the 23-storey development are priced at HK$19,544 per square foot on average, near a nine-year low for primary launches in the district, according to Centaline Property. Nam Fung Group priced its Island Garden project at HK$19,409 per square foot on average in September 2016.
“Developers do not have the ability to increase prices,” Jeff Yau, Hong Kong property sector analyst at DBS Bank (Hong Kong) said during a media briefing on Thursday. “There will not be much room for price increases in 2025” because some highly geared home builders are under pressure to clear inventories for cash, he added.
Home prices fell 6.6 per cent in the first 11 months of last year, taking the cumulative slide to 27 per cent from the market’s peak in September 2021, according to government data. Prices could stabilise by midyear following marginal rebounds in October and November, analysts said.
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By Salina Li
A developer is relaunching several residential units at a high-rise project on Hong Kong Island at prices below the levels set about two years ago, suggesting the city’s property market will need at least six more months to overcome excess supply and halt a three-year slump.
Hip Shing Hong (Holdings) is taking orders for 50 units at Oria in Shau Kei Wan after an attempted sale in June 2023. The mid-sized private developer is cutting the prices on 30 of the units by more than 30 per cent, according to its revised list published on Thursday.
The cheapest unit, an open studio, is priced at HK$3.35 million, representing a 38 per cent drop from HK$5.38 million the developer set in 2023.
The flats in the 23-storey development are priced at HK$19,544 per square foot on average, near a nine-year low for primary launches in the district, according to Centaline Property. Nam Fung Group priced its Island Garden project at HK$19,409 per square foot on average in September 2016.
“Developers do not have the ability to increase prices,” Jeff Yau, Hong Kong property sector analyst at DBS Bank (Hong Kong) said during a media briefing on Thursday. “There will not be much room for price increases in 2025” because some highly geared home builders are under pressure to clear inventories for cash, he added.
Home prices fell 6.6 per cent in the first 11 months of last year, taking the cumulative slide to 27 per cent from the market’s peak in September 2021, according to government data. Prices could stabilise by midyear following marginal rebounds in October and November, analysts said.
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China property: rising home sales bode well for sector reeling for last 4 years
By Yulu Ao
Mainland Chinese developers’ hopes for a better start to the new year received a boost as home sales picked up towards the end of 2024, following Chinese authorities’ pledge to “stop prices from sinking further”.
Across 30 major mainland cities, average home sales jumped 86 per cent in the fourth quarter from the previous three-month period, according data from China Real Estate Information Corp (CRIC).
Home sales in the top four tier-one cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen – rose 35 per cent in December from a year earlier, according to CRIC. Compared with the monthly average in the third quarter, sales in December surged 80 per cent, the data showed.
For the year, new home sales in the 30 sample cities fell 23 per cent from 2023, narrowing the decline by 3.75 percentage points in the first 11 months, CRIC data showed.
“It is one of the most important signals for the new cycle of ‘stabilisation’,” said Ding Zuyu, executive director of E-House China Enterprise Holdings. “An [upwards] trend, instead of a transitory sentiment following the easing policies, has been demonstrated.”
Ding said although a correction will be seen in 2025, new home prices are expected to pick up and reach 2019 levels and prices of second-hand homes will reach 2017 levels.
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By Yulu Ao
Mainland Chinese developers’ hopes for a better start to the new year received a boost as home sales picked up towards the end of 2024, following Chinese authorities’ pledge to “stop prices from sinking further”.
Across 30 major mainland cities, average home sales jumped 86 per cent in the fourth quarter from the previous three-month period, according data from China Real Estate Information Corp (CRIC).
Home sales in the top four tier-one cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen – rose 35 per cent in December from a year earlier, according to CRIC. Compared with the monthly average in the third quarter, sales in December surged 80 per cent, the data showed.
For the year, new home sales in the 30 sample cities fell 23 per cent from 2023, narrowing the decline by 3.75 percentage points in the first 11 months, CRIC data showed.
“It is one of the most important signals for the new cycle of ‘stabilisation’,” said Ding Zuyu, executive director of E-House China Enterprise Holdings. “An [upwards] trend, instead of a transitory sentiment following the easing policies, has been demonstrated.”
Ding said although a correction will be seen in 2025, new home prices are expected to pick up and reach 2019 levels and prices of second-hand homes will reach 2017 levels.
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Wayne Osmond, singer and guitarist for million-selling family act The Osmonds, dies at 73
By Associated Press
Wayne Osmond, a singer, guitarist and founding member of the million-selling family act The Osmonds, who were known for such 1970s teen hits as One Bad Apple, Yo-Yo and Down By the Lazy River, has died. He was 73.
Sibling Merrill Osmond posted on his Facebook page that Wayne died this week at a Salt Lake City hospital after suffering a “massive stroke”.
“I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolutely no guile,” Merrill wrote. “An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”
Wayne Osmond was the fourth oldest of nine children raised in a Mormon household in Ogden, Utah, and the second oldest among the musical performers.
The siblings’ career began in the 1950s when Wayne, Alan, Merrill and Jay sang as a barbershop quartet.
Their popularity grew in the 1960s after being supported by singer Andy Williams, and they peaked as a quintet in the early 1970s, with younger brother Donny Osmond the breakout star.
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By Associated Press
Wayne Osmond, a singer, guitarist and founding member of the million-selling family act The Osmonds, who were known for such 1970s teen hits as One Bad Apple, Yo-Yo and Down By the Lazy River, has died. He was 73.
Sibling Merrill Osmond posted on his Facebook page that Wayne died this week at a Salt Lake City hospital after suffering a “massive stroke”.
“I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolutely no guile,” Merrill wrote. “An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”
Wayne Osmond was the fourth oldest of nine children raised in a Mormon household in Ogden, Utah, and the second oldest among the musical performers.
The siblings’ career began in the 1950s when Wayne, Alan, Merrill and Jay sang as a barbershop quartet.
Their popularity grew in the 1960s after being supported by singer Andy Williams, and they peaked as a quintet in the early 1970s, with younger brother Donny Osmond the breakout star.
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Rosita Missoni, matriarch of Italian fashion house famous for zigzag knitwear, dies age 93
By Associated Press
Rosita Missoni, the matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colourful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear, has died. She was 93.
Missoni died peacefully on Wednesday, Missoni SpA and the Missoni family said in a joint statement.
Local officials offered condolences on Thursday and recalled Missoni’s ties to the small northern Italian city of Gallarate where the Missoni brand was born in an artisan’s shop in 1953.
Born Rosita Jelmini, Missoni grew up in a family that owned a textile factory that produced shawls.
When she met and married Ottavio Missoni, they founded their eponymous fashion house in Gallarate that would turn into a fashion dynasty, with the couple’s three children and their offspring involved in expanding the brand.
The Missonis got their first break in 1958, when the Rinascente department store commissioned 500 colourful vertically striped shirt dresses – the first to carry the Missoni label.
The Missonis first showed their collection in Milan in 1966 and the brand helped turn the city into a fashion mecca.
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By Associated Press
Rosita Missoni, the matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colourful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear, has died. She was 93.
Missoni died peacefully on Wednesday, Missoni SpA and the Missoni family said in a joint statement.
Local officials offered condolences on Thursday and recalled Missoni’s ties to the small northern Italian city of Gallarate where the Missoni brand was born in an artisan’s shop in 1953.
Born Rosita Jelmini, Missoni grew up in a family that owned a textile factory that produced shawls.
When she met and married Ottavio Missoni, they founded their eponymous fashion house in Gallarate that would turn into a fashion dynasty, with the couple’s three children and their offspring involved in expanding the brand.
The Missonis got their first break in 1958, when the Rinascente department store commissioned 500 colourful vertically striped shirt dresses – the first to carry the Missoni label.
The Missonis first showed their collection in Milan in 1966 and the brand helped turn the city into a fashion mecca.
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South Korea authorities moving to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol: reports
By Reuters
Authorities were en route on Friday to execute an arrest warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yonhap news agency reported, as a crowd of protesters faced off with police outside his residence and vowed to block any attempt.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for his short-lived martial law attempt on December 3. An arrest would be unprecedented for an incumbent South Korean president.
Yonhap reported that officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading a joint team of investigators that include the police and prosecutors, had left their headquarters to execute the warrant.
Broadcaster YTN reported that about 2,800 police had been mobilised in preparation for executing the warrant.
It was unclear exactly how police would make the arrest and whether the presidential security service, which has blocked access by investigators with a search warrant to Yoon’s office and official residence, would try to stop it.
About 100 protesters were gathered in the predawn hours near his official residence, amid local media reports that investigating authorities would soon try to execute an arrest warrant that was approved on Tuesday after Yoon refused summons to appear.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Reuters
Authorities were en route on Friday to execute an arrest warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yonhap news agency reported, as a crowd of protesters faced off with police outside his residence and vowed to block any attempt.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for his short-lived martial law attempt on December 3. An arrest would be unprecedented for an incumbent South Korean president.
Yonhap reported that officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading a joint team of investigators that include the police and prosecutors, had left their headquarters to execute the warrant.
Broadcaster YTN reported that about 2,800 police had been mobilised in preparation for executing the warrant.
It was unclear exactly how police would make the arrest and whether the presidential security service, which has blocked access by investigators with a search warrant to Yoon’s office and official residence, would try to stop it.
About 100 protesters were gathered in the predawn hours near his official residence, amid local media reports that investigating authorities would soon try to execute an arrest warrant that was approved on Tuesday after Yoon refused summons to appear.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
What happened when mainland China recruited Taiwanese for governance
By Amber Wang
Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – the second in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang looks at a mainland attempt to involve Taiwanese in local government administration.
When Willy Song lined up with his Taiwanese colleagues to start his new job on the mainland in 2018, he joined them in singing the patriotic song “My Chinese Heart”.
The song describes a nostalgic longing for “the motherland” and the performance in Xiamen in the eastern mainland province of Fujian was meant to send a message of unity.
Song, then 29 years old and a former product security employee at a manufacturing company, was among 35 Taiwanese appointed that year to jobs on the lower rungs of the mainland government system.
They were taken on as part of a broader effort to integrate Taiwanese into the mainland’s economy, society, and culture.
Their jobs, in the words of a Xiamen official, were “tailored to their expertise” and covered areas ranging from environmental protection to traditional Chinese culture.
The idea was that by bringing Taiwanese into its governance system, Beijing could win hearts and minds, and lay the foundation for a peaceful reunification with the island.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Amber Wang
Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – the second in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang looks at a mainland attempt to involve Taiwanese in local government administration.
When Willy Song lined up with his Taiwanese colleagues to start his new job on the mainland in 2018, he joined them in singing the patriotic song “My Chinese Heart”.
The song describes a nostalgic longing for “the motherland” and the performance in Xiamen in the eastern mainland province of Fujian was meant to send a message of unity.
Song, then 29 years old and a former product security employee at a manufacturing company, was among 35 Taiwanese appointed that year to jobs on the lower rungs of the mainland government system.
They were taken on as part of a broader effort to integrate Taiwanese into the mainland’s economy, society, and culture.
Their jobs, in the words of a Xiamen official, were “tailored to their expertise” and covered areas ranging from environmental protection to traditional Chinese culture.
The idea was that by bringing Taiwanese into its governance system, Beijing could win hearts and minds, and lay the foundation for a peaceful reunification with the island.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Asia’s embrace of refurbished smartphones is a trend to dial into in 2025
By Kamala Thiagarajan
After two moribund years, the global smartphone market recovered in 2024, with new shipments forecast to rebound strongly by over 6 per cent. But a rising trend for refurbished phones threatens to derail that recovery in the coming years.
Last year, the average selling price of refurbished smartphones in emerging markets such as China, Southeast Asia and Africa was expected to exceed the global average selling price for new phones for the first time, according to Counterpoint Research.
This growing market shows that the fears and concerns surrounding refurbished smartphones are in retreat. Tanzania, for instance, was still issuing safety warnings over second-hand smartphones in 2023. Worries over device overheating, battery performance, data security and more had, for many years, dissuaded people from buying used phones.
But the refurbished phone market has matured and become well-defined. It has even spawned its own vocabulary: these phones are not old, rather, they are pre-owned, reconditioned, refreshed and recertified.
It is a far cry from the shady, under-the-table transactions of the past, where vendors hawked devices, often stolen, on the sly. Tech giants such as Apple and Samsung now sell their own certified refurbished phones, and top models are available in online marketplaces such as Singapore’s Reebelo and Malaysia’s Mudah.my.
Manufacturer-certified refurbished phones have the advantage of assuring customers that their purchases are really wiped clean of data, with the battery and any defective part replaced. These phones are often cheaper, in mint condition and have been rigorously quality-tested. Many also come with a warranty, typically for a year. They can even help the companies themselves expand their customer base.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Kamala Thiagarajan
After two moribund years, the global smartphone market recovered in 2024, with new shipments forecast to rebound strongly by over 6 per cent. But a rising trend for refurbished phones threatens to derail that recovery in the coming years.
Last year, the average selling price of refurbished smartphones in emerging markets such as China, Southeast Asia and Africa was expected to exceed the global average selling price for new phones for the first time, according to Counterpoint Research.
This growing market shows that the fears and concerns surrounding refurbished smartphones are in retreat. Tanzania, for instance, was still issuing safety warnings over second-hand smartphones in 2023. Worries over device overheating, battery performance, data security and more had, for many years, dissuaded people from buying used phones.
But the refurbished phone market has matured and become well-defined. It has even spawned its own vocabulary: these phones are not old, rather, they are pre-owned, reconditioned, refreshed and recertified.
It is a far cry from the shady, under-the-table transactions of the past, where vendors hawked devices, often stolen, on the sly. Tech giants such as Apple and Samsung now sell their own certified refurbished phones, and top models are available in online marketplaces such as Singapore’s Reebelo and Malaysia’s Mudah.my.
Manufacturer-certified refurbished phones have the advantage of assuring customers that their purchases are really wiped clean of data, with the battery and any defective part replaced. These phones are often cheaper, in mint condition and have been rigorously quality-tested. Many also come with a warranty, typically for a year. They can even help the companies themselves expand their customer base.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
US appeal court blocks Biden administration effort to restore net neutrality rules
By Reuters
A US appeal court ruled on Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission did not have legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules.
The decision is a blow to the outgoing Biden administration that had made restoring the open internet rules a priority. US President Joe Biden signed a 2021 executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the rules.
A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the FCC lacked authority to reinstate the rules initially implemented in 2015 by the agency under Democratic former President Barack Obama, but then repealed by the commission in 2017 under Republican former president Donald Trump.
Net-neutrality rules require internet service providers to treat internet data and users equally rather than restricting access, slowing speeds or blocking content for certain users.
The rules also forbid special arrangements in which ISPs give improved network speeds or access to favoured users.
The court cited the Supreme Court’s June decision in a case known as Loper Bright to overturn a 1984 precedent that had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws they administer, in the latest decision to curb the authority of federal agencies.
“Applying Loper Bright means we can end the FCC’s vacillations,” the court ruled. The decision leaves in place state neutrality rules adopted by California and others but may end more than 20 years of efforts to give federal regulators sweeping oversight over the internet.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Reuters
A US appeal court ruled on Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission did not have legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules.
The decision is a blow to the outgoing Biden administration that had made restoring the open internet rules a priority. US President Joe Biden signed a 2021 executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the rules.
A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the FCC lacked authority to reinstate the rules initially implemented in 2015 by the agency under Democratic former President Barack Obama, but then repealed by the commission in 2017 under Republican former president Donald Trump.
Net-neutrality rules require internet service providers to treat internet data and users equally rather than restricting access, slowing speeds or blocking content for certain users.
The rules also forbid special arrangements in which ISPs give improved network speeds or access to favoured users.
The court cited the Supreme Court’s June decision in a case known as Loper Bright to overturn a 1984 precedent that had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws they administer, in the latest decision to curb the authority of federal agencies.
“Applying Loper Bright means we can end the FCC’s vacillations,” the court ruled. The decision leaves in place state neutrality rules adopted by California and others but may end more than 20 years of efforts to give federal regulators sweeping oversight over the internet.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
