Anti-whaling fight continues from prison, says Watson

Features

September 2, 2024

A humpback whale and her calf in Rurutu, French Polynesia. PHOTO: AP

NUUK (AFP) – Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson’s detention in a Greenland prison pending his possible extradition to Japan has not prevented him from continuing his fight to save the animals, he told AFP in an interview.

“If they think it prevents our opposition, I’ve just changed ship. My ship right now is Prison Nuuk,” the 73-year-old US-Canadian campaigner said, a mischievous smile crossing his face as he met with AFP in the visitors’ room of Greenland’s Nuuk Prison.

Watson, who featured in the reality TV series Whale Wars and founded Sea Shepherd as well as the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), is known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea.

He was arrested in July in Nuuk, the capital of the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, on the basis of a 2012 Interpol arrest warrant issued by Japan, which accuses him of causing damage to one of its whaling ships in 2010 in the Antarctic.

It says he also injured a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb intended to disrupt the whalers’ activities, and has asked Denmark to extradite him to face trial.

Watson is being held behind bars pending the government’s decision, to make sure he does not flee.

In 2012, he was arrested in Germany at the request of Costa Rica over another incident. He was released on bail and required to report to police daily, but he left the country to avoid extradition.

This time, Watson and his legal team insist Tokyo has a vendetta against him.

“They want to set an example that you don’t mess around with their whaling,” said Watson, clad in a thick grey sweater.

The Nuuk court is to decide on September 4 whether to prolong his custody.

“The lawyers tell me they’re going to extend my detention.”

Almost like on deck
From his cell in the modern grey prison building overlooking the sea, Watson can watch as whales and icebergs pass by his window.

“It’s almost like I’m on the deck of my ship,” he said, calling it “the best prison I’ve ever been in”.

He said he does not mind his detention so much, except that he misses his children, aged three and seven.

He spends his time watching detective shows and reading a lot, but mostly he has been writing, he said.

He gives his texts to Lamya Essemlali, the head of Sea Shepherd France, who has visited him almost daily since his arrest.

More than 100,000 people across the world have signed a petition calling for his release.

His co-detainees in the prison “are all big fans”, he said, despite his opposition to Greenland’s traditional seal hunt.

“I signed autographs when I arrived.”

He also receives a lot of letters of support, “many of them from children, because they are extremely passionate about the world”.

“If we manage to reach children I think things can change.”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office has asked Denmark not to extradite the activist, as has Brigitte Bardot, the French screen legend turned animal rights activist.

Watson has lived in France for almost two years.

“Denmark is in a very difficult place,” he said.

“They can’t extradite me because first they are vocal proponents of human rights,” he added, qualifying the Japanese judicial system as “medieval”.

“I didn’t do anything, and even if I did the sentence would be (a fine of) 1,500 kroner (USD223) in Denmark – not even a prison sentence – while Japan wants to sentence me to 15 years.”

Ships at the ready
Watson has one ship stationed in each hemisphere, ready to jump into action if one of the countries that still allows whaling – Iceland, Japan and Norway – were to resume the hunt.

“In 1974, my objective was to eradicate whaling, and I hope to do that before I die.”

He insists that he and his co-activists are “not a protest organisation”.

“We’re an enforcement organisation” ensuring that the seas are protected, he said, rejecting the label of ecoterrorist sometimes used against him.

“I do aggressive non-violence interference.”

“There is no contradiction between aggressive and non-violence – it means that I will try and get the knife from the person trying to kill a whale, but I won’t hurt them.”

“I don’t cross the line, I’ve never hurt anyone,” he said.

‘Great moment’ for Mbappe as he scores first La Liga goals for Real Madrid

Sports

September 2, 2024

MADRID (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe answered his critics in style as he netted his first La Liga goals to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday which sends them second in the table.

Since scoring in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, new signing Mbappe had failed to find the back of the net in Madrid’s opening three games in La Liga, prompting criticism in the Spanish press.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe shoots and scores his team’s first goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. PHOTO: AFP

Mbappe was made to wait for his goals as he squandered a series of chances, finally finding the back of the net in the 67th minute, sweeping the ball past the Betis goalkeeper with his left foot after a well-timed back-heel from Fede Valverde.

Eight minutes later the France captain added a second from the penalty spot and was cheered off the field when he was replaced by Luka Modric in the 84th minute.

“It’s a great moment,” Mbappe told Spanish television after the match.

“I was really hoping to score at the Bernabeu, in this mythical stadium, the best in the world. But the most important thing was to win.

“After the match against Las Palmas, we knew we had to win. And that’s what we did today, in a difficult match. But we’re Real, and in the end we win, and with style.”

The smile on Mbappe’s face was in contrast to the concern that had been shown since scoring his first goal and winning his first trophy in Warsaw on August 14.

On Saturday, coach Carlo Ancelotti had hit back at the criticism, insisting that his star recruit was settling in well and he reasserted at the press conference after the match that “we never put Mbappe under pressure to score goals”.

“He was very effective in the box, he had many opportunities. I think it is important for him to score, but we appreciate more the work for the team,” added Ancelotti, who confirmed that Vinicius let the French striker take the penalty.

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team’s second goal. PHOTO: AFP

Desire, motivation
Ancelotti also spread his praise across the entire team which has taken a while to gel this season.

“Anxiety, frustration, we don’t have them,” said Ancelotti.

“We have desire, motivation to try to do better. Today we did better. I think we deserved to win. It was a good game, much more supportive among all, and we arrive at the (international) break feeling good.”

Madrid’s win takes them second in the table with eight points, four behind early leaders Barcelona who eviscerated Real Valladolid 7-0 on Saturday to make it four wins from four in La Liga under new coach Hansi Flick.

Atletico Madrid are third after a late victory in Bilbao on Saturday while Villarreal are fourth, both of them also on eight points.

Girona are fifth after picking up their second win of the season in Seville.

Ivan Martin put Girona ahead in the 41st minute with Abel Ruiz wrapping up a 2-0 win over Sevilla with a penalty in the 73rd minute.

Goals from Carlos Vicente and Luka Romero gave Alaves a 2-0 win over Las Palmas while Osasuna are in seventh after an exciting 3-2 win at home against Celta Vigo.

Ante Budimir teed up Flavien Boyomo to put the home side ahead after 21 minutes but the lead was short-lived as Borja Iglesias levelled for Celta.

A Carlos Dominguez own goal just before the break put Osasuna back in front with Abel Bretones adding a third just after the hour.

Celta were reduced to 10 men when Alfonso Gonzalez was sent off four minutes from time but an own goal from Moi Gomez was small consolation in the last minute.

‘Deadpool’ leads again as N American box office closes summer strong

Entertainment

September 2, 2024

Film Review - Deadpool & Wolverine — This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson, left, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in a scene from "Deadpool & Wolverine." (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Deadpool & Wolverine led the North American box office again this weekend, taking in an estimated USD15.2 million and helping boost domestic August totals well above pre-pandemic levels for a strong summer finish, analysts said on Sunday.

The superhero comedy from Disney and Marvel has led domestic ticket sales nearly every weekend since its release six weeks ago, partly on the draw of popular stars (and pals) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Its domestic total now stands at USD603.8 million – making it only the 16th film to surpass the USD600 million mark, 11 of them produced by Walt Disney Studios, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

Sci-fi horror film Alien: Romulus, from Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, tallied a solid score of USD9.3 million in its third weekend to place second for the Friday-through-Sunday period.

Set decades after the original Alien, the franchise’s latest entry stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson as space colonists who have their own encounter with deadly xenomorphs.

Sony’s It Ends With Us, a romance drama based on the popular Colleen Hoover novel of the same name, had USD7.4 million in ticket sales to place third over the traditionally quiet US Labor Day weekend. Blake Lively stars and co-produced the film.

Reagan, a biopic about the 40th US president from ShowBiz Direct and MJM Entertainment, took in USD7.4 million, a “good domestic opening for a political biography,” said analyst David A. Gross, as approving audiences ignored tepid reviews.

Arriving by design as the race to be the 47th president rapidly heats up, the film – based on Paul Kengor’s book The Crusader – stars Dennis Quaid in a sympathetic treatment that traces Reagan’s arc from childhood to the Oval Office.

And in fifth place, Twisters – Universal’s follow-up to 1996’s popular Twister – garnered an estimated USD7.2 million in ticket sales. Glen Powell plays a charming down-home storm chaser intrigued by a mysteriously prescient rival (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as they are battered by an astonishing series of tornadoes.

The North American box office, hit first by COVID and then by strikes, started the summer slowly.

But strong showings by Deadpool, Alien, Inside Out 2 and Twisters have helped produce a dramatic reversal, and Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is expected to provide a further boost next weekend.

Gauff ends US Open title defence with 19 double-faults

Sports

September 2, 2024

Coco Gauff during the fourth round of the US Open. PHOTO: AP

NEW YORK (AP) – This is pretty much all anyone needs to know about defending champion Coco Gauff’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the US Open’s fourth round on Sunday: Gauff wound up with more double-faults, 19, than winners, 14.

It was the latest in a series of early-for-her exits in recent weeks, including bowing out in the third round at the Paris Olympics, then going 1-2 at hard-court tuneup events before arriving in New York.

“I feel like there’s 70 other players in the draw that would love to have the summer that I had, even though it’s (the) least, probably, (I’ve) done well during this time of the year,” said the No 3-seeded Gauff, who went 18-1 during the North American swing on hard courts 12 months ago, including the run to her first Grand Slam title. “So many people want to be in the fourth round. So many people want to make the Olympics. So many people want to be flag bearer. It’s perspective.”

The 20-year-old from Florida did fight her way back into the match with a four-game run in which she claimed 14 of 17 points and grabbed the second set.

“Had a little bit of a lull there,” said the 13th-seeded Navarro, an American who was 0-2 at the US Open until this year, “but I was able to regroup.”

Emma Navarro, of the United States, reacts after defeating Coco Gauff, of the United States, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 1, in New York. 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

After each of her past two contests in New York, Gauff headed back out onto the practice courts to work on her serve. That didn’t help much on Sunday, when she tied her career high for double-faults: She also had 19 in a loss at the 2020 French Open. Against Navarro, Gauff delivered a trio of double-faults in three different games. Eleven of the double-faults came in the final set alone.

Gauff attributed her problems to a mix of issues with her mechanics — “I go down on my left side a lot on my serve, and it’s something I’m aware of, but it’s tough in the moment to, I guess, try not to do it,” she explained — and in her mind.

“It’s sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing, because if I go out on the practice court right now, I would make, like, 30 serves in a row. I’ve done it before,” Gauff said. “I think it’s also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over when it comes. … But I definitely want to look at other things, because I don’t want to lose matches like this anymore.”

She finished with a total of 60 unforced errors — a whopping 29 on her forehand side.
The 23-year-old Navarro, who also eliminated Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, was far steadier on Sunday, although she still did have 35 unforced errors.

“It was a little bit of a battle of will there for a bit. But proud of just my effort today,” said Navarro, a US teammate of Gauff’s at the Paris Games. “I was able to stick in there through some tough moments.”

This result follows a third-round loss by defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic on Friday, meaning the lengthy droughts without anyone winning consecutive titles in New York will continue. The last woman to win at least two in a row was Serena Williams with three from 2012-14; the last man to do so was Roger Federer with five from 2004-08.
The player who stunned Djokovic, No 28 seed Alexei Popyrin, was trying to reach the quarterfinals when he faced No 20 Frances Tiafoe on Sunday night. The winner will play No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov, who held off Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 with 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams watching and offering a thumbs-up at match’s end.

Also moving on Saturday was No 12 Taylor Fritz, who beat three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Fritz’s quarterfinal opponent will be 2020 US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev, who got past Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

“I’m at the point now where I’m still happy to make quarterfinals, but I wouldn’t be happy with it ending here,” said Fritz, who has yet to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. “I definitely am at the point where I really want more than that.”

The Wimbledon win over Gauff earned Navarro, the 2021 NCAA singles champion for the University of Virginia, her first appearance in a major quarterfinal. Her second will come Tuesday in New York against No. 26 Paula Badosa, a 6-1, 6-2 winner against Wang Yafan.
That will give Navarro another chance to play at Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of a big crowd. She’d never hit a ball in the place until Sunday — and felt rather at ease, anyway.

“I’ve been out on big courts before, where I just felt totally overwhelmed and almost like it’s an out-of-body experience. But I didn’t feel like that today,” Navarro said. “I felt comfortable from the time I stepped out onto the court, which I was a little bit surprised about. I kind of had prepared myself for the worst, just in terms of feeling overwhelmed and nervous.”

Sure didn’t perform that way.

Gauff was the one who was unable to bring her best.

“I expect better, but at the end of the day it happened,” Gauff said, “and I know I can turn it around.”

Prepare for the worst

Features

September 2, 2024

Rescuers carry the body of a victim of a flash flood in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia. PHOTO: AP

BANGKOK (AP) – Southeast Asia is among the regions most prone to natural disasters, but a new analysis released on Thursday shows its people also feel the best equipped to deal with them.

It seems logical that the countries in and around the Pacific Ring of Fire, vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, storm surges and other dangers, are also the best prepared, but the survey by Gallup for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation shows that’s not always the case in other regions.

“Frequent exposure to hazard isn’t the only factor that determines how prepared people feel,” a research consultant with Gallup Benedict Vigers told The Associated Press.

The report found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has played a key role in disaster risk reduction, and Vigers said the region’s wider approach includes widespread and effective early-warning systems, scaled-up community approaches and regional cooperation, and good access to disaster finance.

“Southeast Asia’ success in feelings of disaster preparedness can be linked to its high exposure to disasters, its relatively high levels of resilience – from individual people to overall society, and the region’s approach to – and investment into – disaster risk management more broadly,” he said.

Forty per cent of people surveyed in Southeast Asia said they had experienced a natural disaster in the past five years, while a similar number – 36 per cent – in Southern Asia said the same.

But 67 per cent of Southeast Asians felt among the best prepared to protect their families and 62 per cent had emergency plans, while Southern Asians felt less ready, with 49 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

Respondents from North America, which is significantly less disaster-prone than Southeast Asia, said they only felt slightly less prepared, while those in Northern and Western Europe were in the middle of the pack.

The results from Southeast Asia, primarily made up of lower-middle-income countries, suggest wealth is not a deciding factor in disaster response and preparation, said Ed Morrow, senior campaigns manager for Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a British-based global safety charity.

Southeast Asia is “a region that clearly has much to teach the world in terms of preparing for disasters”, he said.

Globally, no country ranked higher than the Philippines for having experienced a natural disaster in the past five years, with 87 per cent of respondents saying they had.

It was also among the top four countries where the highest proportion of households have a disaster plan. All were in Southeast Asia: the Philippines (84 per cent), Vietnam (83 per cent), Cambodia (82 per cent) and Thailand (67 per cent), followed by the United States (62 per cent).

Those with the the lowest proportion were Egypt, Kosovo and Tunisia, all with seven per cent.

The data were drawn from the World Risk Poll, conducted every two years, with the main results from the 2023 survey published in June. Questions on disasters focused on natural hazards instead of conflicts or financial disasters, and excluded the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surveys were conducted of people aged 15 and above in 142 countries and based on telephone or face-to-face conversations with approximately 1,000 or more respondents in each country with the exception of China, where some 2,200 people were contacted online.

Margin of error ranged from plus or minus 2.2 to 4.9 percentage points, for an overall 95 per cent confidence level.

“It is our intention that this freely available data should be used by governments, regulators, businesses, non governmental organisations and international bodies to inform and target policies and interventions that make people safer,” Morrow said.

Unearthing Battambang’s hidden talents: Bringing art to remote villages

Features

September 2, 2024

ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show Chumnor Art founder Poy Chhunly’s art programme sessions in progress. PHOTO: THE PHNOM PENH POST

ANN/THE PHNOM PENH POST – In a serene nook of Bak Prea village, located in the secluded expanse of Cambodia’s Ek Phnom district within Battambang province, a young scholar is deeply engrossed in her sketchpad.

With deliberate strokes, she transforms the everything she sees into into intricate pencil lines and shapes on the page.

The scene, both unassuming and deeply meaningful, underscores the power and possibility of art – a power that has reached this rural locale through the initiatives of Chumnor Art founder Poy Chhunly and the visionary behind the ‘Art Journey to Remote Areas’ programme.

Chhunly, an artist hailing from Battambang, has a profound dedication to fostering creativity in disadvantaged communities and recognised the significant gap in access to art education in the rural parts of the country. His initiative offers a crucial opportunity by delivering art materials, instruction, and inspiration directly to children who might otherwise lack the means to discover their artistic abilities.

More than just a series of art classes, the effort is a holistic initiative designed to foster creativity, critical thinking and self-expression.

For Chhunly, these skills are essential tools for empowerment, enabling the younger generation to envision and contribute to a brighter future for their communities.

The programme is currently in its second session in the village, marking the seventh held in the province since its inception in January.

This ongoing effort reflects the project’s broader goals of reaching remote communities with limited access to art education. “The second session in Bak Prea village focuses on teaching the art of painting to children, using materials provided by art enthusiasts from Battambang and Phnom Penh,” said Chhunly.

During the first session, children were introduced to the basics of painting, with lessons centred around everyday objects familiar to their rural lives.

On September 1, two special activities took place, led by volunteer instructors, including a team specialising in water-based techniques.

“We taught the children how to mix colours, clean their brushes and care for their tools,” Chhunly shared.

“Afterward, they were encouraged to create their own paintings, with the entire day dedicated to artistic exploration.”

The children’s works were then carefully assessed to identify those who demonstrated the most skill, patience and creativity. The top performers were awarded prizes, including drawing books, crayon sets and pencil cases – an acknowledgment of their budding talent and a motivator for their continued artistic journey.

Chhunly’s decision to bring the programme to Bak Prea was driven by the area’s remoteness and the children’s limited opportunities to engage in art.

“We wanted to provide these children with the chance to explore art, a discipline they might not otherwise encounter,” he told The Post.

The challenges of reaching the village, particularly during the rainy season when roads become impassable, underscored the importance of bringing the class directly to the community.

The programme targets four districts in the province: Ek Phnom in the west, Thmor Koul in the south, and Banan and Moung Russey in the east.

In its first year, the initiative reached 500 children and youth. Of these, 100 have shown strong talent, while others continue to develop their skills.

Chhunly’s commitment to fostering artistic skill in Cambodia extends beyond this programme.

A graduate of a film school in France, he returned to Cambodia in 2014, bringing with him a passion for animation and filmmaking.

His short-animated film Revive won first prize at the 2007 Cambofest Film Festival and was showcased internationally.

Chhunly has also served as an animation teacher at Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) and directed the 1000 Hands Animation Studio.

In 2018, he launched Poy Studio, with dreams of creating independent films and eventually opening a film school in the province.

Hammamet beach rescue

Features

September 2, 2024

ABOVE & BELOW: Fresh sand being added to a beach in Tunisian tourist town of Hammamet; and a man walks next to rock armour, built to protect the coastline from erosion. PHOTO: AFP

HAMMAMET (AFP) – In Tunisia’s seaside town of Hammamet, bulldozers diligently shovel sand from a nearby desert onto a popular beach in an attempt to stop it from disappearing due to erosion.

“This beach is the postcard image of Hammamet,” said environmentalist Chiheb Ben Fredj peering nostalgically at the town’s iconic Yasmine beach.

“It has been seared in our minds since our childhood,” he added, as labourers worked to restore the central Tunisian waterfront to its former sandy glory.

Like many other coastal areas in North Africa, severe erosion has led to many of Hammamet’s sandy beaches vanishing in recent years, taking a toll on the holiday hotspot about 65 kilometres east of the capital Tunis.

Coastlines across the world are in a constant natural flux, with the seas claiming and depositing sediment.

But human activity, including coastal property development and offshore sand mining, significantly accelerates beach erosion.

Among other impacts, construction and coastal defences in one area can stop sediment from travelling along a coastline, leaving existing beaches deprived of new material.

Studies have also shown the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures and sea levels, exacerbate the phenomenon.

A digger spreads sand on a beach. PHOTO: AFP

People swim in Hammamet, about 65 kilometres southeast of Tunisia’s capital. PHOTO: AFP

In the Mediterranean, where the British National Oceanography Centre says sea levels have risen at a higher rate over the past 20 years than the entirety of the 20th Century, shorelines are changing rapidly.

The sea is also warming 20 per cent faster than the rest of the world, according to the United Nations.

Tunisia’s coastline has been a major asset for the Mediterranean country with a struggling economy, as it aims to host some 10 million tourists this year.

Tourism accounts for up to 14 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, providing tens of thousands of jobs in a country where unemployment tops 16 per cent and 40 per cent among young people.

Tunisia has already lost more than 90 kilometres of beaches to erosion, according to official figures from last year.

Of the country’s 570 kilometres of sandy beaches suitable for swimming, 190 kilometres are at imminent risk of disappearing, according to Tunisian reports.

A majority of the beaches most affected by erosion are located near cities.

Tunisia’s environmental groups, as well as the government’s Coastal Protection and Development Agency (APAL), blame the rapid erosion mostly on human activity and construction on the coast, which they say is further aggravated by climate change.

“Construction projects have not been designed to respect coastal dynamics,” an APAL official told AFP.

To save the Hammamet beach, one of Tunisia’s worst-affected according to the World Bank, authorities last month began trucking in around 750 lorry loads filled with sand from the inland desert province of Kairouan, about 110 kilometres away.

APAL, which operates under the environment ministry, was in a race against time to refill the beach before the peak of tourist season.

But while the rebuilding of beaches, known as beach nourishment, may be a quick fix, “it’s not a sustainable solution”, said Ben Fredj.

“This sand may not last long,” added the secretary general of the Environmental Education Association.

“It can be swallowed in a few days in the event of a storm”, he said, as was the case in the summer of 2023.

The process can also prove expensive.

Coastal authorities estimated the cost of restoring sand to three beaches in Hammamet, Monastir and Sfax at TND3.9 million (USD1.25 million).

But for locals, restoring their priceless seafront is worth the money.

The Yasmine beach “is a showcase for Hammamet”, said Narjess Bouasker, who runs the town’s Menara hotel and leads the regional hotel federation.

“We must take back our beach that the sea has swallowed,” she said, calling for a balance between safeguarding the landscape, cherished by locals and foreign visitors alike, and fighting coastal erosion.

“For us, the priority is not to touch the beauty of the city,” she said.

Bouasker said she has seen increasing awareness among authorities, but refilling beaches with sand is still a gamble.

“We don’t know how the sea will react”, she added.

Singapore, China conduct bilateral navy exercise

Southeast Asia

September 2, 2024

The Republic of Singapore Navy’s Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart is being used in the Exercise Maritime Cooperation exercise. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – The bilateral exercise between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) which began yesterday, continues until September 5.

Exercise Maritime Cooperation is running for the third time since its inauguration in 2015. The Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart will be used in the exercise, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in a statement yesterday.

In an earlier statement on August 29, Mindef said personnel from both navies will engage in exercises such as gunnery firing, helicopter cross-deck landing and familiarisation of voice procedures for simulated firings.

RSS Stalwart will also observe the conduct of various tasks by the PLA Navy ships, such as vessel boarding and mine clearance.

The RSN fleet commander, Rear-Admiral Kwan Hon Chuong, said the exercise demonstrates the strong and friendly defence relationship between both countries.

“This exercise has consistently provided invaluable opportunities for our navies to learn from each other, build mutual trust and understanding, and forge friendships,” he added.

The exercise underscores the longstanding, warm and friendly bilateral defence relationship between both countries, added Mindef. “Besides bilateral exercises, the two armed forces also interact regularly through exchanges, mutual visits and the cross-attendance of courses.”

Riding new trails

Features

September 2, 2024

ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show mountain bikers speeding down the Epic Bikepark Leogang, Austria. PHOTO: AFP

LEOGANG (AFP) – Mountain bikers hurried on a summer day to catch the last gondola up the mountain at one of Austria’s top Alpine resorts, loading their bikes onto racks usually reserved for skis.

Leogang-Saalbach is one of many Alpine resorts betting on warm weather activities, as rising temperatures and dwindling snow have pushed Austria to invest in alternatives to winter sports.

Bikers from all over Europe are flocking to the Salzburg region in western Austria to race down the steep slopes.

“It’s just fantastic. Such kind of mountains and slopes, we just don’t have them” in Estonia, 51-year-old mountain biker Jonas Ritson said of his home nation before hitting a downhill trail.

Since the pandemic, the economic significance of summer seasons has “slightly outweighed” winter seasons in the country, said senior economist at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) Oliver Fritz.

Traditionally summer and winter have both been responsible for about half of the tourist industry’s annual revenue.

But following the pandemic, the percentage has tipped toward summer, with the warm season in 2023 bringing in over half of the EUR29.5 billion (USD31.9 billion) the industry generated, Fritz added.

ABOVE & BELOW: Mountain bikers stand at the ramp of the bikepark; and a view of the surroundings. PHOTO: AFP

Bikers have also become the second largest group of summer tourists in Austria after hikers, according to a survey, rising from 22 per cent before the pandemic to 27 per cent in 2023.

According to a joint report by the weather services of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, last year’s winter season in the Alps was “characterised by exceptionally mild temperatures”, marking the second-warmest winter in Austria since records began in 1851.
Less snowy winters have threatened the existence of Austria’s famed ski resorts.

“Climate change has caused tourist destinations to rethink and pick up on trends, such as mountain biking,” said sports economist at the University of Innsbruck Martin Schnitzer.

Austria’s government is aiming to meet the rising demand for legal mountain bike trails by formulating a plan to sign more contracts with landowners including forest owners, who currently restrict access.

Austria’s rules, formulated nearly 50 years ago, include a default ban on biking across land unless the owner gives explicit approval.

Developing a nationwide strategy is “long overdue”, economist Schnitzer said.

Bikers can be fined up to EUR730 (about USD800) for trespassing, but there have been disputes where claims have ballooned to “several thousand euros”, said Rene Sendlhofer-Schag of Austria’s Alpine Club, which is involved in the strategy.

“There is no other country across the Alps, if not in Europe, where a sport is sweepingly excluded in such a manner,” he said.

The government will look to resorts like Leogang-Saalbach that have managed to become an all-year-round destination.

Its famous bike park – which regularly hosts mountain biking world cup races – was the first of its kind in Austria when it was established in 2001.

Austria hosts more than two dozen bike parks and trail centres.

But reaching an agreement with several local landowners was necessary to make the park happen, managing director of the resort’s network of mountain cable cars, Kornel Grundner, told AFP.

And the foresight seems to have paid off.

Over the last 10 years the bike park has seen an increase of almost “70 per cent in terms of first-time visitors” to 260,000 last year, 53-year-old Grundner said.

Economist Fritz hopes the government strategy will provide a much-needed framework “to ensure the tolerable coexistence” of all parties.

“Mountain biking brings with it a lot of potential for conflict, since landowners, forestry, hunters and hikers are not always happy with bikers,” he said.

A conflict well known to Swiss biker Isabella Hummel, who was visiting Leogang.

Thailand’s Democrat joins Thaksin-linked party

Southeast Asia

September 2, 2024

ANN/THE STAR – Thailand’s oldest political party will join the ruling coalition led by former rival Pheu Thai Party, as new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra finalises her Cabinet lineup.

The Democrat Party will nominate its leader Chalermchai Sri-On and secretary-general Dej-Is Khaothong as ministers in Paetongtarn’s yet-to-be announced Cabinet, Chalermchai told reporters.

Twenty-five Democrat lawmakers in the House of Representatives will help Pheu Thai cushion the loss of the support of 40 members of the pro-military Palang Pracharath party that was excluded earlier this week from the ruling bloc.

With the addition of Democrat Party, the coalition will command the support of about 300 lawmakers in the 500-member elected chamber.

An alliance between the Shinawatra clan, which controls Pheu Thai, and Democrat Party brings an end to a bitter political rivalry dating back at least two decades.

The Democrat Party had long opposed various parties linked to Paetongtarn’s father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom it had accused of cronyism, populism and corruption.

Each side has seen their supporters engage in street protests and sometimes deadly clashes with authorities during different periods of turmoil in Thailand that ended in two military coups.

Paetongtarn became prime minister on August 16, after Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin was disqualified for ethics violations by a court ruling after less than a year in power.

Paetongtarn’s ministerial candidates are still being vetted in a government formation process that’s expected to take until mid-September, according to Phumtham Wechayachai, one of Srettha’s deputy prime ministers who is acting in the leader’s capacity.

Phumtham is likely to be appointed defence minister, according to local newspaper Thaksettakij.

The expected roster of the 36-member Cabinet will also likely include new names, including Pichai Naripthaphan as commerce minister, it said.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

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