SYDNEY (XINHUA) – Health authorities in Australia’s most populous state have urged people at risk of contracting mpox to get vaccinated amid a spike in cases.
New South Wales (NSW) Health yesterday reported that there have been 433 confirmed cases of mpox in the state since June 1, the largest outbreak in NSW since its first case of the infectious disease was confirmed in May 2022.
Of those cases, 37 per cent were fully inoculated – having received two doses of a vaccine – 14 per cent had received one dose and 46 per cent were not vaccinated.
“The rapidly rising numbers of mpox cases detected across the state are very concerning, with 26 people requiring hospitalisation due to the severity of their symptoms,” NSW’s chief health officer Kerry Chant said in a statement.
She said that no cases of the fast-spreading clade 1b strain of mpox that has been circulating in Africa are detected in Australia.
A scenic lookout point on the west bank of Lake Songkhla. PHOTO: SAM CHEONG
ANN/THE STAR – Hatyai, one of Southern Thailand’s largest cities, is a popular destination, known for its delicious cuisine and lively shopping scene.
For cyclists, Hatyai is a gateway to many southern destinations. One highly recommended route is the 28 kilometres (km) ride to the picturesque coastal town of Songkhla, an ideal trip for first-time riders.
This popular route can be completed in a day, with more adventurous cyclists choosing to explore the port town further.
Starting on Route 414 towards Songkhla, you’ll find wide roads with ample space for cyclists, along with many petrol stations offering rest stops, coffee shops, and convenience stores. The ride to Songkhla takes about three hours by bike.
Once in Songkhla, you can detour to Ko Yo island via the Tinsulanonda Bridge or continue on the coastal Route 408 towards Nakhon Si Thammarat. This route is favoured by long-distance cyclists making the 920km journey to Bangkok.
Exploring Songkhla’s old town along Route 407 is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the local culture. To save on costs on accommodations, consider booking in advance and avoiding peak seasons.
Don’t miss the old town’s pre-war buildings, showcasing Chinese architectural influences, or the local museum chronicling the history of the Chinese community.
Another highlight is the Mermaid of Samila Beach, an iconic monument facing the South China Sea, accessible via a scenic bike ride. The beach area is also home to numerous seafood restaurants.
Cycling around Songkhla is a great way to avoid the usual traffic congestion. The town offers excellent street food at night markets, with delicious stir-fried dishes.
With a moderate ride from Hatyai to Songkhla, you can visit key attractions and savour local cuisine all within a day.
After a night in Songkhla, it’s advisable to head back to Hatyai before sunrise. If you’re on a folding bike and prefer not to cycle back, chartered vans or commuter buses are available. Spend a night in Hatyai for an enjoyable vacation. – Sam Cheong
A scenic lookout point on the west bank of Lake Songkhla. PHOTO: SAM CHEONGFishing boats moored at Songkhla’s pier. PHOTO: SAM CHEONG
Israeli security personnel inspect the area around the Tel Aviv apartment building where a drone hit. PHOTO: AFP
SANAA (AFP) – Huthi rebels yesterday said they carried out a drone attack on Tel Aviv, although there was no direct confirmation from Israeli authorities.
In a statement, the Huthis said they “carried out a military operation targeting a vital target in the Jaffa (Tel Aviv) area in occupied Palestine with a number of Jaffa drones.
“The operation achieved its goals successfully as the drones reached their targets without the enemy being able to confront or shoot them down”.
The Israeli military said it intercepted “a suspicious aerial target” off central Israel overnight, without giving further details. On Wednesday, the Huthis claimed to have fired cruise missiles at Israel.
Last week, the rebels said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli air strikes on Yemen including the vital port of Hodeida.
Since November, they have been attacking ships off Yemen’s coast in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in what they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Israeli security personnel inspect the area around the Tel Aviv apartment building where a drone hit. PHOTO: AFP
File photo show demonstrators during a protest in Ermua against Partido Popular councillor Miguel Angel Blanco’s death at the hands of armed Basque group ETA. PHOTO: AFP
MADRID (AFP) – A Spanish court on Wednesday closed a probe into the alleged role of a former Basque separatist group leader in the 1997 murder of a politician that traumatised Spain, citing the statute of limitations.
A judge in July 2022 formally named Maria Soledad Iparraguirre, a member of the now-defunct armed Basque separatist group ETA, as a suspect on charges of “terrorist kidnapping and murder” after she was identified in a police report as a leader in the ETA’s executive committee at the time of the assassination.
The decision was announced almost 25 years after ETA militants snatched Miguel Angel Blanco, a local councillor with the right-wing Popular Party (PP), on July 10, 1997.
They gave the government 48 hours to meet their demands but when the deadline expired, they shot the 29-year-old twice in the head and dumped him. He died a day later.
His murder shocked Spain, sparking mass nationwide protests that ended up being a turning point in the fight against the ETA.
The police report said Iparraguirre, alias “Anboto”, along with two other members of the ETA’s executive at the time, had “sufficient power” to ensure that Blanco was not kidnapped and to “prevent” his execution and “order his release”.
But Spain High Court, the country’s top criminal court, dropped its probe, arguing too much time has passed since her alleged crimes were committed.
The court said that while Spanish law was reformed in 2010 so that the statute of limitations no longer applies to “terrorist crimes resulting in death”, this could not be applied retroactively to crimes dating from 1997. Iparraguirre and the other two members of the ETA’s executive are now in their 60s and have spent several years behind bars for the bloodshed committed while part of the group.
The ETA is estimated to have killed 853 people during its decades-long campaign for Basque independence, which began in 1959 under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. The group announced a permanent ceasefire in 2011 and formally disbanded in 2018.
File photo show demonstrators during a protest in Ermua against Partido Popular councillor Miguel Angel Blanco’s death at the hands of armed Basque group ETA. PHOTO: AFP
It took nature millions of years to form the neat rows of slabbed rocks.
PHOTO : OUTDOOR TEAM MALAYSIA
ANN/THE STAR – It’s a three-hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Maran, Pahang, followed by a three-hour hike along a well-maintained jungle trail. The journey to Jeram Pelangi (Rainbow Falls), near Kampong Kuala Sentul, is certainly worth the effort.
Rainbow Falls flows from a 600-metre (m) hill, with the base camp located about 300m above sea level.
Satellite images show that the 30,000 hectares (ha) surrounding the hill are untouched virgin jungle, free from oil palm plantations or logging trails. Licensed jungle guide Suhairy Ismail assures that the three-hour hike is manageable for most visitors.
“There will be no clambering up steep hills. It is a well-made trail and more like a leisurely walk,” he said.
Upon reaching the base camp, phone signals and Internet connections are hit-or-miss.
Some people find spots with connectivity, while others don’t. However, this trip offers a chance to commune with nature, featuring three waterfalls and two sections of rapids.
Suhairy and his team organise a 2D1N camping trip to Jeram Pelangi during the relatively drier South-West Monsoon. The fee includes the bus ride from Kuala Lumpur, permits, fees for local guides, a ride in four-wheel-drive vehicles, open tents, meals, first aid, and personal accident insurance.
It took nature millions of years to form the neat rows of slabbed rocks. PHOTO : OUTDOOR TEAM MALAYSIAJeram Pelangi (Rainbow Falls). PHOTO : OUTDOOR TEAM MALAYSIA
“Participants can bring their own tents instead of sleeping in the open tents. Some even like to bring their own camp stoves and light rations like beverages and instant noodles.
“Just remember that this is a jungle hike-camping trip, so plan your gear well to avoid being over-burdened with a heavy backpack,” advised Suhairy.
The base camp has toilet facilities but no electricity, so bringing a power bank for your camera and light sources is essential.
Once you reach the waterfalls, you’ll see why the trip is worth it. Jeram Kawah (Crater Falls) is adorned with naturally-slabbed rock faces, the result of millions of years of sedimentation and pressure. For photographers, these slabbed rock faces offer unique natural perspective lines for photo compositions, rarely found elsewhere in Malaysia.
Next is Rainbow Falls itself, standing 50m tall. The mist created by the tumbling water casts an intense rainbow under the sun.
“Local guides, along with cooks, will prepare meals and carry rations, allowing participants to focus on enjoying the experience without worrying too much about camp chores,” said Suhairy.
According to him, these falls were the “best kept secrets” of the villagers in the valley for generations.
In 2008, they became known to the Pahang government, which helped villagers leverage them as a source of eco-tourism income. – Arnold Loh
United States (US) President Joe Biden with first responders after touring areas impacted by Hurricane Helene at South Carolina airport in the US. PHOTO: AP
AFP – United States (US) President Joe Biden on Wednesday witnessed Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic destruction firsthand and Vice President Kamala Harris distributed aid to needy families, as thousands of federal responders joined all-out efforts to rescue residents and care for millions in the disaster.
Biden flew into the Carolinas and his deputy headed to Georgia after Harris’ election rival Donald Trump sought to turn their handling of the disaster – which has left at least 162 people dead in six states – into campaign fodder.
Biden arrived in South Carolina and was briefed on the sprawling rescue and recovery effort – an operation featuring more than 10,000 federal officials, emergency responders and National Guard across the US southeast.
He then flew by helicopter over the flood-hit city of Asheville, North Carolina, where destruction was visible from the air, including collapsed bridges, lakes filled with debris, buildings demolished and roads washed away.
“What I saw was heartbreaking,” Biden said on X.
“But back on the ground, we’re witnessing neighbours helping neighbours, volunteers and workers standing side-by-side, people leaning on each other. That’s America.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, travelling with the president, described Helene as a storm of “historic strength” that brought calamitous flooding to cities and remote mountain communities.
“We have towns that have disappeared, literally,” he said. “This is a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year recovery.”
Biden, who has approved major disaster declarations in several states, announced the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to North Carolina to help “speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies” including food, water and medicine to isolated communities.
While getting briefed in the state, he spoke of Washington’s obligation to provide help. “In a moment like this we put politics aside,” he said.
“The nation has your back.” But he also warned how climate change is increasing the severity and frequency of extreme weather events.
“Nobody can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore, at least I hope they don’t,” Biden said. Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee for the November 5 election, flew separately to the state of Georgia, which has also been badly hit.
She visited an emergency operations centre in Augusta before surveying a neighbourhood that suffered what she called “extraordinary” devastation.
United States (US) President Joe Biden with first responders after touring areas impacted by Hurricane Helene at South Carolina airport in the US. PHOTO: APUS Vice President Kamala Harris talks with people impacted by Hurricane Helene in Georgia. PHOTO: AP
ANN/THE STAR – There are simple ways to squeeze in a quick workout without needing any special equipment – just a staircase or bench will do.
For those who dislike traditional exercise, this is an easy way to get started. You may not break a sweat, but you’ll still burn some calories and target those pesky “jiggles”.
The exercise is called a step-up: all you do is step up and down while alternating legs – and no, it’s not the same as climbing stairs.
The exercise is literally called a step-up – take a step up and down while alternating legs – and no, this is not the same as climbing stairs.
This simple exercise is suitable for all fitness levels, and if you’re indeed crunched for time, even a minute at a time, done four times throughout the day, will enable you to reap some benefits.
You can get a fantastic aerobic workout by doing step-ups with no or light weights, increasing speed and duration.
Or it can be a strength-training workout that targets the leg and gluteal muscles.
If you do them consistently, you should see a toned bottom half within weeks.
For those with balance problems, it can help with stabilisation and proprioception (the perception or awareness of your body’s position and movement), as you are required to control your balance as you move up and down, forward and back.
An added bonus: it strengthens the legs individually, building equal strength in each one.
Physiotherapists sometimes use it as part of a knee rehabilitation programme.
A lower step works the quadriceps (thigh muscles) more, while a higher step works the hamstrings (back of thighs) and gluteals more.
Ideally, beginners should start with a step height about six to eight inches (15.2 to 20.3 centimetres) until they get used to the movement.
While it looks seemingly easy, do watch out for these common mistakes to minimise your risk of injury:
– When you step up, make sure your knees don’t go past the toes, which then puts a lot of stress on the knee joint.
– The knee of the leading leg should be aligned directly over the first and second toes, and not sway to the right or left.
– The whole foot should be placed flat on the step and not hang halfway out, ie the heel shouldn’t be off the step nor should you be balancing on the balls of your foot.
– Don’t grip your toes.
– The foot that is being placed on the step first should be doing all the work, not the foot that is trailing.
– Pushing off from the second leg reduces the load on the leading leg, which isn’t the goal.
– You can lean forward slightly, especially if the step is high, but avoid hunching or rounding the back.
– Keep your abdominal muscles engaged at all times. – Revathi Murugappan
A scene from DreamWorks Animation's ‘Wild Robot’. PHOTO: AP
AP – Filmmaker Chris Sanders had finally cracked The Wild Robot.
Peter Brown’s middle-grade book, about an intelligent robot living in the wilderness, had been sitting on the shelf at DreamWorks Animation for a bit. No one had quite figured it out. Then Sanders, the man behind beloved animated features from Lilo & Stitch to How to Train Your Dragon, came along.
His vision, however, was different from the norm: The story started without zippy dialogue and didn’t follow traditional beats. He also wanted to embrace a more illustrated style that melded analog warmth with computer generated imagery capabilities, which was finally technologically possible. Before he got too deep, he needed to make sure the studio was on board.
“They said, ‘That’s the reason we bought the book. We want to do something different’,” Sanders said. “One of the great strengths of DreamWorks is they’re willing to try new things. To everybody’s credit, they stayed the course.”
And it’s already paying off. The Wild Robot opened No 1 in theatres nationwide this weekend, riding in on a wave of critical acclaim. Sanders didn’t know it at the time but something bigger was at play too: The Wild Robot would be released coinciding with the studio’s 30th anniversary.
It wasn’t so long ago that DreamWorks was the new kid on the block. The upstart, founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, was in October 1994 the first new studio in 60 years. Since their first animated release (Antz, in 1998), DreamWorks Animation has released 49 feature films that have grossed more than USD17 billion at the box office. They have major franchises, including Shrek, which became the first best animated feature Oscar winner, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, originals and Emmy-winning television series.
A scene from DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Wild Robot’. PHOTO: APPresident of DreamWorks Animation Margie Cohn; Director of ’The Wild Robot’ Chris Sanders; and chief creative officer of Features Kristin Lowe during a DreamWorks Animation campus celebration of the film’s release in Glendale, California in the United States. PHOTO: AP
Animation continues to be a major force at the box office. This year there are already three animated films in the top 10 global earners: Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (USD1.6 billion), Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 (USD953.3 million) and DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 4 (USD549.1 million). Post-theatrical, too, animated movies are regularly among the top performers on streaming services. Their wildly popular preschool series Gabby’s Dollhouse was the sixth-most-viewed streaming original series in 2023.
“Every studio has its ups and downs, but their franchises really spoke to me,” said Margie Cohn, who was named DreamWorks Animation president in 2019. “They never spoke down to kids, they were movies that were made for the entire family. And they respected animation not as a genre, but as a theatrical experience.”
A veteran of Nickelodeon, Cohn was recruited by Katzenberg in 2013 to build the DWA Television department where she saw opportunities in groundbreaking partnerships with streaming companies like Netflix. Three years into her tenure, DWA, then essentially an independent studio, was acquired by NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast Corp, for USD3.8 billion. Universal also has the animation studio Illumination under its banner. DWA and Illumination (think Minions and Despicable Me) mostly operate separately, with Shrek as the one crossover. In her new role, Cohn oversees both film and television properties.
“You don’t come to the studio and then suddenly you have a slate. You have to build the slate, and it takes years,” Cohn said. “We just needed to get back to those roots.”
The Wild Robot is a key part of that equation, different visually and thematically from what came before and what’s coming. Next year has three films on the schedule: Dog Man, based on Dav Pilkey’s graphic novels about a police officer and dog who become one after an injury, The Bad Guys 2 and Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. Then, in July 2026, they plan to release the first new Shrek movie in over 15 years.
The diversity of the slate, the appeal to different audience segments from pre-school age on up and the lack of house style, Cohn said, are a great signifier of the ambition of the studio.
“It’s still an event for a family to go to the movies, but you have to give them a reason to go,” Cohn said. “The bar for theatrical has gotten higher, but that makes us better. It raises the bar for us too.”
Critics and audiences have noticed the care taken with The Wild Robot, which is already in the Oscar conversation. Sanders collaborated more closely with his actors than ever before, including star Lupita Nyong’o, who had the difficult task of voicing a robot, ROZZUM unit 7134, or Roz for short, who has an emotional arc.
“There’s a timelessness to it and I loved the core message of kindness being a survival tactic and that sometimes you have to go beyond your programming,” Nyong’o said. “But I wanted to know that he was looking for a collaborator not an executor.”
Sanders is certain the film wouldn’t be nearly what it is without the thoughtfulness she applied to “deconstructing the architecture of Roz’s mind”.
Animation technology also allowed more human involvement on the project than he’s had since Lilo & Stitch, which came out 22 years ago.
“Every square inch of this film is painted by a matte painter: Every tree, every ground plane, every rock, every flower is a stroke made by a human being,” Sanders said. “I started in animation when everything was hand-drawn and painted, and then CGI came along and we got so many wonderful things, including the ability to change lenses and move the camera in space. But then we lost touch with a lot of the analog warmth we used to get. Now we put all that stuff back and kept all the wonderful things that we got along the way. It’s a very exciting time.”
Another interesting thing happened to those involved with The Wild Robot. Nobody wanted it to end.
“Usually, even if you love the movie, you’re proud of it, you’re ready to be done after three or four years. But that wasn’t the case in this instance,” Sanders said. “Everybody went into this forest and fell in love with it and fell in love with the characters and the story.”
While no sequels have officially been announced, The Wild Robot is a three-book series and Sanders is eager to jump back into the forest. Animation, he said, has come out of a tunnel where they’re freer to maneuver stylistically than they have been for decades; He’s extremely optimistic about the possibilities. DreamWorks Animation is as well.
“We are really proud of where we are today at our 30th anniversary, and we have enormous hope for the future,” Cohn said. “We’re excited about the originals still and we hope and believe that audiences will be, too. So, we’re going to forge forward with originals as well as wildly imagined franchises and hopefully it’ll take us into another 30 years.” – Lindsey Bahr
Customers at a store in southeastern Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
XINHUA – South Korea’s export of agricultural and food products rose in the first nine months of this year due to strong demand from the United States (US) and Europe, government data showed yesterday.
Outbound shipment of locally-made food and farm produce grew 8.3 per cent to USD7.31 billion during the January-September period compared to the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The agri-food products export to the US expanded 20.8 per cent to USD1.16 billion in the cited period, and shipment to Europe surged 27.4 per cent to USD506.1 million.
Export to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) added five per cent to USD1.4 billion, but shipment to Japan declined 6.9 per cent to USD1.02 billion.
By item, instant noodle shipment spiked 29.6 per cent to USD903.8 million in the nine-month period, while export for processed rice products soared 41.6 per cent to USD217.9 million.
Export for confectionery and beverage increased in double figures to USD560.7 million and USD505.7 million each.
Customers at a store in southeastern Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
ANN/THE NATION – India’s resumption of rice exports last month has severely impacted Thai exporters, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA).
TREA President Chookiat Ophaswongse noted that India’s return, coupled with the Thai baht reaching a 30-month high of 32.37 per US dollar on September 30, has weakened the competitiveness of Thai rice exporters, reducing their revenues by THB3-4 per dollar.
The wholesale price of Thai white rice (five per cent) has also plummeted from THB22 per kilo at the start of the year to THB16-16.5 per kilo. The price drop has also affected Thai paddy rice (25 per cent moisture), with farm gate prices falling from THB10,000 per tonne during India’s export ban to just THB8,000-9,000 as of September 30.
The falling prices of Thai rice are expected to decline further as Thai exporters seek to remain competitive amid the influx of Indian white rice following the year-long export halt. In addition to India, Thailand is facing stiff competition from Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Cambodia, whose lower production prices, higher yields and weaker currencies give them a pricing advantage.
“Global trade in rice is likely to be subdued in the first week or two after India resumed exports, with buyers taking a wait-and-see approach to assess price trends,” Chookiat said.
He also noted that global rice production is forecast to rise next year, driven by increased rainfall from La Niña.
The increase in production is expected to see rice-importing countries reduce imports. The United States Department of Agriculture predicts that Indonesia will cut annual imports from four million tonnes to just 1.5 million tonnes next year. These negative factors are projected to drive down Thai rice exports from 8.5-8.7 million tonnes this year to around six million tonnes in 2025.
Meanwhile, India, the world’s number one rice exporter, is expected to export 18-19 million tonnes this year and even more in 2025. Vietnam is also poised to overtake Thailand as the world’s second-largest rice exporter as it shifts its export strategy to premium rice, including fragrant and soft varieties that fetch higher prices.
