Philippine soldiers take position on a beach during a joint exercise between Australian and Philippine troops. PHOTO: AFP
SAN ANTONIO (AFP) – Australian and Filipino troops held exercises yesterday with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailing them as an “extremely important” example of close cooperation.
“Considering that there have been so many events that attest to the volatility of the region, this kind of exercise, this kind of close strategic cooperation between countries around the region is extremely important,” Marcos told reporters.
“It is an important aspect of how we prepare for any eventuality,” he said of the drills, which he watched with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
The air, sea and land drills, the first major joint exercise by the two countries, simulated retaking an enemy-controlled island.
About 1,200 Australian soldiers and 560 Filipino marines stormed a beach during the exercise, arriving in amphibious assault vehicles, by parachute and aboard United States Osprey aircraft.
Two advanced Australian F-35 fighter jets provided close air support, and Australian warships secured the surrounding waters.
“We are committed to an idea of a world in which disputes are determined by reference to international law, and what we will do is bring our military capability to enhance the rules-based order,” Marles said at a news conference later.
“Peace is maintained through the protection of the global rules-based order,” he said, warning that order was now “under pressure”.
Marles and his Filipino counterpart Gilberto Teodoro also issued a joint statement on yesterday indicating their intent to plan bilateral joint patrols.
Those expanded bilateral activities could eventually include “other countries committed to sustaining peace and security in our region,” they said. The Philippines hosted a meeting this week with its fellow members in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to negotiate a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
Philippine soldiers take position on a beach during a joint exercise between Australian and Philippine troops. PHOTO: AFP
Family members and supporters of the victims who died in a stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium march in Malang. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
MALANG (AFP) – Indonesia’s Supreme Court has overturned the acquittal of two policemen accused of negligence that led to one of the deadliest stadium disasters in football history, jailing them in a decision criticised on Thursday by victims’ families as too lenient.
The crush in the city of Malang last October killed 135 people – including more than 40 children – after police fired tear gas into packed stands following a 3-2 defeat for Arema FC by their fierce East Javan rivals Persebaya Surabaya.
Victims’ relatives had voiced despair and broke down in tears after an East Java court ruled in March to let the two Malang officers walk free.
But court documents shared with AFP said the pair – Bambang Sidik Achmadi, 48, and Wahyu Setyo Pranoto, 35 – had been found guilty on Wednesday of negligence causing death and injury.
The ruling came after state prosecutors filed an appeal to challenge the earlier acquittal, the documents showed.
Achmadi was sentenced to two years in prison while Pranoto was handed a two-and-a-half-year jail term.
Family members and supporters of the victims who died in a stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium march in Malang. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
But family members of people who died at Kanjuruhan Stadium said the decision was not harsh enough.
“It’s a joke again. It’s unfair. It’s just like being punished for stealing a cow,” Cholifatul Nur, who lost her 15-year-old son Jofan in the stampede, told AFP.
“The families of the victims are angry and disappointed,” the 40-year-old mother added.
Prosecutors claimed Pranoto ignored FIFA’s regulation prohibiting the use of tear gas at football matches, while Achmadi was accused of ordering his subordinates to fire tear gas.
“We already lost our respect because they were charged with negligence and not murder,” Imam Hidayat, a lawyer for a family who lost two teenagers in the stampede, told AFP on Thursday.
The maximum sentence for non-premeditated murder in Indonesia is 15 years in prison.
But rights groups said the ruling provided a semblance of justice for grieving relatives.
“The Supreme Court’s decision brings new hope for the families of the 135 victims and those who were injured in the Kanjuruhan Tragedy to get justice,” Amnesty International Indonesia deputy director Wirya Adiwena said in a statement.
He said the ruling should be used as a start to “overcome the culture of impunity” in cases of violence by security forces.
ABOVE & BELOW: Lim Sir Woei working on art pieces. PHOTO: THE STAR
ANN/THE STAR – In anticipation of the upcoming Malaysian independence day, Merdeka, celebrations on August 31, Lim Sir Woei, a 20-year-old art student with autism, has embarked on a heartwarming endeavour to commemorate the nation’s 66th year of independence.
The college student, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, has crafted a series of art pieces that encapsulate the essence of unity and harmony.
The collection includes the five-page Malaysian Kidz Colouring Book, 18-page Malaysia Kidz: 5 Stories In 1 comic book, postcards, tote bag and clay figurines.
“I want my creations to embody the essence of harmony, where people of different races and backgrounds come together in unity,” said Lim, who exhibited her works at Nakseni’s art event at Muzium Telekom in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Nakseni is an initiative that celebrates the talents of gifted youth, including those with autism, deafness and spinal muscular atrophy. The company organises pop-up stores at bazaars to promote art merchandise created by people with disabilities.
Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects social communication and behaviour. Although it is a neurological condition, many individuals with autism possess unique talents and interests.
With early intervention and support, many individuals can shine in their respective areas of interest, showcasing their abilities and contributing positively to society.
ABOVE & BELOW: Lim Sir Woei working on art pieces. PHOTO: THE STARPHOTO: THE STARABOVE & BELOW: Some of Lim’s artworks. PHOTO: THE STARPHOTO: THE STAR
Lim, who is pursuing a Diploma in Illustration at the Malaysian Institute of Art, was diagnosed with autism when she was three. As a high functioning person with autism, her disability has not hindered her determination to create meaningful art.
Her love for art and crafting with her hands is apparent in her work. She finds solace in expressing her creativity through various artistic mediums, allowing her to transcend communication barriers and connect with others on a deeper level.
“The more I think about it, the more I realise that diverse and interracial interactions bring about a lot of benefits. It makes our lives more interesting too.
“At times, people do not want to give interracial interactions a chance. And that’s where art comes in. I learned that art is considered a form of communication. I think what people need is a frame of reference to connect with different communities,” explained Lim, who has been working on her creations since 2020.
Lim’s tiny clay figurines are crafted into keychains, paperweights and name card holders. Each figurine was made using air dry clay, polymer clay and paper clay. They were meticulously created with attention to detail, signifying her dedication to promoting a sense of national pride and belonging among Malaysians.
“Usually, my art style is described as cute, simple, cartoonish and sometimes, beautiful. But I am practising to diversify my drawing skills so my art style can look different in different projects,” said Lim, who works mainly with watercolours.
She has also just printed copies of her five-page colouring book, priced at MYR2 each, which features illustrations of children from different races.
“When I first started on this series of artwork, I did it as a form of entertainment. I am trying to work on little projects, on things that I can be proud of.
“My objective is to bring cheer and happiness to children. By working on multiple projects and putting it out in public, like on social media and participating in bazaars, I can improve my talent in the long run,” explained Lim.
Lim, who aspires to be an animation artist, promotes her art merchandise on Instagram and Facebook.
Her hand-drawn postcards, sold at MYR2 each, feature vibrant illustrations of Malaysians from different ethnicities, celebrating festivals like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali.
With 400 copies of Malaysia Kidz: 5 Stories in 1 sold and additional earnings from her other paintings, Lim is saving for her college fund and future.
Her mother Loh Sow Mei, 54, is proud of her youngest daughter’s talents. And by showcasing Lim’s work, she is slowly moving towards highlighting the talents of people with disabilities.
“By selling her art merchandise, we’re not just saving for her future, we’re investing in her confidence and independence. This initiative is a reminder that individuals with autism possess extraordinary talents that deserve recognition. Hopefully we can build a society that embraces diversity and empowers every unique voice,” she said.
Loh, a nurse, added that early intervention for children with autism is crucial, as it allows parents to identify and address developmental delays at an early stage.
“Patience and determination are key in supporting children with special needs. Embrace the journey with an open heart, and celebrate every milestone, no matter how small,” Loh encourages.
“Be their voice and advocate, but also be their biggest cheerleader, inspiring them to explore their passions and unique talents.”
As Merdeka approaches, Lim’s work serves as a poignant reminder of the power of art in bridging gaps and uniting a nation while celebrating diversity. – Sheela Chandran
ANN/THE STAR – Barnacles found on a piece of plane debris might hold the key to discovering what happened to MH370, the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014.
MH370 might have drifted “far south” of where previous models have speculated, according to research published in AGU Advances, which analysed barnacles found on a flaperon – the moving part of a wing – which washed up on Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean.
MH370 departed from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, with an intended destination of Beijing. However, it lost contact with air traffic control less than an hour after take-off, when the plane was over the South China Sea, and was never seen again. All 227 passengers and 12 crew members are presumed dead.
A four-year search for the flight included the use of submersible vehicles, drift modelling, and sonar imaging. While the plane was never found, pieces of wreckage have been picked up across the Indian Ocean.
By studying how the barnacles’ shells have formed, researchers have been able to work out the surface temperatures of the seas where they have been. This provides important information in the search for MH370.
“The flaperon was covered in barnacles and as soon as I saw that, I immediately began sending emails to the search investigators because I knew the geochemistry of their shells could provide clues to the crash location,” said associate professor at the University of South Florida Gregory Herbert, who co-authored the research.
Government-led searches for the plane ended in 2017. In 2018, a second search was done by Ocean Infinity but suspended the same year after finding nothing.
Altair, a maine coon cat, holds the world record for longest tail on a domestic living cat at 16.07 inches. PHOTO: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
UPI – A Michigan cat’s 16.07-inch tail is officially the longest in the world, taking the record from his own half-brother.
William John Powers of Farmington Hills owned Cygnus, a maine coon whose tail remains the Guinness World Record holder for the longest tail on a domestic cat ever at 17.58 inches long.
Cygnus, along with Powers’ other cats, died in a house fire in 2017.
Powers said he was later introduced to Altair, Cygnus’ half-brother, and quickly decided to adopt him.
“When I was ready to have cats again, the woman who bred Altair let me know that a litter had been born and there was a silver male kitten who was the half-brother of Cygnus,” Powers told Guinness World Records.
Altair is now the record-holder for the longest tail on a domestic living cat, after his tail was measured at 16.07 inches.
Altair, a maine coon cat, holds the world record for longest tail on a domestic living cat at 16.07 inches. PHOTO: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
A meerkat is weighed during London Zoo's Annual Weigh-In. PHOTO: AP
LONDON (AP) – Staff at London Zoo got the measure of giant gorillas, plump penguins and skinny stick insects at the zoo’s annual animal weigh-in on Thursday.
Zookeepers tempted squirrel monkeys onto scales with treats, totted up tarantulas and used a curry-scented measuring stick to coax Sumatran tigers to stretch out.
Staff at the zoo, which is home to some 14,000 animals, will take several days to weigh and measure every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate in its care. The results go into a database that is shared with zoos around the world.
“We record the vital statistics of every animal at the zoo – from the tallest giraffe to the tiniest tadpole,” said facility’s Head of Zoological Operations Angela Ryan.
Ryan said an animal’s weight is vital information that can reveal whether creatures are healthy, and even which are pregnant.
“We have critically endangered animals here,” she said. “It’s absolutely vital that we are managing them, managing their health, that we’re breeding them and breeding them well and we’re having healthy offspring that can breed on again.”
A meerkat is weighed during London Zoo’s Annual Weigh-In. PHOTO: APA Sumatran tiger next to a measuring stick. PHOTO: AP
Rescue workers evacuate villagers from a flooded area of Pakpattan district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. PHOTO: AP
ISLAMABAD (AP) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday warned that a year on from Pakistan’s devastating floods, an estimated four million children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services as a shortage of funds remains a hurdle in recovery.
The warning from UNICEF comes as authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province are racing against time to evacuate people from areas affected by the overflowing River Sutlej. Since August 1, rescuers have evacuated over 100,000 people from marooned areas in the districts of Kasur and Bahawalpur.
More than six months ago, dozens of countries and international institutions at a United Nations-backed conference in Geneva pledged more than USD9 billion to help Pakistan recover and rebuild from last summer’s floods. But most of the pledges were in the form of loans for projects, which are still in the planning stages.
“This season’s monsoon rains are worsening the already challenging conditions for flood-affected communities, tragically claiming the lives of 87 children across the country,” UNICEF said in a statement.
It said an estimated eight million people, around half of whom are children, continue to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas. It said more than 1.5 million children still require lifesaving nutrition interventions in flood-affected districts, while UNICEF’s current appeal of USD173.5 million remains only 57 per cent funded.
Rescue workers evacuate villagers from a flooded area of Pakpattan district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. PHOTO: AP
“Vulnerable children living in flood-affected areas have endured a horrific year,” said UNICEF representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil.
“They lost their loved ones, their homes and schools,” he said. The return of monsoon rains has raised fears of another climate disaster, he added.
Last year’s floods caused more than USD30 billion in damages as large swaths of the country remained underwater for months, affecting 33 million people and killing 1,739. The deluges destroyed or damaged 30,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities and 4,300 water systems.
UNICEF said one-third of children were already out of school before the floods, while malnutrition was reaching emergency levels and access to safe drinking water and sanitation was worryingly low.
Southern Sindh province was one of the worst hit last year. But local disaster management agency spokesman Ajay Kumar told the Associated Press that authorities haven’t received any complaints or demands from districts affected by the floods.
People who were living in relief camps or on the roadside have returned home because they received compensation for the damage and loss suffered, he said. Local organisations are carrying out reconstruction and rehabilitation work on houses, schools and healthcare facilities.
In its statement, the children’s agency said because of support from the international community, aid reached 3.6 million people with primary health care services. Access to safe water was enabled for 1.7 million people in areas where water networks were damaged or destroyed, reaching over 545,000 children.
Mental health and psychosocial support was also provided to 258,000 children, it said.
The aftermath of the devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. PHOTO: AP
HONOLULU (AP) – Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric Company on Thursday over the fires that devastated Lahaina, saying the utility negligently failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions.
Witness accounts and video indicated that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, which were driven by a passing hurricane. The August 8 fires killed at least 115 people and left an unknown number of others missing, making them the deadliest in the United States (US) in more than a century.
Hawaii Electric said in a statement it is very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding.
The lawsuit said the destruction could have been avoided and that the utility had a duty to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment. “The utility knew that high winds would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation,” the lawsuit said.
“Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate.”
The aftermath of the devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. PHOTO: AP
A drought in the region had left plants, including invasive grasses, dangerously dry.
As Hurricane Dora passed roughly 800 kilometres (km) south of Hawaii, strong winds toppled at least 30 power poles in West Maui.
Video shot by a Lahaina resident shows a downed power line setting dry grasses alight.
Firefighters initially contained that fire, but then left to attend to other calls, and residents said the fire later reignited and raced toward downtown Lahaina.
With downed power lines, police or utility crews blocking some roads, traffic ground to a standstill along Lahaina’s Front Street.
A number of residents jumped into the water off Maui as they tried to escape the flaming debris and overheated black smoke enveloping downtown.
Dozens of searchers in snorkel gear this week have been combing a 6.4-kilometre stretch of water for signs of anyone who might have perished. Crews are also painstakingly searching for remains among the ashes of destroyed businesses and multi-storey residential buildings.
For now, the number of confirmed dead stands at 115, a number that the county said is expected to rise. Maui County on Thursday released eight additional names of people who have been identified, including a family of four whose remains were found in a burned car near their home: seven-year-old Tony Takafua; his mother Salote Tone, 39; and his grandparents Faaoso Tone, 70, and Maluifonua Tone, 73. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Maui County police are still trying to figure out how many others might be unaccounted for.
ANN/THE KATHMANDU POST – Let’s make something clear. There’s a difference between ‘being alone’ and ‘being lonely’. The former just means being by yourself, while the latter refers to feeling isolated or disconnected from others.
‘Lonely’ is an emotion.
‘Alone’ is a state of being.
While the two are related, one doesn’t necessitate the other. You don’t need to be alone to be lonely, and feeling lonely doesn’t need to mean you are alone. It may be hard to differentiate the two terms, because we are used to linking the two.
We think a lonely individual doesn’t have friends, is unhappy, stays indoors and isolated from others, has no one to share stories with, may be even troubled and – most importantly – alone. But the reality is often different.
But those who prefer being alone don’t necessarily show those characteristics. It is just a stereotype we have convinced ourselves is universal and always true – that a lonely person is always alone.
This may come as a surprise; often, there are people who feel lonely, even in the company of people that love and care for them. And this is a difficult concept to grasp.
PHOTO: ENVATO
Why would an individual who is surrounded by people that love them feel so lonely? There is no simple answer, but often the overarching view of these individuals is that they don’t feel heard. They feel as if their voices are lost in between the noises of other people, and they feel as if their opinions don’t matter.
The crippling feeling of loneliness has been one of the debilitating factors for mental health problems, and we see this in people of all age groups, from young children to the elderly.
The problem with being lonely is that an individual, even when in the company of others, consciously chooses not to share how and what they feel because they feel like their voice isn’t heard. And, even when they do share, they refrain from talking about anything that is important to them. This is why it is difficult to detect someone who is feeling lonely.
Generally, we don’t expect cheerful individuals who are talkative and constantly in the company of others to be feeling lonely and show symptoms of mental health problems like depression, existential crisis, substance abuse and even suicidal thought and ideation.
One has to be okay with being alone if they don’t want to be lonely.
We assume being with someone means that they won’t feel lonely anymore, which isn’t true. This is why we see so many people stuck in a relationship with their ex or having issues with confronting toxic relationships when they know it is not good for them.
But unless one is okay with being by themselves and their thoughts, they will always feel as if they need someone to ease the discomfort that arises from being left alone.
This is why people feel lonely in a room full of people. They feel isolated from the world around them.
The solution to overcome this loneliness is a simple one – self love. Loving oneself is similar to how we show love to others. You have to be kind to yourself and be patient with your actions.
You should understand that it is okay to put your needs before someone else’s at times, but you should also learn to put your point across to people in a non-aggressive way. Be okay with doing things for you and understand that it’s not selfish.
Self love also stops one from playing mind games where we keep overthinking everything. It enables us to truly let go and do the things we enjoy and stop doing things simply to please others.
Self love also teaches us to do things independently because dependence can only take you so far.
This is how self love helps us feel comfortable being alone and cherish our own company. – Dipesh Tandukar
Photos show clothing made with special cooling fabric during the Tokyo Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition at the Techno Frontier 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. PHOTO: AFP
AFP – Selling jackets with built-in fans, neck coolers and T-shirts that feel cold, Japanese firms are tapping into a growing market for products to help people handle the summer heat.
Japan – like other countries – is seeing ever-hotter summers. This July was the warmest in 100 years, with at least 53 people dying of heatstroke and almost 50,000 needing emergency medical attention.
Workman, which makes clothes for construction workers, launched a version of their fan-fitted jackets adapted for the high street in 2020 as demand grew.
The mechanism is simple – two electric, palm-sized fans powered by a rechargeable battery are fitted into the back of the jacket.
They draw in air to then deliver a breeze – at variable speeds – onto the wearer’s body.
The jackets retail for JPY12,000 to JPY24,000 yen, about USD82 to USD164.
“As the weather gets hotter, people who have never worn fan-equipped clothing before want to find ways to cool down… so more people are interested in buying it,” Workman spokesman Yuya Suzuki told AFP.
Photos show clothing made with special cooling fabric during the Tokyo Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition at the Techno Frontier 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. PHOTO: AFPPHOTO: AFP
“Just like you feel cool when you are at home with a fan, you feel cool just by wearing (the jacket) because the wind is blowing through your body all the time,” he said.
Japanese summers are known to be hot and humid, but this July Tokyo really sweated.
The average temperature was 28.7 degree Celsius the highest on record since 1875.
Heatstroke is particularly deadly in Japan, which has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco.
More than 80 per cent of heat-related deaths in the past five years have been among senior citizens.
“Some people die from heatstroke,” said Nozomi Takai of MI Creations, a company selling neck-cooling tubes mainly to factory and warehouse workers.
“Individuals as well as companies are putting more and more effort into measures against it every year,” Takai said.
The gel inside his firm’s brightly coloured tubes – priced at JPY2,500 – is cool enough to use after 20 minutes in the fridge.
Wearing it on the neck will considerably cool the whole body for about an hour, she said.
Takai’s company joined an expo this year on measures against extreme heat in Tokyo to showcase new products that help users stay cool in the scorching heat.
At another booth, Tokyo-based company Liberta had a series of clothing including T-shirts and arm sleeves using prints that make users feel cool – especially when they sweat.
The prints use materials such as xylitol that feel cool when reacting with water and sweat, they said.
Chikuma, an Osaka-based company, has even created office jackets and dresses equipped with electric fans.
“We developed them with the idea that it could be proposed in places where casual wear is not allowed,” Yosuke Yamanaka of Chikuma said. Regular fan-fitted clothes can make the wearer look puffy, as they need to be zipped up, and cuffs are tight.
But jackets developed jointly by Chikuma, power tool maker Makita and textile giant Teijin do not need to be buttoned up, thanks to a special structure that sandwiches the fans in two layers and keeps the cool air in, Yamanaka said.
Parasols, which are commonly associated in Japan with skin-tone-conscious women protecting against a summer tan, are now proving more popular with men too. Komiyama Shoten, a small, luxury umbrella maker in Tokyo, began making parasols for men around 2019 after the Environment Ministry encouraged people to use them.
“Before, many male customers thought parasols were for women and they were embarrassed,” the owner Hiroyuki Komiya said. “Once you use it, you can’t let go,” he added.
On the busy streets of popular tourist destination Asakusa, Kiyoshi Miya, 42, said he decided to use his umbrella as a parasol.
“It’s like I’m always in the shade and the wind feels cool,” he said.
Another visitor, Shoma Kawashima, wore a wearable fan around his neck to stay cool under the blazing sun. Gadgets are helpful, but not a solution to rising temperatures, he said.
