THE HAGUE (AFP) – Dutch police discovered the body of a Belgian child, whose disappearance five days ago sparked a massive search spanning two countries.
The body of four-year-old Dean Verberckmoes was found in the southern Dutch Zeeland province after a man was arrested elsewhere in the Netherlands earlier during the day, police said.
“We thank everybody who helped and are sending condolences to his family,” they added.
Police said the body was discovered at Neeltje Jans, an island that forms part of the Oosterschelde flood barrier and is popular with Dutch tourists.
Police earlier on Monday also sent out a so-called Amber Alert – issued in child abduction cases – with the description of the toddler and a picture.
The alert came after police arrested a 34-year-old Belgian man in the town of Meerkerk, south of Utrecht, about 120 kilometres northeast of Neeltje Jans.
Verberckmoes was last seen in the Belgian city of Sint Niklaas near Antwerp last Wednesday in the company of the man, only identified as Dave De K, the NOS public broadcaster reported.
De K regularly minded Dean and his younger sister, the toddler’s mother told the Belga news agency.
The man was supposed to take the child to his grandparents on last Thursday and when that did not happen the mother reported him missing.
Traffic in bustling Kiulap is getting worse, especially during peak hours. Recently, it took me one hour just to exit the area. With only three ways out, it is a real headache for road users.
Two new shopping complexes are currently being constructed. Once completed, it would be near impossible to enter or exit that area altogether.
To add to the misery, a small road near the two new complexes is poorly lit and narrow, thus posing a danger to motorists.
People who work in the area normally avoid hitting the road between 4.30pm and 6pm due to the traffic congestion.
I hope the authorities could take note and assign enforcement personnel to monitor the flow. Or even better, open another exit to ease the traffic congestion.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Euro finance chiefs on Monday ventured into a high-wire political balancing act prompted by conflicting economic forces: a weaker growth outlook and stronger inflation.
Finance ministers from the 19 nations that share the euro currency pledged continued budgetary stimulus for the European economy amid headwinds caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
At the same time, they sought to reassure voters by vowing vigilance over sharp price rises.
“Am I concerned about inflation? Obviously so,” Dutch Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag told reporters in Brussels where she attended a meeting with her euro zone counterparts.
“The purchasing power of the individual citizens will be affected.”
The euro zone faces a slowdown in economic growth this year after a solid recovery in 2021 from a severe coronavirus-induced recession two years ago.
But surging inflation, which reached a record five per cent in December and is tied to an energy-market squeeze, has complicated the picture – for both policymakers and voters.
A small producer of olives and pomegranates along Greece’s eastern coast Ioanna Orfanou said the prices that she pays for fertiliser and insecticides jumped to alarmingly high levels in the second half of last year.
“This trend is very worrying,” Orfanou told The Associated Press. “It gets harder for small farmers to stay in business because we have limited room to pass on the cost increases to average consumers.”
Such sentiments have helped spark questions about the European Central Bank’s (ECB) policy of keeping the euro zone money supply loose to fuel economic activity.
The Frankfurt-based ECB has offered support in two key ways: maintaining its interest rates at zero or less and helping to keep other market borrowing costs low by purchasing hundreds of billions of euros of assets in financial markets.
Board member of the CEPS think tank Daniel Gros said the ECB should now act in a nuanced way by ending the pandemic-induced asset buying while holding its interest rates at the current ultra-low levels.
The euro region’s gross domestic product is projected by the European Commission to expand 4.3 per cent in 2022 after an estimated five per cent growth last year and a 6.4 per cent contraction in 2020.
Still, the predicted growth is higher than projections of a maximum four per cent GDP expansion this year in the United States (US), where the central bank has warned about the economic threats of inflation and signalled an imminent tightening of monetary policy.
By contrast, ECB officials, including President Christine Lagarde, have indicated they are in no rush to raise interest rates, arguing that euro-area inflation will fall back to the bank’s two per cent target in due course.
The Commission has predicted a further slowing of euro-area economic growth in 2023 to 2.4 per cent.
Asia is a vibrant region and is always seen as the key growth engine of the world. The region is transforming itself from a follower to a leader. But it is also being hit by demographic with the young population increasing. The population is more mature and more urbanised with a bigger average income. COVID-19 certainly accelerates the change.
This was said by UOBAM Group CEO Thio Boon Kiat at the virtual ‘2022 Market Outlook: Opportunities and Challenges’ yesterday.
He also said, “Some of the most advanced digitilised nations are now in Asia because of the market scale with the technology and infrastructure. The growth prospect is quite phenomenon and Asia has the potential to lead the world in digitilisation.”
On new investment opportunities in Asia, he said, “The most important opportunity is the emerging segment driven by technology and sustainability and interplay between both.
Fintech, e-payment and e-commerce have become more common. The emerging green tech and health tech have also been common and companies on these scenes are prevalent”.
Thio added, “Asian governments have also encouraged the private sector for common prosperity goals and more transparency. A growing number of investors are now millennials who are more confident, more independent and more digitally savvy and have more earning potentials than their parents. Their expectation for business is higher.”
UOBAM Group CEO Thio Boon Kiat during the virtual seminar. PHOTO: AZLAN OTHMAN
“Time in the market,” he said, “is more important than timing the market which means take a long term view, invest early and sensibly to benefit in a long run.”
Meanwhile, UOBAM Head of Multi-Asset Strategy Anthony Joseph Raza discussed the market outlook for 2022’.
“Caught in a mix of hope and uncertainty about the Omicron variant, 2022 is expected to mark a more mature phase of global economy accompanied by increased market volatility and lower earnings growth”, he said.
UOBAM CIO Chong Jiun Yeh and UOB Head of Research, Global Economics and Markets Research Suan Teck Kin discussed changing demographics of New Asia.
“Global player, like China and Japan are confronting their ageing societies, while some ASEAN and South Asian nations encounter a strong growth in the middle class and younger populations,” they added.
Head of UOBAM Sustainability Office Victor Wong touched on ‘Go Green – Next Frontier of Sustainability in Asia’. With renewed and strengthened pledges from Asian nations at the COP26 Summit, the climate vulnerable region offers plenty of investment opportunities while seeking to combat climate change.
UOBAM Senior Director of Asia Pacific Equities Paul Ho and Author of Driving Digital Transformation, Managing Partner at All Digitalfuture LLP and Bain External Adviser Singapore Dennis Khoo, meanwhile, brought attention to the topic of digital economy. They discussed where the next big investment opportunity is and what are risks, innovation and disruption to businesses, which sectors will be most affected or benefit from the trends and how we spot the next Amazon or Alibaba.
AP – It has been a half-year since Collin Morikawa won the British Open and he has gotten somewhat used to being introduced as “champion golfer of the year”.
This week is the first time the Californian has been referred to as the “reigning Race to Dubai champion” and he likes that, too.
“There’s a lot of weight that’s on (my) shoulders right now,” Morikawa said yesterday. “It’s a great weight to have and I want to come back as strong as ever.”
The first United States (US) golfer to finish a season as No 1 on the European tour, Morikawa is back in the Middle East to start the defence of a year-long title he claimed so memorably in Dubai in November.
He’s down the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) coastline this time, making his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi Championship – an event that, to many, marks the start of the European tour.
And for Morikawa, it’s about maintaining the high standards he set in the first couple of years as a professional, even though that is a big ask for someone already with two majors and standout Ryder Cup debut on his résumé.
Collin Morikawa walks off the first green after making par during the final round of the Tournament of Champions golf event at Kapalua Plantation Course. PHOTO: AP
“It’s a very unusual two-and-a-half years of turning pro for me, obviously with COVID and a lot of other things in the world,” said Morikawa, who won the US PGA Championship in 2020. “It’s just embracing being in the present – I think that’s the biggest thing, is how I enjoy the time wherever I am in the world.”
He has seen quite a bit of the world in recent months, too. Just take the location of his last five events: The CJ Cup in South Korea; the Zozo Championship in Japan; the World Tour Championship in the UAE; the World Challenge in the Bahamas; and, most recently, the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Morikawa hasn’t finished lower than seventh in that period, and is ranked No 2. He missed the opportunity to go to No 1 by squandering a five-shot lead heading into the final round in the Bahamas and finishing tied for fifth, an improbable turn of events for a player who has proved to be so assured under pressure.
As someone who often appears and sounds wise beyond his 24 years, it’s no surprise to hear he took that experience as a positive.
“I don’t look at it as highs and lows. I think that’s for me the wrong way of how I put it in my head. For me, it’s just you have a good week, you have a bad week, things happen and that’s what we do,” Morikawa said.
THE KOREA HERALD – A mask-clad life-size tyrannosaurus rex in front of Seodaemun Museum of Natural History marks a boundary between the contemporary world in a battle against the pandemic and a venue that shows a glimpse of the prehistoric world.
A few steps past it, visitors inside the museum‘s main hall can let their imagination run wild as they bring themselves face to face with a skeleton of a 10-metre-long acrocanthosaurus and a model of a giant sperm whale hanging from the ceiling.
At Seodaemun Museum of Natural History, located in central Seoul, visitors will be advised to go straight up to the third floor upon arrival, where motion pictures of volcano eruptions and lava flow, as well as exhibits of fluorescent minerals – all marked by vivid colours – encourage them to keep track of how the Earth came into being, simply by walking through the exhibition.
On the second floor, models, skeletons and skulls of prehistoric beasts – triceratops, pachycephalosaurus, stegosaurus and velociraptors, troodons, to name a few – conjure up the Reptilian Age, when humankind did not exist. Moreover, other life-size models of extinct creatures such as mammoth and prehistoric whales, as well as fossils of trilobites and skulls of primates, are all on display.
These are among some 45,000 specimens the museum has collected in the past two decades, in the building with a total floor area of 6,950 square metres.
Walking past the exhibits on the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras, as well as some stuffed animals and mammals, visitors return to the first floor, facing what the human race faces in the real world: More and more species are being pushed to the brink of extinction.
Seodaemun Museum of Natural History re-opened in September 2021 after a three-month renovation.
It is Korea‘s first-ever public museum of natural history run by a local government.
Photos show the various exhibits at Seodaemun Museum of Natural History. PHOTOS: KOREA HERALD
How a person chooses to express oneself can come in different shapes and forms. Some might choose to write, draw or paint. However, for 22-year-old Maman Shahrunezam, who also goes by the name Mancientry, the camera is his chosen medium of expression.
Ever since he picked up his camera in 2019, Maman’s visuals have developed from those of still pictures to now being visual movements depicted in videos telling not only his stories but also those around him.
“A camera is more than just something you point and click to take a photo; to me a camera is something which allows me to tell a story,” said Maman.
Being a shy individual himself, the talented visual artist shared that his camera helps him to connect with people.
“With the visuals I produce, I am able to express how I feel,” he added.
As a means of income, Maman shoots visuals for wedding events and is well accustomed to the local wedding photography scene. “I’ve learnt a lot while working with others in the same field. It can get very competitive especially when the shutterbugs would push one another to get a better angle of the desired shot. The visual industry is relatively new in the country and still in its infancy stage,” he said.
Local videographer Maman Shahrunezam on set. PHOTO: ADIB NOOR
According to Maman, his love for photography is genuine and he did not plan to venture into other visual mediums. But this changed in 2020.
“I was already struggling with photography during that time when one day my aunt approached me to produce and direct a music video for a new single at that time. I was pretty unsure but, after seeing it as an opportunity to explore something new, I took on the project,” he said.
The music video was for local artiste Dila Junaidi for her song, Rasa Ini Cinta, available on YouTube. It was voted as the most popular video at the 7th Pelangi Awards soon after it was released.
“I was inspired to produce and direct more videos following the positive response,” said Maman. The name Mancientry Films can be seen linked to many upcoming artistes, especially in the local and hip-hop scene.
“I believe there are no opportunities which are too big or too small; I will always take it as a motivation to expand my horizon,” he said.
Holding on to that belief coupled with his love for music, it was natural for Maman to find a place with other local talents in the music scene.
“I can’t sing or produce music, but I can definitely produce visuals for the scene,” he said. “My goal is to push the boundaries of the local music scene which is what I can see from all the artistes or groups I’ve worked with by captivating visuals that can be turned into a message,” he said.
What sets Maman’s work apart from the rest is his focus on the mood and story behind his visuals. As he explained, “I tend to focus on the expression or mood of a shot rather than focussing solely on the subject. Each scene has a story to tell and everything that is put into the shot or a scene in the video plays a role in telling that story. That is what is important to me.” Maman also shared that for those who wish to pursue their passion in visual photography, the most important thing is to know what you want, to keep on shooting and never back away from an opportunity.
“It is a continous learning experience,” he added. “Treat every shoot as an opportunity to improve your skills and to learn every different process. Nothing is more valuable than real life situations,” he concluded.
TOKYO (AP) – Global shares were mostly lower yesterday following a national holiday in the United States (US) while oil prices surged following an attack on an oil facility in the United Arab Emirates that killed at least three people.
Benchmark US crude rose USD1.44, or 1.7 per cent, to USD85.26 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained USD1.70 to USD83.82 per barrel on Monday.
Brent crude, the basis for pricing international oil, added USD1.05 to USD87.53 a barrel.
In Europe, France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.2 per cent in early trading to 7,117.76, while Germany’s DAX slipped 1.0 per cent to 15,767.35. Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.7 per cent at 7,555.82. The future for the Dow industrials was down 0.6 per cent at 35,577.00. The S&P 500 future fell nearly 1.0 per cent to 4,610.50.
The two-year Treasury rose above one per cent, adding to expectations the US Federal Reserve will soon raise rates to counter inflation.
Rising bond yields tend to put pressure on stocks, as investors reassess their asset allocations and take a closer look at share prices, especially higher valued ones.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was at 1.84 per cent yesterday. It also has risen in recent days.
The Bank of Japan wrapped up a two-day policy meeting with no major changes. Its benchmark interest rate remains at a longstanding minus 0.1 per cent.
Price increases in Japan have been less pronounced than it is in the US and some other nations, though the central bank raised its inflation forecast for the fiscal year that begins in April to 1.1 per cent from a previous estimate of 0.9 per cent.
The super-easy monetary policy of the Japanese central bank is expected to stay unchanged for the time being, as the nation grapples with surging cases of COVID infections set off by the Omicron variant.
I am writing in regards to the ongoing restrictions in Brunei Darussalam, and the knock-on effect that it has on the availability of flights to the Sultanate and the mandatory 14-day isolation despite being double-dosed and boosted. This has made seeing my loved ones impossible, who are green IC holders living in the country for over 25 years.
The situation has worsened with visa extension only provided for three months at a time (from the time of passport submission) as the authorities want people to return to their country of origin if not done so in the last two years.
The measure doesn’t take into account the challenges it poses, especially given the rising number of Omicron cases worldwide and the lack of any accessible flights from Brunei.
If there were a time to be flexible and supportive, it would be now and would be greatly appreciated by the loved ones of residents in Brunei, who have grown to call the country their home.
PARIS (AFP) – Four-time world champion Alain Prost is the latest big name to leave French Formula One team Alpine’s management structure, AFP learnt on Monday from a source close to the matter, confirming information from the specialised Motorsport website.
Prost, who took the drivers’ title in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993, will no longer be a non-executive director of Alpine for the 2022 season, following the team’s decision not to renew his annual contract.
The ex-Renault driver had an ambassador/consultant role within the team for Renault’s return to F1 in 2016, before being appointed non-executive director in 2019.
Rebranded as Alpine at the start of the 2021 season, the team, whose engines are made in France and chassis in England, is undergoing a major restructuring under its president Laurent Rossi.
Last week, Marcin Budkowski left his post as executive director, opening the door for the American Otmar Szafnauer, who has just left his position as general manager of Aston Martin.
Alain Prost will no longer be a non-executive director of Alpine for the 2022 season following the French Formula One team Alpine’s decision not to renew his annual contract. PHOTO: AFP
