Singapore
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Singapore – the City that never Sleeps
When the rest of Singapore is fast asleep some families take the opportunity to go on a family excursion. No it is not a new amusement park but it is a brightly lit 68,000 sq foot super market that is open 24 hours a day. The NTUC FairPrice Xtra hypermart in Jurong Point has been opened since last December, but it was officially launched in April.

The size of 14 basketball courts, the $6-million (US$3.9 million) venue offers a huge variety of products, from groceries and household items to furniture and toys.
But the real deal breaker is their operating hours. An NTUC spokesman says the 24-hour concept caters to “the growing trend of shoppers who keep late hours and work night shifts”.

Mak, 39, who sells joss papers, ends work only at 10pm. Since it is the school holidays now, it means a more flexible bedtime for three-year-old son Bryan who is usually in bed by 10:30pm. He goes to playschool three to four days in a week and has to wake up at 9am.

Mak’s wife, Cindy, 34, who co-owns their business, told the China Daily, “This is the best time to take our children out. Also, when we finish work, we know there’s a shop still open for us to get our things.”

The late-night shopping trend started in 1985 with the 24-hour supermarket Yokoso, but it failed to take off.

Mustafa implemented the 24-hour hypermart concept in 2003. A spokesman from the 24 hour mart explained how its late-night peak period is 11pm to 3am. He added that after midnight sales comprise 30 per cent of the daily revenue.

Since last year, FairPrice has had two other 24-hour outlets at Compassvale and Clementi. Cold Storage has three 24-hour supermarkets, and Shop N Save has 21 round-the-clock outlets island wide.

A spokesman for Cold Storage and Shop N Save chains told the China Daily, “We have observed that there are many people working shifts in the estates, or who shop after their late-night dining.”

Late-night diners will also be pleased to know that the Kopitiam Group, which has a chain of 24-hour food courts, have plans to open two more outlets, on top of its current 24. Kopitiam introduced its 24-hour concept over two decades ago.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s, which started 24-hour services in 2005, now also offers 24-hour delivery, with over 70 per cent of its outlets here open round the clock daily or on weekends.

McDonald’s communications director Linda Ming explained that is concept was made into action because of the changing lifestyle needs of their customers.
Kopitiam spokesman Ng Pei Ling expressed his interest in the 24 hours concept because he strongly believes there is definite potential for 24 hours businesses in Singapore.

Osaka
Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly

On March 28 it was revealed that the Japanese and U.S. governments will form a comprehensive tie-up to jointly study state-of-the-art technologies in eight fields including solar power generation and bio-fuels.

Other related bodies will be signing a memorandum as early as April and they will launch a public – private taskforce.

Japan and the US hope to play a leading role on key global issues by strengthening collaboration between the two countries in the environment and energy fields. These two main areas are being seen to be increasing economic importance to both nations.

The two countries did agree during a summit meeting in February between Prime Minister Taro Aso and US President Barack Obama that they would enhance technical cooperation to promote alternative energy sources and next-generation automobiles. This agreement has been seen as being the first needed step to further the efforts to consolidate cooperation in these sectors.

The tie-up includes Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture; and five US national research centres; including the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, which falls under the jurisdiction of the US Energy Department.

The eight fields that will be researched include solar power generation; production of bio-fuels from plant cellulose, excluding grains; and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) – a technique for capturing CO2 generated from, for example, thermal power stations, and storing it underground.

In the field where the solar power generation is being monitored, Japan and the US plan to research and develop a high-performance solar battery that can directly convert sunlight into electricity.

In the CCS field, the two countries have plans to collaborate by combining United States knowledge in storing CO2 and Japanese technology utilizing special, more efficient polymer membranes for improved separation and collection of CO2. But of course such efforts to separate and collect CO2 are extremely expensive.

Beside from the eight fields already mentioned, Japan and the United States are also hoping to boost cooperation on the so-called smart grid for ensuring uniform access to electricity. This has been something that has already had much thought because when dealing with alternative energy such as solar and wind power it can be a major challenge.

A smart grid is the next-generation electricity network that adjusts supply and demand for electricity between areas that have a lot to and those that do not have enough of it.

The Obama administration, which established a Green New Deal policy prioritising investment in the environmental field; does hope to take advantage of Japanese technological expertise in the environment and energy sectors.

The Japanese government is also to view alternative energy as a key pillar of its economic growth strategy to be announced next month, and aims to build on Japan-US cooperation in these areas to reinforce medium- to long-term growth in the sectors.

Tokyo
Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Smoking could become a nicotine free habit!
Now if you have tried every method to giving up smoking but just can’t seem to go any longer than a month without starting the habit again, you will be one of the many happy smokers to hear that Japanese Researchers have found how to make nicotine-free tobacco.

I know what you are thinking – What is point of smoking if there is no nicotine? Well one advantage is that you could still enjoy that feeling of lighting that first cigarette with your morning coffee but the addictive chemical ‘nicotine’ will not be present. Which is the end will actually make the habit easier to kick.

Apparently Japanese researchers have pinpointed the genes that transport nicotine produced in the roots of tobacco plants to their leaves. With this particular finding it could possibly lead to the development of nicotine-free tobacco.

Kazufumi Yazaki, a professor at Kyoto University’s Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere who led the research team explained that if the research team can find a way to suppress the genes’ function, it would be possible to remove nicotine from tobacco leaves.

Although it has been established how nicotine is created and then accumulates in the vacuoles of tobacco leaves, how it transferred to the leaves has been a mystery for many decades.

However, among the thousands of tobacco plant genes, the research team discovered four transportee genes that appear around the time nicotine is produced.

The researchers have confirmed in an experiment using one of the four genes, Nt-JAT1, and a single yeast that the gene can transport nicotine from roots to leaves. The group also confirmed that the gene transports natural organic compounds as well as nicotine.

So the next time you go and buy your favourite choice of cigarettes or cigars be careful because you could be buying a nicotine free packet – but it that really be so bad anyway?

Singapore
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Singaporeans travel now but pay later.
Since 2001 pay now and travel later schemes have been around but it has only been in the last year that the number of customers opting for the interest free travel packages has grown to a high.
This is how the credit scheme works: Tour agencies team up with major banks to offer the instalment payment plans. The banks pay the travel agencies the full amount of the tour packages and collect from travellers in monthly instalments.
Customers can spread the repayments over either six or 12 months. They also have to make a non-refundable deposit of between $300 and $500 a passenger, depending on the price of the tour package.
CTC Holidays spokesman Alicia Seah explained how the travel now, pay later customers usually sign up for packages that range from $1,500 to $3,000. Popular destinations include Japan, Europe and the United States. The agency tied up with OCBC, UOB and DBS to offer this scheme in 2001.
She also expects sales to grow this year because consumers prefer to have cash in hand during a recession and pay for big ticket items in instalments.
SA Tours spokesman Ruth Lim said its customers are usually people below 45 years old who either have a lower income or have other financial commitments.
This tour agency started the scheme in 2004 and last year, saw an 18 per cent increase in the number of clients signing up for such instalment packages compared to 2007.
Bernard Tay assistant general manager of Diners Club International understands that travelling on credit is a very attractive opportunity because it allows for instant gratification of the travel bug without the pain of shelling out a big amount upfront.
H stated how the travel scheme helped the consumers to travel without having to wait and save for 5 years. Now if a family, couple or a group of mates want a holiday they can do it now.
The credit-card company has a travel arm, Diners World Travel. He said that the travel industry was the second biggest contributor to sales instalment revenue after the electronics industry.
Diners Club International’s Mr Tay said less than 1 per cent of its customers default on payments. The banks contacted did not give default rates.
The banks said that customers who do not settle the monthly payments will be charged the usual interest rate for credit cards, usually 24 per cent per annum or 2 per cent a month.
But can it really be too good to be true, I mean if we don’t have the cash to go travelling now why should we be putting ourselves in immediate debt for a few weeks of sun and fun when as soon as we arrive home we will have more bills and responsibility then we left with. So if you are planning a holiday I say go for it we all need a vacation in this tough time but just be smart about it and think about the future for once.

Singapore Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Health food is everywhere now but how healthy is the food you are choosing from the supermarket? With so many products labelling to be low-fat, sugar-free, zero trans fat, no additives or made with whole grains one would suggest that everything is health, nutritional and safe from preservatives but you must turn the box over and take a closer look to get the real information on the ingredients.

Natalie Goh, a consultant dietician at Peaches & Pear Nutrition Consultancy helps us decipher ingredients lists with a few simply hints and tips. She explains how the ingredients list is the best way to identify hidden ingredients.

Simply start by looking out for a few keywords, like ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ this means that the product contains trans-fat, which is an unsaturated fat, made by the chemical process of hydrogenation, liquid oil is turned into solid fat by the addition of hydrogen.

Sodium is another important word to look out for. Ingredients with the chemical name sodium, contribute to the overall salt content of the product. While to figure out the sugar content, the giveaway words are those ending with the letters -ose. Sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose and maltose are all sugar.

Another important factor is to always check the ingredient list to determine if the sugar is natural or added. For example, a cereal that contains dried fruit is likely to contain more natural sugar than one without added fruit. If both have the same sugar content, the one with fruit may be a healthier choice as it probably has less added sugar.

Sounds simple enough – but there is still so much more to know.

Nehal Kamdar, a dietitian at Raffles Hospital explains how some ingredients may be disguised under alternative names. For instance, fat may be listed as shortening, milk solids, nuts or chocolate.

Innocuous-sounding names like yeast extracts, hydrolised proteins and baking powder actually indicate hidden salt. Sugar too can be masked by descriptions such as modified carbohydrate, polysaccharides, molasses, sorbitol, syrup, icing and fruit juice concentrate.

Kamdar explains how if you see some of these names in the first three items in the ingredient list, the product may contain unhealthy levels of fat, salt or sugar. She also adds not to be fooled into to thinking that if an ingredient is not listed, it is completely absent from the food.

This is because the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an international food regulatory body, allows food manufacturers to exclude ingredients that are present in very small amounts.
Local food regulations set by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) follow FDA standards very closely.

For instance, trans-fat does not have to be listed if the total fat content of the food product is less than 0.5g per serving, and it does not claim to be free of fat, fatty acids or cholesterol.

There are times when nutritional values cannot be verified. Items are required to only carry a nutritional information panel when there are nutritional claims made.
Hence, the only clues you can get are from the ingredient list.

If we look at a bread product claiming to be made with 70 per cent whole grains we immediately believe that wholgrain is the main ingredient true? Not necessarily, if the first item listed has the word ‘whole’, it is likely that the bread is indeed mostly wholegrain. This is because ingredients are listed in order of decreasing weight. But if there are several grain ingredients and the first ingredient is not a wholegrain, the situation gets more complex.

For example, the ingredient list may read: enriched white flour, whole wheat, whole oat flour and whole cornmeal. From this ingredient list you will not be able to tell if your bread is 70 percent or 7 percent actual wholegrain.

Bangkok Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly

Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of ousted premier, explained how a new book by the former leader’s three children was aimed at sharing their experiences as victims of politics.

Panthongtae Shinawatra explained how is was now time that they told their side of the story and how they wanted to give the readers something that they didn’t already know.

The Nation stated him saying, “We are not in politics, but we have always suffered from politics.”

However, he strongly denies that the book launch was not timed to coincide with the ongoing anti-government rally, of which his father is a leader.

Thaksin’s son was speaking during the launch of “Khon Uen Riak Nayok, Tae Rao Riak Phaw” (“Others Call Him Prime Minister, But We Call Him Dad”), at the National Book Fair at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

His sisters Paethongtarn (“Ink”) and Pinthongta (“Aim”) were also present at the event.

It was noted that Paethongtarn’s eyes brimmed with tears as she talked about her father.

However, many believe that after Thaksin’s emotional phone-ins and disappearance for almost two days, they seem to look at the book launch has being a political ploy to muster more sympathy from his supporters.

Panthongtae, better known as “Oak”, told the listener at the event, “We didn’t mean to publish this book at the time of the mass rally; we wanted to finish it for National Book Week.”

The book is made up of interviews by Somboon Itchayawarakul and ML Chalermkiti Chakrabhand, editors at Por Patak Publishing House. Paethongtarn arranged interviews with the editors, starting in the middle of last year.

The book contains anecdotes of the hard times faced by Thaksin, with his children offering emotional support. They talked about the September 2006 coup d’้tat, when the three children were in different places. Paethongtarn also mentioned unfair treatment by professors.

The book reveals Thaksin’s feelings in exile, when he wanted to come back to Thailand, but Pinthongta, fearing for his safety, told him not to.

The three children told the National, “The time is past when we felt all those emotions anger and hurt and now we are over it, so we can tell the public.”

Beijing Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
China athletes sporting top Forbes positions

With more athletes appearing on this year’s Forbes China list of the top 100 celebrities it seems that some sports stars are riding the wave of success after the Beijing Olympics which captivated the Chinese imagination and media attention.

On March 17 Forbes China reported a total of twenty-two athletes made their way into the line-up this year, up from 18 last year and 17 in 2007.

NBA star Yao Ming topped the list with the most media exposure and the highest pre-tax annual income of 357 million yuan ($52 million), just beating actress Zhang Ziyi whose ever-present coverage in entertainment magazines contributed to her claiming second spot.

It is the sixth time in a row for the 2.29-m-tall Yao to stand atop a list mostly made up of people in the entertainment industry this year.

Also among the top celebrities is rising basketball star Yi Jianlian, who ranked 53 in 2007, he soared his way into fourth place last year then managed to step up to the third this year.

Forbes cited the wide acclaim Yi received for helping the Chinese men’s basketball team reach the top eight at last year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

Also on the rise is Beijing Olympics multiple gold medal diver Guo Jingjing she shot up 24 places to fourth position for her dazzling spins and somersaults as well as her high-profile romance with Kenneth Fok, the grandson of the late Hong Kong tycoon Henry Fok.

Other Olympic stars made their debut in the list this year and they were gymnasts Yang Wei, Zou Kai and Li Xiaopeng, as well as table tennis player Ma Lin, weightlifter Chen Xiexia and diver Wu Minxia.

Wei Jizhong, director of the Beijing Olympic Economy Research Association told the China Daily that obviously, more athletes are on this year’s list because of the 2008 Olympic Games.

He believes that because the Games were held on China’s home turf; put the country’s athletes in the spotlight more than usual.

China clinched the most number of gold medals in last summer’s Olympics with 51 gold medals in 28 sporting categories; the country’s best showing in the Games.

Over 4.7 billion people worldwide viewed the Beijing Games, which was widely seen as the coming out party for the largest developing nation.

Wei strongly believes that there will be fewer athletes on the Forbes list next year because there are no more epic sporting events scheduled for this year.

Liu Xiang, the 110m hurdles gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Games, dropped from his second placing of the past two years to fifth this year. He withdrew from a highly anticipated Beijing Games heats because of an injury.

It seems that Wei may be onto something because Liu was a favourite on the Forbes list but quickly fell after he withdrew from the Olympics.

Wei added that the focus should be on athletes’ performance and sportsmanship on the field, not their personal life.

The Forbes China celebrity ranking, which started in 2003, is designed to reflect the social influence of a celebrity in any one year, based on how much estimated income a celebrity makes excluding returns on investment, and how much press, Internet and TV coverage they get.

Judging from the above information maybe it does matter what athletes do on and off the field to make the list.

Written by:

Singapore Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Too many kids are trapped in the sex industry!

On March 18 a seminar was told how nearly 60,000 children in Southeast Asia are being exploited to work in a multimillion dollar of commercial sexual businesses, a sad reality that is also occurring in many other countries.

Frans van Dijk, the regional director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands, and a Dutch aid body focusing on children explained how the number of children falling victim to sexual abuse is on an increase and how it is affecting every country, not only Southeast Asia.

He was giving a welcoming speech in the three-day Southeast Asia Conference on Child Sex Tourism held in Sanur Paradise Hotel.

Van Dijk strongly encourages the governments to take the issue more seriously because he considers that the current law enforcement toward such a case as child abuse is very weak.

However, he did underline that the law enforcement was not the only solution against cases of abusing the minors because it did not address the causes.

Van Dijk mentioned that because the core problem laid on poverty and the lack of education, that all elements in the society should then be putting a sufficient effort to raise the awareness in the communities. This would then make the people protect their minors while establishing a safety network for children.

Irwanto, another speaker at the seminar and the president of the National Coalition for the Elimination of Commercial Sexual Exploitation, expressed his thoughts on how he believed that the law enforcement in the country was weak because the officers often hesitate when it comes to arresting a perpetrator because it would mean that a family could lose their basic income.

He added that Indonesia needed to immediately approve the United Nations Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflicts and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

Indonesia has signed both protocols in 2001.

Marco Scarpati, the president of Italy chapter of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), also spoke at the seminar and explained how the rapid growth of information and telecommunication technology, especially the internet, now played a major role in exacerbating the phenomenon of the child sex tourism.