As rubber prices continue to drop worldwide Thailand’s Prime Minister has signed an agreement to use natural rubber in road construction. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired the signing ceremony of an agreement to use local Thai rubber in road construction, part of an effort to help the country’s financially strapped rubber farmers. The Economic Intelligence Center has predicted a gloomy outlook for rubber prices in Thailand this year. Above all due to tepid demand from China and increased domestic supply. Thailand traditionally relies on Chinese consumption of its rubber, with 40% of exports destined for the world’s second largest economy. Thai rubber is exported largely to make automobile tires. Gen. Prayut used the occasion to praise the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Prince of Songkla University; the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research; the Rubber Plantation Cooperative Fund; and also the Engineering ... » Learn More about Thailand to Use Natural Rubber in all Future Road Construction
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Dr Wee: Political stability, building bridges to unite the rakyat are MCA’s core values
PETALING JAYA: For the past 72 years, MCA has always been the foundation of political stability and a bridge that unites the people, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president said since the day the party was founded as a nation-building political party, it has continued to work with other ethnic groups to build Malaysia and achieve a new political status for the Chinese community. As such, he said they have always been able to face the Chinese community and those from other ethnic groups with a clear conscience. "We are problem solvers, not troublemakers. We are the bridge that unites the people, not the ones that divide the communities. We are the builders of economic development, not performers who advocate populism. "We create a stable political environment for the people, rather than becoming the source of political turmoil. MCA has never been a troublemaker. With wisdom and strategic approaches, we seek consensus with other parties in the ... » Learn More about Dr Wee: Political stability, building bridges to unite the rakyat are MCA’s core values
Singapore builds floating solar farms in climate fight
Thousands of panels glinting in the sun stretch into the sea off Singapore, part of the land-scarce city-state’s push to build floating solar farms to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It may be one of the world’s smallest countries, but the prosperous financial hub is among the biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitters in Asia. And while authorities have been pushing to change that, renewable energy is a challenge in a country with no rivers for hydro-electricity and where the wind is not strong enough to power turbines. So, the tropical country turned to solar power — however, with little land space in a place half the size of Los Angeles, it has resorted to setting up energy plants off its coasts and on reservoirs. “After exhausting the rooftops and the available land, which is very scarce, the next big potential is actually our water area,” said Jen Tan, senior vice president and head of solar in Southeast Asia at conglomerate Sembcorp Industries, which is building a ... » Learn More about Singapore builds floating solar farms in climate fight
Most couples are less satisfied when the woman earns more
Women are now the main earners in about one in four Australian households. This increase in female “breadwinner” households challenges traditional expectations of men and women and their roles in family life. Our research shows those expectations remain strong, with both men’s and women’s satisfaction with their relationship dropping when the woman becomes the primary breadwinner, earning 60 per cent or more of household income. Examining relationship satisfaction We examined what happened when couples experienced change in their household breadwinning arrangements using data from the Households Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Our study used detailed information collected from about 12,000 Australians over a maximum of 17 years. Our analysis took into account the level of economic prosperity of the household as well as health, number of children, marital status, the division of household labour and gender role attitudes. We did this to ensure any ... » Learn More about Most couples are less satisfied when the woman earns more
Vaccines and cold storage facilities in the Philippines
A cold storage facility is attached to the main building envelope and is usually covered in pre-fabricated insulated panels. After more than a year of battling against COVID-19, the much-awaited ending to the pandemic that caused global turmoil is finally starting to unfold. However, just as how the world walked on thin ice prior to the discovery of the COVID-19 vaccines, its presence now is causing another global challenge, which took the phrase “walking on thin ice” quite literally. ‘Deep freeze’ requirement The efficacy of vaccines is comparable to milk. Although both are needed to make our bodies stronger, they may also spoil when stored under inappropriate temperatures. The reason for this phenomenon? At least within the context of COVID-19, the vaccines use the messenger RNA (mRNA) to turn a person’s cells into “factories” that create a specific coronavirus protein. This protein then responds as if there is a real coronavirus infection, allowing the immune system to ... » Learn More about Vaccines and cold storage facilities in the Philippines
Thailand News Today | Chinese vaccine, Thailand ‘drug hub’, Covid update | January 13
Confusion reigns over the effectiveness of a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine due to be rolled out in Thailand next month. Thailand has ordered 2 million doses of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. The rollout of this particular vaccine among high-risk groups in Indonesia will start this week. However, questions now hang over the vaccine’s efficacy rate, originally reported as 78% in trials in Brazil but more recently downgraded to just over 50%. In total, 4 different rates of effectiveness have been published. In Indonesia data from a local trial indicates an efficacy rate of 65%. However, with only 1,620 participants, the trial is considered too small for the data to have much value. Last month, Turkey reported an efficacy rate of 91.25% in its trials, but the sample size was again deemed too small. The largest trial of the Chinese vaccine has been in Brazil, with 13,000 participants. There are, however, 2 quite different efficacy rates have been reported. It’s not the first time there ... » Learn More about Thailand News Today | Chinese vaccine, Thailand ‘drug hub’, Covid update | January 13
Coronavirus pandemic puts girls from ethnic minorities at greater risk of forced marriage
Jani*, a 17-year-old Briton of Bangladeshi descent living in the United Kingdom, has spent the past year in constant dread. “I fear that I will be taken abroad and never let back. [And that] I will be raped,” she said. Jani’s family started telling her she needed to get married after she turned 16, as the Covid-19 pandemic began sweeping through the country in March last year. The pressure on her, along with verbal abuse, increased in the subsequent lockdowns. “We all live in the same flat. It is very hard. No rest, no peace, just pressure,” she said. “My brother shouts ‘get married’, ‘get married’. ‘You are a shame on the family’.” Jani’s family showed her a picture of a 38-year-old cousin they wanted her to marry. “They want him to come here,” she said. “[They say] I am costing them money, like the food I eat.” Jani is among hundreds of girls belonging to ethnic minorities living in places such as Britain and Hong Kong who are facing the prospect of forced marriages. ... » Learn More about Coronavirus pandemic puts girls from ethnic minorities at greater risk of forced marriage
Press Release: The UK remains the most popular higher education destination for Thai students
The following is a press release from the British Council. Their thoughts and opinions are their own. The UK puts the health of students and staff at the heart of decisions whilst making sure high-quality teaching continues. The UK universities work to ensure their courses help students achieve their academic goals, regardless of the mode of delivery. Six measures have been taken to reassure the confidence of the international students to study in the UK: student support during the coronavirus quarantine, a special financial relief programme, support for mental health and wellbeing, access to public health services, access to COVID testing, and access to vaccines. The top five most popular courses among Thai students in the UK are business management (60%), law (10%), engineering and technology (6%), social studies (5%), and creative arts and design (3%). Bangkok, 17 February 2021 — The British Council and the British Embassy in Bangkok shared the latest statistics on ... » Learn More about Press Release: The UK remains the most popular higher education destination for Thai students
Bitcoin Trends We Can all Appreciate from the Popular Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin has given us a lot to be grateful for over the years. The popular cryptocurrency has a knack for setting off trends that never fail to benefit its users, and whether they stick around for long or not, they’re always a blast while they last. Thankfully, this part of Bitcoin hasn’t changed yet. There have been quite a few interesting Bitcoin trends that have popped up recently and if you haven’t had the chance to check them out yet, we highly recommend you do. Dip into your stash of Bitcoin savings, pick a trend that seems like the best fit for you, and have a bit of fun while they’re still making rounds out there. World Travel If you’re curious by nature and want to see everything that the world has to offer, now’s your chance to go out there and explore all of its nooks and crannies. Travel has always been a popular topic. Whether it’s wild adventures across the globe with a rowdy group of friends or a romantic getaway to an exotic location, it never fails to produce ... » Learn More about Bitcoin Trends We Can all Appreciate from the Popular Cryptocurrency
How Bitcoin And Blockchain Can Help International Trade And Commerce
The year 2020 is finally that year when cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology have finally become mainstream. Governments, institutional investors and retail investors thronging to the new technology have set it up for success. Even though Crypto and Blockchain tech has been in our world for more than a decade, 2020 saw it rising like a phoenix from the ashes. We can all thank the COVID-19 pandemic for the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies. As more and more start to engage with the new technology, one of the crucial areas of its application has been found in the area of international trade. In this article, we look at how Bitcoin and Blockchain can help foster international trade and cooperation among nations. 5 Ways Bitcoin and Blockchain Can Help in International Trade: The List Overcoming the Exchange Rate Problem Anybody who imports and exports goods and services can always testify to the problem of currency exchange. For example, if someone wants to pay ... » Learn More about How Bitcoin And Blockchain Can Help International Trade And Commerce