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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
China bans uncertified and recalled power banks on planes
Lithium batteries in devices such as power banks can produce fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short circuit. -- PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH via The Straits Times/ANN BEIJING (Reuters): China's aviation regulator will from Saturday ban passengers from carrying power banks without Chinese safety certification markings, as well as those recently recalled by manufacturers because of safety concerns. The move, which applies to anyone boarding a flight in China, follows a series of incidents globally involving lithium battery products, including power banks, overheating on planes. South Korea said a spare power bank was a possible cause of a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane in January, and in March a Hong Kong Airlines flight from China to Hong Kong was forced to land in China due to a fire in an overhead baggage compartment. Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short circuit. They are a growing concern for aviation safety as passengers carry more battery-powered items on flights. Last year three incidents every two weeks of overheating lithium batteries on planes were recorded globally by the US Federal Aviation Administration, compared to just under one a week in 2018. China's Civil Aviation Administration said on Thursday power banks must be clearly marked with "3C" certification, short for China Compulsory Certification, which authorities require for products that could impact health, safety, and environmental protection. Several leading power bank manufacturers in China including Anker and Romoss have this month recalled batches of battery products due to safety concerns. China's market regulator has revoked or suspended the 3C certification of several power bank and battery cell manufacturers. Since the Air Busan incident, airlines globally have been tightening power bank rules. Aviation rules generally say power banks should be carried in cabin baggage, but increasingly airlines are banning their use on board and say they must be kept within view to spot any problems. China has since 2014 forbidden passengers from charging devices using power banks during flights. Southwest Airlines at the end of May became the first US airline to say portable charging devices must be visible while in use during flight. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Aidan Lewis) - Reuters
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Thailand delays plan to legalise casino after political turmoil
The delay will provide more time for the government to communicate with the public and address their concerns, the government said. PHOTO: UNSPLASH BANGKOK – Thailand's ruling coalition will delay the introduction of a controversial Bill to legalise casinos after its parliamentary majority was reduced with the exit of a key ally last week. The so-called 'entertainment complex' Bill was set to be the first major agenda when the House of Representatives reconvenes in July. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's administration was forced to delay the Bill once earlier due to mounting opposition from religious groups, anti-gambling networks and some political parties. The delay will provide more time for the government to communicate with the public and address their concerns, Mr Manaporn Charoensri, a deputy transport minister and Cabinet whip, said on June 25. It's not clear when government lawmakers plan to put the bill back on the house agenda. The move came after the ruling alliance was pushed to the brink by the exit of Bhumjaithai Party, which has vowed to oppose the Bill. Ms Paetongtarn is under fire for a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, in which she was critical of the Thai army's role in an ongoing border stand-off with the neighbouring country. Without a clear majority, the government may face challenges in passing controversial or essential Bbills that have been lined up in the coming months. The budget Bill for next fiscal year from October is also expected to be taken up for the second and third readings in August. The exit of pro-cannabis Bhumjaithai also allowed Ms Paetongtarn's ruling Pheu Thai party to move to re-criminalise the plant as narcotics, just three years after allowing its free use. The entertainment complex Bill is a flagship Pheu Thai proposal and was endorsed by the Cabinet in March. Setting up of integrated resorts can boost foreign tourist arrivals by 5 per cent to 20 per cent and lift average spending per person per trip by about 22,000 baht (S$863), the party has said. But critics of the casino plan have argued the gaming venues will fuel gambling addiction and benefit big businesses and foreign companies. They also cite risks of inviting casinos into the country at a time when transnational crime syndicates have turned casino towns in neighbouring countries into cyber scam dens and hubs for money laundering and drug trafficking. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
FLUFFY FRIENDS
Bombay cats, often called 'mini-panthers,' are affectionate, playful, and enjoy human companionship. Credit : UNSPLASH
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Indonesian rescuers try to reach Brazilian woman after fall at Mount Rinjani
The woman identified by relatives and media reports as Ms Juliana Marins, 26, went missing on June 21 at Mount Rinjani on Lombok island. PHOTO: UNSPLASH Indonesian rescuers try to reach Brazilian woman after fall at Mount Rinjani Indonesian rescuers tried June 24 to reach a Brazilian tourist who fell down a ravine at a volcano popular with hikers after spotting her unmoving body, authorities said. The woman identified by relatives and media reports as Ms Juliana Marins, 26, went missing on June 21 at Mount Rinjani on Lombok island, which neighbours Bali. Authorities think Ms Marins fell and believe they sighted her on June 23 but rescuers were held back because of bad weather. 'Yesterday morning we detected the victim. We deployed a team to the location but we were hampered by the very steep terrain and the foggy weather,' Mr Muhammad Hariyadi, head of Lombok's Mataram Search and Rescue Office, told AFP on J une 24 . 'When we detected her using a drone, she was not moving.' Rescuers said they were using thermal drones, mountaineering gear and a helicopter in a bid to reach the Brazilian, who was backpacking around South-east Asia. 'One group is monitoring the evacuation using a thermal drone. The second team is doing the manual evacuation process with a rope as the main tool,' said Mr Hariyadi. 'This morning around 50 rescuers have been dispatched and we plan to send a helicopter team to scour the location.' An Instagram account set up by family and friends to call for her urgent rescue has amassed more than one million followers. 'Hang in there Juliana! Help is on the way!' read a post on the account. The Brazilian embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Ms Marins' last posts on Instagram show her backpacking around Thailand and Vietnam before reaching Indonesia. Lombok island is a tourist destination known for its idyllic beaches and lush greenery, and many try to climb Rinjani, Indonesia's second-tallest volcano, for its panoramic views. In 2018 hundreds of hikers and guides became stranded by landslides on the mountain after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the island. At least 17 were killed across the island including one on the mountain. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Korean students seek ‘digital undertakers' amid US visa social media screening
The US Embassy in Seoul told all visa applicants to set their social media profiles' privacy settings to 'public'. PHOTO: UNSPLASH The US Embassy in Seoul resumed accepting applications for student and exchange visas but requested that applicants make any private social media accounts public, prompting some South Korean students pursuing studies in the US to seek the help of 'digital undertakers'. On June 20, the US Embassy in Seoul announced that it will resume taking in applications for its F, M and J non-immigrant visas, saying it will conduct 'thorough vetting' of applicants' presence on social media. In a notice posted on X, the embassy announced that all applicants should 'adjust the privacy setting on all their social media profiles to 'public''. Seeing the US Embassy's recent announcement, 28-year-old Kim, who wished to be identified only by her last name, told The Korea Herald that she felt 'stressed'. It felt like the recent announcement was just another 'daunting task' she was required to complete as part of her preparation in pursuing a PhD at a US university. 'I've been preparing to further my studies by applying to a graduate school in the US for about a year and a half — writing up personal statements, taking language proficiency exams and speaking with professors at schools I was interested in,' said Kim. 'I felt like I was ready this year and was going to apply. But knowing that my social media accounts and the stuff I posted in the past could be an obstacle to me studying in the States and not something like my school grades, is really stressful to me.' While the US has mandated that visa applicants list their social media accounts on their applications since 2019, Kim stated that the screenings conducted under the current administration feel 'different' to her. 'I don't know how strictly they handled the screening of social media accounts in the past, but seeing the current administration's stance against illegal immigration and national security, this year feels different, more intense,' Kim continued. 'I've looked into online reputation firms in Korea to help me permanently delete data that could work against me, as I've voiced opinions on political and social issues on social media in the past that oppose the current US administration's stance.' Often called digital undertakers, these services are offered by online reputation firms and specialise in curating or scrubbing an individual's online presence by removing posts, photos or comments that may be considered controversial in the eyes of others — such as employers, or more recently, immigration authorities. Kim isn't the only Korean student seeking such services in Korea. According to a representative from Santa Cruise Company, an online reputation firm offering digital undertaker services, the firm has begun receiving more requests from clients claiming they were planning to apply to schools in the US in recent months. 'While personal requests we received from individual clients were mostly springing from those wanting to delete personal data before applying to a company, these days, we've seen a growing number of individual clients seeking assistance before they apply for a visa to study in the US,' said the representative. With the cost of the company's services ranging from 100,000 won (S$93) to millions of won depending on the number of posts the client asks to delete, the company representative added that some of the posts the firm deleted 'ranged from politically sensitive content to some that were rather personal, including posts confessing personal struggles or photos of them partying, to avoid damaging their image'. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
