SEOUL: Most striking doctors have not returned to work despite a deadline, South Korea’s health minister said on Thursday (Feb 28), warning of legal action if medics do not end work stoppages that have plunged hospitals into chaos. Nearly 10,000 junior doctors – about 80 per cent of the traineeContinue Reading
CANBERRA, Australia: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos told Australia’s parliament his country was on the “frontline” of a battle for regional peace on Thursday (Feb 29) – pledging resolve as he sought support in maritime disputes with China. With Beijing’s warships detected in waters off his country’s coast, Marcos told Australian lawmakers that “the Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace,Continue Reading
This is not the only event that has turned into a PR crisis for the Hong Kong government. The city held the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the first time in November 2023. Though the race is not at the same level of Formula 1, it received much hype because the race track was next to Victoria Harbour.
Unfortunately, the event was delayed on its first day as the organisers experienced construction difficulties. The track was also shortened by one-third, making it the shortest leg in the Championship’s season.
These disappointments make some locals wonder if Hong Kong has lost the ability to organise mega events. There are similarities between the race and the friendly football match – neither organiser had prior experience running events of that scale. Despite that, the government promised to grant them subsidies and left it up to the organisers to pull the event off.
The poor monitoring was shown in the post-match response, in which the government did not have much information about the contract and negotiations between the organiser and Inter Miami.
The government says that Hong Kong will see over 80 mega events in the first six months of 2024. Indeed, not all of them will be chaotic. Still, will events resuscitate Hong Kong’s embattled tourism sector?
Take UK designer Anya Hindmarch’s Chubby Hearts art installation in Hong Kong as an example. Funding for the art installation, which saw large heart-shaped balloons pop up in several spots across the city, totalled HK$7.8 million.
The art installation took place across 11 days, starting from Valentine’s Day, and attracted decent feedback with photos on social media.
But is it enough to attract tourists to Hong Kong? Probably not.
Beyond commerce, the resort also supports and gives back to the community in many other ways. (Many, if not all, of Samanvaya’s employees all hail from the local and nearby villages.) The locals’ dedication to showcasing the best of their neighbourhood shines through in every guest interaction, whether through providing local recommendations, sharing stories about the region and Balinese culture or simply keeping an eye on even the smallest details to ensure guest comfort.
One employee, Diah Wahyuna, has been with Samanvaya for four years. “I was born in Sidemen Valley and all my family live here, so to work at Samanvaya is one of my dreams. It is amazing to walk in the rice fields and see the sun rise in the middle of the fields,” said the 23-year-old customer relations officer.
The resort’s team also conducts various community outreach programmes to provide food and healthcare to the underprivileged. Additionally, she and her colleagues spread awareness about plastic recycling in local schools and coordinate a monthly Plastic for Rice initiative at the resort.
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian appeal court on Wednesday (Feb 28) reinstated charges of abuse of power against opposition leader and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, state news agency Bernama reported. A Kuala Lumpur high court had thrown out the four charges and acquitted Muhyiddin in August, ruling those had notContinue Reading
HANOI: Southern Vietnam, including business hub Ho Chi Minh City and its “rice bowl” Mekong Delta region, suffered an unusually long heatwave in February, weather officials said Wednesday (Feb 28). Several areas of the delta are also suffering drought and farmers are struggling to transport their crops due to lowContinue Reading
BEIJING: Chinese lawmakers have expanded Beijing’s state secrets law for the first time since 2010, widening the scope of restricted sensitive information to “work secrets”, according to a full text of the law published online. China’s top legislative body passed the revised Law on Guarding State Secrets on Tuesday (FebContinue Reading
Starting next month, doctors who are serving in the military and at local clinics in lieu of mandatory military service will be assigned to hospitals affected by the walkout, Han said. About 9,000 trainee doctors have joined the protest, disrupting services at large hospitals which were forced to turn awayContinue Reading
SEOUL: North Korea’s first spy satellite is “alive”, a Netherlands-based space expert said on Tuesday (Feb 27), after detecting changes in its orbit that suggested Pyongyang was successfully controlling the spacecraft – although its capabilities remain unknown. After two fiery failures, North Korea successfully placed the Malligyong-1 satellite in orbitContinue Reading
BEIJING: China’s solar capacity growth could slow in 2024 to 31 per cent, a solar manufacturing association said on Wednesday (Feb 28), after a record 55 per cent increase last year as the industry struggles with renewable power overcapacity and curtailment. China has the world’s largest renewable power capacity butContinue Reading