Hong Kong postpones elections by a year, citing coronavirus

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the government will postpone highly anticipated legislative elections by one year, citing a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The Hong Kong government is invoking an emergency ordinance in delaying the elections. Lam said the government has the support of the Chinese government in making the decision.

“The announcement I have to make today is the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in the past seven months,” Lam said at a news conference.

“We want to ensure fairness and public safety and health, and need to make sure the election is held in an open, fair and impartial manner. This decision is therefore essential,” she said.

The postponement is a setback for the pro-democracy opposition, which was hoping to capitalize on disenchantment with the current pro-Beijing majority to make gains. A group of 22 lawmakers issued a statement ahead of the announcement accusing the government of using the outbreak as an excuse to delay the vote.

“Incumbent pro-democracy legislators, who represent 60% of the public’s opinion, collectively oppose the postponement and emphasize the responsibility of the SAR government to make every effort to arrange adequate anti-epidemic measures to hold elections in September as scheduled,” the statement said, referring to the territory's official name, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“Otherwise, it is tantamount to uprooting the foundation of the establishment of the SAR.”

The city of 7.5 million people has had a surge in coronavirus infections since the beginning of July. Hong Kong has recorded 3,273 infections as of Friday, more than double the tally on July 1.

The government has tightened social distancing restrictions, limiting public gatherings to two people, and banned dining-in at restaurants after 6 p.m.

Source: https://news.yahoo.com/reports-hong-kong-may-postpone-065641771.html

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Cycling reboots after lockdown at Vuelta a Burgos

Madrid, Spain (AFP) – The cycling season resumes following the coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday with a host of the sport’s big guns taking part in the opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos.

 

The 2020 edition of the stage race in Spain features a strong peloton, with riders preparing for a hectic run of prestigious events, with the three Grand Tours to be held in quick succession due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UCI World Tour resumes on Saturday with the Strade Bianche.

 

Professional cycling ground to a halt four months ago, with the last top-level race the Paris-Nice in March, which saw the final stage cancelled.

In February, the UAE Tour ended early due to an outbreak of COVID-19, with Colombian Fernando Gaviria one of the first athletes in the world to test positive for the virus.

UAE Team Emirates sprinter Gaviria, who did not confirm he had recovered until March 26 and did not travel back to Colombia until April, will be in action in Spain this week.

“It’s time to pick up where we left off,” he told his team’s website, saying he was happy just to feel normal on a bike again.

Gaviria’s teammate Fabio Aru said: “We are all eager to be able to pin a race number on our backs again and be back in the peloton.”

Ineos’ Giro d’Italia champion Richard Carapaz and Vuelta a Burgos double defending champion Ivan Sosa will face stiff competition in Spain this week.

Gaviria will be bidding for the sprints while veteran speed king Mark Cavendish is also back in the saddle after illness.

In the first of five stages around the northen Spanish region, local hero Alejandro Valverde will likely be in the mix up the final stretch of a short, sharp ascent to the Mirador Del Castillo, which overlooks the town.

The race culminates Saturday, by which time early-season form man Nairo Quintana of Arkea will have been able to judge his fitness over two mountain stages.

Mikel Landa, one of cycling’s nearly men, is targeting victory for his new Bahrain McLaren team, which is managed by Rod Ellingworth and where he is supported by Cavendish.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50749725/cycling-reboots-after-lockdown-at-vuelta-a-burgos/

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Local cinemas ready to reopen with ‘new normal’ guidelines in Cambodia

It has been more than four months since moviegoers have been able to experience the thrill of a horror film or comedy relief while passing around popcorn and sipping ice-cold soda at their favourite theatre.

Phen Lina, a once avid moviegoer, tells The Post that “since the cinemas closed, I haven’t been able to keep up with many new releases. This is one of the experiences I miss the most.”

Movie theatres in Cambodia may soon be given the green light to reopen, according to Phanny Lao, the general manager of Westec Media Limited, the biggest film distributor in Cambodia.

The company distributes to all cinemas in Cambodia and have a two-week slate of releases ready to go once theatres reopen.

Lao tells The Post, “We do not have a specific date yet, but we’re hoping that cinemas will be allowed to reopen before the end of the month.”

The Closet, The Cave, Necromancer, Train to Busan 2: Peninsula, Mulan, Tenet, The New Mutants and A Quiet Place Part II will all be shown in theatres once they reopen.

“We have a list of movies lined up for release once cinemas are allowed to reopen. We’re looking at eight new titles in the first two weeks and more to come in the following weeks,” she says.

Online streaming platforms have disrupted the movie industry, with more people turning to their laptops for entertainment instead of travelling to theatres.

Lao says some moviegoers may be concerned that movies they’d like to see in the cinema will only be available online.

For Lina, watching a movie in the theatre is an experience that can’t be replicated on smaller screens at home.

“While some people turn to Netflix and other online streaming platforms, I prefer not to.

“The experience of seeing a movie on your small screen can never be compared to the big screen with my favourite popcorn and sharing screams and laughter with other people in the big hall.

“I love going to a movie as a family, so most of my choices are Disney and animation. I’m looking forward to seeing Mulan and Peter Rabbit 2,” she says.

Lina typically brings her husband and two kids to the cinema with her. “If I go without my kids, I’d watch a zombie movie like Train to Busan 2,” she says.

To ensure moviegoers’ experiences remain unique and special, Westec Media will remove movies which have streamed online from its list.

Lao says: “The pandemic has affected a lot of movie titles, causing them to be postponed or removed from theatres. However, movie titles that are scheduled to be released in cinemas will not be shown on Netflix before that.

“Titles that are available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ etc. have probably been removed from theatrical releases.

“We think audiences will still enjoy watching a movie in the cinema as it is a different experience, especially with premium formats like IMAX, ScreenX, Atmos and 4DX.”

Lina is more concerned about contracting the virus in cinemas than which movies will be playing. She says she wonders if cinemas will follow strict guidelines to keep everyone safe.

“Even though I’m a regular moviegoer, I’m not ready to walk into a cinema unless something safe has been done. Like social distancing, strict hygiene, and a strict mask policy.

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/local-cinemas-ready-reopen-new-normal-guidelines

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20 schools to reopen

The Council of Ministers has allowed the Ministry of Education to reopen 20 high-safety standard schools months after their closures amid COVID-19 pandemic.

A secretary of state at the Council of Ministers In Virak Cheat on Monday sent a letter to Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron, saying that the government gave the greenlight to the Ministry of education to reopen 20 high-safety standard schools in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap city and Battambang city.

Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha said today that the ministry will sign the memorandum of understanding with those schools to ensure they follow the health measures set by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization.

“If those schools fail to comply with the MoU over safety measures, then they will be warned or shut down temporarily,” he said.

According to the Ministry of Education, the first phase will include schools with high safety standards, the second phase will focus on schools with moderate-safety standards and the third one will be schools with minimum-safety standards.

Each class must not exceed more than 15 students, while social distancing must be strictly enforced and other areas where contact may take place must also be eliminated, it said.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50747460/20-schools-to-reopen/

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Date set for K Mall opening in Phnom Penh

K Mall will open by the end of the second quarter of 2021 with more than 40 shops  welcoming customers with an attractive mixture of much-loved home-grown brands and international retailers and a variety of dining options.

It is promised the venue, developed by Urbanland, will provide the perfect retail climate to satisfy the long under-served retail needs of the busy neighbourhood in and around Veng Sreng Street in Phnom Penh..

This new community mall offers three floors of retail, with easy access to local favourite Lucky Supermarket, Zando and Nata Footwear. But K Mall is not just about shopping – it’s meant to be about relaxation as well.

Coffee lovers will be able to enjoy their favourite brew when homegrown cafe chain Brown Coffee opens its latest outlet at the mall’s entrance. Lucky Burger will be serving up tasty burgers to satisfy the Cambodian palate. Avid moviegoers get to watch the latest blockbusters in the all-new six-screen Legend Cinema with a premium theatre and one devoted to children.

With a leasable area of 12,000 square metres, K Mall will have more than 40 eateries and sell everyday urban essentials. The mall also incorporates generous public spaces in the form of plazas and terraces where other community activities such as festival markets, weekend bazaars and community events can be held. Customer-friendly amenities along with a parking supply of 700 motorbikes and 300 cars will enhance the comfort and convenience of visitors.

K Mall has achieved more than 50 percent in commitment for its retail leasing and expects more leases to be signed in the coming months. “Buying into K Mall’s vision and its strategic location are some of the deciding factors for the support received from our retail partners, said  Hok Kang, managing director of Urbanland Asia Investment Co Ltd.

“Much precision and many details have been put into consideration for the interior design, bringing a whole new experience to shoppers and visitors. We hope that our shoppers will enjoy the one-of-a-kind concept, modern architecture, with an exciting tenant mixture to cater to the Cambodian lifestyle.” said Hok.

He said that K Mall enjoys a strategic location just minutes from Stung Meanchey intersection and Chom Chao roundabout. The first community mall on Veng Sreng is part of the larger KMH Park, a new masterplan development by Urbanland Asia, a member of the ISI Group.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50746912/date-set-for-k-mall-opening/

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In Siem Reap, locals take to two wheels to escape virus monotony

As the sun begins to set in Siem Reap, cyclists across town strap on their helmets, hop in their saddles and head for Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire.

From downtown, it’s a five kilometre cruise on smooth tarmac flanked by lush forest to the southern edge of the moat surrounding Angkor Wat – the most famous of the temple complexes housed within Angkor Archaeological Park, emblazoned on Cambodia’s flag.

Normally, the park would be filled with tourists attempting to capture the perfect sunset picture, but since the coronavirus swept through Siem Reap, the ancient monument has fallen silent. According to Angkor Enterprise, this May the park welcomed 1,776 foreign visitors, a 99% decrease on May 2019.

In full: https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cycling-siem-reap/

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Looters target Myanmar temple treasures in tourist slump

A squad of gun-toting police patrol Myanmar’s sacred site of Bagan under the cover of night, taking on plunderers snatching relics from temples forsaken by tourists due to coronavirus restrictions.

Each evening as dusk falls, about 100 officers fan out across the plain of Bagan measuring 50 square kilometres, sweeping torches over the crumbling monuments to scour for intruders.

“Our security forces are patrolling day and night,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Sein Win tells AFP.

“We have it under control for the moment, but it’s a challenge.”

The central Myanmar city is strewn with more than 3,500 ancient monuments — stupas, temples, murals and sculptures — and was finally added to the prestigious UNESCO world heritage list last year.

But the pandemic has stymied plans to capitalise on Bagan’s new-found status.

The dearth of visitors means temples and hotels lie empty, crushing the livelihoods of locals and opening doors to opportunistic burglars.

In a spate of break-ins across the holy site in early June, robbers looted 12 different temples, swiping a range of relics, including copper stupas, ancient coins and jade jewellery.

The 35th Battalion regional police squad have been deployed to bolster local tourism police and firefighters, the teams ranging across the site by jeep, motorbike and foot.

“It’s not easy to patrol as the area is so big,” one police officer says through his face mask, worn by all on duty to protect against Covid-19.

They also need to be on their guard against the area’s numerous venomous snakes, he adds, asking not to be named.

Temple curse?

For now, the extra security seems to have thwarted any break-ins at the most prestigious temples.

Some of the relics date back to the 11th-13th century, an era when Bagan was the capital of a regional empire.

This is the first time in decades the site has been so seriously targeted, says Myint Than, deputy director of Bagan’s archaeological department, as he shows at one stupa how the looters scaled the walls to enter from the roof.

“When there were tourists here, there were no burglaries,” he explains, adding he believes this is the work of outsiders.

Even if locals’ livelihoods have been devastated by the tourist downturn, he says he does not believe they would “betray their heritage”.

Times are hard in an area dependent on tourism.

Bagan welcomed nearly half a million visitors in 2019, while this year the figure was 130,000 up until the country’s New Year festival in April and much of the area has been closed to tourists since.

Hotels and restaurants lie shuttered while the hawkers and tuk-tuk drivers not lucky enough to clinch rare construction or farming work wait in vain for customers among the deserted lanes connecting the temples.

Souvenir seller Wyne Yee, 46, says the money she makes in April alone usually keeps food on her family’s table for the following six months.

“But this year we have no money left,” she says wistfully.

She says she is saddened by the desecration of the temples but — like others in the area — is convinced a curse will see the crooks receive their comeuppance.

“The Bagan temples will not tolerate it,” she says. “The robbers will be dealt with.”

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Bastille Day spirit in aiding Cambodia to fight Covid

As COVID-19 continues to threaten the lives of the people around the world with more than 12 million infected and more than half a million deaths around the globe, France, which is one of the major donor countries to Cambodia, is also hit by the unprecedented coronavirus spread. The Ambassador of France to Cambodia Eva Nguyen Binh spoke to Khmer Times about the two countries’ current relationship, France’s support for the Kingdom’s fight against COVID-19, the impact of French businesses in the Kingdom, its tourists stranded in Cambodia and how France will celebrate its National Day tomorrow.

KT:  Have relations between France and Cambodia been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ambassador Eva: The current sanitary crisis has not affected the relations between France and Cambodia and on the contrary has shown very visibly the density of cooperation between our two countries, especially in the area of health. For example, I recently went to the Khmer-Soviet hospital in order to thank the director of this hospital and all his team in the treatment of coronavirus cases and in particular French cases, who after treatment and healing were able to return to France. I was able to once again appreciate the close ties between our two countries: a good number of doctors at the hospital studied medicine in France as part of our bilateral cooperation and speak perfect French! And despite this crisis, we are still continuing to strengthen our cooperation. For example, 21 students have just been selected for the 2020-2021 academic year as part of the French Government Scholarship campaign for Cambodian students going to study in France, for a master’s or doctoral degree. 33 students will also have their scholarship renewed for an additional year.

KT: Can you talk about France’s support to Cambodia to fight the coronavirus?

Ambassador Eva: France has a long-standing and dense cooperation in Cambodia in the public health sector. In fact, French aid for health cooperation in Cambodia is estimated at more than 85 million euros (about $96 million) in just over 15 years. In Asia, the French Development Agency accompanies the responses of the States to the health crisis and its economic and social consequences, through regional projects in the health sector, credit lines intended to support SMEs penalised by the paralysis of the economy or budgetary loans to support public policies to combat the epidemic. Let me give you a concrete example: in the context of the “COVID-19 – Health in common” initiative, implemented by the French Development Agency, a two million euros project to support several front-line laboratories in the fight against the epidemic in Southeast Asia as part of the ECOMORE II project (ECOnomic Development, ECOsystem MOdifications, & Emerging Infectious Diseases Risk Evaluation) has been appraised. In Cambodia, the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, designated a COVID-19 reference laboratory for Southeast Asia by the World Health Organization (WHO), will benefit from this financial support up to 500,000 euros (about $564,749). Moreover, support for three research projects has recently been granted by France for a cumulative total of 400,000 euros (about $451,799) to deal with COVID-19 in Cambodia. These projects are joint ventures between French institutions, such as CIRAD and Cambodian ones, such as the University of Health Sciences, the National Animal Health and Production Research Institute or the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50744030/bastille-day-spirit-in-aiding-cambodia-to-fight-covid/

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E-Learning app soon available across nation

All students across the country will soon be able to download the e-learning application via the smartphone device to access lessons, videos and specific subjects from their smartphone online and offline freely.

The E-learning app was developed by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. It will be launched to facilitate and provides education services online for Cambodian students.

“This is the third time that both institution’s working groups have developed and adjusted the digital platform for providing e-education services to students in Cambodia,” said Kan Channmeta, Secretary

of State of Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.

He said the ministry will officially launch the free app from July 15 onward.

Channmeta said that during the outbreak of COVID-19, the students are required to study online. However, the ministry of education, youth and sports found there were some challenges in terms of not knowing whether students actually study, that content is not gathered on one platform and the problem of poor or interrupted internet access.

He said that after conducting a study on the issues and on the technical aspects, as well as the actual demand from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and students,  the e-learning app has been developed to solve all the issues.

“The e-learning app will be functioning as a platform by obliging students to register and access the lesson for all grades, download content and reduce the cost of internet access through collaboration with their telecoms company and internet service providers,” Channmeta said.

“It also allows the ministry and school to get statistics on the number of students who access the content on the e-learning app so that it helps the ministry and schools to improve study plans better. The e-learning app will require students to register to access all the content. The programme will set up the lessons, subjects and video downloads, view lessons and receive alerts for a new lesson,” he added.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50740003/e-learning-app-soon-available-across-nation/

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