Page 2 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
ASIA / PACIFIC
July 18, 2016
Bornean orangutan now critically endangered
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A global conservation group says Borneo’s
orangutans are now a critically endangered species due to hunting and
destruction of forest habitat. The assessment for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species was carried
out earlier this year and published in early July. Previously the species was
considered to be endangered. Orangutans only live in the wild in Borneo and
Sumatra. The Sumatran orangutan has been critically endangered since 2008.
IUCN estimates the number of Bornean orangutans has dropped nearly
two-thirds since the early 1970s and will further decline to 47,000 animals
by 2025. It says deforestation has dramatically shrunk the primate’s habitat. On
top of that, IUCN estimates between 2,000 and 3,000 have been killed by
poachers every year for the past four decades.
Malaysia cuts interest rate for first time in seven years
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s central bank has cut interest
rates for the first time in seven years to bolster a slowing economy amid fears of
greater volatility in global growth following Britain’s decision to leave the
European Union. Malaysia joins other countries in the region such as Indonesia
and Singapore that have reduced interest rates this year. Bank Negara Malay-
sia said it decided to reduce its overnight policy rate, used by banks to calculate
interest rates, to 3.0 percent from 3.25 percent. It warned of “increased downside
risks” to global growth and said the rate cut would ensure that the economy
remains on a “steady growth path.” Malaysia’s economy is expected to slow to
between 4.0 and 4.5 percent this year, down from 5.0 percent in 2015.
Amnesty International calls on Vietnam to end torture
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Amnesty International has called on Vietnam to end
what it says is torture and ill treatment against prisoners of conscience. In a
recent report, the human-rights group said prisoners of conscience undergo
prolonged periods of solitary confinement, endure beatings, and are denied
medical treatment. The report was based on a year of research, including
interviews with 18 former prisoners of conscience. Five of the prisoners told
Amnesty International they spend lengthy periods of time in solitary
confinement in dark cells without access to fresh air, clean water, and
sanitation. The report said some were frequently beaten. Vietnam says there are
no political prisoners in the communist country.
China, EU agree to steel working group amid dumping
BEIJING (AP) — European Union (EU) leaders say they have agreed with
China to form a working group to discuss Beijing’s overproduction of steel, which
they say is linked to whether they will grant market economy status to China.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters that there
is a clear link between steel overcapacity in China and market economy status
for China. He said he had agreed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to establish
“a kind of steel platform between China and the European Union to keep alive
the debates and the discussions we have related to the steel overproduction.”
Juncker was in Beijing to attend a two-day summit. European steelmakers
accuse China of dumping steel on the world market. Market status would mean
more Chinese imports.
Soyuz capsule docks with the International Space Station
MOSCOW (AP) — A Soyuz space capsule carrying astronauts from Russia,
Japan, and the United States has docked with the International Space Station
after a two-day voyage. The docking took place smoothly at a height of 254 miles
above the earth. The capsule is carrying Russian commander Anatoly Ivanishin,
NASA’s Kathleen Rubins, and Takuya Onishi of the Japanese space agency
JAXA. They join American Jeff Williams and Russians Oleg Skripochka and
Alexey Ovchinin. The capsule blasted off from Russia’s manned space complex
in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
RAPPER’S WRATH. Indian rapper Sofia Ashraf demonstrates her skills in Mumbai, India. The South Indian rapper is
targeting Dow Chemical with rhymes — demanding the U.S. company pay more in compensation to victims and for envi-
ronmental damage stemming from a horrific chemical gas leak that killed thousands of people and sickened countless oth-
ers. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Indian rapper targets U.S.
chemical giant in bid for damages
By Nirmala George
The Associated Press
EW DELHI — A South Indian rapper
is targeting Dow Chemical with
rhymes — demanding the U.S.
company pay more in compensation to victims
and for environmental damage stemming from
a horrific chemical gas leak that killed
thousands of people and sickened countless
others.
Sofia Ashraf debuted “Dow vs. Bhopal: A
Toxic Rap Battle” in June, calling the story of
what happened in the central Indian city of
Bhopal “a critical message to get out there.”
The 1984 tragedy, considered the world’s
worst industrial accident, was caused by 40
tons of deadly methyl isocyanate gas leaking
from a pesticide plant run by Union Carbide
Corp. — later purchased by Dow Chemical.
The leak killed more than 15,000 and sickened
at least a half-million more. Activists say
thousands of children have since been born
with brain damage, missing palates, and
twisted limbs.
Union Carbide paid $470 million in a 1989
deal reached with the Indian government,
which Dow has said takes care of its liability.
But activists say the sum was far too low and
ignored the need to clean up the environment.
“Speak to young people, and they know
about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they know
about the Holocaust,” the 29-year-old
songstress said in a recent interview with The
Associated Press. “But very few of them will
know about the Bhopal gas leak tragedy.”
Her video, she hopes, will change that, with
its provocative clips of dancers wearing gas
N
masks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
orating, President Barack Obama donning
sunglasses, and presumptive Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump doused
in water interspersed with images of hospital
rooms and Ashraf herself rapping angrily at
the camera.
“This ain’t road kill, death’s still taking its
toll,” she raps over a driving bass beat.
“There’s water, water everywhere / corroding
our copperware / It’s so polluted, quit
deluding.”
This isn’t the first time the Chennai-based
artist has used rhymes to call on multi-
nationals to act.
Her 2015 rap video “Kodaikanal Won’t” took
aim at Unilever, calling on the company to
help former workers at a thermometer plant in
the Tamil Nadu hill resort of Kodaikanal.
Unilever’s Indian subsidiary closed the plant
15 years ago after mercury contamination was
discovered.
Earlier this year, the company reached a
settlement agreement with the 591 former
workers it had employed. Exact terms were
not released, but the company disputes claims
that the health of workers was affected by
exposure to mercury.
Ashraf has gone after Dow Chemicals before
for the Bhopal disaster.
Her 2008 song called “Don’t Work For Dow”
urged engineering students to ignore company
recruiters on college campuses.
The latest song takes the Indian complaint
abroad — urging the U.S. government to force
Dow to offer more in compensation and clean
up.
Asian Currency
Exchange Rates
Philippines is only Asian country with rising teen pregnancy
MANILA, The Philippines (AP) — The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific
country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades and
the slow decline of its overall fertility rate may deprive the country of the faster
economic growth expected in places that have more working-age people than
younger and older dependents, according to the U.N. Population Fund
(UNFPA). Girls between 15 and 19 years old make up 10 percent of the country’s
population of 100 million and one out of 10 of them have already given birth,
UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck said. The fertility rate in that age
group is 57 births for every 1,000 girls as of 2013 — higher than rates found by
surveys every five years from 1998. He emphasized the urgency of fully
implementing a reproductive health law, investing in quality education and
health services for teenage girls, and increasing jobs for youth. The cost of not
finishing high school over the lifetime of young people would be equivalent to
about one percent of the country’s gross domestic product, he added. The study
supported by UNFPA found that “due to the slow reduction in the fertility rate
the country may not be able to benefit fully from the demographic dividend,” or
the balance of its population among children, working-age adults (age 15 to 65),
and elderly. It said the window of time to reap economic benefits from the
favorable demographics was closing fast. The total fertility rate in the
Philippines was three births per woman as of 2013, falling at a slow pace of 1.6
percent per year from seven births per woman in 1960. But the poorest quintile
of the population has a higher fertility rate of 5.2 births per woman as of 2013.
Units per U.S. dollar as of 7/16
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78.375
4097.4
6.6935
2.0521
7.7541
67.071
13096
30589
104.88
8097.0
3.9457
107.3
104.85
3.1646
46.74
63.685
3.7504
1.3479
1133.7
145.78
31.854
34.985
22300