Page 2 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
ASIA / PACIFIC
September 19, 2016
WHO certifies Sri Lanka a malaria-free nation
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has
certified Sri Lanka as a malaria-free nation, in what it called a “truly
remarkable” achievement. WHO regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh
said in a statement that Sri Lanka was among the most malaria-affected
countries in the mid-20th century. WHO said Sri Lanka began an anti-malaria
campaign that successfully targeted the mosquito-borne parasite that causes
the disease, not just mosquitoes. Health education and effective surveillance
also helped the campaign. “Sri Lanka’s achievement is truly remarkable,” the
WHO statement said. “The change in strategy was unorthodox, but highly
effective. Mobile malaria clinics in high transmission areas meant that prompt
and effective treatment could reduce the parasite reservoir and the possibility of
further transmission.” It said no locally transmitted cases of malaria have been
recorded in the country for three-and-a-half years. To prevent parasites
re-entering the country, the anti-malaria campaign is working with local and
international partners to maintain surveillance and screening, it said.
WELL-ROUNDED CONTESTANT. Newly crowned Miss World Japan, Priyanka Yoshikawa, left, rides an elephant
in the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos, in this March 8, 2016 file photo. Yoshikawa is hardly a typical Japanese
woman. Being half-Indian is only a part of that. Yoshikawa, who was crowned September 5, has a certificate in elephant
training, teaches English to children, enjoys kickboxing, and volunteers as a translator at medical meetings. (Prianka
Yoshikawa via AP, File)
Newly crowned Miss Japan
is proud of Indian roots
Police shut 800 clothes shops for ‘inappropriate’ goods
By Mari Yamaguchi
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s state television says police have shut down more
than 800 clothing stores across the country for selling “unconventional and
inappropriate” attire — believed to mean western-style outfits and women’s
clothing that do not meet strict Islamic requirements. The report said the raids
took place over a 10-day span after authorities first sent official warnings to
merchants in more than 3,600 shops. Iranian police and state TV have in recent
weeks campaigned against selling secondhand clothes, which are considered
“unhygienic,” as well as clothes with the English language printed on them.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution brought Islamists to power in Iran, women
are required to cover from head-to-toe in loose-fitting, simple overcoats that hide
the feminine shape. They are also required to cover their head with a scarf.
The Associated Press
Samsung quick fix for the Note 7: no full recharge
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Reports say Samsung plans to issue a software
update for its recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that will prevent them from
overheating by limiting battery recharges to under 60 percent. Yonhap News
and other South Korean media reported, citing Samsung Electronics, that the
company will issue a software update for any users of the Note 7 who may be
disregarding its recall notice and continuing to use the smartphone. The
company plans to begin issuing new Note 7s with batteries it says will not be
prone to overheating beginning September 19. Earlier this month, Samsung
recalled 2.5 million Note 7s, citing fire risks from the smartphone’s battery. It
said the problem stemmed from a manufacturing error. Samsung did not
answer e-mails and calls seeking confirmation of the reports.
Animal sacrifices turn streets into rivers of blood
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Large-scale animal sacrifices marking the
Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha combined with heavy rains have turned the
streets of Bangladesh’s capital into rivers of blood. Authorities in Dhaka desig-
nated several places in the city where residents could slaughter animals, but
heavy downpours meant few people could use those areas. Muslims tradition-
ally mark Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, by slaughtering livestock.
Usually a goat, sheep, or a cow is killed to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s test
of faith. The meat of the sacrificed animals is shared among family and friends
and poor people who cannot afford to sacrifice animals as a gesture of generosity
to promote social harmony. Dhaka residents used parking lots, garages, and
alleys to kill the animals and the blood flowed into the flooded streets, turning
them into rivers of blood. Flooding is common in Dhaka, an overcrowded city of
more than 10 million people, because of poor drainage systems.
China’s electric vehicle industry shaken by scandal
BEIJING (AP) — China’s electric vehicle industry, a flagship for Beijing’s
technology ambitions, has been rocked by scandal after five companies were
caught collecting millions of dollars in subsidies for busses they never made. The
affair of the phantom busses has prompted questions about whether the ruling
Communist Party’s financial support to an industry it is spending heavily to
promote might be disrupted. The Finance Ministry announced that five
manufacturers were fined for fraudulently collecting a total of more than 1
billion yuan ($120 million) in subsidies. Chinese news reports, citing
unidentified industry sources, say as many as 20 others might be in trouble. The
government gave no indication whether managers at the companies might be
prosecuted. The Finance Ministry said 90 companies were investigated but
didn’t identify any of the others.
Sony promises VR music video, other entertainment content
TOKYO (AP) — The head of Sony Corp.’s video game division says the Japa-
nese electronics and entertainment company is readying not just games but also
music, movies, and other kinds of entertainment for its Virtual Reality (VR)
headgear, set to go on sale next month. Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan
Asia president Atsushi Morita appeared at a Tokyo event ahead of the opening of
the Tokyo Game Show annual exhibition. The latest in video games, including
VR, was on display at the show. One of the VR experiences being promised is a
music video that’s a collaboration between the “Biohazard” horror game, called
“Resident Evil” in the U.S., from Japanese game maker Capcom, and
L’Arc-en-Ciel, a Japanese rock band, that takes advantage of VR technology’s
illusion of 3-D and 360-degree surround imagery.
OKYO — The newly crowned Miss
World Japan is hardly a typical Japa-
nese woman. Being half-Indian is only
part of it.
Priyanka Yoshikawa, crowned after out-
shining more than 6,900 other applicants, has
a certificate in elephant training, teaches Eng-
lish to children, enjoys kickboxing, and volun-
teers as a translator at medical meetings.
The 22-year-old is preparing for the
worldwide pageant in Washington, D.C. in
November.
Being fitted for a couture gown for the event
is part of the program, but fashion plays a
small role in Yoshikawa’s life.
And she doesn’t want to fit into any
stereotype.
She told The Associated Press that being in a
beauty contest is a way to achieve her
ambitions: Go to Bollywood, while pursuing
her goal of building a children’s home in India.
A national debate was sparked in largely
homogeneous Japan last year when Ariana
Miyamoto, a half-American of African descent,
was chosen Miss Universe Japan, another
international beauty contest. Miyamoto faced
criticism that she doesn’t look Japanese
enough, even though she mostly grew up in
Japan and speaks the language perfectly.
So far, Yoshikawa has faced less criticism.
She said her victory is perhaps a sign that
Japan is becoming more tolerant of diversity.
“I think (being mixed race) is getting more
acceptable,” she said, citing her victory as the
second in a row. It’s a matter of “who can
represent your country (best) and I think
that’s the answer,” she said after a fitting at a
Tokyo dressmaker’s office and discussing the
T
design of her gown for the November event.
She did think about her identity at length,
but being called hafu, or half, a term in
Japanese for people of mixed race, doesn’t
bother her, though it sometimes has negative
connotations. Her roots have expanded her
cultural experiences and perspective, she said.
While travelling in other parts of Asia, she is
often mistaken as a local, while in Japan she is
constantly scrutinized, Yoshikawa said.
Japanese people seem to have stereotypes of
how Japanese, Asians, or Americans should
look. “I just let it go ... you can be anything now.
We are all the same human beings.”
Japanese with foreign roots or cultural
backgrounds have faced discrimination,
though less so as global exchanges prompt
more international marriages. Mixed-race
Japanese Olympians earned medals for Japan
at the Rio Games.
Yoshikawa, who has an Indian father and a
Japanese mother, grew up mostly in Japan but
spent one year in India and three years in
America. She says living overseas gave her a
broader perspective, but that she still calls
Japan home.
What struck her the most was a year in
Kolkata. As a nine-year-old girl, she saw her
peers living in poverty, up close.
“That totally changed my life. If I didn’t live
in India, or India was not inside me or part of
me, I don’t think I would have been here
talking as Miss World Japan,” she said.
“Living in India has changed everything, how I
see the world, how I want to live, my vision.”
After returning to Japan with her family,
cleanliness and safety struck her again. She
said the stark difference inspired her to work
for a change — to improve the lives of children
Continued on page 16
Asian Currency
Exchange Rates
Units per U.S. dollar as of 9/16
Tu Phan
Call for:
Refinances
Purchases
Offering:
FHA/VA/Conventional
Mortgages
NMLS # 1071
MLO # 7916
12550 S.E. 93rd Avenue
Suite 350
Clackamas, OR 97015
(503) 496-5718
<tphan@financeofamerica.com>
<www.financeofamerica.com>
Bangladesh Taka· ·
Cambodian Riel · ·
China Renminbi · ·
Fijian Dollar · · · ·
Hong Kong Dollar ·
Indian Rupee · · · ·
Indonesian Rupiah ·
Iranian Rial · · · ·
Japanese Yen · · ·
Laos New Kip · · ·
Malaysian Ringgit ·
Nepal Rupee · · · ·
Pakistani Rupee · ·
Papua N.G. Kina · ·
Philippine Peso· · ·
Russian Ruble · · ·
Saudi Riyal· · · · ·
Singapore Dollar · ·
South Korean Won ·
Sri Lankan Rupee ·
Taiwan Dollar · · ·
Thai Baht · · · · ·
Vietnam Dong · · ·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
78.31
4053.0
6.6721
2.0595
7.7586
66.985
13155
30080
102.29
8076.0
4.1305
107.22
104.39
3.1683
47.845
65.285
3.7513
1.3681
1126.5
145.63
31.634
34.93
22301