The world’s major media outlets are simultaneously reporting on the elephants’ more than 500km journey from their habitat in the southwestern mountains of Yunnan to the outskirts of Kunming city. The elephants were filmed on the outskirts of Kunming city. Photo: AP. Rising star Over the past few days, elephants have become famous on China’s Weibo social network. Pictures of sleeping elephants attracted 25,000 posts and 200 million views on the evening of June 7. On Twitter and YouTube, users share cute videos of the elephants, especially the image of two young in the herd slipping into an irrigation ditch and needing the help of two adult elephants. AP . “We should be like these elephants, more family-oriented, take families on vacation, help, care for and protect each other,” said a YouTube comment by the account MrDeterministicchaos. The elephants were monitored via street security cameras as well as dozens of aerial recording drones. The elephants’ journey went unnoticed until May 24, when they entered Ngashan County, Yunnan Province, and caused a stir in the densely populated district. Elephants enter people’s houses, eat corn and other crops. One baby elephant even got drunk after entering the winery. The elephants have scoured some houses and fields. Photo: AP. Herds of elephants scour many farms for food and water. The elephants also went into a car dealership, even “visiting” a nursing home. They poked their trunks in through the window, causing a man to hide under the bed to avoid scaring the elephants. To date, the elephant herd has not caused any damage to people or livestock. However, crop damage is said to be more than $1 million. When they left their home in the mountains of southwestern Yunnan province, the herd numbered 16. However, authorities said the two children had returned. During the migration, a mother elephant gave birth to a young. The elephant herd now consists of 6 males and 3 adult females, 3 young individuals and 3 newborns. It is not clear why the elephants roam The reason the elephants travel such long distances is still a mystery. However, the elephants seem to be particularly attracted to maize, fruit and tropical crops. Some say that the herd of elephants is lost from the leader of the herd. According to Nilanga Jayasinghe, director of the Asian animal conservation program at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Asian elephants are attached to their habitat. Elephants only leave when there are major disturbances, loss of resources, or a sharp increase in the number of individuals. “In this case, we really don’t know why they left their range. But we do know their habitat has been severely damaged by agriculture, which converts forests into arable land. in that area for the past few decades,” Ms. Jayasinghe said. The WWF expert said that it is likely that the elephants are looking for a new habitat, now they are lost and just keep moving. The reason why the elephants moved away from their original range is still a mystery. Photo: AP. Chinese authorities have actively taken action to avoid negative interactions, but they must soon determine “what to do next, as well as avoid creating conflicts between elephants and people”, Ms. Jayasinghe said. Elephants are one of the most heavily protected species in China, which has helped the country’s elephant population continue to grow steadily despite the continuous shrinking of its natural habitat. Chinese authorities ask people to exercise maximum restraint when encountering elephants. At the place where the elephants pass, people are asked to stay indoors, not to stare at the elephant, not to use fire or any other measures to scare the elephant away. To date, authorities have adopted a variety of passive measures to keep the elephants away from urban areas, such as parking trucks and construction equipment in roadblocks, as well as using food to lure the elephants. By June 8, the elephants were on the outskirts of Kunming city. One of the adult males is separating himself from the herd, which creates both excitement and concern for those who want to continue monitoring the herd. In a statement on June 7, the command center monitoring the elephants said the elephants appeared to be resting. Chinese authorities have mobilized 410 rapid response personnel, police, many motor vehicles, and 14 drones to monitor the elephant herd. People living in the area near where the elephants passed have been evacuated. Temporary traffic control measures have been implemented. Authorities also prepared 2 tons of food for the elephants. One of the goals now is “to keep quiet to create conditions to lead the elephants to migrate west and south,” the command center said. The Asian elephant is the largest land animal in Eurasia. The number of Asian elephant species living in the wild is generally declining, currently only about 50,000 individuals. Habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and anthropogenic impact are the biggest threats to elephant survival. Herd of elephants ‘march’ in the city in China A herd of elephants travels from a tropical forest in Yunnan province (China) into downtown Kunming. They went into a car store and broke into people’s houses to eat 200 kg of corn.

Representatives of the Cambodian government and a Japanese company are considering the feasibility of establishing an investment partnership mechanism to develop a cannabis production and export project. Accordingly, cannabis will be grown in Cambodia for export to the US and Japan. Cambodia is studying the possibility of growing cannabis for export to the US and Japan. Photo: Khmer Times. Yamato Green said cannabis is considered a medicinal herb in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. The Japanese company affirmed that many businesses are very interested in the potential of investing in this field in Cambodia. Seedlings will be brought from the US to the Southeast Asian country for large-scale production if licensed by the Cambodian government. Yamato Green also added, currently Thailand and Korea have also licensed the production, processing and export of cannabis to the US and Japan on the basis of technical and technology contracts. “We believe that agriculture and food processing are essential to revitalizing Cambodia’s economy and creating hope for society,” the Japanese company said. Yamato Green claims to create an agricultural system “of the future”, to help develop Cambodia’s agriculture with higher productivity, and to promote its products to the world.

Tourists visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Documentary photo: AFP/VNA Although reopening to welcome visitors, this tourist destination still ensures the implementation of medical measures to prevent epidemics. Accordingly, the number of tourists visiting this place will be limited to 10,000 people / day. In order to ensure social distancing, only half the number of regular visitors are allowed to use the elevator. In addition, visitors will have access to all attractions within the Tower grounds, except for some areas under renovation. During the first wave of COVID-19 epidemics in the spring of 2020, the Eiffel Tower had to be closed for 3 months, then closed again from the fall of 2020 when the COVID-19 epidemic re-emerged. Online ticket booking service to visit this place will start operating from June 1. * Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani, an Italian fashion house, announced that it will hold a live show to introduce the men’s Spring Summer collection on June 21 in Milan. This will be the company’s first live show after more than a year of conducting online shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that Armani will also have a private show at the Italian Embassy on July 6 within the framework of the Paris fashion show. However, Armani said the show schedule could change depending on the epidemic situation. Thus, Armani is the first Italian fashion house to announce plans to perform live. Previously, Armani was also the first fashion house to announce the cessation of live fashion shows in February 2020 when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out and spread strongly throughout Italy.

Tourists arrive at Phuket International Airport, Thailand. Documentary photo: AFP/VNA Phuket Tourism Association President Phumkit Raktaengam said on May 24 that 94,000 people working in the province’s tourism industry will be vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, all people with household registration in the province are also subject to vaccination. Phuket has about 400,000 registered local residents. The island employs about 500,000 Thai and foreign workers in tourism and other businesses. Phuket’s vaccination program is expected to cover 70% of the population by the end of June so that it can reopen to foreign visitors in July. The resort island of Phuket will be the first Thai locality to reopen, followed by 10 other destinations in October. However, the Thai government only expects to welcome 500,000 foreign visitors this year. – a fraction of the 6.7 million visitors to the Southeast Asian country in 2020 and nearly 40 million in 2019. According to a forecast by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the tourism industry, which accounted for one-fifth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, may have to It took 5 years, until 2026, to fully recover. Regarding the COVID-19 situation in Thailand, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in Thailand has surpassed 800, with 30 people recorded not dying on May 24. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand has recorded a total of 806 deaths out of a total of 132,213 people with COVID-19. The third COVID-19 outbreak since early April has accounted for nearly 80 percent of COVID-19 cases in Thailand and nearly 90 percent of all deaths so far. In recent days, Thailand has detected many COVID-19 outbreaks among construction workers in the capital Bangkok. Authorities last week also found 36 cases of a more contagious strain of the B.1.617.2 virus in construction workers’ quarters in Bangkok. On May 24, Thai officials confirmed a new COVID-19 outbreak at the construction site of an elevated tram line in Nonthaburi province bordering Bangkok. Test samples of 900 workers were taken on May 22 and confirmed results on May 24 showed that 519 workers were positive for COVID-19. Thai authorities say that most of the workers at the site are immigrants and will be quarantined at the site, while the Thai workers will be taken to a makeshift hospital. This construction site has been ordered to close since the evening of May 24.

In Italy, where tourism accounts for about 13% of GDP according to government data, the island of Capri (in the Gulf of Naples) quickly surpassed popular destinations in the region by promoting “Covid-19-free”. , according to the CNN. The island of Capri is a destination that attracts the elite. Photo: CNN. Absolute safety Capri often attracts large numbers of upmarket visitors. But this year, instead of advertising luxury hotels and stunning sea views, the authorities spread a much simpler message: Every resident on the island has been vaccinated against Covid-19. Last weekend, Vincenzo De Luca, Governor of the Campania region (including the island of Capri), announced that the vaccination program in Capri was nearing its end. He also stated that this would make the island “completely free of Covid-19″. “We are preparing to welcome millions of tourists. What is needed now is not to waste time. The hotel industry has to step up operations in May if it doesn’t want to lose the whole tourist season,” he said. Capri is often known for its high-end travel services. Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP. Marino Lembo, Mayor of Capri, said to CNN that out of 15,000 residents, 80% had received the first dose of the vaccine. This weekend, all tourism workers, who live off the island but come here often, will also be vaccinated. “That is a strong message we send to the world. Everyone can come here in absolute safety,” he said. Sergio Gargiulo, President of Federalberghi – an association representing about 60 hotels on the island of Capri, agrees: “Not only the island is clean of Covid-19 but for customers in need, we will organize testing. (PCR) and provide them with timely results”. A brutal year According to Mr. Gargiulo, in 2020, Capri’s tourism industry saw a 70% drop in revenue due to the pandemic. That’s a devastating number for a destination that relies heavily on tourism. However, authorities believe the island has many attractions, especially at a time of social distancing. Ludovica Di Meglio, Capri’s head of tourism, said: “In addition to the typical sites, Capri also has trails that are naturally beautiful and suitable for the pandemic context.” Luigi Esposito, a guide who specializes in outdoor excursions on the island, says that although Capri is known for high-end tourism, the trails are the main highlight. Capri isn’t the only island stepping up its pre-summer vaccination campaign. Procida, also an island in the Gulf of Naples, completed all of its vaccinations a few days before Capri. Ischia, the other island in the bay, will soon complete its own program, according to Governor De Luca. Other islands in the Gulf of Naples, such as Procida and Ischia, are also vaccinating all residents. Photo: Laurent Emmanuel/AFP. Italy has about 30 small islands that become tourist hotspots every summer. Most have limited health care services. The Italian government has launched a mass vaccination plan for people in these places. Speaking at a meeting of G20 tourism ministers earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced that ahead of Europe’s “green passport”, Italy will launch its own travel card in mid-May. Currently, all visitors to Italy must self-isolate for a minimum of 5 days. However, with the pass, the self-isolation requirement will be waived for travelers who have been vaccinated or have had Covid-19 in the past 6 months. As of May 10, more than 24 million vaccinations have been administered in Italy, with more than 12% of the population fully vaccinated. But according to the latest news, more than 13% of Italians over 80 years old and 31% over 70 years old, are still waiting for the first injection.

Johannes Caspar, head of data protection in Hamburg, the city where Facebook is based in Germany, said: “The aforementioned ban is intended to protect the rights and freedoms of millions of users in Germany, who are have agreed to the terms of use (app). It is very important to prevent damage and disadvantages associated with such a black box process.” Germany also urged the European Union to apply a similar ban in 27 member states. WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion WhatsApp users around the world have been asked to agree to the new rules and conditions by May 15. Facebook, which has 60 million users in Germany, is encouraging its 1.5 billion users globally to update the WhatsApp app as soon as possible. WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion and now competes with other messaging rivals such as Signal and Telegram, both of which claim to have a higher level of personal data protection than WhatsApp. Since the beginning of this year, when running the WhatsApp software, a window will automatically pop up. The first page says that WhatsApp is updating its terms of use and data protection regulations, which states that WhatsApp cannot read or listen to chats because they are encrypted, WhatsApp is adjusting the chat business is simpler. The second page says that WhatsApp is updating its terms of use and data protection policy, asserting that WhatsApp does not change the privacy of private chats, but adds information on how to chat with businesses. business as desired and how the business can manage user chats. At the bottom of page 2 there is only the “agree” button and the user cannot do otherwise. If you do not agree to the new update, starting May 15, the use of WhatsApp may experience problems, such as not being able to receive or send messages, even if the account is not deleted or disabled. In short, WhatsApp requires users to agree to their new policy to be able to continue using the service after May 15, in which the update will allow more information to be shared from WhatsApp with Facebook. and other apps like Instagram and Messenger (such as contacts and profile data), except for encrypted chat content. Responding to the German ban, a WhatsApp spokesperson asserted that the ban was imposed without a legitimate basis and was based on a “fundamental misunderstanding” about the purpose and effect of the update. Therefore, the ban will not affect the continued rollout of the update.

Johannes Caspar, the head of the Hamburg municipal privacy agency, issued a three-month emergency ban. Accordingly, Facebook is prohibited from further data collection. He also asked the European Union data panel to take action and make a ruling in the bloc. WhatsApp’s new provision of data collection is invalid because they are not transparent, inconsistent, and too broad. In a statement on May 11, Mr. Caspar confirmed that the ban aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of millions of WhatsApp users in Germany must agree to Facebook’s conditions. The German ban hits the heart of Facebook’s business model and advertising strategy. Previously, the country’s antitrust office also criticized the company for its habit of collecting data about users doing online and associated with Facebook profiles. The huge amount of information allows for targeted advertising and brings great revenue to social networks. However, WhatsApp called Mr Caspar’s statements “false” and said the ban could not prevent the new term from being deployed. In the announcement, WhatsApp said that the German authorities’ actions were based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the new term. Facebook faces a wave of protests around the globe because of WhatsApp’s new terms, requiring users to agree by May 15. Mr. Caspar is concerned that Facebook could wrongly handle the data and it is important to prevent data misuse, affecting the September election. Du Lam (According to Bloomberg)

The controversial “choose 1 in 2” strategy in the past five years in China has finally become qualitative in imposing monopolistic business practices, and Alibaba has become the first “victim” to gender. This country’s official “stunned”.

Penalties of up to 18,288 billion yuan ($ 2.8 billion) issued by China’s State Market Supervision Department against Alibaba account for 4% of the group’s 2019 revenue.

The group of billionaire Jack Ma has continuously encountered bad luck in recent times.

Not merely a punishment, the meaning of the case went far beyond its original purpose. This is said to be a warning to the entire Internet industry in China, and the move also shows Beijing is accelerating its war of antitrust against big tech companies.

Alibaba: “Big trees catch the wind”

In fact, legal disputes over Alibaba’s monopoly conduct have long existed. Starting in November 2015, Alibaba’s “choose 1 in 2” policy under Jack Ma was accused of disrupting the e-commerce market and many platforms repeatedly called for a boycott of this behavior.

It was not until December 2020 that the State Market Administration of China conducted the first antitrust investigation and a final decision was made. Basically, Alibaba immediately expressed its attitude to cooperate with the authorities. “We recognize that today’s penalty is a warning and motivating us, it is a standard and concern for the industry’s development,” an Alibaba representative said in the Letter. customers and the public.

In the opinion of many market analysts, that penalty is inherently beneficial for Alibaba, because conservative policies in recent years have made them gradually lag in e-commerce. This also allows the Internet economic platform to re-focus on sustaining innovation, instead of relying on dominant positions to “protect” the market. More importantly, the warning for Alibaba will form a strong competitive advantage in the market in the future.

Other platforms started to be wary

In addition to warning Alibaba, the penalty serves as a deterrent to the entire Chinese internet industry. After all, the problem of monopoly is not limited to just one platform and with the current scale of operations, it is completely understandable that Alibaba is being targeted first.

Over the years, the platform economy has benefited from the rapid growth and popularity of the Internet. Based on the cumulative effect, the platforms quickly formed certain areas, especially e-commerce. Up to a certain stage, natural monopoly properties will arise and the larger the platform scale, the more obvious the advantage.

However, “if the platforms misuse this advantage, leading to the formation of unfair competition, the behavior is suspected to be illegal”, the punishment that the Administration Department oversees. China has proved it. Realizing the risk, many leading e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, Tmall, JD, 1688 … started to change policies to avoid becoming the next victim of the regulator.

The Internet antitrust campaign in China is accelerating

“This time Alibaba was fined and signaled that relevant departments had tightened antitrust oversight of the platform economy. I believe there will be other antitrust enforcement cases in the future, not just this one, “said a researcher at the Center for Intellectual Property Research, University of Political Science and Law.

In addition, strengthening antitrust and preventing capital expansion causing market disruption is also the Chinese government’s consistent attitude, which was specifically mentioned at the Central Economic Work Conference held. at the end of last year. However, from the development context over the years, the monopoly monitoring here still has a certain delay.

With the rapid development and changing of Internet economic platforms, law enforcement or administrative governance need to keep up with the times, forcing the Chinese authorities to speed up the antitrust war. This is expected to create fair competition and maintain standardized market vitality in the future.