Alert all to dengue threat
OP-ED: Alert all to dengue threat
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SINGAPORE’S
The Straits Times
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Facebook’s plan to launch a new digital currency called Libra is arguably the most ambitious initiative to date in the much-hyped realm of crypto assets. But while there may be a case for an innovative global payments system, there are many hurdles that the social media giant and its collaborators in the project will need to negotiate before Libra can come into being. In a recent White Paper explaining the rationale for Libra and how it will work, Facebook and its partners announced that their mission is “to enable a simple global currency and financial infrastructure that empowers billions of people”. The paper noted that there are some 1.7 billion people worldwide who are currently excluded from the formal financial system. Moreover, existing financial systems, which are dominated by banks, also entail high fees and charges as well as long delays for even low-value transactions.
As proposed by Facebook, Libra avoids some of the weaknesses of existing crypto assets like bitcoin: It will be a “stable value” asset as it will be backed by bank deposits and government securities in reputable currencies. It will be secure, being built on a blockchain platform, and be designed to process transactions rapidly. It will also be user-friendly; transferring money will be as easy as sending a text message. Moreover, Libra will be governed by an independent association comprising diverse members including reputable companies such as Visa, MasterCard and eBay, as well as non-profit organisations. It will also be firewalled from Facebook – meaning that transaction data will not be shared with the social media giant nor be used to target advertisements to Facebook users. While much of this sounds reassuring, global financial regulators are sceptical.
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE:
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/st-editorial/facing-up-to-challenge-of-digital-money
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THAILAND’S BANGKOK POST
EDITORIAL:
Alert all to dengue threat
Since dengue fever was first recorded in Thailand in 1949, the mosquito-borne viral disease has never been eradicated. It has become even more widespread, as in the first half of this year, dengue crept back into several parts of the country, triggering higher numbers of infections and deaths compared to previous years.
The trend signals that this year’s outbreak is likely to be the worst in five years. Although the Disease Control Department declared dengue an epidemic last Friday, the public still has not been made aware of the severity of the outbreak.
During the first six months of the year, 28,785 people were struck down with dengue fever, 43 of whom died. The figures, which are double the five-year average, is even higher than last year’s total of 14,900 infections and 19 deaths.
But we have not even finished this year’s count. After last month’s arrival of the rainy season, the rate of infection is likely to accelerate and become higher than in the dry season because the rain brings more mosquitoes. Moreover, once infected, humans are able to spread the virus to uninfected mosquitoes, which multiplies it further.
The current outbreak is more alarming than in previous years because the majority of this year’s infections have been caused by the most virulent strain, according to Sanook.com, quoting Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Disease Control Department.
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