Thai experts eye boosters as 618 medIcal workers infected despite Sinovac jabs

BANGKOK - Thailand's health ministry said on Sunday more than 600 medical workers who received two doses of China's Sinovac vaccine have been infected with COVID-19, as authorities weigh giving booster doses to raise immunity.

Of the 677,348 medical personnel who received two doses of Sinovac, 618 became infected, health ministry data from April to July showed. A nurse has died and another medical worker is in critical condition.

An expert panel has recommended a third dose to trigger immunity for medical workers who are at risk, senior health official Sopon Iamsirithawon, told a news briefing on Sunday.

"This will be a different vaccine, either viral vector AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine, which Thailand will be receiving in the near term," he said, adding that the recommendation will be considered on Monday.

The announcement comes as the Southeast Asian country reported a record high of 9,418 community infections on Sunday. On Saturday authorities reported a record of 91 new daily coronavirus fatalities.

Thailand has reported a total of 336,371 confirmed infections and 2,711 fatalities since the pandemic began last year.

The majority of Thailand's medical and frontline workers were given Sinovac's shots after February with the viral vector vaccine from AstraZeneca arriving in June.

Thailand is expecting a donation of 1.5 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines from the United States later this month and has ordered 20 million doses that will be delivered after October.

Neighbouring Indonesia, which has also heavily relied on Sinovac, said on Friday it would give the Moderna vaccine as boosters to medical workers. 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

-reuters

Asian markets mostly higher on hopes for coronavirus vaccine

Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Wednesday as investors were encouraged by news that an experimental COVID-19 vaccine under development by Moderna and the U.S. National Institutes of Health revved up people’s immune systems just as desired.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.6% to 22,945.50, while the Kospi in South Korea added 0.9% to 2,201.96. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 1.7% to 6,039.50. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was nearly unchanged at 25,476.31, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.5% to 3,397.63. Shares were mixed in Southeast Asia and rose in Taiwan.

The Bank of Japan kept its ultra-easy monetary stance unchanged as it wrapped up a policy meeting. It forecast that the economy would improve later in the year, assuming there is no major “second wave” of outbreaks of the new coronavirus.

But the central back acknowledged very high uncertainties over the outlook for the world’s third largest economy. The bank’s growth forecast for the year was downgraded to minus 5.7%- minus 4.5% from the earlier forecast of minus 5%-minus 3%.

The report also raised the issue of financial stability, noting that the “vulnerability of the financial system could increase,” said Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics.

Investors are awaiting April-June economic growth data for China, which is due later in the week.

The focus for now was on news that scientists soon will begin a 30,000-person study to see if the experimental vaccine developed by Moderna and the NIH is strong enough to protect against the coronavirus.

News about the vaccine came after the end of trading for U.S. markets, where after another day of unsettled trading the S&P 500 rose 1.3% to 3,197.52. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.1% to 26,642.59, lifted by gains for UnitedHealth Group and Caterpillar, among others.

Upbeat earnings news is helpful, “But the cherry on top has to be the positive virus vaccine update as optimism on the vaccine is more than a show stopper. Its the ultimate recession stopper,” Stephen Innes of AxiCorp said in a commentary.

“The positive coverage on a potential Covid-19 vaccine represents a rotating carousel of positive news that is overwhelming rising virus cases in the U.S.,” he said.

On Wall Street, big tech-oriented stocks lagged behind, holding the Nasdaq composite to a more modest gain of 0.9% to 10,488.58.

The earnings reporting season has kicked off with three of the nation’s biggest banks painting a mixed picture of how badly the coronavirus pandemic is ripping through their businesses.

Like the broader market, financial stocks drifted between gains and losses for much of the day before turning higher in the afternoon. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup said they collectively set aside nearly $27 billion during the second quarter to cover loans potentially going bad due to the recession.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 0.63% after rallying back from a morning dip on Tuesday to 0.60%. It tends to move with investors’ expectations of the economy and inflation.

Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 10 cents to $40.39 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 19 cents to settle at $40.29 per barrel on Tuesday. Brent oil, the international standard, picked up 13 cents to $43.03 per barrel. It rose 18 cents to $42.90 a barrel in London.

In currency dealings, the dollar bought 107.27 Japanese yen, up from 107.23 yen late Tuesday. The euro also was almost unchanged, rising to $1.1406 from $1.1401.

Associated Press

Sri Lanka named Asia’s leading destination for 2017

Adventure-seekers and intrepid globetrotters looking to blaze new trails in Southeast Asia will want to consider adding Sri Lanka to their travel bucket list, after the country claimed the title of leading destination and leading adventure tourism destination for Asia over the weekend.

At the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia 2017, held in Shanghai, Sri Lanka took the title of leading destination for the region, an award that reflects a country’s range of tourism products and services. The country was also named the leading adventure tourism destination.

Winners are based on an online voting process cast by industry leaders and travel professionals.

Sri Lanka has been emerging as an interesting travel alternative to Thailand, for its beaches, wildlife safaris and adventure tours. Along with its native land mammals (elephants, leopards and wild buffalos), the island’s marine surroundings make the destination one of the best for whale and dolphin watching.

Sri Lanka is also known among thrill-seekers for offering top-notch surfing and diving experiences, jungle treks, hikes and elephant-riding and rock-climbing adventures.

Other big winners of the night include The Oberoi Udaivilas in India, which took home the title of Asia’s leading hotel 2017 and The Peninsula Hong Kong, which was named Asia’s leading luxury hotel 2017.

For Australasia, the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park in Australia was named the leading hotel, and Yasawa Islands in Fiji Australasia’s leading destination.

Here are some of the big winners from the gala event:

Asia
Leading airline: Hainan Airlines
Leading airline economy class: Cathay Pacific
Leading beach destination: Thailand
Leading boutique hotel: Casa Del Mar Langkawi, Malaysia
Leading city break destination: Hong Kong
Leading cruise line: Star Cruises
Leading fine dining and hotel restaurant: La Maison 1888 InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Vietnam
Leading low-cost airline: AirAsia

Australasia
Leading airline: Air New Zealand
Leading private island resort: Laucala Island, Fiji
Most romantic resort: The Remort Resort, Fiji Islands

JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Under Armour announces regional fitness challenge Test of Will

Triple Pte Ltd, the exclusive distributor for U.S. high performance sportswear label Under Armour in Southeast Asia, announces a Southeast Asia-wide fitness challenge in celebration of human performance, functional fitness and the training lifestyle. An elite event that is accessible to everyone with the will to train, the Under Armour Test of Will 2016 is a distinctively modern and uniquely urban fitness challenge for the growing community of advanced athletes, high achievers and fitness aspirants across Southeast Asia with a drive for competition.

Kicking off in Singapore, national heats will be staggered over the month of April in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Built around a series of challenges that assesses pure, functional fitness through callisthenic motion using only body weight and simple gear, each Test of Will competitor will have to complete a 4-minute circuit testing his or her balance, speed, agility and power.

The circuit challenge comprises of four sets of exercises: burpees, squats, dumbbell presses and pull-ups (inclined pull-ups for women). For every exercise, each competitor will have to complete the maximum number of reps they can achieve within 60 seconds. The highest scoring two women and the highest scoring two men of the national heats from each respective country will win a trip to Singapore to compete in the Under Armour Test of Will Grand Final held at Gardens by the Bay on 28 May 2016.

The Grand Final will see contestants battle it out over a series of challenges in a specially built 14-metre Tower. Each level of the Tower will contain a fitness zone with callisthenic exercises that will test mental and physical strength, endurance, determination and will. The highest overall point leader in each category wins.

The overall winner will receive an Under Armour sponsorship package for 12 months. In addition, the winners in the male and female categories will be featured in leading health and fitness magazines Men’s Health Singapore and SHAPE Singapore.

The launch of Test of Will creates a platform that is authentic, resonant and engaging for people who are passionate about fitness.

 For more information or to register, please visit http://testofwill.tripleready.com. ADVT.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Oakley rides on growth in PH

Andrew McMahon, a young Australian executive and cyclist, was on his bike just three kilometers away from his house in Melbourne when a driver made a turn without noticing him. He flew off his bike, hit the top of the car and eventually landed on the gutter. As he fell, the frame of his Oakley sunglasses cut his cheekbone, but the lenses remained intact.

McMahon was rushed to the hospital and was in a coma for three days. Except for his eye area, his entire face underwent reconstructive surgery.

“It was a major accident, but I’ve had fine vision since,” he says. Doctors told him that if it weren’t for the protective eyewear, he would have lost his eyesight.

McMahon, Oakley’s retail manager for Southeast Asia and India, then cites other testimonies of how Oakley’s patented impact-protection lenses saved the eyes of soldiers in Iraq; children getting directly hit during baseball games; athletes riding mountain bikes and skidding into tree trunks.

“We don’t push it hugely on the protective side, but we definitely have the same lens technology in every piece, be it a woman’s fashion piece or our most technologically advanced sports eyewear,” says McMahon. “We have over 600 patents on our eyewear and most center around protection, comfort, fit, and then design.”

Although Oakley is known for high-end sports performance eyewear and equipment, it’s also doing good business in the lifestyle component.

“Our technology for sports will trickle into the lifestyle [segment]. We make the best eyewear that is optically correct,” he says.

In Australia, where there is concern for ozone thinning, eyewear with UV protection has become a must. McMahon’s two boys wear Oakleys even if the family is just going shopping.

Growing market

McMahon says the Philippines is the fastest growing market for Oakley in the region.

The popularity of outdoor sports such as triathlons, the re-emergence of marathons, surfing and skating have driven up sales. Billionaire and triathlete Wilfred Uytengsu Jr. and TV host Kim Atienza are brand ambassadors.

The price of the eyewear ranges from P5,595 to P29,995 for the collector’s items.

The Holbrook, known for its square frames and polarized lenses, is the world’s most popular style. The custom-engineered design and the lightweight materials of the $400-Madman make it the most expensive style available locally.

While the global business consists of 60 percent eyewear and 40 percent AFA (apparel, footwear and accessories), the acceptance of apparel in the Philippines is higher than in other markets. More than half of the local business (55 percent) comes from apparel while eyewear contributes 45 percent.

McMahon attributes the apparel line’s success to the right merchandising, the youthful designs and proportions that suit the Filipino body type. The sandals and the military-inspired backpacks are also popular.

Active creator

With the changing lifestyle and habits of consumers, Oakley is positioning itself to catering to a younger market and offering more personalized service through online and standalone stores.

Worldwide, the average age of the Oakley user is 49 years old. Although midlifers have a lot of disposable income, they are viewed as an aging market.

“We need to re-engage the youth like we did in the ’80s. We will have a much more youthful product. Our marketing will be focused on that area, but we won’t forget our consumers whom we currently sell to as well,” says McMahon.

In the Philippines, the typical consumer for Oakley is between 33 and 35 years old.

“It’s slightly younger, but it’s still not the way we want to see it. We’re driven by what we call an ‘active creator’ or the ‘millennials.’ Most brands will be heading in that direction,” he says.

He says the global retail market is shifting preferences from traditional department or multibrand stores to the freestanding stores in malls.

“The department store business declined, but the standalone business has grown rapidly. Our feeling is that we are going to see that here in the Philippines and throughout Asia over the next five years,” says McMahon.

Customer experience

Freestanding stores are designed to provide positive customer experiences. An intimate setting creates an atmosphere where staffers can listen well to their customers, make a connection with them and show the value of their product offerings.

“The staff there knows the product; they embrace the brand, live and breathe it,” he explains. “I walk into a store and someone is that fiery about the brand, I know they’re going to give me what I need.”

Another advantage is that fully customized eyewear can be created only in standalone stores. Customers can select their preferred styles, frames and lenses and walk out with their personalized eyewear.

Oakley’s local distributor, Meera Enterprises, is undertaking aggressive expansion with the opening of more freestanding stores.

Oakley currently has six stores in the Philippines. By the end of the year, it will have 11 outlets.

McMahon underscores the importance of location inside the top 10 malls of a country. “Where we are going to go or how fast we are going to grow is having that right location and having the right tenancy around us.”

Of all its standalone stores, Oakley in Greenbelt 3 posts the highest sales followed by the newly-opened SM Pampanga, which is the largest store at 100 sqm.

Oakley also has presence in high-end malls such as Rockwell Power Plant, SM Aura and Century City Mall. It will also be opening in SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, Uptown Place Mall and Bonifacio High Street.

The provincial network includes SM Lipa and soon, in SM Cebu as well as in Pueblo Verde, owned by the Aboitizes.

“I’d be disappointed if I don’t see a 10-percent growth in the Philippines,” says McMahon on the revenues.

“The timing is right. There’s a want,” he says, adding the distributor hit the formula with the right product mix, staff training and genuine customer interaction.

“Now, we’re at a place where we can just start to roll them out, and know that they’re going to succeed,” says McMahon.

source: business.inquirer.net

Blame game erupts as China criticizes Malaysia over MH370

BEIJING – Beijing on Monday blamed Kuala Lumpur for a lack of information about a vanished Malaysia Airlines flight, as tearful relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers aboard voiced frustration with all sides of the response effort.

Nearly two-thirds of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 were from China, and if the loss of the aircraft is confirmed, it would be China’s second-worst air disaster in history.

“The Malaysian side attaches importance to the incident with a sincere attitude, but in light of the situation, the Malaysian side needs to step up their efforts,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters at a regular briefing.

Qin declined to pinpoint any specific areas of the Malaysian response with which Chinese authorities were dissatisfied, noting that “the incident is still under investigation”.

But China’s state-run media minced no words on Monday, lashing out at Malaysia and its national carrier over their handling of the missing jet, demanding answers despite the early stage of the investigation and calling for a swifter effort.

Officials said two Europeans whose names were on the passenger manifest — who both had their passports stolen in Thailand — were not on board.

“The Malaysian side cannot shirk its responsibilities,” the Global Times newspaper, which is close to China’s ruling Communist Party, wrote in a scathing editorial. “The initial response from Malaysia was not swift enough.

“There are loopholes in the work of Malaysia Airlines and security authorities,” it said.

“If it is due to a deadly mechanical breakdown or pilot error, then Malaysia Airlines should take the blame. If this is a terrorist attack, then the security check at the Kuala Lumpur airport and on the flight is questionable.”

China itself regularly enforces heavyweight security, while authorities are often secretive about real or alleged incidents.

 Terrorism fears

The China Daily newspaper wrote in an editorial that “terrorism cannot be ruled out”, with Malaysian and international authorities still at a loss to explain how at least two passengers were able to board with stolen Italian and Austrian passports.

“Who were they and why were they using false passports?” the paper asked.

“The fact that some of the passengers on board were travelling with false passports should serve as a reminder to the whole world that security can never be too tight, at airports in particular, since terrorism, the evil of the world, is still trying to stain human civilization with the blood of innocent lives,” it added.

Malaysia’s police chief said Monday that one of the men who used the passports had been identified, after ministers reportedly said they had Asian facial features.

At a Beijing hotel, Malaysian embassy officials were processing visa applications for families wanting to take up an airline’s offer to travel to Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the rescue operations.

Scores of relatives made their way into the room, some in groups of five or six, clutching handkerchiefs and wiping away tears from their faces.

Some family members are expected to travel from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur on a 1:30 a.m. flight Tuesday, but many said they would not go.

“There is more we can do here in China,” one woman told AFP. “They haven’t even found the plane yet.”

Calls for action

Some have criticized Malaysia Airlines’ response and information disclosure, asking the Chinese government to devote “strong attention” to the incident.

“There is very little information coming from the airline,” lamented one 40-year-old Chinese man, who said his best friend was on the plane. “They are very slow. We have to rely on the media.”

Others have called for top Chinese officials to help the family members deal with the airline, drawing a contrast with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has reportedly visited families in Kuala Lumpur along with his wife.

Beijing sent a working group to Malaysia Monday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said, including officials from the foreign, public security and transport ministries.

The aircraft’s disappearance came one week after a deadly attack at a train station in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, in which a group of knife-wielding assailants killed 29 people and wounded 143.

Both Beijing and Washington have condemned the mass stabbing as an act of terror, with Chinese authorities blaming it on separatists from the restive far western region of Xinjiang.

Even as information remains sparse and the hours tick by, many relatives in Beijing continue to believe that the passengers may yet be found, according to one US-trained psychologist who counselled about 20 families awaiting news at the hotel.

“I think most of them are holding onto that thin ray of hope,” he said. “Whether they believe it to be realistic or not, most of them are not letting it go.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Malaysia says ‘mystified’ as no jet debris found

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia said Monday there is still no trace of wreckage from a jet that vanished with 239 people on board, deepening the anguish of relatives two days after the “mystifying” disappearance.

A potential breakthrough emerged Sunday when an aircraft scouring waters off southern Vietnam — part of an international search and rescue effort — spotted two objects authorities said could be debris from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

But Malaysian authorities said there was no confirmation they came from the Boeing 777 which slipped off radar screens early on Saturday, an hour after leaving Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing.

“Unfortunately ladies and gentleman, we have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft itself,” said Malaysia’s civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman.

“This unprecedented missing aircraft mystery — it is mystifying and we are increasing our efforts to do what we have to do,” he told a press conference.

Malaysia has launched a terror probe after at least two of the passengers on board were found to have travelled on stolen passports.

But Azharuddin had few answers to the burning questions surrounding the plane’s fate. Asked whether it was possible the plane had been hijacked or disintegrated mid-air, he said nothing could be ruled out.

“We are looking at every angle. We are looking at every aspect of what could have happened,” he said. “Again, we have to get concrete evidence… we have to find the aircraft.”

More than 150 Chinese are among the missing passengers and Beijing’s state media on Monday lashed out at Malaysia and its national carrier over their handling of the crisis.

“The Malaysian side cannot shirk its responsibilities,” the Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, wrote in a scathing editorial. “The initial response from Malaysia was not swift enough.”

China grief

At a Beijing hotel, Malaysian embassy officials were processing visa applications for families wanting to take up an airline offer to travel to Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the rescue operations.

Scores of relatives made their way into the room, some in groups of five or six, clutching handkerchiefs and wiping away tears from their faces.





Others said they would not go. “There is more we can do here in China,” one woman told AFP. “They haven’t even found the plane yet.”

A team of Chinese officials from government ministries headed for Malaysia on Monday, tasked with investigating the incident and helping family members already there.

As the search entered a third full day, other families of missing passengers gathered at a hotel in Malaysia’s administrative capital, Putrajaya, sharing breakfast as they stared intently at television news bulletins.

The search effort has zeroed in on waters off the remote Vietnamese island of Tho Chu, near where two large oil slicks — suspected to be caused by aircraft fuel — as well as the suspected debris were spotted on the weekend.

“All night we mobilized our most modern equipment for the search… but we found no sign of the objects,” Vice Admiral Ngo Van Phat told AFP of the hunt centred on Vietnam’s southwestern tip.

Tests on the oil slick that could indicate whether it came from the missing plane could be completed by later Monday, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director general Amdan Kurish told AFP.

Malaysian authorities said they were also combing waters closer to their shores, further south of Tho Chu.

A total of 40 ships and 34 aircraft from an array of Southeast Asian countries, China and the United States have been involved in the search, with two Australian surveillance aircraft joining.

‘Asian features’
As they scramble to discover what happened, Malaysian officials have said there was a possibility that MH370 may have inexplicably turned back towards Kuala Lumpur.

The plane, captained by a veteran MAS pilot, had relayed no indications of distress, and weather at the time was said to be good.

Questions have also swirled over how at least two passengers boarded the jet on stolen passports, sparking an investigation into possible links with terrorism and a probe into the sale of passports in Thailand — where the documents were stolen over the past two years.

Two European names — Christian Kozel, an Austrian, and Luigi Maraldi of Italy — were listed on the passenger list, but neither man boarded the plane.

Malaysia’s Home Minister Zahid Hamidi reportedly said Sunday that the two passengers who did board using those passports looked Asian in appearance.

“I am still puzzled how come (immigration officers) cannot think: an Italian and Austrian but with Asian facial features,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama.

Interpol confirmed that “at least two passports” recorded in its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database were used by passengers on the Malaysian flight.

The United States has sent an FBI team to help investigate the passengers, but US officials stressed there was as yet no evidence of terrorism.

Malaysia Airlines shares lost 10 percent in early trading Monday as the market reacted to the jet’s disappearance.

The incident is a massive blow for the carrier which has haemorrhaged cash for several years amid mounting competition from low-cost rivals such as AirAsia.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

KLM is here to stay

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is leaving no stone unturned to attract more passengers to Europe, from a growing Southeast Asian market.

It was the last airline to fly nonstop from Amsterdam to Manila, and vice versa.

How is it gearing up for a good passenger traffic to Europe? By refurbishing its fleet, its business class, among other moves.

KLM has been flying to Manila for the past 61 years. From 2004 until last year, it was the only airline offering nonstop flights between Europe and the Philippines. But because of high Philippine taxes, the airlines had to discontinue the service, said Jurriaan Stelder, KLM’s general manager for South China Sea.

It now flies from Manila to Amsterdam via Taipei, and back.

High fuel prices have also reduced the profitability of long-haul routes. Even KLM—the largest airline in Europe after it partnered with Air France in 2004—was hit hard.

The partnership between the two airlines has a network of 24 destinations and offers more than 200 weekly flights between Asia and Europe.

Low-cost carriers

However, even such a thriving partnership is affected by the growing market share of low-cost carriers.

“Today, one out of four passengers in Asia is traveling low cost,” said Stelder. “Air France KLM is cooperating where necessary with low-cost carriers like Jetstar.”

KLM, unlike Air France, still flies daily to Manila from Amsterdam, but with an intermediate stop in Taipei. It won’t abandon the route anytime soon.




It has announced moves to face stiffer competition in the growing Southeast Asian market.

With the Philippine government’s removal of the common carriers tax earlier this year, a considerable burden on the airline has been lifted, making it more attractive for KLM to grow again in the Philippines.

“Unfortunately, the current economic climate in Europe does not yet allow a return to nonstop operation within a short period,” Stelder said through e-mail. “In the meantime, KLM is on a path of increasing seat capacity on the route.”

Sense of dread  


While some European airlines are viewing the steady expansion of Middle Eastern airlines to Asia and Europe with a sense of dread, KLM is confident that its “excellent prices and competitive service” will help it prevail and maintain its position in the market.

Apart from offering reliable and efficient ground and flight operations, including excellent on-board service such as catering and in-flight entertainment, KLM has one advantage over its competitors. “We provide passengers convenient connecting possibilities to other destinations in Europe and beyond via Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, undoubtedly one of the best airports in the world,” said Stelder.

“KLM is making it more attractive to fly to Europe by offering a free stopover in Amsterdam, he added. “This will give our customers the opportunity to visit Amsterdam and see the beauty and hospitality this historic city has to offer.”

But since most of the long-haul traveler’s time is spent airborne, KLM is beefing up and refurbishing its fleet to make flying convenient and pleasurable. Today’s travel isn’t just about getting from point A to B safely and on time. It’s now all about traveling in style—which airlines like KLM take into consideration.

It has teamed up with top Dutch designer Hella Jongerius to create a new atmosphere—from furnishings to minute flourishes—in the World Business Class.

“The new design’s guiding principle is to ensure that passengers feel at home,” said Stelder. “That involves a transition from a business-like look to greater sense of being at home. This has been achieved by using a characteristically warm color palette, more sustainable materials and by enhancing personal comfort.”

The World Business Class’ new full-flat seat can be reclined so the passenger can lie down completely to sleep. The seat and the partition between TV screens ensure greater privacy. There are also more storage compartments beside the passengers and under TV screens.

Expanding its fleet, KLM got its 12th Airbus 330-200 last April. Its arrival, said Stelder, marks another step in the airline’s thrust to modernize its fleet.

“Even in challenging times, KLM continues to invest in cleaner, quieter aircraft in its drive to guarantee customers optimal service,” he said.

“With the arrival of this latest aircraft, KLM’s A330 fleet now counts 16 aircraft: 12 Airbus A330-200s and four Airbus A330-300s.”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Fitflops now thinner and slimmer

After selling its 18 millionth pair in a span of six years, one footwear brand has no intention of coasting along. It recently launched a patent-pending technological breakthrough that creates soles that are relatively thinner and slimmer than earlier iterations.

Styles featuring the Biomimetix midsoles from Fitflop should be a hit in the Philippines; the country is still the biggest market of the brand in Asia. If volume sales are combined with those of other countries in the region, Asia is an even bigger market than the US, said Katie Neiman, the brand’s International PR manager.

“The Fitflop brand is very popular among women in Southeast Asia because we are blessed with tropical weather the whole year round,” said Jimmy Thai, chief executive officer of the Primer Group, which distributes Fitflop and other brands.

“We tend to dress down—hence the continued popularity of the brand’s open-toe styles—but we still want to look put together.”



With the new technology available in some of the styles this season, customers now have more options. The science behind the Biomimetix midsoles is different from the original Microwobbleboard technology, because the former can be made into narrower shoes like the ballerina-inspired flats that were part of the Spring-Summer 2013 collection launched in Malaysia last week.

Lifestyle writers and editors from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines were flown in for the press presentation and launch party at Publika, a new mall near the tony residential district of Mont Kiara in Kuala Lumpur.

Brand origins

So much has changed, design-wise, with the UK-based brand since its founder Marcia Kilgore worked with biomechanists Dr. David Cook and Darren James. In 2007, the first Fitflop style for women, the Walkstar, was introduced to the market.

The response was immediate and positive. Women gushed about how comfortable the sandals were, how much they could accomplish in a day, and how it seemed they could walk for miles in their Fitflops.



This was exactly what Kilgore wanted to achieve when she began imagining that first pair. As a young mom and entrepreneur, she wanted to include exercise in her daily lifestyle but found herself, like many women, time-poor. The result of her collaboration with the two biomechanists was the world’s first muscle-activating flip-flop.

Neiman recounted how Kilgore would tell them: There are millions of shoes out there. Why do we need another?

“The answer is because so many of us, men and women, are professional jugglers trying to make the most of our lives. When we wear shoes that fit comfortably, we feel like we can do so much more,” Neiman said.

This way of thinking is now the brand’s current slogan: Wear the shoes. Rule the world.

Fashionable crowd

From originally coming up with flip-flops for women strapped for time, the people behind Fitflop are now intent on creating designs that will appeal to the fashionable crowd as well.

“Let’s face it. Every time someone mentions ‘functional footwear,’ the first thing that comes to mind are ugly, clunky shoes,” Neiman said.

While many women are fierce supporters of the brand—labeling themselves “Fitfloppers”—there are still some who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a pair.

“That’s why we’re continually looking at ways to improve our product,” Neiman said. “After all, fashionistas want to feel good, too.”

Credit for any inroads made with the fashion flock goes to the makeup artists and stylists who are always on their feet.

“A lot of the models who saw makeup artists and stylists sporting Fitflops during Fashion Week asked what they were wearing and whether they were comfortable wearing them. When they found out how comfortable they are, some of the models went out and bought their own pairs,” she added.

Neiman hopes that the fashion flock will like the selection in stores.

Collaborations

To further build the brand, Fitflop has been collaborating with designers, fashion schools and boutiques to come up with limited editions.

Neiman, who has been with Fitflop from the start, listed successful collaborations with Anna Sui, Kirna Zabete, Net-a-Porter, the Wola Nani Cooperative in Cape Town and the London School of Fashion.

For Spring-Summer 2013, quite a number of floral and jewel-like details adorn the women’s range, but one will also notice an expanded men’s line that now includes boat shoes, brogues, sneakers and slides.

Canvas and patent ballerinas for women are also available, while men’s sneakers in yellow, navy and royal blue add a punch of color to any outfit.

Neiman said that they want to grow the men’s market since it makes up only 10 to 20 percent of volume sales.

“Six years ago, we offered one sandal for women. A lot has changed since then. We’re now a footwear brand delivering the epitome in biomechanical engineering and ergonomics that look great for men and women the whole year round,” she said.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net