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February
South Korea's parliament votes to impeach minister over Halloween crush
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korean lawmakers voted on Wednesday to impeach the interior minister over his responses to a deadly Halloween crush, setting the stage for him to become the first cabinet member ousted by the legislature.
As many as 159 people were killed and 196 injured in the Oct. 29 incident, when revellers flooded narrow alleyways in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon to enjoy the first coronavirus mask-free Halloween festivities in three years.
South Korean lawmakers voted on Wednesday to impeach the interior minister over his responses to a deadly Halloween crush, setting the stage for him to become the first cabinet member ousted by the legislature.
As many as 159 people were killed and 196 injured in the Oct. 29 incident, when revellers flooded narrow alleyways in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon to enjoy the first coronavirus mask-free Halloween festivities in three years.
The Democrats and other opposition parties had pushed for expulsion of the interior minister, Lee Sang-min, urging him to take responsibility for botched responses to the crush.
"I will fully cooperate with the constitutional court's impeachment trial so that the Ministry of Interior and Safety can be normalised at an early date," the minister said in a statement.
Lee and the police have faced criticism over their handling of the tragedy, especially after publicly released transcripts of emergency calls showed that many citizens warned of impending danger and called for help hours before the stampede.
The minister has apologised for the flawed responses but when asked on Monday if he was willing to resign, responded that his priority was to devise and implement steps to prevent recurrence of such a tragedy.
President Yoon Suk-yeol had rejected the opposition's demand that he sack Lee, and his office and ruling party denounced the Democrats for abusing their majority power to press ahead with the impeachment.
"It is the renunciation of parliamentary democracy," Yoon's office said in a statement after the motion passed. "It will be recorded as a shameful history in parliamentary politics."
A presidential official said there was no evidence that the minister had severely violated the constitution or any law.
Tension flared this week between the Seoul government and families of the crush victims after they set up an unauthorised memorial in front of city hall. On Tuesday, city officials said the memorial violated rules and ordered its removal in a week.
In 2017, President Park Geun-hye became South Korea's first elected leader to be expelled from office when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment. The court dismissed an impeachment motion in 2004 for President Roh Moo-hyun. (Reuters)
February
U.S. briefed 40 nations on China spy balloon incident, diplomats and official say
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States held briefings in Washington and Beijing with foreign diplomats from 40 nations about the Chinese spy balloon that Washington shot down on Saturday for spying over U.S. territory, a senior administration official and diplomats said on Tuesday.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Monday briefed nearly 150 foreign diplomats across 40 embassies, the official said, while in Beijing the U.S. embassy gathered foreign diplomats on Monday and Tuesday to present U.S. findings about the balloon.
"We want to make sure that we are sharing as much as we can with countries around the world who may also be susceptible to these types of operations," the senior administration official said.
Sherman's briefing was first reported by the Washington Post.
The appearance of the Chinese balloon over the United States last week caused political outrage in Washington and prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing that both countries had hoped would patch their frayed relations. Blinken would have arrived in Beijing on Sunday.
A U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down the balloon off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace. China's foreign ministry has said it was a weather balloon that had blown off course and accused the United States of overreacting.
The State Department also sent U.S. missions around the world information about the balloon incident to share with allies and partners, the official added.
In the briefings in Beijing, the United States presented information to demonstrate that the balloon, which entered U.S. airspace in the last days of January and flew over U.S. military sites, was not a weather research balloon as Beijing said but an airship that was used for espionage, said diplomats in Beijing who attended the discussions.
Washington said the balloon was controlled by the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army.
The diplomats at the Beijing briefing said they were told that the solar panels on the balloon meant that it needed more power than a weather balloon, and that its flight path did not conform with natural wind patterns. U.S. officials have said the balloon was equipped with rudders and propellers.
"Based on the U.S. briefing, our own understanding about such balloons and the fact that China has so far refused to name the company or entity that owns this balloon, we find it hard to believe it is a civilian weather balloon," said a Beijing-based Asian defence diplomat.
The information was similar to what Pentagon has shared with reporters since the weekend, saying the balloons were part of a Chinese aerial fleet that has also violated the sovereignty of other countries.
The Washington Post reported that although analysts still don’t know the size of the balloon fleet, one U.S. official said there have been "dozens" of missions since 2018 and that the balloons use technology provided by a private Chinese company. (Reuters)
February
Sri Lanka flags return to growth, protesters demand tax cuts
Written by Nur Yasmin
Sri Lanka's economy is expected to grow again from the end of this year and the government hopes the country will emerge from an economic crisis by 2026, the president said on Wednesday, as hundreds protested a recent rise in taxes amid high inflation.
The island of 22 million has been battling its worst economic turmoil since independence from Britain in 1948, which has forced it to default on loans and seek a bailout of $2.9 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Sri Lanka, which needs to raise taxes to boost government revenue to 11.3% of GDP this year from 8.3% in 2022 in order to get the IMF funds, introduced new income taxes in January for professionals, ranging from 12.5% to more than 36%.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in July after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted in a popular uprising, told parliament he could see a way out of the troubles as he worked through economic reforms to seal the deal with the IMF.
"It is difficult for all sections of society to survive," he said. "However, if we endure this hardship for another five to six months, we can reach a solution."
He added, "We can achieve economic growth" by the end of 2023 and "can rise out of bankruptcy by 2026" or even earlier, if all political parties supported government initiatives such as raising taxes.
Last month Wickremesinghe said the economy could contract by 3.5% or 4.0% for the full year after having shrunk 11% last year.
His speech to lawmakers did little to deter a lunch-hour protest by salaried workers.
Public workers shouting slogans, with some carrying black flags and signs reading "Yes to reasonable tax", stepped out of government buildings to protest. Black flags were also tied to railings outside Colombo's main hospital.
Doctors and university teachers working at state-run hospitals and universities started a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, warning of longer strikes.
"We have taken to the streets to tell this government that they must immediately and unconditionally withdraw these unfair taxes," said Ranjan Jayalal of the United Trade Union Alliance that represents workers of the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board.
"If they don’t do that, we will make this government kneel and force them to cancel this tax bill."
Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka's foreign reserves now at $500 million, after having fallen to zero last year.
Total reserves reached $2.1 billion at the end of January, the highest in about a year, though they included a $1.5-billion swap from People's Bank of China that cannot be tapped yet, as core reserves are insufficient for three months of imports.
Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka was working with China, its largest bilateral lender, to seek financing assurances supporting a debt restructuring to finalise an IMF programme.
"We have received positive responses from all parties," he added. "We are now working towards unifying the approaches of other countries and that of China." (Reuters)
February
Ex-Tokyo Olympics Official, Ad Execs Arrested in Bid-Rigging Scandal
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japanese prosecutors arrested on Wednesday a former Tokyo Olympics organising committee official and executives at three advertising agencies on suspected bid-rigging of test events for the Games, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office said.
The arrests come after months of investigations into alleged corruption in the planning and sponsorship of the international sporting event that was held in 2021 after a pandemic-driven postponement.
Yasuo Mori, the former deputy executive director of the Tokyo 2020 Games Operations Bureau, was arrested for suspected breach of antitrust laws, the Asahi newspaper and other Japanese publications reported.
The media reports later said the prosecutors also arrested three executives at advertising and event-planning firms Dentsu Inc (4324.T), Cerespo Co (9625.T) and Fuji Creative Corporation, a subsidiary of Fuji Media Holdings Inc (4676.T).
Dentsu said in a statement that a former employee, who currently works at a group firm in Japan, was arrested. "We sincerely apologise to all stakeholders, including our clients, for causing tremendous trouble and worries," it said, adding the company would fully co-operate with the investigation.
A Cerespo spokesperson also confirmed the arrest of its executive in an emailed statement that too promised co-operation with the investigation.
A spokesperson at Fuji Creative declined to comment.
Reuters was unable to ascertain Mori's contact details for a comment. The organising committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games was dissolved in June last year.
Local media have previously reported that Tokyo prosecutors late last year raided the offices of the country's biggest advertising agencies including Dentsu, Hakuhodo Inc (2433.T) and ADK Holdings Inc on suspicion of their colluding to rig the bids and orders for Olympics-related events worth an estimated 40 billion yen ($305 million).
"It was truly regrettable if there was fraud in the bidding process for the Tokyo Games' test event," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the Japanese government's top spokesperson.
The bid-rigging investigation comes after a bribery scandal, in which Haruyuki Takahashi, a former member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics board and before that a Dentsu executive, was arrested in August on suspicion of receiving bribes from Olympic sponsors.
Executives from ADK, suits retailer Aoki Holdings (8214.T) and publishing firm Kadokawa (9468.T) have also been arrested in connection with the bribery scandal. (Reuters)
February
Australia Denies Permission for Coal Mine Near Great Barrier Reef
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia's environment minister on Wednesday declined to grant permission for a new thermal coal project owned by mining magnate Clive Palmer near the Great Barrier Reef.
The Central Queensland Coal owned mine is in the Styx Coal Basin, just off the coast of central Queensland.
"I've decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a video posted to social media.
"The mine is an open-cut coal mine less than 10 km from the Great Barrier Reef, and the risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the reef is very real."
Plibersek said her office received 9,000 public submissions on the issue in ten business days.
Central Queensland Coal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Environmental experts say the UNESCO world heritage-listed reef, the world's biggest coral reef ecosystem, is suffering from the significant impact of climate change and warming of oceans. (Reuters)
February
North Korea's Kim Lauds Army Ahead of Expected Military Parade
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country's military, state media reported on Wednesday, as he paid tribute to soldiers and met with troops amid expectations for a major military parade showcasing the latest weapons.
Kim attended a banquet with his wife and daughter on Tuesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army, state media reported.
"For the strengthening and development of our armed forces, let us all double our efforts and do more for the prosperous development of the socialist motherland," he said during a speech at the banquet, according to state news agency KCNA.
The remarks came a day after he pledged to expand military drills and beef up the nuclear-armed country's war readiness posture.
In a separate report, KCNA cited Kim's leadership of large-scale military drills last year, including the flights of hundreds of fighter aircraft, as "inflicting a strong blow on the largest joint air exercise ever conducted by the United States and its agents" in November.
According to international analysts, commercial satellite imagery has for months shown North Korean troops practicing for a major military parade that is expected this week.
Such parades are typically held in downtown Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square and are often used to show off new weapons, including ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads.
The last four military parades have been held after dark.
Illuminated aircraft flew low over Pyongyang about 1 a.m. Wednesday, and music could be heard from the square, suggesting a parade was imminent, Seoul-based NK News reported, citing videos it obtained.
Despite United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions, North Korea has forged ahead with banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.
Last year North Korea test fired its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), amid a record year of launches, and officials in Seoul and Washington say it has made preparations to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 2017.
South Korea and the United States have stepped up their own military drills to counter the North, drawing condemnation from Pyongyang. (Reuters)
February
Hundreds Still Under Earthquake Rubble in Rebel-Held Syria - Rescue Workers
Written by Nur Yasmin
Time is running out to save hundreds of families trapped under the rubble of buildings brought down by Monday's earthquake, the head of the Syrian opposition-run civil defence service said on Tuesday.
Raed al-Saleh told Reuters urgent help was needed from international groups for the rescue effort by the organisation known as the White Helmets in rebel-held northwest Syria, where hundreds were killed and injured.
"Every second means saving lives and we call on all humanitarian organisations to give material aid and respond to this catastrophe urgently," he said.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria early on Monday, toppling apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals and leaving thousands of people injured or homeless.
At least 1,444 people were killed in Syria and about 3,500 injured, according to figures from the Damascus government and rescue workers in the northwestern region controlled by insurgents.
Rescue teams worked early on Tuesday to free people trapped in the rubble of buildings in southern Turkey as the death toll in that country rose to more than 3,400.
In areas hit by the earthquake in northwestern Syria, rescue efforts were hampered by lack of equipment and freezing conditions. Rescuers cleared piles of debris using makeshift tools and their hands.
"There are a lot of efforts by our teams but they are unable to respond to the catastrophe and the large number of collapsed buildings," al-Saleh said.
Syria's Emergency Response Team, a non-governmental organisation that operates in the rebel-held enclave, said snow storms had closed roads within makeshift camps that house tens of thousands of displaced Syrians.
"We have great difficulty in getting heavy equipment because of the large spread of places that were affected," said Salamah Ibrahim, a senior rescuer operating in the city of Sarmada, where a whole neighbourhood fell to the ground.
The rebel-held enclave in the northwest of Syria is a refuge for around four million people, many of whom have been uprooted by a Russian-backed Syrian government assault that turned the tide in favour of President Bashar al-Assad during the more than decade-long Syrian conflict.
"Most of the hospitals are full and the situation is catastrophic. We are in need of medicines urgently to cover the needs," said Zuhair al Qarat, head of the health authority in Idlib city.
Damage was also widely seen in government-held Aleppo city's eastern sector, whose buildings bore the brunt of intensive aerial bombing by Russia and the Syrian military to push out rebels in 2016, according to rescuers and aid workers. (Reuters)
February
Thai PM Sees Over 30 Mln Foreign Tourists This Year
Written by Nur Yasmin
Thailand's prime minister is confident the country will receive more than 30 million foreign tourists this year as the economically vital tourism sector gathers steam, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has instructed relevant agencies to facilitate visitors with travel and ensure their safety, spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri told a briefing.
Initially, the government predicted more than 20 million foreign tourists this year and later increased that to 28 million, he said.
"Most recently, the prime minister is confident that tourist numbers will even exceed 30 million," Anucha said.
The latest projection follows China's border reopening and the return of Chinese tourists.
Thailand now expects at least 7 to 8 million Chinese visitors this year, up from a previous forecast of at least 5 million, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a government body, told Reuters.
"Earlier, we didn't think China would also allow group tours...now we are seeing at least 7 to 8 million people," he said.
The new forecast would be more than half the 11 million Chinese visitors recorded in pre-pandemic 2019.
Up until Feb. 2 of this year, Thailand received 99,429 Chinese tourists, Yuthasak said.
Overall foreign tourist arrivals were around 2.1 million in January, he added.
In 2022, Thailand beat its tourism target with 11.15 million foreign visitors, a surge from just about 428,000 the previous year when broad pandemic-related travel curbs were in place. (Reuters)
February
North Korea Calls For Strengthened War Readiness Posture, Expanded Drills
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to expand military drills and beef up the country's war readiness posture, state media reported on Tuesday, as Pyongyang prepares to mark a military anniversary.
Kim presided over the meeting of the central military commission of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday where officials discussed "major military and political tasks" for this year and the "long-term issues concerning the orientation for army building," KCNA news agency said.
"Studied and discussed there were ... the issue of constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat drills of the KPA to cope with the prevailing situation and more strictly perfecting the preparedness for war," KCNA said, referring to the Korean People's Army.
The meeting comes as North Korea is widely expected to stage a military parade to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces on Wednesday.
Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing in formation in Pyongyang, and South Korea has also said it was monitoring increased related activities.
The military meeting also follows North Korea on Thursday condemning drills by the United States and its allies, saying they have reached an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone."
In Thursday's statement, the North Korean foreign ministry condemned a visit to South Korea by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies.
Last Tuesday, Austin and his South Korean counterpart said they would expand military drills and deploy more "strategic assets," such as aircraft carriers and long-range bombers, to counter North Korea's weapons development and prevent a war.
When asked about the tensions with North Korea during a stop in the Philippines, Austin said that the U.S. goal was to promote greater security and stability and that it remained committed to defending South Korea. (Reuters)
February
Pakistan, IMF Grapple For Consensus To Unlock Critical Funding
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan and the visiting International Monetary Fund mission are struggling to arrive at a consensus on fiscal adjustment plans, sources said on Monday, in talks aimed at unlocking critical funds needed for the ailing South Asian economy.
The mission has been in Islamabad since Jan. 31 to sort out the differences over fiscal policy that has stalled the release of more than $1 billion from $6.5 billion bailout package signed in 2019.
The IMF funding is crucial for the $350-billion economy facing a balance-of-payments crisis with foreign exchange reserves dipping to less than three weeks of import cover.
The two sides disagree on their data on the fiscal gap, two finance ministry officials with knowledge of the talks told Reuters.
The IMF says the primary deficit is 0.9% of GDP, or around 840 billion Pakistani rupees ($3.06 billion), but according to Islamabad it stands at 0.45%, or around 450 billion rupees ($1.64 billion), said the officials, who declined to be named as the talks were confidential.
"There is a clear difference in data," said one of them.
They said Islamabad is expecting a deal by Feb. 9.
Observers say the funds are needed to avoid defaulting on external payment obligations, while the lender's green signal is vital for any other external funding.
The finance ministry and the IMF country representative did not respond to Reuters request for comments.
STUMBLING BLOCK
Pakistan's 2022-23 budget in June estimated the primacy deficit to be 0.2% of GDP and fiscal deficit 4.9% of GDP.
The country has already shifted back to a market-based exchange rate and hiked fuel prices - measures demanded by IMF. But analysts say the steps will increase crippling inflation, which is already up 27.5% year-on-year in January.
The big pile of energy sector debt - over 4 trillion Pakistani rupees ($14.55 billion), including 1.6 trillion in the gas sector- is another stumbling block in the talks, officials said.
They said Pakistan has submitted a plan to cut the debt in phases though price hikes and dividends from gas companies, but the IMF is demanding a clearer path forward.
Over 900 billion rupees in gas sector subsidies for FY2022-23 are also on the chopping block, they said, adding that Pakistan has agreed to withdraw export sector subsidies.
If issues are resolved, Pakistan will introduce a finance bill in parliament to generate revenue, like a one-off flood levy on luxury imports, windfall levy on banks and duties on cigarettes and carbonated drinks, as well as to cut expenditures and development funds. (Reuters)