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November
Japan PM Kishida to unveil plans to revive economy after pandemic
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will outline plans on Wednesday to revive a pandemic-hit economy after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a strong majority in last month's election.
A post-election boost for the softly-spoken former banker from the nuclear memorial city of Hiroshima has pushed up government support ratings to 53% in an opinion poll this week by public broadcaster NHK. Two weeks ago support was at 46%.
Kishida, who is set to lay out his plans at a news conference scheduled for 9:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), has stressed that his immediate priority was to revive growth, with fiscal reform later.
Solid ratings, a planned economic stimulus that could be worth more than 30 trillion yen ($264.7 billion), coupled with high vaccination rates and few infections could help Kishida solidify his power base in the party and avoid the fate of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga who lasted only a year in the job.
On Wednesday, Kishida was re-elected by the parliament in whose powerful lower chamber the LDP won 261 out of 465 seats. The vote was a formality given the dominance in parliament of the party and its junior coalition partner.
In Japan, a prime minister is elected by members of parliament, and not by national election.
Kishida reappointed all but one of the ministers from the previous line-up, announced last month after he was first elected by the parliament following his victory in the LDP chief race triggered by Suga's resignation in September.
One change was in the position of the foreign minister, where Kishida replaced Toshimitsu Motegi, who has moved to a key party post, with another LDP heavyweight former Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Also, Kishida, who has vowed to take a firm stance for democracy in the Chinese-ruled city of Hong Kong and human rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority, appointed former Defence Minister Gen Nakatani his special adviser in charge of international human rights issues.
Nakatani has proposed introducing a Japanese version of the U.S. Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law that allows punishment of foreign human rights violators with U.S. asset freezes and bans on travel to the United States. read more
Most of Kishida's ministers have no prior cabinet experience, in line with his pledge to give a chance to new people, but the majority of important jobs have gone to allies of two party grandees: conservative former premier Shinzo Abe, or ex-finance minister Taro Aso.
In a further move bolstering the position of conservatives in the LDP following Abe's record-long tenure in the top job, the ex-PM agreed on Wednesday to take over as the head of the party's largest faction, domestic media said.
With elections out of the way, Kishida is setting an ambitious agenda to pass economic stimulus on Nov. 19, and an extra budget to fund the spending by the end of this month.
One pillar of the planned stimulus is a payout of 100,000 yen in cash and vouchers for children aged 18 or younger, for which the coalition agreed on Wednesday a cap of 9.6 million yen in annual income.
On Tuesday, Kishida vowed to put the economy on track by boosting private-sector investment and disposable income to achieve a "virtuous cycle" of economic growth and distribution of wealth.
He has said he wants to revamp the medical system and provide booster shots to better protect against the next wave of COVID-19 infections. (Reuters)
November
Iran says it warned off U.S. drones near its Gulf drills
Written by Nur Yasmin
Iran's military warned off U.S. drones trying to approach Iranian war games near the mouth of the Gulf, state broadcaster IRIB said on Tuesday.
The annual exercises concluded on Tuesday, a few weeks before resumption of talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.
"These aircraft (RQ-4 and MQ-9 U.S. drones) changed their route after approaching the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the air defence's interception and decisive warning," IRIB reported.
The exercises stretched from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the north of the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea. About a fifth of oil that is consumed globally passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway in the Gulf.
Periodic confrontations have taken place between Iran’s military and U.S. forces in the Gulf since 2018, when former U.S. President Donald Trump exited the nuclear pact and reimposed harsh sanctions against Tehran.
Iran has reacted by breaching the deal's limits on its nuclear programme.
Indirect talks between Iran and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to revive the pact, which were put on hold since the election of Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in June, are set to resume in Vienna on Nov. 29. (Reuters)
November
Thousands protest in New Zealand against COVID-19 rules
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand beefed up security measures at its parliament on Tuesday as thousands of people gathered to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and government lockdowns aimed at controlling the pandemic.
All but two entrances to the parliament building, known as the Beehive, were closed off in unprecedented security measures, as mostly unmasked protesters marched through central Wellington and congregated outside parliament.
While the demonstration was peaceful, many people were seen holding signs and placards with messages like "Freedom" and "Kiwis are not lab rats" and shouting slogans as they demanded the government roll back compulsory vaccination and lift restrictions.
Placards showing support to former U.S. President Donald Trump and slamming the media as "fake" and lying were also displayed.
"I will not be coerced and I will not be forced into taking something I don't want in my body," a protester said outside parliament.
"I'm asking (the government) to give us back 2018. Simple as that. I want my freedoms back."
New Zealand has struggled to fight off a highly infectious outbreak of the Delta variant this year, forcing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to move from its strategy of elimination through lockdowns to living with the virus with higher vaccinations.
Ardern last month said the country would require teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, inviting criticism from people calling for more freedoms and for ending mandatory vaccine requirements.
"Treat us like people!" another protester exclaimed when asked about the government's stance on mandating the vaccine.
"I'm here for freedom. The government, what they're doing, is anti-freedom."
Speaking to reporters inside parliament, Ardern said: "What we saw today was not representative of the vast bulk of New Zealanders."
But the prime minister has been facing growing political pressure and public protests to ease pandemic measures ahead of the Christmas holidays.
She plans to travel to Auckland on Wednesday when the lockdown measures enforced on the city nearly three months ago eases. She is expected to face more protests during her visit.
New Zealand still has among the lowest COVID-19 cases in the world with under 8,000 cases reported so far and 32 deaths. It reported 125 new cases on Tuesday and its total double-dose vaccination rate had reached nearly 80% of its eligible population. (Reuters)
November
France says nuclear talks with Iran must resume where they left off
Written by Nur Yasmin
France's foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday that when talks with world powers on reviving a nuclear accord resume at the end of November, they must continue where they left off in June.
The comments suggest growing concern over Iran's public rhetoric before indirect talks between Iran and the United States resume in Vienna on Nov. 29.
On Monday, Tehran repeated demands that the United States lift all the sanctions it has imposed since then-president Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 deal between Iran and major powers, and guarantee that it would not quit the deal again. read more
In a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, France's Jean-Yves Le Drian "stressed the importance and the urgency of resuming the negotiations interrupted on June 20 by Iran, on the basis negotiated up to that date, with the objective of a rapid return (to the accord)", a ministry spokesperson said.
Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of United Nations sanctions that had hamstrung its economy.
Since Trump withdrew from the accord in 2018, Iran has responded to the imposition of U.S. sanctions by breaching the prescribed limits on uranium enrichment, which can be used to make the fuel for nuclear weapons. Iran says its programme is entirely peaceful.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, was in Paris on Tuesday as part of a tour to the capitals of France, Britain and Germany, the three European parties to the pact.
After Amirabdollahian spoke to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Iranian state media quoted the Iranian minister on Tuesday as saying that the U.S. withdrawal and the failure of the Europeans to meet their obligations had "deepened mistrust". (Reuters)
November
EU toughens visa process for Belarus officials over migrant crisis
Written by Nur YasminEuropean Union governments partially suspended on Tuesday a visa facilitation deal for Belarusian officials in response to a "hybrid attack" that Brussels says Minsk is waging by pushing migrants across its borders with Poland and Lithuania.
The EU accuses Belarus of encouraging migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa to cross the border into the bloc in revenge for sanctions slapped on Minsk over human rights abuses.
"This decision is a response to the ongoing hybrid attack launched by the Belarusian regime," said the statement from the EU Council, which represents the bloc's member states.
It said the move would affect Belarusian officials, and not complicate existing visa procedures for ordinary citizens.
Thousands of migrants were camped out near the Belarusian border with Poland in freezing overnight temperatures, as Polish authorities braced on Tuesday for further clashes with people attempting to breach the frontier. read more
Some used logs, spades and other tools on Monday to try to break down a border fence, escalating the months-long crisis. (Reuters)
November
Singapore grants 11th-hour stay of execution for Malaysian with COVID-19
Written by Nur Yasmin
A Singapore court on Tuesday stayed the execution of a Malaysian convicted of drug smuggling for reasons of "common sense and humanity" after confirming he had tested positive for COVID-19, a day before he was due to be hanged.
The judge did not rule on a last-minute appeal filed on behalf of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, 33, and said the stay of execution was until further notice.
"We have got to use logic, common sense and humanity," judge Andrew Phang told the court, referring to the COVID-19 diagnosis and the stay of execution.
The court had convened to rule on the appeal against the execution of a man whose lawyer had argued should be spared because he was not of sound mind.
A handcuffed Dharmalingam made a brief appearance in court.
Dharmalingam was arrested in April 2009 and has been on death row for more than a decade for trafficking 42.72 grams of heroin.
His case has attracted international attention, with Malaysia's prime minister, a group of U.N. experts and British billionaire Richard Branson among those who have called on Singapore to commute his death sentence.
Singapore, a wealthy city-state, has some of the world's toughest laws against illegal drugs.
The man's lawyer, M Ravi, said he now had more time to prepare for when proceedings resume.
"COVID has allowed him to live in this world, rather than kill him," Ravi said.
Ravi and activists say Dharmalingam's intellect was at a level recognised as a mental disability, and he has other disorders affecting his decision-making and impulse control.
Authorities have said Singapore courts were satisfied he knew what he was doing.
Dharmalingam's sister, Sarmila Dharmalingam, told Reuters the stay of execution would give the family hope, at least for a while.
"We hope for the best. Day by day, we are struggling with fear ... For now, we can relax just a little bit but we still don't have peace," she said.
"The whole world is talking about this case, so many people are against his execution."
From 2016 to 2019, Singapore hanged 25 people - the majority for drug-related offences, according to official data.
There were no executions in Singapore last year. (Reuters)
November
Duterte daughter quits mayor race as Philippine election deadline looms
Written by Nur Yasmin
The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday removed herself from the running for mayor of Davao City, just days away from a deadline to change candidates for a presidential election next year.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, who has been widely tipped to run to succeed her father, did not say why she was withdrawing from the mayor contest, but told supporters on Facebook that further announcements would be made later.
The 43-year-old has led opinion polls throughout this year as the most preferred candidate for president, but has said she does not want that job.
The Philippines holds elections in May 2022 for positions from president down to governors, mayors and local officials. The window for changing candidates expires on Nov. 15.
"This afternoon I am withdrawing my candidacy for mayor of Davao City," she said, announcing her brother Sebastian, her vice mayor, will run instead.
Duterte-Carpio has repeatedly said she was not interested in running for president.
But she recently expressed willingness to forge an alliance with another presidential candidate, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, the controversial son and namesake of the late dictator who was overthrown in 1986.
The Marcos family has for decades been among the Philippines' most powerful political families. Marcos' supporters have urged Duterte-Carpio, who is known by her nickname Inday, to be his running mate.
Aides to Duterte-Carpio and Marcos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
President Duterte, 76, cannot seek a second term under the constitution, and plans to retire.
His daughter is hugely popular and the family enjoys considerable political clout in the south of the country, having run Davao for more than three decades.
Other candidates for the presidency include senator and retired boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, former actor and Manila mayor Francisco Domagoso, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Marcos.
Political analyst Edmund Tayao said it was not immediately clear what exactly Duterte-Carpio's intentions were, but it was unlikely she would take on Marcos.
"If we are going to speculate what her options are, either she will be the vice president of Bongbong Marcos, or maybe they will change position with Inday running for president and Bongbong as vice president," he said. (Reuters)
November
India could ship vaccines to COVAX in a few weeks, say sources
Written by Nur Yasmin
India could resume deliveries of COVID-19 shots to global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX in a few weeks for the first time since April, two health industry sources said, ending a suspension of supplies that has hurt poor countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which co-leads COVAX, has been urging India to restart supplies for the programme, especially after it sent about 4 million doses to its neighbours and partners in October.
Based on an informal approval from India, COVAX officials have started planning allocations of the Covishield shot for various countries, said one of the sources, both of whom declining to be identified pending a final agreement.
Covishield is a licensed version of the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) shot made by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker.
SII has nearly quadrupled its output of Covishield to up to 240 million doses a month since April, when India stopped all exports in order to inoculate its own people during a surge of cases.
"There will need to be purchase orders confirmed to SII, labelling and packing, export authorisation granted for each of these shipments," said the source. "So the first deliveries, assuming the Indian government grants export authorisation, won't happen until a few weeks from now."
SII, the health ministry and the WHO did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ministry said in a statement earlier in the day that Indian states had more than 159 million unutilised doses of various vaccines, as inoculations have slowed after 79% of the country's 944 million adults got one dose and 37% got two doses.
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told Reuters last month that the company could send 20 million to 30 million doses a month to COVAX in November and December, which would increase to "large volumes" from January once India's own needs were met. read more
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that COVAX had the money and the contracts to buy vaccines for low-income countries but "manufacturers have not played their part".
COVAX in September cut its 2021 delivery target by nearly 30% to 1.425 billion doses. (Reuters)
November
Japan PM says crafting stimulus package to achieve 'virtuous' growth
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed on Tuesday to put the economy on track by boosting private-sector investment and disposable income to achieve a "virtuous cycle" of economic growth and distribution of wealth.
Having taken over the leadership last month and secured a mandate at an election on Oct. 31, Kishida pledged to deliver an economic package that possesses "sufficient" size and substance.
"We will let the public and private sector cooperate in achieving virtuous cycle of growth and (wealth) distribution," Kishida said after meeting with the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP), the government's top advisory panel.
The COVID-19 economic stimulus measures are widely expected to be announced on Nov. 19, and media reports have suggested the package could be worth more than 30 trillion yen ($264.67 billion).
Kishida gave no inkling of the size, but stressed his immediate priority was reviving growth, while fiscal reform could wait until later.
"We will realise growth and then steadily improve public finances medium term," Kishida said.
The 11 members of the CEFP include Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and four private-sector business representatives and academics, as well as the prime minister and members of his cabinet.
The meeting underscored the need for the government and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to work closely, after they both reaffirmed last week the central bank's commitment to achieve its 2% inflation target.
Kishida said he aimed to revamp Japan's medical system and arrange the provision of booster shots so that the country is in better shape to meet the next wave of COVID-19 infections. His predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, had quit after barely a year in office amid constant criticism of the government's response to the pandemic.
At a separate meeting, Kishida said the government will take necessary steps to front-load wage rises for care givers, nurses, kindergarten and nursery teachers, Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa told reporters. (Reuters)
November
Australia bumps up investment in EV chargers, shuns sales targets
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Australian government on Tuesday pledged A$178 million ($132 million) to ramp up the rollout of hydrogen refuelling and charging stations for electric vehicles, but did not offer EV rebates or set targets to phase out petrol cars.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the beefed up Future Fuels Fund provides "an Australian way" to lower transport emissions, reiterating a slogan he introduced recently to describe the country's middle ground on climate change policy.
"We will not be forcing Australians out of the car they want to drive or penalising those who can least afford it through bans or taxes," Morrison said in a statement.
"Instead, the strategy will work to drive down the cost of low and zero emission vehicles."
The additional investment, which adds to an existing A$72 million commitment and will be spent by the end of June 2025, will also aid purchases of electric cars and buses for government and business fleets.
Industry groups and green activists, however, said rebates and tax breaks were necessary to encourage the purchase of cleaner cars in a country where transport is the third largest source of carbon emissions.
"The federal government purports to support choice for Australian motorists, but in fact its strategy stifles choice by making it very challenging for Australia to attract a wide selection of battery electric vehicles to the market," Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said.
The federal funding is only slightly more than a separate commitment by New South Wales, the country's most populous state, to spend A$171 million on EV chargers over the next four years. Victoria, the second most populous state, is planning to spend A$29 million on charging infrastructure in regional areas and replacing government cars by 2023.
The federal government said its plan should lower carbon emissions by more than 8 million tonnes by 2035, based on its own projection that battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will make up 30% of annual new car and light truck sales by 2030.
Morrison in 2019 slammed a proposal by the opposition Labor Party to target half of all new car sales to be electric by 2030, saying the policy would "end the weekend" for Australians who want to tow their trailers and boats to go camping.
However a recent survey by The Australia Institute think tank found 64% of Australians favoured requiring all new car sales in the country to be zero emission vehicles by 2035 and 71% supported government subsidies for electric cars. read more
Battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in Australia hit a record 8,688 in the first half of 2021, but made up just 1.6% of total light vehicle sales. In Norway, the global leader in EV uptake, battery electric vehicle sales made up nearly 80% of new car sales in September. read more
FAST CHARGER PRIORITY
The Future Fuels Fund will focus on extending coverage of fast-charging stations to regional areas, investing with private firms in 1,000 public charging stations and in charging infrastructure at businesses and households.
Australia has about 3,000 public chargers installed across the country, according to the Electric Vehicle Council. By comparison, California alone has over 73,000 public and shared chargers.
The Electric Vehicle Council said the national plan should have at least included fuel efficiency standards.
"If Australia continues to be one of the only developed nations without fuel efficiency standards then we will continue to be a dumping ground for the world's dirtiest vehicles," council Chief Executive Behyad Jafari said in a statement.
The transport infrastructure funding was announced just weeks after Morrison adopted a net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 in the face of international criticism that the major coal and gas producer was not doing enough to address climate change. (Reuters)