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September
Malaysians enjoy taste of travel after lockdown in tourism restart
Written by Nur Yasmin
The first plane carrying tourists in more than four months touched down on the Malaysian island of Langkawi on Thursday and was greeted by a twin water cannon "salute", in the launch of a programme to revive a travel sector frozen by the pandemic.
The first batch of 159 travellers from the capital, Kuala Lumpur, arrived eager for a vacation after a monthslong, nationwide lockdown imposed to address one of Asia's highest per-capital coronavirus infection rates.
Known for its beaches, geoparks, bird life and impressive rock formations, Langkawi, a group of 99 islands, is the test case in a drive to allow vaccinated domestic travellers to take part in holiday activities under agreed health protocols.
"My last holiday was last year ... countless months already, I felt like I'll go mental also soon," said Beverly Tiew, 42, from Kuala Lumpur. "So I'm excited and super, super happy and I'm thankful that the government is open about it and we can come and travel."
The project is similar to Thailand, which has opened Phuket and Samui islands to vaccinated foreign tourists, while Indonesia's Bali and Vietnam's idyllic Phu Quoc island plan to follow suit. Malaysia, however, has yet to allow foreign tourists to return.
Langkawi, in the Straits of Malacca, is not expecting huge visitor numbers initially, with a target of 400,000 people by the end of the year, and projections they will spend 165 million ringgit ($39.66 million).
Malaysia has vaccinated more than half of its 32 million population against COVID-19. It has recorded over 2 million cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
Visitor Hasan Kamil, 58, said the bubble was well-timed as it came during school holidays.
"This is a good opportunity to bring my daughter for a short holiday because she has been staying home you know for almost two years now," he said. (Reuters)
September
Indonesia in talks with WHO to become global vaccine hub: minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia is in talks with the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as six drug companies to become a global hub for manufacturing vaccines, its health minister told Reuters.
Detailing the ambitious strategy for the first time, Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in an interview that Indonesia would kickstart the initiative by prioritising purchases of COVID-19 vaccines from companies that shared technology and set up facilities in Indonesia.
"We are working with the WHO to be one of the global manufacturing hubs for mRNA," he said, adding he had directly lobbied WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on a trip earlier this month to Europe.
"The WHO has pointed to South Africa as the first location, and I said that logically Indonesia should be the second."
The new "technology transfer hubs" are part of a WHO strategy to more widely distribute vaccine production globally and build capacity in developing countries to make new generation vaccines like Moderna (MRNA.O) and Pfizer's (PFE.N) nucleic acid-based mRNA jabs which can be quickly adapted to handle new virus variants.
Efforts to develop a base for COVID-19 vaccine production in South Africa will focus on trying to replicate Moderna's shot, but a lack of progress in talks with the U.S. company mean the project will take time, a senior WHO official told Reuters. read more
Budi said Indonesia was keen to build expertise in mRNA vaccines, as well as viral vector shots such as those produced by AstraZeneca (AZN.L).
A WHO spokesperson said Indonesia was one of 25 low and middle income countries to express interest in hosting a vaccine hub but declined to say if it was a leading candidate.
Budi said Indonesia was well-placed to export vaccines around the world, especially as it is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country and could guarantee that its jabs were halal, or permissible according to Islam.
Indonesia has grappled with one of the most severe outbreaks of COVID-19 in Asia and has recorded more than 4.1 million infections and 139,000 deaths, although public health experts say the true figures are likely several times higher.
Indonesia's rate of infections and deaths has declined sharply in recent weeks but, with only 25 per cent of its target population of 208 million people fully inoculated against COVID-19, it still has a major vaccination effort ahead, especially as it likely will have to provide third booster shots.
Budi said Indonesian pharmaceutical companies are in discussions with vaccine manufacturers and developers Anhui, Walvax (300142.SZ), Sinovac (SVA.O), Genexine (095700.KQ), Arcturus Therapeutics and Novavax (NVAX.O). The talks range from basic "fill and finish" to upstream production and research and development, he added.
"We open the same opportunities also to AstraZeneca. We are also open to the existing partner Pfizer," he said. "We are open to anyone."
Bambang Heriyanto, corporate secretary of Bio Farma, Indonesia's largest state-owned drug company, confirmed the talks were on and the first step was to collaborate on the transfer of technology. It would take two or three years to build a fully operational production facility, he said.
Budi said Indonesia would use its leadership of the G-20 group of countries starting in December to promote global health security and prepare for the next pandemic after the coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2.
"No one can guarantee that SARS-CoV-3 and 4 will not come." (Reuters)
September
Indonesia court finds president negligent in air pollution lawsuit
Written by Nur Yasmin
An Indonesian court ordered on Thursday President Joko Widodo and other senior government officials to improve the hazardous air quality of the capital Jakarta after finding themguilty of environmental negligence in a civil lawsuit.
The citizen lawsuit was filed in 2019 against the president, the ministers of health, environment and home affairs, as well as other prominent local leaders.
The 32 plaintiffs said the lawsuit was a last-ditch attempt to compel authorities to take action against severe air pollution in the bustling metropolis of Jakarta and its surrounds, an area home to more than 30 million people.
In its verdict, judges at the Central Jakarta District Court said the actions of the defendants had contravened the law.
The ruling obliges the president to establish national air quality standards to protect human health, and the health minister and Jakarta governor to devise strategies to control air pollution.
"The defendants were found to be negligent at controlling air pollution. We appreciate the verdict, and we are satisfied," Ayu Eza Tiara, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs told Reuters.
The court also orderedthe defendants to take other measures, including an analysis of cross border emissions, and for older vehicles to be periodically tested for emissions.
Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rahman said decisions regarding any further action would fall on the environment minister.
In a message on Twitter, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said his administration would not appeal and was ready to implement the ruling to achieve cleaner air in the capital.
The environment ministry, the home affairs ministry, and the health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rapid urbanisation and chronic traffic in Jakarta, along with nearby coal-fired power plants, have contributed to the poor air quality, according to the Center on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
In the trial, the plaintiffs argued that authorities had been negligent by failing to protect citizens, pointing to scientific research that air pollution could cause conditions such as asthma, heart disease and lower life expectancy.
IQAir's World Air Quality report for 2020 said Jakarta was the ninth-worst capital city globally in terms of levels of PM.2.5, or fine particulate matter, an air pollutant that can be dangerous to human health in high levels.
Delhi and Dhaka topped the global ranking, but the index showed that Jakarta was the worst in Southeast Asia. (Reuters)
September
After Australia arms deal flop, EU launches Indo-Pacific plan
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union set out a formal strategy on Thursday to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific and counter China's rising power, pledging to seek a trade deal with Taiwan and to deploy more ships to keep open sea routes.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted the strategy was also open to China, particularly in areas such as climate change, but diplomats told Reuters that deeper ties with India, Japan, Australia and Taiwan were aimed at limiting Beijing's power.
Borrell also said Wednesday's agreement between the United States, Australia and Britain to establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific, in which the EU was not consulted, showed the need for a more assertive foreign policy.
He said the EU was eager to work with Britain on security but that London had shown no interest since it left the bloc, expressing regret that Australia had cancelled a $40 billion submarine deal with France. read more
"We must survive on our own, as others do," Borrell said as he presented a new EU strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, talking of the "strategic autonomy" that French President Emmanuel Macron has championed.
"I understand the extent to which the French government must be disappointed," he said.
The EU's chairman, Charles Michel, said the U.S. accord with Australia and Britain, "further demonstrates the need for a common EU approach in a region of strategic interest."
Following an initial plan in April, the EU set out seven areas in which it would increase influence in the Indo-Pacific, in health, security, data, infrastructure, the environment, trade and oceans. [nL8N2QI2MB]
The plan may mean a higher EU diplomatic profile on Indo-Pacific issues, more EU personnel and investment in the region and a security presence such as dispatching ships through the South China Sea, or putting Europeans on Australian patrols.
"Given the importance of a meaningful European naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, the EU will explore ways to ensure enhanced naval deployments by its member states in the region," the document said.
Trade talks with Taiwan are likely to further irritate China, the EU's second-largest trading partner, after Lithuania deepened ties with the island. China considers fiercely democratic, self-ruled Taiwan part of "One China", to be united with the mainland eventually, and is regularly angered by any moves which suggest the island is a separate country. (Reuters)
September
Duterte daughter to seek re-election as mayor, despite calls for presidency run
Written by Nur Yasmin
The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said she would seek re-election as mayor of the southern city of Davao next year, despite growing calls for her to run for the presidency instead.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, 43, who replaced her father as mayor, has topped every opinion poll on preferred candidates for the presidency, for which only one term is allowed under the constitution.
"According to Mayor Sara, she will run for re-election as Davao City Mayor," her spokesperson, Christina Frasco said in a text message, adding her youngest brother, Sebastian Duterte, would run as vice mayor.
The announcement is the latest in a series of mixed messages from Duterte-Carpio, which have ranged from declaring zero interest in the presidency to announcing names of top politicians approaching her with offers to be her running mate. read more
Duterte-Carpio, who is first lady in the Philippines due to her father's annulled marriage, said last week she would not seek higher office. read more
Her latest announcement comes a day after judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) approved the launching of an investigation into the president's deadly war on drugs. read more
Political analysts say the stakes are higher than ever for Duterte, 76, to ensure a loyalist or family member succeeds him, to protect him from a possible indictment at home or abroad after he leaves office.
His government says it will not cooperate with the ICC probe. read more
His critics say his decision to run for vice president next year is also a self-preservation move. His office has rejected that, and Duterte says he wants to serve his people. (Reuters)
September
N.Korea says it tested new railway-borne missile system to strike 'threatening forces'
Written by Nur Yasmin
The missiles fired by North Korea on Wednesday were a test of a new "railway-borne missile system" designed as a potential counter-strike to any forces that threaten the country, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday.
The missiles flew 800 km (497 miles) before striking a target in the sea off North Korea's east coast, KCNA said.
On Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese authorities said they had detected the launch of two ballistic missiles from North Korea, just days after it tested a cruise missile that analysts said could have nuclear capabilities. read more
The North Korean launches came the same day that South Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), becoming the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a system.
The two Koreas have been in an increasingly heated arms race, with both sides unveiling more capable missiles and other weapons.
The tests by nuclear-armed North Korea drew international condemnation and concern, however, with the United States saying they violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and posed a threat to Pyongyang's neighbours.
North Korea has been steadily developing its weapons systems, raising the stakes for stalled talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals in return for U.S. sanctions relief.
The North Korean test was conducted by a railway-borne missile regiment that had been organised earlier this year, the KCNA report said.
"The railway-borne missile system serves as an efficient counter-strike means capable of dealing a harsh multi-concurrent blow to the threat-posing forces," said Pak Jong Chon, a North Korean marshal and member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, who oversaw the test, according to KCNA.
'CHEAP AND RELIABLE'
Photos released by state media showed an olive-green missile rising on a column of smoke and flame from the roof of a train parked on tracks in a mountainous area.
South Korea had reported the missiles were fired from the central inland area of Yangdok.
"Rail mobile missiles are a relatively cheap and reliable option for countries seeking to improve the survivability of their nuclear forces," Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, said on Twitter. "Russia did it. The US considered it. It makes a ton of sense for North Korea."
Mount and other analysts said the system is likely constrained by North Korea's relatively limited and sometimes unreliable rail network, but that it could add another layer of complexity for a foreign military seeking to track and destroy the missiles before they are fired.
According to KCNA, Pak said there are plans to expand the railway-borne missile regiment to a brigade-size force in the near future, and to conduct training to gain "operational experience for actual war."
The army should prepare tactical plans for deploying the system in different parts of the country, Pak said.
It is unusual to see the sheer variety in missile delivery systems and launch platforms that North Korea develops, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It’s not very cost effective (especially for a sharply resource-constrained state) and far more operationally complex than a leaner, vertically integrated force," he said on Twitter.
The railway system displayed on Wednesday could possibly set the stage for developing one capable of launching a larger, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Panda added.
He also noted that some of the missile systems displayed by North Korea may be about “technology demonstration,” which may not be fully deployed. (Reuters)
September
Australia, UK and U.S. to 'engage' with IAEA over nuclear submarines
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia, Britain and the United States have informed the U.N. atomic watchdog of their new security partnership that will help Australia acquire nuclear submarines, and both sides plan to "engage" over the coming months, the watchdog said on Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is tasked with keeping track of all nuclear material in countries that, like Australia, have ratified the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) so as to make sure none of it is being siphoned off for use in a nuclear bomb - an area of IAEA work known as safeguards.
So far, only the five nuclear weapons states recognised by the NPT - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain - plus India, which has not signed the NPT, have deployed nuclear-powered submarines.
For a party to the NPT other than the so-called P5 to have nuclear submarines poses a challenge because they are military vessels that are designed to be undetectable and would often be beyond the reach of IAEA inspectors. It is, however, possible in principle to temporarily exclude submarine reactor fuel from IAEA safeguards if a prior agreement is reached with the body.
The IAEA said in a statement the trio had informed it "that a critical objective of this cooperation will be to maintain 'the strength of both the nuclear non-proliferation regime and Australia's exemplary non-proliferation credentials' and that they will be 'engaging with the IAEA throughout the coming months'." read more
"The three countries have informed the IAEA at an early stage on this development. The IAEA will engage with them on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency," it added. (Reuters)
September
Sydney Nightly Curfew To End As COVID-19 Vaccinations Hit Fresh Milestone
Written by Nur Yasmin
A curfew imposed on more than two million people in the 12 Sydney suburbs hardest hit by the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant will end on Wednesday night, authorities said, stopping short of easing more lockdown restrictions.
Officials said first-dose COVID-19 vaccination levels have reached 80% of the New South Wales (NSW) adult population, while the dual-dose rate in Sydney's home state stands at 48% now. That's above the national average of 43%, but well below the 70% level that will trigger the easing of other curbs first imposed three months ago.
Authorities expect to achieve the 70% rate around the middle of next month, and plans to relax more restrictions once it has climbed to 80%.
"The stabilisation and decline in some areas of concern are pleasing and we are at a critical stage ... but the best advice we have is that it's too early and too risky to do anything further today," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said during a media conference in Sydney.
Despite recent Delta outbreaks, Australia's coronavirus numbers remain low compared with many other countries, with some 78,600 cases and 1,116 deaths.
Berejiklian warned it would be against the law for the unvaccinated to attend any public venues once the state hits 70%, when the fully vaccinated are promised more freedom.
"It's black and white. If you're not vaccinated, you can't go to a restaurant, you can't go to a cafe," she said, urging the unvaccinated to get their shots soon.
New South Wales, the epicentre of Australia's Delta outbreak, reported a slight rise in new infections to 1,259, the majority in Sydney, from 1,127 on Tuesday, and 12 deaths.
Australia is struggling to quell a third wave of infections that has hit its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and the capital Canberra, forcing nearly half the country's 25 million people into strict stay-at-home restrictions.
Neighbouring Victoria state on Wednesday said new cases fell for the second straight day to 423 new cases as its first-dose vaccination rate neared the 70% level, about a week ahead of schedule, where some curbs on travel limit and outdoor exercise will be eased.
Meanwhile Ballarat, a regional town 115 km (71 miles) northwest of Melbourne, will enter a one-week lockdown from Wednesday night after four new cases were detected, authorities said.
Melbourne, the state capital, is in an extended lockdown while most regional areas in Victoria came out of strict stay-at-home restrictions last week. (Reuters)
September
Cyber Crime Spreads In Australia As COVID-19 Pushes More People Online
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia reported on Wednesday a 13% jump in cyber crime in the past year, with about one incident in four targeting critical infrastructure and services as working from home during the pandemic made more people vulnerable to online attacks.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received one cybercrime report every eight minutes over the 12 months to June 30, 2021, it said in its annual report.
Hackers have switched their focus to people working remotely online, and used fear created by COVID-19 to actively target vulnerable people and health services to conduct espionage, and steal money and sensitive data, Assistant Minister of Defence Andrew Hastie said in a statement.
Ransomware incidents increased nearly 15%, with the health sector reporting the second-highest number of attacks.
Ransom software works by encrypting victims' data and typically hackers will offer victims a passcode - or a "key" - to retrieve it in return for cryptocurrency payments that can run into millions of dollars.
"Malicious cyber criminals are escalating their attacks on Australians," Hastie said.
In June last year, Australia said it was being targeted by a "sophisticated state-based cyber actor" with the attacks targeting all levels of the government, political parties and essential service providers. Sources told Reuters that Australia viewed China as the chief suspect, which Beijing has denied.
In July this year, the United States and its allies, including Australia, accused China of a global cyberespionage campaign, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said posed "a major threat to our economic and national security".
IDCare, which works with regulators to support identity theft victims, said the ACSC figures were the "tip of the iceberg" because many victims did not report to authorities. It said it had experienced a 47% jump in complaints so far in 2021, compared to 2020 which was itself a record year.
"The general indicators are that it's not slowing and is likely to increase," IDCare managing director David Lacey said.
"It's a perfect storm for scammers it's conditions that they love and thrive in." (Reuters)
September
'This is how we dress': Afghan Women Overseas Pose In Colourful Attire
Written by Nur Yasmin
Afghan youth rights activist Wazhma Sayle says she was shocked to see a photograph online, apparently of women dressed in black all-enveloping niqabs and gowns, staging a demonstration in support of the country's new Taliban rulers at Kabul University.
The 36-year-old, who is based in Sweden, later posted a photograph of herself on Twitter dressed in a bright green and silver dress captioned: "This is Afghan culture & how we dress! Anything less then this does not represent Afghan women!"
"It's a fight for our identity," Sayle said in a telephone interview. "I don't want to be identified the way Taliban showed me, I cannot tolerate that. These clothes, when I wear them, speak for where I come from."
Other Afghan women overseas have posted similar pictures, striking a chord in Kabul.
"At least they are able to tell the world that we, the women of Afghanistan, do not support the Taliban," said Fatima, a 22-year-old in the Afghan capital. "I cannot post such pictures or wear those kind of clothes here anymore. If I did, the Taliban would kill me."
Many women said they believed the purported protest, which has appeared on social media and in Western media, was staged and that several people dressed in the head-to-toe black burqa gowns were men. Reuters has not verified the authenticity of the pictures.
"It is good our women (overseas) were able to protest about it," said Khatima, another young woman in Kabul. "The reality is, the burqa is not representative of women in Afghanistan."
When the Taliban was in power two decades ago, women had to cover themselves from head to toe. Those who broke the rules sometimes suffered humiliation and public beatings by the Taliban's religious police.
While the new Taliban regime has promised to allow women more freedoms, there have been reports of women being barred from going to work, and some being beaten in recent weeks for protesting Taliban rule.
Universities have installed curtains inside classrooms to segregate men and women.
The online campaign with hashtags such as #DoNotTouchMyClothes and #AfghanistanCulture began when U.S.-based Afghan historian Bahar Jalali tweeted to criticise the black garments worn by the university demonstrators.
"No woman has ever dressed like this in the history of Afghanistan. This is utterly foreign and alien to Afghan culture," she said.
Jalali then posted a photograph of herself in a green dress with the caption, "This is Afghan culture," and urged others to post too. Dozens of women did.
"We don’t want the Taliban to dictate what Afghan women are," said Lema Afzal, a 25-year-old Afghan student in Belgium.
Afzal, born in Afghanistan under the first Taliban rule that lasted from 1996 to 2001, said she was horrified when she saw the picture of the black-clad demonstrators.
Her mother had worn the long blue burqa gowns forced upon women at the time and found it hard to breathe or see from under them, she said.
"The picture made me worried that history is repeating itself. My mom’s family didn’t cover their heads at all in the 70s and 80s, when it was fancy to be wearing mini skirts in Afghanistan." (Reuters)