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August
Belarus Remains Open for Tourists Despite Pandemic COVID-19
Written by Nur Yasmin
Belarus states that they are opening the country for tourists, despite the Covid-19 pandemic which cripples global tourism since 2019. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Indonesia said in a statement on Thursday, that tourists would need to follow the requirements and health protocols after arriving in the country.
Belarus is a country with ancient history and rich traditions, beautiful nature and amazing architecture, industrial giants and well-developed agriculture, unique cuisine, and hospitable people. Every year the country becomes more and more tourist-friendly. Over 11 million people visit Belarus every year.
Belarus is located in the center of Europe at the intersection of many international routes. The territory of the country spans 207,600 km². Belarus is known for its hospitality and cordiality. The country threw the door wide open for tourists as it launched the visa-free travel program for 74 countries. The visa-free travel program remained in force even during the pandemic COVID-19 making Belarus one of the most attractive destinations for tourism in Europe during these challenging times.
The visa-free travel program is meant for tourists from 74 countries including Indonesia who arrive in Belarus through the Minsk National Airport. It makes visiting Belarus as easy as possible. The period of visa-free travel for tourists is up to 30 days. This applies to both solo travelers and organized groups. The only exception is that foreign citizens must arrive on flights, not from the Russian Federation.
New COVID norms, post COVID situation
As in all countries of the world, COVID-19 has imposed certain restrictions on travel to the Republic of Belarus. For foreign citizens, entry into Belarus through land checkpoints is temporarily suspended. But fortunately, the entrance is still open through air checkpoints.
When arriving through air checkpoints, all tourists, who have reached the age of six, should have a negative PCR test performed no later than 3 days before crossing the border. 10-day self-isolation is mandatory only for persons arriving from the countries included in the List of the Ministry of Health, where cases of COVID-19 infection are registered. Indonesia is not included in this List for mandatory quarantine. For transit through the territory of Belarus in less than 24 hours a PCR test and self-isolation are not necessary.
The situation with COVID-19 in Belarus is developing in accordance with global trends. The number of new infections is falling, and the vaccination campaign is being actively pursued.
Belarus did not introduce a lockdown and did not suspend the activities of economic entities, which helped to avoid a significant negative economic effect. Among the current restrictions are only mask modes in transport and public places and social distancing. (The Embassy of Belarus)
August
Russia showcases new arms at drill near Afghan border
Written by Nur Yasmin
Soldiers from Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan used new Russian firearms, flamethrowers and surface-to-air missile launchers in military drills which concluded on Tuesday just 20 km (12 miles) from the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.
Moscow and its Central Asian ex-Soviet allies have held two separate sets of military exercises close to Afghanistan this month as Taliban militants overran much of the country's northern provinces directly adjacent to Central Asia. read more
Tajik Defence Minister Sherali Mirzo told reporters at the training grounds the drills were being held with Afghanistan in mind.
"The situation in Afghanistan is unpredictable," he said.
Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov, chief of the general staff of the Uzbek armed forces, said that "this situation requires us to remain vigilant and to maintain our combat readiness".
The drills involved 2,500 servicemen, hundreds of armoured vehicles and 25 aircraft. The Russian forces involved came from the military base located in Tajikistan - Moscow's biggest facility abroad.
Russian Central military district commander Alexander Lapin said the showcased weaponry would remain at the Tajik base.
Taliban fighters tightened their control of captured territory in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday as residents hid in their homes and a pro-government commander vowed to fight to the death to defend Mazar-i-Sharif, the biggest city in the north. (Reuters)
August
East Timor detects first domestic transmission of COVID-19 Delta variant
Written by Nur Yasmin
East Timor has recorded its first case of community transmission of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, raising concerns by its health ministry about a possible spike.
Genomic sequencing by Australia's Doherty Institute in the first week of August found that of 27 samples taken in the country's Ermera region from people infected with the coronavirus, 12 were of the Delta variant.
Ermera has the highest number of active cases and lowest vaccination rate in East Timor, which borders Indonesia, where the Delta variant has been fuelling one of Asia's worst coronavirus epidemics.
The health ministry in its Aug. 8 report said Delta variant transmission "is likely to cause a significant increase in case numbers, including severe cases and deaths," with those with limited vaccine access most at risk.
Home to 1.3 million people, the Southeast Asian nation has recorded just 11,579 cases and 28 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
About 8.5% of its 1.3 million people have been fully inoculated so far, using the vaccines of AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Sinovac (SVA.O).
Samples from other regions have yet to be tested but public health experts said growing case numbers elsewhere in the country could indicate that Delta was also present there.
Danina Coelho, the government's spokesperson on COVID-19 vaccines, said the Ermera cluster showed how critical it was to boost vaccine coverage.
"The government is very concerned about those cases specifically as the rate of vaccination is very low," she said,
"That's why the government is reinforcing the vaccine campaign."
Joshua Francis, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist who leads projects in East Timor for the Menzies medical research institute, said the country had done well with its vaccine rollout, but reaching more people was the priority.
"There is an urgent to need to focus on municipalities with lower vaccination rates," he said. (Reuters)
August
S. Korea approves Phase III trial of SK Bioscience's COVID-19 vaccine
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea gave vaccine developer SK Bioscience (302440.KS) the green light on Tuesday for a Phase III study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate at a time of vaccine shortages, when a spurt in infections is fuelling demand.
The clinical trial of GBP510, the candidate for the first domestic vaccine, will weigh its immunogenicity and safety against AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) vaccine, drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip told a news conference.
Three thousand of the 3,990 adults in the trial will receive the experimental vaccine and 990 will get AstraZeneca doses, with an interval of four weeks, Kim said.
In a statement, SK Bioscience said data from early trials of 80 healthy adults who received the two-dose protein-based vaccine showed they all induced neutralising antibodies against the virus.
Shares of the company, which debuted in March, rose as much as 29.5% to hit a record on Tuesday, outperforming a decline of 0.6% in the benchmark index (.KS11).
SK is also a contract manufacturer of vaccines for AstraZeneca and Novavax Inc (NVAX.O).
South Korea, with a tally of 213,987 infections and 2,134 deaths, has fully vaccinated 15.4% of its population of 52 million, largely using doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer (PFE.N) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O).
But on Monday, the government said Moderna would deliver less than half this month's planned shipment, due to production issues. read more
The government had earlier said seven local drugmakers were set to launch the final phase of clinical trials in the year's latter half. read more
SK is the world's second firm to try a comparative trial with another vaccine after French biotech Valneva's (VLS.PA) Phase III trial against the AstraZeneca shot, the drug safety ministry said. (Reuters)
August
Germany to step up efforts to admit former Afghan support staff- Scholz
Written by Nur Yasmin
Germany will step up efforts to fly to safety local staff who worked for its military in Afghanistan, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz was quoted as saying, as Taliban fighters seize more territory from forces loyal to the government in Kabul.
Since 2013, Germany has admitted nearly 800 Afghans in that category and about 2,500 family members over security fears, and calls to accelerate the process for support staff still there have grown louder as the Taliban have advanced.
"We are discussing whether there are possibilities to speed up the transport in order to fly those concerned out more quickly," Scholz, the centre-left SPD party's candidate for chancellor in next month's federal election, said in an interview with the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung published on Tuesday.
"We are responsible for the locals who supported us on the ground."
Refugee organisation Pro Asyl said there were at least 1,000 local staff who supported German troops still in Afghanistan.
Violence has escalated there since April, when the United States announced plans to pull out troops by Sept. 11, and other members of transatlantic alliance NATO followed suit.
On Tuesday Taliban fighters, having overrun six provincial capitals in recent days, closed in on government buildings in the northern city of Aibak. read more
Germany had the second largest military contingent in Afghanistan after the United States.
Scholz, who said Berlin was coordinating with the Afghan government on the support staff issue, rejected calls for German solders to return to Afghanistan, echoing comments from Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday. read more
"I do not consider a further military engagement in Afghanistan to be appropriate," Scholz said. "After 20 years, the international community has just withdrawn. Nationally and internationally, there are no efforts whatsoever for a second deployment." (Reuters)
August
Myanmar says alleged plot against UN envoy was nothing to do with the country
Written by Nur Yasmin
Myanmar's foreign ministry said on Monday that an alleged plot in New York against United Nations ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, an opponent of the ruling junta, had nothing to do with the country and was a U.S. domestic case.
It was the military government's first statement since the arrest of two Myanmar citizens in connection with the alleged plot. It rejected comments made in condemnation by the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
"The event is a domestic case in the United States. Judgment must be made in the United States according to U.S. law. It has nothing to do with Myanmar," said the statement, read on state television MRTV.
Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman for further reaction to the alleged plot.
Two Myanmar citizens have been arrested in New York state for plotting with an arms dealer in Thailand - who sells weapons to the Burmese military - to kill or injure Myanmar's U.N. ambassador, U.S. authorities said on Friday. read more
On Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield said the plot fitted a "disturbing pattern" of authoritarian leaders and their supporters seeking to persecute opponents around the world. She said the United States stood in solidarity with Kyaw Moe Tun and commended him for "remarkable courage and bravery".
"Myanmar strongly rejects the statement of U.S. permanent Representative to the U.N. Linda Thomas Greenfield," the foreign ministry said.
It added that Kyaw Moe Tun had been dismissed from his post as Myanmar's U.N. ambassador and currently faced an arrest warrant for treason because he had voiced support for an underground National Unity Government.
Despite the junta's protests, Kyaw Moe Tun has continued to serve at the United Nations, representing the elected civilian government which was overthrown by the military in February. (Reuters)
August
Japan PM Suga and U.S. President Biden hold talks over phone -Kyodo
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden held talks over the phone on Tuesday morning, according to Kyodo.
They are believed to have discussed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which closed on Sunday, according to the report. (Reuters)
August
U.S. CDC urges avoiding travel to Israel, France, Thailand over COVID-19
Written by Nur Yasmin
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Monday against travel to Israel, France, Thailand, Iceland and several other countries because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in those nations.
The CDC has been adding to its highest "Level 4: Very High" COVID-19 level as cases spread around the globe. The United States added Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, along with other places, including Aruba and French Polynesia.
The U.S. State Department also issued its parallel Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisories for Iceland and France on Monday.
In July, the CDC had raised concerns about Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, lifting its travel health notice by two levels to "Level 3: High."
The CDC also hiked alert levels to "Level 3: High" for Austria, Croatia, El Salvador, Azerbaijan, Guam, Kenya and Jamaica. The CDC says unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to those countries. (Reuters)
August
Afghan security situation not going in right direction- Pentagon
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Pentagon said on Monday that the security situation in Afghanistan was "not going in the right direction" as Taliban militants captured a sixth provincial Afghan capital.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the United States was deeply concerned about the trend, but that Afghan security forces had the capability to fight the insurgent group.
"These are their military forces, these are their provincial capitals, their people to defend and it's really going to come down to the leadership that they're willing to exude here at this particular moment," Kirby said. (Reuters)
August
At least 27 children killed in Afghanistan, U.N. says
Written by Nur Yasmin
At least 27 children have been killed and 136 injured across three provinces of Afghanistan over the past three days amid escalating violence, the U.N. children's agency said on Monday.
"UNICEF is shocked by the rapid escalation of grave violations against children in Afghanistan," UNICEF country representative Hervé Ludovic De Lys said in an emailed statement. "The atrocities grow higher by the day."
The deaths and injuries were reported in Kandahar, Khost and Pakria provinces. (Reuters)