Livestream
Special Interview
Video Streaming
International News (6774)
May
Vaccine hesitancy grows ahead of Thailand's mass inoculation rollout
Written by Nur Yasmin
Vaccine hesitancy has risen sharply in Thailand opinion polls show, just weeks away from the start of a mass inoculation programme and as the country fights its deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.
Reasons for the rise in vaccine hesitancy were unclear in the polls, but there are widespread complaints at government disorganisation, delays in getting vaccines and reliance on Sinovac (SVA.O) and locally made AstraZeneca (AZN.L) doses.
Thailand has reported 135,439 infections and 832 deaths since the pandemic began last year.
In January, 83% of Thais surveyed by polling firm YouGov were willing to be vaccinated, but by May that dropped to 63% in the same poll, lower than Vietnam and the Philippines at 83% and 66% willingness, respectively.
Thai-based Suan Dusit Poll on Sunday echoed the YouGov findings of rising vaccine hesitancy, with 64% of respondents willing to be vaccinated, compared with 66% in January.
Dissatisfaction with the military-backed government's vaccine strategy has been building for months.
"People are worried about the vaccines that the government procured. It's not that we don't want to get shots, but there is hesitancy," Facebook user Than Tongkum wrote under a government announcement encouraging vaccinations.
Asked by Suan Dusit poll for their views on Thai vaccinations, only 57% of respondents believed they would help develop immunity and reduce the virus impact, while 59% worried about side-effects.
With Thailand's main vaccination drive, which is due to start June 7, relying heavily on AstraZeneca, respondents had 66% confidence in the shot, fourth behind U.S.-developed vaccines, with Pfizer (PFE.N) top at 75%.
Thailand aims to inoculate 70% of its population by year-end, a level its tourist hotspots must also reach locally before reopening to vaccinated foreign visitors.
Registration is ongoing for the first 16 million people including those over 60 or with health conditions.
So far, 7.8 million people have registered.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said he believes the vaccines will be embraced once the inoculation programme starts.
"As Thailand receives more doses, there will be more vaccine sites, which will help create awareness among the public after they see large numbers of vaccinations do not lead to serious side effects," he told Reuters.
Actress Araya "Chompoo" Hargate sparked controversy after she posted to her 10.5 million followers on Instagram saying she chose Sinovac.
"Can't help but think this is government PR," wrote user iloveurdadmaybe.
Among the concerns is perception that Sinovac has a low efficacy rate.
"Just hearing that it's Sinovac that's only 50% safe and 50% effective," wrote Facebook user Dang Juntawan.
"Injections are on chance. If you're unlucky you'll die." (Reuters)
May
Samoa resumes leadership battle as United Nations offers to help
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United Nations has urged political leaders in Samoa to resolve a political crisis through dialogue after contested election results left the South Pacific nation with two leaders claiming to run the country.
FAST party leader Fiame Naomi Mataafa was set to become Samoa’s first female prime minister with a court-approved one-seat parliamentary majority before the incumbent prime minister refused to cede power and accused the judiciary of bias.
A U.N. spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday the agency would provide support if requested by the parties.
"[Guterres] urges the leaders in Samoa to find solutions to the current political situation through dialogue in the best interest of the people and institutions of Samoa," the statement said.
The results of the leadership struggle could reframe the island nation’s relations with China after Fiame told Reuters last week she would shelve a Beijing-backed port development, calling it excessive for a small country already heavily indebted to China.
Incumbent leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who has governed for more than two decades, is one of Beijing's closest allies in the South Pacific. He has previously said South Pacific countries only have themselves to blame if they fall into unsustainable debt.
While a series of judicial rulings back Fiame's claim to be prime minister, Tuilaepa retains the support of Samoa's head of state, who has suspended parliamentary hearings which has frustrated plans to confirm the new government.
The opposition party members held a ceremony to form government outside a locked parliament on Monday in proceedings that Tuilaepa has described as “treason”.
The political crisis in the small country of 200,000 has drawn in the wider South Pacific community, with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) the first nation to recognise the Fiame-led government.
"As the FSM is itself a democracy that both upholds and promotes democratic values, it is imperative that we show our friends - especially during their darkest hours - that we stand with them," FSM President David Panuelo said in a statement.
Australia and New Zealand have not formally recognised the new government, although both have said democratic processes and the judiciary should be respected.
The Pacific Conference of Churches appealed to the political leaders to act justly and consider the wishes of the people above all else. (Reuters)
May
More than 200 injured when two trains collide in Malaysian capital
Written by Nur Yasmin
More than 200 people were injured in Malaysia on Monday when two metro light rail trains collided in an underground tunnel close to the Petronas Twin Towers in the capital Kuala Lumpur, officials said.
The incident occurred at around 8.45 p.m. (1245 GMT) when one of the trains, which was empty after being repaired, collided head-on with another train carrying 213 passengers travelling in the opposite direction on the same track, district police chief Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said.
Forty-seven people were severely hurt and 166 others sustained minor injuries, he told reporters. The crash occurred in a section of tunnel about 100 metres (330 feet) away from the KLCC station outside the Petronas towers.
"We are still investigating the incident..., but we suspect that perhaps there was a miscommunication from the trains' operations control center," Mohamad Zainal said.
Videos and photos of the incident posted on social media showed several bleeding commuters and broken glass panels inside the trains, operated by Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (SYAR.UL).
Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the collision was the first major accident in the metro system's 23 years of operation, and he pledged a thorough investigation.
The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers are the tallest twin towers in the world. (Reuters)
May
Iran and IAEA extend monitoring deal, averting crisis in nuclear talks
Written by Nur Yasmin
Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog are extending a recently expired monitoring agreement by a month, both sides said on Monday, avoiding a collapse that could have pitched wider talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal into crisis.
The move gives breathing space to indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran that resume in Vienna this week. European diplomats had warned that failure to extend the monitoring pact would endanger those talks, which aim to bring the two countries back into full compliance with the 2015 pact.
The reprieve will only be brief, however, since the extension will expire soon after Iran's June 18 presidential election, which is likely to bring in new interlocutors for the International Atomic Energy Agency and major powers.
"The equipment and the verification and monitoring activities that we agreed (on) will continue as they are now for one month, expiring then on June 24," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told a news conference. read more
He spoke soon after Iran's ambassador to the agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, who urged major powers meeting in Vienna to make use of the window afforded by the extension.
"I recommend that they use this opportunity, which has been provided in good faith by Iran, and lift all the sanctions in a practical and verifiable manner," Gharibabadi said on Monday, according to state media.
The three-month agreement was struck in February to soften the blow of Iran restricting its cooperation with IAEA inspectors, and it allowed monitoring of some activities that would otherwise have been axed to continue.
It is a black box-type system in which the IAEA cannot check data collected until a later date.The IAEA will have no access to the data gathered over the past three months until at least June 24, Grossi said, adding that he should still be able to provide quarterly updates on Iran in roughly the same way. read more
The 2015 accord is designed to ensure Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons by restricting its uranium enrichment programme. Tehran says it has never wanted to build atomic bombs. read more
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration abandoned the nuclear accord three years ago and then reimposed harsh economic and trade sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Iran responded by breaching the 2015 deal's restrictions on its nuclear activities. Its move to curb IAEA access arose from legislation widely seen as a means of pressuring President Joe Biden's administration to return to the nuclear pact and lift sanctions. (Reuters)
May
Biden and Putin to have summit in Geneva soon, Swiss daily says
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet in Switzerland for their first summit, newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported on Monday, citing "reliable sources".
An advance U.S. mission has already arrived in Geneva for that purpose, the newspaper added. Plane spotters reported on Twitter seeing an unusual U.S. cargo aircraft landing at the city's airport on Sunday.
The Tages-Anzeiger said the time and venue of a Biden-Putin meeting remains unclear though it would likely take place in Geneva in the next few weeks.
There was no immediate official comment from Washington or Moscow. Their relations have deteriorated amid tensions over a recent Russian military buildup near Ukraine and concerns about Moscow's treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
But U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev held talks in Geneva on Monday as part of preparations for a possible summit, the Russian news agency Tass quoted the Council as saying.
The Russian daily Kommersant last week mentioned Geneva as the most likely location for a summit.
Biden said earlier this month he expected to meet Putin soon, adding that ongoing differences between the two countries would not need to be resolved in advance of a summit.
The Biden administration would like to add a summit with Putin in a third country while the U.S. president is in Europe in mid-June for a Group of Seven meeting in Britain and talks with NATO allies in Brussels.
In the latest incident souring Western-Russian relations, a warplane dispatched by Kremlin ally Belarus intercepted a Ryanair flight between Greece and Lithuania and forced it down in Minsk, where a dissident journalist aboard was arrested. read more
The Swiss Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Tages-Anzeiger report but said Switzerland would be prepared to offer "its good offices when they are useful and desired", a ministry spokeswoman said.
Switzerland has hosted such summits before. In 1985, then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan met Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva what became a turning point towards the end of the Cold War, leading to other summits in Iceland and Washington. (Reuters)
May
Malaysia probes allegations of under-dosage of COVID-19 shots
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysia on Monday said it was investigating allegations that some recipients of the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine were not injected with the correct dosage.
At least two recipients have said in recent days that they were given less than the required amount, posting videos on social media of the jab being administered to support their claim.
The health ministry did not say whether the recipients of the vaccines were under-dosed, but said it took serious note of the allegations and announced new rules for medical personnel administering the jab.
The injector should show the syringe filled with the right amount of vaccine to the recipient before the jab and the emptied one after, the ministry said.
About 2 million people in Malaysia have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine so far. The government is aiming to achieve herd immunity among the country's 32 million people by the end of the year.
Critics have said the inoculation programme is slow.
The allegations of under-dosing come as Malaysia fights a spike in COVID-19 infections that has seen restrictions tightened and new records set for infections and death numbers.
It reported 6,509 cases on Monday, close to a record-high toll of 6,976 reported the previous day, and 61 new deaths - the highest number of fatalities in a day. It has recorded 518,600 coronavirus cases overall. (Reuters)
May
Thailand to extend dose gap for AstraZeneca vaccine to 16 weeks
Written by Nur Yasmin
Thailand will extend the gap between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine to 16 weeks, in an effort to inoculate more people faster, a senior health official said on Monday.
The plan follows a similar decision by Spain to stretch the gap between two AstraZeneca doses to 16 weeks, which is beyond the 12 weeks maximum interval approved by the European Medicines Agency. A 16-week interval has not been tested in human trials.
Thailand's change, from a 10-week gap previously, comes ahead of the planned start of a mass immunisation campaign from June, for which AstraZeneca's vaccine will be the main one used.
"This is to increase the number of people who get vaccinated," Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary of the health ministry, told Reuters, adding it would help create herd immunity faster.
Thailand has since the start of April been grappling to contain a third wave of coronavirus infections, with its latest outbreak accounting for about 80% of its total 132,213 cases and 806 deaths.
Thailand will focus on administering the first of two AstraZeneca doses between June and September, Kiattiphum said.
It previously said it aimed to vaccinate 70% of its population by September to achieve herd immunity.
The national vaccine strategy relies almost entirely on AstraZeneca vaccines, the majority of which it said would be produced by a local firm owned by the country's king.
Authorities said the first six million of 61 million doses are expected to be available in June.
Thailand has so far administered at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to 1.94 million people, including healthcare and frontline workers, using AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines. (Reuters)
May
Myanmar state TV shows Suu Kyi in court in first pictures since coup
Written by Nur Yasmin
Myanmar state television showed deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in court on Monday in the first pictures of her to emerge since she was overthrown in a Feb. 1 coup.
Suu Kyi, 75, was shown in the dock, sitting upright with her hands in her lap and wearing a surgical mask. She sits next to ousted president Win Myint and another defendant as two police officers stand behind them. (Reuters)
May
Singapore provisionally approves 60-second COVID-19 breathalyser test
Written by Nur Yasmin
Singapore authorities have provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyser test that aims to show whether someone is infected with the coronavirus in under a minute, according to the local startup that developed the product.
Breathonix, a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS), said it is now working with the health ministry to run a deployment trial of the technology at one of the city-state's border points with Malaysia.
The breath analysis will be carried out alongside the current compulsory COVID-19 antigen rapid test.
The breath test achieved more than 90% accuracy in a Singapore-based pilot clinical trial, the company said last year.
The Health Sciences Authority's website confirmed the approval, which the company said was the first such system to secure provisional authorisation in Singapore.
The system uses disposable mouthpieces and is designed to ensure there is no cross-contamination. After blowing into the device, the technology assesses the chemical compounds of the breath to determine whether or not a person is infected.
Any individual screened as positive will need to undergo a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 swab test, the company said.
Breathonix said it is in discussion with several local and overseas organisations to use the system, citing strong commercial interest. Other countries, including Indonesia and the Netherlands, have rolled out similar breath tests. (Reuters)
May
Japan opens mass vaccination sites for elderly ahead of Olympics
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan opened mass inoculation centres on Monday as the country races to vaccinate most of its elderly population against COVID-19 before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
The centres in Tokyo and Osaka will vaccinate thousands of people every day, giving a boost to Japan's sluggish inoculation drive as officials battle a fourth wave of infections.
"It's better to get it early," said Tetsuya Urano, 66, who was among the first to be vaccinated in Tokyo. "It went pretty smoothly, all in all."
The Tokyo facility will operate 12 hours a day to dispense shots to some 10,000 people daily for the next three months. The site in Osaka, Japan's western metropolis, will build up to about 5,000 shots a day. read more
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called for the centres last month to speed up the country's vaccination rollout. Large-scale inoculation sites operated by local governments also opened in the prefectures of Aichi, Miyagi, and Gunma.
The fourth wave of infections has led authorities to make state of emergency declarations covering much of the country, including Tokyo, raising some concerns about the Olympic Games due to begin on July 23. read more
The states of emergency for most regions are due to end on May 31, but the government is planning to extend them to June 20, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
Just 4.4% of Japan's population of 125 million have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Reuters' global tracker, the slowest rate among the world's larger, rich countries.
Japan began its inoculation push in mid-February, later than most major economies. The campaign was slowed initially by scant supplies of imported doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE). But even as shipments increased, the rollout has been hampered by manpower shortages and malfunctions in the reservation system. read more
The mass vaccination centres for the elderly are using Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) vaccine, which was approved on Friday, along with AstraZeneca PLC's (AZN.L) vaccine.
On Monday, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said it had filed for regulatory approval of its one-shot candidate and it could begin supplying the country in early 2022. (Reuters)