Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6868)
April
Citing ‘stunning progress’ on coronavirus, Biden lifts outdoor mask guidelines
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Fully vaccinated people can safely engage in outdoor activities like walking and hiking without wearing masks but should continue to use face-coverings in public spaces where they are required, U.S. health regulators and President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, while urging those who have not to get the shot.
The updated health advice comes as more than half of all adults in the United States have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Biden said the new advice was a result of steps the country had taken to fight the coronavirus.
"We’ve made stunning progress because of all of you," Biden said, adding that COVID-19 cases are "down dramatically." Deaths among senior citizens have dropped by 80% as vaccinations have increased, he said.
"If you're vaccinated, you can do more things, more safely, both outdoors as well as indoors," Biden said, while adding that masks should still be worn in big crowds and at stadium events.
Wearing face masks has been considered by experts one of the most effective ways of controlling virus transmission. With most COVID-19 transmission occurring indoors, and vaccinations on the rise, the use of masks outdoors has been under public debate for weeks in the United States as Americans look to enjoy the benefits of being fully vaccinated.
The CDC called the new guidelines a "first step" in helping fully vaccinated Americans resume activities they had stopped because of the pandemic.
New COVID-19 cases dropped 16% in the last week as the United States surpassed 140 million people having received at least one shot of authorized vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech (PFE.N), , Moderna (MRNA.O) or Johnson & Johnson's one-dose vaccine (JNJ.N).
Just over 29% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, the CDC reported, and 43% have had one dose of the two-shot vaccines.
Last week’s figures were the biggest percentage drop in weekly new cases since February, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.
The White House is trying to overcome vaccine hesitancy, and Biden offered the new mask guidelines as another reason to get the jab on Tuesday.
"So, for those who haven't gotten their vaccination, especially if you're younger or thinking you don't need it, this is another great reason to go get vaccinated," Biden said. (Reuters)
April
Saudi crown prince: Only few differences with Biden administration
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in remarks aired on Tuesday that the United States was a strategic partner and that Riyadh had only a few differences with the Biden administration which it was working to resolve.
The crown prince also said the kingdom would not accept any interference in its internal affairs. He said Saudi Arabia wanted good relations with Iran and was working with regional and global partners to find solutions to Tehran's "negative behaviour". (Reuters)
April
Chinese President offers condolences over submarine sinking
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended his condolences to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the death of 53 crew members of the Indonesian Navy submarine Nanggala - 402, which sank near Bali last week.
In a short message to Widodo, the Chinese President said he was saddened to learn of the accident which led to the death of crew members on duty.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people and himself, Xi Jinping offered deep condolences on the demise of the crew members.
He also expressed his sincere sympathy for the bereaved families.
Contact with the submarine was lost early on April 21, 2021 while it was conducting torpedo drills in the waters north of Bali Island.
It was not until Sunday (April 25, 2021) that KRI Nanggala-402 was declared to have sunk, with all its 53 crew members pronounced dead on the basis of evidence retrieved from scanning.
The 40-year-old submarine was found split into three parts on the sea bed after a five-day search.
Built in Germany in 1977, KRI Nanggala was refitted in South Korea in 2012. (Antaranews)
April
Australia suspends flights from COVID-19 hotspot India
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Australia on Tuesday suspended direct flights from India to prevent more virulent coronavirus variants entering the country following a surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the world's second-most populous nation.
India's coronavirus death toll neared the bleak milestone of 200,000 with another 2,771 fatalities reported on Tuesday, while its armed forces pledged urgent medical aid to help battle the staggering spike in infections. read more
The suspension of direct passenger flights between the two countries will remain until May 15, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a televised news conference.
"It is a humanitarian crisis and one gripping the world," Morrison said.
"We don't think the answer is to forsake those Australians in India and just shut them off," he added, reiterating the suspension was temporary to ensure Australia could manage arrivals from virus hotspots.
Australia's move impacts two passenger services from India into Sydney and two repatriating flights from India to Darwin, totalling around 500 arrivals.
Morrison said the suspension would provide a "breather" to quarantine facilities in New South Wales state and the Northern Territory, given the majority of positive cases there came from India.
Australia, which has all but stamped out the coronavirus from its shores, closed its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Returning residents and citizens have to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense, a system that has largely helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low, with just under 29,700 cases and 910 deaths.
The country reported zero new cases of community transmission on Tuesday.
Some state premiers had earlier voiced concerns about rising coronavirus cases in quarantine hotels, calling for a suspension on flights from India.
Western Australia, which on Monday emerged from a 3-day snap lockdown after reporting one local case last week, had been among the most vocal.
"India, there needs to be a suspension," Premier Mark McGowan told reporters in Perth, ahead of the federal government's decision.
"There is huge pressure now on all our quarantine facilities as a result of people coming from India." (Reuters)
April
Obama calls Myanmar violence ‘heartbreaking,’ says there should be costs to generals
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Former U.S. President Barack Obama, who championed engagement with Myanmar’s military while in office to promote democratic change, said on Monday he was “appalled by heartbreaking violence” it had used against civilians after retaking power in a coup.
In a rare statement, Obama said he supported efforts by the Biden administration and like-minded countries to impose costs on Myanmar's generals.
"The military’s illegitimate and brutal effort to impose its will after a decade of greater freedoms will clearly never be accepted by the people and should not be accepted by the wider world," Obama said in the statement posted on Twitter.
"Myanmar’s neighbors should recognize that a murderous regime rejected by the people will only bring greater instability, humanitarian crisis, and the risk of a failed state," he added.
Obama urged those in Myanmar who sought a democratic future to "continue to forge solidarity across ethnic and religious groups."
"These are dark times, but I have been moved by the unity, resilience, and commitment to democratic values demonstrated by so many Burmese, which offers hope for the kind of future Myanmar can have through leaders who respect the will of the people," the former president said.
An activist monitoring group has said more than 750 people have been killed since the generals unleashed lethal force against those protesting their Feb. 1 coup.
It has been a major turnaround from the high hopes of a decade ago, when the military initiated a transition toward democracy.
Then, the generals released democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and allowed her to run for office and opened energy and telecoms tenders to foreign companies.
Obama responded by lifting a trade embargo and most sanctions, moves some U.S. officials thought premature. Many of the sanctions have been reimposed since the coup.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group said 3,431 people have been detained for opposing the coup, including Suu Kyi, who faces charges that could see her jailed for 14 years. (Reuters)
April
Moderna applies for emergency COVID-19 vaccine use in the Philippines
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) on Monday filed an application for emergency use authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration chief Rolando Enrique Domingo told reporters.
The Philippines expects the delivery of 194,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine in May, and another one million shots in July.
The Philippines, which is battling one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia, has so far approved the emergency use of six vaccines in the country. (Reuters)
April
Hong Kong, Singapore to start long-delayed travel bubble next month
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. A long delayed travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will begin on May 26, the two cities said on Monday, as they moved to re-establish overseas travel links and lift the hurdle of quarantine for visiting foreigners.
The bubble between two of Asia's biggest financial hubs had been slated to begin last November but was suspended after a spike in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.
The scheme will start with one flight a day into each city, with up to 200 travellers on each flight, Hong Kong's Commerce Secretary Edward Yau and Singapore's Transport Minister Ong Ye Ku said at simultaneous press events.
Those wanting to travel from either city must test negative for COVID-19 before departure and on arrival. Hong Kong residents can also only fly to Singapore at least 14 days after they have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Travellers on the route - which attracted 15-20 flights a day each way before coronavirus - won't have to quarantine and there will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel.
However, if the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong the scheme will be suspended, Yau and Ong said.
"The re-launch ... signifies that gradual resumption of cross-border travel is achievable through mutual collaborations among different places," said Yau.
For Hong Kong, which has banned non-residents since March 2020, the deal with Singapore is its first bilateral resumption of travel ties with another city.
Eligible Hong Kong residents in the mainland and Macau will be exempt from quarantine in the Asian financial city from as early as this week, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said on Monday.
Singapore already has some pacts on essential business and official travel, and has opened unilaterally to general visitors from countries including Brunei Darussalam, China and New Zealand. Singapore has also been discussing an air travel bubble with Australia.
Both Hong Kong and Singapore said they are in talks with places including New Zealand and Australia for similar travel bubbles. The Asian cities have brought the local virus situation largely under control compared with other developed cities.
New cases, however, have inched up in the past week, with Hong Kong reporting local transmission of a COVID-19 variant with the N501Y mutated strain and Singapore investigating possible COVID-19 reinfection cases at a migrant worker dormitory. The dormitories were at the centre of Singapore's outbreak last year with thousands of cases.
Singapore work permit holders employed in construction, marine shipyard or process sectors, many of whom live in dormitories, are excluded from the bubble.
Cathay Pacific (0293.HK) and Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) would be the carriers for the initial flights, authorities said.
"To get this bubble up successfully, I think we'll have a significant signalling effect to the rest of the world," said Singapore's Ong.
(Reuters)
April
Thailand starts stricter COVID-19 shutdown, but experts say not enough
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Thailand’s government slapped restrictions on travel from India on Monday over concerns of imported coronavirus cases and closed more venues in Bangkok, even as it came under fire for not doing enough to contain a spike in infections.
The government has ordered parks, gyms, cinemas and day-care centres in its capital, the epicentre of the latest wave of infections, to shut from April 26 until May 9.
It has also introduced a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($635) for not wearing masks in public, with even the prime minister falling foul of mask-wearing rules. read more
But unlike last year, malls and restaurants have been allowed to operate with earlier closing times, fuelling concerns this could quickly lead to more infection clusters and prompting calls for the resignation of the country's health minister.
Comparing the government's COVID-19 response to playing a game of Whac-A-Mole, Thira Woratanarat, a professor at Chulalongkorn University's Preventive and Social Medicine, warned "shutting places and activities one at a time would not be enough".
People should prepare for more clusters especially in work places, food courts and public transportation, he cautioned in a post on Facebook.
Thailand has managed to keep its caseload lower than many countries, but the latest outbreak has resulted in 57,508 infections and 148 deaths in just under 30 days. It reported 2,048 new cases on Monday, of which 901 were in Bangkok.
"They shouldn't wait until there is a new outbreak to come up with regulations," said Ungkana Kesornphud, who owns a massage shop in Bangkok.
The president of Thailand's Thoracic Society, Nithiphat Chiarakun, also urged the government to take "decisive measures to stop the movement of people as quickly as possible".
An online petition on Change.org calling for the resignation of health minister Anutin Charnvirankul had garnered over 160,000 signatures in two days.
Anutin has said he will not resign.
The city of Bangkok fined Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha 6,000 baht ($190) after he posted a photo of him not wearing a mask during a meeting. read more
The photo was later removed.
Thailand plans to procure more vaccines from several producers with a vaccination goal of 300,000 doses per day to inoculate at least 50 million people by end-2021, the prime minister posted. read more
Thailand has a population of about 66.1 million.
INDIA TRAVEL CURBS
Thailand will consider additional restrictions later this week, Apisamai Srirangsan, a spokeswoman for its coronavirus taskforce said at a briefing, after the country announced curbs on travel from India where infections have set a global record for a fifth straight day. read more
The Thai embassy in New Delhi said in a statement that certificates of entry for non-Thai nationals travelling from India will be suspended until further notice.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) denied reports that private jets carrying wealthy people from India were flying into Thailand.
"We confirm that no chartered flights from Indian millionaires have sought permission from the CAAT to come to Thailand," it said in a statement over the weekend. (Reuters)
April
Japan's defense ministry to open mass vaccination centre in Tokyo
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Japan will open a mass vaccination centre in central Tokyo next month, officials said on Tuesday, part of the country's bid to speed up its COVID-19 inoculation campaign as the Olympic Games looms.
Japan imposed a third state of emergency in its major population centres on Sunday, as the country attempts to combat a fourth wave of infections with just 87 days remaining until the scheduled start of the Games.
The Defense Ministry tweeted it had been asked by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to set up the Tokyo vaccination centre by May 24 with plans for it to operate for three months. The facility will service residents in the capital and the surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. read more
Local media reported the government planned to use Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) vaccine to inoculate about 10,000 people each day at the centre. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said those decisions had not yet been made.
Meanwhile, Toyota City in central Japan said it was setting up vaccination centres with the help of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T). The carmaker will offer up about 450 staff and four sites to start operations on May 30, city officials said in a statement.
Japan began vaccinating its sizable elderly population this month but only about 1.5% of the country's entire 126 million population has been inoculated, according to a Reuters tracker.
Officials have so far been dependent on limited imported doses of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) vaccine, but vaccine minister Taro Kono has said he expects the programme to pick up in May when Pfizer shipments are due to accelerate.
Kono is also hopeful that regulators will soon approve Moderna's vaccine and AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) vaccine - of which it has ordered 50 million and 120 million doses respectively. read more
Japan has recorded about 564,000 COVID-19 cases, including 9,969 deaths. (Reuters)
April
Myanmar's junta to 'positively' consider ASEAN suggestion on ending crisis
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Myanmar's junta will give "careful consideration to constructive suggestions" from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on ways to resolve violent turmoil triggered by a Feb. 1 coup, the junta said.
"The suggestions would be positively considered if it ... serves the interests of the country and was based on purposes and principles enshrined in" ASEAN, it said in a statement published on Tuesday.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended an ASEAN meeting in Indonesia on the weekend at which the bloc issued a so-called five-point consensus on steps to end the violence and promote dialogue between the rival Myanmar sides. (Reuters)