Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
International News (6868)
April
WHO, Macron condemn global vaccine divide as COVAX scheme marks first year
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Coronavirus vaccines remain out of reach in the poorest countries, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, marking the first anniversary of the COVAX dose-sharing facility.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly denounced inequities in vaccine distribution and urged wealthier countries to share excess doses to help inoculate health workers in low-income countries.
More than 3.2 million people have died in the pandemic worldwide.
"Nearly 900 million vaccine doses have been administered globally, but over 81% have gone to high- or upper middle-income countries, while low-income countries have received just 0.3%," Tedros said in a report about the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator set up a year ago.
The European Commission said it had sealed the world's biggest vaccine supply deal, agreeing to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer's (PFE.N) vaccine for the next few years as a debate rages over access to shots for the world's poorest people. read more
Its President Ursula Von der Leyen, in a recorded message to the WHO press conference: "The response of too many leaders was 'my country first'. We made a different choice. We knew that we needed to fight this virus not just at home but in all continents and countries, from Asia's megacities to Africa's most remote villages."
Tedros also said that he was concerned about the rising caseload in India saying: "The situation in India is a devastating reminder of what the virus can do."
India reported the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus infections for a second day on Friday, surpassing 330,000 new cases, as it struggles with a health system overwhelmed by patients and plagued by accidents and lack of medical oxygen. read more
French President Emmanuel Macron said that one in six Europeans had been vaccinated, one in five in North America but just one in 100 in Africa.
"It's unacceptable," he said.
France will step up vaccine donations to COVAX in the coming months, providing 500,000 shots, including from suppliers other than AstraZeneca (AZN.L), Macron said, urging others to do the same. read more
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on pharmaceutical companies to transfer mRNA vaccine technology to low- and middle-income countries "free of intellectual property barriers".
"Let us together challenge vaccine nationalism and ensure that protecting intellectual property rights does not come at the expense of human lives," he added.
The ACT Accelerator still needs $19 billion this year, Tedros said adding: "That’s a drop in the ocean compared with the trillions of dollars governments are spending on supporting their economies, and the massive revenues that most vaccine makers are generating."
Dag Ulstein, Norwegian minister of international development, told the same briefing: "Continued lack of financial support for the ACT Accelerator poses a major obstacle for its ability to deliver at scale."
COVAX, which has shipped 40.5 million doses to 118 countries so far, aims to secure 2 billion shots by the end of 2021. (Reuters)
April
Taiwan begins to plan for zero emissions by 2050
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Taiwan has begun to assess how it can reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday, after environmental groups criticised the government for not doing enough to fight climate change.
Taiwan is keen to show it is a responsible member of the international community, though it is excluded from most international bodies and treaties due to pressure from Beijing, which considers the island its own territory.
On Wednesday, the European Union clinched a deal on a landmark climate change law that puts new, tougher targets on emissions at the heart of its policymaking, to steer it towards zero net emissions by 2050.
China has also said it aims for a 2030 peak of carbon emissions, on the way to becoming carbon-neutral by 2060.
Speaking at an Earth Day event in Taipei, Tsai said Taiwan "cannot fall behind the international trend".
"At the moment many countries are discussing the target of zero net emissions transformation by 2050, and Taiwan is actively planning it," she said.
The government, under the coordination of the cabinet, had begun to assess and plan a possible path to reach a net zero emissions target by 2050, Tsai added.
Taiwan's previous target, set in 2015, was to halve emissions between 2005 and 2050.
Last year coal provided 45% of Taiwan's electricity, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) a close second at almost 36%, according to an economy ministry briefing paper on Thursday.
Coal is set to fall to below 30% by 2025, with the proportion of LNG rising to around 50% and renewables to 20%, from just 5.4% last year, it added.
Last year, Greenpeace called on tech powerhouse Taiwan to be much more aggressive in tackling climate change, in the face of the island's risks from extreme weather and rising sea levels.
Taiwan is suffering its worst drought in more than half a century after the typhoons on which it relies to replenish reservoirs failed to make landfall last year. (Reuters)
April
Australia man contracts COVID-19 after finishing two-week quarantine
Written by Nur YasminJakarta. A man in Australia tested positive for COVID-19 after finishing his hotel quarantine, authorities said on Friday, raising concerns about community transmission as more virulent virus strains emerge.
The person is likely to have contracted the virus during his two-week quarantine in a Perth hotel, health officials said, adding genomic sequencing was underway to trace the source.
All passengers on a flight from Perth to Melbourne have been asked to self-isolate as the infected person on Wednesday travelled to his home in Melbourne after finishing his mandatory isolation, Victoria state Health Minister Martin Foley said.
"This is an important and I think timely reminder to all of us, that this global pandemic is not over," Foley told reporters in Melbourne.
Western Australia and New South Wales states are currently investigating into cases of travelers in quarantine contracting the virus from infected guests staying in nearby rooms.
"The hotel quarantine system, despite all of its improvements, has to face increasingly complex variants of concern," Foley said.
To tackle the risks of highly contagious variants of the virus spreading, Australia on Thursday tightened its border controls by reducing the number of travelers from India and other virus hotspots. read more
Having closed its borders more than a year ago, Australia lets mostly citizens and permanent-residents return from abroad.
Returned travelers, except from New Zealand, have to undergo two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine at their own expense.
The hotel quarantine system has helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low compared with other developed countries, with just over 29,500 cases and 910 deaths. (Reuters)
April
Japan to tackle red tape to boost renewable energy
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Japan plans to cut approval times for wind projects, open up abandoned farmland, boost grid capacity and other measures to slash red tape that has for decades impeded efforts to bring more renewable energy into the power mix.
Actions to reduce bureaucracy are set to accelerate after Japan on Thursday nearly doubled its 2030 target for cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as world leaders met for a climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
"The entire government will work together to make renewable energy a mainstream power source," Japan's Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Friday.
Japan is the world's fifth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. To meet its new target of cutting emissions by 46% by 2030 on fiscal 2013 levels, against the previous goal of 26%, the ministry will seek to expand use of rooftop solar power, faster development of geothermal power in national parks and quicker environmental assessment for wind power projects, Koizumi said.
"There are still many places where solar power panels can be installed, like on roofs of homes, companies and factories, and reservoirs, dams and abandoned farmland," he said.
A series of deregulation has been decided already as the country has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050.
The measures include easing rules for environmental assessment for wind power projects of up to 50 megawatts and for installing solar panels on uncultivated farmland.
The industry ministry is also considering doubling Japan's inter-regional power grid capacity to help expand offshore wind farms as it plans to install as much as 45 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2040. read more
Greenhouse gas emissions by Japan fell to a record low in the fiscal 2019 year to levels 14% lower than 2013 levels, with renewable energy accounting for 18% of electric power generation.
The big question is whether the new goal is viable.
"It's not easy to achieve the ambitious target that is 70% higher than the previous goal," industry minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said, adding the country needs "a maximum expansion of renewable energy."
The Renewable Energy Institute, however, sees the new goal as achievable if Japan boosts renewable energy to account for 45% of the power mix, Mika Ohbayashi, a director at the think tank said.
"Japan can meet an even higher goal if the government takes all possible measures to promote investments for renewable energy and energy savings," she said.
"It would be also important to introduce a carbon pricing mechanism to hasten the exit of coal-fired power plants and to bolster competition among power generators to make their portfolio greener," she said.
If successful, it would lower the resource-poor country's dependency on fossil fuels.
"Expanding use of renewable energy will reduce the cost of fossil fuels paid to other countries and thus contribute to energy security," Koizumi said. (Reuters)
April
Southeast Asian leaders to press Myanmar junta to end violence, allow aid - sources
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Southeast Asian leaders will try to persuade Myanmar's junta to end violence and let in aid at a summit on Saturday, diplomats said, in the first concerted international effort to ease the crisis in the country.
Leaders will meet behind closed doors at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the hope of encouraging candid discussions, two diplomatic sources told Reuters.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's junta chief who ousted the civilian government on Feb. 1, is likely to attend, officials and diplomats in the host nation have said.
The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the coup, with almost daily protests and a crackdown by the junta in which hundreds of people have been killed.
Initiatives being considered by ASEAN include a pause in violence to allow medical and food supplies into Myanmar, and the appointment of a special envoy to encourage dialogue between the military regime and its opponents in the rival National Unity Government (NUG), the sources said.
No nations outside of ASEAN will be present at the talks, although some of the participating nations and the U.N. special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, will hold meetings on the sidelines of the event, they added.
Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he met Schraner Burgener on Friday and discussed how the international community can play "a constructive role in facilitating normalcy, peace and stability in Myanmar".
"The unfolding tragedy has serious consequences for Myanmar, ASEAN and the region," he said on Twitter.
A spokesman for the NUG, formed by ousted lawmakers and some ethnic groups opposed to the junta, told Reuters the group had "been in contact with ASEAN leaders", but had not been officially invited to the summit.
In Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, scores of protesters chanted "What do we want? Democracy" as they briefly marched through downtown areas of the city. No one was arrested, witnesses said.
Amnesty International urged ASEAN to investigate Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity.
"As a state party to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, Indonesia has a legal obligation to prosecute or extradite a suspected perpetrator on its territory," Amnesty said.
The junta said earlier this month protests against its rule were dwindling because people wanted peace.
BIGGEST TEST
ASEAN traditionally does not interfere in the internal affairs of a member state and how it deals with the Myanmar crisis will be its biggest test yet, the human rights group said.
"The bloc's usual commitment to non-interference is a non-starter: this is not an internal matter for Myanmar but a major human rights and humanitarian crisis which is impacting the entire region and beyond," Emerlynne Gil, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, said in the statement.
ASEAN's members include Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the leaders of Laos, the Philippines and Thailand would send representatives, but did not confirm whether the Myanmar junta chief would attend.
"The commitment of leaders to meet physically is a reflection of a deep concern about the situation in Myanmar and ASEAN's determination to help Myanmar get out of this delicate situation," she said at a news conference.
Myanmar's state television made no mention of the ASEAN meeting in its nightly news bulletin on Friday.
The junta has shown no sign of wanting to talk to members of the government it ousted, accusing some of them of treason, which is punishable by death. The junta has called the NUG an unlawful organisation.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Myanmar activist group, says 745 people have been killed by security forces since the coup and 3,371 people are in detention. (Reuters)
April
China, North Korea poised to resume freight rail links as trade revives
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. China is set to resume cargo train service with North Korea, people familiar with the matter said, following a 15-month border closure due to COVID-19, as trade with the impoverished and isolated country begins to rebound.
The bridge linking the city of Dandong with Sinuiju, across the Yalu River in North Korea, will partially reopen to allow cargo train service "sometime before or after May 1", the head of a transportation company handling cross-border trade told Reuters on Wednesday.
No date is set for resumption of passenger traffic, the person said, as North Korea remains fearful of COVID-19. China, which has all but stamped out the spread of the virus, also tightly restricts entry.
Another source, a China-based diplomat, said that there appeared to be preparations to reopen the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. North Korea is motivated to reopen its border to ease the economic burden of the lockdown, the diplomat said.
Both people declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
China declined on Tuesday to say when the border would reopen but said it respects North Korea's epidemic controls.
U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia on Tuesday cited unnamed sources saying a train carrying food aid left Dandong for North Korea on Saturday. Reuters was unable to verify that report.
Freight cars marked in Korean - including the name of what appeared to be a location in North Korea - were visible at Dandong station on Wednesday, but it was not clear how long they had been there.
Signs of a pending resumption of trade are evident on both sides.
Along the railway between the bridge and Dandong station, Chinese customs recently built a zig-zagging row of booths labelled "epidemiological survey area". At the North Korean end of the bridge, disinfectant facilities have been set up, said multiple sources, including the diplomat.
In Dandong, which relies heavily on Chinese tourists visiting or catching a glimpse of the North and is the main hub for trade with the country, many business engaged with North Korea are shut but some have recently reopened, merchants said.
"Of course we are eagerly expecting the border to reopen," said a metals trader in Dandong surnamed Qian.
'ARDUOUS MARCH'
North Korea closed its border in January 2020, soon after the virus broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
It relies on China for oil, fertiliser and mechanical parts to stay afloat amid U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. China accounts for over 90% of its trade.
Earlier this month, leader Kim Jong Un called on North Koreans to prepare for another "arduous march", referring to the devastating 1990s famine, underlying the severity of the economic crisis.
"Kim's speech ... indicates how precarious its economy is now. Coupled with the fact that it needs fertiliser for the spring ploughing, it's no surprise that North Korea would agree to reopen its borders now," said Zhao Tong, a North Korea expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.
China's March exports to North Korea rose to a six-month high of $13 million, nearly 400 times combined January-February shipments, according to Chinese data.
NK Pro, a website tracking North Korea, said ship traffic between the two countries had increased recently, and that satellite imagery shows North Korea may have built a disinfectant facility at an airport near the border. read more
Last week, Russia's ambassador to North Korea told Russia's TASS news agency that international aid has been stuck in warehouses on the Chinese side of the border, but North Korea's "large disinfection complexes" would likely be completed by the end of April. read more
Despite the lockdown, some aid has been getting through.
A Chinese truck driver said he made two Sinuiju runs last year, which required that he leave his truck on the North Korean side and be immediately bussed back across the bridge to Dandong for 14 days of quarantine.
"It's good money, 10,000 yuan ($1,540) per trip, but the quarantine bored me to tears, so I didn't want to do more trips," he said. (Reuters)
April
South Korea offers to help search for missing Indonesian submarine
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. South Korea’s Defence Ministry has conveyed its willingness to join a coordinated search and rescue mission to locate Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402, which went missing in the waters north of Bali Island early on Wednesday.
South Korea's Minister of National Defence, Suh Wook, has instructed the navy to remain on standby for the search mission in Bali, in case Indonesia requests Seoul’s participation, the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement released on Thursday.
According to the South Korean Defence Ministry, the two nations share a close partnership in the defence sector as part of the implementation of their special strategic partnership, the embassy added.
Indonesian Military Commander, Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, informed earlier that contact with German-made KRI Nanggala-402, which was carrying 53 sailors on board, was lost while it was preparing for a torpedo drill in Bali waters.
"The last contact was made at 4:30 a.m. local time (April 21, 2021). There was no more contact when the torpedo drill was to be conducted," Tjahjanto said.
The Indonesian Defence Ministry said it has been monitoring search efforts to locate the submarine, which went missing after receiving clearance for diving around 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
The search mission has been continued with the deployment of Indonesian naval ships KRI Rigel and KRI Rengat, which are equipped with side-scan sonar devices.
The Indonesian Navy has also sent out a distress call to the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Officer (ISMERLO), the Defence Ministry informed.
The navies of several countries, including Australia, India, and Singapore, have responded to Indonesia's call for assistance and offered to help in the search for the missing submarine, the ministry said.
Singapore has sent MV Swift Rescue, while Malaysia has dispatched Rescue Mega Bhati to join the search for KRI Nanggala-402 in Bali Island's waters, it added.
The missing 209/1300-type submarine was built in Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in 1977, and was officially inducted into the navy in 1981.
Its propulsion system uses a Siemens low-speed diesel electric motor, connected directly to the propeller shaft, which generates about five thousand shaft horsepower (shp).
The electrical power is stored in batteries, which make up 25 percent of the weight of the vessel, according to the navy. Four MTU diesel supercharged engines are responsible for generating electricity in the vessel. (Antaranews)
April
Australia to cut flights from India to contain virus risk
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Australia will reduce the number of its citizens able to return from India and other red-zone countries to contain the risk of more virulent strains of COVID-19 spreading, the government said on Thursday as it announced changes in its vaccination program.
The restrictions will result in a 30% reduction in direct flights from India to Sydney and chartered flights that land in the Northern Territory.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the National Cabinet, said that he would announce in the next 24 hours when the new restrictions would come into place.
"We're in the middle of a global pandemic that is raging. And Australia has been successful throughout this pandemic ... to have very effective border arrangements," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "There will continue to be the opportunity for those to return from places like India but in very controlled circumstances."
Australia currently allows about 5,800 citizens or permanent residents to enter its territory each week before quarantining for two weeks in hotels. It is not clear how many of these are typically from India each week.
In a massive surge of new virus cases, India registered a record number of new daily infections for anywhere in the world on Thursday, eclipsing even the United States at the height of its pandemic last year. read more
Australia will be adopting a model more like that of the United Kingdom, Morrison said, which bans arrivals if they have visited any countries on its red-zone list of some 40 countries in the past 10 days.
"While we're not adopting that list, it gives you somewhat of an idea of the type of approach we'll be seeking to put in place from those high risk countries," Morrison said.
Morrison's comments come as two Australian states urged staff and guests in COVID-19 quarantine hotels to get tested immediately and fully self-isolate, launching investigations into three suspected cases of travellers contracting the virus from other residents.
Australia closed its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents more than a year ago to contain the pandemic, and travellers arriving from overseas are required to undergo a two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.
While the country has fared much better than many other developed nations during the pandemic, with just over 29,500 cases and 910 deaths, its vaccination rollout programme has hit major roadblocks.
The government is battling with a shortage of vaccines, after delays to imports and is now unlikely to finish vaccinating its population before the end of 2021 while domestic ramp-up of the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccine has been sluggish.
Australia will now prioritise Pfizer (PFE.N) vaccines for those under 50 with underlying health issues, in residential aged care and remote communities, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said, leaving older people to take the AstraZeneca vaccine or to wait.
"With a few exceptions, Pfizer is now restricted to those under 50," he said.
"We recommend AstraZeneca. The risk benefit for over 50 is vastly in favour of being vaccinated. But people always have a choice and more Pfizer will be available later in the year." (Reuters)
April
Indonesian leader orders all-out effort to find submarine as oxygen runs low
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Indonesia's president ordered an all-out effort to find a missing submarine in a race against time to save the 53 crew, whose oxygen supply defence chiefs said would last only until Saturday.
Indonesia sent a helicopter and five ships to search waters north of the holiday island of Bali but found no signs of the KRI Nanggala-402, which went missing early on Wednesday during a torpedo drill.
“I have ordered the military chief, navy chief of staff, the search and rescue agency and other instances to deploy all the forces and the most optimal efforts to find and rescue the submarine crew," President Joko Widodo said on Thursday.
“The main priority is the safety of the 53 crew members.”
Yudo Margono, the navy chief of staff, said the search was being aided by calm conditions but the crew's air supply would last only until Saturday.
"Hopefully before they can be found, the oxygen will be enough," he told a news conference in Bali.
The vessel had been cleared for use and was in good condition, he added.
The 1,395-tonne vessel was built in Germany in 1977, according to the defence ministry, and joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981. It underwent a two-year refit in South Korea that was completed in 2012.
Indonesia said several countries had responded to requests for assistance, with Malaysia and Singapore sending ships and Australia offering "help in any way we can".
An aerial search found an oil spill near the submarine's dive location, and two navy vessels with sonar capability had been deployed to assist in the search, officials said.
The oil slick could indicate damage to the vessel or could be a signal from the crew, the navy said.
Chief of staff Yudo said authorities had found an item with "high magnetic force" floating at a depth of 50 to 100 metres.
MODERNISATION 'IMPERATIVE'
Indonesia has been seeking to modernise its defence capabilities but some of its equipment is old and there have been fatal accidents in recent years.
Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto said it was "imperative" that Indonesia modernises its defence equipment faster, but did not suggest there had been problems with the missing vessel.
Navy spokesman Julius Widjojono told KompasTV that the diesel-powered submarine that runs on electric batteries while submerged could sustain a depth of 250-500 metres (820-1,640 ft).
"Anything more than that can be pretty fatal, dangerous," the spokesman told KompasTV.
The waters in the area are shallower than in other parts of the archipelago but can still reach depths of more than 1,500 metres.
The navy on Wednesday said a blackout may have occurred during static diving, causing a loss of control and preventing emergency procedures from being carried out if the vessel falls to a depth of 600-700 metres.
Military chief Hadi Tjahjanto on Wednesday told Reuters contact with the submarine was lost at 4:30 a.m. and a search was under way 60 miles (96 km) off Bali.
Indonesia in the past operated a fleet of 12 submarines bought from the Soviet Union to patrol the waters of the sprawling archipelago.
It now operates five - the two German-built Type 209 submarines and three newer South Korean vessels. (Reuters)
April
Australia cancels Belt and Road deals; China warns of further damage to ties
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Australia on Wednesday cancelled two deals struck by its state of Victoria with China on Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative, prompting the Chinese embassy in Canberra to warn that already tense bilateral ties were bound to worsen.
Under a new process in Australia, Foreign Minister Marise Payne has the power to review deals reached with other nations by the country's states and universities.
Payne said she had decided to cancel four deals, including two that Victoria agreed with China, in 2018 and 2019, on cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature trade and infrastructure scheme.
"I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations," she said in a statement.
China's embassy in Australia voiced its "strong displeasure and resolute opposition" to the cancellations late on Wednesday.
"This is another unreasonable and provocative move taken by the Australian side against China," the embassy said in a statement. "It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations."
Bilateral ties were strained in 2018 when Australia became the first country to publicly ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network. Relations worsened last year when Canberra called for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak.
Australia's latest move "is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself," the Chinese embassy said.
Australia's federal parliament granted the veto power over foreign deals by states in December amid the deepening diplomatic spat with China, which has imposed a series of trade sanctions on Australian exports ranging from wine to coal.
Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull had declined to agree to a country-level MOU with China on the Belt and Road Initiative.
But Victoria's Labor state premier Dan Andrews signed agreements with China's National Development and Reform Commission to promote the initiative in 2018 and 2019.
Some countries fear the lending the Belt and Road scheme entails could lead to unsustainable debt levels in developing nations, including the Pacific islands region.
Morrison's government has denied that its new veto power is aimed at China, Australia's largest trading partner and biggest source of overseas universities students before the pandemic led the country to close its borders.
Payne said states, local governments and publicly funded universities had notified her of more than 1,000 foreign deals overall. (Reuters)