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March
Danish Red Cross launches volcano catastrophe bond
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. The Danish Red Cross has launched a catastrophe bond for volcano-related disasters with the support of several financial firms, the groups said on Monday, adding it was the first of its kind.
The $3 million bond will enable the disaster relief agency to get aid quickly to those suffering following the eruption of 10 named volcanoes, in Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia and Mexico.
Catastrophe bonds offer investors high yields, but do not pay out if a named catastrophe occurs. They typically cover areas prone to hurricanes and typhoons.
The Danish Red Cross worked with insurance group Howden, with risk modelling by Mitiga Solutions and blockchain technology from Replexus, the organisations said in a statement.
Initial investors include Plenum Investments, Schroder Investment Management and Solidum Partners. (Reuters)
March
Australia to evacuate thousands as Sydney faces worst floods in 60 years
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Australian authorities are planning to evacuate thousands more people on Monday from flood-affected suburbs in Sydney’s west, which is set for its worst flooding in 60 years with another day of drenching rain expected.
Unrelenting rains over the past three days swelled rivers in Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales (NSW), causing widespread damage and triggering calls for mass evacuations.
“Flooding is likely to be higher than any floods since Nov 1961,” NSW emergency services said in a tweet late Sunday. Authorities expect the wild weather to continue until Wednesday.
The fast-moving flood waters detached houses, swept away vehicles and farm animals, and submerged roads, bridges, houses and farms, television and social media footage showed.
Nearly 2,000 people have already been evacuated from low lying areas, NSW emergency services said.
Large parts of the country’s east coast will get hit by more heavy rains from Monday due to the combination of a tropical low over northern Western Australia and a coastal trough off NSW, the weather bureau said.
“These two moisture feeds are merging and will create a multi-state rain and storm band from Monday,” the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement.
A severe flood warning has been issued for large parts of NSW as well as neighbouring Queensland.
“These are very, very serious and very severe storms and floods, and it’s a very complex weather system too ... so this is a very testing time,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told radio station 2GB on Monday.
Sydney on Sunday recorded the wettest day of the year with almost 111 mm (4.4 inches) of rain, while some regions in NSW’s north coast received nearly 900 mm of rain in the last six days, more than three times the March average, government data showed. (Reuters)
March
Myanmar protesters voice defiance as death toll nears 250
Written by nuke
Protesters participate in a mock drowning as a signal to the world that they, as their country, need to be saved, in Nyaung-U, Myanmar March 19, 2021. Picture taken March 19, 2021. Handout/via REUTERS
Opponents of Myanmar's military rule, many in small towns across the country, staged candle-lit protests on Saturday night (Mar 20) and into Sunday in defiance of crackdowns by the security forces and the killing of nearly 250 people since the Feb 1 coup.
The violent suppression has drawn the condemnation of Western governments and increasingly the unprecedented criticism of some of Myanmar's Asian neighbours.
The violence has also forced people determined to resist a return to military rule after a decade of tentative steps towards democracy to think up new ways to make their point.
Nearly 20 protests were held overnight across the country, from the main city of Yangon to small communities in Kachin State in the north and the southernmost town of Kawthaung, according to a tally of social media posts.
Hundreds of protesters in the second city of Mandalay, including many medical staff in white coats, marched before sunrise in a "Dawn protest".
Protesters in some places were joined by Buddhist monks holding candles. Some people used candles to make the shape of the three-fingered protest salute.In Yangon, which has seen the worst of the violence since the coup, security forces moved quickly to break up a gathering.
"Now they're cracking down on our night protest. Stun grenades being fired constantly," one Facebook user wrote. Eight people were detained, a resident of the neighbourhood said.
At least four people were killed in separate incidents earlier on Saturday, taking the death toll since the coup to 247, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.Western countries have repeatedly condemned the coup and the violence. Asian neighbours, who have for years avoided criticising each other, have also begun speaking out//CNA
March
Britain to launch bullying hotline for athletes at Tokyo Games
Written by nuke
Britain to launch bullying hotline for athletes at Tokyo Games
British athletes competing at this year's Tokyo Olympics will be able to report concerns of physical or psychological abuse through an independent hotline service, British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson said.
This move comes after 17 former gymnasts in the United Kingdom last month launched a group-claim lawsuit against the national governing body British Gymnastics alleging a range of abusive behaviour.
The group, which includes three Olympians, served a "Letter of Claim" on the body, alleging physical and psychological abuse from coaches.
"One of the things we are ensuring for when we get to Tokyo is that every athlete knows who they can contact if they have got any issues in that environment," Anson told the Mail on Sunday https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-9384691/British-athletes-receive-access-bullying-hotline-Tokyo-Olympics.html newspaper.
"This would not be their line manager but someone outside the line. It can't be someone in our line management structure."
Last year, Britain's Olympic medal-winning gymnast Amy Tinkler and others also spoke out about their experiences with British Gymnastics, accusing coaches of bullying and "body shaming".
"There has got to be an independent hotline you can call without fear of any recrimination and that is really important," Anson added.
"We can have all the policies and procedures in the world but if they are not enforceable or if the athletes don't feel like we are on their side, then they are not right."//CNA
March
Miami Beach declares state of emergency over uncontrollable crowds
Written by nuke
Miami Beach Police detain a man as he plays loud music on a wireless speaker on Ocean Drive on March 17, 2021 AFP/CHANDAN KHANNA
Throngs of revellers flocking to Miami Beach in Florida for spring break have become so uncontrollable that authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday (Mar 20) and imposed a curfew meant to quash the party.
The move marks the second year in a row that fun has been curtailed at the popular spring break destination – last March because the pandemic was just ramping up and this year due to unruly and destructive crowds.
Authorities announced on Saturday that visitors must be off the street and that restaurants would close their doors at 8pm in South Beach, the epicentre of the city's nightlife, following an increase of violence and vandalism over recent days.
"It kind of sucks," said John Perez, a student from Texas having beers with a group of friends on the sand, despite police efforts to prevent alcohol consumption on the beach.
In addition to the curfew, the three bridges that connect the Miami Beach island to mainland Miami will now be closed to traffic from 10pm to 6am.
Only residents, workers and hotel guests will have access."It's been so much fun out here, you know, like we got the warm weather, you got the beach," 22-year-old Perez said.
An aerial photo released by police on Saturday night showed the city's main strip, Ocean Drive, empty just two hours after the curfew went into effect.
Miami Beach is no stranger to uncontrollable spring break crowds, but this year, with about 13 per cent of US residents vaccinated, the atmosphere is particularly festive and the illusion that the pandemic is now under control is pervasive.
Acting City Manager Raul Aguila said the city's curfew moves were "all about the public safety".
He described huge crowds that had gathered on Ocean Drive as looking "like a rock concert. You couldn't see pavement and you couldn't see grass".
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said on Saturday while announcing the curfew that "the volume is clearly more than it's been in previous years".
"I think it is in part due to the fact that there are very few places open elsewhere in the country, or they're too cold – or they're not open and they're too cold," he said.
Over the last several days viral videos have emerged showing fights in restaurants that caused serious damage in addition to prompting diners to flee without paying expensive bills, according to local press reports.Miami Beach police chief Richard Clements said he is concerned the situation will become unmanageable.One of the city's most iconic venues, The Clevelander South Beach, announced on Friday that it was closing its restaurants and bars and would keep only the hotel running//CNA
March
Scuffles and arrests as anti-lockdown protesters march through London
Written by nuke
Scuffles and arrests as anti-lockdown protesters march through London
Scuffles broke out as anti-lockdown protesters marched through central London on Saturday (Mar 20), defying police warnings for them to stay away due to coronavirus restrictions.
Police said they made 33 arrests, most for COVID-19 regulation breaches, after up to 10,000 people gathered holding banners with slogans such as "Stop Destroying Our Kids' Lives" and "Fake Pandemic". Crowded close to one another, protesters also set off flares.
Under England's coronavirus rules it is unlawful for groups to gather for the purpose of protest, but opposition to such measures has grown this week, not specifically related to anti-lockdown demonstrations.
Police were criticised for using heavy-handed tactics to break up an outdoor vigil for 33-year-old Sarah Everard on Mar 13. A police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder.
More than 60 British lawmakers wrote to interior minister Priti Patel on Friday calling for protests to be allowed during lockdown and saying that attending a demonstration should not be a criminal offence.
"We call on you to expressly exempt protests from restrictions on gatherings," lawmakers, including Conservative Member of Parliament Steve Baker and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said in the letter, which was organised by campaign groups Liberty and Big Brother Watch.
There were three consecutive nights of protest in London earlier this week, fuelled by the police reaction to the vigil for Everard, and anger over government plans to tighten the law on demonstrations.
The interior ministry, known as the Home Office, said when asked about the letter that the COVID-19 stay-at-home order remains in place until Mar 29, and once it ends protests can resume subject to agreeing to respect social distancing.
"While we are still in a pandemic we continue to urge people to avoid mass gatherings, in line with wider coronavirus restrictions," a spokeswoman said.
Police said people breaching COVID-19 regulations could face fines or arrest//CNA
March
Parts of France enter COVID-19 lockdown amid confusion and frustration
Written by nuke
People take pictures at the Trocadero square near the Eiffel tower in Paris amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, March 2, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Nearly a third of French people entered a month-long lockdown on Saturday (Mar 20) with many expressing fatigue and confusion over the latest set of restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus.
The government announced the new measures on Thursday after a jump in COVID-19 cases in Paris and parts of northern France.The new restrictions are less severe than those in place during the lockdowns of spring and November 2020, raising concerns that they may not be effective.
"It's exhausting, tiring, it's long. I hope it's going to end quite quickly, although I have questions on how efficient the measures are," Kasia Gluc, 57, a graphic editor said on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris.
The interior ministry said in the night between Friday and Saturday that people could leave home as often as they wanted within 30km, provided they fill in a declaration.
Later on Saturday, Castex's office said the rules had been simplified and that no paperwork was needed during the day within a 10km perimeter, only a proof of address.
"We have to have a permission slip but compared to previous lockdowns we're still a lot more free to go out. So are we locked down? Yes and no," Antonin Le Marechal, 21, said.
Good weather permitting, many Parisians went to the banks of the Seine river for a walk, a bike tour, or to gather with family and friends.
"As you can see, everyone is eating, taking off their masks," said 20-year-old student Rachel Chea. "It doesn't change anything for me."
The measures raised frustration among so-called non-essential shop owners forced to close down.
Stores allowed to stay open include those selling food, books, flowers and chocolate as well as hairdressers and shoemakers, but not clothes, furniture and beauty shops, according to a list released on Friday evening.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who said a total of 90,000 shops would need to close down, defended the list of stores that could remain open, notably those selling chocolate and flowers just two weeks ahead of Easter.
"I do not at all say that this is ideal, but each time it is done with a simple logic: Guarantee the health of the French people while preserving economic activity and shops as much as possible," he told France Inter radio.
The government, which has avoided using the word lockdown to describe the latest restrictions, argues the measures are needed to relieve pressure on intensive care units which are close to overflowing.A large number of Parisians had left the city before the restrictions came into force at midnight//CNA
March
Volcano erupts near Iceland's capital - BBC
A volcano erupted near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik on Friday, shooting lava high into the night sky after thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks.
The eruption occurred near Fagradalsfjall, a mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the capital.
Some four hours after the initial eruption at 2045 GMT - the first on the peninsula since the 12th century - lava covered about one square kilometer or nearly 200 football fields.
“I can see the glowing red sky from my window,” said Rannveig Gudmundsdottir, resident in the town of Grindavik, only 8 km (5 miles) from the eruption.
“Everyone here is getting into their cars to drive up there,” she said.More than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred on the peninsula in the past four weeks, a huge jump from the 1,000-3,000 earthquakes registered each year since 2014.
The eruption posed no immediate danger to people in Grindavik or to critical infrastructure, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which classified the eruption as small.
A fissure 500 to 750 meters (547 to 820 yards) long opened at the eruption site, spewing lava fountains up to 100 meters (110 yards) high, Bjarki Friis of the meteorological office said.
Residents in the town of Thorlakshofn, east of the eruption site, were told to stay indoors to avoid exposure to volcanic gases, Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management said. The wind was blowing from the west.
Unlike the eruption in 2010 of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which halted approximately 900,000 flights and forced hundreds of Icelanders from their homes, this eruption is not expected to spew much ash or smoke into the atmosphere.
Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions.
The source of the eruption is a large body of molten rock, known as magma, which has pushed its way to the surface over the past weeks, instigating the earthquakes.
The number of quakes had slowed down in recent days, however, leading geologists to say that an eruption would be less likely.
Reykjavik’s international Keflavik airport was not closed following the eruption, but each airline had to decide if it wanted to fly or not, IMO said.
Arrivals and departures on the airport’s website showed no disruptions//Reuters
March
Myanmar garment workers urge global brands to denounce coup
Written by nuke
Myanmar garment workers urge global brands to denounce coup - yahoo
As international sanctions were dropped in the mid-2010s when Myanmar began shifting toward democracy after decades of military rule and started to set some labor standards, Western brands looking to diversify their sourcing were attracted to the country's cheap labor.
Broad sanctions now would cripple that burgeoning clothing industry, which has been growing rapidly in recent years before the coronavirus pandemic cut orders and eliminated jobs.
Comprehensive sanctions could wreck the livelihoods of more than 600,000 garment workers, but some union leaders say they would rather see massive layoffs than endure military oppression.
The garment industry plays a key role in Myanmar’s economy, particularly the export sector. Roughly a third of Myanmar's total merchandising exports come from textiles and apparel, worth US$4.59 billion in 2018. That's up from 9 per cent, or US$900 million, in 2012 as international sanctions were dropped, according to the latest data from the European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s apparel exports mostly go to the European Union, Japan and South Korea because of favourable trade agreements. The US accounts for 5.5 per cent of Myanmar's exports, with clothing, footwear and luggage representing the bulk of that, according to garment trade expert Sheng Lu.
But Myanmar still accounts for a tiny share — less than 0.1 per cent — in US and European Union fashion companies’ total sourcing networks. And there are plenty of other alternatives for brands.
Despite this, many are taking a wait-and-see stance when it comes to any long-term decisions. Experts note it’s not easy to shift products to a different country, nor is it easy to return to Myanmar once companies leave.
Furthermore, some argue Western companies play a role in reducing poverty by giving workers in Myanmar opportunities to earn an income while also helping to improve labor standards there.
Factory working conditions were already poor before the February coup, but the labor unions had made some inroads and gave workers hope. And while the National League for Democracy, the party that was ousted in the takeover, wasn’t proactively protecting unions, it didn’t persecute or crack down on them, says Andrew Tillett-Saks, a labour organiser in Southeast Asia who previously was based in Myanmar.
Nearly 70 per cent of the garment factories in Myanmar are owned by foreigners, according to the European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, and a good chunk of them are Chinese-owned. International brands using the factories don’t directly hire the workers, often depending on a web of contractors and sub-contractors to produce goods for them.
But companies have “an enormous amount of influence in the industry", Tillett-Saks said. “They hold all the power over the supplier."//CNA
March
Mass evacuations as rains cause record flooding in Australia
Written by nuke
Mass evacuations as rains cause record flooding in Australia - DW
Mass evacuations were ordered in low-lying areas along Australia's east coast Saturday (Mar 20) as torrential rains caused potentially "life-threatening" floods across a region already soaked by an unusually wet summer, officials said.
Police said hundreds of people had flocked to evacuation centres in areas north of Sydney in New South Wales state, and they expected many more to seek shelter as the rains move south down the coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported flooding levels surpassing record 2013 floods along the Hastings River outside Port Macquarie, about 400km north of Sydney.
Towns in the area have already seen record rainfall of more than 300mm since Friday morning, the bureau said.It warned the heavy rains were forecast to continue through Saturday "potentially leading to life-threatening flash flooding".
"It's not just the total rainfall amount, it's also how quickly and intensely that rainfall has actually fallen," Agata Imielska, a senior climatologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, said at a televised briefing.
"So today (we) are just really urging the community out there that this is the day to exercise that powerful protective action of staying home and staying safe."
Television footage showed flooded roads across the state, people kayaking through the streets, water engulfing houses up to the windows and rivers overflooding. Video posted on social media and broadcast on local TV showed an entire house being swept away in floodwaters in the state's centre.
The flood and extreme weather warnings stretched from Port Macquarie to areas 500km south of Sydney, where residents were urged to stay indoors due to the flash flooding risk.
Emergency services reported receiving more than 500 calls for help and carried out some 180 flood rescues overnight in the north of the affected area//CNA