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April
Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to help tackle online extremism
Written by Nur Yasmin
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will help tackle violent extremism online and will also be on the board of an environmental prize set up by Prince William as she looks ahead to a life after politics.
Ardern stepped down as prime minister in January saying she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country and would also not seek re-election to parliament. She is due to give her final speech in parliament on Wednesday.
Ardern, who became the youngest female leader in the world when she won power in 2017 at the age of 37, will serve as an unpaid special envoy for the Christchurch Call, an initiative she co-founded in 2019 to bring together countries and technology companies to combat extremism, the government said.
Attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, in March 2019 killed 51 people dead and wounded 40. The white supremacist gunman who carried out the assault live-streamed part of it on Facebook.
"The Christchurch Call is a foreign policy priority for the government and Jacinda Ardern is uniquely placed to keep pushing forward with the goal of eliminating violent extremist content online," her replacement as prime minister, Chris Hipkins, said in a statement.
"Terrorist and violent extremist content online is a global issue, but for many in New Zealand it is also very personal."
Ardern will also join the board of Prince William's Earthshot Prize, awarded for contributions to environmentalism, Kensington Palace said in a statement.
Ardern rode a wave of popularity dubbed "Jacindamania" after she took over as prime minister and campaigned for women's rights, and an end to child poverty and economic inequality.
She also won plaudits internationally for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But her popularity waned during her final year in power as inflation rose to nearly three-decade highs, along with rising crime and a contentious overhaul of water infrastructure.
"Five years probably felt more like nine, just because of what we all went through as a nation," Ardern said in an interview with state broadcaster TVNZ on Tuesday.
"I will miss the people ... but I won't miss the weight, because it is heavy." (Reuters)
April
India's milk imports soar as disease hits local cattle stock
Written by Nur Yasmin
Buying milk is getting expensive in India and the price could soon hit an all-time high, forcing the world's biggest producer to step up imports to boost supplies and ease cost of living pressures.
Farmers are wrestling with a rare double whammy: a lethal condition called lumpy skin disease in their cows and a drawdown in market-ready cattle stock after the coronavirus pandemic slowed breeding.
Milk prices have already jumped more than 15% to 56 rupees ($0.68) a litre over the past year - the fastest rise in a decade - making it difficult for the government to bring retail inflation below the central bank's target.
The soaring prices of milk and other basic goods is expected to become a political issue heading into state elections later this year.
"Any upside risk coming from higher milk prices is going to pose an additional challenge," said Upasna Bhardwaj, chief economist at India's Kotak Mahindra Bank.
"Since milk has a weightage of 6.6% in the consumer price index, any spike could have a reasonable implication on headline inflation," she said.
Industry officials estimate demand for dairy products to rise 7% this year.
But milk production is likely to have risen just 1% in the fiscal year to March 2023, well below the average annual rate of 5.6% in the past decade, said a senior official of the government-backed National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The official declined be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
IMBALANCES
Ramavatar Sharma, a 57-year-old farmer from Khejri Bujurg village in Rajasthan, a major milk-producing state, is keen to cash in on higher milk prices but is struggling to find affordable cattle.
"Cattle prices have doubled as there are fewer cows in the market," said Sharma, who has been raising cattle since childhood.
That contrasts with recent years when prices dived in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While cows were cheaper, coronavirus lockdowns weighed on milk consumption.
Those losses prevented farmers from increasing herds, which restricted milk stock even during the so-called flush season runs from October to February, when dairies build supply for the lean season.
Farmers and dairy managers say they now have to wait until the next flush season in October to ramp up market-ready cattle stocks and dairy products inventory.
"There is no way we can raise milk production in 2023," said Santosh Sharma, general manager of Saras Dairy, a leading supplier in Rajasthan.
Devendra Shah, chairman of Parag Milk Foods (PAMF.NS) in Maharashtra state, said the rare surge in milk prices during the flush season has created unusual market pressure, especially in the peak summer months.
"We will witness further rises in milk prices during summer," Shah said.
Those pressures mean India will rely more on imported SMP, farmers and dairy officials said, further tightening global supplies and setting off a rally in international prices.
India's SMP imports are likely to hit an all-time high in the fiscal year that started April, surpassing record purchases in 2011-12, dairy industry officials said.
To ease the burden, the government could allow limited duty-free imports of SMP and butter, although it would need to manage volumes to avoid crashing prices, the NDDB official said.
In January, India's milk and cream imports jumped 1,024% from the last year to $4.87 million, even with import taxes, as dairies increased purchases from France, Germany and Poland.
The temporary removal of those duties would mean imports rise even further, the NDDB official said.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Lumpy skin disease, which causes blisters and reduces milk production in cows, has infected millions of cattle and killed more than 184,000 in India, including around 76,000 in Rajasthan, according to government data.
Farmers in Rajasthan who managed to protect their cattle through vaccinations now complain about lower incomes as the disease has left them with low-yielding cattle.
"Even the cows that survived after spending a lot of money on medicines and vaccination are now producing less milk than earlier," Sharma said, pointing to one of his cows with lacerations caused by the disease.
Cattle breeding suffered during pandemic lockdowns due to a shortage of the village-level veterinarians needed to conduct artificial insemination.
The supply problems are already squeezing Indian consumers.
"Just to ensure that our children get milk, we have stopped adding milk to our tea," said Satyendra Yadav, a Mumbai construction worker. "But any further price rises will make milk out of our reach." (Reuters)
April
Malaysia seeks to decriminalise suicide attempts
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysia is seeking to decriminalise suicide attempts, its law minister said on Tuesday, the latest in a recent slew of legal reforms pursued by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government.
The announcement comes a day after Malaysia's parliament on Monday voted to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offences punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences.
The law currently stipulates that anyone attempting suicide can be jailed for up to one year, fined, or both.
The government wants to repeal that but will retain "aiding and abetting" suicide as a criminal offense, Law Minister Azalina Othman Said said in a statement on Tuesday.
The government also proposes strengthening punishment for cases of aiding suicide involving children and mentally incapacitated people.
"This is based on the fact that suicide attempts are within the scope of suicidal behavior and this act is the impact of mental incapacity or psychiatric disorder," Azalina said.
In comments made last year, former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia had in 2021 recorded 1,142 suicide cases, compared to 631 cases in 2020.
Its suicide mortality rate was at 5.7 per 100,000 population in 2019, according to the most recent data from World Bank.
The proposal to decriminalise suicide attempts was introduced in the lower house on Tuesday, though a vote will likely only take place in the next parliament session, a law ministry spokesperson said.
Azalina said the government hopes the reform will encourage those affected to seek help, remove the stigma of suicide, and lower the country's suicide death rate. (Reuters)
April
Asia's factory activity weakens as global demand falters
Written by Nur Yasmin
Global factory activity weakened in March as consumers feeling the pinch from rising living costs cut back, surveys showed on Monday, suggesting a deteriorating outlook will remain a drag on economic recoveries and keep policymakers on their toes.
Although factories across the euro zone saw a further decline last month, the cost of manufacturing fell for the first time since mid-2020.
S&P Global's final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 47.3 in March from February's 48.5, just ahead of a preliminary reading of 47.1 but below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction for a ninth month.
An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due on Wednesday that is seen as a good guide to economic health, did however rise to a 10-month high of 50.4 from 50.1.
"Today's PMI results highlight that challenges remain for manufacturing companies. Although consumer demand has largely held across sectors, this could lessen gradually," said Thomas Rinn, global industrial lead at Accenture.
German manufacturing activity shrank in March at the fastest pace in almost three years, while weak demand continued to drag down France's factory sector as purchasing managers turned pessimistic about the 12-month outlook for their businesses.
In Britain, outside the European Union, manufacturers also slipped, but did turn more optimistic about the future as cost pressures and supply chain problems eased.
The improving supply chains and lower energy costs meant input prices fell in the euro zone for the first time since July 2020 - just when the COVID-19 pandemic was cementing its grip.
But oil prices surged on Monday, posting the biggest daily rise in nearly a year, after a surprise announcement by OPEC+ on Sunday to cut more production, likely adding to inflationary pressures.
ASIAN STRAIN
Export-reliant Japan and South Korea both saw manufacturing activity contract in March while growth in China stalled, highlighting the challenge facing Asia as authorities try to keep inflation in check and fend off headwinds from slackening global economic momentum.
"With global growth set to remain weak in the coming quarters, we expect manufacturing output in Asia to remain under pressure," said Shivaan Tandon, emerging Asia economist at Capital Economics.
China's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI stood at 50.0 in March, much lower than market forecasts of 51.7 and below February's 51.6.
The reading echoed slower growth in an official PMI released on Friday.
"The foundation for economic recovery is not yet solid. Looking forward, economic growth will still rely on a boost in domestic demand, especially an improvement in household consumption," Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said on China's PMI.
South Korea's PMI fell to 47.6 in March from 48.5 in February, its weakest in six months as export orders took a hit.
Japan's final au Jibun Bank PMI stood at 49.2 in March, up from February's 47.7 but remaining below the 50-threshold, as new orders contracted for a ninth-consecutive month.
A separate central bank survey released on Monday showed Japanese big manufacturers' sentiment soured in January-March to its worst in more than two years, as weak external demand added to the struggle for firms already grappling with rising raw material costs.
India was a rare bright spot in the region, with its manufacturing sector expanding at its quickest pace in three months in March on improved output and new orders, suggesting its economy is better placed than most of its peers to weather a global slowdown.
Vietnam and Malaysia saw factory activity shrink in March, while that of the Philippines expanded at a slower pace than in February, surveys showed.
While supply disruptions caused by the pandemic have mostly run their course, weak chip demand and fresh signs of slowdown in global growth have emerged as risks to many Asian economies.
The collapse last month of two U.S. banks and the take-over of Credit Suisse have added to uncertainty over the global outlook by causing market turbulence and shedding light on potential vulnerabilities in the world financial system.
While indications are that the U.S. Federal Reserve will pause its tightening cycle soon, the outlook remains clouded by the banking-sector troubles, still-high inflation and slowing global growth. (Reuters)
April
China dissatisfied with Japan's chip export restrictions -spokesperson
Written by Nur Yasmin
China was strongly dissatisfied with Japan's export restrictions on chip manufacturing equipment, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.
China hoped Japan would act on its statements of cooperation with China and take an objective stance, Mao told reporters at a regular briefing.
Japan said on Friday it would restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aligning its technology trade controls with a U.S. push to curb China's ability to make advanced chips. (Reuters)
April
Malaysia open to talks with Beijing over dispute in South China Sea - PM
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday said he was prepared to negotiate with China over a maritime dispute between the two countries, days after a think tank reported Chinese patrolling close to a Malaysian offshore gas project.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have some overlapping claims.
The issue was raised between Anwar and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China last week as Malaysia has energy exploration projects in the area, Anwar said at an address on Monday at the prime minister's department.
Anwar did not specify which dispute or which area of the South China Sea.
"In that area there is a similar claim from China. I said (to them) that as a small country that needs oil and gas resources, we have to continue. But if the condition is that there must be negotiation, then we are ready to negotiate," Anwar said, without elaborating.
China claims about 90% of the South China Sea via a U-shaped "nine-dash line" on its maps that cuts through the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of five Southeast Asian countries.
That line was declared invalid as part of an international arbitration ruling in 2016, which Beijing does not recognise.
Malaysian state oil company Petronas operates oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia's EEZ and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.
Those include a month-long standoff between a Chinese survey ship and an oil exploration vessel contracted by Petronas in 2020, which China had said was conducting normal activities.
The U.S. think tank, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), in a report last week said a Chinese coast guard vessel was for the past month operating near Petronas' Kasawari gas development off Malaysia's Sarawak state, and came as close as 1.5 miles of the project. A Malaysian navy ship was in the area at the same time, AMTI said.
The vessel, CCG 5901, the world's largest coast guard vessel, was last active in Indonesia's Tuna Bloc gas field and Vietnam's Chim Sao oil and gas field, AMTI said.
The Kasawari field holds an estimated 3 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves and is expected to start production this year.
Malaysia's navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Petronas declined to comment.
China foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday said they were not aware of the specific incident but said the coast guard operated within China's jurisdiction and its conduct was beyond reproach. (Reuters)
April
Australian court finds former school principal Malka Leifer guilty of sex crimes
Written by Nur Yasmin
The former principal of an Australian ultra-Orthodox Jewish School, Malka Leifer, was found guilty of sexually abusing two former students by a Melbourne court on Monday, local media reported.
Leifer, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was extradited to Australia from Israel in 2021 after fleeing the country in 2008 when the accusations surfaced.
After a six-week trial, a jury found 56-year-old Leifer guilty of 18 sexual offences including rape, indecent assault and penetration of a child aged 16 or 17, according to state broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). The jury cleared her of nine other charges, ABC reported.
The former principal of Adass Israel School pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The County Court of Victoria, where the trial was held, and a lawyer for Leifer did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Three sisters, Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, accused Leifer of sexually abusing them between 2003 and 2007, when they were teenagers. The court found Leifer guilty of offences against Erlich and Sapper but not Meyer.
“She abused the three of us for so many years and while today’s verdict may not properly reflect that, today Malka Leifer was finally held accountable," said Sapper outside the court on Monday.
"She is guilty and she will be held accountable. Justice was served today.”
Between 2014 and her extradition in 2021, Leifer fought her return to Australia, including with a submission of mental illness. An Israeli court in 2020 found Leifer was "faking" mental disability and was fit to stand trial.
The three sisters alleged the offences took place on school grounds, in locked staff offices, on school camps and at Leifer's home, reported the ABC.
Sentencing will follow. (Reuters)
April
Malaysia scraps mandatory death penalty, natural-life prison terms
Written by Nur Yasmin
Malaysia's parliament on Monday passed sweeping legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offences punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences, a move cautiously welcomed by rights groups.
Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when it first promised to abolish capital punishment entirely.
The government, however, faced political pressure from some parties and rowed back on the pledge a year later, saying it would retain the death penalty but allow courts to replace it with other punishments at their discretion.
Under the amendments passed, alternatives to the death penalty include whipping and imprisonment of between 30 to 40 years. The new jail term will replace all previous provisions that call for imprisonment for the duration of the offender's natural life.
Life imprisonment sentences, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will be retained.
Capital punishment will also be removed as an option for some serious crimes that do not cause death, such as discharging and trafficking of a firearm and kidnapping.
Malaysia's move comes even as some Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up use of capital punishment, with Singapore last year executing 11 people for drug offences and military-ruled Myanmar carrying out its first death sentences in decades against four anti-junta activists.
Malaysia's Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh said capital punishment was an irreversible sentence and had been an ineffective deterrent.
"The death penalty has not brought about the results it was intended to bring," he said in wrapping up parliamentary debates on the measures.
The amendments passed apply to 34 offences currently punishable by death, including murder and drug trafficking. Eleven of those carry it as a mandatory punishment.
More than 1,300 people facing the death penalty or imprisonment for natural life - including those who have exhausted all other legal appeals - can seek a sentencing review under the new rules.
Dobby Chew, executive coordinator at the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, said passage of the amendments was a good first step towards total abolition of capital punishment.
"For the most part, we are on the right track for Malaysia - it's a reform that has been a long time coming," he said.
"We should not deny the fact that the state is killing someone and whether the state should have this kind of power... having the mandatory punishment abolished is a good time for us to start reflecting about it." (Reuters)
April
Japan PM strongly demands Beijing release detained Astellas employee
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government will continue to strongly demand Beijing for an early release and consular visits for an Astellas Pharma (4503.T) employee detained in China.
The government would also provide as much support as possible, including contacting his family, Kishida told an Upper House budget committee meeting.
Kishida's comments came after the country's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his Chinese counterpart on Sunday and urged China to promptly release the detained Japanese. (Reuters)
April
Australia PM Albanese boosted by historic by-election win
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday he would not "get carried away" after his Labor party defied the odds to snatch a seat from the opposition at a by-election, a 100-year first, even as voters battled higher living costs.
Labor's Mary Doyle won the weekend by-election for the lower house federal seat of Aston in Melbourne's eastern suburbs with a swing of more than 6%, in a blow to the conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition in one of its traditional strongholds in Victoria state.
Albanese said the government's focus on making a practical difference in people's lives resonated with voters, who understood the spike in living costs was because of global supply chain problems linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
But despite calling the election result "a historic win", Albanese said his government would remain grounded.
"This was a significant victory ... but we don't get carried away with this," Albanese told ABC Radio in an interview.
The last time the opposition lost a by-election to a government candidate was in 1920, in the Western Australia state goldfields electorate of Kalgoorlie.
The by-election in Aston was triggered after former Liberal minister Alan Tudge, who won with a slim 2.8% margin in the 2022 general election, quit politics due to personal reasons.
Albanese, who is set to finish a year in power next month, has enjoyed high approval ratings since becoming prime minister. A newspoll published by the Australian newspaper on Monday showed him stretching his lead to 58% as the preferred leader, eclipsing opposition leader Peter Dutton's 26% support.
The survey of 1,500 voters also showed Labor extending its lead on a two-party preferred basis to 55%, against the opposition's 45%.
The by-election win comes a week after Labor returned to power in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state. The win means the party now governs at state and federal levels across Australia's mainland, leaving island state Tasmania as the conservative outlier. (Reuters)