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March
U.N. and U.S. raise concern over reports of Afghan journalist arrests
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United Nations and the United States said there were credible reports of journalists from local Afghan media organisation Tolo News being detained this week and that attacks on independent media must stop.
A Taliban administration spokesman and a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry did not respond to a request to confirm if they were behind the reported arrests.
"Deepening concern tonight in Afghanistan over credible reports of further arbitrary detentions by the Taliban of Tolonews reporters," the U.N.'s mission to Afghanistan said on Twitter late on Thursday. It urged the release of people taken away by gunmen and said intimidation of independent media should end.
Tolo News said in a tweet that its television presenter Bahram Aman was in the custody of Taliban officials "without any explanation". It added that two other employees had also been detained on Thursday evening but since released.
Ian McCary, charge d'affaires for the U.S. embassy, which is currently operating out of Qatar, said the United States had urged the Taliban to stop detentions and intimidation of media.
"We share (the U.N.'s) deep concern over reports of detention and intimidation of journalists and media staff, which go against the Taliban's stated commitments to freedom of expression," he said on Friday.
A source at Tolo News, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told Reuters the three employees had been taken by several intelligence officers from Tolo's newsroom on Thursday evening around 7:30 p.m. The detained included the head of news, who was outside the office at the time but told to return to face the authorities, the source said.
Several female activists and journalists in Afghanistan have disappeared or been detained in recent months, prompting criticism from governments that have not formally recognised the Taliban administration. These nations say the Taliban need to meet certain conditions, including respect for human rights, to be recognised.
The Taliban has said in some of the cases they are investigating the disappearances and that they have an amnesty for any previous opponents. (Reuters)
March
Biden and Xi set to clash over Putin's war in Ukraine
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to tell Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that Beijing will pay a steep price if it supports Russia's military operations in Ukraine, a warning that comes at a time of deepening acrimony between the nations.
Biden and Xi will speak by phone, scheduled for 9 a.m. Eastern time (1300 GMT) after warnings from Washington that Beijing risks isolation if it offers Russia greater support.
The talks will be the first between Biden and Xi since November and their fourth interaction since Biden took office in January last year and are likely to be loaded with tension.
As Biden and Xi prepared for their talks, a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday. The USS Ralph Johnson, an Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer, shadowed the carrier at least partly on its route. read more
China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own, and has over the past two years stepped up its military activity near the island to assert its sovereignty claims, alarming Taipei and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Biden would will make clear to Xi that China would bear responsibility if it supported Russia's "aggression" and Washington "will not hesitate to impose costs."
Speaking on Thursday, Blinken said Washington was concerned that China was considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine, something Beijing has denied.
Washington is also concerned that China could help Russia circumvent economic sanctions imposed by Western nations.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth week, has killed hundreds of civilians, reduced city areas to rubble and sparked a humanitarian crisis as millions flee the country. read more
Russia fired missiles at an airport near Lviv on Friday, a city where hundreds of thousands found refuge far from Ukraine's battlefields, as Moscow tries to regain the initiative in its stalled campaign against Ukraine. read more
Ukraine has added a new front in a U.S.-Chinese relationship already at its worst level in decades, further deflating Biden's initial hopes of easing a wide range of disputes by using a personal connection with Xi that predates his term in office.
The United States and China are the world's two largest economies and Washington has been anxious to avoid a new "Cold War" between them, seeking instead to define the relationship as one of competitive coexistence,
However, China's "no-limits" strategic partnership with Russia announced last month and its stance on Ukraine has called that into question.
China has refused to condemn Russia's action in Ukraine or call it an invasion, and it has censored online content in China that is pro-West or unfavorable to Russia.
Beijing, while saying it recognizes Ukraine sovereignty, has also said Russia has legitimate security concerns that should be addressed, and has urged a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Biden's administration has threatened counter-measures if China helps Russia's effort in Ukraine, but it and its allies have not yet decided precisely what steps they might take, according to a person involved in the conversations.
Targeting Beijing with the sort of extensive economic sanctions imposed on Russia would have potentially dire consequences for the United States and the world, given that China is the second largest economy and largest exporter.
Analysts say China is unlikely to turn its back on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, but its diplomatic efforts to appear even-handed are becoming harder to maintain and closeness with Moscow could cost Beijing goodwill in many world capitals.
But Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, scorned the idea of Beijing being discomfited and instead lashed out against Western counties, accusing them of stoking fears in countries like Russia.
"Those who really feel uncomfortable are those countries that think they can lord it over the world after winning the Cold War, those that keep driving NATO's eastward expansion five times in disregard of other countries' security concerns, those that wage wars across the globe while accusing other countries of being belligerent," Zhao told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
A seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi was described as "tough" and "intense" by U.S. officials.
Biden's administration has not yet offered evidence of the claim that China has signaled a willingness to help Russia.
Moscow has denied asking China for military assistance, and China's foreign ministry called the idea "disinformation." read more
However, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said this week the country was counting on China to help it withstand the blow to its economy from punishing Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia's economy from the rest of the world. (Reuters)
March
Lebanon PM says some judges stoking tension within country
Written by Nur Yasmin
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that actions taken by some judges were heightening tensions in Lebanon, warning of potentially serious consequences for a country mired in a major financial collapse.
His statement followed judicial orders since March 14 that froze the assets of seven banks in three separate legal actions.
On Thursday, the brother of the central bank governor was arrested on a charge of "complicity in illicit enrichment" in a case a judicial source said also involved Governor Riad Salameh. read more
A lawyer for Raja Salameh declined to comment on the case on Friday, while the office of Riad Salameh's lawyer said he was not available for comment.
Without referring to any specific case, Mikati said the course of action taken by some judges was "pushing towards ominous tensions, and there are attempts to use this tension in election campaigns," referring to a parliamentary election in May.
"This is a dangerous matter we have previously warned against," Mikati said, in a statement from his office.
Mikati has previously offered public support to Governor Salameh, who faces embezzlement probes at home and abroad, saying in December "one does not change their officers during a war". Salameh has denied any wrongdoing.
Mikati and Justice Minister Henry Khoury agreed to ask the country's public prosecutor to take "appropriate measures on this (issue)", the statement said, without specifying what issue or elaborating on the measures.
Ghada Aoun, the judge who ordered Raja Salameh's arrest and froze the assets of six banks this month, is politically backed by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), founded by President Michel Aoun.
The FPM has sought the removal of Governor Salameh, who has described accusations against him as politically motivated.
He faces investigations in Lebanon and at least five European countries including Switzerland over allegations of money laundering and embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars at the central bank - investigations in which his younger brother Raja is also implicated.
Lebanon is grappling with a deep economic crisis after successive governments piled up debt. Savers have been locked out of dollar accounts or told that funds they can access are now worth a fraction of their original value. The currency has crashed, driving a swathe of the population into poverty. (Reuters)
March
Pakistan PM Khan to seek court ruling over defections ahead of no-confidence vote
Written by Nur Yasmin
Prime Minister Imran Khan's government will petition Pakistan's Supreme Court to seek a ruling on whether defectors from his party could lose their seats ahead of a no-confidence vote against him, his interior minister said on Friday.
The threat of political turmoil in the nuclear armed nation is growing as the opposition seeks to oust Khan in a vote that could come as soon as this month.
Several of Khan's lawmakers withdrew their support for him on Thursday, stoking more uncertainty over whether the former cricket star can hang on to power, following a warning by a key ally that the premier could lose his coalition partners. read more
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told a news conference it had been decided to seek the Supreme Court's ruling about whether the defectors are eligible to cast a vote after switching sides.
Ahmad said the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Khan. He did not say when the petition would be filed.
"I want to ask all of you to get back ... We wouldn't do anything against you," he said in an appeal to the dissidents.
The dissidents are being issued a show-cause notice, Khan's Cabinet minister Asad Umar said.
Under Pakistan's floor-crossing law, parliamentarians who defect could lose their seats if they then choose to vote against their party, but what Khan's government is trying to see is whether that is also applicable before they cast votes.
"You know only murder isn't a crime, an attempted murder is also a crime," the minister said.
The opposition blames Khan for mismanaging the country, economy and foreign policy. No Pakistani prime minister has ever
completed his term in office. read more
Without the coalition partners and the dissidents, Khan's party, which has 155 seats in the lower house, would fall short
of the 172 needed to retain power. The joint opposition has a strength of nearly 163 in the lower house.
The opposition and political analysts say Khan has fallen out with Pakistan's powerful military, whose support they see as critical for any political party to attain power in the way the former cricketer upstart party did four years ago.
Khan and the military deny the accusation. (Reuters)
March
APEC finance officials focus on sustainability, digital economy
Written by Nur Yasmin
Finance and central bank deputies from the Asia-Pacific region convened to deliberate on policy recommendations to support the transition to sustainable finance and commit to more sustainable economic growth and digital economy.
Under the 2022 Finance Ministers’ Process theme of "Advancing Digitalization, Achieving Sustainability", Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies recognized the risk of climate change and the role of sustainable finance in achieving global targets to curb carbon emissions, as noted in a release issued by APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies and received here on Thursday.
"In the last two years, authorities around the world have diverted their priorities to saving people’s lives and protecting livelihoods, and rightfully so," according to Krisada Chinavicharana, chair of 2022 APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting.
"Today, as we navigate life with COVID-19, many of us have realized that sustainability is an integral part of recovery, crucial in building a better future for our people," Krisada stated.
The meeting, held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday (March 16-17), heard member economies’ views and best practices on policy instruments for supporting sustainable finance, given economies’ fiscal limitations and budget constraints from the pandemic.
APEC members also reflected on the opportunities and costs of adopting more ambitious measures and considered further integrating disaster risk financing into government budgets and a sustainable finance framework.
"As governments, we have the potential to do more, to mobilize resources and make structural changes," Krisada, who is concurrently the Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Finance Ministry, stated.
"We cannot afford to stand still and wait for the private sector to make a move. A collaboration and close partnership between the two is ideal," he added.
The vast growth on the digital front prompted APEC member economies to look into deepening the role of digital technologies for fiscal policy and in inclusive finance.
"During the pandemic, when we were on lockdown, governments have learned to utilize data in order to better allocate and target government assistance or stimulus packages, which are then delivered through digital channels, such as mobile applications or electronic payment platforms," Krisada explained.
"We must continue to ride the wave of technology and extend its role in supporting areas, such as payment and remittance services, as well as revenue collection for the government," he stated.
Given that the Asia-Pacific is the largest contributor to global payments revenues, Krisada urged member economies to make the most of the momentum and discuss how the trend can be captured for the benefits of financial inclusion while addressing challenges in cross-border transactions.
"This will greatly benefit not only people across the region but also our micro, small, and medium enterprises that can benefit from the transparency, openness, and connectivity across the region," he concluded.
APEC members also heard from international organizations that raised the impact of sanctions and geopolitical tensions as well as increasing commodity prices and inflationary pressures, which will have spillover effects on the region’s economy and prompted adjustment of monetary policies.
The discussion from the two-day finance and central banks deputies’ meeting will be brought forward to the APEC Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting scheduled for June this year.
Their recommendations will be provided to APEC Finance Ministers when they meet in October this year. (Antaranews)
March
UN underlines challenges to women's access to sustainable energy
Written by Nur Yasmin
Assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and deputy executive director of UN Women, Asa Regner, has underlined the challenges to women’s access to sustainable energy.
The challenges include lack of training and education, harmful social norms and biases, unequal power relations within households and communities, and issues regarding women’s right to leadership, Regner remarked while speaking at a webinar on ‘Energy Transition and Rural Women’ on Thursday.
Women in most developing countries experience energy poverty differently than men, she noted.
Women are mainly responsible for household and community energy provision in developing countries, such as by collecting biomass fuel, which is often a time-consuming and physically demanding task, she explained.
“This limits women from accessing decent wage employment, education opportunities, and decreases the options for social and political interaction outside the households,” she highlighted.
To this end, a transition to sustainable energy would be the key enabler for economic and social development, poverty reduction, and better health condition for both women and men, according to Regner.
Access to sustainable energy will create opportunities for women’s economic empowerment and allow women to take part in and drive sustainable development in their communities, she added.
Regner also lauded Indonesia’s commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women, especially during its G20 Presidency under the overall theme of recover together, recover stronger and amid preparations for its resuming the chair of ASEAN in 2023.
Under the theme, Indonesia is aiming at ensuring inclusiveness, including for women and girls.
It is focusing on three key agendas during its G20 Presidency: global health architecture, digital transformation, and energy transition. (Antaranews)
March
Vietnam irked by 'unsuitable' U.S. prize for jailed dissident
Written by Nur Yasmin
Vietnam on Thursday objected to the United States granting a prize for courage to a dissident writer jailed for nine years for anti-state propaganda, describing her award as "unobjective and unsuitable".
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Pham Doan Trang as winner on Monday of an International Women of Courage prize at a ceremony attended by first lady Jill Biden, where he condemned what he called an unjust imprisonment.
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said Trang had violated Vietnamese law, so the U.S. prize was "not conducive for the development of bilateral relations."
Hang at a regular briefing said Vietnam's policy was to "always safeguard and promote the basic rights of our citizens, including women's rights."
Ties between former war foes the United States and Vietnam have improved significantly in recent years, with increased trade and investments by U.S. firms, and regular visits by presidents and top officials from Washington.
However, Vietnam's human rights record has been a sticking point in the relationship, with the United States critical of the government's intolerance of dissent and frequent jailing and harassment of those who speak out.
Trang, who published material widely on human rights and alleged police brutality in Vietnam, was detained by authorities hours after an annual U.S.-Vietnam human rights dialogue in October 2020.
She was sentenced to nine years in prison in December last year. read more
"Despite facing threats – constant threats – she continued educating others about their rights," Blinken said of Trang.
"We condemn her unjust imprisonment. We call for her immediate release," he said. (Reuters)
March
IMF says having 'constructive' talks with Pakistan as part of program review
Written by Nur YasminThe International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it was having constructive, ongoing discussions with Pakistan as part of a seventh program review of a $6 billion rescue package.
Pakistani officials have said they are confident they can address any concerns the IMF may have about a $1.5 billion electricity subsidy adopted by authorities there.
IMF spokesman Gerry Rice did not comment directly on the fund's view of the subsidy plans, but said the ongoing discussions had been "constructive" in terms of ensuring that Pakistan met its key objectives of "fiscal prudence, external sector viability (and), due protection of vulnerable groups from high international energy and food prices." (Reuters)
March
S.Korea looks to end COVID restrictions despite record surge in cases, deaths
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea recorded a record 621,328 new daily COVID-19 cases and a daily record 429 deaths, authorities said on Thursday, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end COVID restrictions.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the record wave of infections and while a public survey revealed many expected to catch the virus, few feared serious health consequences.
Daily infections are far higher than health authorities had predicted. On Wednesday the government said it expected the wave to top out with daily cases in the mid-400,000. Less than a month ago it had predicted the peak of the wave would come in mid-March at 140,000-270,000 daily cases.
KDCA official Lee Sang-won said some 70,000 cases and 200 deaths were missing in tallies over the past couple of days, apologising for errors in its compiling procedures. But he said the current wave has been stronger than expected and could continue to beat its predictions.
Despite the numbers, the government shows no sign of rethinking plans to remove almost all social distancing restrictions in coming days and weeks, and public opinion appears to support those moves.
It has pushed back a curfew on eateries to 11 p.m., stopped enforcing vaccine passes, and plans to drop a quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas.
A decision on whether to ease further measures, such as a current six-person limit on private gatherings, is expected as early as Friday. South Korea also mandates masks in all public indoor and outdoor spaces.
Though it never adopted a "zero COVID" policy and never imposed wide lockdowns, South Korea once used aggressive tracking, tracing, and quarantines to control new cases. That has been largely ended or scaled back, though it still tests widely.
South Korea has avoided the crisis unfolding in places like Hong Kong, limiting deaths and serious cases largely through widespread vaccination, experts have said.
Nearly 63% of the country's 52 million residents had received booster shots, with 86.6% of the population fully vaccinated, the KDCA said.
A government analysis of some 141,000 Omicron cases reported in the country over the past year showed that there were no deaths among people under 60 who had received a booster shot, Son Young-rae, a health ministry official, said on Wednesday, adding that COVID could be treated like the seasonal flu.
"We see this could be the last major crisis in our COVID responses, and if we overcome this crisis, it would bring us nearer to normal lives," Son told a briefing.
In a survey released on Tuesday by Seoul National University's graduate school of public health, the number of South Koreans who think they are likely to contract the virus was the highest since its surveys began in January 2020, at around 28%, but the number of those who worry about a serious health impact from the infection was the lowest, at about 48%.
"People's awareness about the virus' danger has clearly changed," said professor Yoo Myung-soon who led the study.
"Despite the Omicron variant's much higher infectivity than Delta, its relatively low fatality appears to have alleviated people's concerns." (Reuters)
March
Belgium on verge of delaying 2025 nuclear power exit
Written by Nur Yasmin
Belgium may extend the life of its nuclear sector, deferring an exit planned for 2025 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced a rethink by the governing coalition.
Energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten presented a note to core cabinet members on Wednesday, which broadcaster RTBF said referred to a bill to be approved by the end of March extending the lives of the two newest reactors by up to 10 years.
Van der Straeten, a Green lawmaker, told parliament on Thursday that Belgium had to be open-minded as long as operator Engie could ensure safety, affordability and security of supply if the reactors' lives were prolonged.
"I can confirm we have had contacts and exchanges with Engie about the prolongation of the 2 gigawatts," she said. "There is no mandate for negotiations with Engie today. That is on the table of the government tomorrow."
The minister is expected to set out on Friday a plan to reduce Belgium's reliance on fossil fuels, notably from Russia, with an increase of offshore wind parks, more solar panels and a reduction of gas and oil heating by 2026.
Belgium's nuclear switch-off had initially relied on a shift to natural gas, including a gas-fired plant to be built just north of Brussels, although permission was not certain.
The government at the end of 2021 gave itself until mid-March to see if the permit was granted and, if not, consider other options. read more
The two reactors whose lives could be extended are the 1,038 megawatt number 3 reactor Tihange plant in eastern Belgium and the 1,039 MW number 4 reactor at the Doel plant near Antwerp. The reactors, which came into service in 1985, make up 35% of the country's nuclear energy capacity.
French utility Engie operates Belgium's two nuclear plants. (Reuters)