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January
Taiwan on COVID alert as domestic Omicron cases spike
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan's government ordered a tightening of controls on Saturday after a rare spike in domestic transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, saying it needed to act now to prevent being overwhelmed even though overall numbers remain quite low.
After months of no or few community infections, Taiwan has seen a small rise in local COVID-19 cases since the start of the month, almost all Omicron, mainly linked to workers at the main international airport in the northern city of Taoyuan who were infected by arriving passengers.
The infections have gradually spread although numbers remain comparatively low with a dozen or so new cases a day, but on Friday evening the government announced 60 new cases at a factory near the airport after testing 1,000 workers.
There have been no deaths and most of the cases have had only mild or no symptoms.
Speaking to reporters, officials announced a series of new steps, including a ban on eating and drinking on public transport and limits on the number of people visiting temples, ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday which starts at the end of this month.
Testing will be expanded to reach the largest number of possible contacts, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung.
"Of course we think this pandemic is threatening, so we must raise our vigilance," he said.
In a statement, Premier Su Tseng-chang said even though this outbreak has brought no serious illness, steps needed to be taken now.
"If the pandemic cannot be contained, it will still cause a burden on the medical system," he said.
Taiwan has been highly successful at controlling the pandemic due to early and strict border checks and a well-oiled tracing system.
Current new daily cases are well below the middle of last year when thousands were infected during a three-month domestic outbreak, and life has carried on as normal for most people.
More than 70% of people in Taiwan have received two vaccine doses and booster shots are currently being rolled out, though only around 15% of residents have had their third shot so far. (Reuters)
January
Dredgers spotted off Cambodian base where China is funding work -U.S. think tank
Written by Nur Yasmin
Dredgers have been spotted off Cambodia’s Ream naval base, where China is funding construction work and deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.
The United States, which has sought to push back against Beijing's extensive territorial claims and military expansion in the South China Sea, reiterated its "serious concerns" about China's construction and military presence at Ream.
"These developments threaten U.S. and partner interests, regional security, and Cambodia's sovereignty," a spokesperson for the State Department said.
The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank said the dredgers could be seen in photos released this month by the Cambodian government and in commercial satellite imagery.
"Dredging of deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships at Ream, and was part of a secret agreement between China and Cambodia that U.S. officials reported seeing in 2019," the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS reported.
It cited a 2019 Wall Street Journal report that said the deal granted China military access to the base in return for funding facilities improvements.
Last June, Cambodian media quoted Defense Minister Tea Bahn as saying China would help to modernize and expand Ream, but would not be the only country given access to the facility.
AMTI said a Jan. 16 commercial satellite image showed two dredgers and barges for collecting dredged sand. It said other images showed both dredgers arriving between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15.
They were also visible in a photo posted on Tea Banh’s Facebook page following his Jan. 18 visit to Ream, it said, adding that the work "could mark a significant upgrade in the base’s capabilities."
"The shallow waters around Ream mean it is currently only able to host small patrol vessels. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies."
AMTI said construction work had continued onshore, with land clearing in several locations in the southwest of the base since fall 2021 and said this and the dredging "indicates that the base is being prepared for significant infrastructure upgrades."
The State Department spokesperson said the United States urged Cambodia "to be fully transparent about the intent, nature, and scope of the project at Ream and the role the PRC military is playing in its construction, raising concerns about the intended use of this naval facility."
PRC stands for the People's Republic of China.
Last year, Washington sanctioned two Cambodian officials over alleged corruption at Ream and imposed an arms embargo and export restrictions on Cambodia over what it said was the growing influence of China's military in the country, as well as over human rights and corruption. (Reuters)
January
Bangladesh shuts schools as coronavirus cases surge
Written by Nur Yasmin
Bangladesh on Friday closed all schools and colleges for two weeks to counter an "alarming" rise in COVID-19 infections, just four months after ending a 1-1/2 year school closure imposed due to coronavirus.
The south Asian country reported 11,434 new cases on Friday, the biggest single-day jump since Aug. 9, pushing the positivity rate to 28.5%.
"We are seeing an uptick in infections in schools and colleges. This is really alarming," Health Minister Zahid Maleque told reporters.
He added that public gatherings like political rallies and religious functions involving more than 100 people had been prohibited, although the duration of the ban was not immediately clear.
The healthcare system would be overwhelmed if the situation deteriorates further, Maleque said, adding more than a third of the hospital beds in the capital, Dhaka, have already been occupied by coronavirus patients.
Bangladesh has so far administered at least 151 million doses of vaccine since an inoculation drive began a year ago, with 47% of the population having had two shots.
Booster shots are administered to people over the age of 60 and healthcare and frontline workers.
The authorities have so far inoculated 2.89 million children aged 12-17 years.
Schools in Bangladesh reopened in September after one and half years, one of the world's longest coronavirus shutdowns.
Authorities hope the closure of schools will help break chains of infection amid fears about the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the virus.
It can take days to confirm the strain of a virus through genomic sequencing, and Bangladesh has so far confirmed 62 Omicron cases. Since the pandemic first swept into Bangladesh in March 2020, the country has recorded 1,664,616 cases, including 28,192 deaths. (reuters)
January
New Zealand water ship unloads in Tonga as other aid trickles in
Written by Nur Yasmin
Life-saving water supplies from a New Zealand navy ship were distributed across Tonga's main island on Friday, as other countries battled the logistics of delivering aid to one of the world's remotest communities.
Six days after the South Pacific archipelago was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that deposited a blanket of ash and polluted its water sources, the HMNZS Aotearoa docked in the capital, Nuku’alofa.
The ship carried 250,000 litres of water and desalination equipment able to produce 70,000 litres more per day, New Zealand's High Commission said.
"Trucks ... have begun collecting and delivering water supplies from Aotearoa," the Commission said on its Facebook page.
The first flights from Australia and New Zealand landed on Thursday with some water as well as shelter, communication equipment and generators. read more
On Thursday, an Australian flight was forced to return to base because of a positive COVID-19 case onboard, while on Friday technical problems delayed one of two Japanese C-130 transporters carrying 5,000 litres of drinking water, Japan's Self-Defence Forces said.
Underlining the complexity of mounting a contactless international aid operation to one of the few countries free of COVID-19, the Australian plane was turned around mid-flight after PCR tests showed a positive result, an Australian defence spokeswoman told Reuters.
All crew had earlier returned negative rapid antigen tests, she said. The supplies were moved to another flight that took off on Friday.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption last Saturday triggered a tsunami that destroyed villages and resorts and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people. Three people have been reported killed, authorities said.
The salt water from the tsunami spoiled most sources of water and Tongans have been struggling to find clean water as they clear away the ash.
"We are cleaning the ash and have been since Monday," said Branko Sugar, 61, who runs a bottle shop and fishing charter business from Nuku'alofa.
"Everything is so dusty, and we are running out of water," he said over a patchy telephone line. "We only have the tap water, and it's been contaminated. We... can hardly breathe for all the dust."
URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has said the force of the eruption was estimated to be equivalent to 5-10 megatons of TNT, or more than 500 times that of the nuclear bomb the United States dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of World War Two.
Astronaut Kayla Barron said she could see the volcanic ash in the atmosphere from the International Space Station.
"I opened the window shutter to see if we could see any effects of the eruption, and saw this dramatic, high-altitude plume blocking out the sun," Barron said on Facebook.
NASA released photographs showing a huge grey smudge over the blue Pacific.
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told a briefing Tonga had asked for urgent assistance.
"We remain seriously concerned about access to safe water for 50,000 people ... Water quality testing continues, and most people are relying on bottled water," he said, speaking before the Aotearoa arrived.
Dujarric said there were reports of fuel shortages, while some 60,000 Tongans have been affected by damage to crops, livestock and fisheries due to ashfall, saltwater intrusion and the potential for acid rain.
Many have turned to social media to post images of the destruction by the tsunami and give accounts of their shock after the massive explosion, while tales of incredible escapes from the disaster have also emerged.
Sea-borne assistance was also en route for the archipelago.
Australia's HMAS Adelaide was due in Tonga next week after leaving Brisbane.
Reliance, a repair ship due to reconnect the undersea cable that links Tonga to international telecoms networks, left its Port Moresby mooring and was expected in Tonga on Jan. 30, according to Refinitiv data on shipping movements.
The Reliance's operator, SubCom, did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for confirmation.
Telephone links between Tonga and the outside world were reconnected late on Wednesday, although restoring full internet services is expected to take a month or more.
Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk asked in a post on Twitter if Tongans would like help from his Starlink project, which provides internet connection through satellites. (Reuters)
January
Twitter suspends hundreds of accounts promoting Philippines' Marcos
Written by Nur Yasmin
Twitter (TWTR.N) said on Friday it had suspended hundreds of accounts that were promoting Philippines presidential election candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr, which it said had violated rules on spam and manipulation.
Veteran politician Marcos, 64, the son of the late dictator overthrown in a 1986 "people power" revolution, has emerged as the lead candidate ahead of the May vote.
Twitter said it had used both human review and technology in deciding to suspend more than 300 accounts and hashtags, adding its investigations were ongoing.
"We remain vigilant about identifying and eliminating suspected information campaigns targeting election conversations," a Twitter spokesperson said.
Marcos's chief of staff, Vic Rodriguez, applauded Twitter for its work but stressed there was no certainty all the accounts belonged to supporters of Marcos.
"We commend Twitter for keeping a close watch against platform manipulation, spam and other attempts to undermine the public conversation," he said in a statement.
The Marcos family remains one of the wealthiest and most influential forces in Philippine politics, serving as senators, lower house lawmakers and provincial governors in the past three decades.
Though Marcos Jr, who is better known as "Bongbong", has powerful opponents among the political establishment, he enjoys a sizable following at home and abroad from Filipinos, who are major users of social media.
That usage, according to some experts, has made political discourse in the Philippines susceptible to manipulation via social media.
Twitter on Monday said it would expand a test feature allowing users to flag misleading content to include the Philippines, Brazil and Spain.
News site Rappler this week reported that supporters of Marcos were seeking to dominate Twitter through accounts created over a short period of just a few months. Twitter noted the report and said the majority of the 300 accounts had been taken down earlier as part of routine actions.
Twitter said sharing political content or rallying people to do so via hashtags was within its rules, unless accounts were inauthentic, automated or paid for, but it saw "no clear evidence" of that. (Reuters)
January
European Union re-establishes physical presence in Afghanistan -spokesman
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union said on Friday it was re-establishing a physical presence in Afghanistan for humanitarian purposes, but stressed it was not formally recognising the Taliban-led administration.
It was the first such announcement by a Western power since the 27-nation EU and many governments withdrew staff and diplomats from Afghanistan as Kabul fell to the hardline Islamist Taliban last August.
"The EU has started to re-establish a minimal presence of international EU Delegation staff to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and monitor the humanitarian situation," said European Commission foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano.
A Taliban foreign ministry spokesman had earlier said in a Tweet that its officials had reached an understanding with the EU, which had "officially opened its embassy with a permanent presence in Kabul & practically commenced operations".
The EU spokesperson stopped short of saying the mission had been formally re-opened.
"Our minimal presence in Kabul must not in any way be seen as recognition. This has also been clearly communicated to the de facto authorities," he said.
Also on Friday, the Norwegian foreign ministry said it had invited Taliban representatives to Oslo on Jan. 23 for talks with representatives of the international community and Afghan civil society members. read more
Governments globally have been grappling with how to avoid formally recognising the Taliban, which swept to power on Aug. 15 as foreign forces withdrew, while working to stem a growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Many countries have ramped up humanitarian aid - aimed at urgent needs and largely bypassing government channels - as most development aid to the country has been cut off and strict restrictions placed on the banking sector due to sanctions against members of the militant group.
The EU on Tuesday announced it was launching projects worth 268.3 million euros ($304.06 million), mostly to be channelled through United Nations agencies focused on health, education and displaced people. (Reuters)
January
U.S. safety firm withdraws certification for two oil tankers over Iran sanctions
Written by Nur Yasmin
Two tankers have had their environmental and safety classification withdrawn by a U.S. company that provides such certification, after accusations by a U.S. advocacy group that they had shipped cargoes of Iranian oil, documents seen by Reuters show.
Countries targeted by tougher U.S. sanctions, including Iran and Venezuela, have responded to the mounting pressure with elaborate strategies to circumvent restrictions on their oil exports. read more
Top oil shipping companies say they have in turn responded by tightening guidelines and deploying technology to prevent accidental sanctions breaches, which U.S. officials have said could lead to them being cut out of the dollar financial system and having assets seized.
Several shipping sources involved in legal advisory and insurance services to the industry have told Reuters that inadvertent breaches are also a growing danger for ship certification societies such as American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), which in the past month withdrew cover for the two tankers.
"Classification societies are faced with the challenge of keeping up with Iran's tactics in order to avoid facing sanctions themselves," Claire Jungman, chief of staff at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), said.
Classification societies provide services such as checking that ships are seaworthy.
UANI, the U.S. group, which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic through ship and satellite tracking, alerted ABS in December to what it said were transfers of Iranian oil involving several vessels, including the Panama-flagged Karo and the Belize-flagged Elsa, correspondence between the two groups seen by Reuters shows.
Reuters was not able to find email or telephone numbers for the owners of the two tankers.
Iran views U.S. sanctions as illegal and has said it will make every effort to sidestep them. "There is strong will in Iran to increase oil exports despite the unjust and illegal U.S. sanctions," Iran's oil minister Javad Owji told state TV in September, without elaborating on how Tehran planned to overcome sanctions. read more
Iranian officials, who do not divulge details about their efforts to bypass the sanctions, did not answer a call or respond to an email request for comment from Reuters on Friday, which is the weekend in Iran.
ABS is the only U.S. firm among the top 12 ship classification societies, which are otherwise based in Europe and Asia, are essential to the running of thousands of vessels in the global shipping fleet.
Without their certification, vessels are unable to secure insurance cover or call at most international ports.
The ABS website shows that so-called class cover, which includes vessel safety inspections, for a ship named the Elsa was withdrawn on Dec. 17, with sanctions cited as the reason, while cover for a second ship, the Karo, was withdrawn on Jan. 13, with sanctions also cited as the reason for the move. No further details were given.
An ABS spokesperson said that as a U.S. company it "strictly follows U.S. sanctions law and takes seriously and investigates all claims and information received that might suggest that any vessel in ABS class is trading with a sanctioned country".
"In the event that the information is confirmed, ABS has and will cancel the involved vessel's ABS class, in accordance with our policies and procedures," the spokesperson said, declining to comment on individual cases.
In a Dec. 21 letter to UANI, seen by Reuters, ABS said that after completing an independent investigation it had found "material evidence" that on or about Dec.8 the Elsa had "engaged in illicit transshipment operations with an Iranian tanker" and had as a result cancelled all classification services.
ABS said in another letter on Jan. 14 it had completed a separate independent investigation of the Karo and also cancelled all certification services associated with it.
Hong Kong-based Delta Lines is listed as the owner of the Elsa, which is its only ship, according to the Equasis public database, which aims to provide transparency in shipping by publishing maritime data.
Delta Lines is listed in a corporate registry office in Hong Kong, but staff at the premises could not provide any details about the company when contacted by Reuters on Thursday.
India-based Karo Shipping Services is listed as the owner of the Karo, which is its only ship, data on Equasis showed.
An office listed in shipping databases as the contact address for Karo Shipping Services near the city of Mumbai had closed down when visited by Reuters on Tuesday.
Eikon ship tracking data showed the Elsa's last reported position was off Singapore on Jan. 20, while the Karo's last reported position was off the coast of Taiwan on Jan. 18. (reuters)
January
Security cooperation, China to dominate Biden's talks with Japan's Kishida
Written by Nur Yasmin
The leaders of the United States and Japan will contend with China's growing might, North Korea's missiles and Russia's aims in Ukraine when they hold their first substantial talks since Fumio Kishida became Japanese prime minister in October.
The online meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Kishida, scheduled for Friday Washington time, will build on this month's so-called "two-plus-two" discussions when their defense and foreign ministers pledged to work together against efforts to destabilize the Indo-Pacific region. read more
Alarm over China's growing assertiveness, tensions over Taiwan, and shared concern over Ukraine have raised Japan's global profile on security matters, while North Korea has ramped up tensions with an unusually rapid series of missile tests.
Pyongyang, which fired tactical guided missiles this week in its latest of a series of tests, warned on Thursday it might rethink a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests. read more
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Japanese counterpart Akiba Takeo set the agenda on Thursday when they spoke about their respective approaches to North Korea, China and economic issues in the Indo-Pacific, the White House said.
"Sullivan underscored concern about the possibility of further Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the two concurred on the importance of solidarity in signaling to Moscow the strong, united response that would result from any attack," a White House statement said.
The White House has said the leaders will discuss economic and security matters, emerging technology, cybersecurity, climate change and other bilateral issues.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday the aim was "to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance" and ensure "a free and open Indo-Pacific" - language used to describe U.S. efforts to push back against China.
The talks follow other security-related meetings involving Indo-Pacific leaders - two-plus-two talks between Japan and France on Thursday and between Australian and British foreign and defense ministers on Friday. read more
Japan's defense minister said after the talks with France that the security situation in the Indo-Pacific was unstable and "getting tougher."
Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for Asia under former President Barack Obama and now with Asia Society Policy Institute, a think tank, said the two-plus-two meeting showed Washington and Tokyo were on the same wavelength.
"We should expect their discussion to focus on practical measures to deter and defend against destabilizing behavior, whether from North Korea or in hot spots like the Taiwan Strait and the South and East China Seas," he said.
China has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan, which it claims as its own.
Messaging on China becomes all the more important as Biden and Kishida both face elections this year, for Japan's upper house of parliament in July and U.S. midterm congressional elections in November.
"As the election approaches, I think Kishida will be called upon to show a resolute stance against China, and the United States is in the same position," said Airo Hino of Tokyo's Waseda University.
Both nations are reviewing their security strategy, with details expected to be unveiled later this year. Japan has approved record defense spending for 2022.
Japan will be looking at not just strategy but also its defense programs, including procurement, its Washington ambassador, Koji Tomita, told the Brookings Institution think tank on Tuesday.
"The new review will have a much sharper focus on what's happening in the Asia-Pacific region. And I think the picture we are having in this region is increasingly troubling."
Japan will beef up its defenses of islands near Taiwan, Kishida said this week, following a promise in October to revise security strategy so as to consider "all options, including possession of so-called enemy-strike capabilities." (reuters)
January
Fisherman recalls racing tsunami, raining rocks after Tongan volcano erupted
Written by Nur Yasmin
Branko Sugar and his son were spearfishing on an outer reef in Tonga last Saturday. The air smelt of sulphur, as it had done for weeks, from the nearby active volcano, but he noticed the ash cloud from the crater was much higher.
As the 61-year-old stowed away his spearfishing gear the first of four loud volcanic explosions rocked the tranquil South Pacific sending a giant wave towards his boat.
"We stopped the boat and just looked. Then we saw the wave coming towards us. The biggest wave I've ever seen," Sugar told Reuters via telephone from Tonga on Friday where communications are still only being restored.
Sugar turned his boat, a 400-horsepower 27-foot (8 metre) World Cat catamaran, and accelerated toward deep water near Eueiki Island.
"That's what saved us, the power of the boat," he said.
"I shouldn't be alive."
As he raced for safety, Sugar telephoned his home on Tonga's main island Tongatapu to warn of the approaching tsunami, but nobody answered.
"The wave came past us and hit the main island, and then we knew we'd managed to get away. But then the rocks started raining. It was raining stones," he recalled.
In minutes the Pacific blue sky turned to total darkness, ash enveloped everything and a storm seemed to whip up, lashing the boat with wind and waves. A 12-mile (19-km) trip home took three hours in the darkness before they reached the harbour.
"There were wrecked boats everywhere. Upside-down boats, sunken boats. We didn't know where to go," Sugar said.
"And when we finally stopped, then we couldn't find our cars - they'd all been swept away. It was one thing after another. When we finally found them, I couldn't drive, I was blind from rocks pounding my eyes for hours driving the boat."
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption triggered tsunami that destroyed villages, resorts and many buildings and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people. It also sent shockwaves and tsunami across the Pacific.
Three people have been reported killed, say Tongan authorities.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has said the force of the eruption was estimated to be the equivalent of five to 10 megatons of TNT, or more than 500 times that of the nuclear bomb the United States dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of World War Two. (reuters)
January
Russia to hold major navy drills involving all its fleets
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russia announced on Thursday its navy wouldstage a sweeping set of exercisesinvolving all its fleets this month and next from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the latest show of strength in a surge of military activity during a standoff with the West.
The drills will take place in the seas directly adjacent to Russia and also feature manoeuvres in the Mediterranean, the North Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific, it said.
They will draw on 140 warships and support vessels, 60 planes, 1,000 units of military hardware and around 10,000 servicemen, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Russian military moves are being closely scrutinised as a troop build-up near Ukraine and a volley of hawkish rhetoric have rattled the West and sparked fears of a looming war. Moscow vehemently denies any plan to invade Ukraine.
In a video posted on Facebook, the ministry showed its Pacific Fleet's newest diesel-electric submarine test-firing a Kalibr cruise missile at a land-based target from an underwater position in the Sea of Japan.
The missile struck a coastal target in Russia's far eastern Khabarovsk region from a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles), it said.
Separately, China, Russia and Iran are set to hold joint naval drills on Friday, a public relations official from Iran's armed forces told the semi-official ISNA news agency. (reuters)