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January
Afghan acting PM calls for official recognition of Taliban administration
Written by Nur Yasmin
Afghanistan's acting prime minister, Mullah Hasan Akhund, on Wednesday called for international governments to officially recognise the country's Taliban administration, saying at a news conference in Kabul that all conditions had been met.
"I ask all governments, especially Islamic countries, that they should start recognition," Akhund said, in his first major public broadcast appearance since he assumed the role in September.
Foreign powers have been reluctant to recognise the Taliban administration which took over Afghanistan in August while Western nations led by the United States have frozen billions of dollars worth of Afghan banking assets and cut off development funding that once formed the backbone of Afghanistan's economy.
Akhund and other Taliban administration officials made an appeal at the news conference, also attended by United Nations officials, for a loosening of restrictions on money into the country, blaming its growing economic crisis on the freezing of funds.
"Short-term aid is not the solution; we must try to find a way to solve problems fundamentally," he said.
The international community has ramped up humanitarian aid, designed to address urgent needs and largely bypass official channels. But as the country faces a cash crunch and a deteriorating economy over the harsh winter, millions of people have plunged into poverty.
The UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons also spoke at the event, saying Afghanistan's economic crisis was a serious problem that needed to be addressed by all countries.
"The United Nations is working to revitalise Afghanistan's economy and fundamentally address Afghanistan's economic problems," she said.
Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the Taliban administration was seeking economic relations with the international community.
"Humanitarian aid is the short-term solution to economic problems; but what is needed to solve problems in the long run is the implementation of infrastructure projects," he said. (Reuters)
January
Cambodia resumes treason trial of opposition leader Kem Sokha
Written by Nur Yasmin
Cambodia resumed on Wednesday the treason trial of banned opposition party leader Kem Sokha after a two-year delay due to the pandemic, in a case condemned by the United States as politically motivated.
Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and his opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was banned ahead of a 2018 election that was swept by the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
CNRP has since been decimated, with many of its members arrested or fleeing into exile in what activists say is a sweeping crackdown designed to thwart challenges to CPP's power monopoly.
"I hope...the court will decide to drop the charges against me so that we can reach national reconciliation and national unity to develop our country," Kem Sokha told reporters from his home before arriving at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.
Kem Sokha was freed from house arrest in 2019 but remains banned from political activities.
His daughter Monovithya Kem on Tuesday had also urged the court to drop the charges, adding that her father was in "strong spirits."
The treason charges stem from accusations he was conspiring with the United States to overthrow self-styled strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades.
Kem Sokha denies the charges and the United States has dismissed the allegations as "fabricated conspiracy theories".
The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh urged authorities to stop "politically motivated trials", including that of Kem Sokha and other members of the political opposition, journalists, and labour and environmental activists.
"Promoting democracy and respect for human rights is central to U.S. foreign policy in Cambodia and around the world," embassy spokesperson Chad Roedemeier said.
Cambodia's justice ministry has said the trials were not politically motivated and urged the U.S. embassy to provide evidence to support its claim and not to interfere.
"This allegation is legally baseless," the ministry's spokesman Chin Malin said. (Reuters)
January
Vietnam detects first Omicron cases in the community -state media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Vietnam has recorded its first cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the community, state media reported on Wednesday, as health authorities urged people to increase their vigilancedue to the threat from the variant.
The three positive cases were detected over the weekend in Ho Chi Minh City and confirmed as Omicron late on Tuesday, the Tien Phong Newspaper reported, citing health authorities.
The Southeast Asian country had previously detected more than 70 cases of the highly transmissible variant among quarantined people entering Vietnam from overseas.
"The community needs to raise their vigilance against Omicron, not gathering at crowded places and getting fully vaccinated," the Ministry of Health said in a statement last week.
Overall, Vietnam has recorded more than two million COVID-19 infections and nearly 36,000 deaths.
More than 74% of the country's population of 98 million have received at least two vaccine shots, according to the health ministry.
Vietnam has also launched a booster vaccination drive, with authorities pledging that all adults should get the additional vaccine shot by the end of March. (Reuters)
January
N.Korea tested tactical guided missiles in fresh sign of evolving arsenal
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korea fired tactical guided missiles on Monday, state media KCNA said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of recent tests that highlighted its evolving missile programmes amid stalled denuclearisation talks.
The missile test was the North's fourth in 2022, with two previous launches involving "hypersonic missiles" capable of high speed and manoeuvring after lift-off, and another test on Friday using a pair of SRBMs fired from train cars.
The U.N. Security Council is likely to meet behind closed-doors on Thursday on the continued missile launches, diplomats said. The United States, Britain, France, Ireland and Albania made the request on Tuesday for a Council discussion.
South Korea's military said on Monday that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from an airport in its capital, Pyongyang, which flew about 380 km (236 miles) to a maximum altitude of 42,000 meters (137,800 feet).
The Academy of Defence Science conducted a test of tactical guided missiles from the country's west, and they "precisely hit an island target" off the east coast, the official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday, without elaborating.
"The test-fire was aimed to selectively evaluate tactical guided missiles being produced and deployed and to verify the accuracy of the weapon system," KCNA said.
It "confirmed the accuracy, security and efficiency of the operation of the weapon system under production."
The unusually rapid sequence of launches has drawn U.S. condemnation and a push for new U.N. sanctions while Pyongyang warns of stronger actions, raising the spectre of a return to the period of "fire and fury" threats in 2017. read more
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim urged Pyongyang to "cease its unlawful and destabilising activities" and reopen dialogue, saying he was open to meeting "without preconditions," the State Department said after a call with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.
South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday that it takes all North Korean missile launches as a "direct and serious threat," but its military is capable of detecting and intercepting them.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric also called the North's tests "increasingly concerning" during a briefing, calling for all parties to return to talks to defuse tension and promote a "very verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."
'SHOW OF FORCE'
North Korea used Pyongyang's Sunan airport to test-fire the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) in 2017, with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance.
North Korea has not tested its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or nuclear weapons since 2017, as a flurry of diplomacy with Washington unfolded from 2018. But it began testing a range of new SRBM designs after denuclearisation talks stalled and slipped back into a standoff following a failed summit in 2019.
Kim did not attend the latest test.
A photo released by KCNA showed a missile rising into the sky above a cloud of dust, belching flame.
Kim Dong-yup, a former South Korea Navy officer who teaches at Seoul's Kyungnam University, said North Korea appears to have fired KN-24 SRBMs, which were last tested in March 2020 and flew 410 km (255 miles) to a maximum altitude of 50,000 meters (164,042 feet).
The KN-24 resembles the U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and is designed to evade missile defences and carry out precision strikes, he said.
"The North seems to have already deployed and begun mass production of the KN-24," Kim said, referring to the KCNA report.
"But essentially, the test could be another show of force to underline their recent warning of action." (Reuters)
January
Tonga likely to spend a month without internet cable
Written by Nur Yasmin
The undersea telecommunications cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world that was damaged by a volcano eruption will take at least a month to fix, its owner said on Wednesday, with the delay likely hampering disaster recovery efforts.
The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which has killed at least three people and sent tsunami waves across the Pacific, knocked out connectivity to the archipelago on Saturday. read more
A specialist ship is aiming to embark from Port Moresby on a repair voyage over the weekend, said Samiuela Fonua, chairman of cable owner Tonga Cable Ltd.
But with eight or nine days sailing to collect equipment in Samoa and then an uncertain journey toward the fault in the eruption area he said it will be "lucky" if the job is done within a month.
"It could be longer than that," he added on the telephone from Auckland where he has been co-ordinating the repair.
"The cables are actually around the volcanic zone. We don't know ... whether they are intact or blown away or stuck somewhere underwater. We don't know if it's buried even deeper."
In the meantime, Tongans abroad are praying as they wait for news of their friends and relatives. read more
Telecom operator Digicel said its domestic network was active on Tonga's most populous island and it was now focused on restoring international connections. Tonga's government and state-owned Tonga Communications Corp. could not be contacted.
PAY LATER
The virtual communications blackout has made relief efforts, already challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, even more difficult. It also underscores the vulnerability of the subsea fibre-optic cables that have become the backbone of global telecoms.
The $34 million Asian Development Bank and World Bank-funded cable was finished in 2018 and boosted Tonga's net speeds more than 30-fold, but is almost its sole link to the wider world.
Attempts to replicate an emergency satellite connection that was set up when the same cable was severed three years ago had stalled amidst a contract dispute between the government and Singapore-based satellite operator Kacific.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that Tonga is negotiating with Kacific, which has a satellite above the archipelago, to access a satellite internet connection.
Tonga Cable will be expected to pay U.S. maintenance company SubCom for the repairs. Chairman Fonua declined to provide an estimate but said the bill would probably come in below $1 million. "We will settle the cost later," he said.
"There are some other cable companies as well that are willing to provide spare cables," he added, without elaborating.
Tonga will be able to access a $10 million Asian Development Bank relief facility upon request, the director general of the ADB's Pacific department, Emma Veve, told Reuters on Wednesday. (Reuters)
January
Japan widens COVID-19 curbs as Omicron drives record infections
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan on Wednesday widened COVID-19 curbs to the capital Tokyo and a dozen regions covering half the population as the Omicron variant of coronavirus drove record new infections.
Already in effect in three regions, the measures, set to run from Friday until Feb. 13, were made official by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after getting the sign-off from an expert panel earlier in the day.
"We are battling against an unknown virus, and I hope that we can overcome this situation with sufficient preparation and without excessive fear," Kishida said.
The quasi-emergency measures, as they are called, permit governors to limit mobility and business activities, by shortening the operating hours of bars and restaurants, and barring sales of alcohol.
"While the measures won't be as effective as when numbers were smaller, I think they still can mitigate things," said Gautam Deshpande, a doctor at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo.
"The horse is only half out of the barn at the moment."
Japan added more than 32,000 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, a tally by national broadcaster NHK showed, exceeding an August high soon after Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics.
Tokyo set a daily record on Wednesday with 7,377 new infections, as did the western prefecture of Osaka, with 6,101.
The country has recorded a total 1,924,937 cases and 18,436 deaths from the pandemic.
Although Omicron is more infectious than previous variants it appears to cause less serious illness, but public health experts still worry that a wave of such cases could overwhelm the healthcare system.
Japan has declared states of emergency four times during the pandemic, and vaccinated about 80% of its population of 126 million, although its booster dose programme has reached just 1.2%.
Authorities have "dragged their feet with boosters," Deshpande added.
Japan rolled out quasi-emergency curbs this month in three regions hosting U.S. military facilities, after it appeared that base outbreaks of Omicron spilled into surrounding communities. read more
Tokyo's occupancy rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, a figure closely monitored by authorities, rose to 25.9% on Wednesday. An increase to 50% would warrant escalation to a full state of emergency, officials have said.
In a sign that the pandemic is weighing on the economy, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it cancelled a factory line shift in Toyota City after eight workers there tested positive.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation said last year's 245,900 overseas visitors were the fewest on record, going back to 1964. (Reuters)
January
Crypto ATMs offline as Singapore seeks to curb 'on impulse' trading
Written by Nur Yasmin
Cryptocurrency automatic teller machines (ATMs), which provide a convenient platform for trading in digital tokens, are being taken offline in Singapore, as its central bank limits consumer advertising of crypto.
Crytocurrency ATMs enable users to trade digital payment tokens (DPT) like Bitcoin and Ether with fiat money, or government-issued currency.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) in new guidelines announced on Monday, said such convenient access may mislead the public to trade "on impulse".
Daenerys & Co, the biggest crypto ATM operator in the city-state in terms of its footprint, has shut down all of its crypto ATMs to comply with the guidelines, which it said came as a surprise.
"To comply with the sudden announcement, we have ceased to offer buy or sell services via our five ATMs while seeking further clarification from the MAS," Daenerys said in response to Reuters queries.
Another crypto ATM operator, Deodi Pte, on its website said it had also shut down its sole ATM in compliance with the guidelines.
Both Daenerys and Deodi are among the more than 100 firms that have applied to the MAS for a license to offer DPT services. (Reuters)
January
Taiwan to shore up Honduras ties, VP to attend inauguration
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan Vice President William Lai will attend the inauguration of new Honduran president Xiomara Castro, Taiwan's presidential office said on Wednesday, seeking to shore up ties as China ramps up diplomatic pressure against the island.
Taiwan's government has said it would work with Castro to deepen relations on the basis of their longstanding friendship with the country, although Castro has floated the idea of ditching Taipei for Beijing.
Castro is the first female leader of the Central American country, one of only 14 nations with formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
China views democratically ruled Taiwan as one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state, a view Taiwan's government strongly disputes.
Presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang said President Tsai Ing-wen hoped the delegation could help boost relations with Honduras and show the world Taiwan's determination to participate on the world stage.
"Taiwan must also demonstrate to the international community that democratic Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner," he said.
Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's high-profile de facto ambassador in Washington, will be part of the delegation for the Jan. 27 inauguration, Chang added.
Visits by senior Taiwanese leaders to allies in Latin America and the Caribbean are generally accompanied by layovers in the United States, where they often meet U.S. officials, to the anger of China.
Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Yui said there would be one-day transit stops in the United States, but declined to provide details, saying discussions were ongoing.
Asked whether Lai would meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also going for the inauguration, Yui said there would "definitely be an opportunity" to interact with other official delegations.
The United States has been eager for Honduras to retain relations with Taiwan, as it frets about growing Chinese influence in its backyard.
China has been stepping up pressure to win over Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies, last month re-establishing ties with Nicaragua, and has openly said it is gunning to bring down the number to zero. (Reuters)
January
Japan PM plans stronger COVID curbs for Tokyo, 12 other regions
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday he planned to impose a state of quasi-emergency, meaning stronger COVID-19 curbs on dining and gatherings, on 13 regions including Tokyo from Jan. 21 to Feb. 13.
He said the government had halted a programme where those vaccinated or with negative test results would be exempted from coronavirus restrictions as virus cases jumped. (Reuters)
January
Sri Lanka looking to attract forex through new policies
Written by Nur Yasmin
Sri Lanka will introduce new laws to attract investments over the next three years while policies to develop exports, tourism and remittances will be fast-tracked in a bid to rebuild foreign exchange reserves, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Tuesday.
In a speech to parliament, Rajapaksa also said a debilitating shortage of forex was inevitable in the South Asian island nation unless expenditure was managed well.
"If we fail to control our spending, there will be a foreign exchange problem in the near future," Rajapaksa added.
"There should be major development in the areas of foreign currency to develop exports, tourism, remittances, and information and communication technology."
Sri Lanka is up to its neck in debt and though the central bank has said the government has paid a $500 million bond that matured this week, more payments are coming due.
In the rest of 2022, Sri Lanka needs to repay debt worth $4 billion, with the next tranche of a $1 billion international sovereign bond maturing in July. Official reserves stood at a meagre $3.1 billion at the end of December.
Reserves were topped up last week via a $400 million swap with neighbouring India, and Sri Lanka is negotiating a further $2.5 billion through credit lines from India and Qatar.
However, rating agencies have downgraded Sri Lanka multiple times in recent months over concerns of potential debt default. The government has said it is committed to meeting all debt repayments but has ruled out seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"Sri Lanka's forex challenge is a symptom of larger structural issues in its economy so focusing only on improving inflows will not be enough," said Dhananath Fernando, an economic analyst at Colombo-based think tank Advocata.
"The government must commit to larger reforms on state enterprises, tax reforms and market-led adjustments to the rupee to resolve its financial crisis, or we will be constantly fire-fighting."
RENEWABLES FOCUS
Gotabaya also said renewables will be increased in Sri Lanka's energy mix over the next two years while outlining plans to complete 7,000 small solar power plants and addition of 150 MW from hydropower.
"The main problem facing industries in Sri Lanka is high energy costs. Our target is to generate 70% of the country's energy needs through renewable energy sources by 2030."
"Our goal is to achieve a carbon neutral target by 2050. We will not approve the construction of coal power plants in the future for any reason." (Reuters)