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November
Japan has zero daily COVID-19 deaths for first time in 15 months - media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan recorded no daily deaths from COVID-19 for the first time in more than a year on Sunday, local media said.
Prior to Sunday, there had not been a day without a COVID-19 death since Aug. 2, 2020, according to a tally by national broadcaster NHK.
COVID-19 cases and deaths have fallen dramatically throughout Japan as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population.
New daily infections peaked at more than 25,000 during an August wave driven by the infectious Delta variant. The country has had more than 18,000 deaths from the disease during the course of the pandemic.
To gird against a possible rebound this winter, the government plans to start booster vaccine shots next month and is working to secure pill-based treatments for milder cases to reduce hospitalisations.
Shigeru Omi, the nation's top health adviser, on Monday sketched out a new scale for measuring the seriousness of coronavirus infections and a tool for predicting the hospital beds that may be needed in a new wave.
"We've learned over the past two years that we need to take strong, fast and intensive measures," Omi told reporters. (Reuters)
November
WHO, UNICEF launch Afghan polio vaccine campaign with Taliban backing
Written by Nur Yasmin
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations children's agency kicked off a polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan on Monday, the first nationwide campaign to fight the disease in three years.
Naikwali Shah Momim, the National Emergency Operations Coordinator for the polio programme at Afghanistan's health ministry, told Reuters the campaign had started in various parts of the country on Monday, but added there were several hurdles around a shortage of trained staff.
The campaign, which is aimed at reaching over 3 million children, had received Taliban backing, which would allow teams to reach children in previously inaccessible parts of the country, the WHO said.
"The urgency with which the Taliban leadership wants the polio campaign to proceed demonstrates a joint commitment to maintain the health system and restart essential immunizations to avert further outbreaks of preventable diseases," said Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in a statement.
However, Momim said that more training was needed for teams in remote areas, so the programme would initially start in places such as Kabul.
Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan are the last countries in the world with endemic polio, an incurable and highly infectious disease transmitted through sewage that can cause crippling paralysis in young children.
Polio has been virtually eliminated globally through a decades-long inoculation drive. But insecurity, inaccessible terrain, mass displacement and suspicion of outside interference have hampered mass vaccination in Afghanistan and some areas of Pakistan.
Several polio workers have been killed by gunmen in eastern Afghanistan this year, though it was not clear who was behind the attacks.
According to WHO figures compiled before the collapse of the Western-backed government in August, there was one reported case of the one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Afghanistan in 2021, compared with 56 in 2020.
Until the disease is eliminated completely, it remains a threat to human health in all countries, especially those with vulnerable health systems because of the risk of importing the disease, according to health experts. (Reuters)
November
Japan panel urges govt to launch $88 bln university fund
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japanese premier Fumio Kishida's new advisory panel called for an $88 billion university fund on Monday and another one aimed at backing research and development on digital and green innovation as pillars of the country's new growth strategy.
Some of the growth initiatives, like the university fund, will likely be featured in the planned stimulus package worth several tens of trillion yen that Kishida has pledged to compile around the middle of this month, government officials said.
The panel's growth strategy, which was presented at its meeting on Monday, made no mention of the size or details of the stimulus and extra budget to fund it.
The strategy will serve as a key roadmap for Kishida as he pursues an economic policy mix of pro-growth policies of former premier Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" stimulus steps and efforts to more directly shift wealth from companies to households.
"To create the world's highest standard research university, we should establish a 10-trillion-yen university fund by the fiscal year end," the panel said in its recommendations.
"We need to make bold investment in R&D in areas such as digital, green, AI, quantum ... as a step towards an advanced science technology nation."
For re-distributing wealth, the panel urged revamping the tax system in a way that will make it favourable for companies, which raise pay for employees, through greater tax credit and other measures.
The proposals come as Kishida's government is considering an economic stimulus package worth more than 30 trillion yen ($265 billion) to ease the pain from the COVID-19 pandemic, which would need selling new bonds, Kyodo news reported. read more
Kishida has also pledged to put economic security among his policy priorities, including boosting domestic output of semiconductors.
To this end, the panel called for the creation of a strong supply chain and construction of domestic chip factories with state support over the coming years.
The government is likely to subsidise up to half of Taiwan's TSMC's (2330.TW) estimated 1-trillion-yen ($8.82 billion) investment for building a chip plant in Kumamoto, southern Japan, the Nikkei has reported. (Reuters)
November
Tuvalu minister stands in sea to film COP26 speech to show climate change
Written by Nur Yasmin
Tuvalu's foreign minister has given a speech to the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow standing knee-deep in seawater to show how his low-lying Pacific island nation is on the front line of climate change.
Images of Simon Kofe standing in a suit and tie at a lectern set up in the sea, with his trouser legs rolled up, have been shared widely on social media, drawing attention to Tuvalu's struggle against rising sea levels.
"The statement juxtaposes the COP26 setting with the real-life situations faced in Tuvalu due to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise and highlights the bold action Tuvalu is taking to address the very pressing issues of human mobility under climate change," Kofe said of his video message to the conference.
The video was shot by public broadcaster TVBC at the far end of Fongafale, the main islet of the capital Funafuti, a government official said.
It is due to be shown at the climate summit on Tuesday and comes as regional leaders push for more aggressive action to limit the impact of climate change.
Many big polluters have vowed to intensify their carbon cuts over coming decades with some aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
But Pacific Island leaders have demanded immediate action, pointing out that the very survival of their low-lying countries is at stake. (Reuters)
November
Japan PM Kishida to appoint ex-defence chief human rights aide
Written by Nur Yasmin
A Japanese former defence minister who is in favour of introducing a law to punish foreign violators of human rights is to be appointed the prime minister's aide on rights, a cabinet official said on Monday.
New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said Japan should stand firm for democracy in the Chinese-ruled city of Hong Kong and that he supported a parliamentary resolution condemning China's treatment of members of its Uyghur Muslim minority.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki, asked about a meeting earlier in the day between Kishida and a former defence minister amid speculation he would become the prime minister's aide on rights, said arrangements were being made to appoint Gen Nakatani to the post on Wednesday.
Nakatani, 64, wants to introduce a Japanese version of the U.S. Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law that allows punishment of foreign human rights violators with U.S. asset freezes and bans on travel to the United States.
"As lawmaker, I've been tackling a fair amount of human rights issues. I'd like to try and make appropriate advice based on my knowledge and experience," Nakatani told reporters following his meeting with Kishida.
Close U.S. ally Japan has been taking a more assertive stand on China in recent months as relations between China and the United States have become strained over various disagreements.
Chinese authorities have been accused of facilitating forced labour by detaining about a million Uyghurs and other primarily Muslim minorities in camps since 2016. China denies wrongdoing, saying it has set up vocational training centres to combat Islamist militancy.
Nakatani's appointment is set for Wednesday, when parliament will hold a special session to re-elect Kishida as prime minister following an Oct. 31 election victory by his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. (Reuters)
November
Japan cuts economic view after key indicator falls to lowest in a year
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan cut its view on economic conditions for the first time in more than two years after the coincident indicator index extended its decline in September, falling to the lowest in a year.
The index showing current economic conditions, compiled from data including factory output, employment and retail sales, slipped a preliminary 3.8 points from the previous month to 87.5, the Cabinet Office said, marking the third consecutive month of decline. The fall was biggest since May 2020.
The government on Monday lowered its assessment of the index to "weakening" from "improving" in its first downgrade since August 2019.
The world's third-largest economy was forecast to have shrunk an annualised 0.8% in the July-September quarter, largely because of slumping consumption, a Reuters poll of economists showed on Friday. read more
It would highlight Japan's stop-and-go recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic, after annualised 3.9% contraction and 1.9% growth in the first and second quarter, respectively.
Analysts expect growth will pick up in October-December period thanks to robust private spending with the easing of COVID-19 curbs, but external concerns ranging from global supply chain disruptions to China's economic slowdown loom.
On the September coincident indicator index, stagnant shipments of cars and its components as well as slowing exports and factory output - dragged down by the auto industry - contributed to its extended fall, a government official told a news conference on Monday.
"Automakers appear to bottom out their production cuts by November and increase output toward the end of this fiscal year (in March), but downside risks from supply chain will continue to require attention for a while," the official said.
The index of leading economic indicators, used to predict the direction of the economy a few months ahead, decreased 1.6 points in September to 99.7, a seven-month low, the government also said. (Reuters)
November
Taliban appoint members as 44 governors, police chiefs around Afghanistan
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Taliban appointed 44 of its members to key roles including provincial governors and police chiefs on Sunday, a key step in shoring up its governance as the country grapples with growing security and economic problems.
It is first large-scale round of appointments announced since the cabinet was formed in September.
The Taliban released the list of its members' new roles, including Qari Baryal to serve as governor of Kabul and Wali Jan Hamza as the city's police chief.
The previous commander in charge of Kabul's security, Mawlawi Hamdullah Mukhlis, was killed this month in an attack on Afghanistan's largest military hospital in downtown Kabul.
The Taliban took over the country on Aug. 15 but have faced an uphill battle in their promise to restore order and security after decades of war. Islamic State have carried out a spate of attacks around the country, while the economy has been plunged into crisis.
There have been international calls for the group to negotiate with other political players to form an inclusive government including minorities and women, although substantive progress on that has so far not materialised. (Reuters)
November
Sudanese talks make progress, source says, as international pressure grows
Written by Nur Yasmin
Talks between Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the leaders of an Oct. 25 military coup are making progress, a source close to Hamdok said on Thursday as the United States and United Nations pressed for a solution.
A second source said Sudan could set up a new 14-member sovereign council soon in a first step by the military towards forming new transitional institutions.
In the latest sign of increasing international pressure, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Thursday and urged him to restore constitutional order and the transitional process.
In a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, Burhan agreed on the need to accelerate the formation of a government, Burhan's office said.
"The two parties agreed on the need to maintain the path of the democratic transition, the need to complete the structures of the transitional government and to speed up the formation of the government," his office said.
The U.S. State Department said Blinken in the call urged Burhan to immediately release all political figures detained since the coup and "return to a dialogue that returns Prime Minister Hamdok to office and restores civilian-led governance in Sudan."
The United Nations has been trying to mediate an end to the political crisis that followed the coup in which top civilian politicians were detained and Hamdok was placed under house arrest.
The U.N. special envoy for Sudan, special representative Volker Perthes, said talks had yielded the outline of a potential deal on a return to power-sharing, including the ousted premier's reinstatement.
But he urged an agreement in "days not weeks" before both sides' positions harden. read more
Hamdok has demanded the release of all detainees and the reversal of the coup as conditions for any further negotiations with the military.
The country's highest authority, the joint civilian-military Sovereign Council, had been dissolved by Burhan along with the civilian-led cabinet.
Burhan, who says he is committed to a transition to democracy and elections, said after the coup that a new Sovereign Council and cabinet would be appointed.
Late on Thursday, state TV said Burhan had ordered the release of four civilian members of Hamdok's cabinet who had been detained.
The four ministers were Hamza Baloul, Ali Jiddo, Hashim Hasabalrasoul and Yousef Adam, it added. Other ministers and officials not released were facing criminal cases, said the person close to the negotiations.
Several of the officials still detained had engaged in a war of words with the military in the weeks leading up to the coup.
Neighbourhood resistance committees, which have led protests since the coup and held demonstrations on Thursday, reject negotiations and have demanded that the military exit politics.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, which led the 2019 protests that brought down Omar al-Bashir, called late on Thursday for two days of general strikes on Sunday and Monday in protest against military rule. (Reuters)
November
Young activists to take spotlight for a day at UN climate talks
Written by Nur Yasmin
Activists will take over the UN climate summit in Scotland on Friday, capping off a week of dizzying government speeches and pledges with a student march, youth-led presentations, and a giant iceberg shipped from Greenland to Glasgow's River Clyde to dramatize the plight of the Arctic.
UK organizers decided to hand the day over to civic groups in an acknowledgement of how young campaigners like Vanessa Nakate of Uganda and Greta Thunberg of Sweden have raised public understanding of climate change, and a nod to their stance that today's youth must live with consequences of state decisions.
"We're expecting lots of people to come and join us in the streets and not only youth but also adults supporting youth, and adults that want climate action,” said Isabelle Axelsson, 20, an activist with Thunberg’s climate movement Fridays For Future, which is organizing the march.
The COP26 talks in Glasgow aimed to secure enough national promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions - mainly from fossil fuels - to keep the rise in the average global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Crossing that threshold could trigger a cascading climate crisis, scientists say.
The COP26 summit has so far yielded deals to phase out coal, reduce deforestation and curb methane, but a clear picture has yet to emerge on what these voluntary initiatives would add up to in terms of moderating temperature rises.
The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said on Thursday that emissions cut pledges made so far – if all implemented – could potentially hold warming to 1.8 C. But some U.N. negotiators said that assessment was too rosy. read more
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and UK COP26 President Alok Sharma will sit down Friday with civil society leaders to discuss the progress made so far and what remains to be done over the next week of negotiations.
Professor Gail Whiteman, founder of the climate activist group Arctic Basecamp, said she hoped to bring a sense of urgency to discussions on Friday by using an iceberg as a giant prop.
She said her group had the iceberg shipped from Greenland via Iceland to the east coast of England, and then onward on a truck to the River Clyde.
“Studies are showing that if we lose the snow and ice in the Arctic we will amplify global warming by 25 to 40%,” she said. “We felt that negotiators here had to actually come face to face with the Arctic, so we brought the iceberg." (Reuters)
November
S.Korea's ex-top prosecutor to challenge Moon's party in 2022 presidential election
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's main opposition party on Friday chose a former top prosecutor as its presidential candidate, hoping to ride voter anger over rising home prices and corruption scandals involving President Moon Jae-in's party to victory in a 2022 election.
Yoon Seok-youl, who served as prosecutor-general until March after being appointed by Moon in 2019, was picked at a party convention to represent the People Power Party in the March 9, 2022 presidential election.
The conservative opposition is looking to regroup after breaking up in disarray in the wake of the 2017 impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye and capitalise on public discontent with Moon's policy failures and scandals.
Yoon, 60, will compete against Lee Jae-myung, 56, the nominee of Moon's progressive ruling Democratic Party and a former governor of the country's most populous province of Gyeonggi. Moon cannot run for re-election under the constitution.
"I feel solemn responsibility and a heavy sense of mission about changing the government, rather than joy," Yoon said in his acceptance speech, vowing to promote conservative unity and broaden his support base.
Yoon secured 47.85% of the votes of party members and the public in a three-round primary, winning a tight race with Hong Joon-pyo, a five-term lawmaker and 2017 presidential candidate who finished with 41.50% of votes.
Yoon had the backing of party insiders despite being a political novice. He had topped polls even before launching his presidential bid in late June, thanks in part to his image as a staunch prosecutor and high-profile investigations into corruption scandals involving Park and Moon aides.
As prosecutor-general, Yoon took flak from Moon's followers for indicting Cho Kuk, a key presidential aide and former justice minister, on several charges including bribery and document fraud. But that move fuelled public support for Yoon, prompting People Power to court him.
BOOSTING SUPPORT, POLICY
But Yoon's popularity has sagged in recent months as he showed a lack of policy understanding and political experience, and became embroiled in scandals of his own - including murky ties to an anal acupuncturist and corruption allegations involving his family.
The presidential race will be a tough fight.
A Gallup poll released on Friday showed that People Power's ratings hit the highest level since 2016, and 57% of the respondents said an opposition candidate should win, seeing the election as a chance to deliver judgment against Moon.
But on the question of who would make the best president, Lee led the pack with 26%, followed by Yoon with 24% and Hong with 15%.
Lee had been a party outsider often critical of Moon, which was once deemed a liability in the face of establishment Democrats. But as Moon's popularity plunged, that image gave a boost to Lee, alongside his aggressive COVID-19 pandemic response and populist economic agenda including a push for universal basic income.
Yoon has vowed to retake power by widening party support groups beyond old conservatives and Christians, and courting younger, centrist voters who have emerged as a key bloc. (Reuters)