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September
Nintendo says 'Donkey Kong' area to open in Universal Studios Japan in 2024
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) said on Tuesday that a "Donkey Kong" themed expansion to its "Super Nintendo World" in the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka will open in 2024.
A "Super Mario" themed area opened at the park this year in a major expansion of Nintendo's efforts to diversify its business beyond consoles. The opening was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the newly announced expansion, "guests will be able to take a walk on the wild side through the lush jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live," said the Kyoto-based games maker in a statement.
The area, based on one of Nintendo's most enduring franchises, will include a roller coaster and interactive experiences and increase the size of its themed area by 70%. (Reuters)
September
Activists urge UN to investigate alleged Taliban crimes
Written by Nur Yasmin
The ousted Afghan government and activist groups called on the main U.N. human rights body on Monday to investigate reports of targeted killings and restrictions on women and free speech by the ruling Taliban.
The appeals, which came as the European Union (EU) prepares to submit a draft resolution on Afghanistan, was backed by the head of the country's independent commission on human rights, who said that many of its own activities have been suspended.
The U.N. Human Rights Council held an emergency session last month after the Taliban takeover, but activists said that the Pakistan-led resolution that was adopted was too weak. That text asked U.N. rights boss Michelle Bachelet to report back, giving her few resources or power.
Bachelet told the forum on Sept. 13 that Taliban had broken promises by ordering women to stay at home and by carrying out house-to-house searches for former foes.
An EU draft resolution circulated at this session, seen by Reuters, condemns executions and violence against protesters and media. If adopted, it would appoint a special rapporteur, but not a full-fledged inquiry.
"We urge Council members, in line with the Council's mandate, to adopt a resolution in this current session establishing a dedicated and effective mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Afghanistan, a must for accountability and prevention," Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan's ambassador, still in function, told the Geneva forum.
Activists said that a special rapporteur - independent experts who usually have full-time jobs - would fall short.
"A mere special rapporteur with some assistance from (the UN rights office) is not enough," Ken Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told a panel event. "Given the complexity of the country, an investigative mechanism needs a full team, with dedicated resources and a clear mandate."
Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International who is a former U.N. investigator on unlawful killings, said that human rights monitoring was "extraordinarily important" now.
"The preservation of evidence is also critical to send a clear message to the Taliban that international crimes do not go unnoticed or unpunished," she said.
Shaharzad Akbar, chair of the Afghanistan independent human rights commission who has fled the country, said the Taliban has carried out targeting killings mainly against former national security forces and some ordinary citizens.
"They are creating an environment of fear for everyone, including for human rights defenders, women's rights activists and journalists that are still in the country, most of them in hiding," she told the panel.
"We have reports of extrajudicial killings of detainees," she said.
Taliban authorities in the western Afghan city of Herat killed four alleged kidnappers and hung their bodies up in public to deter others, a local government official said on Saturday. (Reuters)
September
Taiwan says needs long-range weapons to deter China
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan needs to have long-range, accurate weapons in order to properly deter a China that is rapidly developing its systems to attack the island, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Monday.
Taiwan this month proposed extra defence spending of almost $9 billion over the next five years, including on new missiles, as it warned of an urgent need to upgrade weapons in the face of a "severe threat" from giant neighbour China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. read more
Speaking in parliament, Chiu said Taiwan needed to be able to let China know they could defend themselves.
"The development of equipment must be long range, precise, and mobile, so that the enemy can sense that we are prepared as soon as they dispatch their troops," he added, referring to Taiwan's missile capability.
In a written report to parliament to accompany Chiu's appearance, the ministry said both medium- and long-range missiles were being used in intercept drills at a key test facility on Taiwan's southeastern coast.
Chiu declined to give details to reporters of how far Taiwan's missiles could reach, something the government has always keep well under wraps.
Taiwan offered an unusually stark assessment of China's abilities in its annual report on China's military, saying they could "paralyse" Taiwan's defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments. read more
Chiu said it was important that Taiwan's people were aware of the danger facing them.
Asked what China would attack first in the event of a war, Chiu answered that it would be Taiwan's command and communications abilities.
"On this the Chinese Communists' abilities have rapidly increased. They can disrupt our command, control, communications and intelligence systems, for example with fixed radar stations certainly being attacked first," he said.
"So we must be mobile, stealthy and able to change positions."
President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering and modernising defences a priority, to make the island into a "porcupine" that is hard to attack.
Taiwan has complained for months of repeated Chinese military activity near it, particularly of air force jets entering Taiwan's air defence zone.
China has been ramping up efforts to force the democratically governed island to accept Chinese sovereignty. Most Taiwanese have no shown no desire to be ruled by autocratic Beijing. (Reuters)
September
Indian farmers stage nationwide protests against reforms
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indian farmers opposed to reforms they say threaten their livelihoods renewed their push against the changes with nationwide protests on Monday, a year after laws on the liberalisation of the sector were introduced.
For 10 months, tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on major highways around the capital, New Delhi, to oppose the laws in the longest-running growers' protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
"Thousands of farmers have spread out to different districts to ensure a complete nationwide strike aimed at reminding the government to repeal the laws introduced to favour large private corporations," Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmers' leader, told Reuters.
In Noida, a New Delhi satellite town, farmers confronted police and pushed past them to break through barricades. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or arrests.
In Gurgaon - another satellite town near the capital's main airport - farmers thronged onto a road and blocked traffic, while protesters stormed into a railway station in the northern outskirts of New Delhi, a Reuters witness said.
Nearly a dozen opposition parties have supported the farmers' protest to step up pressure on Modi's administration to repeal the laws. read more .
The legislation, introduced in September last year, deregulates the agriculture sector and allows farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured of a minimum price.
Small farmers say the changes make them vulnerable to competition from big business, and that they could eventually lose price supports for staples such as wheat and rice.
The government says the reforms mean new opportunities and better prices for farmers.
Farming sustains almost half of India's more than 1.3 billion people and accounts for about 15% of the $2.7 trillion economy.
Farmer union leaders say their protests did not disrupt emergency services.
The protests have been generally peaceful but police and farmers clashed in New Delhi in January during a tractor procession and one protester was killed and more than 80 police were injured. (Reuters)
September
ICC prosecutor seeks authorisation to resume Afghanistan war crimes investigation
Written by Nur Yasmin
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday said his office was seeking court approval to resume its war crimes investigation focusing on Afghanistan.
A statement said the request was being made to the court's judges in light of developments since the Taliban took over in mid-August. (Reuters)
September
New Zealand to begin letting people isolate at home as it looks to ease border curbs
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand is to begin allowing small numbers of vaccinated travellers to isolate at home instead of in state-run quarantine facilities as part of a phased approach to re-opening its borders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
The pilot project starting next month will be open to 150 people, who must be New Zealand citizens or residents and are fully vaccinated, Ardern said at a news conference.
"While this is a pilot, it gives you a sense of where we intend to go on our borders," Ardern said, adding that the government was working on a wide range of options for allowing people back in safely.
"We're working on building a greater evidence base for a shorter periods of isolation in the future as well," she said.
Currently, returning New Zealanders and residents have to stay at a state quarantine facility for at least 14 days. But the facilities have limited capacity and expatriate Kiwis have complained that are always booked up.
In an opinion piece over the weekend, former Prime Minister John Key criticised the government's COVID-19 response strategy saying it was based on fear, questioned the slow vaccination rates, and said New Zealand should no longer exist as "a smug hermit kingdom".
Key, who was prime minister from 2008 to 2016, said vaccination was the only way to get back to normality. Ardern denied using fear as a strategy.
New Zealand eliminated COVID-19 last year and remained largely virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in August led to a nationwide lockdown.
Its biggest city, Auckland, is still in lockdown and new cases are being reported every day. Ardern said at least 90% of its eligible population needed to be vaccinated before the tough lockdown measures can be dropped.
About 43% of eligible people are now fully vaccinated.
Authorities reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Monday, all in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in this outbreak to 1,177.
When asked if she envisaged people having a "classic Kiwi summer" this year, which begins in December, Ardern said: "There are some things we might have to do to make sure that can happen."
"But yes, I can see us experiencing that. We did last summer and I hope we will be able to again." (Reuters)
September
Singapore reports 1,939 COVID-19 cases, highest since April last year
Written by Nur Yasmin
Singapore's health ministry reported 1,939 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.
A recent rise in cases after the relaxation of some COVID-19 measures has prompted Singapore to pause further reopening. More than 80% of its population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. (Reuters)
September
S.Korea's Moon hints at dog meat ban amid debate over animal rights
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Monday there might be a need to prohibit dog meat consumption amid debate over the controversial practice and growing awareness of animal rights.
While no longer as common as before, dog meat is eaten mainly by older people and is served in some restaurants and can be bought at specific markets.
Moon made the remarks after being briefed by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on efforts to improve the handling of abandoned animals and a mandatory registration system for dogs.
"After the briefing, he said time has come to carefully consider imposing a dog meat ban," Moon's spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a statement.
It was the first time that Moon raised a ban, which is likely to give fresh momentum to debate over whether to curtail the practice.
To boost their popularity, several presidential hopefuls have pledged to ban dog meat in recent weeks, especially as dogs have become popular as pets and advocacy groups have urged South Korea to close down restaurants and markets selling dog meat.
Lee Jae-myung, governor of the country's most populous province of Gyeonggi and a leading presidential contender from Moon's party, has vowed to push for a ban through social consensus.
But Yoon Seok-youl, an opposition frontrunner, has said it was a matter of people's personal choice.
A poll commissioned by animal welfare group Aware released this month said 78% of respondents believed the production and sale of dog and cat meat should be prohibited and 49% supported a consumption ban.
But, another survey by polling firm Realmeter found people were divided over whether the government should ban eating dog meat, though 59% supported legal restrictions on dog slaughter for human consumption.
Dog meat sellers have insisted on the right to their occupation, saying their livelihoods are at risk. (Reuters)
September
Italy says Taliban government cannot be recognized, but Afghans must be helped
Written by Nur Yasmin
Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday that the Taliban government in Afghanistan could not be recognised, but urged foreign governments to prevent a financial collapse there that would spark massive flows of migrants.
Italy holds the annual, rotating presidency of the G20 and is looking to host a special summit on Afghanistan.
"Recognition of the Taliban government is impossible since there are 17 terrorists among the ministers, and the human rights of women and girls are continuously violated," Di Maio, who chaired a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New York last week, told state-owned television Rai 3.
However, the Afghan people should start receiving the financial support that was frozen after the Taliban took power last month, he said.
"In a while they will not be able to pay salaries. Clearly, we must prevent Afghanistan from implosion and from an uncontrolled flow of migration that could destabilize neighbouring countries," Di Maio said.
"There are ways to guarantee financial support without giving money to the Taliban. We have also agreed that a part of humanitarian aid must always go to the protection of women and girls."
The G20 countries together with Afghanistan's neighbours are committed to fight against terrorism, and to work for the protection of human rights, Di Maio said.
Asked whether a date has been set for G20 leaders to meet on Afghanistan, Di Maio said that it will be "in the coming weeks".
"The date is not yet public but conditions are in place to convene the summit of the G20 leaders, who will be chaired by Prime Minister Mario Draghi," he said. (Reuters)
September
North Korea says hope is alive for peace, summit with South
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korea is willing to consider another summit with South Korea if mutual respect between the neighbours can be assured, state news agency KCNA said on Saturday, citing Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un.
South Korea welcomed the prospect on Sunday, with the Unification Ministry saying it expected to swiftly engage in talks with Pyongyang, while urging the need to restore a hotline link between the two.
Kim's comment came after the North urged the United States and South Korea last week to abandon what it called their hostile policy and double standards towards it, if formal talks are to be held on ending the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons has complicated the question of a formal end to the war, which halted with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces technically still at war with the North.
"I think that only when impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained, can there be smooth understanding between the north and the south," said Kim Yo Jong, who is a powerful confidante of her brother.
Constructive discussions offer a chance for solutions on issues such as "the re-establishment of the north-south joint liaison office and the north-south summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war", Kim said.
Speaking on Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, South Korean President Moon Jae-in had repeated a call for a formal end to the war, but later said time was running out for such progress before his term ends in May. read more
North Korea has sought an end to the war for decades, but the United States has been reluctant to agree, unless it gives up nuclear weapons.
In Saturday's remarks, Kim said she noted with interest the intense discussion in the South over the renewed prospect of a formal declaration.
"I felt that the atmosphere of the South Korean public desiring to recover the inter-Korean relations from a deadlock and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong," she said. "We, too, have the same desire."
On Sunday, responding to the remarks, Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement, "For these discussions, the inter-Korean communication line must first be restored swiftly, as smooth and stable communication is important."
The hotline, maintained by South Korea's military to handle relations with Pyongyang, has not operated since August, as North Korea stopped answering calls.
Talks with the United States have been stalled since 2019, when expectations had grown for a declaration on ending the war, even if not an actual treaty, ahead of a historic summit of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jung Un in Singapore.
But that possibility, and the momentum the leaders generated over three meetings, came to nothing.
In his own U.N. speech, U.S. President Joe Biden said he wanted "sustained diplomacy" to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.
North Korea has rejected U.S. overtures on dialogue and the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said this week its nuclear programme was going "full steam ahead". (Reuters)