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August
Military aircraft with Afghan evacuees arrives in South Korea
Written by Nur Yasmin
Nearly 400 evacuated Afghans arrived on Thursday in Seoul, where the government said it was amending the law to allow long-term stays for those who worked on South Korean projects in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power this month.
Immigration is a contentious issue in South Korea, where many pride themselves on ethnic homogeneity, even as the population of 52 million ages rapidly and the labour force dwindles.
At least two flights were to bring in 391 people, including the families of workers at the Korean embassy, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a hospital and Korean government-run vocational training institute and military bases.
Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said many Koreans had received international support after having had to flee during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953.
"Now it is time for us to return the favour," he told a briefing at Incheon airport outside the capital, before the arrival.
The government was in the process of amending immigration laws to grant the Afghans long-term residency as foreigners who had provided special service to the country, Park added.
He acknowledged controversy over the plan, saying the decision to accept the Afghan evacuees had been "difficult", but added that South Korea could not give up on its friends.
"Despite the fact that we are physically apart in a distant country, they were practically our neighbours," he said. "How could we possibly turn a blind eye to them when their lives are at risk because of the fact that they worked with us?"
South Korea has accepted more than 30,000 North Korean defectors over the years, but it approves a much smaller number of asylum seekers from other countries.
In 2018 a sudden spike in Yemeni arrivals in the southern resort island of Jeju stoked fears over a possible rise in crime and other social woes, prompting a government crackdown on arrivals.
Just 55 of the 6,684 people who sought refugee status in South Korea in 2020 received it, with 127 more allowed to stay for humanitarian reasons, although not designated as refugees, justice ministry data shows. (Reuters)
August
UK sees very credible threat of imminent IS Kabul airport attack
Written by Nur Yasmin
There is "very, very credible" intelligence that Islamic State militants are planning an imminent attack on those gathering at Kabul airport in an attempt to flee Afghanistan, British armed forces minister James Heappey said on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday, Britain's foreign ministry advised people not to travel to the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport where thousands are waiting for flights out of the country ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline when the United States and its allies will pull out their remaining troops. read more
Heappey confirmed that intelligence of a possible suicide bomb attack by IS militants had become "much firmer".
"There is now very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack, and hence why the Foreign Office advice was changed last night, that people should not come to Kabul Airport, they should move to a safe place and await further instructions," Heappey told BBC radio.
In later remarks he said: "I can't stress the desperation of the situation enough. The threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal. We wouldn't be saying this if we weren't genuinely concerned about offering Islamic State a target that is just unimaginable."
Heappey said there were still very large crowds of desperate people outside the airport which was "a real concern for everybody".
"I think there is an appetite amongst many in the queue to take their chances, but the reporting of this threat is very credible indeed. There is a real imminence to it."
He said that Western nations were relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport, and that despite the warnings there were a large number of people still waiting there.
"There is every chance that as further reporting comes in, we may be able to change the advice and process people anew, but there is no guarantee of that," he said.
Britain has already evacuated more than 12,000 people from Afghanistan since its rapid fall to the Taliban and was planning 11 more flights on Thursday.
"We think there's around 400 eligible people, mostly British citizens/dual nationals, in country. Clearly, we are working hard to find routes to safety for them," Heappey said.
"I just have to be really honest with people and say that there is every possibility, as we've been saying all the way through, that we won't get everybody out, and the security situation worsening as it has, makes that more likely." (Reuters)
August
UK pursuing data partnerships with U.S. and others
Written by Nur Yasmin
Britain said on Thursday it was pursuing data partnerships with countries including the United States, Australia, South Korea and other fast-growing markets to break down barriers and boost trade after Brexit.
Data adequacy partnerships mean organisations would not have to implement costly compliance measures to share personal data internationally when doing business, the digital ministry said in a release.
Britain completed its departure from the European Union's orbit at the end of 2020, giving the government the powers to strike trade agreements with other nations around the world.
"It means reforming our own data laws so that they’re based on common sense, not box-ticking," said digital minister Oliver Dowden.
"And it means having the leadership in place at the Information Commissioner’s Office to pursue a new era of data-driven growth and innovation."
New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has also been named as the government's preferred candidate to be the UK's next Information Commissioner. (Reuters)
August
Hungary ends evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people
Written by Nur Yasmin
Hungary is ending evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people including Hungarian citizens and Afghans and their families who worked for Hungarian forces previously, the Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko said on Thursday.
The two military passenger planes and all the troops involved in the operation have returned safely to Hungary, Benko told a news conference.
Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands of foreigners and Afghans who worked with Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban has intensified, with all U.S. and allied troops due to leave the airport next week.
Hungary had airlifted a total of 540 people from Afghanistan, including Hungarian, Austrian, Afghan and American nationals, flying them by military plane from Kabul to Uzbekistan, and then by commercial airline jet to Budapest.
Benko said 57 families had been airlifted, among them 180 children.
"As for Afghan nationals, 87% of them have been evacuated, those who contacted us in time and could remain in contact, we have airlifted all of them," Benko said.
Hungary has been present with troops in Afghanistan since the start of the NATO mission in 2003.
The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of an Islamic State attack as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many Afghans as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. read more
Hungary, an opponent of irregular migration to Europe, has rejected any plans to accommodate large numbers of Afghan refugees, and said it would only evacuate people whose lives were at risk for supporting the NATO presence in Afghanistan. (Reuters)
August
France set to stop Afghanistan evacuations from Friday evening onwards - PM Castex
Written by Nur Yasmin
France will no longer be able to evacuate people from Afghanistan from Friday evening onwards, French Prime Minister Jean Castex told RTL radio.
"We are going to continue until tomorrow evening," said Castex on Thursday.
The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of a terror attack by Islamic State militants as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. read more
Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands of foreigners and Afghans who helped Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban has intensified, with all U.S. and allied troops due to leave the airport next week. (Reuters)
August
Malaysian sells COVID-19 vaccine mock-ups made of paper to honour the dead
Written by Nur Yasmin
As the world scrambles to inoculate people against COVID-19, one store owner in Malaysia is finding his paper vaccines have become popular prayer offering items during a religious festival to honour the deceased.
The Hungry Ghost festival, celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists across Southeast Asia, centres on a belief that the spirits of the dead return to Earth during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. During this time, people leave out food items for the dead and burn incense and intricate offerings made of paper resembling things the deceased may have wanted.
This year, a box set of a syringe and two vaccine vials made of paper are among the fastest-selling items for the festival at Raymond Shieh Siow Leong's religious goods store in the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru.
"The COVID-19 situation in our country is quite serious and many people passed away before receiving the vaccine. I hope this product can help the deceased to fulfil their dying wish," Shieh said.
Shieh said he started making the paper vaccine sets in early August, producing about 30 to 50 sets a day. Each set costs 22.80 ringgit ($5.45) and Shieh said he had sold more than 200 sets so far.
"We made this paper vaccine to test the water of the market, but we didn't expect the reaction to be this good. The orders keep coming, and we have to work overtime until late at night to make this product," he said.
Malaysia has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Southeast Asia with a total caseload of almost 1.6 million and a death toll of 14,818. About 57% of the population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A Muslim-majority country, about 20% of Malaysia's 32 million people practise Buddhism, the second-most prevalent religion. (Reuters)
August
New Zealand pushes ahead with vaccinations as Delta outbreak widens
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total number of infections in the latest outbreak to 210 as the government scrambled to scale up vaccinations amid growing criticism.
Most of the cases are in the largest city Auckland, while 12 are in the capital Wellington, the Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference.
He said 20,383 individual contacts have been identified in the outbreak and there are now over 480 locations of interest.
Fortress New Zealand's virus-free run since February ended last week after an outbreak of the Delta variant erupted in Auckland and quickly spread to Wellington.
The outbreak prompted prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to order a strict level 4 national lockdown.
Ardern's reliance on strict border controls and snap lockdowns to eliminate the virus has been called into question amid the latest outbreak, which has occurred while few people have been vaccinated.
About 80% of the population has yet to be fully vaccinated. The government said a record 80,000 people were vaccinated on Wednesday and 50,000 others tested.
The government defended its elimination strategy, saying it was still the best option for New Zealand.
"It's too soon to throw in the towel. We’ve come this far – it would be an absolute waste for us to give up on this now," COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a news conference.
"You will see changes in the medium term and in the way we manage the border. We do want to get to the point where lockdowns are not the answer to potential outbreaks in the community. But we are not there yet.”
New Zealand has had over 2,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far and 26 related deaths. (Reuters)
August
'Very probable' that France's Afghan evacuation operations will end Thursday -minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
It is "very probable" that France's operations to evacuate its citizens and partners from Afghanistan will end on Thursday, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told C News TV.
Beaune also told C News on Wednesday that a new agreement regarding migration was needed between the European Union and Britain.
U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S. troops in Afghanistan faced mounting danger as they pushed to complete evacuations by an Aug. 31 deadline, with aid agencies warning of a looming humanitarian crisis for the population left behind. (Reuters)
August
UK says deadline for Afghanistan evacuation is to the last minute of Aug. 31
Written by Nur Yasmin
British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Wednesday that the deadline for evacuating people from Afghanistan was up to the last minute of this month.
Raab was asked after a White House spokesperson said at a briefing on Tuesday they needed to check if the deadline for evacuations was up to the last minute of Aug. 30 or Aug. 31.
"We think it goes until the end of August, but the military planners will firm up the details for the precise time frame," Raab told BBC TV.
Raab said Britain hoped there would be a functioning airport in Kabul after the evacuations end. (Reuters)
August
Paralympics set to open in Tokyo amid worsening COVID-19 crisis
Written by Nur Yasmin
The 2020 Paralympic Games will kick off in Tokyo with the opening ceremony on Tuesday as Japan struggles with its worst COVID-19 outbreak so far, record daily cases and an overwhelmed medical system.
The organisers admitted last week that the Paralympics will be held under "very difficult" circumstancesas Japan's health situation has worsened since the Olympic Games ended on Aug. 8 and hospitals in the host city are filled to capacity.
The Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan government appealed on Monday to hospitals in the capital to accept more COVID-19 patients as increasing infections have made access to care increasingly difficult.
"I'm a little concerned about holding the Paralympic Games. Still, I hope the athletes will do their best," said 52-year-old office worker Chika Sasagawa.
While the number of athletes and officials travelling from abroad is less than a third of that during the Olympics, Japan reported more than 25,000 daily cases on three days last week, up from less than 15,000 when the Olympics ended earlier this month.
Organisers of the Paralympics, which will take place between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5, have said they plan to implement the same COVID-19 protocols or "playbook" as the ones used during the Olympics.
Frequent testing and other restrictions, such as limiting the movement of athletes and officials, proved to be effective in minimising infection risks during the Games, they have added.
Like the Olympics, the Paralympics will also take place generally without spectators and organisers have asked the domestic Games officials to avoid eating out or drinking in groups.
Olympic organisers reported404 Games-related infections. They carried out close to 600,000 screening tests with an infection rate of 0.02%.
Japan has extended COVID-19 emergency measures in the capital and other regions that will run through the Games.
About 88% of thousands of athletes and officials attending the Games have been vaccinated, the International Paralympic Committee spokesperson Craig Spence has said, though a number of local volunteers are yet to be fully vaccinated.
"Compared to the Olympics, the COVID infections have spread further now. I have many concerns but I believe that Japan as a host country is making all the efforts so that athletes can compete safely in the Games," said Tokyo resident Kana Matsuyama, 45.
The International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is scheduled to attend Tuesday's opening ceremony. (Reuters)