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July
Vaccinate anyone who wants a COVID shot, says Philippines' Duterte
Written by Nur Yasmin
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his government on Wednesday to open the coronavirus vaccination campaign to anyone who wants a shot as his country scrambles to protect the population from more transmissible variants.
With only 6% of the Philippines' 110 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, millions remain vulnerable to infection. The government is aiming to fully immunise up to 70 million people before the year ends.
"Give the vaccines to those who want to be vaccinated," Duterte said in a late-night address, expressing concern over the contagious Delta variant, which is ripping through Southeast Asia, now a global epicentre for the virus.
It was not immediately clear if his directive meant that the vaccines could now be given to Filipinos not included in the government's priority groups.
Given limited supplies, it is prioritising healthcare workers, elderly, people with existing medical conditions and working age adults.
The country has so far reported 119 cases of the Delta variant, first detected in India, but health experts say there could be more undetected cases because of the slow pace of the country's genome sequencing capacity.
Daily reported infections have recently started to rise, and authorities this week suspended travel from Malaysia and Thailand, as well as tightened curbs in and around Manila.
Duterte ordered village chiefs to prevent those in their communities who refuse to be vaccinated from leaving home.
"I am telling you, don't leave your homes. If you go out, I will tell the police to escort you back to your house because you are a walking spreader," Duterte said. "If you don't want to help the country by getting vaccinated, then better stay in your homes."
With more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases and more than 27,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second-worst outbreak in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. (Reuters)
July
EXCLUSIVE North, South Korea in talks over summit, reopening liaison office
Written by Nur Yasmin
North and South Korea are in talks to reopen a joint liaison office that Pyongyang blew up last year and to hold a summit as part of efforts to restore relations, three South Korean government sources with knowledge of the matter said.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been exploring ways to improve strained ties by exchanging multiple letters since April, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivity.
The discussions signal an improvement in ties that have deteriorated in the past year after three leaders' summits in 2018 promised peace and reconciliation.
Inter-Korean talks have the potential to help restart stalled negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes in return for sanctions relief, although some analysts remain cautious about this prospect.
The issue is key for Moon, who is facing declining support in his final year in office. He staked his legacy on improving relations with North Korea and helped set up historic meetings between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.
The two Koreas, still technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire, on Tuesday reconnected hotlines North Korea severed in June last year. read more
Both sides are discussing reestablishing a joint liaison office at the border village of Panmunjom, two sources said. Pyongyang spectacularly destroyed the previous office in its border town of Kaesong in 2020.
They are also seeking a summit between Moon and Kim, the sources said, but no timeframe or other details have been raised due to the coronavirus pandemic.
North Korea has not confirmed any COVID-19 cases, but it shut borders and imposed strict prevention measures, seeing the pandemic as a matter of national survival.
"The talks are still ongoing, and COVID-19 should be the biggest factor," one source said. "A face-to-face meeting is the best, but hopefully the situation will get better."
Moon's office referred to a briefing on Tuesday by his press secretary, Park Soo-hyun, who said the issue of restoring the liaison office was to be discussed, and that the leaders have not floated plans for any summit so far.
A second source said a virtual summit could be an option should North Korea balk at an in-person meeting because of COVID-19.
"If we can do that and the North has that capability, it would make a big difference, and open so many windows of opportunity, something to restart talks with the United States."
North Korea, which has not held any meetings with foreign nationals since the pandemic began, has not commented on the prospect of reopening the liaison office.
'CANDID' LETTERS
Moon had called for a revival of the hotlines and offered a video summit with Kim, but Pyongyang had previously responded publicly with scathing criticism, saying it had no intention of talking to Seoul.
The first source said Moon and Kim have exchanged "candid" letters on more than 10 occasions, which led to an opening of a communication channel between Seoul's intelligence authorities and Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong.
Despite "ups and downs" in the consultations, the two sides agreed over the weekend to reactivate hotlines as a first step.
The source said Kim's move reflected a willingness to respond to U.S. overtures for talks, as the administration of President Joe Biden had vowed a practical approach including not naming an envoy for North Korean human rights issues.
"There were some visible elements, including pursuing a phased, action-for-action approach, instead of a grand bargain, and appointing a nuclear negotiator, instead of a human rights envoy," the source said. "After all, Washington has unveiled its policy and the North can't just sit idle, so inter-Korean ties came up as a starting point."
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department gave a measured response, reiterating that Washington supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement and that diplomacy and dialogue "are essential to achieving complete denuclearisation and to establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula."
The spokesperson also said Washington was working to appoint a human rights envoy and would "continue to prioritize human rights in our overall approach" to North Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in June the Biden administration was determined to appoint such an envoy but did not offer a timeline.
Jenny Town, head of the Washington-based North Korea project 38 North, cautioned that there may be limits as to how far North-South relations could evolve near term, given that the reasons for the stagnation still existed.
She also said a resumption of North-South dialogue did not necessarily mean North Korea was interested in resuming talks with Washington.
A third source said the two Koreas only announced the hotline reopenings because little progress was made over other issues, including how Pyongyang would apologise for blowing up the liaison office.
Hit by the pandemic and typhoons last year, North Korea faces its worst economic crisis since a 1990s famine killed as many as 3 million.
However, few deaths have been reported from hunger in the latest crisis, the first source said, thanks to Chinese aid and the release of military and emergency reserves.
The source said North Korea is expected to resume trade with China as early as August via cargo train services after scrapping plans to do so in April due chiefly to concerns over more contagious variants of the coronavirus.
Beijing's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and calls to China's Seoul embassy were unanswered. (Reuters)
July
China says Taliban expected to play 'important' Afghan peace role
Written by Nur Yasmin
China told a visiting Taliban delegation on Wednesday it expected the insurgent group to play an important role in ending Afghanistan's war and rebuilding the country, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Nine Taliban representatives met Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on a two-day visit during which the peace process and security issues were discussed, a Taliban spokesperson said.
Wang said the Taliban is expected to "play an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan", according to an account of the meeting from the foreign ministry.
He also said that he hoped the Taliban would crack down on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement as it was a "direct threat to China's national security," referring to a group China says is active in the Xinjiang region in China’s far west.
The visit was likely to further cement the insurgent group's recognition on the international stage at a sensitive time even as violence increases in Afghanistan. The militants have a political office in Qatar where peace talks are taking place and this month sent representatives to Iran where they had meetings with an Afghan government delegation.
"Politics, economy and issues related to the security of both countries and the current situation of Afghanistan and the peace process were discussed in the meetings," Taliban spokesperson Mohammed Naeem tweeted about the China visit.
Naeem added that the group, led by Taliban negotiator and deputy leader Mullah Baradar Akhund, was also meeting China's special envoy for Afghanistan and that the trip took place after an invitation from Chinese authorities.
Asked about the Taliban visit, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in New Delhi that it was a "positive thing" if Beijing was promoting a peaceful resolution to the war and "some kind of (Afghan) government ... that's truly representative and inclusive."
"No one has an interest in a military takeover by the Taliban, the restoration of an Islamic emirate," he said in an interview with CNN-News18 television.
Security in Afghanistan, with which China shares a border, has been deteriorating fast as the United States withdraws its troops by September. The Taliban has launched a flurry of offensives, taking districts and border crossings around the country while peace talks in Qatar's capital have not made substantive progress.
"(The) delegation assured China that they will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against China," Naeem said. "China also reiterated its commitment of continuation of their assistance with Afghans and said they will not interfere in Afghanistan's issues but will help to solve the problems and restoration of peace in the country." (Reuters)
July
Myanmar jail vaccinates hundreds amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Written by Nur Yasmin
Myanmar's main prison vaccinated more than 600 inmates against COVID-19 on the first day of a drive to inoculate inmates, state media reported on Thursday, as military authorities struggle to control a wave of infections across the country.
Infections have surged since June, with 4,980 cases and 365 deaths reported on Wednesday, according to health ministry data cited in media. Medics and funeral services put the toll much higher.
With the death toll rising, military authorities, facing widespread opposition since a February coup, plan to build 10 new crematoriums in Yangon, which will be able to cremate more than 3,000 bodies per day, state media reported this week.
Inmates in Yangon's Insein jail staged a protest last week over what activists said was a major COVID-19 outbreak in the colonial-era facility, where many pro-democracy protesters are being held. read more
Citing prison officials, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, said 610 inmates were vaccinated on Wednesday and more would be inoculated in coming days depending on the supply of vaccines.
"This is the first COVID-19 vaccination of prisoners," an unidentified prison officer was quoted as saying, describing it as precautionary and denying there was an outbreak at the facility.
The newspaper reported 2,500 inmates had registered to be vaccinated out of more than 9,000 in the jail.
Photographs published in the paper showed several inmates being vaccinated including Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to the deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Turnell, who had been advising on economic policy for several years, was detained a few days after Suu Kyi's elected government was overthrown by the military on Feb. 1.
The Insein jail houses thousands of political prisoners detained since the coup and journalists who have fallen foul of the junta, including U.S. journalist Daniel Fenster.
Politician Nyan Win, an adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died in hospital this month after becoming infected with COVID-19 in the jail, his party said. read more
Chan Aye Kyaw, a prisons department spokesman, said by telephone that about 200 inmates nationally had tested positive for the coronavirus including eight at Insein and were being treated in separate areas.
The state-run MRTV network reported on Wednesday that military authorities planned to vaccinate all of Myanmar's 40,000 inmates.
Military ruler Min Aung Hlaing called this week for more international cooperation to contain COVID-19, including with fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and "friendly countries". (Reuters)
July
Risking China's anger, Blinken meets representative of Dalai Lama in India
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met a representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi on Wednesday, a move likely to anger Beijingwhich considers the Tibetan spiritual leader a dangerous separatist.
Blinken met briefly with Ngodup Dongchung, who presented him with a scarf from the Dalai Lama, a senior State Department official said. Dongchung serves as a representative of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile.
"The Dalai Lama obviously is a globally revered spiritual leader and so the gesture was gratefully received and appreciated," said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
The meeting was one of the most conspicuous contacts between U.S. and Tibetan officials since President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama in Washington in 2016.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chinese troops seized Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The CTA and Tibetan advocacy groups have received a boost in international support in recent months amid rising criticism of China's human rights record, particularly from the United States. In November, Lobsang Sangay, the former head of the Tibetan government in exile, visited the White House, the first such visit in six decades.
A month later, the U.S. Congress passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act, which calls for the right of Tibetans to choose the successor to the Dalai Lama, and the establishment of a U.S. consulate in the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
INDIA TIES
In his first visit to India since joining U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, Blinken met his Indian counterpart, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and other officials on Wednesday before calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two sides also discussed supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and the human rights records of both countries, the ministers told a joint news conference, as well as the Quad alliance, a security group that also includes Australia and Japan and has also angered China.
Asked about China taking umbrage at Indo-pacific security cooperation and the Quad, Jaishankar told the news conference: "For groups of countries to work together is not strange.... People need to get over the idea that somehow other countries doing things is directed against them."
Speaking to a group of civil society leaders at a New Delhi hotel, Blinken said that the relationship between the United States and India was "one of the most important in the world".
"The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity and equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion and belief . . . these are the fundamental tenets of democracies like ours," he said.
"And of course, both of our democracies are works in progress. As friends we talk about that."
Modi's government has faced allegations of suppressing dissent, pursuing divisive policies to appeal to its Hindu nationalist base and alienating Muslims, the country's biggest minority. (Reuters)
July
Isolated Myanmar calls for international help as COVID cases surge
Written by Nur Yasmin
Myanmar's military ruler is looking for greater cooperation with the international community to contain the coronavirus, state media reported on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian country struggles with a surging wave of infections.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing called in a speech for more cooperation on prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19, including with fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and "friendly countries", the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military ousted an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, with regular protests and fighting between the army and newly formed militias. Various countries including the United States and Britain have imposed sanctions on Myanmar's military rulers over the coup and the repression of pro-democracy protests in which hundreds have been killed.
The junta leader said vaccinations needed to be increased, through both donated doses and by developing domestic production, aided by Russia, the newspaper said, adding Myanmar would seek the release of funds from an ASEAN COVID-19 fund.
Myanmar recently received two million more Chinese vaccines, but it was believed to have only vaccinated about 3.2% of its population, according to a Reuters tracker. A drive to vaccinate some 40,000 inmates in densely packed prisons, which have seen major virus outbreaks recently, started on Wednesday, state-run MRTV reported.
The military has appeared wary of outside help in past disasters, forcing Myanmar's people to help each other, though a previous junta did allow in aid via ASEAN after a devastating cyclone in 2008.
There have been desperate efforts by people to find oxygen in many parts of the country. The Myanmar Now news portal, citing witnesses, reported that at least eight people died in a Yangon hospital at the weekend after a piped oxygen system failed.
Reuters could not independently confirm the report and the North Okkalapa General Hospital and a health ministry spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Infections in Myanmar have surged since June, with 4,980 cases and 365 deaths reported on Wednesday, according to health ministry data cited in media. Medics and funeral services put the toll much higher.
Last week, prisoners in Yangon staged a protest over what activists said was a major COVID-19 outbreak in the colonial-era Insein jail, where many pro-democracy protesters are being held. read more
Vaccinations began at Insein and a prison in the capital Naypyitaw on Wednesday and would be extended to inmates countrywide, MRTV reported, citing the prisons department.
Efforts to tackle the outbreak have been further hampered by some of the worst flooding in years in eastern Myanmar. read more
Despite Min Aung Hlaing agreeing to an ASEAN peace plan reached in April, the military has shown little sign of following through on it and has instead reiterated its own, entirely different plan to restore order and democracy.
The military justified its coup by accusing Suu Kyi's party of manipulating votes in a November general election to secure a landslide victory. The electoral commission at the time and outside observers rejected the complaints.
But in a further sign of the junta's tightening grip on power, the military-appointed election commission this week officially annulled the November results, saying the vote was not in line with the constitution and electoral laws, and was not "free and fair", MRTV reported. (Reuters)
July
Olympic host Tokyo's daily coronavirus cases hit new record
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Olympic host city Tokyo registered a record 3,177 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, authorities announced, as rising infections put pressure on hospitals.
The rise will add to worries about the Games, which are taking place under unprecedented sanitary conditions including a ban on spectators in most venues.
It also spells trouble for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, whose support ratings are at their lowest since he took office last September, ahead of a ruling party leadership race and a parliamentary election this year.
Nationwide, the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 9,000 for the first time, according to public broadcaster NHK's calculations.
Governors of three prefectures near Tokyo - Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama - will ask the government on Thursday to declare states of emergency for their regions, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who leads Japan's COVID-19 response, told a parliamentary panel.
"I think we've entered a trend of sharp rises in cases, which I had feared the most," Kanagawa governor Yuji Kuroiwa told reporters.
Tokyo is under its fourth state of emergency, which is due to last through the Olympics, while the other three regions are implementing "quasi-emergency" measures.
However, while many other countries have at times imposed severe social and economic lockdowns, Tokyo's measures rely mainly on asking restaurants that serve alcohol to shut their doors, and others to close by 8 p.m.
'NATIONAL CRISIS'
Olympics organisers reported 16 new Games-related cases, for a total of 169 since July 1. Athletes, staff and media must all follow strict rules, including frequent testing, inside an "Olympic bubble".
Many Japanese are worried about a spread of infections from Games participants.
Suga on Tuesday urged people to stay home as much as possible and watch the Olympics on television.
But senior opposition Constitutional Democratic Party lawmaker Jun Azumi said the government was being too optimistic.
"Unless it revises its view of the infection situation, after the Olympics end, there will be a serious national crisis affecting people's lives, beginning with a collapse of the medical system," the NHK public broadcaster quoted him as saying.
Japan has avoided the devastating outbreaks suffered by other countries such as India and the United States, but its fifth wave of the pandemic is straining hospitals.
Many Japanese have grown weary of the largely voluntary restrictions and some experts say the decision to go ahead with the Olympics sent a confusing message, posing a greater risk than any direct spread from Olympic participants. (Reuters)
July
S.Korea reports record daily COVID-19 cases as Moderna pledges vaccines
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea on Wednesday reported 1,896 new COVID-19 cases for Tuesday, its highest-ever daily increase, as the country struggles to subdue a fourth wave of outbreaks fanned by the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The daily tally broke a previous record set on July 22 as infections are spreading beyond the capital Seoul and its neighbouring regions where the toughest social distancing rules are in place.
There were 1,823 domestically transmitted cases on Tuesday and 33.5%, or 611, of the were from areas outside the capital regions, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
This is the first time the number of cases outside the Seoul metropolitan region has exceeded the 600 mark since the first COVID-19 wave emerged from a church in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Tighter social distancing curbs took effect across most of the country on Tuesday and will last for two weeks. Those areas will be under Level 3 curbs on a four-level scale, which will mean a 10 p.m. (1300 GMT) dining curfew and ban on gatherings of more than four people.
The tighter curbs were enacted to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus during South Korea's peak summer holiday season. read more
The greater Seoul area remains under Level 4 curbs that include a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m.
VACCINES AS PLANNED
South Korea's vaccination programme appeared to hit a snag on Monday after Moderna (MRNA.O) told the government that shipments of its COVID-19 vaccine promised to the country would be delayed. read more
However, the health ministry said on Wednesday that the delayed shipments will arrive next week and the vaccine rollout should continue as planned.
Moderna on Tuesday said delays at its vaccine manufacturing partners outside the United States were slowing the supply to overseas markets. read more
Moderna's Senior Vice President John Lepore told South Korea's health minister that the company would deliver the majority of the delayed volume next week and the rest in August, Son Young-rae, a health ministry official, told a briefing.
Of the country’s 52 million people, 35% have received at least one vaccine dose, with the government aiming to vaccinate 70% of people with one dose by September. (Reuters)
July
Myanmar junta seeks international cooperation over COVID-19 crisis
Written by Nur Yasmin
Myanmar's military ruler is looking for greater cooperation with the international community to contain the coronavirus, state media reported on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian country struggles with a surging wave of infections.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing called in a speech for more cooperation on prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19, including with fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and "friendly countries", the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.
The junta leader said vaccinations needed to be increased, through both donated doses and by developing domestic production, aided by Russia, the newspaper said, adding Myanmar would seek the release of funds from an ASEAN COVID-19 fund.
Myanmar recently received two million more Chinese vaccines, but it was believed to have only vaccinated about 3.2% of its population, according to a Reuters tracker.
There have been desperate efforts by people to find oxygen in many parts of the country. The Myanmar Now news portal, citing witnesses, reported that at least eight people died in a Yangon hospital at the weekend after a piped oxygen system failed.
Reuters could not independently confirm the report and the North Okkalapa General Hospital and a health ministry spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Infections in Myanmar have surged since June, with 4,964 cases and 338 deaths reported on Tuesday, according to health ministry data cited in media. Medics and funeral services put the toll much higher.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military ousted an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, with regular protests and fighting between the army and newly formed militias.
Last week, prisoners in Yangon staged a protest over what activists said was a major COVID-19 outbreak in the colonial-era Insein jail, where many pro-democracy protesters are being held. read more
Efforts to tackle the outbreak have been further hampered by some of the worst flooding in years in eastern Myanmar. read more
The military has appeared wary of outside help in past disasters, particularly if it believes strings are attached, forcing Myanmar's people to help each other, though a previous junta did allow in aid via ASEAN after the devastating cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Despite Min Aung Hlaing agreeing to an ASEAN peace plan reached in April, the military has shown little sign of following through on it and has instead reiterated its own, entirely different plan to restore order and democracy.
The military justified its coup by accusing Suu Kyi's party of manipulating votes in a November general election to secure a landslide victory. The electoral commission at the time and outside observers rejected the complaints.
But in a further sign of the junta's tightening grip on power, the military-appointed election commission this week officially annulled the November results, saying the vote was not in line with the constitution and electoral laws, and was not "free and fair", army-run MRTV network reported. (Reuters)
July
Raab calls for global vaccine drive as UK starts donating shots
Written by Nur YasminBritish Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that the world would not be adequately vaccinated until 2024 unless other countries joined Britain in donating shots to poorer nations, an effort that could bring that date forward to the middle of next year.
Britain pledged to donate 100 million vaccines when it hosted the Group of Seven summit earlier this year, sending them directly to countries in need or through the COVAX scheme which ensures equitable, global access to shots.
U.S. President Joe Biden said at the summit in Cornwall, England, that the United States would buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer (PFE.N) vaccine to more than 90 countries.
Raab told Reuters on Wednesday that Britain, which has fully vaccinated 71% of its adults, was ready to begin delivering 9 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccines this week to countries including Indonesia, Jamaica and Kenya.
"We know on the current trajectory, the world will only be adequately vaccinated at 2024, at the end," he told Reuters at the Oxford Biomedica factory. "We want to get that date back to the middle of next year and that will make a massive difference to those countries affected."
Britain will in general give 20% of its shots directly and 80% via COVAX, a scheme which Raab praised as giving "the poorest, most vulnerable countries around the world" the vaccines they need.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped through the global economy, with infections reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. More than 4.3 million people have died.
It has also sparked a race for countries to inoculate their citizens and rebuild their economies.
"We know we won't be safe until everyone is safe," Raab said.
"It is in all our interests. It is a moral duty, but it is also our direct interest in the UK so we can open up and so we can have more travel for business purposes and holidays and also to protect ourselves from further waves of the virus or variants in the future."
For the 9 million donations, some 5 million doses will be offered to COVAX while another 4 million will be shared directly with countries including Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. (Reuters)