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July
Pakistan PM Khan's ruling party wins Kashmir regional election
Written by Nur Yasmin
The ruling party of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has won a majority of seats in Pakistan-administered Kashmir's regional assembly, the head of the election commission announced on Monday.
Analysts say polarisation in Pakistan's politics pushed the main national parties to focus on the polls in the semi-autonomous region, tightening races in an election that is often overlooked and traditionally won by the national ruling party.
Khan, who came to power in a 2018 election, has faced growing criticism over his management of Pakistan's economy and his ability to deliver on campaign promises, including pledges to create millions of new jobs and root out corruption.
His Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) won 25 seats in the 45-seat assembly in Sunday's poll, Chief Election Commissioner Abdul Rashid Sulehria told a news conference.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former premier late Benazir Bhutto secured 11 seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which had previously held a majority in the body, took just six seats.
Kashmir's outgoing Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, of the PML-N, contested two seats, losing one and winning the other by only 300 votes.
Two local groups each won a single seat, Sulehria said, while the result from one constituency had been withheld.
Sulehria dismissed accusations, mainly from the PML-N, that Khan's party had rigged the election.
"We have fulfilled our promise to conduct free, fair and transparent elections," he told journalists in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Two workers for Khan's party died in clashes with PPP supporters on election day, police said, but the polls were otherwise peaceful. read more
Four soldiers involved in securing the vote also died when their vehicle plunged into a mountain ravine, the army said.
Khan congratulated his party's winning candidates and thanked voters in a tweet following the announcement of results.
"I want to thank the (people) ... for placing their trust in the PTI through their votes," he wrote. "We will focus on bringing the (people) out of poverty."
The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between arch-rivals Pakistan and India. The two nuclear powers claim the valley in full and have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir dispute. (Reuters)
July
New Zealand accepts return of Islamic State-linked citizen
Written by Nur Yasmin
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday she has agreed to a request from Turkish authorities to accept the return of a New Zealand citizen accused of having links to the Islamic State, and her two young children.
The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey after they were caught earlier this year trying to enter Turkey from Syria. Turkish authorities requested that New Zealand repatriate the family.
"New Zealand has not taken this step lightly. We have taken into account our international responsibilities as well as the details of this particular case, including the fact that children are involved," Ardern said in a statement after a cabinet meeting in Wellington.
The woman had held New Zealand and Australian citizenships. Her family moved to Australia when she was six and she grew up there before departing for Syria in 2014 on an Australian passport.
But the Australian government revoked her citizenship and refused to reverse the decision despite calls from New Zealand.
Earlier this year, Ardern said Australia's decision was wrong and the country was abdicating its responsibilities by "unilaterally" cancelling the citizenship of the woman. read more
Australia has provided assurances it will consult with New Zealand if similar such case arises in future, Ardern said.
Details about arrangements or timing to bring the family home will not be made public due to security reasons.
Turkish authorities have said that the woman, 26, was a DAESH (Islamic State) terrorist wanted with a 'blue notice'.
An Interpol blue notice is issued to collect additional information about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
“It has previously been made clear that any New Zealander who might be suspected of association with a terrorist group should expect to be investigated under New Zealand law, but that would be a matter for the Police,” Ardern said. (Reuters)
July
S.Korea says Moderna reports 'production issue' as vaccination widens to 50s
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea said on Monday it has been informed by Moderna (MRNA.O) of an unspecified production issue involving its COVID-19 vaccine, as the country expands its inoculation campaign for people aged 55-59 amid a fourth wave of infections.
It was not immediately clear what the production issue is, how much and long shipment will be impacted and whether other countries will be also affected by the problem.
Moderna did not immediately reply to a Reuters' request for comment.
"Moderna has informed that it has a production issue," health official Park Jin-young told a briefing, adding that consultations are being held to figure out details.
"We're mobilising all available administrative and diplomatic capabilities to establish facts and devise countermeasures," Park said.
South Korea has been struggling to turbocharge its immunisation drive amid supply shortages and shipment delays, with about 33% of its 52 million population having received at least one dose and 13% fully vaccinated.
About 6.17 million people, or 84% of those in their 50s, have signed up for this week's vaccinations, and authorities had already switched to Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) products from Moderna for some people in the group because of shipment delays.
But the production issue would not affect the total shipment volume planned for this month, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) director Jeong Eun-kyeong said, without providing specific numbers.
South Korea has a contract for 40 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, of which about 1.1 million have arrived so far.
The vaccine rollout for people in their upper 50s had sputtered to a week-long halt this month after a record high number of new cases sparked a rush for shots, exhausting available supplies and crashing an official reservation website. read more .
Mass testing and tracing have helped the country suffer lower COVID-19 death rates than other developed countries so far without a full lockdown, but the new wave of infections prompted the government on Sunday to tighten social distancing rules across most of the country this week to head off transmission in the summer holidays. read more
The KDCA reported 1,318 new coronavirus cases for Sunday, bringing total infections to 190,166, with 2,077 deaths. (Reuters)
July
U.S offers further air support to Afghan troops amid Taliban offensive
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States will to continue to carry out airstrikes to support Afghan forces facing attack from the insurgent Taliban, a regional U.S. commander said on Sunday as U.S. and other international forces have drawn down troops in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has escalated its offensive in recent weeks, taking rural districts and surrounding provincial capitals, after U.S. President Joe Biden said in April U.S. troops would be withdrawn by September, ending a 20-year foreign military presence.
"The United States has increased airstrikes in support of Afghan forces over the last several days and we're prepared to continue this heightened level of support in the coming weeks if the Taliban continue their attacks," U.S. Marine General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie told a news conference in Kabul.
McKenzie, who leads U.S. Central Command, which controls U.S. forces for a region that includes Afghanistan, declined to say whether U.S. forces would continue airstrikes after the end of their military mission on Aug. 31.
"The government of Afghanistan faces a stern test in the days ahead ... The Taliban are attempting to create a sense of inevitability about their campaign," he said.
But he said a Taliban victory was not inevitable and a political solution remained a possibility.
Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have met in Qatar's capital, Doha, in recent weeks, although diplomats say there have been few signs of substantive process since peace talks began in September.
Reeling from battlefield losses, Afghanistan's military is overhauling its war strategy against the Taliban to concentrate forces around the most critical areas like Kabul and other cities, border crossings and vital infrastructure, Afghan and U.S. officials have said. read more
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that the Afghan security forces' first job was to make sure they could slow the Taliban's momentum before attempting to retake territory. read more
McKenzie said there would likely be a rise in violence after a lull over a Muslim holiday this week and said the Taliban could focus on populated urban centres.
"They are going to have to deal with the cities if they want to try and claw their way back into power" he said. "I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that they are going to be able to capture these urban areas." (Reuters)
July
Australians may face longer COVID-19 lockdown after 'reckless' mass protests
Written by nuke
Protesters march through the streets during a 'World Wide Rally For Freedom' anti-lockdown rally in Sydney, Saturday, July 24, 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP) -
Australia's New South Wales logged its second-highest daily increase in locally acquired COVID-19 cases of the year on Sunday (Jul 25) amid fears of a wave of new infections after thousands of people joined an anti-lockdown protest.
"In relation to yesterday's protests, can I say how absolutely disgusted I was. It broke my heart," Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of the country's most populous state, told reporters.
There were 141 COVID-19 cases reported, down from 163 a day earlier. The outbreak, which began in June, is being driven by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, and has now infected 2,081 people in New South Wales. There are 43 people in intensive care, up from 37 a day earlier.
Under fire for a slow vaccine rollout, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more vaccine supply was not going to ensure New South Wales gets out of lockdown, but what was needed was an effective, properly enforced lockdown.
"Let me be clear - there's not an alternative to the lockdown in New South Wales to get this under control. There is no other magic bullet that's going to do that," Morrison told reporters at a televised media conference.
He called the anti-lockdown protests in Sydney reckless and self-defeating.
While Berejiklian and other state leaders have blamed Canberra for the slow vaccine rollout, critics have said NSW did not enforce its stay-at-home orders, which has led to Delta variant leaks to other states.
At least 38 of the new cases in NSW had spent time in the community while infectious, state health authorities said. Numbers of such cases have stayed stubbornly high even after four weeks of lockdown in Sydney, now expected to be extended beyond Jul 30.
The state reported two deaths overnight, including a woman in her 30s with no pre-existing conditions.
Despite its struggle with spikes of infections, Australia has managed to keep its epidemic largely under control with a total of about 32,600 cases and 918 deaths.
To help speed up vaccinations in Sydney, the government's official adviser, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), on Saturday changed its advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine, urging anyone in the city under the age of 60 to strongly consider getting vaccinated with it.
ATAGI had previously advised against the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 60 due to concerns about blood clots.
"In the context of the current risk of COVID-19 in NSW and with the ongoing constraints on Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine supplies, all adults in greater Sydney should strongly consider the benefits of earlier protection with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca rather than waiting for alternative vaccines," ATAGI said in a statement.
Morrison said on Sunday the government has secured an additional 85 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, but they will only be delivered in 2022 and 2023.
"To have those booster shots pre-ordered means we can go into 2022 with confidence," he said.
Australia's Victoria state reported 11 locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 12 a day earlier, raising hopes the state will end a hard lockdown imposed 10 days ago.
State Premier Daniel Andrews said it was too early to say whether restrictions will be eased on Tuesday, but: "At this stage, though, things are going well."
All of the cases were linked to the current outbreak clusters and all of them were in isolation throughout their infectious period, the state's health department said.
South Australia reported three new cases on Sunday//CNA
July
Olympics: Masks mandatory at Tokyo medal ceremonies, says IOC spokesman
Written by nuke
Silver medallist USA's Jay Litherland (left) and gold medallist USA's Chase Kalisz pose with their medals after the final of the men's 400m individual medley swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on Jul 25, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand) -
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Sunday (Jul 25) that masks are a "must to have" at Tokyo medal ceremonies after swimmers were seen taking off masks on the medal podium and hugging other competitors in violation of COVID-19 rules.
Masks are mandatory across all Olympic venues, both inside and outside for all athletes, staff and media, as part of Games organisers' strict measures to combat the coronavirus.
"It's not a nice to have. It's a must to have," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams, responding to questions about the mask-less swimmers.
American Chase Kalisz took off his mask on the winners' podium after his gold medal performance in the men's 400 metres medley, hugging compatriot and silver medallist Jay Literland, who was also mask-less. Australian Brendon Smith, who took the bronze, also removed his mask.
A little later all 12 athletes from Australia, Canada and the United States on the podium for the women's 4X100 freestyle relay ceremony were mask-less, hugging teammates and smiling to photographers.
"No, there is no relaxation and we would urge and ask everyone to obey the rules," the IOC's Adams said. "It's important for the sports, for everyone involved and for our Japanese friends and it would send a strong message."
"We understand ... there's a lot of excitement and of course when you win a medal, we feel for the athletes," Adams said.
"There are things that unfortunately we have had to make stricter. It is really in our own interest, in the interest of everyone and in the interest of safe and secure Games that we obey these rules."
The Olympic teams of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had paraded mostly maskless through the National Stadium at Friday's opening ceremony, marking an awkward contrast with other national teams who covered their faces in line with COVID-19 protocols.
Organisers announced another 10 positive COVID-19 cases of Games-related individuals on Sunday, bringing the total to 132 cases since Jul 1.
July
Vietnam says more US vaccine donations expected after first 5 million doses
Written by nuke
A woman receives a shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Hanoi, Vietnam, Jun 27, 2021. (Photo: AP/Hau Dinh) -
The United States is considering giving more coronavirus vaccines to Vietnam, its ambassador to the United States said on Sunday (Jul 25), as the Southeast Asian country struggles to control outbreaks of the fast-spreading Delta variant of the virus.
After successfully containing the virus for much of the pandemic, Vietnam has been facing rapid outbreaks of infections, with daily cases repeatedly hitting new highs.
Vietnam took delivery of a shipment of 3 million Moderna doses from the United States on Sunday, taking the amount given by the United States, via the global COVAX vaccine scheme, to 5 million doses.
"The US side has said it is also considering more vaccine donations to Vietnam soon," the ambassador to the United States, Ha Kim Ngoc, said in a speech posted on a government website.
Vietnam is also in talks with the United States on domestic production of mRNA vaccines, its foreign ministry said on Thursday, adding that production could begin in the fourth quarter or early in 2022.
The ministry did not identify the US and Vietnamese companies involved in the talks.
State media reported on Saturday Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup was in talks with San Diego-headquartered Arcturus Therapeutics Holding on mRNA vaccine production.
Clinical trials could begin in Vietnam in August, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, adding that the firms could produce 100 million to 200 million doses a year under such a deal.
Vingroup and Arcturus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Vietnam kept the virus at bay for the first year of the pandemic but infections have been spreading quickly since late April.
The health ministry reported 7,968 infections on Saturday, a record daily increase.
In all, it has recorded nearly 95,000 infections and at least 370 deaths, most in the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.
Nearly half of the latest shipment of Moderna vaccines will be sent to that city, the US Embassy in Hanoi said on Saturday//CNA
July
East China braces for Typhoon In-fa after flooding in country's centre
Written by nuke
A passenger sits on her luggage watching passenger airplanes parked on the tarmac after all flights were canceled at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) -
Chinese commercial hub Shanghai and neighbouring coastal regions cancelled all flights, slowed or suspended subway trains and shuttered businesses as Typhoon In-fa made landfall on Sunday (Jul 25).
The typhoon landed in the Putuo district of the city of Zhoushan, a major port in the east coast province of Zhejiang, at 12.30pm on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the China Meteorological Administration.
The storm hit as central China is still reeling from record flooding that killed at least 58, cut off power and forced the relocation of more than 1 million people.
"We will make every effort to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, and do everything to minimise disaster losses, and strive to achieve the goal of no deaths and few injuries and economic losses," said Yuan Jiajun, the Zhejiang province Communist Party secretary, during an inspection of preparations on Saturday, official media reported.
The Meteorological Administration earlier said the typhoon was moving at a speed of 15kmh.
In-fa's wind speeds were up to 38m per second, the Meteorological Administration said. That is equal to about 137kmh, according to Reuters calculations.
It was due to travel north along the Zhejiang coast from around noon, passing Shanghai and reaching northeastern Jiangsu province by the evening.
The Zhejiang emergency management department upgraded its typhoon response to the highest level on Saturday, closing schools and markets, and suspending road traffic when necessary.
The Shanghai government said it would slow its subway trains, while Hangzhou authorities warned residents that underground trains would be suspended.
Flooding in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou last week killed 12 people who were trapped in the subway system.
Shanghai Disneyland will close on Sunday and Monday because of the weather, the resort announced, while the city's Yangshan Port has evacuated hundreds of vessels, the official Xinhua news agency reported//CNA
July
From US$84,000 to US$100: Malaysia a step closer to eliminating hepatitis C with new, affordable drug
Written by nuke
Malaysia health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah. (File photo: Bernama) -
The first highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drug Sofosbuvir (used in combination with another DAA) had been approved in the United States since 2013.
The US$84,000 (RM356,000) 12-week treatment was the price of a medium-cost apartment in Kuala Lumpur.
Ravidasvir hydrochloride, available as Ravida Tablet 200mg, had been given conditional approval by the Malaysian Drug Control Authority on Jun 4. Malaysia was the first country in the world to approve its use.
The development of Ravidasvir was initiated by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and the Geneva-based Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The clinical studies were funded by Malaysian and Thailand health authorities, as well as other agencies, companies and organisations.
The development of Ravidasvir is the latest episode of Malaysia’s success story in making access to hepatitis C treatment possible.
Touted as the best combination therapy thus far, Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said it is possible to get a 12-week treatment using Ravidasvir and a generic version of Sofosbuvir at a cost of US$100 by getting it produced locally. This is cheaper than the current US$300 Daclatasvir-Sofosbuvir combination.
Patients with HIV co-infection require only a 12-week course compared with the 24-week Daclatasvir-Sofosbuvir, he said in a press conference on Jun 14.
Initial findings published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology on Apr 15 revealed that the Ravidasvir-Sofosbuvir combination showed a 97 per cent efficacy in curing 301 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection in Malaysia and Thailand between Sep 14, 2016 and Jun 5, 2017.
“Ravidasvir plus Sofosbuvir has the potential to provide an additional affordable, simple, and efficacious public health tool for large-scale implementation to eliminate hepatitis C as a cause of morbidity and mortality,” said the report.
To improve access, the health ministry carried out a nationwide decentralisation of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment to community clinics, which made it accessible even for patients in rural areas.
The ministry worked with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics to introduce an antibody rapid diagnostic test kit and over 10,000 patients had been treated since March 2018, he said.
The ministry and the Malaysian AIDS Council would embark on a study on hepatitis C self-testing after the WHO launched the first hepatitis C self-testing guidelines on Jul 15//CNA
July
Vietnam locks down capital Hanoi for 15 days as cases rise
Written by nuke
Policemen guard behind barricades set up to control the traffic in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Jul 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Hieu Dinh) -
Vietnam announced a 15-day lockdown in the capital Hanoi starting Saturday (Jul 24) as a coronavirus surge spread from the southern Mekong Delta region.
The lockdown order, issued late Friday night, bans the gathering of more than two people in public. Only government offices, hospitals and essential businesses are allowed to stay open.
Nearly 5,000 of them are from Vietnam’s largest metropolis, southern Ho Chi Minh City, which has also extended its lockdown until Aug 1.
In the latest wave of COVID-19 since April, Vietnam has recorded more than 83,000 infections and 335 deaths.
A meeting of the National Assembly scheduled to open in Hanoi on Tuesday with 499 delegates will go ahead but was shortened to 12 days from the original 17.
The delegates have been vaccinated, are regularly tested for the coronavirus and are traveling in a bubble, and will be isolated at hotels, according to the National Assembly//CNA