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July
U.S. hoping for North Korean response to offers of talks - South says
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States is hoping that North Korea responds to its offer to re-open talks on denuclearisation, South Korea's presidential office said on Thursday, citing U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
Sherman, a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in dealing with North Korea, met President Moon Jae-in after arriving in Seoul late on Wednesday from Tokyo on her second stop on a tour of Asia.
North Korea has rebuffed proposals from the new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden for talks, raising new doubts about prospects for pressing it to give up its nuclear weapon and missile programmes.
"We are hoping that North Korea will respond to our offers of talks at an early stage," Moon's office quoted Sherman as telling the South Korean president, who has also been trying to encourage negotiations.
Sherman said she would discuss the issue with China when she visits there from Sunday, the office added.
Moon asked Sherman to try to re-engage with North Korea, stressing the allies' shared goals of complete denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula, which were reaffirmed in talks with Biden in May. read more
Sherman called for more cooperation on other issues including climate change, Moon's office said.
Sherman is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun on Friday before leaving for Mongolia. (Reuters)
July
Taiwan orders further 36 mln Moderna vaccine doses
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan has ordered a further 36 million doses of Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine, the government said on Thursday, as it seeks to lock in deliveries for the months ahead.
Taiwan has received about 9 million doses to date of Moderna and AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L), including almost 6 million doses donated by Japan and the United States, enabling it to speed up its inoculation programme.
Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that the new order for Moderna vaccines, which comes on top of 5 million already ordered, was signed on Wednesday.
"This number is slightly more than the 30 million doses we had originally expected," Lo said, though he declined to say when they might start arriving. "We must strive for smooth delivery according to the scheduled time."
Speaking later on Thursday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the order consisted of 1 million doses for delivery by the end of this year, 20 million for next year, and 15 million for the year after that.
Moderna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
More than 20% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one dose in the two-shot vaccine regimen.
A domestic outbreak of the coronavirus in Taiwan is now well under control after cases spiked in May, and the government is considering whether to lower the alert level. (Reuters)
July
S.Korea leaders apologise for navy ship COVID outbreak amid vaccine furore
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's prime minister and defence minister apologised as hundreds of COVID-19-infected sailors were flown to Seoul on Tuesday after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus.
Almost 250 of the 301 unvaccinated crew aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great were infected, sparking a public furore at the government's failure to protect those serving abroad. read more
The whole crew arrived home on Tuesday after the government carried out an emergency air evacuation, the defence ministry said.
"I apologise for having failed to take better care of the health of our soldiers who devoted themselves to the country," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told an intra-agency COVID-19 meeting as he promised treatment and recovery support for the crew, 12 of whom were in a critical condition.
Defence Minister Suh Wook apologised for not immunising the crew before they departed for the Gulf of Aden in early February on an eight-month counter-piracy mission, and said he would examine anti-virus policies for all overseas military units.
The rare double apology underscored simmering anger in South Korea over the handling of the pandemic as a fourth wave of infections sweeps through the country with just 13% of the 52 million population fully inoculated amid vaccine shortages.
The destroyer left South Korea just a couple of weeks before officials kicked off a national vaccination programme. Authorities decided that inoculating at sea would not be feasible due to limited emergency responses and cold storage requirements for some vaccines, the defence ministry said.
'LAME EXCUSES'
But opposition lawmakers said the government should have sought help from other countries or replaced the crew with vaccinated personnel, and urged President Moon Jae-in to apologise and fire Suh.
"The government revealed its own incompetence by giving lame excuses such as transport issues, that they didn't have diplomatic power to secure cooperation from nearby countries," said Kim Ki-hyeon, floor leader of the main opposition People Power party.
Moon ordered improved measures to ensure the health and safety of troops and diplomats stationed abroad.
Opposition lawmakers also blamed poor initial responses for aggravating the outbreak on board the destroyer. A sailor who first reported symptoms on July 2 was only given cold medicine.
The military initially used less accurate antigen testing kits and only began using full-scale polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests when six members were confirmed to be infected on July 15, said Han Ki-ho, an opposition People Party lawmaker.
Health authorities said they would conduct full PCR tests on all the crew members. The critically ill will be hospitalised and others infected will be taken to treatment centres. The minority who tested negative will be retested and held in isolation at military facilities.
They were replaced on the ship by a 200-strong immunised crew who will steer it home over the next 50 days.
South Korea is battling its worst-ever COVID-19 wave, while struggling to turbocharge its vaccination campaign amid global supply shortages and shipment delays. read more
It tackled previous COVID-19 waves fairly successfully, aided by a massive tracing and testing system. But only 31.7% of the population had received at least one dose of a vaccine as of Monday, well below many other advanced nations.
Daily infections had risen to 1,681 by 9 p.m. on Tuesday, therecord highest daily count, but the cases would add up in the next three hours, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea has reported a total number of 180,481 cases as of midnight on Monday, with 2,059 deaths. (Reuters)
July
South Korea reports record daily infections as Delta variant drives surge
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea reported a daily record of 1,784 coronavirus cases for Tuesday, breaking a mark set last week, as the authorities struggled to get on top of a surge in outbreaks linked to the Delta variant.
Transmission rates have been kept relatively low across the country despite no lockdowns thanks in part to aggressive testing and tracing, but the fourth wave of infections is proving particularly hard to contain as the unvaccinated fall victim to the Delta strain.
Genetic analysis of 2,381 infections last week found nearly 40% were the Delta variant, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday. More than half the total 1,741 Delta variant cases since December were diagnosed last week.
Latest cases do not include at least 266 infections among sailors who were flown to Seoul on Tuesday after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus, Lee Ki-il, deputy minister of health care policy, told a briefing on Wednesday. read more
The new distancing curbs, introduced about ten days ago, haven't been effective in containing the virus spread as the summer season has contributed to higher infections in beach vacation spot, said Lee.
The government last week put the capital Seoul and neighbouring areas under a semi-lockdown, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m., as more than 80% of the caseloads were found in the region. read more
New distancing rules are expected to be announced by Sunday.
Despite the record number of cases, South Korea has seen no significant increase in hospitalisations or deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.13% and the number of severe cases at 214 as of Tuesday.
Of the country’s 52 million people 32% have received at least one vaccine dose, with the government aiming to vaccinate 70% by September.
So far, South Korea has recorded 182,265 cases and 2,060 deaths. (Reuters)
July
India reports 3,998 COVID deaths after state corrects its data
Written by Nur Yasmin
India reported its highest death toll in a month on Wednesday - at nearly 4,000 - after its richest state reconciled its death count with 3,509 previously unreported fatalities, the health ministry said.
Maharashtra, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, has reported 130,753 of the country's 418,480 coronavirus deaths, and added 3,509 earlier deaths to its tally, the federal health ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry did not give a reason but authorities have in the past attributed other instances of deaths going unreported to administrative errors, before the mistakes are discovered and the numbers appear in official data.
Last month, the poor northern state of Bihar raised its death toll by more than 5,000 in a day when it included some unrecorded data.
The sudden appearance of previously unrecorded deaths has lent weight to suspicion that India's overall death tally is significantly more than the official figure. read more .
India's tally of infections stands at 31.22 million, with a death toll of 418,480, according to official data.
But the Washington-based Center for Global Development estimated said in a report on Tuesday that India's real death toll from COVID-19 could be as high as 4.9 million. read more .
On Wednesday, the government reported 42,015 new coronavirus infections in the previous 24 hours, health ministry data showed. (Reuters)
July
Hong Kong begins talks on controversial 'anti-doxxing' privacy bill
Written by Nur Yasmin
Hong Kong's legislature, which has no opposition party, begins discussions on Wednesday on privacy laws tackling "doxxing behaviour" that some technology giants fear are so broad and vague that they could hamper operations in the city.
Critics of the legislation, including human rights and tech industry groups, say the measures could be used to protect those in power and target civil society. Supporters say the legislation was long overdue to counter a problem festering since the city's 2019 mass pro-democracy protests.
Doxxing - publicly releasing private or identifying information about an individual or organisation - came under scrutiny after details about police and judges were released online following the protests.
Some officers' home addresses and children's schools were exposed by anti-government protesters, leading to threats.
The government, which has pushed Hong Kong onto an increasingly authoritarian path since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020, faces no official opposition after democratic lawmakers resigned en masse last year in protest at the disqualification of colleagues.
That means the law could be passed quickly, empowering the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to investigate and prosecute doxxing.
Violators include anyone who discloses an individual's personal data without consent "with an intent to cause specified harm or being reckless" about the harm caused.
"Specified harm" includes harassment, threat, intimidation, bodily harm, psychological harm, causing the victim to be concerned about safety, and others. Violators could face fines of up to HK$1 million ($128,736) and five years in prison.
The commissioner can apply for a warrant to enter and search premises and seize materials for investigation, and can access electronic devices without a warrant. It can also issue notices to remove content or block access to that content, anywhere in the world.
Asia Internet Coalition, an advocacy group that includes Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook (FB.O) and Twitter (TWTR.N), warned in a June 25 letter to the commissioner that tech companies could stop offering their services in Hong Kong if authorities went ahead with the changes. read more
The coalition said the measures were "not aligned with global norms and trends," and that any legislation that could curb freedom of speech "must be built upon principles of necessity and proportionality."
"The government's interpretation of doxxing is not necessarily the same as that of technology companies," an executive at one of the tech companies told Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung has said she had met representatives of the coalition this month. They had "clarified" that they remained committed to Hong Kong and doxxing was a matter of serious concern, she said.
Representatives from Facebook and Twitter referred Reuters to the Asia Internet Coalition letter, and said their companies had nothing to add for now. Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The government has said that doxxing acts "weaponise personal data, and have caused great harm in the society in recent years."
City leader Carrie Lam has said she was confident officials would be able to "allay concerns" raised by online platforms.
Between June 2019 and April 2021, the commissioner received more than 5,700 doxxing-related complaints, the government said. Police arrested 17 people on suspicion of doxxing during the period, two of whom have been convicted, it said. (Reuters)
July
Taiwan bumps BioNTech vaccine order to 15 mln with Buddhist donation
Written by Nur Yasmin
A major Taiwanese Buddhist group said on Wednesday it had signed a deal to buy 5 million doses of BioNTech SE's (22UAy.DE) COVID-19 vaccine via the German firm's Chinese sales agent, bumping the island's order for the shot up to 15 million doses.
The Tzu Chi Foundation said in June it was bidding to get the vaccines, and Taiwan's government said it would allow the group to negotiate on its behalf for the shot. The vaccines will be donated to the government for distribution.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Tzu Chi said it had signed the deal with a Hong Kong subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (600196.SS), which has the right to sell the shot in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
"After successfully signing the vaccine procurement contract, all the purchased vaccines will be donated to the competent authority for use by the public," it added, without saying when the vaccines would arrive.
Neither BioNTech nor Fosun immediately responded to requests for comment.
The news follows a combined 10 million-dose purchase by two Taiwanese tech firms, TSMC (2330.TW) and Foxconn (2317.TW) plus Foxconn founder Terry Gou's charity, of the same vaccine earlier in July, which will also be given to the government. read more
Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng expressed the government's thanks to Tzu Chi, saying the 15 million doses would come in batches, though he did not give a timetable.
Taiwan allowed the companies and Tzu Chi to negotiate for the BioNTech vaccine following public pressure that the pace of vaccinations was too slow.
BioNTech developed the vaccine with Pfizer (PFE.N) but Pfizer cannot directly sell it to Taiwan as BioNTech signed that right over to Fosun.
Taiwan's government has millions of vaccines on order, while the United States and Japan have donated close to 6 million doses of the Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) and AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) shots.
About 20% of Taiwan's 23.5 million people have received at least one of the two-shot vaccine regimen, and the government is ramping up its inoculation programme with a short-lived domestic spike in coronavirus infections now well under control.
Taiwan has accused China, which claims the democratically government island as its own territory, of blocking a direct order from BioNTech this year. Beijing denies that. (Reuters)
July
U.S., Japan, South Korea send clear message to N.Korea - U.S. diplomat
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States, Japan and South Korea are sending a clear message with their coordination on policy towards North Korea, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, despite some recent friction between the two Asian allies.
"That close coordination sends a very critical message to North Korea in that we are together and shoulder-to-shoulder in our approach to this policy," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters after meeting the vice foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea.
The three-way talks were held in Tokyo despite frayed relations between Japan and South Korea, largely a result of recriminations by both sides stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea.
A new chapter of the historic dispute that blew up in 2019 hit trade between the neighbours and threatened to undermine their cooperation on security in the face of a common threat from North Korea and its nuclear and missile programmes.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in recently decided not to visit the Tokyo Olympics, which open on Friday, for what would have been his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. read more
Japan's vice foreign minister, Takeo Mori, said the trilateral cooperation with the United States was crucial for the denuclerisation of North Korea.
"North Korea's next move is unpredictable," Mori said.
North Korea has rebuffed U.S. entreaties for diplomacy since U.S. President Joe Biden took over from Donald Trump, who had three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising hopes for some sort of breakthrough.
Little concrete progress came as Kim refused to give up his nuclear weapons but he did impose a freeze on testing them.
Choi Jung Kun, South Korea's vice foreign minister, described the North Korea nuclear issue as "a long game" that needed patience.
Sherman said the United States was "ready to engage with North Korea and they know that".
"We hope they will respond positively, but as my colleagues have said, we must exercise some patience, perhaps not too much, but some," Sherman said.
Sherman did not refer directly to the recent tension between Japan and South Korea but said the United States had "no greater friends" in the region than those two countries.
Senior diplomats from Japan and South Korea reiterated that their countries would continue dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.
Choi said South Korea was "deeply impressed" by Japan's efforts to host the Olympics during the coronavirus pandemic.
Choi said he, Sherman and Mori had agreed to meet regularly. (Reuters)
July
U.S., Japan, S.Korea discuss Taiwan Strait issues, N.Korea
Written by Nur YasminU.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman discussed the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait and denuclearization of North Korea during a meeting with foreign ministers from South Korea and Japan, a State Department spokesperson said. (Reuters)
July
Britain to permanently deploy two warships in Asian waters
Written by Nur YasminBritain said on Tuesday it would permanently deploy two warships in Asian waters after its Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and escort ships sail to Japan in September through seas where China is vying for influence with the United States and Japan. (Reuters)