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May
Indian police find bodies on riverbank amid raging COVID-19
Written by nuke
Policemen stand next to the bodies buried in shallow graves on the banks of Ganges river in Prayagraj, India, on May 15, 2021. (Photo: AP/Rajesh Kumar Singh) -
Police are reaching out to villagers in northern India to investigate the recovery of bodies buried in shallow sand graves or washing up on the Ganges River banks, prompting speculation on social media that they were the remains of COVID-19 victims.
In jeeps and boats, the police used portable loudspeakers with microphones asking people not to dispose of the bodies in rivers. "We are here to help you perform the last rites,” police said.On Friday, rains exposed the cloth coverings of bodies buried in shallow sand graves on the riverbank in Prayagraj, a city in Uttar Pradesh state.
Navneet Sehgal, a state government spokesman, on Sunday denied local media reports that more than 1,000 corpses of COVID-19 victims had been recovered from rivers in the past two weeks. “I bet these bodies have nothing to do with COVID-19,” he said.
He said some villagers did not cremate their dead, as is customary, due to a Hindu tradition during some periods of religious significance and disposed of them in rivers or digging graves on riverbanks.
KP Singh, a senior police officer, said authorities had earmarked a cremation ground for those who died of COVID-19 on the Prayagraj riverbank and the police were no longer allowing any burials on the riverfront.
Sehgal state authorities have found “a small number” of bodies on the riverbanks, he said, but did not give a figure.
Ramesh Kumar Singh, a member of Bondhu Mahal Samiti, a philanthropic organisation that helps cremate bodies, said the number of deaths is very high in rural areas, and poor people have been disposing of the bodies in the river because of the exorbitant cost of performing the last rites and shortage of woods. The cremation cost has tripled up to 15,000 rupees (US$210).
Health authorities last week retrieved 71 bodies that washed up on the Ganges River bank in neighbouring Bihar state.
Authorities performed post mortems but said they could not confirm the cause of death due to decomposition.
A dozen corpses were also found last week buried in sand at two locations on the riverbank in Unnao district, 40km southwest of Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh state capital. District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said an investigation is underway to identify the cause of deaths.
India’s two big states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with nearly 358 million people in total, are among the worst hit in the surge sweeping through the country with devastating death tolls. Hapless villagers have been rushing the sick to nearby towns and cities for treatment, many of them dying on the way, victims of India's crumbling health care.
After hitting record highs for weeks, the number of new cases was stabilising, said Dr VK Paul, a government health expert.
The Health Ministry on Sunday reported 311,170 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, down from 326,098 on Saturday.
It also reported 4,077 additional deaths, taking the total fatalities to 270,284. Both figures are almost certainly a vast undercount, experts say//CNA
May
Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards in central London AFP/Tolga Akmen -
Thousands of protesters marched in support of Palestinians on Saturday (May 15) in major European cities including London, Berlin, Madrid and Paris, as the worst violence in years raged between Israel and militants in Gaza.
In London, several thousand protesters carrying placards reading "Stop Bombing Gaza" and chanting "Free Palestine" converged on Marble Arch, near the British capital's Hyde Park, to march towards the Israeli embassy.Packed crowds stretched all along Kensington's High Street where the embassy is located.
Organisers claimed as many as 100,000 people had gathered for the demonstration though London police said they were unable to confirm any figure.
"The group is spread across a large area which makes it impossible to count them," a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.
"Officers are engaging with a group of people who have gathered for a demonstration in central London this afternoon," the police said in a separate statement, adding that a plan was in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
"This time is different. This time we will not be denied any more. We are united. We have had enough of oppression," Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot told the demonstrators.
"Today we are saying enough, enough with the complicity," he added.
May
Taiwan upbeat on economic prospects despite COVID-19 spike
Written by nuke
A shop owner and residents wear protective face masks, to protect themselves from the coronavirus (COVID-19), while buying groceries at a market in Taipei, Taiwan, March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang -
Taiwan's economic prospects are bright and growth this year will come in as expected as long as the COVID-19 situation can be brought under control quickly, the government said on Sunday (May 16), adding that the impact of a recent spike in cases was limited.
Export-dependent Taiwan raised its coronavirus alert level in the capital, Taipei, and the surrounding city on Saturday, imposing two weeks of restrictions that will shut many venues and limit gatherings after a rise in community transmissions.
The profits of listed companies have increased significantly over last year, and export orders are also performing well, it added.
The current pandemic situation is having a short-term impact on consumers, but as long as infections can be controlled soon, added to a proposed NT$210 billion (US$7.51 billion) in government spending support, expectations for 2021 economic growth can be maintained, it said.
The Cabinet proposed the new spending on Thursday, though it still needs parliamentary approval.
The sudden rise in domestic cases last week spooked Taiwan's stock market.
Su urged all departments to keep a close watch on market developments and "take necessary steps for the normal operation of financial institutions and order and stability of the stock and foreign exchange markets", the Cabinet added.
Taiwan's economy grew at its fastest pace in more than a decade in the first three months of 2021 as the "work from home" boom sparked strong global demand for the island's hi-tech exports.
May
Asian confederation confirms North Korea's World Cup withdrawal
Written by nuke
A computer generated image of Lusail Stadium that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, with seating capacity of 80,000, in Lusail City, north of central Doha, Qatar. Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy/Handout via REUTERS -
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Sunday that North Korea has pulled out of next month's qualifying tournament for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The move comes after the country had already withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Korea is due to host the remaining matches in Group H of the second round of Asia's preliminary tournament in June, but North Korean officials informed their southern counterparts of their intention to withdraw this month.
Prior to the withdrawal, North Korea were in fourth place in the standings after five matches, level on eight points with the South Koreans, who have played one game fewer.
Turkmenistan currently lead the group, which is completed by Lebanon and Sri Lanka.
The AFC said it will refer North Korea's withdrawal to governing body FIFA, with a decision on how the country's exit from the competition will affect the group standings to be announced in due course//CNA
May
Media organisations demand Israel explain destruction of news offices
Written by nuke
A ball of fire erupts from a building housing various international media, including The Associated Press, after an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, May 15, 2021 in Gaza City. (Mahmud Hams /Pool Photo via AP) -
News organisations demanded an explanation on Saturday (May 15) for an Israeli airstrike that targeted and destroyed a Gaza City building housing the offices of the Associated Press, broadcaster Al-Jazeera and other media outlets.
AP journalists and other tenants were safely evacuated from the 12-storey al-Jalaa tower after the Israeli military warned of an imminent strike. Three heavy missiles hit the building within the hour, disrupting coverage of the ongoing conflict between' Gaza’s Hamas rulers and Israel. At least 145 people in Gaza and eight in Israel have been killed since the fighting erupted on Monday night.
“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today,” AP president and CEO Gary Pruitt said. He said the American news agency was seeking information from the Israeli government and engaging with the US State Department to learn more.
Mostefa Souag, acting director-general of Al-Jazeera Media Network, called the strike a “war crime” and a “clear act” to stop journalists from reporting on the conflict. Kuwait state television also had office space in the now-collapsed Gaza City building.
“The targeting of news organisations is completely unacceptable, even during an armed conflict. It represents a gross violation of human rights and internationally agreed norms,” Barbara Trionfi, the executive director of the International Press Institute, said.
In a standard Israeli response, the military said that Hamas was operating inside the building, and it accused the militant group of using journalists as human shields. But it provided no evidence to back up the claims.
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus claimed that Hamas used the building for a military intelligence office and weapons development. He alleged “a highly advanced technological tool” that the militant group used in the fighting was “within or on the building".
But Conricus said he could not provide evidence to back up the claims without “compromising” intelligence efforts. He added, however: “I think it’s a legitimate request to see more information, and I will try to provide it.”
Pruitt, the AP's CEO, said the news agency had been in the building for 15 years and “we have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building”.
"We have called on the Israeli government to put forward the evidence," he said. “This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.”
Some press freedom advocates said the strike raised suspicions that Israel was trying to hinder coverage of the conflict. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists demanded Israel “provide a detailed and documented justification” for the strike.
The Washington-based National Press Club called the strike “part of a pattern this week of Israeli forces destroying buildings in Gaza that house media organisations" and also questioned whether the assaults seek to “impair independent and accurate coverage of the conflict”//ANT
May
China's number of new investors grew in April at slowest in 13 months
Written by nuke
A man wearing a protective mask is seen inside the Shanghai Stock Exchange building, as the country is hit by a new coronavirus outbreak, at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, China February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song -
The number of China's new investors grew in April at its slowest pace in 13 months, hit by a lack of upside momentum for the stock market and persistent worries over policy tightening.
The number of new investors for the A-share market increased by 1.7 million in April, or 3.1per cent year-on-year, its slowest since March 2020, data from the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (CSDC) showed.
The benchmark CSI300 index closed up 2.4per cent on Friday, but was 14per cent off an all-time high hit on Feb. 18, as worries over lofty valuations, policy tightening and Sino-U.S. tension weighed on sentiment.
The index has been trading in narrow ranges since early March, when it tumbled as much as 17per cent from its record high, dampening investor appetite for equities.
Analysts and traders said the stock market would probably remain rangebound, given inflation worries and the central bank's tightening bias, thanks to a solid economic recovery from the coronavirus outbreak.
The central bank tightening will not be very strong in the short term, although inflation expectations will still dampen market sentiment to some extent, Vanho Securities analysts said in a note.
Chinese money and lending data on Wednesday showed bank lending and broader credit slowed more than expected in April as the central bank gradually scales back pandemic-drive stimulus//CNA
May
About 5,000 inmates, staff to be tested for COVID-19 after cook at Changi Prison tests positive
Written by nuke
The entrance gate of Changi Prison. (File photo: Singapore Prison Service) -
About 5,000 inmates, staff and partners at Changi Prison will be tested for COVID-19 over the next few days after a cook working there was confirmed to have the infection.
All inmates' face-to-face visits and tele-visits will also be replaced by phone calls with effect from May 17 until further notice, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on Saturday (May 15).
The man, known as Case 63160, was reported as an unlinked community case by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday. He is fully vaccinated.
The 39-year-old last reported to work on Wednesday. He felt unwell after work, developing a fever and runny nose, and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic where he received a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19. His test result came back positive the next day.
SPS said it immediately ceased kitchen operations at Institution A5 and started contact tracing among staff and inmates upon confirmation of his infection.
All close contacts of the man have been isolated or placed in quarantine pending issuance of a quarantine order, said the service.
Affected inmates will serve their quarantine orders in prison, isolated from the rest of the inmate population. Staff, vendors and volunteers will serve theirs at MOH's designated quarantine facility//CNA
May
Taiwan tightens curbs after reporting 180 new domestic COVID-19 cases
Written by nuke
People wearing protective face masks wait for the metro amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Taipei on May 11, 2021. (File photo: Reuters/Ann Wang) -
Taiwan raised its COVID-19 alert level on Saturday (May 15) in its capital, Taipei, and the city around it, bringing curbs for a period of two weeks that will shut many venues and restrict gatherings in the wake of 180 new domestic infections.
The new rules will not mean that offices, schools or restaurants have to close, but will cause the shutdown of cinemas and other entertainment spots, while limiting family get-togethers to five people indoors and 10 outdoors.
Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has reported fewer than 1,500 cases among a population of about 24 million, most of them imported from abroad, but a recent rise in community transmissions has spooked residents.
The island has never gone into a full lockdown, and its people are used to life carrying on near normal, despite the pandemic ranging in many other parts of the world.
Late on Friday, several universities, including the elite National Taiwan University, said they would immediately switch to remote learning, telling students to stay away from campuses.
"As COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc, please be reminded to wear a mask at all times when you go out, wash hands frequently and keep appropriate social distancing," National Taiwan University said in a statement.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum, outside which people have queued for a hugely popular exhibition by Japanese artist Shiota Chiharu that opened this month, said it would close from Saturday to comply with the city's COVID-19 prevention rules.
Taipei's National Palace Museum, home to one of the world's best and most extensive collections of Chinese art, said it too would close from Saturday//CNA
May
Funding for new coal projects drying up fast in Southeast Asia as climate pressures mount
Written by nuke
Funding for new coal projects drying up fast in Southeast Asia as climate pressures mount -
An exodus of financing for new coal projects in Southeast Asia is heaping pressure on new regional coal power projects and the companies and governments hoping to persist with burning fossil fuels for energy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) delivered yet another blow to regional coal financing when it announced last Friday (May 7) that it would conditionally cease funding new coal-fired power stations as well as coal mining and oil and natural gas production and exploration.
It follows a raft of Southeast Asian banks and development banks and export credit agencies (ECAs) from China, Japan and South Korea pulling their support for dirty energy generation, as ambitious climate change targets filter through the sector.
“If these banks all stop financing, coal is dead because coal is not bankable without government subsidised finance,” he said.
ADB announced a major - but expected - shift in policy following mounting demands for it to cease supporting projects not aligned with tackling climate change.
"Coal and other fossil fuels have played a large part in ensuring access to energy for the region's economic development, but they have not solved the energy access challenge, and their use harms the environment and accelerates climate change," the bank said in its new draft energy policy, while not ruling out supporting natural gas projects in the future, under certain conditions.
The development bank said that it has invested US$42.5 billion in the energy sector across the region between 2009 and 2019, but last invested in a new coal plant eight years ago in Pakistan. Last month, it pledged to target US$80 billion in climate financing by 2030.
It follows pledges from the Japanese and South Korean governments to end or tighten the financing of overseas fossil fuel plants, which includes projects in the ASEAN region, as both countries upped their climate change target commitments last month.
Globally, coal funding is on life support - funding for new projects dropped in 2019 to the lowest levels seen in a decade. Yet Southeast Asia remains a holdout on the trend, contributing to the growth of a commodity fast reaching its expiry date.
It means that some countries will continue to persist with coal as long as they can. And despite all the financial headwinds, Fitch Solutions analysis does not predict coal demand to peak until 2028, and new coal projects still account for more than an estimated 40 per cent of total power capacity in Asia’s power project pipeline.
“Coal will remain the dominant generation source in the regional power mix, despite its share falling slightly over the coming decade,” said Sabrin Chowdhury, a senior commodities analyst at Fitch Solutions.
“This is largely due to several governments across the region retaining an ongoing commitment to coal, as it remains the most practical means to stimulate affordable electricity generation growth at the pace and scale needed by many emerging markets in the region at present,” she said//CNA
May
UK to speed up vaccinations, warns Indian variant may delay full reopening
Written by nuke
Maoula Jan, 52, who is British and originally from Afghanistan receives his second dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine from volunteer vaccinator Steve Kriss, at a vaccine centre in the Swaminarayan School in Neasden, north London, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Photo: AP/Matt Dunham) -
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday (May 14) Britain would accelerate its COVID-19 vaccination programme, to try to contain a fast-spreading variant first identified in India that could knock a re-opening of the economy off track.
The United Kingdom has delivered one of the world's fastest inoculation campaigns, giving a first shot to almost 70 per cent of the adult population and a second to 36 per cent, helping to reduce infection rates and deaths.
But the emergence of the B16172 variant in parts of northern England and London has prompted some scientists to call for the reopening to be delayed, and a rethink on the speed of the vaccine rollout.
"I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation very closely because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter," Johnson told a news conference.
He said the government would accelerate remaining second doses to the over 50s and those clinically vulnerable to just eight weeks after the first dose, and would prioritise first doses for those eligible who had not yet come forward.
Even so, the spread of the variant could disrupt Britain's progress out of lockdown, making it more difficult to move to the final stage of a staggered reopening of the economy in June, he said.
Johnson had aimed to lift all restrictions on Jun 21, after allowing people in England from Monday to hug again, meet in small groups indoors and travel abroad.
Chris Whitty, England chief medical officer, said there was now confidence that B16172 was more transmissible than the "Kent" variant that fuelled England's second wave of infections. He said B16172 could come to dominate in Britain.
Whitty said so far there had not been a significant increase in hospitalisations from the variant, which may be because more people had been vaccinated.
But both Johnson and Whitty said it was still early days, and scientists would need to scrutinise data over the next two or three weeks to truly see the impact of the variant.
Britain put India on a travel "red list" in April, meaning all arrivals from India - now suffering the world's worst wave of COVID-19 - would have to pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.
Media reports at the time suggested that, because the quarantine requirement was announced four days in advance, many people had sought to fly beforehand. Britain has a large South Asian community.
Even with new variants, the government is likely to want to avoid repeating the regional curbs used last year, which ultimately failed to prevent two further national lockdowns.
At the national level, infections are still low, and fell for a fifth consecutive week in England, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed on Friday//CNA