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Fully vaccinated foreign tourists and travelers on business will be allowed in the country without having to go through government quarantine starting next month, Malacañang announced on Friday.

This will be the first time the country will welcome these visitors since 2020, when it closed its borders in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said fully vaccinated nationals from countries not requiring visas will be allowed to visit beginning Feb. 10.

A total of 157 countries are considered visa-free, including the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and all the other member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

According to the latest regulations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), passports of these travelers must be valid for at least six months from the time of arrival and must have return or outbound tickets for their next destination.

Passports, proof of vaccination

They must also present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, such as a World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, a VaxCertPh, or a digital certificate of a foreign government which has accepted the VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement.

Children below 18, however, will be exempted from the full vaccination requirement.

Effective Feb. 1, the government will suspend the color-code classification of countries into red, yellow, or green which had been observed in accordance with their risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The IATF said the fully inoculated would no longer have to go through facility quarantine.

Moreover, they will not be tallied in the arrival quota set by the Department of Transportation.

Unvaccinated passengers

On the other hand, foreign travelers who remain unvaccinated would no longer be allowed to enter the country starting on Feb 16.

But Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet on Friday” “We are considering letting in the unvaccinated but with long quarantines.”

Meanwhile, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers as well as those whose inoculation status cannot be verified must present a negative PCR test and undergo facility quarantine until the release of their test results on the fifth day.

They will then further undergo home quarantine until the 14th day from their arrival.

The fully vaccinated will only be asked to monitor themselves for symptoms for seven days.

But they will be asked to present a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from their country of origin.

All travelers from abroad undergoing quarantine on Feb. 1, whether Filipino or foreign, may avail themselves of these testing and quarantine protocols.

‘Giant leap’

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the quarantine requirement was removed for the fully vaccinated because experts believe “it doesn’t make sense anymore,” given that coronavirus transmission in the country is already high.

With regard to returning overseas Filipinos, she said analysis by the Philippine Genome Center had shown that the number of those testing positive for COVID-19 was low.

Nograles said that with the new IATF rules, “the tourism industry will be able to recover and it will contribute greatly to job generation, livelihood and the economic growth of the country.”

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement: “[W]e are confident that we will be able to keep pace with our Asean neighbors who have already made similar strides to reopen to foreign tourists.”

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the reopening of the country’s borders was “a giant leap toward the rebound of the tourism and international travel sector.”

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said: “We can now welcome both leisure and business travelers, and this will redound to benefits downstream for our [micro, small, and medium enterprises].” 

By: Leila B. Salaverria, Tina G. Santos

Published : January 29, 2022

By : Philippine Daily Inquirer

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011646

China’s central bank on Thursday said that it has extended a bilateral currency swap agreement with its counterpart in Indonesia.

BEIJING, Jan. 27 — The deal has a scale of 250 billion yuan (about 40 billion U.S. dollars), or 550 trillion Indonesian rupiah. It will be valid for three years and can be further extended with mutual consent, according to a statement from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

The PBOC said the extension would help deepen the monetary and financial cooperation between the two countries, facilitate bilateral trade and investment, and safeguard financial stability.

A currency swap deal allows two institutions to exchange payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in the other to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and provide liquidity support for financial markets. 

Published : January 28, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011638

The global influencer marketing market was valued at a record $13.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $24.1 billion by 2025.

SEOUL – Self-assessment of one‘s attractive qualities is a critical step to becoming a successful influencer, according to Ryo Chu-hyeop, a 36-year old YouTuber and South Korea’s first professor of “influencer affairs.”

In order to make other people follow you online, aspiring influencers need to ruminate on their own ideas and thoughts and what kind of attributes they have to attract others.

“Attractiveness does not necessarily mean (physical) beauty. It can be something that evokes empathy or curiosity. Ability to produce content that touches people’s hearts or catch them off guard,” he said during an interview with The Korea Herald.

Ryo is the co-founder and CEO of Allblanc TV, a fitness-focused YouTube channel with over 1.8 million subscribers and counting.

Starting in 2018, it mainly offers at-home workout classes with the three co-founders of the channel. Ryo met the business partners at a fitness contest while he was serving as an aerospace researcher at the state-run Agency for Defense Development.

Allblanc TV’s content is chiefly for YouTube but is shared via various social media platforms including China-based TikTok, Weibo, Bilibili and Douyin. Some 82 per cent of its viewership is from outside Korea, mainly from the United States, the United Kingdom and India.

It’s something that many aspiring content creators and influencers hope to duplicate.

As a person who made the dramatic career change from a weapons scientist to a YouTuber, Ryo understands what draws many to the social media and content business.

Ryo Chu-hyeop (left), the CEO of Allblanc TV, with other founding members. (Allblanc TV)

“I think it is natural that more and more students dream of becoming content creators as the job enables them to satisfy their desire of building relationships and achieve economic success at the same time,” the CEO said.

In South Korea, content creators replaced K-pop stars as the top dream job among children aged 4-16, according to a survey conducted on over 40,000 kids in May last year.

And despite ongoing debates over their credibility, the exponential development of influencer marketing is reshaping consumer behaviour and shoestring budget YouTube channels are stealing thunder from major television stations.

The global influencer marketing market was valued at a record $13.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $24.1 billion by 2025.

In January, Ryo has been appointed as an associate professor in the department of influencer affairs, a new major launched by Daegu Cyber University. He will begin his lectures in March for students who enrol for the 2022 academic year.

The new role would be a continuation of his efforts in the past years on creator education and mentoring, he said.

Essential skills for content creators are creative planning, filming and editing techniques, as one could easily guess. But they also have to learn how to handle the business side of the job, like communications with advertisers or a broader public.

The rise of over-the-top media services, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Korea’s homegrown Wavve, Watcha and Tving, has broadened the arena of the competition for digital content creators to go beyond YouTube and TikTok, Ryo continued. This means that on top of good content you need a good strategy to compete, he stressed.

“Strategists who understand the dynamics between content distributions and platforms are emerging to bring the success of content from a business perspective,” he said.

Creators, who used to collaborate only with other YouTubers, now join hands with or appear on video live streaming service firms such as Netflix, Afreeca TV and Twitch to attract subscribers from other platforms to their channels.

An abrupt role change from a creator to a business-minded person appears to be the biggest hurdle before they take their brand to the next level.

“If you become a content creator with a lot of subscribers, the time comes when you have to file taxes as a private operator. During the process, many creators lose their focus on content and spend too much energy (on the other aspect),” he said, adding that he plans to open lectures on startup strategies at the university as it could help content creation businesses operating for the long run.

Park Han-na

The Korea Herald

Published : January 28, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011632

Seoul is likely to see its population, sink below 9.5 million during the first half of 2022. This suggests that government policies to promote marriages and births have lacked efficacy.

SEJONG – South Korea’s monthly decline in population reached the record-high of more than 8,000 in November, with the demographic tally losing by more than 40,000 for the first 11 months of 2021, state data showed Wednesday.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of births stayed at 19,800 in November. This marked the second-lowest in history since the nation started compiling relevant data, following December 2020 data of 19,641.

The number of deaths came to 28,426 in the month, under which the “natural” decline in population, on-month basis, came to an all-time high of 8,626. But this calculation does not reflect changes in the number of foreign nationals staying in the nation or Koreans residing overseas, which affect the population.

Over the first 11 months of last year, the natural growth in population reached minus 41,875 as deaths continued to outnumber births in the nation.

When it comes to the period of 25 months from November 2019 — when the demographic figure entered a downhill phase — to November 2021, the collective growth posted minus 81,665. The number of deaths continued to outpace that of births for the 25th consecutive month.

Data showed that the yearly tally for marriages also fell sharply from 302,828 in 2015 to 213,502 in 2020 amid steady declines for the five years.

Given 172,748 in the number of marriages for the first 11 months of 2021 and just 17,088 in November, there is a high possibility that the yearly tally for marriages is estimated to have stayed under 200,000 for the first time in 2021.

Compared to the January to November period of 2020, the marriage figure for the corresponding period of 2021 slid by 9.7 per cent.

Of the eight major cities and nine provinces in Korea, Seoul posted the highest negative growth in the tally for marriages, as the capital saw the figure lose by 16.9 per cent for the first 11 months on-year.

The seriousness could be seen in Gyeonggi Province, which is the nation’s most populous region with its number of residents still increasing. The figure for marriages in the province declined by 5.4 per cent.

Sejong, one of the only two regions recording continuous positive growth in population, saw the tally for marriages fall by 10.9 per cent.

Unlike the drastically falling figure for marriage, the number of divorces in Korea is maintaining at similar levels, ranging between 100,000 and 110,000, from 2015 to 2020.

Divorces tallied 92,951 for the first 11 months of 2021. Though it marked a fall by 4.5 per cent on-year, the yearly figure is estimated to have approached or surpassed the 100,000 mark given 8,770 in November.

According to statistics unveiled by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the nation’s population recorded 51.63 million at the end of 2021, compared with 51.82 million at the end of 2020.

After peaking at 51.85 million in November 2019, the current demographic figure has continued to drop to stay at a similar level with 51.63 million, posted in July 2016.

Seoul, which has suffered sharp declines for more than five years, is likely to see its population, sink below 9.5 million during the first half of 2022. The figure for the capital is estimated to have peaked at 10.31 million in February 2011, the Interior Ministry data showed.

Kim Yon-se

The Korea Herald

Published : January 28, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011614

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government’s COVID-19 pre-emergency designation took effect in 18 more prefectures Thursday following the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

In areas covered by the designation, eateries and bars are basically asked to close by 8 p.m., while those certified by local governments as taking required coronavirus prevention measures can stay open until 9 p.m. Group dining is limited to four people per table in principle.

The 18 prefectures are Hokkaido, Aomori, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Ishikawa, Nagano, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Shimane, Okayama, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Kagoshima. The designation will be effective until Feb. 20.

The pre-emergency for Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Okinawa prefectures that started on Jan. 9 was extended until Feb. 20 from the previously planned expiration at the end of this month.

The pre-emergency designation now covers 34 of the country’s 47 prefectures.

The serving of alcohol is allowed at certified restaurants and bars in most of the areas under the pre-emergency state.

This time, the government partially revised its basic policy on coronavirus measures, recommending the use of nonwoven fabric masks, rather than urethane masks, as the omicron variant is highly infectious.

The government also changed its policy on seeing doctors, calling on young people at low risk of developing severe symptoms to visit medical institutions after taking coronavirus tests, if seeking medical advice may take time due to congestion.

If outpatient services get overwhelmed by infection surges, people suspected to be infected are allowed to self-isolate at home without seeing a doctor.

Published : January 28, 2022

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011613

North Korea on Friday confirmed this week’s two rounds of weapons tests involving long-range cruise missiles and surface-to-surface tactical guided missiles, and vowed to “keep developing powerful warheads.”

On Thursday, South Korea’s military said the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, marking its sixth such launch this month. The latest saber-rattling came just two days after Pyongyang launched two apparent cruise missiles from an inland area.

“The Academy of Defense Science of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducted the test-fire for updating long-range cruise missile system and the test-fire for confirming the power of conventional warhead for surface-to-surface tactical guided missile on Tuesday and Thursday respectively,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the North by its official name.

Leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the latest firings.

Kim instead was at a munitions factory “producing a major weapons system,” accompanied by his influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, and a senior party official, Jo Yong-won.

“He highly appreciated the factory effecting collective innovation and leaping progress in producing major weapons to implement the Party’s decisions,” the KCNA said in a separate report.

Officials at the factory cherished “the unwavering will” of the North Korean leader “who smashes with his bold pluck the challenges of the US imperialists and their vassal forces that try to violate in every direction our Republic’s right to self-defense.”

The KCNA did not provide further details regarding when the visit was made, but the North’s state media usually reports on Kim’s activities a day later.

It’s the first time in years for the North’s state media to report on Kim’s visit to a munitions factory. Kim inspected machine plants that are known as the North’s major weapons production sites in June 2019, months after his failed summit with then US President Donald Trump.

The North’s state media released photos of Kim’s visit to the plant but blurred the faces of officials there apparently due to security reasons.

Tuesday’s cruise missiles flew for 9,137 seconds and hit the target island 1,800 km away, according to the KNCA.

When the North conducted its last known cruise missile test in September last year, the projectiles traveled 1,500 km for 7,580 seconds.

“The practical combat performance of the long-range cruise missile system would hold a reliable share in boosting the war deterrence of the country,” the KCNA said.

The subsequent test of what appeared to be its variant of Russia’s Iskander, or KN-23, on Thursday was aimed at “confirming the power of conventional warhead” for the surface-to-surface tactical guided missile, the state media said.

According to the South Korean military, the latest missiles, launched from near the eastern coastal city of Hamhung, flew about 190 km at a top altitude of 20 km at a five-minute interval.

“The Academy of Defense Science clarified that the missile warhead institute under it will keep developing powerful warheads capable of performing combat function and mission,” the report said.

North Korea has been ratcheting up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with a series of missile tests since the start of the year, including two rounds of what it called a hypersonic missile.

Amid an impasse in nuclear negotiations with the US, Pyongyang said last week it may consider lifting its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range ballistic missile tests. (Yonhap)

Published : January 28, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011612

SINGAPORE – In one of the strongest signals that the country is committed to reopening and returning to life in a world with Covid-19, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and promoters Singapore GP on Thursday (Jan 27) announced a new seven-year deal to continue hosting a Formula One race here.

With international travel showing some signs of recovery, the agreement is the longest renewal with the Formula One Group – the previous ones were between four and five years. The longer runway is intended to help reposition Singapore again as a business and lifestyle destination and ensure the country maintains its competitive edge in the long term.

The last two night races were cancelled due to the pandemic while last year’s edition was the last of the four-year extension signed in 2017. Singapore Airlines’ title sponsorship also ended last year.

The latest contract is from 2022 until 2028 with this year’s race scheduled for Oct 2 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, said: “Even as we deal with the immediate challenges of the pandemic, it is important that we focus on our recovery and long-term growth. The Singapore F1 race continues to be a strong focal point for tourists, global events and business meetings.

“We have decided to continue hosting the F1 race for another seven years, after thoroughly evaluating the long-term benefits that a term extension could bring to Singapore.

“The renewal will help sustain Singapore’s reputation as a global city with a vibrant lifestyle, attracting international visitors as travel rebounds, and generating business revenue and jobs for Singaporeans.”

The joint statement also stressed that the stakeholders would work with the various government agencies to ensure the health and safety of all participants, staff, local and overseas fans and the community.

While three of last year’s 22 races – in Italy, Portugal and Azerbaijan – were held behind closed doors, the rest proceeded with spectators in the grandstands. Some, like in Bahrain, Spain and Monaco, early in the year had reduced capacities before venues in Austria, England and the United States began welcoming full houses.

The majority of races required adults to be fully vaccinated and/or supply a negative test result though mask wearing and social distancing were loosely enforced.

Singapore has hosted several international events in recent months. On Nov 27 and 28 last year, pop star JJ Lin performed in front of 2,000 fans each night at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands under vaccination-differentiated safe management measures which allowed concert-goers to sit alongside one another without the need for social distancing.

Two weeks prior, the Bloomberg New Economy Forum welcomed 300 international business and government leaders to Sentosa’s Capella hotel, with strict testing requirements for delegates so as to allow for business networking.

And in December, Singapore received more than 500 foreign travellers – players, coaches, officials, sponsors and delegates from regional and continental football bodies – for the month-long, 10-team Suzuki Cup tournament with some games at the National Stadium drawing almost 10,000 fans.

The Singapore Grand Prix is on a different scale though.

The 2019 race, the last time it was staged here, drew a three-day total of 268,000 spectators – the second-highest after the 300,000 total at the 2008 maiden race.

Overseas visitors generally comprise 40 per cent of race-goers here and the race weekend contributes about $130 million annually in tourism receipts.

There have been 12 editions since 2008 and together, they brought more than 550,000 unique foreign visitors, contributing over $1.5 billion in tourism receipts.

The tourism sector has been battered by Covid-19. Last year, there were 330,000 visitor arrivals and an estimated $1.9 billion in tourism receipts. 

It is only a fraction of the 19 million visitors and $27.7 billion in receipts from before the pandemic in 2019.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry and STB fund 60 per cent of the $135 million night race costs each year, with race promoters Singapore GP footing the rest.

This year’s race layout at Marina Bay will likely have to be tweaked due to the planned construction of the NS Square, a new permanent space for large-scale national events which will replace the Float@Marina Bay. The new site, scheduled to start construction in March, will be completed by the end of 2025.

Last year’s F1 drivers’ championship was one of the most dramatic in recent memory, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claiming his first world title in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, beating seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes under controversial circumstances.

In this year’s provisional calendar released by F1 last October, it listed a record 23 races.

The 2022 season begins on March 20 in Bahrain. China will again not host a race for the third straight year due to the pandemic. Excluding the Middle East, there are only two races in Asia, Singapore on Oct 2 and the Japanese GP a week later.

As recently as 2013, there were six stops in the region – Malaysia, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and India.

By Jonathan Wong

Published : January 28, 2022

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011611

BEIJING – Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday held a phone conversation over China-US relations and the current situation in Ukraine.

The top priority for China and the United States at present is to truly implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden during their video meeting in November last year, said Wang.

During the video meeting, Wang recalled, Xi summarized the experience and lessons of China-US exchanges over past more than half a century, and put forward three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, charting the course for the healthy development of China-US relations.

Biden responded positively by then, and said that the United States neither seeks a “new Cold War” with China, nor pursues a change in China’s system, the revitalization of its alliances is not anti-China, and the country does not support “Taiwan independence,” and has no intention to have conflict and confrontation with China, sending a positive signal which is different from the previous US administration, said the Chinese foreign minister.

However, Wang said, what the world has seen is that there has been no substantive change in the tone of the US policy towards China and Biden’s pledges have not been fully delivered.

The US side is still making erroneous words and deeds related to China, which have dealt a new blow to bilateral relations, Wang added.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the “Shanghai Communique,” Wang said that China and the United States having no intention of changing each other is the precondition of the normalization of bilateral relations, and should be the guarantee of peaceful coexistence between the two countries in the future.

Competition between major countries is not the theme of a post-pandemic world that will encounter new situations and challenges, nor will it address the problems facing the United States and countries worldwide, Wang said.

China and the United States, as the world’s two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should bear in mind the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, follow the trend of global development, and well implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, he said.

Wang said the two countries must have a good grasp of the general direction of bilateral ties, take concrete actions to fulfill commitments, expand the positive aspects of bilateral cooperation, and manage differences constructively.

Pressure will only make the Chinese people more united, and confrontation will not stop China from becoming stronger, he stressed.

At present, the top priority for the US side is to stop interfering in the Beijing Winter Olympics, stop playing with fire by playing the “Taiwan card,” and stop forming all kinds of small cliques aimed at working against and containing China, he said.

For his part, Blinken said it is important for the two sides to maintain regular communication, stressing the position that US President Joe Biden elaborated in the virtual meeting between the two heads of state has not changed.

The United States and China have shared interests as well as differences, Blinken said, noting the United States is ready to manage differences responsibly.

The US stance on the one-China policy remains unchanged, he said, and the United States will cheer for its athletes who participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics and wish the Chinese people a happy Chinese New Year.

Blinken then stated the US position on issues including the issue of Ukraine.

The Chinese foreign minister said to address the tensions in Ukraine, it is necessary to return to the 2015 Minsk Agreements approved by the Security Council, which is a fundamental political document recognized by all parties and should be implemented in earnest.

China will support any effort that conforms to the direction and spirit of the agreements, he said, adding China calls on all parties to remain calm and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis.

Wang stressed that the security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of others, and regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs.

In the 21st century, all parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations, he said, adding Russia’s legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously and addressed. 

Published : January 28, 2022

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011610

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed concern over the developments in Afghanistan and called for mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia countries for regional security and stability.

“Central Asia is central to India’s vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood,” he said, chairing the first India-Central Asia Summit attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The presidents of the five Central Asian countries were scheduled to participate in India’s Republic Day parade as chief guests but their visits had to be postponed in view of the Covid crisis. The summit is symbolic of the importance attached by the leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.

Emphasising that mutual cooperation between India and Central Asia was essential to regional security and prosperity, Modi said this cooperation must be given an effective structure. “This will establish a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders,” he added.

The PM also called for creating an ambitious roadmap for India-Central Asia cooperation. “Through this, we will be able to adopt an integrated approach for regional connectivity and cooperation in the next 30 years,” he said.

Noting that diplomatic relations between India and Central Asia countries have completed 30 fruitful years, he said the cooperation between the two sides has achieved many successes over the past three decades. “And now, at this crucial juncture, let us define an ambitious vision for the years to come as well. Such a vision, which can fulfill the aspirations of our people, especially the younger generation, in the changing world,” he added.

The PM pointed out that India has close relations with all the Central Asian countries at the bilateral level. In this connection, he noted that Kazakhstan has become an important partner for India’s energy security. He also expressed his condolences over the recent loss of life and property in violence in Kazakhstan.

He said the state governments in India were also active partners in New Delhi’s growing cooperation with Uzbekistan. India has an active partnership with Kyrgyzstan in the field of education and high altitude research. Thousands of Indian students were studying there.

India, Modi said, has a long-standing cooperation in the field of security with Tajikistan and it was being continuously strengthened. Turkmenistan also was an important part of Indian vision in the field of regional connectivity, he added.

Published : January 28, 2022

By : The Statesman

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40011603

The forest officials said that the bio-repellent was extracted from a plant and was much harmless but still effective against the elephants.

Forest officials of Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have used bio-repellents to prevent the intrusion of wild elephants into human settlements, thus reducing the number of jumbo attacks.

Since December 2021, officials of ATR have mixed bio-repellent in water and sprayed the mixture around residences and shops in Mudis estate, TANTEA, Sangali road, and Urulikkal.

The forest officials said that the bio-repellent was extracted from a plant and was much harmless but still effective against the elephants.

The elephants, according to ATR officials, can sense its smell from as far as one and a half kilometres away and stay away from human settlements.

A senior officer of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department based at Anamalai told IANS that the number of elephant attacks has reduced since the use of the bio-repellent.

According to him, the movement of around 200 elephants were recorded in 2020- 21 but it has come down to 140-150 elephant intrusions in the corresponding period from 2021-22 so far.

Studies conducted by the Forest Department have found that most of these elephants have gone inside to Tamil Nadu- Kerala forests from the Valpara plateau areas.

The Statesman

Published : January 27, 2022