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Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said that Pakistan wants broad-ranging, long-term and stable relations with the United States to promote economic cooperation and establish peace in the region.

He made the comments during a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan. The two sides discussed bilateral relations, Afghanistan and the regional situation during the meeting, according to a statement from the Foreign Office.

Qureshi stressed that a proper dialogue between the two countries was “necessary” for mutual benefit of the US and Pakistan as well as the promotion of regional objectives, the FO statement said.

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The foreign minister said Pakistan and US had similar perspectives and stressed the importance of a peaceful solution to the situation in Afghanistan.

He further said Pakistan hoped the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan would work for the betterment of all Afghan citizens alongside peace and stability.

“A representative and inclusive [Afghan] government can be a trustworthy partner for the international community. In the current situation, there is a need for proper steps by the international community to ensure positive inclusion, provision of humanitarian aid and financial resources [to set up] a stable economy to solve the problems of the Afghan public,” the statement quoted Qureshi as saying.

The foreign minister also stressed on a solution to the Kashmir dispute for lasting peace and stability in the South Asian region while apprising the US delegation of the human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

He also thanked the US deputy secretary of state for the country’s donation of Covid-19 vaccines to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Sherman offered condolences on the lives lost in the earthquake in Balochistan’s Harnai district a day earlier.

She also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to evacuate foreign citizens from Afghanistan as well as its efforts for regional peace, the FO statement said.

The US official also praised the progress in talks between the US and Pakistan on climate change and alternate sources of energy.

The meeting was also attended by US Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asian Affairs David Lu and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood.

In a tweet later in the day, Sherman said she discussed Afghanistan’s future and the important and long-standing US-Pakistan relationship with Qureshi during the meeting.

“We look forward to continuing to address pressing regional and global challenges,” she added.

US official meets COAS

Later, Sherman called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

According to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), matters of mutual interest, the regional security situation and collaboration in humanitarian measures in Afghanistan were discussed.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday. — Photo courtesy: ISPR

“The COAS said that Pakistan is committed to making all-out efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan and supports an all-inclusive Afghan government,” the statement said.

He also emphasised the need to maintain meaningful bilateral engagement for an enduring multi-domain relationship between the two countries.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in the Afghan situation, specially the assistance in successful evacuation operations and pledged to continue working with Pakistan for regional peace, the statement said.

Meeting with NSA

A day earlier, National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf, in a meeting with the US deputy secretary of state, stressed that the international community “must maintain contact” with the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan.

According to a report by Radio Pakistan, during the meeting both sides expressed the desire to promote bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan.

They also discussed economic cooperation as well as the security situation in the region, it added.

According to the report, the US delegation appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to evacuate foreigners from Afghanistan and the help it extended to Afghan refugees.

In his remarks, Yusuf said that blatant human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir also posed a threat to regional peace.

Sherman and her seven-member team arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day visit to the country.

She had earlier visited India for a series of bilateral meetings, civil society events, and the India Ideas Summit.

Sherman is the senior-most official in the State Department after Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

She is the highest-ranking US visitor to Pakistan under President Joe Biden since the Taliban’s victory in Kabul.

Important visit

“The visit is taking place at a very critical time, both in the context of Afghanistan and developments in the wider region,” said a senior diplomatic source when asked to explain why Islamabad sees this as an important visit.

The source pointed out that the Biden administration did “not seem to be reluctant to travel to both India and Pakistan in one go, which was the case in the past”.

“This is an important visit, and we look forward to engaging with Deputy Secretary Sherman,” Pakistan’s US Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan earlier told Dawn. “Together, we would explore ways to strengthen and expand our bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and concern.”

According to sources, the Biden administration is focusing on four major points in its talks with Pakistan — recognition of the Taliban government in Kabul, international sanctions on Afghanistan, access to Afghanistan and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The sources say that the United States does not want Pakistan to recognise the Taliban regime before the rest of the international community. Instead, it wants Pakistan to continue its efforts for softening the Taliban position on controversial issues, such as inclusive governance, human rights, girls’ education and allowing women to work.

“We seek a strong partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism and we expect sustained action against all militant and terrorist groups without distinction,” Sherman had told reporters last week ahead of the visit.

“Both of our countries have suffered terribly from the scourge of terrorism and we look forward to cooperative efforts to eliminate all regional and global terrorist threats,” she had said.

Published : October 10, 2021

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40007288

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama): Former Malaysian foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar welcomes Malaysias readiness to consider holding a dialogue with Myanmars National Unity Government if the ruling military junta continues to ignore the five-point consensus agreed upon by Asean.

However, he cautioned that the move should not be at the expense of the ties with the junta governing the country.

“It’s good for Malaysia to establish contact with the NUG. However, we can’t sever relations with the junta government,” said Syed Hamid, who is the Chairman of the Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar, to Bernama.

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He also stressed that it is necessary for Malaysia to act in unison with other like-minded Asean countries on the ongoing political turmoil in Myanmar.

“We shouldn’t be isolated from Asean on Myanmar. It is Myanmar that should act in the spirit of Asean togetherness and cooperation,” he said.

Syed Hamid said this when asked on Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah’s reply to a question in Parliament on Wednesday that Malaysia is ready to consider holding a dialogue with the NUG if the five-point consensus does not get the cooperation of the military junta.

Saifuddin also said the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last Monday was informed that Naypyidaw was still not cooperating with the terms of the consensus reached at the special Asean Leaders Meeting (ALM) in Jakarta in April to help resolve the crisis in Myanmar.

The NUG is a shadow government formed last April by representatives from the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi and others. The activities of the NUG are largely carried out online.

Since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown by Myanmar’s junta led by General Min Aung Hlaing on Feb 1, there had been internal unrest with nearly 1,000 civilians killed by security forces.

ASEAN has also appointed Brunei Foreign Minister II Erywan Mohd Yusof as special envoy to Myanmar as stated in the five-point consensus, but he has not been able to play his role because of the junta’s refusal to cooperate. – Bernama

Published : October 10, 2021

By : The Star

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SINGAPORE – Travel restrictions will be eased and health processes simplified as Singapore stays the course on living with Covid-19, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The Republic will press on with its strategy of living with the virus, with a “new normal” expected to be between three and six months away. Right now, the crucial step is to update mindsets on the virus, PM Lee said in his ninth address to the nation since the pandemic began.

This means treating Covid-19 as a serious adversary without living in fear of it, and adjusting healthcare and recovery measures to prioritise those at greatest risk of severe illness, he told the nation in an address on Saturday (Oct 9).

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Singapore will also “drastically simplify” its healthcare protocols, said Mr Lee, who acknowledged people’s concerns and frustrations about keeping up with new policies and changes to measures.

“No more complicated flow charts. People must be clear what to do if they test positive, or if they come into contact with someone who is infected,” he said in the live broadcast.

To this end, home recovery will become the default for almost everyone in Singapore from Sunday, except the very youngest and oldest of patients and for those above 50 who are unvaccinated, the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 announced on Saturday.

Testing and isolation protocols have also been streamlined to three pathways that the task force said will apply to the vast majority of cases. The revised protocols and simplified time-based discharge approach – most patients will automatically exit home isolation after 10 days – will take effect from Monday.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that authorities had reset these Covid-19 protocols as the Delta variant causes high viral loads early in an infection that can be caught by a rapid test, and balanced against the unsustainability of restricting large numbers of people for prolonged periods to try and catch every case.

“A system like that is less watertight than today’s quarantine system, but it can significantly and substantively manage the risk,” he said at a multi-ministry taskforce press conference that followed Mr Lee’s address.

Unlike last year, when the consequences of infection were serious, widespread vaccination here has meant that more than 98 per cent of cases now have mild or no symptoms and can recover well at home just like if they had contracted the flu, said Mr Lee.

Only 2 per cent or fewer developed serious illness, while 0.2 per cent, or two out of every thousand cases – have died or needed intensive care unit (ICU) treatment, he noted.

“In other words, Covid-19 is no longer a dangerous disease for most of us,” he said.

Now, the threat of Covid-19 is mainly to seniors – those aged 60 and above who are not vaccinated, or 80 and above even if they are vaccinated, said Mr Lee.

A disproportionate number of cases with poor outcomes were unvaccinated seniors: While they account for barely 1.5 per cent of the population, they made up two-thirds of cases that needed ICU care or died.

“The remaining one-third were vaccinated seniors,” said Mr Lee.

“We feel every single loss keenly. My deepest sympathies and condolences to all the families.”

Mr Lee urged unvaccinated elders to get their vaccines, while those who have been vaccinated should go for their booster shots. The third jab reduces a senior’s risk of severe infection by more than 10 times, he said.

“Or to put it in another way, to the virus, the booster shot makes a vaccinated 80-year-old look like a much younger vaccinated 50-plus year-old,” he said.

Noting that 142 people have died so far with six deaths on Friday alone, Singapore’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak said vaccination remains the key strategy in reducing the risk of developing severe infection.

“This is a sad statistic and we should not be numb to the fact that when a person develops a severe Covid-19 infection, he does have a high risk of dying from that infection,” he said.

From Saturday, the booster shots regime will be expanded to healthcare and front-line workers, staff in settings such as aged homes, and to people aged 30 and above.

Living with Covid-19 also means reconnecting Singapore with the world and global supply chains so as to preserve Singapore’s hub status, said Mr Lee.

As part of this reopening, the Government announced on Saturday that Singapore will allow quarantine-free travel to eight more countries – including the United States, Britain and Canada – from later this month and South Korea from Nov 15.

Living with Covid-19 also means reconnecting Singapore with the world and global supply chains so as to preserve Singapore

Minister for Transport S Iswaran who was also at the press conference said that together with Brunei and Germany (which are already on the scheme), the 11 countries account for about a tenth of pre-Covid-19 annual passenger arrivals at Changi Airport.

“While still a far cry from where we were pre-Covid, this is a significant step in the reopening of our borders and crucial to reclaiming and rebuilding our status as an international aviation hub with global connectivity,” he said.

The next few months will be trying as daily cases continue to rise for a few more weeks, but the surge will level off hopefully within a month, said Mr Lee.

Everyone has a part to play in ensuring that the healthcare system does not get overwhelmed, he added. This includes cutting back on social activities, and not rushing to hospitals’ accident and emergency (A&E) departments if they have mild symptoms, so that bed capacity is reserved for those who need it most.

“Unity of purpose and hearts is crucial to get us through the next few months,” he stressed.

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said that while some have called for a faster relaxation of the rules, others have expressed concerns about the health and well-being of their elders and the safety of their young children.

He said the Government is taking all these considerations to heart as it develops Singapore’s Covid-19 response and strategy.

“We want to ensure that we will always have the ability to provide medical care to anyone who falls seriously ill from Covid-19,” he said. “And that’s why we will ease out of our stabilisation measures in a calibrated manner.”

People will know when the new normal has been reached, said Mr Lee: Restrictions will largely be lifted, with only light measures in place; daily new cases will be stable at hundreds a day without growing; and hospitals will be able to go back to business as usual.

“We are in a much better position now, than a year or even six months ago,” he said.

“Sometimes it may not feel like it, but we are making steady progress towards the new normal.”

Published : October 10, 2021

By : The Straits Times

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The COVID-19 medical supplies sent by the World Health Organization and other UN agencies have reached the North Korean port of Nampo, an apparent signal that the reclusive regime is easing its strict border lockdown and welcoming outside help.

Afew months ago, the WHO and other UN agencies were informed by North Korea’s Public Health Ministry that it would allow items stranded in China since the onset of the pandemic to be transported to the North through the seaport Dalian, according to a report Friday from Radio Free Asia that cited Edwin Salvador, head of the WHO office in Pyongyang. It was the first communication from the North Korean government allowing medicines and supplies to be delivered into the country, he added. 

“Consequently, WHO was able to transport some of the items by ship to Nampo seaport. We are informed that these items along with the other items from the other UN agencies, remain under quarantine,” Salvador was quoted as saying in the report. 

The WHO said its shipments to North Korea included medicines and medical supplies such as personal protective equipment, gloves, masks and COVID-19 test reagents. 

These supplies had been locked up in China since the North sealed the border in January 2020 and suspended all trade with its northern neighbor, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the regime’s trade. 

North Korea’s strict border controls dealt a blow to its already tattered economy, which is suffering the fallout from international sanctions. Concerns are also rising as the regime appears to be bracing for a serious food crisis. 

It appears Pyongyang is ready to reopen its border and resume trade with China as well as to receive aid from the outside, after its long pandemic blockade. 

“Media reports show that there are signs that some goods are being delivered (from China to North Korea) through maritime shipping routes, but no concrete changes have been confirmed about the resumption of movement via land between Dandong and Sinuiju,” said Cha Deok-cheol, the Unification Ministry’s deputy spokesperson, Friday. Dandong is in China and Sinuiju is in the North.

He added that it was hard to predict when the land route might reopen and said the ministry would keep an eye on relevant developments. 

South Korea and the US have sought to provide humanitarian assistance to the North despite the stalled denuclearization talks. 

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The US State Department said Thursday that it supports humanitarian aid to the North, but stressed that the regime was largely responsible for the suffering there. 

“Even when we disagree with a particular regime, we believe that we must work to the best of our ability to do all we can to alleviate the suffering of the people. And so we continue to support international efforts aimed at the provision of critical humanitarian aid to the DPRK,” the department’s spokesperson Ned Price said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 

“It’s important to emphasize, at the same time, that the DPRK regime itself is primarily responsible for the humanitarian situation in the country. The regime continues to exploit its own citizens, to violate their human rights, to divert resources from the country’s people to build up its unlawful WMD and ballistic missiles program.”

Price noted that the US is still involved in efforts to facilitate humanitarian assistance to the North, which is evident in its ongoing work to speed up approvals by the UN Security Council’s 1718 sanctions committee for organizations around the world to deliver “life-saving aid” to Pyongyang.

By Ahn Sung-mi

Published : October 09, 2021

By : The Korea Herald

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The National Day holiday saw a surge in tourism, as people unleashed a strong demand for traveling that was suppressed over the summer holiday due to sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks.

Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed on Thursday that domestic attractions received about 515 million trips over the seven-day break, from Oct 1 to Thursday.

The total number of trips is roughly 70 percent of the number during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

The ministry said that revenue of about 389 billion yuan ($60.3 billion) was generated over the holiday, roughly 60 percent of that in 2019.

Travel agencies said they have seen an increase in tour package reservations after their businesses had a hard time during the summer. Red tourism, in which people visit sites with historical significance for Communism in China, and tour products focusing on appreciating autumn scenery and family trips are popular.

The travel portal Fliggy said in a new report that sales at its platform of tickets for attractions registered a 100 percent increase in the first three days of the holiday compared with the same period last year.

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The Universal Beijing Resort took the top slot on holiday travelers’ wish list, followed by Shanghai; Chengdu, Sichuan province; and Chongqing, according to Fliggy.

According to online travel agency Qunar, the top 50 theme parks, including Shanghai Disney Resort and Chimelong Tourist Resort in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, saw a 20 percent average increase in ticket sales.

Travelers also showed an increasing preference for Red tourism, as the National Day holiday this year marked the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Data provided by Trip.com Group, an online travel services provider, show that family trips to Red tourism attractions experienced a 30 percent rise at its platform compared with the same period last year. Destinations including Beijing; Yan’an, Shaanxi province; and Changsha, Hunan province were the most popular Red tourism attractions, it said.

Yuan Lili, who is from Anhui province, said it was a good time to take her child to learn the history of the Communist Party of China and pay tribute to martyrs who made their great contribution to the nation’s founding.

“We went to Shaoshan (in Hunan) on Sunday, which is the birthplace of Chairman Mao Zedong, and then traveled to Changsha for two days,” she said.

Published : October 09, 2021

By : China Daily

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NEW DELHI – With the Covid-19 situation in India improving rapidly, there is wide expectation that it would soon resume export of vaccines.

“Iwould not be surprised if we hear something positive very soon,” said Pratyaya Amrit, the Additional Chief Secretary at the Health Department of India’s Bihar state, on the possible lifting of the ban on export of vaccines to Covax countries.

Covax is a WHO initiative aimed at securing equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. Its stocks were seriously depleted after India, the world’s largest producer of vaccines, suspended exports when the pandemic situation aggravated a few months ago. Countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and many African countries are waiting for resumption of vaccine exports from India.

Both Amrit and Dr Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India, declined to predict when the ban would be lifted. They were speaking at a webinar on “India’s Vaccines and Vaccination: Mission Possible”. The event, organised by Asia News Network, was co-hosted by The Statesman, a founding member of the network, and DataLeads.

“India believes in universal brotherhood. Considering the progress at the moment and the way we are moving very close to our target, I would not be surprised if we hear something positive about this very soon,” Amrit said.

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Ofrin stressed that it isn’t just the capacity but India’s capability in the ecosystem that makes the country unique.

There is coordination between the department of science and technology (biotech) and the ministry of health and family welfare. India is the pharmacy of the world, and 70 per cent of all vaccines for various diseases are produced there.

“Technical experts are actively involved, with the National Advisory Group for Immunization regularly advising and a national experts group for vaccination setting out policies for national and state level rollout,” said the WHO Representative.

He underscored the motto that “No one is safe until everyone is safe”. He said Covax is working on technology sharing for developing countries to manage their own vaccine manufacturing through intellectual property rights.

Ofrin suggested two other priorities which poor countries with few health resources should adhere to in order to fight the pandemic.

The first is to engage people, communities, and to communicate well with them.

“No amount of vaccines will be able to cut transmission if no one wants to wear masks or wash hands,” he warned.

The second is to look for information, as it is an individual’s responsibility to screen information whether from social media, groups of friends and so on.

He said everyone is looking to India because of its success in vaccination and to “prepare India is to prepare the world”.

“Public health is dependent on the public health system, of being able to vaccinate quickly. It’s an investment against future disease outbreaks to have a resilient, better-prepared system, from development of vaccines, R&D and rural monitoring, that can face the next disease outbreak,” he said.

By Pana Janviroj for Eleven Media

Published : October 09, 2021

By : Eleven Media

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SINGAPORE – People vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to travel between Singapore and South Korea without quarantine from Nov 15.

The announcement by both countries means that Singapore residents now have a second option for leisure travel without quarantine, in addition to Germany.

The Transport Ministry announced on Friday (Oct 8) that Singapore will open up a new Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with South Korea to facilitate travel for vaccinated travellers.

The jointly launched VTLs will be the first of their kind between two major aviation hubs in Asia and build on longstanding relations to safely revive cross-border air travel and people-to-people flows, said the ministry.

Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it will convert all the six flights it is operating between Singapore and Seoul into designated VTL services from Nov 16. 

It added: “Customers are advised to carefully check the eligibility criteria for these VTL services once they have been published, and ensure they meet the travel requirements before their flights.”

It has no flights between the two countries on Nov 15.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) said that the agreement between Singapore and South Korea was marked by a video conference on Friday between Transport Minister S. Iswaran and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Mr Noh Hyeong Ouk.

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MOT added that Singapore and South Korea have also agreed on the mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certifications, which take effect from Nov 15.

This will allow fully vaccinated travellers with proof of vaccination issued in either country to tap vaccinated-differentiated safe management measures in both countries.

MOT said more details about the arrangement with South Korea will be announced in time.

Mr Iswaran said both Singapore and South Korea have made excellent progress in vaccinating its populations, and the VTLs between the two countries reflect the trust in each other to manage the Covid-19 situation.

“This is another milestone as we reopen Singapore’s borders, and resume air travel in a careful and calibrated manner,” he added.

Before Covid-19, Singapore and South Korea were among each other’s top travel destinations, with a total of 64 weekly passenger services connecting the two countries and carrying 1.6 million passengers annually.

Under the VTLs, fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel between Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport, and do polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, in lieu of serving quarantine or stay-home notice.

There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel or the need for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship.

Singapore last month started the VTL scheme with Brunei and Germany.

Germany had earlier opened its borders to Singapore, but Brunei’s borders remain largely closed.

Under the VTL scheme, fully vaccinated travellers can come into Singapore provided they meet several requirements, such as staying in either the country of departure and/or Singapore in the last 14 days prior to departing for Singapore.

They have to fly on designated VTL flights and take up to four Covid-19 PCR swab tests, including one pre-departure test and one on-arrival test.

According to data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), South Korea was the ninth-largest market for Singapore in terms of international visitor arrivals in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The top three markets were China, Indonesia and India.

South Korea had suspended visa-free entry and visa-waiver programmes for most travellers from 90 countries, including Singapore.

Foreign residents with valid visas are required to serve a 14-day quarantine at their own expense.

Meanwhile, South Koreans are required to serve a 14-day quarantine in their homes after returning from overseas. However, fully vaccinated South Koreans and permanent residents are exempted from this requirement.

More VTLs are expected to be on the way, as Singapore looks to open up its borders and restore the Changi air hub to its former glory.

Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said in Washington on Thursday that Singapore is working on establishing a VTL with the United States and wants to conclude it as soon as possible before the end of the year.

He said this follows successful VTL pilots with Germany and Brunei.

By Toh Ting Wei

Published : October 09, 2021

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40007252

Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced that if the Covid-19 situation remains stable for 15 consecutive days from the end of the October 5-7 Pchum Ben public holiday, Cambodia will reopen fully, albeit in the context of Covid-19 whereby people have to adjust their lives to the new normal.

Speaking at the Council of Ministers meeting on October 8, he said the development surrounding Covid-19 remains stable, with less than 20 deaths recorded per day on average.

“If within the coming 10 to 15 days the situation is stable, if we can maintain transmission and death rates like we do currently, I think it’s time to reopen the economy and society in all sectors, but in the new normal by following the three dos and three don’ts,” he said.

Hun Sen noted that half of the people who lost their lives to Covid-19 lately had not been vaccinated against the disease.

He said those who have refused to get Covid-19 jabs were stubborn people affiliated with the opposition group.

“In the past, two-thirds of the people who died had not been vaccinated because vaccines had not reached them. But yesterday, I saw that 10 had died, five of them had been vaccinated and the other five had not,” he said.

On October 8, the Ministry of Health reported 203 Covid-19 transmission cases and 18 deaths.

Published : October 09, 2021

By : The Phnom Penh Post

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TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.9 rocked the Tokyo metropolitan area on Thursday night, leaving at least 17 people injured and disrupting traffic, including Shinkansen high-speed train services.

No tsunami was caused by the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The quake measured upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of zero to 7, in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward, and Kawaguchi and the town of Miyashiro, both Saitama Prefecture, north of the Japanese capital, according to the agency.

It was the first time since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that a reading of upper 5 was registered in central Tokyo’s densely populated 23 wards.

The temblor occurred around 10:41 p.m. (1:41 p.m. GMT) at a depth of 75 kilometers in a northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, the agency said.

The agency warned of a quake of up to upper 5 in the coming week or so in areas that experienced strong shaking in Thursday’s earthquake.

At a news conference in the small hours of Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the government has received a report that one person was injured seriously due to the quake. Sixteen others were also injured but the extent of their injuries are not immediately known, he said.

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According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a train on the Nippori-Toneri Liner transit system came to an emergency halt near Toneri-koen Station in Adachi Ward due to the quake, leaving three passengers injured. The first car of the train came off the track.

In Tokyo, there were dozens of reports of water pipe ruptures as well as four fires, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and other sources.

In Kashiwa, Chiba, two women — one aged between 10 and 19 and the other in her 80s — were injured.

According to the fire department of Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, a 69-year-old man had bleeding from the head after being hit by a falling bookshelf at his home.

In Yokohama, a woman in her 70s suffered slight injuries after being trapped under a closet.

Due to the quake, East Japan Railway Co. briefly stopped train services on its Yamanote, Chuo and other lines. Subway traffic was disrupted on Tokyo Metro Co.’s Marunouchi, Ginza and Chiyoda lines.

On the Metropolitan Expressway, the Inner Circular Route and the Central Circular Route were closed off.

According to Central Japan Railway Co. , or JR Tokai, train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line were halted temporarily between Tokyo Station and Shizuoka Station, central Japan, due to power failure.

A blackout also briefly affected JR East’s Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines.

Japan Atomic Power Co. said there is no abnormality at its Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant in the village of Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

Published : October 08, 2021

By : The Japan News

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Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng late on October 5 issued a directive requiring all people aged 18 and over and the parents of children aged 6-17 to produce Covid-19 vaccination cards when entering schools, markets, malls, marts, eateries and other business establishments that have been permitted to reopen.

The measure, Sreng said, is to prevent the spread of Covid-19 as the Kingdom is heading towards a full reopening of society whereby people have to adjust their lives to the new normal.

Sreng noted that Phnom Penh is one of the world’s cities that have achieved nearly 100 per cent vaccinations for adults and the 6-17 age group and that have good control of the pandemic.

“Individuals aged 18 and over must show their Covid-19 vaccination cards issued by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of National Defence, or letters certifying that they have been vaccinated every time they enter and exit educational institutions, state and private markets, malls, marts, eateries, cafes and other business establishments,” he said.

Parents or caretakers of children aged 6-17 also have to show their vaccination cards when bringing them along to any of the abovementioned locations.

The governor also required school principals and the management to do a one-off check of vaccination cards of teachers, staff and students when they return.

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All business establishments have to assign their staff to check vaccination cards of all people before entry.

“If anyone refuses to show the vaccination card, the person must be barred from entering and the case shall be referred immediately to the nearest authorities,” Sreng said.

Any businesses that do not abide by the instructions face revocation of their licences or eventual shutdown. They are also subject to legal action as stated in the law on the control of Covid-19 and other contagious diseases.

Published : October 08, 2021

By : The Phnom Penh Post