North Korea has reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) that the country has conducted coronavirus tests on around 36,000 people so far but found no confirmed cases, the UN agency said Wednesday.
According to the WHO’s weekly report on COVID-19, 693 North Koreans underwent virus tests from July 30 to Aug. 5, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 35,947, but none were found to have been infected.
Of the newly tested citizens, 112 people with symptoms turned out to be those with flu-like illness or acute respiratory illness, the report said.
North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free but has taken relatively swift and tough measures against the pandemic, such as imposing strict border controls since early last year.
The North was expected to receive around 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines through a global vaccine distribution program, but they have not been delivered to the country yet. (Yonhap)
The Lao National Assembly (NA) President has asked Thailand to help Lao nationals working in the neighbouring country to overcome the Covid-19 crisis.
The NA President, Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane, made the proposal while holding talks with the Speaker of the lower house of Thailand’s Parliament, Mr Chuan Leekpai, via videoconference on Tuesday.
The NA President also requested Mr Chuan to push concerned sectors in Thailand to assist Lao workers, especially in facilitating their return to Laos.
The latest statistics show that more than 246,000 Lao workers have returned from Thailand since the pandemic began last year, with around 150,000 coming back in 2020.
A recent major outbreak of Covid-19 in Thailand over the past few months resulted in the cutting of many jobs and forcing hundreds of Lao workers to return home.
At least 30 percent of those who returned brought the Coronavirus with them, ramping up pressure on Laos’ efforts to contain the spread of infections.
During the talks, Dr Xaysomphone thanked Thailand for helping Lao workers in the past and for providing medical equipment to support Laos’ battle against the Coronavirus.
The two leaders said they highly valued the development of bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic relations, trade, investment, tourism, education and health.
The two sides agreed to push for the implementation of agreements signed by the two countries in past years for mutual benefits.
In addition, Dr Xaysomphone asked Mr Chuan to push for concerned sectors in Laos and Thailand to resolve issues related to land and river border demarcation between the two countries to ensure the success of the project agreed on by both sides.
Laos and Thailand have close links through their shared roots in traditions, customs, culture and language, and share an extensive border on land and water.
Thailand is a major investor in Laos, and the two countries have strong economic and trade cooperation.
Since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1950, their relationship and cooperation have steadily broadened and seen an increasing number of fruitful results.
PM Modi chairs cabinet committee security meeting on Afghanistan
In the wake of the Taliban capture of Afghanistan, which has caused security concerns among its neighbouring countries, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a high-level security meet to assess the situation.
Today evening, the Prime Minister has reportedly chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. According to sources, it was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. The CCS is the apex government body that deals with the issues of national security.
India has been engaged every second in the evacuation of Indians from Afghan soil where hundreds of residents have left their homeland after the Taliban captured the country and its President fled. India had also deployed teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to guard its embassy in Afghanistan. The security personnel too were flown back in military aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
Sources said PM Modi has been in constant liaison with officials, taking updates of the development in Afghanistan. The present situation in Afghanistan, sources said, is bound to have certain geopolitical implications which are also being discussed but at present India is likely to maintain the role of an observer than opt for quick reactions to the developments.
An expert on international affairs told The Statesman that with the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, things can turn out to be a little worrisome for India which was until now putting efforts to strengthen its relations with the country. “If allegations, that Pakistan was instrumental behind the Taliban capture of Afghanistan turns out to be true, then India needs to do some serious thinking since it could a strategy to corner India.”
Presently, the Taliban has warned India that it is in the best interest of both countries to cooperate but sources said it will be difficult for India which has pledged in the UNSC that it would fight against terrorism.
The External Affairs minister Jaishankar has tweeted to share that discussions were held with the Foreign minister of Afghanistan and assured that India will continue to coordinate in the UN Security Council.
He added that the movement of the Indian Ambassador and the Embassy staff from Kabul to India was a difficult and complicated exercise and thanked all those whose cooperation and facilitation made it possible.
The first transport aircraft left Kabul yesterday under challenging circumstances and amid chaos at the airport, where thousands of Afghans were desperate to fly out of the country. The rest of the diplomatic and security contingent was unable to leave due to the curfew declared by the Taliban.
More than 120 people, including Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon, left this morning; their departure was reportedly helped by an overnight conversation between the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
Vietnam among three global largest instant noodles consumers
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam ranked third in instant noodles consumption after China/Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Around 7 billion packs of instant noodles were eaten in the country last year, according to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA). The latest survey by Nielsen Việt Nam shows that the consumption rate has increased by 67 per cent. Việt Nam is home to about local and foreign instant noodles producers.
China is currently the world’s highest consumer of instant noodles, but the growth rate in consumption is not as high as that of Việt Nam.
According to data from the WINA, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp increase in the demand for instant noodles around the world. The consumption demand of this product surged by 14.79 per cent year-on-year in 2020.
Statistics of the WINA show the Asian market was the biggest consumer of this product, accounting for 56.45 per cent of the total global instant noodle consumption last year, especially in Northeast Asian countries such as China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.
With the five main markets, Indonesia, Việt Nam, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, the Southeast Asian region accounted for 25.24 per cent of the total demand.
According to a market research report of Facts and Factors, revenue from noodles is expected to increase to US$73.55 billion over the next five years from $45.67 billion in 2020.
A number of Vietnamese companies recorded a 300-per cent surge in the noodle export output. Instant noodles made in Việt Nam have been sold in more than 40 countries worldwide. — VNS
Despite Q2 growth, Philippines seen still among last to recover from COVID-19 crisis
Even as the Philippines already ended its pandemic-induced recession, economic recovery will remain the region’s laggard as the prolonged COVID-19 quarantine continued to temper consumer spending, think tank Moody’s Analytics said Monday.
Despite the 11.8-percent year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the second quarter due to low-base effects, the 1.3-percent quarter-on-quarter contraction compared to the first-quarter output meant that “the early signs of recovery in the Philippine economy have proved short-lived,” Moody’s Analytics said in a report titled “Philippines’ disappointing Q2 performance.”
The second quarter reversed the growth recorded in the preceding three quarters, which economic managers had touted as an indication of recovery alongside gradually easing restrictions.
Moody’s Analytics said “the quarterly contraction reflects the effects of relatively strict movement controls that were in place for most of the June quarter,” including the two-week revert to the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in National Capital Region (NCR) Plus—Metro Manila and four surrounding provinces accounting for half of the economy—in April.
“The Philippines has struggled to contain COVID-19 cases, and the country has been recording high infections through most of 2021 … The sluggish vaccine rollout coupled with decentralized health advice and poor adherence to social distancing measures are to blame,” Moody’s Analytics said.
“Conditions are not much better in the current quarter, as movement controls remain in place along with elevated infections,” it added. Metro Manila and provinces like Bataan and Laguna returned to ECQ restrictions this month.
Estimates of the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) had shown that the various community quarantine classifications, which took effect this month had heightened restrictions over a total of 68 percent of the economy, and will cost the conomy P151 billion in output losses per week.
Moody’s Analytics noted that private consumption during the second-quarter was 9.2-percent lower than prepandemic levels in 2019 “as mobility restrictions suppressed domestic demand.”
“The slow pace of vaccination rollout remains a major drag and downside risk to the Philippines’ economic recovery —only 10 percent of the total adult population is fully vaccinated. The Philippines may be forced to prolong the costly mobility restrictions if the current outbreak does not soon abate,” Moody’s Analytics warned.
As such, Moody’s Analytics said the Philippines was still expected to be among the last in Asia to regain prepandemic output levels, seen by the middle of next year.
Moody’s Analytics said that while headline inflation was easing in recent months, “the possibility of further rate cuts is limited at this stage, although monetary settings will remain accommodative for the rest of 2021” as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had acknowledged that “economic recovery was under threat from extended lockdowns.”
“Fiscal policy will therefore need to assume a primary role in cushioning the fallout on impacted households from lost incomes but also heightened uncertainty in near-term prospects,” Moody’s Analytics said. INQ
Finding the one / Japanese forgoing marriage amid pandemic uncertainty
The number of marriages in Japan in 2020 plummeted to its lowest level since the end of World War II.
According to a demographic survey released by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in June, there were 525,490 marriages in 2020, down 12% from the previous year. There were about 600,000 marriages in 2019, the first year of the Reiwa era.
The decline has been partly attributed to job losses and stay-at-home requests amid the coronavirus pandemic, which have resulted in people missing out on opportunities to socialize. This is the first installment in the series featuring singles struggling to find their future spouses.
■ Financial stability
Aspiring filmmaker Taku Aoyagi, 28, has produced a film documenting the plight of young people amid the pandemic. A poster advertising the documentary is attached to the delivery bag he carries during shifts as an Uber Eats deliverer.
The documentary records Aoyagi’s life as he works desperately to make ends meet.
He had produced videos in his hometown in Yamanashi Prefecture while doing farming and chauffeuring work. However, after losing his chauffeuring job last spring, he moved to Tokyo, where he has been working as a food deliverer while promoting his movie. He earns less than ¥100,000 a month.
He said he wants to get married and have a child someday, but first, he wants to pay back his student loan, which is about ¥5.5 million.
“The debt will disappoint my future spouse. Paying off the debt before marriage is my burden to bear,” he said.
According to a labor force survey conducted by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the number of regular employees in fiscal 2020 increased by 330,000 from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of nonregular workers declined by 970,000, mainly because job cuts due to the pandemic occurred in sectors with many nonregular workers, such as restaurants and retailers.
“Many people are not getting married because they are worried about their economic future,” said Takanori Fujita, the director of the nonprofit organization Hot Plus, which supports people who are experiencing financial difficulties. “Nonregular workers in their 20s and 30s will face more difficulties if they have to pay back their student loans.”
A 37-year-old woman in Kanagawa Prefecture who lost her job last spring due to the pandemic said she worked freelance for a while but her income was less than half of what she had been earning, and she also ended up spending most of her time at home alone.
“When I met someone for the first time in a long time, I was shocked by how challenging it was to use my voice again,” she said.
She started a temp position this spring and said the return of a regular income raised her spirits and gave her the courage to join a matchmaking agency.
“If I was jobless in my late 30s, I would feel sorry for my future spouse,” she said, adding that she thought she should make a move soon as she may want a child in the future.
■ Changing priorities
“The young population has been declining and the number of marriages has also been on a downward trend,” said sociology Prof. Masahiro Yamada of Chuo University. “Amid such a situation, anxieties regarding infection prevention and economic concerns are also having an impact. Although the figure might recover, the downward trend will continue.”
Until around the 1980s, people had expectations that marriage would help to increase their living standards.
However, given the increasing number of nonregular workers, nowadays people are more likely to be worried about failing to maintain their living standards even after marriage.
According to Yamada, priorities regarding such things as marriage are changing and people are less interested in dating. Such factors may be the reason people are more reluctant to get married.
In 2020, the marriage rate, the number of marriages per 1,000 people, was the lowest it has been since the end of WWII at 4.3.
“To rearouse the desire for marriage, it will be necessary to correct the disparity between regular and nonregular workers and guarantee a certain level of living standards for people in all occupations,” Yamada said.
According to a report released by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in 2015, the percentage of unmarried people aged 18-34 who said they intend to get married eventually has hovered at around 90% for both men and women for nearly 30 years. However, the percentage of unmarried men and women continues to rise.
Among people aged 50, 23.4 percent of men and 14.1 percent of women were unmarried in 2015, according to the institute.
South Korea temporarily closes embassy in Afghanistan and evacuates staff
South Korea temporarily shut its embassy in Afghanistan on Sunday and evacuated most of its diplomatic personnel to a third country in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
The decision was made amid surging chaos and uncertainty, as Taliban forces entered the capital city Kabul and effectively took control of Afghanistan on Sunday, after US-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Many countries have temporarily closed diplomatic missions and have been scrambling to pull out their diplomats and civilians as Afghans and foreigners alike rush to exit the country.
Most South Korean nationals and diplomatic personnel had left the country already. Just a few embassy staff, including the ambassador, remain in a safe place in the country to support the evacuation of a Korean national, according to the ministry. The government is closely consulting with the US and other countries to ensure a safe evacuation.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday has instructed relevant authorities to take all-out efforts to ensure that diplomatic staff and all South Korean nationals remaining in Afghanistan are evacuated to safety, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
Since June, the South Korean government has called for its citizens to leave the country due to safety concerns as the US and its NATO allies have proceeded with troop pullouts.
But the Taliban’s rapid advance into the capital forced the South Korean mission to abruptly close its office.
US President Joe Biden has set the deadline of Aug. 31 to fully withdraw US troops and end the nearly 20-year war in the country.
Beijing stands ready to communicate with Washington for a “soft landing” to the upheaval in Afghanistan, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.
The objective is to prevent the country from a new civil war or humanitarian disaster, or a return to being a hotbed and haven for terrorism.
The purpose is to encourage Afghanistan to establish a broad and inclusive political structure that suits its own national conditions, Wang, the Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, said in a phone conversation with Blinken at the latter’s request.
The hasty US withdrawal from Afghanistan has caused “severely adverse” conditions in the situation there and it would not be responsible of the US if it continues to create new problems, rather than playing a constructive role in peace and reconstruction by helping Kabul maintain stability and prevent disturbances, Wang noted.
The facts on the ground have proved once again that a regime cannot stand without the support of the people, and that attempting to solve problems with military power will only add up to the problems. “The lessons in this regard deserve serious reflection,” Wang said, according to a readout from the Chinese side.
In the phone call, Blinken said that the Taliban should announce a clean break with extremism, opt for an orderly transfer of power and establish an inclusive government. He also said he expected China will play an important role to that end.
The top US diplomat expressed appreciation for China’s participation in the Doha meeting on the Afghan issue, noting that the situation in Afghanistan is entering a crucial stage.
Special envoys and representatives from China, Russia, Pakistan, the US and the United Nations, as well as other regional countries and international organizations, held talks in Doha last week, calling on the warring Afghan parties to expedite the peace process, and reach a political settlement and comprehensive cease-fire as quickly as possible, according to earlier media reports.
The United States recognizes that the future of Afghanistan should be decided by the Afghan people, Blinken said, as he called on the Taliban to ensure the safety of all those who wish to leave the country.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Blinken and Wang talked about “developments in Afghanistan, including the security situation and our respective efforts to bring US and PRC citizens to safety”.
Blinken’s outreach came as the United States has been attempting to evacuate its forces and diplomats from a country that was plunged into disarray as the Taliban swept across the land where the US sent troops 20 years ago to oust them.
US President Joe Biden on Monday admitted that the collapse of the Afghan government occurred “more quickly” than his administration anticipated, while a day before the Taliban said the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will soon declare the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
As the global challenges and urgent regional hotspot issues keep emerging, China and the US, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and important participants in the contemporary international system, should have coordination and cooperation as the world expects, Wang said.
There exist ideological, social system, historical and cultural differences between China and the US, and either side cannot remodel the other, Wang said, adding that the only right way for the two powers is to seek peaceful coexistence on the planet on the basis of mutual respect.
In the phone call, Blinken said it is very important for the United States and China to maintain communications on major international and regional issues.
The changes of the situation in Afghanistan have once again underlined the importance of the US and China cooperating on regional security issues in a constructive and pragmatic fashion, he said.
Blinken said he agreed that it is a common goal for the US and China to realize peaceful coexistence, adding that he hoped both sides will seek and carry out cooperation, according to the readout from the Chinese side.
As to “obvious” differences between the two sides, they can be gradually resolved in a constructive way in the days to come, Blinken noted.
Malaysia PM Muhyiddin Cabinet resigns after his audience with King
KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins Cabinet has resigned Monday (Aug 16), a minister said after the premiers audience with the King at the Palace.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed this on his Instagram account after their last Cabinet meeting concluded earlier this morning.
“Thank you for the opportunity to, once again, serve the nation. May God bless Malaysia,” Mr Khairy said.
This draws the curtains on Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s tumultuous 18-month rule, after a fortnight-long assault on his leadership which began when 11 Umno MPs withdrew their support for him on Aug 3.
But his likely ouster looks set to throw the nation into deeper uncertainty.
Despite a weekend of endless meetings and proposals across the political divide, there is still no clear candidate to succeed the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president.
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While The Straits Times understands that Mr Muhyiddin will still advise Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah that his Perikatan Nasional (PN) remains the largest bloc in Parliament with 100 out of the 220 sitting MPs, the constitution obliges the Premier to resign as there is no provision for a minority government.
Mr Muhyiddin could be asked to stay on in a caretaker capacity while the monarch determines who, among a clutch of hopefuls, can command the majority of the 222-strong legislature, where two seats are currently vacant.
While Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) has 88 MPs, most lawmakers outside of the coalition are either opposed to his leadership or bound by Umno’s resolution earlier this year to not team up with him or Democratic Action Party (DAP), the largest component in PH.
Out of the 120 lawmakers opposed to Mr Muhyiddin’s leadership, 15 are in Umno president Zahid Hamidi’s camp and another 17 in various parties largely loyal to former premier Mahathir Mohamad.
Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has tried to convince his PN colleagues to back him for a smooth transition, with sources indicating he will offer his existing role of Deputy Prime Minister to Bersatu. If he is able to convince Mr Zahid’s camp, then its majority will be restored as a government of 115 MPs.
Nonetheless, Malaysia’s longest-serving lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is also being weighed up as an alternative, as the Umno stalwart is seen as a compromise between the current government and opposition benches.
An option open to the King is to dissolve Parliament, but with polls required within 60 days, this would force a nation in the throes of its deadliest Covid-19 wave to head to the ballot and risk a repeat of the surge after the Sabah state election a year ago from which Malaysia has never fully recovered.
Leading esports organisation Ampverse has announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in SBTC Esports, one of Viet Nam’s most prominent esports teams.
The deal comes at a time when esports viewership continues to accelerate globally along with advertising.
SBTC also operates the SBTC academy, providing funding, support and a professional environment for young aspiring gaming talent.
Matthias Beyer, chief gaming officer at Ampverse, said: “We have always wanted to enter the Vietnamese market and we have been impressed with the story of SBTC.
“We at Ampverse are very delighted to welcome SBTC into its family and officially expand into one of the most vibrant esports markets, Viet Nam.”
Song Bang Tinh Cam (Lived with Love), its formal name, was founded by Thay Giao Ba, a former professional player and one the most entertaining streamers in Viet Nam today.
SBTC Esports fields a professional team each in the League of Legends (PC) and Wildrift.
Since its launch in 2018, it has become the most popular team in the country, according to analytics company, Esports Charts.
It averaged over 80,000 live viewers across the League of Legends VCS Spring 2021 season, the highest of any team in Vietnam.
Singapore-based Ampverse owns and builds influential and high-performance esports communities across Asia.
The deal with SBTC follows the acquisition of Thailand’s leading team and current Arena of Valor Pro League Champions, Bacon Time, last year. — VNS
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