S. Korea convenes emergency meeting on Japan’s decision to release water from Fukushima
Apr 13. 2021This file photo provided by the prime minister’s office shows Koo Yoon-cheol, head of South Korea’s Office for Government Policy Coordination, presiding over an interagency meeting at the government complex in Seoul on April 2, 2021. (Prime Minister’s office)
By The Korea Herald/ANN
South Korea on Tuesday convened a high-level government meeting to discuss measures against Japan’s decision to release contaminated water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
Tokyo announced earlier in the day that it plans to start releasing massive amounts of radioactive water, which has been stored in tanks at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, in two years.
Koo Yoon-cheol, head of South Korea’s Office for Government Policy Coordination, gathered an emergency vice-ministerial meeting at 10 a.m. at the Seoul government complex to discuss Seoul’s position and measures on Japan’s announcement.
The interagency meeting was attended by vice minister-level officials representing the foreign and maritime ministries and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.
Koo plans to hold a press conference later in the day to share details of the meeting. (Yonhap)
Apr 13. 2021Photo taken on Oct 15, 2020 shows the headquarters of Ant Group in east China’s Hangzhou city. [Photo/Xinhua]
By HE WEI China Daily/ANN
Chinese authorities plan to turn Ant Group into a financial holding company whose financial activities are put under stricter regulatory supervision in a move related to a monthlong antitrust probe.
A “comprehensive and actionable “revamp plan of Ant was released on Monday, providing a business overhaul in five aspects where the company should work to “correct its behavior of unfair competition”, according to a joint statement by four government agencies including the People’s Bank of China, the central bank.
The authorities ordered the company to disconnect its payment app Alipay from sister credit products like Huabei and Jiebei in order to offer customers more payment choices.
The company should end its monopoly on information collection, improve corporate governance, and manage liquidity risks of important fund products and actively reduce the balance of its money market fund Yu’EBao.
The IPO plan for Ant, the financial affiliate of Alibaba Group, was suspended days before its trading debut in November, when authorities cited a change in the regulatory environment.
[Myanmar] State Counselor to face one more charge, next court hearing on April 26
Apr 13. 2021
By Eleven Media/ANN
The State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has been further charged with Section 25 under the natural disaster law at the court hearing today in Zabuthiri Township in Nay Pyi Taw. President Win Myint and Dr Myo Aung also had their trial today via video conferencing.
This is the fifth accusation in Nay Pyi taw to be leveled at her.There is one lawsuit under the official state secrets act 3(1)(C)/9 from Yangon.
“So there already were three charges on Amay (mother) including under the natural disaster laws. On top of that, the plaintiff U Nyi Nyi aka U Tun Myint Aung says that there is an additional charge, also under the natural disaster law under Section 25. So Amay requested for me to get attorney power for that and requested all of the lawyers to continue on,” said attorney Daw Min Min Soe.
She continued, “I saw Amay via (video) conferencing but it’s not only her so there were Amay Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Win Myint and Dr Myo Aung. The three at once were put on trial for No.35 and No.505 of the criminal code. Their next session will be at April 26. Both Amaay and the President said that the request for a face to face meeting with their lawyers haven’t been approved. I have also requested for this since awhile back. I still have not recieved anything. I asked court officials and they say that the request is being forwarded up the chain of command.
So for the three cases specifically for Amay. For those 3, a separate conferncing was held and a separate court date was given. As for the President, us attorneys have yet to receive confirmation of the attorney power so we requested for them again and they said that they will work on in and scheduled the next hearing on April 26.”
President Win Myin face charges under Section 25 Natural Disaster Management Law and Section 505(b) while State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is facing charges under Section 25 Natural Disaster Management Law, Export Import Law Section (8), Communication Law Section 67 and Section 505(b) with an additional new one also for natural disaster management. Nay Pyi Taw Council’s Dr Myo Aung is facing Section 505(b).
Singapore, Malaysia to discuss reopening of border on May 4 during Muhyiddin’s visit
Apr 13. 2021The Causeway between Malaysia and Singapore as seen on March 8, 2021. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
By THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
KLUANG – The leaders of Malaysia and Singapore will discuss, among other things, the reopening of the border when they meet in Singapore on May 4, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin also said the Covid-19 pandemic is making it difficult for Malaysia to send a representative to fill the High Commissioner position in Singapore, which has been vacant for a year now.
He said the appointment of the Malaysian high commissioner to Singapore was still under process.
“There are still some technical issues that Wisma Putra must see to first,” he said after officiating the Malaysia Prihatin Parliament Sembrong programme in Paloh on Monday (April 12).
“I am not denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for us to place representatives of our embassies in several countries,” he added.
The Malaysian high commissioner post to Singapore has been vacant after Datuk Zainol Rahim Zainuddin retired in April last year.
The Malaysian High Commission in Singapore is currently being headed by a charge d’affaires.
However, despite the absence of a high commissioner, Mr Hishammuddin said the relationship between Malaysia and Singapore was still normal.
“In fact, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be making an official visit to Singapore to meet his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on May 4,” he added.
Mr Hishammuddin said among the topics to be discussed was the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore border.
He said even with the Johor government’s desire to reopen the border within the next two months, Malaysia must get Singapore’s approval first.
“The discussion process is still ongoing. Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan recently visited our country and we briefly discussed the matter.
“I will make sure that this is in the agenda to be discussed between Muhyiddin with Lee,” he said.
During a visit to Malaysia on March 23, Dr Balakrishnan met Mr Hishammuddin and the two countries agreed to work towards recognising each other’s vaccine certificates to facilitate cross-border travel.
They also agreed to progressively restore cross-border travel for other groups of travellers, in addition to the existing Reciprocal Green Lane and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement.
Japan Govt Decides Ocean Release of Fukushima N-Plant Water
Apr 13. 2021
By Jiji Press/The Japan News/ANN
Tokyo (Jiji Press)—The Japanese government on Tuesday decided the release into the ocean of treated radioactive water from the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station.
The decision, made at a meeting of relevant ministers, came as the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga aims to accelerate work to decommission the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, despite strong opposition from the fisheries industry, which is concerned about reputational damage to marine products from the water release into the ocean.
The government hopes to start the ocean release of the water after about two years of necessary preparations.
It plans to take all possible measures to deal with potential unfounded rumors about the safety of local marine products, such as helping expand seafood sales channels.
But the ocean release of the water could spoil Fukushima fishers’ efforts to resume full-scale operations after suffering damage from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which caused an unprecedented triple meltdown at the nuclear plant. In addition, the reconstruction of areas hit by the disaster could be affected if the regional communities’ efforts to expand shipments of locally produced agricultural, forestry and fisheries goods are foiled by the water release operations.
The government plans to instruct TEPCO to pay compensation to businesses and others in any regions and industries affected by unfounded rumors that could occur following the water release into the ocean.
Moreover, the water disposal method is expected to draw anger from nearby countries, such as China and South Korea.
Suga said: “We will aim to ensure safety that is higher than standards. The government will make all-out efforts to deal with unfounded rumors.”
At the nuclear power plant, operations to cool damaged reactors are continuing and groundwater is flowing into the buildings for the reactors, resulting in the creation of radiation-tainted water every day. How to dispose of the tainted water has been a serious issue.
The water is treated repeatedly using special equipment to remove radioactive substances. But current technology cannot remove tritium, a radioactive material, from the water.
More than 1,000 tanks built at the plant’s premises to hold the treated water are expected to reach full capacity in autumn 2022, according to TEPCO.
Concerned that the nuclear plant decommissioning could be hampered if work to dispose of the water stalls, the government plans to gradually release the treated water into the ocean after diluting the levels of tritium in it to about one-40th of the state-set standard of less than 60,000 becquerels per liter using seawater, based on a report from an expert panel, which termed the ocean release as a realistic way of disposing of the water.
The government has been stressing the safety of the water release operations, saying that the levels of tritium after the dilution are even lower than those set under the World Health Organization’s drinking water guidelines.
The government aimed to formalize the ocean release plan in October last year.
But it postponed the decision in the face of opposition from fishers and a flurry of public comments voicing safety concerns.
To break the stalemate, Suga met with Hiroshi Kishi, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, on Wednesday last week. After the meeting, the prime minister said that the government would make a decision soon on how to dispose of the treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station.
Meanwhile, Kishi told Suga that there is no change in the fisheries industry’s stance of opposing the ocean release.
Ocean releases of treated water from nuclear plants are conducted in other countries. But the situation at the Fukushima No. 1 plant is different in that the water there has touched melted nuclear fuel debris.
[Singapore] Crowds return to Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza after lifting of weekend entry curbs
Apr 12. 2021There were so many visitors to Lucky Plaza that the mall, which has a maximum occupancy of 6,445, had to close briefly. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
By Kok Yufeng The Straits Times/ANN
SINGAPORE – Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza shopping centres were buzzing for the first time in months on Sunday (April 11) after restrictions limiting entry to the two malls on weekends were lifted the day before.
The tills rang as workers on their day off, mainly from the Philippines and Myanmar, flocked to their popular hangout spots to shop, eat and get their hair done.
“I’m tired but happy,” said Ms Sanda Kyaw Naint, owner of Ye Yint Cafe in Peninsula Plaza. The 51-year-old could hardly catch a break on Sunday as she served, during breakfast and lunch hours, almost twice as many customers as she had the previous weekend.
Mr Bob Kok, 60, who owns a grocery store in Lucky Plaza, told The Straits Times that the weekend entry restrictions imposed from Aug 29 last year made business even worse for shop owners already struggling with the pandemic.
Under the restrictions, those whose identification numbers end in even digits could visit the two malls only on even dates, while those whose numbers end in odd digits could visit only on odd dates.
Mr Kok, who has been struggling to pay his rent, said: “It was a ghost town even on Saturdays and Sundays. Today is very different. You can see many more people around.”
But a surge of visitors to the two malls on Sunday has also reignited fears of the coronavirus among some shoppers, who raised concerns about the large crowds.
There were so many visitors to Lucky Plaza on Sunday morning that the mall, which has a maximum occupancy of 6,445, had to close briefly.
Shouts of “Move along” and “Don’t wait here” rang out when ST visited the mall at about 11.20am, as safe distancing ambassadors and safe management enforcement officers tried to disperse crowds that had formed outside.
Armed police were also present.
Inside the mall, the distancing ambassadors and enforcement officers were on patrol, frequently reminding shoppers not to gather in groups along the corridors.
Ms Carmelita Sanchez, 49, a domestic worker, was waiting outside Lucky Plaza as her friend got a haircut. She had arrived at about 9am, seen the crowd, and got scared.
She and her friend went to Ion Orchard to wait it out before returning about an hour later.
But Ms Sanchez decided not to go in. “It is better that they do the odd and even system,” she said.
“There are too many people. Just now, some were pushing each other. Better to wait here,” she added.
Sunday was the first time domestic workers Keryl Palma, 37, and Grace Dizon, 36, stepped into Lucky Plaza since the circuit breaker period, which began around this time last year.
While the pair said they missed the Filipino food there and were happy to meet friends in a familiar setting, they also preferred it if the odd-even restrictions were still in place.
“It is not good because some don’t follow safe distancing,” said Ms Dizon. “If I cannot come here, I can go somewhere else, to the park or the beach,” she added.
Ms Sanda Kyaw Naint was glad to see some of her regular customers on Sunday, but she also noted how crowded Peninsula Plaza was. “It was hard to maintain social distancing,” she said. She expects the situation to ease next week.
People at Peninsula Plaza on April 11, 2021. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOOPolice on patrol at Lucky Plaza on April 11, 2021. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
In a circular issued on Friday to alert tenants of the lifting of the odd-even restrictions, Lucky Plaza’s management said its officers would be inspecting every unit and reminded operators to ensure strict compliance with safe management measures on their shop premises.
It said: “Shop units found with repeated non-compliance will be (reported) to the authorities for enforcement action. This is necessary to ensure that the non-compliance of a few errant shop units does not affect the operations of the entire mall, where majority of the shop units are… compliant.”
On Friday, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) had cited improvements such as reduced crowds and better management of queues and pedestrian traffic around the two malls as reasons for lifting the restrictions. But they had also warned that the restrictions could be imposed again.
STB and ESG told ST on Sunday that the two mall operators had deployed more manpower to deal with the larger crowds.
Entry to the malls was closed off several times during the morning and afternoon peak periods when the capacity limits were reached.
“Visitors are strongly advised not to visit these malls during peak hours or congregate outside the malls,” the agencies said. “We will continue to monitor the crowd situation closely.”
Ms Corina Teo, who chairs Peninsula Plaza’s MCST management council, said the mall had 50 per cent more visitors as at 6pm compared with the previous Sunday.
The mall doubled the number of security officers on duty on Sunday and also had 12 volunteers from the Myanmar community to help usher and monitor the crowd. “Next weekend’s deployment will be no less than today’s set up and we are already planning for improvements to be in place,” she told ST.
N. Korea preparing to launch ballistic missile submarine: report
Apr 12. 2021The Pukguksong-5-siot, a submarine-launched ballistic missile, is seen at the military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 14, 2021. The Korean letter “siot” means sea-based. (KCNA-Yonhap) The Pukguksong-5-siot, a submarine-launched ballistic missile, is seen at the military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 14, 2021. The Korean letter “siot” means sea-based. (KCNA-Yonhap)
By The Korea Herald/ANN
North Korea has built a new submarine believed to be capable of carrying at least three ballistic missiles and is gauging the right time to unveil it, a local news outlet said Sunday, citing anonymous Seoul officials familiar with the matter.
“South Korea and the US believe North Koreans have finished building one that they revealed in 2019,” Yonhap News Agency quoted the officials as saying. The North’s state media released a photograph at the time, in which leader Kim Jong-un was shown inspecting the submarine.
“North Korea could test-fire a ballistic missile on that submarine after the rollout ceremony,” the officials said. The submarine is believed to be a modified Soviet-era Romeo-class model built at the Sinpo South Shipyard along the east coast. The port city is home to the North’s fleet of submarines.
North Korea is also building a larger submarine that could carry advanced ballistic missiles, the report said, referring to the Pukguksong-4 and -5 missiles it revealed in 2020 and 2021 during a military parade and a key party meeting, respectively. The Pukguksong-3 was tested in October 2019.
On Thursday, 38 North said, based on satellite images it reviewed, that North Korea could be preparing to either roll out a new ballistic missile submarine or conduct a submarine-launched ballistic missile test. It could also be just general maintenance, according to the website that monitors the isolated country.
North Korea, which tested its first SLBM in 2015 when Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch, last conducted an SLBM test with the Pukguksong-3 in 2019, when it pushed ahead with the launch hours after it announced it would resume nuclear talks with the US.
Kim Jong-un is seen as trying to step up pressure on the US to unveil more favorable measures toward Pyongyang as Washington is in the final stages of fine-tuning details of a new North Korea policy.
The US, which has said it is looking at both sanctions and dialogue to engage the isolated regime, has slammed North Korea’s rights abuses in a shift to a hard-line approach to the North. Pyongyang has responded with missile tests, having brushed off Washington’s behind-the-scenes outreach since February.
Cambodia on the verge of national tragedy, WHO warns
Apr 12. 2021WHO Representative to Cambodia Li Ailan. (Photo: Hong Menea)
By The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Cambodia warned that the country had reached another critical point amid a sudden, huge surge in community transmission cases and deaths.
“We stand on the brink of a national tragedy because of Covid-19. Despite our best efforts, we are struggling to control the virus.
“New cases occur every day and we are racing against the virus. Unless we can stop the outbreak, Cambodia’s health system is at high risk of being overwhelmed, which would have disastrous consequences,” said WHO Representative to Cambodia Li Ailan.
Li commended a series of measures taken by the government including non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as an inter-provincial travel ban and nighttime curfew, to break the chain of transmission.
Li suggested that people stay home during the Khmer New Year holiday to minimise risks of infection.
“We appreciate how important Khmer New Year is for the people of Cambodia, and recognise the strong leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia in making the difficult decision to restrict travel.
“Full and effective implementation of all combined public health measures are critical to help suppress virus transmission, and we will all have to play our part as well,” she said.
Health officials said in the last two weeks, the coronavirus had spread in restaurants, markets and other places where people could gather for drinks, prompting the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall to impose a two-week ban on dine-in at eateries and sales of alcoholic beverage across the capital. The municipality has also placed parts of the city in lockdown.
“If you meet other people without following the preventive measures, the virus can spread, even if you don’t think you are infected. This New Year, stay where you are and celebrate with your immediate household, she said.
“This will help keep everyone safe. These important sacrifices we make now will help avoid a national disaster later. Happy Khmer new year at home! Stay home, stay safe!”
Li warned that even those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 must still act responsibly to prevent the virus spreading further.
“The vaccines protect you from serious illness and hospitalisation, but you may still become infected and spread the virus. Even if you have been vaccinated, you should also stay home – you will be safest there,” she said.
Li also warned that cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which has spread rapidly in more than 120 countries to date, have been detected in Cambodia.
“This outbreak is different from previous outbreaks in Cambodia. The B.1.1.7 variant spreads more easily between people and can cause serious illness. Many countries with strong health systems have been overwhelmed by this variant,” she said.
[Japan] 65 municipalities to start vaccinating elderly people against COVID-19 from Monday
Apr 12. 2021COVID-19 vaccines arrive at a facility in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo on Thursday morning. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
By The Japan News/ANN
A total of 65 municipalities in Tokyo and 38 other prefectures had plans as of Friday to start vaccinating people aged 65 and older against the novel coronavirus from Monday, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.
As the initial vaccine supply is limited, 29 prefectures will begin the vaccinations with residents of nursing care facilities for the elderly, it was also found.
The population eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations totals about 36 million nationwide.
The central government, in the first batch, has distributed a total of about 50,000 doses of the vaccines to prefectural governments.
The prefectures then allocate the vaccines to local municipalities. The Yomiuri Shimbun surveyed all 47 prefectures, plus some municipalities, as to the allocation destinations and the vaccination system for the first batch of vaccines.
The survey found that Tokyo and other prefectures are allocating the vaccines to a total of 153 cities, wards, towns and villages, many of which are urban districts, including prefectural capitals and ordinance-designated major cities.
The 65 municipalities that will begin vaccinating the eligible populations on Monday, include cities of Aomori, Yamagata, Saitama, Gifu, Kobe and Kitakyushu. On the other hand, the Okinawa prefectural government chose to begin with the city of Miyakojima on a remote island, saying, “We have prioritized a remote island whose medical care system is fragile.”
Among municipalities supplied with the first batch of vaccines, 55 of them will start the vaccinations in the period of April 13-18, 10 of them will start in the April 19-30 period, and three will begin in May.
Twenty had yet to decide when they will begin the vaccinations.
The city government of Kofu, which is scheduled to start vaccinations on April 17, said in response to the survey, “As we also considered the possibility of a delay of the vaccines’ arrival, we have given sufficient time to the start of the vaccination.”
Amid the spread of infections in many areas of the country, the administration of the vaccination to elderly people will advance in parallel with that for front-line medical service workers.
But some misgivings have been expressed about that approach among local governments, with a Saga prefectural government official saying, “We are worried about whether we can secure enough medical workers who have already been vaccinated.”
Over 164m COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China
Apr 12. 2021
By China Daily/ANN
BEIJING – More than 164.47 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Saturday, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
The commission made the announcement as it reported that the mainland had no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Saturday.
The same day also saw 10 imported cases newly reported, three of which were in Guangxi, two in Shanghai, and one each in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Guangdong and Sichuan, the commission said in its daily report.
No suspected COVID-19 cases or new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, it added.
Seven COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals following their recovery on Saturday, said the report.
A total of 5,421 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Saturday. Among them, 5,219 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 202 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 90,410 by Saturday, including 286 patients still receiving treatment, four of whom were in severe condition.
As of Saturday, 85,488 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the disease.
Saturday also saw 22 asymptomatic cases newly reported, all of whom from outside the mainland. A total of 296 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation as of Saturday.
By the end of Saturday, 11,568 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 207 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 49 cases had been reported in the Macao SAR, and 1,056 cases, including 10 deaths, had been reported in Taiwan.
A total of 11,193 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 48 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 1,020 had been discharged in Taiwan.
This file photo provided by the prime minister’s office shows Koo Yoon-cheol, head of South Korea’s Office for Government Policy Coordination, presiding over an interagency meeting at the government complex in Seoul on April 2, 2021. (Prime Minister’s office)![Photo taken on Oct 15, 2020 shows the headquarters of Ant Group in east China's Hangzhou city. [Photo/Xinhua]](https://media.nationthailand.com/images/news/2021/04/13/30404835/800_726abfed11e3643.jpeg?v=1618280967)
Photo taken on Oct 15, 2020 shows the headquarters of Ant Group in east China’s Hangzhou city. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Causeway between Malaysia and Singapore as seen on March 8, 2021. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
There were so many visitors to Lucky Plaza that the mall, which has a maximum occupancy of 6,445, had to close briefly. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
The Pukguksong-5-siot, a submarine-launched ballistic missile, is seen at the military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 14, 2021. The Korean letter “siot” means sea-based. (KCNA-Yonhap) The Pukguksong-5-siot, a submarine-launched ballistic missile, is seen at the military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 14, 2021. The Korean letter “siot” means sea-based. (KCNA-Yonhap)
WHO Representative to Cambodia Li Ailan. (Photo: Hong Menea)
COVID-19 vaccines arrive at a facility in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo on Thursday morning. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
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