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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404472

Covid-19 second wave in India may peak between mid-April and mid-May: Scientists

Apr 03. 2021

By The Statesman/ANN

The ongoing second-wave of COVID-19 pandemic across the country could peak by mid-April, following which the infections may see a steep decline by the end of May.

This is the assessment and prediction made by scientists who used a mathematical model.

SUTRA, the mathematical approach, had predicted during the first wave of COVID-19 infections across India that the initial surge of infections in August would peak by September and lower in February 2021.

Scientists, including Manindra Agrawal from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, applied the model to predict the trajectory of the current surge in infections and found that the number of daily new infections is likely to peak in mid-April for this ongoing pandemic wave.

“For the last several days, we have found that there is a reasonable chance that the cases in India could peak sometime between 15-20 April. It is a sharp slope, but on the way down, it would likely be equally sharp, coming down very fast and by end of May may see a dramatic reduction,” Agrawal told PTI.

“There is some uncertainty in predicting the peak value of daily new infections because of the sharp rise. Currently, it is coming to 1 lakh infections per day, but this can go up or down. But the timing remains the same between April 15-20,” he added.

The first state to peak in the current wave could be Punjab in a few days followed by Maharashtra, say the scientists.

However, Manindra Agrawal added that the model’s prediction of the new peak is sensitive to the daily new infections data.

“Even a little bit of change each day causes the peak numbers to change by several thousand numbers. But the location of the peak has remained on mid-April,” he added.

Independent calculations made by scientists, including Gautam Menon from Ashoka University in Haryana, have also predicted that the peak of the ongoing wave of infections could be between mid-April and mid-May.

However, Menon cautioned that such projections of COVID-19 cases should really be trusted only in the short term.

“Any excessively precise prediction, of a peak within just a 5-day window, would ignore the many uncertainties associated with the inputs to any such calculation,” Menon, who was not involved in the SUTRA modelling, told PTI.

Agrawal noted that the model uses three main parameters to predict the course of the pandemic.

“The first is called Beta, or contact rate, which measures how many people an infected person infects per day. It is related to the R-naught value, which is the number of people an infected person spreads the virus to over the course of their infection,” Agrawal explained.

The other two parameters, he explained are ‘Reach’, which is a measure of exposure level of the population to the pandemic, and ‘Epsilon’ which is the ratio of detected and undetected cases.

“The reason we had to introduce ‘Reach’ is that unlike earlier pandemics which start at a location and suddenly spread fast across a place, in COVID, the spread of the pandemic has been slower due to the many protective measures in place,” Agrawal explained.

He said ‘Epsilon’ helps factor in the number of asymptomatic infections across the country.

“Since the detected cases are quarantined, we assume they no longer contribute to new infections. So a growing number of daily new cases, reflect larger undetected infections. By measuring the number of new cases each day, we try to estimate the undetected and asymptomatic infections,” Agrawal explained.

He added that the model relies on inputs from daily reported new infections, based on which the value of the three main parameters are inferred.

“We learn everything from the daily-infections data. The beta value across India has gone up by 50 per cent in March, which indicates that a combination of factors — people becoming more relaxed, and more infectious variants going around. But precisely what reason this could be is something biologists have to say,” the scientist noted.

While the model did not previously predict a second wave in India, he said it could have been due to a change in the parameters sometime between February and March 2021.

“So clearly during this time some parameters had changed. So we had to wait for some time to collect new data and see how the parameters had changed, which we now know,” Agrawal said.

India is experiencing a sudden incline in COVID-19 cases for the past few weeks. On Friday, it reported 81,466 new COVID-19 cases and 469 COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry official website.

On Friday, the country reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in six months.

The death toll in India has climbed to 1,63,396 with 469 new additional deaths, and there are 6,14,696 active cases in India right now.

Eight States; Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have shown a steep rise in the COVID daily new cases. 81.25% of the new cases are reported from these 8 states.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 43,183. It is followed by Chhattisgarh with 4,617 while Karnataka reported 4,234 new cases.

India’s total Active Caseload has reached 6,14,696. It now comprises 5% of the country’s total Positive Cases. A net incline of 30,641 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.

(With PTI inputs)

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404471

China supports meeting on Myanmar

Apr 03. 2021State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi in Fujian province on Friday.

By ZHANG YUNBI
CHINA DAILY/ANN

Foreign minister agrees with proposal for special gathering of ASEAN leaders

China has expressed its support for Indonesia’s proposal to hold a special meeting of the leaders of all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss ending the chaos and bloodshed in Myanmar.

China and Indonesia agreed to encourage all parties in Myanmar to seek a political settlement within the ASEAN framework, according to State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi on Friday.

The two sides also agreed that intervention in Myanmar’s internal affairs should be avoided.

The Myanmar situation has been high on the agenda as Wang is in Fujian province hosting the visiting foreign ministers of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines for a series of one-on-one meetings starting from Wednesday.

The United Nations Security Council expressed deep concern late on Thursday over the rapidly deteriorating situation and strongly condemned the use of violence in Myanmar.

When meeting the media alongside Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Thursday, Wang said China firmly supports promoting peace talks in Myanmar.

Wang said it is hoped that relevant parties in Myanmar would act based on the long-term interests of the country and initiate dialogue and consultation as soon as possible.

The rift there should be healed under Myanmar’s constitutional and legal framework, and the hard-won democratic transformation process should be constantly advanced, he added.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday that the international community should uphold the basic norms of noninterference in countries’ internal affairs and create good circumstances for Myanmar’s domestic political reconciliation.

She expressed Beijing’s objection to meddling in the situation as well as arbitrary pressure.

China hopes that all parties in Myanmar can exercise restraint, prevent the situation from spiraling out of control and cool down the situation, Hua added.

In addition to the Myanmar situation, China and Indonesia agreed on Friday that they should work together to champion the justified rights and interests of developing countries and advance global peace, stability and prosperity.

Both sides highlighted a shared commitment to further collaboration in the fight against COVID-19, and for vaccination, advancing major projects and revitalizing the region’s economy.

China supports Indonesia’s hosting of the G20 Leaders Summit next year, Wang said.

The Indonesian minister said she appreciated China’s support and that her country supports China’s hosting of the Boao Forum for Asia.

As both nations are major developing countries and leading emerging economies, the two sides’ timely strategic contacts and win-win cooperation are conducive not only to themselves, but also to the region and the world, Wang said.

Also on Friday, Wang met Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404449

Train crashes in eastern Taiwan, killing 34, injuring dozens

Apr 02. 2021

By The China PostTAIPEI (AP) — A passenger train smashed into a truck on its tracks and partially derailed outside a rail tunnel along Taiwan’s east coast Friday, killing 34 people and injuring dozens, local police said. Survivors were climbing out windows and onto roofs to reach safety.

Officials in Hualien county said rescue efforts were continuing.

The crash occurred near the Toroko Gorge scenic area around 9 a.m. on a public holiday.

In this photo released by National Fire Agency, rescue workers are seen near the site of a partial train derailment in Toroko Gorge in Taiwan’s eastern Hualien region, Friday, April 2, 2021. The train partially derailed along Taiwan’s east coast Friday, injuring an unknown number of passengers and causing potential fatalities. (National Fire Agency Department via AP)

Reports said a truck fell from a cliff above and landed on the tracks, where a train emerging from a tunnel smashed into it. With much of the train still trapped in the tunnel, escaping passengers were forced to scale doors, windows and roofs to reach safety.

The truck apparently hit after the locomotive had emerged, causing the greatest damage to cars 1-5, according to the rescue department of Hualien county.

Television footage and photos posted by people at the scene on the website of the official Central News Agency showed people climbing out the open door of a railcar just outside the entrance to the tunnel. The inside of one car was pushed all the way into the adjacent seat.

The accident came on the first day of the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival.

Taiwan’s last major rail crash was in October 2018 when an express train derailed while rounding a tight corner on the northeast coast, killing at least 18 people and injuring nearly 200.

In 1991, a collision in western Taiwan killed 30 people and injured 112 in its deadliest train accident.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404431

Ho Chi Minh City to digitise 100 tourist sites

Apr 02. 2021

VR technology will be used to show visitors the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon along with 100 other tourist attractions. – VNA/VNS Photo Trang DuongPhoto huongdanviendulich.org

By Viet Nam News/ANN

HCMC – The HCM City Department of Tourism aims to promote the application of digital technology at 100 tourism sites in the city to enhance the experience of tourists as well as locals.

QR Codes are being increasingly used in HCM City’s tourism. Through a simple scan, customers can access different trip options and discover information like availability and prices.

This year, the department is taking steps to use VR (virtual reality) technology such as 3D models and 360-degree photos at 100 tourist attractions, including museums and cultural heritage sites in HCM City, said Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa, director of the city Department of Tourism.

The department is preparing the “100 exciting destinations in HCMC” programme with new tourism products and services.

The city is also focusing on carrying out multimedia communications and online communications to promote the tourism brand ‘‘Vibrant Hồ Chí Minh City’’, as identified in the Hồ Chí Minh City Tourism Development Strategy to 2025 and vision to 2030.

In addition, the city will produce short films about lifestyle, culture and cuisine to restore tourism activities after the COVID-19 pandemic. – VNS

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404430

Interstate travel likely for vaxxed Malaysians

Apr 02. 2021

By SHARON LING and N. TRISHA
The Star/ANN

KUCHING: The government is considering allowing interstate travel for Malaysians who have completed their Covid-19 vaccinations, says the Prime Minister.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he discussed the matter with the National Security Council after the latest international research said that those who had two vaccination doses and a certificate would be able travel anywhere.

“There were earlier views that those who have been vaccinated may be protected from infection but could be a potential carrier of the virus. But now it has been found that this is not true.

“We want to decide that if this is the case, those who have received two doses can travel across states, districts and divisions as normal, ke-sini, ke-sana (here and there).

“You can go anywhere without being stopped by the authorities, ” he said at a Shared Prosperity Vision townhall session here yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who was answering a question about vaccination, said this did not mean that people could now start travelling across states.

“If you have not been vaccinated and do not have the digital certificate, then you cannot go. But if you have received two doses, then you can fly anywhere.”

He also indicated that international travel could soon be possible for those who had been vaccinated.

“We have started talks with several countries to allow our citizens who have received two doses with the certificate to travel, ” he said.

Interstate travel is still not allowed at present under the conditional and recovery MCO.

In George Town, National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the incentives and easing of restrictions for those who had two doses of the vaccine was a measure to encourage more Malaysians to register for the vaccination.

“So far, we have 7.5 million or 30% of the target number who have registered.

“The government has targeted 24.2 million people out of the 33.7 million population.

“In the future, if you have received two doses, you may be given certain allowances, ” he told reporters at the Caring Society Complex here yesterday.

The complex has now been converted into a vaccination centre.

Khairy also said more vaccination centres would be set up across the country and it would be done in tandem with the increase in registrations.

“Currently, between 100,000 and 200,000 people are vaccinated weekly. By June this year, we hope to immunise at least a million people a week, ” he said.

He believed that the “wait-and-see” approach prevalent among those who had yet to register would change when the second phase of the immunisation programme begins on April 19 for senior citizens and those with chronic illnesses.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404429

Display of tax-inclusive prices becomes mandatory in Japan

Apr 02. 2021An example of a price tag where the price excluding tax is more visible than the tax-inclusive price the customer pays is seen in a convenience store in Tokyo on March 30. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

By The Japan News/ANN

Showing the total price including consumption tax on displays and advertisements has become mandatory as of April 1 for all providers of goods and services.

Under the Consumption Tax Law, displaying both the before-tax price and the tax-inclusive price is allowed, so retailers tend to accentuate the before-tax price in their price displays. Now, the actual prices the consumers have to pay must be easier to understand to adhere to the original purpose of posted prices.

■ 2 figures shown

The three major convenience store chain operators, Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Lawson, Inc. and FamilyMart Co., have displayed both the before-tax price and tax-inclusive price on their merchandise since April 2014 when the consumption tax rate was raised from 5% to 8%. Since then, they have shown the before-tax price in a larger size than the tax-inclusive price, normally placed just under the before-tax price.

“There are no specific standards,” an official of one of the operators said. “The size of the price displays is decided by the stores themselves.”

Convenience stores and other retailers, along with restaurant chain operators, have long opposed the display of total prices since the time the consumption tax was introduced. Their worry has been that consumers will be put off if it seems the prices have been raised, so they believe it should be up to stores to decide how to present price displays.

Last August, relevant industry groups submitted requests to the government for the display of the before-tax price to be allowed permanently.

Operators of supermarkets like Summit, Inc. have been changing the way they display prices. Summit, which operates supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area, used to show the before-tax price of goods with the words “plus tax,” with the tax-inclusive price displayed at the register. The supermarket is now showing both the before-tax price and tax-inclusive price.

“As our customers have been accustomed to the display of the before-tax price, the display of only the tax-inclusive price would cause confusion,” said an official in charge.

■ Consumer clarity

At discount stores where low prices are their selling point, there had been cases where the before-tax price was displayed large and clear, while the tax-inclusive price was shown in a way deemed difficult to discern. At large electronics stores, there were also cases such as the before-tax price being displayed with “special price” shown next to it to make it more eye-catching.

Even when both the before-tax price and tax-inclusive price are displayed, there are fears of consumers getting the wrong idea if the tax-inclusive numbers are shown in an extremely tiny font on the price tag. If the Consumer Affairs Agency concludes that a certain display of the price constitutes a violation of the law against unjustifiable premiums and misleading representations, it may impose such administrative punishments as the publication of the names of the retailers in question or the imposition of fines on them.

The National Tax Agency, in its notice for the mandatory display of tax-inclusive prices, only goes so far as to say, however, “Price displays in which consumers mistake one price for another will not be considered as showing the total price.” The agency does not have any clear-cut standards as to what sort of displays would give consumers the wrong idea.

If cases repeatedly occur where consumers are mistaking the prices of products, there is the possibility that the relevant rules could be made more stringent.

■ Affecting sales

Retailers tend to opt for displaying both the before-tax price and the tax-inclusive price, primarily because the displays directly affect sales.

Yoshiyuki Nakazono, a visiting associate professor at Yokohama City University, conducted a survey on the purchasing trends of 50,000 people around autumn 2013 when the tax authorities allowed retailers to display only the before-tax price as a special measure. He found that sales at retailers sticking to tax-inclusive price displays declined by about 3% compared to retailers that had switched to displaying only the before-tax price.

As the preference to cut expenditures among consumers has risen amid the coronavirus crisis, they have become ever more sensitive to price trends.

“The way prices are displayed will also affect consumers’ choice of stores,” Nakazono said. “Retailers should decide on their price displays taking into account the merits and demerits.”

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404427

North Korea demands Japan’s apology, compensation for wartime atrocities

Apr 02. 2021

By The Korea Herald/ANN

A North Korean organization on Friday demanded Japan apologize and provide compensation for its colonial-era atrocities, and called on the withdrawal of hostile policies against Pyongyang.

The Association of Korean Victims of Forcible Drafting and Their Bereaved Families, a North Korean organization, urged Japan to “apologize and compensate our past victims and bereaved families at an early date” in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

“We will never forget Japan’s atrocities even after generations and we will get back a thousand times the blood we shed,” the association said, noting that some 8.4 million Koreans were forced into labor while 2 million were victims of sexual slavery after a law allowing Koreans to be forcibly drafted went into effect in 1938.

The association also slammed Japan for its “hostile policies against North Korea” and accused it of “attempting to evade responsibility by directing global attention elsewhere.”

Earlier this week, Japanese authorities approved the use of high school textbooks that exclude or downplay the issue of comfort women and forced labor.

Historians say millions of Korean men were forcibly drafted into the Japanese workforce during its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404426

China explores digital yuan for cross-border transactions

Apr 02. 2021This file photo taken on March 13, 2018 shows the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China. (CAI YANG / XINHUA)

By China Daily/ANN

BEIJING – China is exploring ways to use its digital yuan for cross-border transactions to meet market demand, the central bank said on Thursday.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has worked with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on the technical testing of using the digital yuan for cross-border payments on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, said Wang Xin, an official with the PBOC, at a press conference.

For this purpose, the PBOC is also cooperating with the HKMA and central banks of Thailand and the United Arab Emirates in a multilateral research project, Wang said.

China’s digital yuan testing is making steady progress, with more test scenarios coming into use.

Several Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen and Suzhou, have piloted this digital currency since last year.  

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404394

Myanmar’s military announced suspension of military operations for one month

Apr 01. 2021

By Eleven Media/ANN

The Office of Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services announced on March 31 that the military will be ceasing all military operations until April 30.

The statement says that the military will stop all military operations, apart from instances where the security and governance mechanicsms are threatened, in order to continue talks with the Tatmadaw’s peace negotiation committee in order to solidfy the peace process under the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with Ethnic Armed Force (EAO) signatories to the NCA, to continue discussions with EAOs that are not signatory to the NCA, to continue the process of undertaking efforts to achieve eternal peace and for the annual Myanmar New Year Thingyan Festival to be held as per COVID-19 guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Sports.

The statement also states that a central national unity and peace committee, a national unity and peace process committee as well as a national unity and peace negotiation committee has been formed. 

It also reiterates the 5 key process, with 9 objectives, of the State Administration Council. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30404387

Kimchi could help ease coronavirus symptoms: study

Apr 01. 2021(World Institute of Kimchi)

By Shim Woo-hyun
The Korea Herald/ANN

Kimchi, South Korea’s traditional fermented cabbage dish, could help mitigate coronavirus symptoms, a recent study showed.

The research was jointly conducted by the government-funded World Institute of Kimchi and Jean Bousquet, an honorary professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Montpellier University, France.

The study found that the intake of kimchi could lead to a milder case of the coronavirus due to the bioactive compounds present in the dish. A metabolite result from fermentation, the compounds contain properties to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

Kimchi is typically made with Napa cabbage and a variety of spices including garlic, ginger and chili, often aged for weeks or even months before serving.

The ingredients, as well as probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria, work to enhance the antioxidant defense system in the human body and helps alleviate coronavirus symptoms.

The joint research also looked into correlations between low fatalities and national dietary differences. It found that the people in regions with very low fatality rates of COVID-19 eat large quantities of fermented vegetables, such as cabbage and various spices.

The research was published in the journal Clinical and Translational Allergy’s December issue.

Meanwhile, World Institute of Kimchi said kimchi’s effects against COVID-19 are being researched by many local institutes, including the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Jeonbuk National University.