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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403332

Premier Su praises Taiwan’s ranking in global freedom report

Mar 05. 2021

By Vivian Hsiao
The China Post/ANN

TAIPEI (The China Post) — Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) praised the “joint efforts of the Taiwanese people,” following the release of the annual “Freedom in the World Report” issued by Freedom House that ranked Taiwan the second freest country in Asia.

According to the latest edition published on Wednesday, Taiwan received 94 points, right behind Japan. Asked about the ranking, Su said Taiwanese should be very proud of receiving such a high score from the organization and claimed it was a pertinent and appropriate praise for Taiwan.

There are reportedly two indicators in Freedom House’s 2021 Freedom in the World report. Regarding our “Political Rights,” Taiwan scored 38 points out of 40.

Su said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have put in place measures that could violate people’s freedom in order to prevent further spread of the virus, resulting in more than 50 countries being listed as “not free” in 2020.

The number of “not free” countries in 2020 also became the highest reported in 15 years.

The report also specifically pointed out Taiwan as one of the best-performing democracies in Asia. Among other highlights, the government has curbed the pandemic with amazing efficiency and is not afraid of the threat of the Chinese regime, the report said.

Su believes that as Taiwan only transformed from an authoritarian system to a democratic one in a span of short years, it was not easy to gain such recognition from the international community.

In preventing the spread of COVID-19 through democratic means, Taiwan became one of the safest places in the world, Su said, adding that it was the combined efforts of every Taiwanese.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403331

Singapore is world’s most free economy: US think-tank

Mar 05. 2021The Republic scored 89.7 points, with its overall score having increased by 0.3 points from 2020. PHOTO: ST FILE

By Nirmal Ghosh
The Straits Times/ANN

WASHINGTON – Singapore’s economy has been ranked the most free in the world this year in the Heritage Foundation’s 2021 Index of Economic Freedom, the second year in a row it topped the list.

The Republic scored 89.7 points, with its overall score having increased by 0.3 points from 2020, primarily because of an improvement in points gained for government spending, the conservative Washington think-tank said on Thursday (March 4).

Singapore’s score placed it far ahead of both the regional average for 40 countries in the Asia Pacific (60.2) and the world average (61.6).

It was followed in the rankings by New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and Ireland, in that order, with scores ranging from 83.9 (New Zealand) to 81.4 (Ireland).

The United States ranked 20th with a score of 74.8, and Germany was 29th with a score of 72.5. Thailand took the 42nd spot with a score of 69.7, and China was No. 107 with a score of 58.4.

Hong Kong, which had topped the list for 25 of the last 26 years, was left out of this year’s Index, as it has come under the direct control of Beijing, the Heritage Foundation said.

The city’s ties to Beijing are increasingly “forged in steel” and “traditions of English common law, freedom of speech, and democracy have weakened significantly”, Dr Edwin J. Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation, wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

“The loss of political freedom and autonomy suffered by Hong Kong over the past two years has made that city almost indistinguishable in many respects from other major Chinese commercial centres like Shanghai and Beijing,” he added.

The Index ranks 12 indicators under four categories: rule of law, size of government, regulatory efficiency, and open markets.

“Singapore remains the only country in the world that is considered economically free in every 12 Index category,” Mr Anthony Kim, research manager at the Heritage Foundation and editor of the Index, told The Straits Times.

“The foundations of Singapore’s economic resilience and competitiveness include strong protection of property rights and effective enforcement of anti-corruption laws,” he said.

“Efficient government provides good public services with low tax rates. The regulatory environment is flexible and transparent, encouraging vibrant commercial activity.

“A strong tradition of openness to global trade and investment has long boosted productivity while facilitating the emergence of a more dynamic and competitive financial sector.”

In addition, Singapore has, over the years, been storing or reserving “relatively ample policy space to be flexible and resilient thanks to its high degree of competitiveness, whether through monetary or fiscal policy tools”, Mr Kim added.

The broader Asia Pacific scored lower than the world average in seven of 12 indicators: property rights, judicial effectiveness, government integrity, monetary freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom, and financial freedom.

But in other areas – tax burden, government spending, fiscal health, business freedom, and labour freedom – the Asia Pacific exceeded world averages, the report said.

Also, citizens of free or mostly free countries “enjoy incomes that are more than double the global average and more than six times higher than in repressed economies”, the report said.

The more economically free a society, the longer people live healthier lives, alongside higher access to quality social goods such as education, healthcare, and a cleaner environment, it added.

The findings “confirm the importance of economic freedom in promoting rapid growth and sustainable social progress”, it said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403330

Korea partners with UAE for hydrogen economy

Mar 05. 2021South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Sung Yun-mo delivers a keynote speech during the 2019 Korea Hydrogen Expo at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on June 19, 2019. (Yonhap)

By Kim Byung-wook
The Korea Herald/ANN

Industry ministry chiefs exchange ideas on hydrogen trade policies and technologies

South Korea signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to cooperate on the hydrogen economy, further expanding their partnership currently focused on nuclear energy, oil and gas.

During the Korea-UAE Industry and Energy Cooperation Forum held online, South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Al Jaber inked a memorandum of understanding to share hydrogen trade regulations and policies and establish a cooperation channel between two parties’ hydrogen economy promotion agencies — H2Korea and Hydrogen Alliance.

“Korea is pushing for the ‘Green New Deal’ initiative, recently establishing a hydrogen roadmap and the world’s first hydrogen law. As the UAE is pursuing ‘Energy Strategy 2050,’ (the agreement) will allow both parties to strengthen their partnership in the new energy sector including hydrogen,” Sung said.

The two industry ministers also discussed further partnership in digital health and bio industries as well as smart manufacturing, e-commerce and artificial intelligence, according to Korea’s industry ministry. Also, the ministers will take turns to hold a strategic meeting every two years.

Heads of eight Korean companies — GS Caltex, GS Energy, Hanwha Solutions, Samsung Engineering, SK Engineering & Construction, Lotte Chemical, Korea National Oil Corp. and H2Korea — participated in the forum’s CEO roundtable session. They discussed the sustainable development of hydrogen fuel cells with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and shared ideas on renewable energy and climate change issues with Masdar Clean Energy, a global developer and operator of utility-scale renewable energy projects.

According to the industry ministry, Korea’s goods and services trade with the UAE stood at $9.4 billion as of last year. The UAE is Korea’s 21st largest trading partner.

Also, to celebrate the completion of the Barakah nuclear power plant this year — the UAE’s first nuclear power station and Korea’s first case of nuclear power plant export — Sun Yun-mo established the “Nuclear Power Plant Export Advisory Committee” to double down on export activities in countries including the Czech Republic and Poland.

“As Korea is getting closer to winning nuclear power plant contracts overseas including Czech, and to respond to the growing attention for small and mid-sized nuclear power plants in the foreign market, the committee has been formed to strengthen nuclear power plant export system and to support the export activities of nuclear power plant parts manufacturing companies,” an industry ministry official said.

Along with committee, the industry ministry launched a website (www.k-next.kr), where foreign customers and buyers can access the information of nuclear power plant parts manufactured by Korean companies.

“With the establishment of the committee, public and private sectors will be able to work together with full force for the export of Korean nuclear power plants,” said Joo Young-joon, deputy minister for energy and resources.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403329

Tokyo Games likely to be held without foreign spectators

Mar 05. 2021(The Yomiuri Shimbun)

By The Japan News/ANN

The organizing committee for the Tokyo Games and the central and metropolitan governments are expected to agree that foreign spectators should not be allowed to enter Japan for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

According to several senior officials of the government and the committee, it has been decided that a large number of overseas visitors could cause anxiety among the public as the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the world. The organizing committee plans to formally summarize its position soon and convey it to the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee.

A total of 900,000 tickets have already been sold overseas, the Games officials said. However, there is no sign that the pandemic is under control in Japan or abroad.

“At this point, it is difficult to foresee allowing in a large number of spectators,” a government official said.

IOC President Thomas Bach, IPC President Andrew Parsons, Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and organizing committee President Seiko Hashimoto held an online meeting on Wednesday.

At the meeting, Marukawa said, “It is very difficult to predict the [infection] situation in the future, so we need to decide carefully” on the entry of foreign spectators. No conclusion was reached that day, but it was agreed that a decision would be made this month on whether to accept foreign visitors.

The relevant parties plan to decide by March 25, when the torch relay is to depart from Fukushima Prefecture.

A senior official of the organizing committee said Wednesday evening, “If the Japan side decides not to accept overseas visitors, the IOC and IPC will respect that.”

After the meeting, Hashimoto said the reason for aiming to decide by March 25 was that “both the IOC and IPC have received requests for an early decision, in consideration of hotel and other arrangements.” This indicates that the organizing committee believes an early decision is necessary to minimize the impact of the many travel-related cancellations that will occur if foreign visitors are not allowed in.

It was also agreed at the meeting that a decision on the maximum number of spectators to be allowed into competition venues would be made in April, based on the infection situation and trends in professional baseball and other sports.

After the meeting, Marukawa told reporters in Tokyo, “We’ll decide based on the situation, using sports events in Japan and abroad as a reference.”

The government has suspended the entry of nonresident foreign nationals from all over the world since January, in response to the spread of infections. Even after the state of emergency covering four prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area is lifted, the entry ban is expected to continue for the time being to guard against the influx of variants of the virus.

The government plans to allow foreign athletes and other people involved in the Games to enter Japan.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403328

[Myanmar] CRPH appoints acting union ministers for nine ministries

Mar 05. 2021

By Eleven Media/ANN

The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) issued a statement on March 2 saying that acting union ministers had been appointed to nine ministries including the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry at the president office. 

The statement said four persons including three parliamentary representatives elected in the 2020 general election were appointed as acting union ministers for nine ministries. 

Zin Mar Aung from Yankin Constituency was appointed as acting union minister for foreign affairs, Lwin Ko Latt from Thanlyin Constituency as acting union minister for president office and for union government office, Tin Tun Naing from Seikkyikhanaungto as acting union minister for planning, finance and industry, for investment and foreign economic relations and for commerce, the CRPH statement said. 

Moreover, Yangon University of Medicine (1) rector Dr Zaw Wai Soe was appointed as acting union minister for labour, immigration and population, for education and for health and sports. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403296

China shows first high-def pictures of Mars taken by Tianwen 1

Mar 04. 2021Color picture of Mars’ north pole taken by Tianwen 1. [Photo provided by CNSA]

By Zhao Lei
China Daily/ANN

The China National Space Administration made public on Thursday morning the first high-definition pictures of Mars taken by the nation’s spacecraft.

The pictures – two black-and-white and one color – were shot recently by China’s Tianwen 1 robotic probe when the spacecraft was travelling in Mars orbit, according to the administration.

The two black-and-white 7-meter-resolution images were taken by the high-definition camera on Tianwen 1’s orbiter when the probe was about 330 to 350 kilometers above the Martian surface. Craters, mountain ridges and sand dunes on the red planet are clear on the pictures.

The color picture was generated by another camera on the orbiter, showing Mars’ north pole.

Tianwen 1, the country’s first independent Mars mission, was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket on July 23 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, kicking off the nation’s planetary exploration program.

The 5-metric ton probe, which consists of two major parts – the orbiter and the landing capsule- has flown for 224 days and about 475 million km. Currently, it is about 212 million km away from Earth, according to the administration.

It entered its preset parking orbit above Mars on Feb 24 and would fly in this orbit for about three months before releasing its landing capsule, said the administration.

All of the seven mission payloads on the orbiter will be gradually activated during the probe’s stay in the parking orbit to carry out scientific tasks and also to observe and analyze the landforms and weathers of the optimal landing site, it noted.

Black-and-white picture of Mars taken by Tianwen 1. [Photo provided by CNSA]

The Tianwen 1 mission’s ultimate goal is to land a rover in May or June on the southern part of Mars’ Utopia Planitia – a large plain within Utopia, the largest recognized impact basin in the solar system – to conduct scientific surveys.

Weighing about 240 kilograms, the rover, which has yet to be named, has six wheels and four solar panels and is able to move 200 meters per hour on Mars. It carries six scientific instruments including multispectral camera, ground-penetrating radar and meteorological measurer, and is expected to work about three months on the planet.

If the highly autonomous machine functions well, it will become mankind’s sixth rover ever deployed on Mars, following its five predecessors from the United States. The most recent operation by a rover was started by the US’ Perseverance at the Jezero Crater since Feb 19 (Beijing time).

Tianwen 1 is the world’s 46th Mars exploration mission since October 1960, when the former Soviet Union launched the first Mars-bound spacecraft. Only 19 of those missions were successful.

Black-and-white picture of Mars taken by Tianwen 1. [Photo provided by CNSA]

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403295

ExxonMobil to cut 300 jobs in Singapore, citing ‘unprecedented market conditions’ due to Covid-19

Mar 04. 2021ExxonMobil has more than 4,000 employees in Singapore, where its biggest integrated petrochemical complex is also housed. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

By Choo Yun Ting
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – ExxonMobil will cut about 300 positions from its workforce in Singapore, where its largest refinery is located, by the end of 2021.

This represents about 7 per cent of its headcount in the Republic, as unprecedented market conditions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated ongoing reorganisation, it said on Tuesday (March 2). 

All the affected staff are professionals and managers, and will be notified between March 8 and 12, Mr Chew Boon Jin, president of the ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union, told The Straits Times on Wednesday. 

He added that the last day of payroll for these employees would be on April 30, 2021. 

The Singapore layoffs come after ExxonMobil announced last October it would slash its global workforce by 15 per cent by the end of 2022. The company had said then that the cuts would come through attrition, targeted redundancy programmes and scaled-back hiring. 

The oil major has more than 4,000 employees in Singapore, where its biggest integrated petrochemical complex is also housed. Its refinery has a capacity of about 592,000 barrels a day.

In its statement, ExxonMobil said that Singapore continues to be a strategic location for the company, with a world-scale manufacturing complex and a talented workforce. 

It remains committed to providing energy and products that are essential for society, while managing operations safely and responsibly, including reducing the risks of climate change, the firm added. 

“This is a difficult but necessary step to improve our company’s competitiveness and strengthen the foundation of our business for future success,” said Ms Geraldine Chin, who took over as chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific in January.

“We are providing transitional support to our colleagues who are impacted and are focused on getting through this challenging time.”

An ExxonMobil spokesman added that the firm will be providing support, including counselling and outplacement services, to all affected colleagues. 

It has engaged with the Ministry of Manpower and union leaders ahead of the announcement, the spokesman added. 

In response to ST queries, Mr Lim Wey-Len, senior vice-president and head of energy and resources at the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), said that ExxonMobil’s reduction in staff levels is a business decision to ensure its long-term competitiveness and deal with near-term challenges. 

“ExxonMobil remains committed to its operations in Singapore, which includes its largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex globally and its Asia Pacific hub for its downstream, chemical, and LNG (liquefied natural gas) businesses,” he said.

He said that the EDB is working with ExxonMobil and other government agencies to provide assistance to affected employees by facilitating job placement in other companies.

The oil giant is one of Singapore’s largest foreign investors, with more than $25 billion in fixed asset investments. 

In March last year, it held a virtual foundation-laying ceremony for its multibillion-dollar expansion of its Jurong Island refining and petrochemical complex. That investment, which will enable it to increase its production capacity for higher-value products and cleaner fuels, was expected to create 135 new jobs.

Other oil industry majors have announced job cuts in recent months, amid predictions that oil consumption may never rebound to pre-pandemic levels. 

Last November, Shell Singapore said it will cut 500 employees from its headcount of 1,300 at its Pulau Bukom site by end-2023, as it downsizes operations and pivots away from crude oil towards a low-carbon slate of fuels.

This came two months after its parent company said it will cut as many as 9,000 positions worldwide by end-2022 as Covid-19 precipitated a company-wide restructuring into low-carbon energy.

Later in November, Chevron said it could slash at least 10 per cent of jobs in its Singapore operations. Earlier in May, the US oil giant had announced it would cut about 6,000 out of nearly 45,000 global jobs.

Last year, London-headquartered BP announced that 10,000 employees globally would be made redundant.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403294

South Korea eyes ‘travel bubble’ to revitalize aviation industry

Mar 04. 2021Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks during an emergency economic meeting held at the government complex in Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

By The Korea Herald/ANN

Government vows 300,000 new jobs in service industry set for digital transformation

South Korea will pursue quarantine-free, international travel agreements with other countries and lift other virus-related restrictions to prop up the aviation industry struggling to survive amid a sharp fall in air demand.

“The country will push ahead with the signing of ‘travel bubble’ agreements for people to travel without restriction on the basis of the coronavirus situation (suitable for such pact),” Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said during an emergency economic meeting Wednesday. 

Talks are underway but the Transport Ministry declined to reveal which countries they are negotiating with, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

A travel bubble is a partnership between two or more cities or countries with similar levels of COVID-19 cases that allows for a two-way, quarantine-free travel for those who have proof of a negative coronavirus test result.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and daily new coronavirus cases falling back below 500, the country is seeking ways to boost inbound and outbound tourism without ruining its virus containment efforts. 

“The aviation industry desperately needs support to maintain its competitiveness as it is a core sector in charge of export logistics and is where as many as 200,000 people work for including related industries such as tourism,” Kim Sang-do, deputy minister for civil aviation at the Transport Ministry, said during a press briefing.

According to the minister, the government will launch a pilot program for a mobile application-based “travel pass” which enables users to show COVID-19 test certificates in digital form.

International travelers will be allowed to board “flights to nowhere” — inbound, non-landing scenic trips that allow passengers to tour the country without entering. So far, only Korean airlines have been permitted to offer the sightseeing services to local residents only.

Such measures came as the number of international air travelers to Korea plunged nearly 98 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier despite the government’s support for the industry.

To help the struggling sector stay afloat, the state will extend a reduction in fees airports charge airlines until the end of June this year while considering injecting additional liquidity into low-cost carriers if they experience a temporary cash crunch. 

Also discussed at the meeting were measures to sharpen competitiveness of the service industry that has potential to contribute added value and job creation to the economy.

The government has proposed a goal of raising the services sector‘s share of GDP from 60 percent to 65 percent and create 300,000 new jobs by 2025.

To this end, it will support the construction of a smart digital system of 100,000 mom-and-pop shops and 1,350 SME businesses to implement automation such as digital payment solutions.

The industry-wide digital transformation will help adding new jobs for young workers in the information and communication technology sector, First Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom said.

The government will guarantee some 2 trillion won ($1.78 billion) in funding to be provided to service companies that embrace digital transformations through use of big data and artificial intelligence.

Eight sectors including tourism, health care, logistics and finance will receive intensive support to improve their high value added services.

A 300 billion won-fund will be created to foster tourism venture firms. By 2025, the number of smart logistics centers, which use the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, will be expanded to 250.

To achieve its goal of exporting $10.6 billion worth of agricultural and seafood products this year, the government will actively seek to adopt contactless and digital trends in the global trade scene, which have been accelerated by the pandemic. 

It plans to set up 10 online stores dedicated to Korean agri-fishery products on top global online shopping sites to help some 300 firms to use the platforms for their e-commerce business.

The country’s export of agricultural and seafood products hit an all-time high of $9.89 billion in 2020 on the back of a rise in demand for health, fermented and convenient foods coupled with marketing strategies linked to the Korean Wave, the ministry said. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403293

[Japan] Govt plans to extend state of emergency by two weeks

Mar 04. 2021Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

By The Japan News/ANN

The government plans to extend the state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures by two weeks, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.

“I believe that an extension of about two weeks is necessary to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people. I would like to make a final decision after listening to the opinions of experts and people concerned,” Suga said to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The state of emergency for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures is currently scheduled to last through Sunday. The government will listen to the opinions of the expert panel of the basic policy measures on Friday and then is expected to make a final decision on a two-week extension.

Asked what criteria are necessary to lift the state of emergency, Suga said, “It is important for the hospital bed utilization rate to be below 50% and the vector to go down.”

On Tuesday, Suga said, “Tokyo and the three prefectures are connected in various ways,” emphasizing that the judgment about the lifting of the state of emergency will be made with Tokyo and the three prefectures considered as one integrated area.

The governors of Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures have been coordinating to jointly ask the central government to extend the period of the state of emergency, according to sources.

The governors plan to ask for an extension of another two weeks.

Concerning the declaration of the state of emergency, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Tuesday that the decrease in infections “has not caught up with the expected number.” She expressed a cautious stance regarding the lifting of the state of emergency on the scheduled date.

Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa said: “Looking at the whole of Tokyo and the three prefectures, some data were at Stage 4 levels. We may be unable to make the judgment until after watching the numbers up to the last minute.”

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30403292

UN receives conflicting letters concerning Myanmar’s UN envoy

Mar 04. 2021

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

By China Daily/ANN

UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has received two letters that conflict with each other concerning the position of Myanmar’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said his spokesman on Tuesday.

“I can confirm that we’ve received two letters. They’re currently under review,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres.

“We did receive a letter yesterday (Monday) from Kyaw Moe Tun, the permanent representative of Myanmar, which was addressed to the president of the General Assembly with copy to the Secretary-General’s Office, informing that he remains Myanmar’s permanent representative to the United Nations,” Dujarric told a daily press briefing.

“We’ve also received a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar this (Tuesday) morning, which was addressed to the Secretary-General’s Office, informing that the State Administration Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has terminated the duties and responsibilities of Mr. Kyaw Moe Tun as permanent representative of Myanmar and that Mr. U Tin Maung Naing, deputy permanent representative, has been assigned as the charge d’affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission.”

Kyaw Moe Tun, who spoke at a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday against the Myanmar military’s detention of the country’s political leaders, was fired by the military authorities the next day. 

The rival claims to represent Myanmar will now likely have to be considered by a nine-member UN credentials committee that reports to the General Assembly, which will then make the final decision.

‘Intense discussions’

According to the General Assembly rules of procedure, credentials must be issued by either a head of state or government or a foreign minister. The communication sent to Guterres’ office on Tuesday was on Myanmar Foreign Ministry letterhead, but as a note verbale it was unsigned.

Kyaw Moe Tun noted in his letter that President Win Myint and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi appointed him last year and they remain lawfully elected to their roles.

Dujarric said the United Nations has not received any official notification of any change to Myanmar’s government since the Feb 1 military action.

The United Nations has previously had to address competing claims for representation at the world body.

In September 2011, the General Assembly approved a Libyan request to accredit envoys of the country’s interim government. The move came after the United States, Russia, China and European nations had all recognized the new authorities.

The 15-member UN Security Council is due to discuss Myanmar in a closed meeting later this week, diplomats said.

With Reuters inputs