asia
Jade mine landslide kills 12 in Myanmar's northernmost state
At least 12 people were killed and dozens went missing when a landslide hit a jade mine in Myanmar's northernmost Kachin state late Monday, local police said on Tuesday.
"A landslide occurred last night. Nearly 40 jade scavengers were buried. 12 bodies have been found this morning and the rescue operation is underway," the police told Xinhua.
Read: Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’
The death toll could be higher in the landslide that struck an old jade mining site in Mat Lin Chaung village in Hpakant township of Kachin state at 22:35 p.m. local time on Monday, a local resident said.
Deadly landslides are frequent in Kachin state, especially in Hpakant mining region.
Many locals make their living by scavenging jade in the region and most of the landslides are caused by partial collapse of the tailing heaps or dams.
Read: Official: Artillery kills 70 Ukraine soldiers
A major fatal landslide occurred at a jade mining site in Hpakant township in July 2020, leaving 174 dead and 54 others injured.
Need for all nations to respect maritime democracy: US Pacific fleet commander
Admiral Samuel J Paparao, Commander of US Pacific Fleet, on Sunday emphasized the need for all nations to respect maritime democracy, international rules-based order and concepts of the sovereignty of freedom of seas because these all are in the interest of all the nations.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the MILAN multinational exercise in Visakhapatnam, he said, "This MILAN conference has also emphasised on QUAD discussions between the United States, India Japan and Australia. The QUAD is a shining example when we talk about great maritime powers such as Japan, India, Australia and the United States."
READ: Joint exercise of BAF, US Pacific Air Force ends
Admiral Paparao, who was in Visakhapatnam to participate in the eleventh edition of MILAN being hosted by Eastern Naval Command, said that the future is bright with regard to the building of the interoperability between Indian and American forces as they move forward with greater and greater sharing of network and technologies.
He also said that the United States and India are actively sharing defence technologies such MH60 Romeo choppers.
The admiral said, "Alliances have responsibilities to one another within the alliance and in QUAD nations we see the recognition of shared values and shared interest and commitments between countries to help each other."
Calling Vietnam's participation in MILAN inspiring, Admiral Paparao said it is "unfortunate" that Vietnam often has been the victim of aggression on its maritime domain in terms of bigger nations trying to make excessive claims on its exclusive economic zones.
"By participating in MILAN countries can form an alliance and seek each other's help and cooperation to deal with threats that they facing from some of the bigger nations," he added
Admiral Paparao on Saturday visited USS Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the US Navy, to meet the sailors on board. He thanked the sailor for the great job they have been doing to serve the United States in furthering its defence relations with India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
READ: US Pacific commander says China seeks to intimidate region
USS Fitzgerald and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft VP-47, joined with ships, aircraft and personnel from India and other navies to participate in the MILAN Exercise in Visakhapatnam.
Joel Reifman, U.S. Consul General in Hyderabad also participated in the MILAN. During his two-day stay in Visakhapatnam, Reifman visited USS Fitzgerald and met sailors. He also had meetings with several senior Indian naval officers.
The eleventh edition of MILAN is being hosted by the Eastern Naval Command at Vishakhapatnam for the first time. The participation from Friendly Foreign Countries includes 13 ships, 39 delegations and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft. This large congregation gives significance and potency to the word 'MILAN' which means "meeting" or "confluence" in Hindi. A Special Day Cover and a movie on the MILAN exercise was released by the Chief Guest to mark the occasion.
"MILAN endeavours to promote "Camaraderie, Cohesion, Collaboration" between like-minded Navies. This is achieved by professional interaction and experience sharing at the harbour and enhancing interoperability, including multilateral operations at sea", stated the Navy's official release.
The harbour phase of the exercise will culminate on February 28, followed by the sea phase from 1 March to 4 March.
PM Modi chairs key meet on Ukraine crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met external affairs minister S Jaishankar and other key officials to take stock of the ongoing rescue operations to bring back all Indian nationals from the war-torn Ukraine. All efforts will be made to evacuate Indian nationals out of Ukraine, the PM said.
This is the second meeting chaired by Modi on the situation prevailing out of the Russian expansion in Ukraine. He also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy separately. India has reiterated its stand of defusing the crisis through dialogue, reports The Hisdustan Times.
India’s primary concern is the rescue of thousands of Indians, mostly students, who are stuck in the Eastern European country. With Ukraine closing its air space, India has flown special Air India flights to Budapest (Hungary) and Bucharest (Romania) as part of ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back its stranded citizens.
READ: Mamata, Modi on the same page on Ukraine crisis
A top official familiar with the development said foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla gave a presentation to the prime minister on the current situation in Ukraine with a special focus on the evacuation operations. According to the government, 249 and 240 Indian nationals were brought back in two flights on Sunday while 219 people were flown in a day ago.
Earlier in the day, Shringla said around 2,000 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine so far. However, there are issues exiting via Poland border and alternative arrangements are being made, he said.
After the war broke out in Ukraine, many Indian citizens were provided temporary shelters by the embassy while the government has started several helplines for those stuck in the war-torn nation and their relatives.
READ: Modi urges Putin to halt military offensive in Ukraine
Modi presided over the meeting soon after his return from Uttar Pradesh, where he addressed rallies for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidates for the ongoing assembly elections.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma in a statement said, “The ongoing hostilities and military conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a matter of grave concern for the world. Indian National Congress while expressing its anguish is of the considered view that the international community must work together for cessation of armed conflict and early restoration of peace to save human lives and further aggravation of the crisis.”“The path of diplomatic negotiations must be embraced in all sincerity for a negotiated resolution of all issues between Russia and Ukraine respecting the MINSK and Russia — NATO agreements and earlier understandings,” he added.
Mamata, Modi on the same page on Ukraine crisis
Burying political differences, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has offered her "unconditional support" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the crisis in Ukraine.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mamata asserted that the country stands united with regard to the evacuation of the distressed Indian nationals, particularly students, in war-torn Ukraine.
"I would request you to accept my unconditional support during the ongoing international crisis and to consider whether you will like to have an all party meeting now for consolidating our national resolve to come out of the crisis with our head held high," Mamata wrote on Monday.
"Being the largest democracy in the world, India must take lead to offer a peaceful solution to the world, and we must offer it undaunted and unhesitant," she said.
Also read: Modi urges Putin to halt military offensive in Ukraine
On May 2 last year, Mamata scripted history by single-handedly pulling off a landslide victory in the state elections for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Modi's ruling BJP.
"... (But) In times of grave international crisis we keep aside our domestic disagreements to stand united as a nation. We do this to make sure that our dignity as a nation is unchallenged and unviolated.
"We do this to ensure that the principles on which we conduct our foreign affairs continue to be stable in the global arena," the Bengal CM wrote.
India has already started evacuating its nationals from Ukraine.
Last week, Prime Minister Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately halt military action against Ukraine, underscoring the need for a diplomatic solution to the standoff.
This was after Ukraine's envoy in Delhi sought Modi's intervention in ending the Russian offensive.
"Modi ji is one of the most powerful, respected world leaders. You have a privileged, strategic relation with Russia. If Modiji speaks to Putin we are hopeful he'll respond," Ukraine's Ambassador Igor Polikha told the local media on Thursday.
Also read: Ukraine seeks Indian intervention in ending Russian offensive
"India should be much more actively engaged, given the privileged relation India has with Russia. Not just for our safety, but of your own citizen's safety too, we need intervention of India."
An estimated 15,000 Indians are said to be currently in Ukraine.
Int'l flights to remain suspended in India until further orders
Commercial international flights to and from India shall remain suspended until further orders, officials said Monday.
According to a circular issued by the country's civil aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, the restriction shall not be applicable for international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA.
"The competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India till further orders," said the notice issued by DGCA. "However, flights under air bubble arrangement will not be affected."
Read: Small Japan border easing stirs hope, worry for foreigners
Commercial flights were suspended when the country imposed a complete nationwide lockdown late in March 2020 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Domestic flights resumed operations in India on May 25, 2020, after nearly two months of suspension while international flights continue to remain suspended.
However, Indian authorities have been operating special international flights since May 2020 and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with select countries since July last year.
China issues report on U.S. human rights violations
China's State Council Information Office on Monday issued the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021.
The report said the human rights situation in the United States, which has notorious records, worsened in 2021. Its political manipulation led to a sharp surge in COVID-19 deaths while shooting deaths in the country hit a new record.
Read: Human rights defenders in Myanmar under siege, say UN experts
Fake democracy trampled on people's political rights and violent law enforcement made life harder for migrants and refugees in the United States, it said.
The report also highlighted the country's growing discrimination against ethnic minority groups, especially people of Asian descent.
Unilateral U.S. actions created new humanitarian crises across the globe, it added.
Small Japan border easing stirs hope, worry for foreigners
Japan this week will ease tough coronavirus border controls that have been criticized as xenophobic and damaging to the economy. The new rules, however, provide only a slight improvement: 5,000 new entrants per day, instead of the current 3,500, and nowhere near the estimated 64,000 a day that were entering for long-term visits before the pandemic.
The 5,000 daily arrivals also includes Japanese nationals returning to the country, which means hundreds of thousands of foreigners will still struggle to enter.
An estimated half million foreign students, teachers, workers accredited as technical interns and business travelers have been locked out and waiting to get in for nearly two years. Under the policy that takes effect Tuesday, it would take several more months of patience before everyone can get in.
“It’s still better than nothing,” said Jommy Kwok, who has missed nearly all of her first year of post-graduate classes in atmospheric science at Hokkaido University.
Kwok was the only one in her class who had to take classes and do research online while remaining in Hong Kong. Her 20 classmates returned to the campus when coronavirus infections slowed rapidly late last year, before the more recent omicron wave. “I have been quite left out,” she said in an online interview.
She hopes to arrive in Japan before the new school year starts in April and take more classes to catch up as much as possible before her scheduled graduation next year. She may also continue studies for a doctoral degree in Japan.
But she has competition. About 150,000 foreign students and scholars are waiting to enter.
Read: Global Covid cases surpass 435 million
Japan has banned nearly all entries of non-resident foreigners since early in the pandemic. The country announced an easing in November but quickly reversed that decision after the omicron variant emerged elsewhere in the world.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will consider a further relaxation of border controls based on a scientific assessment of the omicron variant, infection levels in and outside Japan, and other countries’ quarantine measures.
The long wait has already hurt many people, both mentally and financially. Some have changed the focus of their studies, their careers and their life plans.
Critics have compared Japan’s strict and prolonged border measures to the “sakoku” locked-country policy of the xenophobic warlords who ruled the country in the 17th to 19th centuries. Some say it hurts Japan’s national interests by locking out skilled foreigners who could bring valuable ideas, business and work to the country.
“I am wishing to contribute to society if I decide to stay” in Japan, Kwok said.
Japanese and foreign business groups have also protested to the government, saying the border closure has delayed investment, business deals, product development and deliveries.
According to a recent survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry of German companies in Japan, 73 of 100 respondents said they saw their project and business volume in danger because of the entry ban, while 23 said they had already lost business worth more than $113 million.
The absence of foreign students meant a loss of tuition for universities and language schools, while farming, construction, nursing and convenience stores that have depended on foreign workers faced serious staffing shortages, according to Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute.
Their return under the daily entry cap of 5,000 could contribute an estimated 1.6 trillion yen ($14 billion) of annual economic gain, or 0.2% of Japan’s GDP, in the short term, Kiuchi said.
Under the restrictions, Japan also might have missed future business partners because foreign companies that consider the border measures a risk factor might avoid business or investment here, he said.
While COVID-19 infections are slowing, daily fatalities surged above 270 last Tuesday, a record since the pandemic began, according to the health ministry. Japan has recorded more than 23,000 deaths, significantly lower than in many countries.
But most of Japan is still under virus-related restrictions as infections continue to burden the medical system, which tends to be overwhelmed easily because COVID-19 treatment is limited to public or major hospitals.
Read: Internet monitor says Russia blocking Facebook
Experts generally agree that Japan’s quick tightening of its border in late November was good crisis management, but that keeping the doors shut as omicron infections spread within Japan was meaningless.
“At this point, the damage is greater than the benefit,” said Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Akio Mimura, who called for a further easing of the daily entry cap. Mimura, noting widespread public support for tough border measures, urged the government to raise awareness that the policy is harming parts of society.
Business leaders are also calling for a resumption of tourism at some point to revive the badly hurt industry. Foreign tourism fell more than 90% in 2020 from the year before, almost wiping out the pre-pandemic inbound tourism market of about 4 trillion yen ($34 billion).
Education Minister Shinsuke Suematsu said recently that Japan is trying to allow in as many foreign students as possible before the April start of the new academic year, but “it will still take a significant amount of time before everyone can get in.”
The new border measures won’t help Stefano Piras, who is in Italy and hasn’t been able to visit his Japanese fiancée for more than a year.
The couple met in late 2019 in London, just before the pandemic. After about a year, they decided to get married, and Piras returned to Italy to prepare for his move to Japan.
Piras wanted to meet with her parents and get married in Japan, but to do so he has to obtain a tourist visa, which under the current border policy is impossible. Now he thinks getting a marriage certificate and a spouse visa is the only way he can be reunited with her in Japan.
“You’re born, you get married and you have a family. It’s one of the three most important things in your life,” Piras said in an online interview from Sardinia. He laments that he has to burden his fiancée with paperwork in Japan, instead of working together on the marriage.
Having lived in Osaka for two years as a Japanese language student, Piras was aware of Japan’s tendency to be wary of outsiders, but “it was a shock that they are still so closed. ... It’s like saying Japanese are OK but we (foreigners) are not OK. We bring sickness and Japanese are the pure ones.”
Still, Piras hasn’t lost his love of Japanese culture and people. He calls Japan “my second home.”
But first he has to get back in.
North Korea says it tested cameras for spy satellite
North Korea said Monday it tested cameras to be installed on a spy satellite, with the announcement coming a day after after its neighbors detected a new ballistic missile launch.
While North Korean state media didn't directly acknowledge any missile launch Sunday, it said the "important test” involved cameras for a reconnaissance satellite conducting vertical and oblique photography of a specific area of Earth. State media also released photos of the Korean Peninsula that appeared to be taken from space.
Read:US hits NKorean officials with sanctions after missile test
Technical details of the North Korean statement couldn’t be independently confirmed. But the statement suggests North Korea likely launched a rocket or a missile to take space-based photos.
A spy satellite is among an array of sophisticated weapons systems that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed last year to develop under military modernization plans to cope with what he called hostile U.S. policies toward his country.
Putting a satellite into orbit requires a long-range rocket launch, but the United Nations has banned North Korea from such launches, since both ballistic missiles and the rockets used for satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technologies.
The Korean Central News Agency said “the test is of great significance” in North Korea's satellite development because it confirmed “the characteristics and working accuracy of high-definition photographing system, data transmission system and attitude control devices," by the National Aerospace Development Administration and the Academy of Defense Science
After repeated failures, North Korea successfully put its first satellite into orbit in 2012 and second one in 2016. North Korea said both were Earth observation satellites and that their launches were part of its peaceful space development program.
Outside experts questioned whether those satellites have been working normally but said the North’s past satellite launches have improved its missile programs. In 2017, North Korea performed three intercontinental ballistic missile tests and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test as part of its efforts to acquire a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching the American homeland.
According to U.S, South Korean and Japanese accounts, North Korea launched a ballistic missile Sunday off its east coast. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the missile flew about 300 kilometers (190 miles) at a maximum altitude of about 600 kilometers (370 miles) before landing off North Korea’s eastern coast.
Read:North Korea fires 2 suspected missiles in 6th launch in 2022
The missile launch was the eighth of its kind this year and the first since Jan. 30.
Some experts say North Korea may view the U.S. preoccupation with Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a chance to accelerate testing activity without receiving any serious response from Washington.
Kim imposed a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests in 2018 at the start of now-stalled nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump. But North Korea recently hinted at lifting that moratorium, raising speculation that it might perform an ICBM or a satellite-carrying rocket launch soon.
Flight carrying over 200 Indians from Ukraine lands in Mumbai
An Air India flight from Romania carrying over 200 Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Ukraine landed at Mumbai airport on Saturday night, officials said.
Since the Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civilian flights in the wake of the Russian invasion, some 209 stranded Indians, including students, were evacuated to Romanian capital Bucharest.
"The evacuated Indians boarded the Air India flight from Bucharest. The flight landed at 8pm (local time)," a senior aviation official told the media.
Also read: Ukraine: Curfew extended as Russian troops press on capital
Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar took to Twitter to share pictures of the evacuees on the flight. "I am personally monitoring. The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania,” he wrote.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately halt military action against Ukraine, underscoring the need for a diplomatic solution to the standoff.
On Thursday, Ukraine's envoy in Delhi sought Modi's intervention in ending the Russian offensive.
"Modi ji is one of the most powerful, respected world leaders. You have a privileged, strategic relation with Russia. If Modiji speaks to Putin we are hopeful he'll respond," Ukraine's Ambassador Igor Polikha had told the local media.
Also read: Ukraine minister:198 killed, 1000 wounded
"India should be much more actively engaged, given the privileged relation India has with Russia. Not just for our safety, but of your own citizen's safety too, we need intervention of India."
An estimated 15,000 Indians are said to be currently in Ukraine.
How trade pact with UAE will boost presence of Made-in-India medicines in the Middle East
The pact between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to boost bilateral merchandise trade is likely to expand the presence of Made-in-India medicines in Middle Eastern countries, chief of the central government’s pharma export arm has told News18.com.
Both countries have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the aim of increasing bilateral merchandise trade to $100 billion by 2030. Pharmaceuticals is one of the products that has been included in the vortex of CEPA.
Read: Learning from Covid, Modi govt plans big AI push for disease surveillance across India
The pact, which is claimed to be the first trade agreement India has made with a major trading partner in over a decade, eases out the conditions of drug approvals in the UAE.
The process of approval for any dossier filed by Indian drug makers in UAE – to sell their medicines in their market – took up to 24 months but now, it will be approved in 90 days.
The new clause applies to Indian companies who have facilities approved by eight drug regulators, including those of the US FDA, European Medical Agency, UK’s MHRA, TGA-Australia and Health Canada.
The reason behind India’s limited entry into the UAE market was its high consumption of patented drugs – innovative and expensive products – which are supplied by the developed countries, including the US and Europe.
While India leads the globe in manufacturing of generic medicines, UAE is bracketed among the top three high priced countries, the other two being the US and Germany. It spends $343 per capita (Rs 26,068 each person, on an average) on purchasing medicines.
In 2020, the data shows, the pharmaceutical market of the UAE was estimated at $3.5 billion (Rs 26,600 crore). It was further trifurcated into patented drugs, generic drugs and OTC market. However, the demand for patented drugs was highest, capturing around 68% of the total pharmaceutical market followed by 18% generic drugs and 14% OTC drugs.
HOW UAE ENTRY CAN SHARPEN INDIA’S ACCESS TO OTHER KEY MARKETS
The industry calls the UAE “a gateway” to several other countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Iran, Iraq and Africa. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“While UAE is an unexplored and huge market for India, it’s more attractive because of the possibility of re-exports, hence a wider reach of Indian drugs in other markets,” R Uday Bhaskar, director general of Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil), an arm under Ministry of Commerce and Industry told News18.com.
It means that the UAE first imports and then exports drugs to other countries. Hence, tapping into the UAE market will give access to multiple countries.
Read: Ukraine seeks Indian intervention in ending Russian offensive
According to the data by Pharmexcil, the GCC countries import drugs worth $15 billion (Rs 1,14,000 crore), out of which $4.6 billion (Rs 34,900 crore) is generic drugs – the type in which India leads the globe. Presently, in the financial year 2020-21, India exported around $492 million (Rs 3,739 crore) which is just 2% of the available generic market.
“There is a huge scope of market penetration by India drug-makers,” Bhaskar said.