Asia Archives - Page 72 of 100

China’s dam-building over Brahmaputra risks water war with India

25Jan

By Mike TrudellNo Comments

Asia, China, World

China’s dam-building over Brahmaputra risks water war with India

In a move which could lead to conflicts between China and India, Beijing is planning to build a mega-dam on the Yarlung Zangbao, the world's highest river, which flows through Tibet and eventually becomes the Brahmaputra when it enters India. The Yarlung Zangbao Dam plan is moving ahead without China discussing or entering into water-sharing agreements with downstream India or Bangladesh. Bangladesh, which maintains cordial relations with China, too protested over the Yarlung Zangbao Dam.Bertil Linter, a Swedish journalist, in an opinion piece wrote that precise technical details regarding the mega-dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River are lacking, but regional media reports indicate it will likely dwarf the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and generate three times as much electri...

Hong Kong imposes first lockdown due to surge in covid-19 cases

23Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia, USA

Hong Kong imposes first lockdown due to surge in covid-19 cases

The government in Hong Kong has imposed its first COVID-19 lockdown in Jordan, a neighbourhood on the Kowloon Peninsula, after a sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases.A statement read: The government made a “restriction-testing declaration”, which requires residents from parts of the bustling neighborhood of Jordan to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing arranged by the government.Residents will be required to stay at their homes until all the residents are subjected to mandatory testing, which the authorities aim to complete under the time frame of 48 hours.Thousands of Hong Kong residents are affected by the lockdown, said the government’s information office.Wong Kam-sin, Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment, said that the water from the pipes of several bu...

23Jan

By Online DeskNo Comments

Asia

Pakistan continues ignore terrorism organisations despite FATF’s February deadline

As Pakistan continues financing and supporting terrorist organisations, it appears that the country will be pushed into the black list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) during next month’s Plenary to assess the country’s progress in curbing the financing of terrorist organisations.During October’s review, FATF president Marcus Pleyer had said that there were “very serious deficiencies” in Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorist financing and gave the country until the February 19-21 Plenary to resolve these issues as they cannot wait “forever.”“As long as we see that the country is progressing with the action items, and we have seen progress with Pakistan, we give them a chance to repair the outstanding issues, but we don’t do this forever,” Pleyer had said.Although Pakistani decis...

J&K: Doda, Ramban districts now ‘terrorism-free’, say police

22Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia

J&K: Doda, Ramban districts now ‘terrorism-free’, say police

In the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), two out of three districts in Chenab Valley are now free from terrorism, the police said on Thursday."There are three districts in the Chenab Valley. Out of these, Doda and Ramban are now militancy-free while an area in Kishtwar district still has a militancy presence. We are trying our best to make the area militancy-free as soon as possible," said Abdul Jabbar, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Doda/Kishtwar/Ramban (DKR) Range.The DIG was in Doda to review the security preparations ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. He remarked that at the present time, there is a very peaceful situation in Chenab Valley."I also had a crime review meeting to check the law and order and state of militancy in the zone," he said, a...

Pakistan should withdraw anti-dumping duty imposed on BOPP from UAE: WTO

20Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia

Pakistan should withdraw anti-dumping duty imposed on BOPP from UAE: WTO

Pakistan should withdraw the antidumping duty imposed on Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene Film (BOPP) from the United Arab Emirates, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in a report.As per the WTO panel issues report regarding Pakistan duties on BOPP film from the UAE, the WTO found that Pakistan’s final determination of 9 April 2015 and sunset review determination of 1 December 2016 is inconsistent with a number of Articles of the Anti-Dumping Agreement.The dispute concerns a challenge to successive anti-dumping duty measures that Pakistan adopted on imports of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film from, among other sources, the United Arab Emirates.The WTO report recommended that Pakistan bring its measures into conformity with its obligations under the Anti-Dumping Agreement.I...

China: GDP growth slowest in more than four decades

20Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia, China

China: GDP growth slowest in more than four decades

Official data released on Monday has showed that China’s GDP grew at the slowest pace in more than four decades in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic hit the world.Coronavirus, which has ravaged the world economy, first emerged in central China in 2019. But China also became the first country to bounce back after imposing strict lockdowns and virus control measures.The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said last year was a “grave and complex environment both at home and abroad” with the pandemic having a “huge impact”.The 2.3 per cent expansion in 2020 was a marked slowdown from 2019’s revised growth of 6.0 per cent — itself already the lowest in decades — with the country hit by weak domestic demand and trade tensions.In the last three months of 2020, China’s economic rebound continued...

India, Japan sign Memorandum of Cooperation to help promote movement of skilled workers

19Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia

India, Japan sign Memorandum of Cooperation to help promote movement of skilled workers

With an aim to promote the movement of skilled workers from India to Japan, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on “Basic Framework for Partnership” was signed by New Delhi and Tokyo on Monday.The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the MoC covers 14 categories of specified skills under which skilled workers from India who meet the skills requirement and Japanese language tests would be eligible for employment in Japan on a contractual basis.“Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary and Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Government of India and Government of Japan on a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to ‘Specified Skilled Worker (SSW)’ on 18 January 2021 in New Delhi...

At just 50.38% efficacy, China’s covid-19 vaccine far less effective than initially reported

18Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia, China

At just 50.38% efficacy, China’s covid-19 vaccine far less effective than initially reported

In a major setback to be the dominant vaccine supplier to developing countries, Brazilian researchers announced that China’s Sinovac vaccine was far less effective than originally touted.According to data made available by Brazil's Butantan Institute, a São Paulo-based public institute, the efficacy of Sinovac’s CoronaVac in a late- stage trials was at just 50.38 percent, nearly 30 percentage points lower than what the initial data showed.The Butantan Institute initially said that late-stage trials had found the CoronaVac vaccine to be between 78 percent and 100 effective.After a number of scientists accused the trial’s organizers of misleading the public, the institute revealed researchers had separated the cases into six categories: asymptomatic, very mild, mild, two levels of moderate, ...

Tejas Aircraft far better than China-Pak JF-17 fighters: Indian Air Force Chief

15Jan

By Joe RodriguezNo Comments

Asia, China

Tejas Aircraft far better than China-Pak JF-17 fighters: Indian Air Force Chief

Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria on Thursday said that the Indian made light combat aircraft Tejas is far better and advanced than the Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets and that the latest Indian jet would be better equipped to carry out Balakot-type airstrikes.The Air Chief said the 83 indigenous fighter jets to be inducted into the force would also be equipped with homegrown weapons such as the Astra beyond visual range air to air missiles and other standoff weapons."Indian aircraft Tejas is far better and advanced than the Chinese and Pakistan joint venture JF-17 fighter," IAF Chief Bhadauria said.The Air Chief further said: "In terms of strike capability, it will have the capability of a standoff weapon which will be even beyond the capability we used that time."Noting the appro...

Japan to play placeholder role in Asia as Biden gets his house in order

11Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Asia, China, Singapore, World

Japan to play placeholder role in Asia as Biden gets his house in order

When U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy gets the boot on Jan. 20, it will be replaced by Joe Biden’s more outward-looking and cooperative approach in Asia — one in which Japan is widely expected to play an integral part. As Washington looks warily at China’s rise, it will aim for Japan to play a placeholder role as the Biden White House focuses immediately on reining in the coronavirus pandemic that has left about 340,000 dead in the U.S. “They’ll have no choice but to take care of that damage first,” a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. “This will be less about (the Asia-Pacific region) being lowered in priority than about repairing that damage.” In the meantime, Tokyo “will continue to act as a ‘placeholder’ for the incoming adm...