Month: December 2021

Categories
-Top News China

Gucci Sparks Another Row in China

It’s not about how the model herself looked like, nor does it indicate that we refuse any other bold or innovative fashion styles other than the traditional sense of beauty…reports Asian Lite News.

 Gucci’s differentiated treatment of Chinese and Western audience has been slammed by Chinese netizens who say it’s “clearly a manifestation of guilty conscience”, and that the brand knew it has presented a Western-style Asian appearance that would irritate the Chinese audience, Global Times reported.

With the waves stirred by the slanted-eyed model posters of Three Squirrels and Mercedes-Benz still unsettled among the Chinese public, another wave hit the country on Wednesday as an advertisement of Italian luxury fashion brand Gucci was found featuring an Asian-looking model with “scary” makeup, an exaggerated nose ring and a leather whip in her hand, the report said.

In the advertisement for Gucci’s new series of bamboo top handle bags posted online, an Asian-looking female model is seen holding a bag with makeup featuring thin, light eyebrows, small eyes, and high cheek bones that amplify the “Asian face” typically depicted in the Western narrative, the report said.

“It’s not about how the model herself looked like, nor does it indicate that we refuse any other bold or innovative fashion styles other than the traditional sense of beauty. It’s about whether a model has been portrayed to specially cater to the Western eyes, or has it been deliberately creating an atmosphere, with Western stereotypes steering the wind behind,” a Beijing resident told the Global Times.

Some find the nose ring and the leather whip particularly disturbing.

“The photos gave me a chill. The scary makeup and the atmosphere are just morbid,” said one netizen.

The controversy surrounding the “Asian face”, which has ignited public fury in recent days, started on Sunday with an advertisement by a famous Chinese snack retailer Three Squirrels. It posted a model featuring small, slanted eyes that netizens accused of catering to the Western stereotypes and an insult to Chinese people.

Soon afterwards, some found German automobile giant Mercedes Benz posting models with similar styles of makeup that emphasised the slanted eyes in one of its advertisements published on Saturday, the report said.

Both brands have removed the controversial advertisements, but the debates continue. Many netizens mentioned that the opinions should not be overstated and the issue should not be turned into a “political trial”, but the fashion world must no longer cater to Western aesthetics and should align with the aesthetics of the Chinese people, the report added.

ALSO READ-Taiwan Prez condemns China over HK raid

Categories
-Top News Asia News Economy

2022 SPECIAL: Turkey Back On Sickbed

The Turkish leader has been steadfast in pushing for low-interest rates, which he insists will fight inflation. But such a model is disputed by several economists….reports Asian Lite News

The free fall of the Turkish lira, which had continued throughout most of the year, has come to a halt after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to protect lira deposits and stop panic dollarisation.

The government’s plan has managed to support the embattled currency at the eleventh hour. From an all-time low of 18.35 liras per US dollar, it traded at around 12.22 liras against the greenback on Wednesday, according to the country’s central bank.

However, economists said the currency turmoil, which has marked this year, has left the country’s economy vulnerable to further shocks in 2022, especially high inflation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Prior to the policy shift, the central bank had made consecutive interest cuts, which many economists believed contributed to the devaluation of the Turkish currency. Since January, the lira has lost nearly 60 per cent of its value, while the annual inflation was 21.3 per cent in December. In fact, the currency is still significantly lower compared to the same period in 2020 despite the recent rebound.

Turkey aims to enhance relations with Gulf countries

The Turkish leader has been steadfast in pushing for low-interest rates, which he insists will fight inflation. But such a model is disputed by several economists.

The crash of the lira in the last two months significantly drove prices of essential goods, food and utilities higher, thus bringing down the living standards of households. To address some of the concerns, the Turkish government has increased the minimum wage for millions of workers by a whopping 50 per cent for 2022.

ALSO READ: Afghan airports: Taliban deny deal with Turkey, Qatar

Economists are divided on Erdogan’s currency plans and the economic outlook in general for 2022. Some have seen his rescue plan as a veiled interest rate hike.

Turkish economist and writer, Mustafa Sonmez said the measures have failed to stop citizens from buying hard currencies to save their spending against rampant inflation.

“The plan has not encouraged citizens to sell their hard currencies. On the contrary, deposits in $ have increased by $2 billion according to the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency’s figures,” he told Xinhua.

Sonmez stressed that Erdogan’s insistence on low-interest rates has put a serious burden on the already low foreign currency reserves of the central bank ahead of foreign debt repayments due in 2022.

Meanwhile, Emre Alkin, a finance expert and Istanbul-based scholar, said the government delivered on its promise to reverse the depreciation of the lira with its string of financial measures.

“It seems that a segment of the population has faith in this new lira-denominated deposit system,” he said, refuting criticism that it is a veiled interest rate hike.

TURKISH LIRA SINKS

He qualified the government scheme as “rational” in the aftermath of currency turmoil and current financial circumstances.

But Alkin called on the government to address other urgent economic issues such as banks’ bad credit loans, public debt, high prices and especially rising inflation.

“One should not think that these problems will be resolved on their own with only the revaluation of the lira,” he added.

The Turkish gross domestic product is expected to grow by 9 per cent in 2021. But high inflation has cast a long shadow over the prospect of the country’s economy.

ALSO READ: Turkey ramps up crackdown on bootleg alcohol ahead of New Year celebrations

Categories
-Top News ASEAN News

UNSC condemns Myanmar massacre

The Ambassadors in a statement called for accountability and “the immediate cessation of all violence”….reports Asian Lite News

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the reported killing of at least 35 people, including four children and two humanitarian workers in Myanmar’s Kayah State on December 25.

The Ambassadors in a statement called for accountability and “the immediate cessation of all violence”.

The Council members emphasised the importance of respecting human rights and ensuring the safety of civilians. They also underscored the need for “safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need, and for the full protection, safety and security of humanitarian and medical personnel”, according to UN News.

The Ambassadors reaffirmed their support for the people of Myanmar and the country’s democratic transition along with their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Myanmar.

Credible reports suggested that four children were killed, including two 17-year-old boys, a teenage girl and a child approximately age five, whose gender was not mentioned, the UNSC said in a statement.

The two humanitarians worked for the non-Governmental organization (NGO) Save the Children, which confirmed their deaths. They were killed while returning to NGO’s Loikaw office after responding to humanitarian needs in a nearby community, it added.

Earlier in the week, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned the killings, saying it was “shocked and saddened” by the reported killing and burning of victims during a time when many prepared to celebrate Christmas.

In a statement, the UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, Debora Comini, condemned the attack.

She reminded that the protection of civilians – particularly children and humanitarian workers – must be treated as a priority during times of conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Myanmar is a signatory.

“UNICEF calls for urgent action to investigate this deplorable incident and to hold those responsible to account,” she said.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to our colleagues at Save the Children”. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Fauci: Omicron cases likely to peak by end of Jan

Categories
-Top News Europe

Europe to Tame New Year Parties

Covid

The French government authorised the sale of antigenic tests in supermarkets until the end of January, and announced a monthly bonus of 100 euros ($113) to all intensive care medical staff….reports Asian Lite News

Just days before New Year’s eve, some European countries have been forced to take stricter measures to cope with surging Covid-19 cases of the Omicron variant.

In France, the daily number of Covid-19 cases reached 208,099 on Wednesday, breaking the record on Tuesday and hitting a new high since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

“This means that 24 hours a day, every second, two French people are diagnosed positive,” the country’s Health Minister, Olivier Veran told the National Assembly while presenting a draft bill of the vaccination pass.

On Tuesday, the French government authorised the sale of antigenic tests in supermarkets until the end of January, and announced a monthly bonus of 100 euros ($113) to all intensive care medical staff.

The World Health Organization Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned on Wednesday that he is “highly concerned that Omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases.”

“This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems on the brink of collapse, and again disrupt lives and livelihoods,” he said.

This pressure is due not only to new Covid-19 patients requiring hospitalisation, but also to many health workers getting sick.

To ease pressure on medical staff in Spain, the health authorities decided on Wednesday to reduce the quarantine for people with asymptomatic Covid-19 infections from 10 days to seven days.

It is hoped the new measures could relieve some pressure on the health services, as the Health Ministry reported that over 5,000 health workers were infected with Covid-19 in the 14 days prior to December 23.

In addition to health services, the catering sector has also been badly hit by the pandemic.

“From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, catering has always been one of the first sectors affected each time measures are announced,” said Christos Kapetanakis, owner of the Old Ithaki restaurant in central Athens.

The Greek government decided on Wednesday to implement further protection measures against Covid-19, as the number of new cases tripled in 48 hours across the country.

“The Omicron variant is now dominant. As our national health system is still under pressure from Delta, we must evaluate all the factors so that it can continue to cope,” said Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris.

Global Covid caseload tops 279.9 mn

Faced with this spike, the government decided to bring forward a series of measures that were initially scheduled to enter into force on January 3, and added more restrictions.

In Cyprus, another country that relies heavily on tourism, new emergency measures aimed at slowing the runaway coronavirus pandemic are on their way, according to Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas.

As of December 30, everyone except those who have received a third dose of a vaccine will have to present a negative 24-hour test before entering entertainment venues, dance clubs and reception halls for weddings.

The Portuguese government has also extended its Covid-19 restrictions until January 5. To gain access to restaurants, parties and shows, people must present proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test.

Portugal has registered 26,867 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, setting a new daily record since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Omicron variant has been a major factor in the worsening Covid-19 situation in Germany, with cases of the new variant increasing by nearly 26 per cent in one day, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

“We must do everything we can to end the pandemic as quickly as possible,” said Svenja Schulze, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Around one year after Germany’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign began, 71 per cent of German citizens had been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to official figures.

In neighbouring Belgium, the Omicron variant has accounted for 60 per cent of new infections, microbiologist Emmanuel Andre at Catholic University (KU) Leuven, said on Twitter on Monday.

However, 77 per cent of the Belgian population have been fully vaccinated since it started the vaccination campaign on December 28, 2020.

Denmark’s health officials have urged citizens to “see as few people as possible” during the holiday season, as the country reported a record daily number of 23,228 new Covid-19 cases.

In Britain, the health authorities reported a new record increase of 183,037 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The latest data shows that more than 90 per cent of community Covid cases in England are now Omicron.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the importance of booster jabs again on Wednesday, insisting this is the only way to enjoy the New Year “sensibly and cautiously”.

ALSO READ: UK to issue fishing licenses to 25 more European ships

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Taliban govt to install 3 radar systems in Afghanistan

Ahmadi added that the three radar systems will be installed in Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif….reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban-led Afghan government has announced that three radar systems will be installed to controlling the airspace and for tracking civil and military planes, the media reported.

In a statement on Tuesday, Imamuddin Ahmadi, a spokesman of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, said that a total of 12 radar systems valued at 112 million euros were bought from France, of which three have been dispatched to Kabul and the remaining nine will arrive in the future, reports TOLO News.

Ahmadi added that the three radar systems will be installed in Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif.

“The installation is ongoing, and the systems, equipped with the latest modern technology, might start operating within one and a half months,” TOLO News quoted the spokesman as saying.

Meanwhile, a number of economic analysts said the modern radar systems will increase the international airlines’ trust in Afghanistan which will result in an increase in air traffic and thus an spike in the country’s income.

“This can lead to an increase in air traffic in Afghanistan’s airspace and it can become a good revenue source,” Abdul Nasir Reshtia, an economic analyst, told TOLO News.

Russia’s concerns

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s concerns over lack of security on Afghanistan’s borders with Central Asian countries has drawn a response from the Taliban who said that there is no threat from Afghanistan’s borders to regional countries.

A spokesperson of the Taliban Inamullah Samangani reacted and said that there is neither potential nor a de facto threat from Afghanistan’s border to any other country, reported Khaama Press.

Putin said on Monday that the security situation at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border is a concern.

The Russian President in a visit to Tajikistan met with Tajikistan’s President Imam Ali Rahman and said that Russia is seeking to mitigate security threats by strengthening its military base in Tajikistan with weapons and other equipment, reported Tolo News.

“You know that we’re actively working toward enhancing Tajikistan’s defense capability. In keeping with our agreements, some essential weapons and hardware have been delivered lately in line with our agreements to bolster Tajikistan’s armed forces and make Tajikistan capable of efficiently opposing any external threats to your country,” said Putin, reported Tolo News.

The Russian officials repeatedly expressed concerns over possible security threats from across the border with Afghanistan, but the Islamic Emirate pledged that Afghanistan’s soil will never be used to threaten a country.

Moreover, Putin mentioned his country’s military equipment given to Tajikistan’s military forces to get stronger and address potential threats from other countries, reported Khaama Press.

Vladimir Putin’s concerns over insecurity on Afghanistan’s borders with Central Asian countries are not new, earlier; he had expressed some concerns and had discussed the issue with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan’s heads of state.

Russia has also conducted military drills with Tajikistan’s forces on the border with Afghanistan and Putin described his country’s military base in Tajikistan as a significant element of regional security. (IANS/ANI)

ALSO READ: Taliban ban display of female mannequin heads in shops

Categories
Bangladesh COVID-19 News

Unicef delivers over 100mn Covid vaccines to B’desh

Unicef delivers over 100mn Covid vaccines to B'desh

Unicef said on Wednesday that it has delivered over 100 million Covid-19 vaccines to Bangladesh since June this year…reports Asian Lite News

“The arrival today of 20.46 million doses of vaccines from China means that since June 2021, Unicef has delivered over 100 million Covid-19 vaccines, from multiple WHO-approved manufacturers to Bangladesh,” the UN agency said in a statement.

The 100 million vaccines delivered so far also include over 50 million doses that Unicef has delivered to Bangladesh under the COVAX facility, which is the WHO-led initiative for equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines around the world.

The government of Bangladesh has also received large quantities of vaccines through bilateral agreements in addition to the vaccines delivered by Unicef, it added.

The UN agency said the fresh delivery of vaccines is a welcome boost for Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve its target of vaccinating 80 per cent of the total population by June 2022.

The agency said 28.44 per cent of Bangladesh’s total population have been fully vaccinated so far.

“The clearest way out of this pandemic is vaccine equity and boosting vaccination rates globally. Getting vaccines from manufacturers and into recipients’ arms in every corner of Bangladesh as quickly as possible is critical,” said Univef representative to Bangladesh Sheldon Yett.

ALSO READ: SPECIAL 2022: UN Chief Urges World To Join Covid Fight

Unicef has been organising the international transportation of Covid-19 vaccines and supplies for the COVAX Facility since February 2021, in what is the largest, most complex logistical operation in the history of immunisation, it said.

“Getting the vaccines to Bangladesh is only the first part of the battle. Safely delivering them the last mile to the communities that need them most is equally as important, and we salute the government of Bangladesh and partner organisations who make this possible,” Yett said.

Categories
Africa News COVID-19 News

Africa Covid cases near 10 Million

Africa Covid cases near 10 Million

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa has reached 9,519,699, according to health authorities…reports Asian Lite News

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the death toll across the continent currently stood at 227,708, while the recoveries have reached 8,556,200, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in the continent with 3,417,318, followed by Morocco (956,410 ), the health agency said.

ALSO READ: Global Covid caseload tops 284.4 mn

Southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected.

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Narco-terrorism on the rise since Taliban takeover

As per official data, narcotics worth more than Rs 30,000 crore smuggled along the Gujarat coast have been confiscated in the last three to four years….reports Asian Lite News

India has been facing the menace of narco-terrorism since several years now. This nexus between narcotics and terrorism has serious repercussions for India’s security. The ‘Golden Crescent comprising Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan is the largest producer of illicit opium and India’s close proximity to the areas increases the threat it faces. And now it has become a matter of even greater concern after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Entire illegal drug trade is controlled by the Taliban, who work in connivance with Pakistan intelligence agents, military officers and politicians. After the fall of Afghanistan’s government this year and Taliban taking over Kabul, Indian security agencies have seized drugs being brought illegally from Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Indian ports and at borders. Illicit drug trade has increased with huge caches being smuggled inside the country.

On December 19, a Pakistani fishing boat ‘Al Huseini’ with six crew members and carrying 77 kg of heroin worth around Rs 400 crore was apprehended in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast. The boat registered in Karachi was carrying this consignment to be delivered to their clients in India. The joint operation was carried out by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) with Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

This was the second joint operation of ICG and Gujarat ATS in the past three months wherein a total of Rs 550 crore worth of heroin has been seized.

As per official data, narcotics worth more than Rs 30,000 crore smuggled along the Gujarat coast have been confiscated in the last three to four years.

On December 26, BSF personnel recovered 40 kg of heroin worth Rs 200 crore in two separate incidents in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector. In the first incident, troops heard a thumping sound of something hitting the ground near the border area. When the BSF personnel searched the area, they recovered 34 kg heroin concealed in 22 packets near the border outpost Mian Wali Uttar.

In the second, BSF personnel seized six packets of heroin, weighing 6 kg worth Rs 30 crore near border outpost Mohammadi Wala.

These two seizures were made just a day after over 10 kg of the substance was seized in the same region. On December 25, the BSF recovered 11 packets of heroin weighing 10.852 kg near Barreke along the India-Pakistan border.

Taliban splinters–many from group join hardline ISIS-K to support anti-China Uyghur fighters(indianarrative)

Last November, the ATS had seized a heroin consignment worth about Rs 600 crore from an under-construction house in Morbi district of Gujarat. According to the ATS, the consignment was sent by Pakistani drug dealers to their Indian counterparts.

Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15 and soon after Indian security agencies seized another large consignment smuggled into India. On September 13, around 3,000 kg of heroin was seized from two containers at Gujarat’s Mundra port and the consignment had come from Afghanistan, concealed in jumbo bags said to contain unprocessed talc powder.

The seizure made during a joint operation by the Customs department and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence was valued at around Rs 20,000 crore.

Such a big seizure led to a thorough investigation, which is still continuing and in a series of raids across the country, eight persons, including Afghan and Uzbekistan nationals, were arrested.

Prior to this, in last April, Indian agencies apprehended a boat with Pakistan nationals from Indian waters near the Jakhaucoast. The boat was carrying 30 kg of heroin worth about Rs 150 crore.

The security agencies are investigating the route and source of all these consignments seized during 2021. After the Taliban regime’s returned in Afghanistan, the cases have been rising in India. Taliban regime is consolidating their grip over the illegal drug trade and Indian agencies are keeping a strict vigil at the borders to thwart such activities.

Afghanistan and Pakistan alone have shared nearly 6000 metric tonnes of the total illicit production in 1999. This year, Afghanistan’s harvest will account for more than 90 per cent of worldwide illegal heroin production. This illicit production which is mostly rooted to fund terror activities in India is a matter of grave concern. These drugs are the major source of funding for Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in this country.

India has been the victim of state-sponsored terrorism for the last two decades. The Pakistan government in collaboration with the ISI uses proceeds of illicit narcotic drugs to fund terrorism in India. Pakistan also conspires to create ethnic division in the country by exploiting the religious sentiments and economic backwardness of people in the bordering states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Manipur and other states. The ISI often allures poor people in these states into illicit narcotic drugs trade to fund terrorist activities in India.

The economy of Pakistan and Afghanistan is dependent on the production of poppy and cannabis. The drug money is being floated into the Indian money market, which also damages Indian financial institutions. The illicit drug trafficking from Afghanistan and Pakistan threatens the polity, economy and security of India. Indian agencies are beefing up security at the borders and ports and formulating strategies at war footing to check this threat, which has been recognised by the UN as well.

ALSO READ: Taliban ban display of female mannequin heads in shops

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Ex-South Korean President to be released under presidential pardon

The government said the decision was made in consideration of her deteriorating health and as part of efforts to promote national unity…reports Asian Lite News.

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye will be released on Thursday night under a presidential pardon, after four years and nine months of imprisonment following her impeachment and ouster from office for corruption.

The 69-year-old ousted leader has been serving a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption and an influence-peddling scandal involving a close friend accused of manipulating her, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Last week, President Moon Jae-in decided to pardon Park as part of his special amnesty for the new year.

The government said the decision was made in consideration of her deteriorating health and as part of efforts to promote national unity.

Park has been receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital for a series of back, shoulder and other ailments. She is scheduled to receive a certificate of pardon at the hospital on Friday and is expected to remain there until early February.

She is eligible for government security protection but is not subject to other former presidential privileges, such as the provision of special pensions for retired presidents and personal secretaries, due to her conviction.

Where she will stay after leaving the hospital remains unclear for now, as Park’s private home in southern Seoul was auctioned off as part of her forfeiture.

The amnesty for Park, the eldest daughter of former authoritarian President Park Chung-hee, is expected to have a significant impact on the upcoming presidential election in March, as she has commanded strong support of voters in Daegu and North Gyeongsang province, a stronghold of the main opposition People Power Party.

Her supporters are expected to hold rallies near the hospital in southern Seoul to celebrate her release.

A number of standing flower wreaths with messages wishing her good health have already lined a street near the hospital.

ALSO READ-Samsung heir faces probe over drug use

Categories
-Top News China

Taiwan Prez condemns China over HK raid

Expressing her regret over the detention, she called on the international community to stand up for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong….reports Asian Lite News

Taiwanese President Tsai-Ing-wen has condemned China for police raids on the Hong Kong offices of pro-democracy media outlet Stand News and arrest of six for “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”.

“The arrests of #StandNews staff and singer Denise Ho @hoccgoomusic are yet another example of the Beijing authorities’ crackdown on free speech in #HongKong,” said Tsai in a tweet on Wednesday.

Expressing her regret over the detention, she called on the international community to stand up for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.

Chinese-President Xi Jinping (Source twitter@ChinaAmbUN)

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the government agency in charge of cross-strait affairs, said the raid and arrests were just the latest measures the Chinese Communist regime had taken to suppress Hong Kong’s press freedom, despite stipulations in the city’s Basic Law that guarantee residents of the special administrative region freedom of speech, press, and publication, said Focus Taiwan.

As many as seven current or former senior staff members of the Hong Kong online media company were arrested on suspicion of breaching the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance by conspiring to publish seditious publications, reported Hong Kong Free Press.

The development comes a day before as Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six other former staff members of the tabloid Apple Daily are set to face an additional sedition charge, under the Beijing-imposed national security law. (ANI)

ALSO READ: China uses AI to misuse civilian data for military purposes