South Korea’s top court on Thursday upheld former President Park Geun-hye’s a 20-year prison sentence at a retrial of the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of the former head of state.
The Supreme Court sentenced Park to 15 years in prison for bribery and another five years for other charges with a fine of 18 billion won ($16 million) and a forfeit of 3.5 billion won, upholding the high court’s ruling in July 2002, reports Xinhua news agency.
It was commuted from the combined sentences of 30 years in jail, handed down by the appellate court in 2019.
Separately, she was sentenced to two years in jail for illegally interfering with the nomination process for lawmaker candidates of the then ruling Saenuri Party.
Park was ousted in March 2017, becoming the country’s first impeached President over corruption scams that involved her long-time confidante, Choi Soon-sil.
She was accused of conspiring with Choi to force big conglomerates, including Samsung, to donate tens of millions of dollars to two foundations controlled by Choi.
The former President was also indicted on charges of receiving off-the-book money from heads of the National Intelligence Service.
A Bangladesh government statement described Pompeo’s comment as “irresponsible” and “unfortunate”…reports Asian Lite News
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claim of “Al Qaeda attacks” in Bangladesh has elicited an angry response from Dhaka.
A Bangladesh government statement described Pompeo’s comment as “irresponsible” and “unfortunate”.
The Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday night rejected Pompeo’s remarks as baseless and debunked them as falsification.
The statement said there is no evidence of any presence of the Al Qaeda terror group in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, under the bold leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, maintains a “Zero Tolerance” policy against all forms of terrorism and violent extremism, it said.
Our track record in countering terrorism has earned us global appreciation, the note claimed.
“In line with our commitment to countering terrorism, we have become a party to all 14 international counter-terrorism conventions and are actively involved with international �preventive’ initiatives to counter terrorism,” the statement added.
Bangladesh considers that the US Secretary of State’s referring to Bangladesh as a possible location for Al Qaeda operations is indeed unfounded and offers no evidence, it further said.
If any such claim could be substantiated with evidence, the government of Bangladesh would be happy to take necessary measures against such activities.
“However, if such a statement is made just in pursuit of speculation, Bangladesh considers it very unfortunate, specially in the context of the ever-growing bilateral ties between the two friendly countries based on shared values,” the statement assert
The official figures showed that out of the total 50,229 positive patients, 43,267 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing down the active patient count to 6,715…reports Asian Lite News
The total number of Covid-19 cases in Sri Lanka has surpassed the 50,000-mark, after over 600 new patients tested positive in the last 24 hours, according to the statistics from the country’s Health Ministry.
The official figures showed that out of the total 50,229 positive patients, 43,267 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing down the active patient count to 6,715, Xinhua news agency.
A total of 247 deaths have been reported from the virus in the country.
Sri Lanka is presently facing a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with three parliamentarians, including one cabinet minister, being infected with the virus in the past days.
According to officials, at least 32 parliamentarians are under isolation for coming in contact with the three legislators during parliamentary sessions held last week.
Earlier on Wednesday, health officials conducted PCR tests in the parliament premises where legislators and parliamentary staff members were tested for the Covid-19.
Officials said PCR tests will be conducted on Friday as well in order to reopen Parliament for sessions next week.
On Wednesday, Sri Lanka reported the first case of the new strain of the Covid-19 which is fast spreading in other countries after a British national who recently arrived in the island nation tested positive, the Health Ministry said.
The Ministry urged people not to panic, saying the patient had been under quarantine and had not come in contact with society.
The ban was adopted at a meeting headed by al-Kadhimi with the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety to review the measures taken to contain the spread of the virus…reports Asian Lite News
Iraq has adopted several new restrictive measures against the Covid-19 pandemic, including a ban on travel to 20 countries where the new novel coronavirus strain has spread.
The 20 countries are the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain, Brazil, the US, India, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Zambia, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
The ban was adopted at a meeting headed by al-Kadhimi with the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety to review the measures taken to contain the spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the entry of travellers from these countries to Iraq was also banned, except for Iraqi citizens who must be quarantined for 14 days until tests prove they are not infected with the new strain of virus which is characterised by the rapid transmission of infection, the statement said.
However, diplomats, official government delegations, workers in embassies, international organisations, and experts working in service projects are excluded from the entry ban, provided that they bring a PCR test conducted within 72 hours before they enter Iraq, according to the statement.
The Committee also tightened punitive measures for stores, restaurants, malls, clubs, cafes, and sports halls by imposing a fine of an equivalent of $3,400 or closing them for 90 days if they violate the health-protective measures.
They received the first shots on live television on Wednesday shortly after the vaccine was granted emergency authorization in Turkey…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca received the Chinese COVID-19 Sinovac vaccine along with the country’s other advisory science council members.
They received the first shots on live television on Wednesday shortly after the vaccine was granted emergency authorization in Turkey, reports Xinhua news agency.
Turkey will begin mass vaccination on Thursday, starting with health workers, Koca told reporters.
He called on all citizens to get vaccinated, saying “now there is a light at the end of the tunnel”.
Vaccination of senior leaders of the country will set an example for the citizens, he added.
People who will be vaccinated in accordance with the procurement plan will be notified when it is their turn and will go to get their vaccination by appointment, the Minister said.
Turkey on Wednesday started handing out appointments for health staff to be vaccinated primarily.
The Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency said that it had authorized the emergency use of the vaccine, known as CoronaVac, following tests that lasted for 14 days.
“While evaluating the scientific data, samples that were delivered to our country have been examined in our institution’s laboratories over 14 days,” said the agency.
Turkey reported on Wednesday 9,554 new Covid-19 cases, increasing the total number of positive cases in the country to 2,355,839.
The death toll from the virus rose by 173 to 23,325, while the total recoveries climbed to 2,227,927.
Turkey had reported its first Covid-19 case on March 11, 2020.
The first batch of 3 million doses of CoronaVac arrived in Ankara on December 30, 2020.
According to the OFAC, the sanctioned organisations “control large swaths of the Iranian economy, including assets expropriated from political dissidents and religious minorities…reports Asian Lite News
The US has blacklisted two Iranian foundations allegedly linked to the leadership, the latest move to reinforce its maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department said that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned “two organisations, along with their leaders and subsidiaries, controlled by the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO), and Astan Quds Razavi (AQR)”.
According to the OFAC, the sanctioned organisations “control large swaths of the Iranian economy, including assets expropriated from political dissidents and religious minorities, to the benefit of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian government officials”.
“These institutions enable Iran’s elite to sustain a corrupt system of ownership over large parts of Iran’s economy,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was quoted as saying in the statement.
“The US will continue to target those who enrich themselves while claiming to help the Iranian people,” he added.
According to the statement, all property and interests of the property of designated individuals and entities in the US have been blocked, and American persons are generally prohibited from transactions with them.
In addition, persons and foreign financial institutions that engage in certain transactions with them may be exposed to sanctions.
The administration of outgoing President Donald Trump has doubled down maximum pressure campaign against Iran in its waning days.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of ties to terrorist group Al Qaeda, saying Iran had become a “new home base” for the terror group.
Iran immediately refuted the allegation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
“From designating Cuba to fictitious Iran ‘declassifications’ and AQ claims, Mr. ‘we lie, cheat, steal’ is pathetically ending his disastrous career with more warmongering lies,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.
“No one is fooled. All 9/11 terrorists came from @SecPompeo’s favourite ME destinations; NONE from Iran,” he added.
Relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated since May 2018 when Trump pulled his country out of the Iranian nuclear deal and re-imposed harsh sanctions against Iran.
In response, Tehran has gradually dropped some of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, Muhyiddin said the emergency would last till August 1 or earlier depending on the Covid-19 situation…reports Asian Lite News
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has consented to declaring a state of emergency in the country to stop the Covid-19 outbreak.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, Muhyiddin said the emergency would last till August 1 or earlier depending on the Covid-19 situation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Separately, the national palace issued a statement announcing the King’s consent to the proclamation of the state of emergency.
The king also advised the people to remain calm in facing the state of emergency and movement restrictions that have been imposed in parts of the country hard hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.
This comes a day after Muhyiddin announced tightening movement restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 for two weeks starting January 13, citing the country’s health care system being at “breaking point”.
Muhyiddin Yassin.
The areas to impose tightened measures include the capital Kuala Lumpur, the states of Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and the northern Borneo state of Sabah, among others.
Under the stricter restrictions, all social events involving mass gathering are banned, residents only allowed to travel within a radius of 10 kilometers, and no dine-in for restaurants.
Malaysia has seen a surge in new daily Covid-19 cases, as well as severe flooding in several states in recent weeks, with thousands being displaced from their homes.
The majority of entries were suspended in December, although travelers arriving on business and associated with some student programmes from certain countries had been exempt from the tightening restrictions…reports Asian Lite News
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday said the entry of all non-resident foreign nationals into the country will be suspended as part of a coordinated effort to curb the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The majority of entries were suspended in December, although travelers arriving on business and associated with some student programmes from certain countries had been exempt from the tightening restrictions, Xinhua reported.
The essential shutdown of Japan’s borders to all non-resident foreign nationals will be kept in place until February 7, when a state of emergency declared in the Greater Tokyo and other areas in Japan will be lifted, the Japanese leader told a press briefing on the matter.
The move, however, is a detraction from the Prime Minister’s previous stance.
He had remarked on a TV show recently that Japan would keep its doors open for business people from certain countries, provided that doing so did not lead to an influx of the new, highly transmissible coronavirus variant previously found in Britain and South Africa.
Within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), however, lawmakers refused to simply roll-over to the new idea, with some of them calling for the exemption to be suspended.
They argued that it was contradictory to ask Japanese people to stay home under the state of emergency while still allowing non-resident foreign nationals into the country.
Kelly Craft was scheduled to arrive in Taipei on Wednesday after Washington abruptly ended long-time curbs on contacts with Taiwan officials…reports Asian Lite News
The US State Department has said that a planned visit to Taiwan by its United Nations (UN) envoy was cancelled due to the upcoming presidential transition.
Kelly Craft was scheduled to arrive in Taipei on Wednesday after Washington abruptly ended long-time curbs on contacts with Taiwan officials, the BBC reported.
It led Beijing, which views democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province, to warn the US against “playing with fire”.
Taiwan expressed regret but also “respect” for the US decision.
The planned visit by Craft, the US Ambassador to the UN, was only announced late last week and would have come days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
It was viewed by analysts as a last-minute bid by outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration to seal its position on the thorny issue of Taiwan after a year of escalating Sino-American tensions.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that all travel this week had been cancelled – including his own trip to Europe – as part of the transition to the incoming Biden administration.
Biden is set to take office on January 20.
Taiwan’s government expressed its regret at Ambassador Craft’s cancelled trip, while also conveying “understanding and respect for the decision”, it said in a statement.
Bitter exchanges over self-governing Taiwan, a firm US ally, have emerged over the last year as Washington’s relationship with Beijing has spiralled to a new low.
Under President Trump, the US has established much closer ties with Taipei – ramping up arms sales and sending senior officials to the territory, despite fierce warnings from China.
Over the weekend Pompeo said the US would end the “self-imposed restrictions” on its interactions with Taiwan officials that were introduced decades ago to “appease” the mainland Chinese government.
The move was seen as a key shift in diplomatic relations between the two places in the final days of Trump’s presidency.
China was furious, saying “any actions which harm China’s core interests will be met with a firm counter-attack and will not succeed”.
Tensions between China and Taiwan have intensified in recent years and Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to take the island back.
Like most nations, the US has no official diplomatic ties with Taipei, but it is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
The Covid-related emergency is set to be expanded to Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures in the Kansai region, as well as Aichi and Gifu prefectures…reports Asian Lite News
With the Covid-19 pandemic worsening in areas of Japan beyond the capital, the government is expected to extend the nation’s second state of emergency on Wednesday to cover seven more prefectures, officials said.
The Covid-related emergency is set to be expanded to Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures in the Kansai region, as well as Aichi and Gifu prefectures, The Japan Times reported citing officials.
Media reports also said Tochigi and Fukuoka prefectures would be brought under the declaration, too, after they called on the central government on Tuesday to expand the state of emergency there.
Speaking at a meeting of Liberal Democratic Party executives on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the government was preparing to extend its emergency declaration to Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo. The governors of the three prefectures in the Kansai region asked the central government last week to declare a state of emergency for the region, following a rise in novel coronavirus cases and a growing shortage of hospital beds.
A government source later said that Gifu and Aichi prefectures would be added to the emergency declaration, as well.
“Beginning with Osaka, we’ll look at the situation in prefectures where the situation is serious and, after consulting experts, promptly decide on (whether to declare) a state of emergency,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, the government spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting.
As cases continue to rise nationwide and local medical facilities come under increasing strain, other prefectures, including Kumamoto, are also considering whether to issue a similar request to the central government.
