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NEW DELHI  - Indian doctors and politicians on Thursday (March 4) welcomed efficacy data for a state-backed coronavirus vaccine that was given emergency approval in January without the completion of a late-stage trial, making people reluctant to receive the shot. Government data shows ( dashboard.cowin.gov.in ) that only 10per cent of about 13.3 million people immunised in India have taken the COVAXIN shot, which was found to be 81 per cent effective in an interim analysis of the late-stage trial, its developer Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday (March 3). Any boost to the vaccine’s acceptance in India, which on Thursday reported the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in five weeks, could also brighten its export prospects. Bharat Biotech said 40 countries were interested in COVAXIN, with Zimbabwe here on Thursday becoming the first country outside India to approve it, according to the Indian embassy here there. Many Indian doctors and opposition politicians had rejected ... » Learn More about India’s Covid vaccine wins over some sceptics after promising data

NEW DELHI (THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The watershed development during the external affairs minister, Mr S Jaishankar's visit to Mauritius for Tuesday's (Feb 23) free trade and investment agreement, was indeed the first of its kind with any country in the continent of Africa. Viewed through the multilateral prism, this was the first time in course of a decade that India concluded a free trade agreement with any country, howsoever congenial the trade relations. It is fervently to be hoped that the Composite Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) will provide a boost to the revival of bilateral economies, post the pandemic. The joint economic initiative, therefore, follows the deadly scourge almost throughout the world and ought theoretically to enable Indian investors to use Mauritius as a launch-pad for the expansion of business into continental Africa and thus help the prospect of Mauritius emerging as what Mr Jaishankar called a "hub of Africa". Apart ... » Learn More about India-Mauritius free trade pact the first of its kind: The Statesman

NEW DELHI - Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video streaming service on Tuesday (March 2) issued a rare apology to its Indian viewers for some scenes in its original political drama series “Tandav”, which allegedly offended Hindu religious beliefs. “Tandav”, a Hindi word meaning “fury”, stars top Bollywood actors. In several states it has faced police complaints and court cases alleging the show had depicted Hindu gods and goddesses in a derogatory manner, and offended religious beliefs. Lawmakers from India’s ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have also criticised it. In a statement titled “Amazon Prime Video Apologizes”, the company on Tuesday said it deeply regrets viewers considered certain scenes to be objectionable. Amazon apologises “unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt,” it said, adding that it will continue to develop content while respecting the diversity of audiences’ culture and beliefs. The “Tandav” controversy escalated last week when police in the northern state ... » Learn More about Amazon issues rare apology in India after complaints that series hurt Hindu beliefs

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Authorities in Myanmar have asked India to return several police officers who sought refuge to avoid taking orders from a military junta that seized power in the Southeast Asian country last month, an official in northeast India said on Saturday. Around 30 Myanmar police and their family members came across the border seeking refuge in recent days, as the junta's suppression of protesters has turned increasingly violent, with dozens killed since the Feb. 1 coup. The senior-most official in Champhai, a district in the Indian state of Mizoram, told Reuters that she had received a letter from her counterpart in Myanmar's Falam district requesting the return of eight police "in order to uphold friendly relations." Deputy Commissioner Maria C.T. Zuali said on Saturday that she was "waiting for the direction" from the India's Ministry for Home Affairs in New Delhi. Although there have been instances recounted on social media of police joining the civil ... » Learn More about Myanmar asks India to return 8 police who fled across border

India is ready to offer incentives to ensure Tesla’s cost of production would be less than in China if the carmaker commits to making its electric vehicles in the south Asian country, transport minister Nitin Gadkari said. Gadkari’s pitch came weeks after billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla registered a company in India in a step towards entering the country, possibly as soon as mid-2021. Sources familiar with the matter have said Tesla plans to start by importing and selling its Model 3 electric sedan in India. “Rather than assembling [the cars] in India they should make the entire product in the country by hiring local vendors. Then we can give higher concessions,” Gadkari said in an interview, without giving details of what incentives would be on offer. “The government will make sure the production cost for Tesla will be the lowest when compared with the world, even China, when they start manufacturing their cars in India. We will assure that.” India wants to boost local ... » Learn More about India promises Tesla ‘lowest production costs’ but will that persuade Elon Musk to leave China?

At least 19 Myanmar police have crossed into India to escape taking orders from a military junta that is trying to suppress protests against last month’s coup, an Indian police official said on Thursday, adding that more were expected. The men have crossed into Champhai and Serchhip, two districts in the northeastern state of Mizoram that share a porous border with Myanmar, the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. All the men, who are lower-ranking policemen, were unarmed, the official said. “We are expecting more to come,” he said, citing intelligence reports. There have been several instances recounted on social media of police joining the civil disobedience movement and protests against the junta, with some arrested, but this is the first reported case of police fleeing Myanmar. The official said that the policemen crossed over fearing persecution for disobeying orders and would be temporarily housed by local Indian authorities. ... » Learn More about Myanmar coup: 19 policemen seek shelter in India to avoid military junta’s violent crackdown

SINGAPORE - After weeks of uncertainty, it was relief for Singapore athletes and officials as confirmation that the July 24-Aug 9 event would be postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic came in on Tuesday (March 24). But different challenges lie ahead of them as they plan towards the tournament that will take place by next summer. A joint statement by Team Singapore athletes, the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI), as well as the Singapore National Olympic Council and Singapore National Paralympic Council Athletes’ Commissions yesterday said: “The SSI and Team Singapore athletes support the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. “Together with the Singapore National Olympic Council and Singapore National Paralympic Council, we stand fully and firmly alongside our athletes and coaches in their preparations even as new plans for the Tokyo Games are being made.” With the new dates not released yet, it will be tough for athletes and National ... » Learn More about Olympics: Singapore athletes and officials welcome postponement, anticipate new challenges

Hi all, In today's bulletin: Concern grows in region over Myanmar ahead of crucial Asean meeting tomorrow; Malaysian PM Muhyiddin vows to call for elections once pandemic is in control ; Start-up frenzy in India ; China plans high-speed maglev train to connect Guangzhou and Hong Kong ; a murder mystery at Yale , and more. Reading this on the web or know someone who might enjoy receiving Asian Insider? Our sign-up page is here . Suu Kyi should be freed, says Singapore FM Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan urged all parties in Myanmar to find a way to return to the path of democratic transition and also called for the release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other political detainees. He made these remarks in Singapore Parliament, a day before Asean foreign ministers are due to meet to discuss ongoing developments in Myanmar. With the country being a part of the regional grouping, much hope rests on Asean to restore ... » Learn More about Asian Insider, March 1: Suu Kyi faces two new charges; M’sian PM promises elections after pandemic ends

Hong Kong was hit with a fresh wave of 32 locally transmitted coronavirus infections on Friday, including a cluster in a public housing block, as authorities ordered schools to close and warned of an escalating crisis that would pile pressure on hospital resources. The city also confirmed another six imported cases, including maritime workers and returnees from India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and the Philippines, pushing Hong Kong's tally to 1,403, with seven related deaths. At least 10 additional people tested preliminary positive, according to a medical source. [[nid:495088]] The resurgence in infections prompted the government to announce kindergartens, as well as primary and secondary schools, would start their summer holidays early from Monday. The Post also learned that air travellers from high-risk countries will be required to produce test results showing they are free of Covid-19 before boarding a flight to Hong Kong. On a worrying note, the source of infection for nine ... » Learn More about Officials warn of hospital care crunch as Hong Kong hit with 38 new Covid-19 cases

DHAKA (THE DAILY STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The biggest political challenge that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government faces right now is the agitation on the outskirts of Delhi by farmers coming mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh. The protest by thousands of farmers has already entered its third month, and there is no sign of a resolution even after eleven rounds of talks between the protesters and the government. Both sides are firmly entrenched in their respective position on the fate of the three new contentious agricultural laws piloted by the Modi government as one of its bold reform initiatives. While the farmer unions insist on total repeal of the laws, the government has offered to make changes in the legislation to address their concerns, an offer that the unions lost no time in rejecting. What's more worrying for the government is that the farmers are intensifying their agitation and have threatened to block highways across India ... » Learn More about Indian farmer protests a daunting challenge for Modi government: Daily Star columnist