Aseanplus

The government, which plans to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for most of its inoculations, had sought to reach more people faster by stretching the gap to 16 weeks, beyond the 12 weeks maximum approved by the European Medicines Agency. A 16-week interval has not been tested in human trials. But Sophon Mekthon, the public health minister's assistant, told Reuters Thailand's communicable disease committee wanted to revert to the previous interval, adding that it could still be extended in future if necessary. Thailand started its mass Covid-19 immunisation campaign last week and has administered 7.2 million doses since February. A royal-owned Thai firm has partnered with AstraZeneca to make its vaccine locally, but has experienced delays, also impacting Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday said the government would receive 10 million AstraZeneca doses monthly from July until its quota of 61 million doses is met. Thailand has also ... » Learn More about Thailand scraps plan for 16-week dose gap on AstraZeneca vaccine

JAKARTA, June 18 (Bloomberg): Bank Indonesia left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low, sustaining its support for a pandemic-hit economy and saying it’s prepared to weather any volatility from the US Federal Reserve’s more hawkish message overnight. Indonesia’s central bank kept the seven-day reverse repurchase rate at 3.5%, as expected by all 30 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It’s the fourth straight month the rate has stayed at its record low, and Bank Indonesia previously has signaled it could remain at that level for the rest of the year. "The decision is consistent with our low inflation projection and maintained rupiah stability and efforts to strengthen the national economic recovery, ” Governor Perry Warjiyo told reporters in Jakarta. The central bank will keep policy accommodative to boost lending to businesses, which will help the economy recover, Warjiyo said. The move should help policy makers shield the rupiah from a renewed round of taper talk, ... » Learn More about Indonesia takes taper talk in stride, holds benchmark interest rates at record low

JAKARTA, June 18 (Reuters): Indonesian stocks slid nearly 2% and the rupiah weakened on Friday as surging Covid-19 cases sapped risk appetite and squashed hopes that the central bank's accommodative stance would allow equity markets to recover. South Korea's won fell for the fifth consecutive day in its worst week since March 2020, while other regional currencies were mixed, as investors further digested the US Federal Reserve's hawkish signals this week. Jakarta's equity index shed as much as 1.9% and was set for its first weekly drop in four after Indonesia on Thursday reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus cases since late-January. Yields on Indonesia's 10-year benchmark bonds climbed 8.5 basis points to a two-month high. "New Covid-19 infections are rising rapidly again... Hospital occupancy rates have surpassed 75% in the capital, Jakarta, raising the prospect that restrictions will need to be tightened," said Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital ... » Learn More about Emerging markets: Indonesia stocks fall 2% on virus surge, yields hit two-month high

MANILA, June 18 (Bloomberg): The Philippines allowed more doctors and nurses to leave for overseas jobs, a week after the nation that’s among the world’s top suppliers of nurses halted deployment when it hit a self-imposed limit. The Covid-19 task force raised the annual deployment cap for newly-hired health workers to 6, 500 from 5, 000, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement Friday. The new ceiling is lower than the 10, 000 earlier proposed by the Labor Department. Health workers covered by the Philippines’ labour deals with other nations are exempted from the cap, Roque said, without naming specific countries. The South-East Asian nation limited the deployment of health workers last year as it fights the region’s second-worst coronavirus outbreak. Some 13, 000 nurses leave the Philippines for work abroad annually, according to industry estimates. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday (June 17)said there were 6,637 new confirmed ... » Learn More about Philippines allows more nurses, doctors to leave for jobs abroad

JAKARTA (AFP): Indonesia's hijab-wearing, headbanging VOB count some of rock music's biggest stars among their fans, but the all-female heavy metal band faced a tougher battle in winning over their parents. The diminutive trio behind Voice of Baceprot ("Noisy Voice" in English) have spent years honing their skills at music festivals around the world's biggest Muslim majority nation after forming VOB as young teens in 2014. It is a long way from the conservative town in West Java province where they grew up, shrugging off a hostile reaction from neighbours and family members to pursue their passion. "Because of metal music, I have the courage to speak my mind and the confidence to be different," 19-year-old bassist Widi Rahmawati told AFP during a recent jam session. "When I'm on stage, I can express myself without worrying about the norms that people expect from me". Obeying those norms would have compelled the three women to marry right after high school. "My parents told ... » Learn More about Indonesia’s hijab headbangers trade village life for metal heaven

The country’s hijab-wearing, headbanging VOB count some of rock music’s biggest stars among their fans, but the all-female heavy metal band faced a tougher battle in winning over their parents. The diminutive trio behind Voice of Baceprot (“Noisy Voice” in English) have spent years honing their skills at music festivals around the world’s biggest Muslim majority nation after forming VOB as young teens in 2014. It is a long way from the conservative town in West Java province where they grew up, shrugging off a hostile reaction from neighbours and family members to pursue their passion. “Because of metal music, I have the courage to speak my mind and the confidence to be different, ” 19-year-old bassist Widi Rahmawati said during a recent jam session. “When I’m on stage, I can express myself without worrying about the norms that people expect from me.” Obeying those norms would have compelled the three women to marry right after high school. “My parents told me that reading ... » Learn More about Trio trade village life for metal heaven

Khao Ta Pu, or Ko Ta Pu (nail island), is a 20-metre tall limestone islet and is a part of Ao Phang Nga National Park. Since 1974, when it was featured in the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun", Ko Ta Pu has been popularly called "James Bond islet".“ The ministry is working with the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to survey the islet and surrounding areas to find ways to prevent erosion that might cause it to collapse,” Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa has announced during his visit to Phang Nga. “We are adapting the techniques used in surveying damage of limestone at Mu Koh Angthong National Marine Park in Surat Thani province and at the Pun Yod Rock Castle in Satun province,” he added. “A 3D scanner, marine seismic scanner and echo sounder have been deployed to gather necessary information. “Preliminary estimation suggests that we can reinforce the islet’s ... » Learn More about Thailand: Experts explore ways to protect ‘James Bond islet’ from erosion

President Joko Widodo has ordered the Jakarta administration to fast-track the Covid-19 vaccination drive so that Indonesia’s capital can reach herd immunity by August, as cases in the city continue to rise exponentially following the Aidilitri holiday last month. This was met with confidence from Governor Anies Baswedan, who expected millions of Jakartans to be inoculated by mid-August. But health experts are sceptical, saying it is an “unrealistic” target. In his instruction on Monday, the President said he wanted Jakarta to vaccinate 100,000 people a day starting next week. “It’s an ambitious target but we have no other option,” Joko said after attending a vaccination event in North Jakarta with Anies and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin. Experts estimate that at least 70% of the population should be inoculated to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. Joko said Jakarta had a very high level of mobility and social interactions so the speed of vaccine rollout would ... » Learn More about Jabs shift up to high gear

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 2 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): Some areas are experiencing low water pressure or no water due to a sudden power outage at Bukit Barun and Layong water treatment plants on April 30 from 5pm-8pm, said the Public Works Department (JKR) at the Ministry of Development has announced. The affected mukims are Berakas ‘A’, Berakas ‘B’, Burong Pingai Ayer, Gadong ‘A’, Gadong ‘B’, Kianggeh, Kilanas, parts of Kota Batu, Lumapas, Pangkalan Batu, Peramu, Saba, Sengkurong, Serasa, Sungai Kebun and Tamoi. The JKR assured that steps have been taken to address the problem and the department is working to get things back to normal as soon as possible. JKR sought the cooperation of all parties to be frugal in water consumption. Brunei reported two new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Saturday evening (May 1), bringing the national tally to 227. According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, both cases do not have any symptoms. These two new cases are being treated and monitored at ... » Learn More about Brunei JKR says that low water pressure due to power outage; two new imported Covid-19 cases confirmed

BEIJING: Three Chinese astronauts have entered the core module of China’s permanent space station to embark on their three-month mission, becoming the module’s first occupants and pioneers in one of the nation’s grandest space endeavours. Maj Gen Nie Haisheng, Maj Gen Liu Boming and Sen Col Tang Hongbo floated into the core module, named Tianhe, or Harmony of Heavens, at 6.48pm on Thursday, after their Shenzhou-12 spaceship linked with the module in a low-Earth orbit about 390km above the Earth at 3.54pm. They have begun to carry out their tasks inside the craft, which is the first and central section of China’s space station, called Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace. The all-male crew was launched by a 20-storey-tall Long March 2F carrier rocket, which blasted off at 9.22am on Thursday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China’s Gobi Desert. After about 10 minutes, the vehicle put the eight metric tonne spaceship into the orbit to rendezvous and dock with Tianhe. ... » Learn More about Astronauts reach space station