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BEIJING — China’s imports and exports boomed again in March, data showed Tuesday, reaffirming the recovery in the world’s number-two economy continues apace and demand picks up in key overseas markets as they emerge from last year’s virus crisis. The readings highlight the impact of vaccines and the easing of containment measures are having, with expectations for further improvement over the next few months. Imports soared a forecast-busting 38.1 percent on-year as the country’s army of consumers increasingly returned to some form of normality after last year’s crisis forced businesses to shut and people to stay at home. The figure was a huge increase from the 22.2 percent rise seen in January-February and the biggest hike since February 2017. Exports rose 30.6 percent, well off the 38 percent increase tipped in a Bloomberg forecast but still among the highest readings since early 2018. Overseas shipments jumped more than 60 percent in January-February. The outsized increases ... » Learn More about China’s imports pick up further, exports strong in March

MANILA, Philippines — More than 162,000 individuals have been fully vaccinated or received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) reported Wednesday. Data from the DOH and the NTF showed 162,065 Filipinos have been given their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 162,000 individuals have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data from the DOH and NTF COVID-19 shows @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/Vtr77w4cex — Krissy Aguilar (@KAguilarINQ) April 14, 2021 Meanwhile, some 1,093,651 Filipinos have been inoculated with the vaccine’s first dose. The government has recently started simultaneously vaccinating health workers, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities. With the arrival of 500,000 procured CoronaVac developed by China’s Sinovac, the DOH and NTF said the country already has more than three million doses of vaccines. Of this figure, 2.8 million doses were ... » Learn More about Over 162,000 Filipinos fully vaccinated vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines—The $1.2 billion in loans secured by the Philippines from multilateral institutions to buy vaccines have inflated total borrowings and grants for COVID-19 response to $15.49 billion, or more than P750 billion to date, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. The updated list of financing that the DOF obtained to boost the Philippines’ COVID-19 war chest as of April 8 included loans amounting to $500 million from the Washington-based World Bank, $400 million from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) and $300 million from the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). All three new loans were signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on behalf of the Philippine government last March. Equivalent to over P58 billion, these three loans accounted for bulk of the P70 billion in unprogrammed appropriations for the mass vaccination program, which had been set aside in the P4.51-trillion 2021 national budget. Last month, Finance ... » Learn More about DOF: Over P752B in loans, grants secured to fight COVID-19

KUALA LUMPUR: Teladan Setia Group Bhd is buying 520 acres of land in Jasin, Melaka for RM95.1mil, increasing its total landbank 738.9 acres. The property firm said it is planning to developed landed residential properties priced between RM200,000 to RM400,000 each in Jasin. "Based on our recent market studies, we believe that landed homes remain the property of choice among the local Melaka population for the foreseeable future,” Managing Director Richard Teo Lay Ban said in a statement today. On Wednesday, Teladan Setia' wholly owned Asal Harta Sdn Bhd has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Eramaju Tegas Sdn Bhd for the proposed acquisition of three parcels of land in Jasin in Melaka with an aggregate land size of 519.8 acres for a total consideration of RM95.1mil. Teleadan Setia said the purchase will be settled by a combination of cash and bank borrowings. ... » Learn More about Teladan Setia expands landbank in Melaka

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday vaccines should for now on only be given to the elderly and appealed to regional governments and individuals not to flout his guidelines. Unlike many other European countries, when Italy launched its vaccination campaign at the end of December, its army of pensioners were not given automatic precedence, despite the fact that they have borne the brunt of the killer disease. The failure to provide swifter protection has cost thousands of lives, experts say. "Stop vaccinating people who are under 60, stop vaccinating young people," Draghi told a news conference, raising his voice in an impassioned plea. Under Italy's constitution it is the country's 20 regions which have the final say on who gets vaccinated, and many have allowed professional groups such as magistrates and journalists to get a jab before people over the age of 70. "With what conscience does someone jump the queue, knowing that he or she is ... » Learn More about Italy PM Draghi appeals for elderly to get vaccine priority

During the nationwide closure of temples and festivities during the Songkran holiday this week, some are taking the opportunity to improve hygienic practices. To help protect members of the temple and the community from contracting Coronavirus, the Abbot from Chak Daeng temple, on the banks of the Chao Phraya just south of Bangkok, has been busy crafting recycled plastics into face masks. The Chak Daeng temple has developed a method of using recycled plastics donated from the community and retrieved from Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river to make a fabric which they use for robes and more recently, into hygienic face masks. Monks crush the plastic and shred it into small flakes allowing the material to be converted into polyester and spun into yarn and woven into robes in a beautiful polyblend of traditional and modern problem solving. With some alterations, the recycled plastics can be used to make face masks to help people stay safe this year. ... » Learn More about Bangkok temple develops hygienic face mask from recycled plastics

“Federalism should be able to maintain unity among all. But this does not mean that we should boycott regional voices and the voices of ethnic groups.” – Khil Raj Regmi PRESENTED during the Hanns Seidel Foundation-initiated Asia Federalism Dialogues was how functional a specific country’s devolution structure responds to a major crisis such as the coronavirus. Country-specific federal governance structures had two countries employing horizontal devolution: Myanmar governs through local to local governments, while Pakistan, provincial to provincial. Nepal’s structure is through collaboration among central, provincial and local governments while Sri Lanka is through collaboration of central, provincial and local with public and private organizations. A sixth structure — the Philippines — governs through its quasi-federal structure which rests on a powerful center. This country specific contexts enabled participants to appreciate the pros and cons of a country’s mode of devolved ... » Learn More about Federalism: Ethnic voices local to local, central to local

Accessing learning materials can be particularly challenging amid the pandemic that compelled schools to close and instead, adapt remote learning. But kindergarten pupils in the province of Batangas just found the help they needed. “Abutin Na10,” the ongoing fundraising initiative of World Vision Philippines in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) through its Office of External Partnerships Service, turned over to the agency the needed printed learning materials for the pupils on March 9, 2021. World Vision Philippines is a nonprofit advocacy organization that aims to look out for the welfare of children, and its “Abutin Na10” program is in support of the DepEd’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan to help students continue their school activities in the safety of their own homes. It has so far reached 18,000 students. Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali, Esq. thanked World Vision and its partners during the turnover. “This turnover of learning ... » Learn More about DepEd learning materials reach kindergarten pupils through ‘Abutin Na10’

SINGAPORE: A new COVID-19 cluster involving four confirmed cases has been identified in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Apr 14) in its daily update. MOH reported 27 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, including one community case, who is part of the new cluster. The sole community case, identified as Case 61917, is linked to three previously reported infections - Cases 61461, 61470 and 61360 . The 44-year-old man is a Papua New Guinea national who arrived from Australia on Mar 25 for a work project in Singapore. The short-term visit pass holder had tested negative for COVID-19 in a pre-departure test taken in Australia on Mar 23, and in an on-arrival test in Singapore. He was in isolation until another COVID-19 test on Mar 27 came back negative. "Subsequently he was on a controlled itinerary, which was largely limited to his place of work and accommodation," said MOH. After being identified as a close contact of two previously ... » Learn More about 1 community case among 27 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore; new cluster formed

BRUSSELS: European Union countries formally agreed on Wednesday (Apr 14) to launch COVID-19 travel passes as a step towards reopening to tourism this summer and will negotiate details with the bloc's lawmakers in May, two diplomatic sources said. The certificates would allow those vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or with negative test results to travel more easily in the EU, where restrictions on movement have weighed heavily on the travel and tourist industry for more than a year. The 27 EU member states "underlined their commitment to have the framework ready by the summer of 2021", said a document endorsed by national envoys and seen by Reuters. The European Parliament, which must also agree to the proposal for it to take effect, is due to agree its own position later this month and final talks between the lawmakers, national envoys and the bloc's executive are expected to start in May. READ: WHO does not back COVID-19 vaccination passports for now READ: White ... » Learn More about EU countries move towards COVID-19 passes to reopen summer travel