Importance of 7 feb in india

NEW DELHI: India is to fast-track emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised by Western countries and Japan, paving the way for possible imports of Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Moderna shots. The move, which will drop the need for companies to do small, local safety trials for their vaccines before seeking emergency approval, came following the world's biggest surge in cases in the country this month. READ: India overtakes Brazil as world's second worst-hit country by COVID-19 Vaccines authorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) or authorities in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom and Japan "may be granted emergency use approval in India, mandating the requirement of post-approval parallel bridging clinical trial", the health ministry said in a statement. "The first 100 beneficiaries of such foreign vaccines shall be assessed for seven days for safety outcomes before they are rolled out," it said. India, the ... » Learn More about India, overwhelmed by COVID-19 surge, fast-tracks approval for foreign vaccines

So, the tickets for the Singapore-Hong Kong flights are in limbo again or cost a small fortune (probably your entire year’s coffee’s worth ). But, as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Chinese New Year is around the corner, and there’s definitely going to be less visiting this year no thanks to the daily a cap of eight unique visitors per household per day. If you ever find yourself finishing up your CNY visitations early, here’s showing you the many things to do in our beautiful island country, as you make your bookings on the right credit card and earn rewards, points and cashback, instead of stuffing yourself with pineapple tarts at home. In this article, we aim to capture the best activities in Singapore every month, so you can mark your calendar and plan your week around them. We will try to cover a range of our recommended options for the outdoorsy, the adventurous, the artsy, the closet food connoisseur, and the leisure-loving souls. At the risk of quoting ... » Learn More about Things to do in Singapore that get you the most bang for your buck (Feb 2021)

SINGAPORE - Major cruise lines are cancelling their sailings from Singapore or pulling out of Asia entirely for the remainder of the season, putting the brakes on one of the region's fastest-growing tourism sectors. Some cancellations have come within the last several days, as more ports in the region shut their doors to cruise ships amid fears over the spread of the coronavirus. Celebrity Cruises told The Straits Times on Thursday (Feb 13) that it will be moving its Celebrity Millennium cruise ship to the United States three months earlier than planned. "Up until today we had not intended to cancel the remaining season in Asia. However, due to continuous and unpredictable changes in travel restrictions and port closures, we feel this is the best decision for the health and safety of all," a spokesman said. Its Celebrity Constellation voyages on March 2 and 17, originally scheduled to disembark and embark in Singapore, will now make a round trip from Dubai instead. Royal ... » Learn More about Cruise lines skipping Singapore, cancelling Asian sailings amid port closures and coronavirus fears

(Reuters) -Opponents of military rule in Myanmar cancelled traditional new year festivities on Tuesday and instead showed their anger with the generals who seized power through low-key displays of defiance and small protests across the country. The United Nations human rights office said it feared that the military clampdown on protests since the Feb. 1 coup risked escalating into a civil conflict like that seen in Syria and appealed for a halt to the "slaughter". A Myanmar activist group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, says the security forces have killed 710 protesters since the ouster of an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Protesters were out again on the first day of the five-day New Year holiday, known as Thingyan, which is usually celebrated with prayers, ritual cleaning of Buddha images in temples and high-spirited water-dousing on the streets. "We do not celebrate Myanmar Thingyan this year since over 700 of our innocent ... » Learn More about Myanmar activists cancel new year festivities; U.N. urges end to ‘slaughter’

Anti-coup demonstrators, many with signs showing support for a civilian-formed federal army, hold candles and sing protest songs as they sit in the streets of Yangon, Myanmar, on April 3, 2021. (New York Times photos) Late last month, foreign officials in army regalia toasted their hosts in Naypyitaw, the bunkered capital built by Myanmar’s military. Ice clinked in frosted glasses. A lavish spread had been laid out for the foreign dignitaries in honor of Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day. That very day, the military, which had seized power Feb 1, gunned down more than 100 of its own citizens. Far from publicly condemning the brutality, the military representatives from neighbouring countries — India, China, Thailand and Vietnam among them — posed grinning with the generals, legitimizing their putsch. The coup in Myanmar feels like a relic of a Southeast Asian past, when men in uniform roamed a vast dictators’ playground. But it also brings home how a region once celebrated for its ... » Learn More about Myanmar coup puts seal on autocracy’s rise in SE Asia

The leader of Myanmar's ousted government, Aung San Suu Kyi, asked a court on Monday to be allowed to meet her lawyers in person as she faces charges filed since she was overthrown in a Feb. 1 coup, one of her lawyers said. Suu Kyi, who has been held in detention since the coup, appeared for a court hearing on a video link. One more charge was filed against her, related to a natural disaster law, lawyer Min Min Soe said. The next hearing is set for April 26. Meanwhile, opponents of Myanmar's coup called on Monday for people to show defiance of the military with costumes and prayers over the upcoming new year holiday, hoping to maintain the momentum of their campaign in which more than 700 people have been killed. The traditional new year, known as Thingyan in Myanmar, is the most important holiday of the year and is usually celebrated with prayers, ritual cleaning of Buddha images in temples and high-spirited water throwing on the streets. "The military council doesn't own ... » Learn More about Myanmar’s detained Suu Kyi asks court to meet her lawyers

Car and truck manufacturers saw their sales increase by nearly 88 percent last March to 20,702 units, marking their largest year-on-year increase since the start of the pandemic last year and despite the imposition of a safeguard tax on imported cars. Vehicle sales increased 87.7 percent last March from the 11,029 units sold in March 2020, according to the joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA). This brings their volume sales to a total of 70,312 units in the first quarter of 2021, a modest 8.9-percent increase from the comparative period last year. Nevertheless, Campi noted in its statement on Tuesday that Campi and TMA sales for March alone still fell 21.1 percent when compared to the Feb. 2021 sales. Campi President Rommel Gutierrez attributed the month-on-month sales decline to the imposition of the provisional safeguard duty, as well as the recent enhanced community quarantine, which ... » Learn More about Car, truck sales surged in March by 88%, biggest jump since pandemic hit

SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) -The bitter war of words at the US-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Alaska last March portended the rough waves of the new Cold War between the US and China with profound implications for this region and the world. Geopolitically, Asean and Korea lie on the frontlines of US-China competition. Southeast Asia is particularly important to China because the region is a crucial gateway for China to access major sea routes to the rest of Asia and the world. And to gain greater leverage, China appears determined to display its rapidly growing economic and military prowess in the region. Flexing its military muscle, China has been increasing its presence on the disputed islands in the South China Sea. The country's colossal investments, through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in the much-needed infrastructure projects in countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are also further strengthening China's clout in Southeast Asia. ... » Learn More about Asean and Korea amid mounting US-China rivalry: Korea Herald contributor

Indonesia is a maritime super power. It is time to acknowledge it beyond the notion of Indonesia as a “global maritime fulcrum”. To begin, Indonesia is sixth in terms of the size and scale of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Ahead of Indonesia are respectively France; United States; Australia; Russia; and United Kingdom. Regardless of who will be the top dog in the post COVID-19 world order, be it the US or Group of 7, or, perhaps China in combination with Russia, Indonesia's EEZ's numerical superiority and advantages will forever remain unchallenged. The key is to understand deep-sea drilling as the EEZ extends out to 200 nautical kilometers; create a strictly well managed Indonesian sovereign wealth fund that can protect the revenues drawn from the EEZ, which Indonesia seems to be doing with the help of Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) and International Private Investment Cooperation (IPIC); the latter a private arm of the US State Department. Should Indonesia ... » Learn More about Indonesia is a Pan Indo-Pacific super power

VIENTIANE – Restaurateurs and entrepreneurs can now tap into Laos’ rich food and farming culture, with the launch of a website dedicated to preserving traditional recipes and agricultural practices before they die out. The website highlights Laotian products like forest honey, and river weed that is pressed into sheets and dried to make a crispy snack, according to Michael Victor, who runs the Agro-Biodiversity Initiative, which helps fund the project. Run by the agriculture and forestry ministry, the Pha Khao Lao Agrobiodiversity Resource Platform was launched last week and will also include stories from farmers, as well information on traditional farming techniques. “The platform is an attempt to find ways to strengthen local food systems in Laos, which are breaking down rapidly due to rise of industrial agriculture, commercialization and urbanization,” said Victor. “The goal is to ensure that the rich natural heritage of Laos is conserved and used, and that knowledge is ... » Learn More about Laos Launches Website to Promote and Preserve Traditional Food and Farming