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SYDNEY: New Zealand will buy additional COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech, which will be enough to vaccinate the whole country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday (Mar 8). The government has signed an agreement to buy an extra 8.5 million doses, enough to vaccinate more than 4 million people, Ardern said, adding the vaccines were expected to reach the country in the second half of the year. "This brings our total Pfizer order to 10 million doses or enough for 5 million people to get the two shots needed to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19," Ardern said in a statement. The government's original agreement with Pfizer was for 1.5 million doses, enough to vaccinate 750,000 people. Ardern said the decision to make Pfizer the country's primary vaccine provider was taken after it was shown to be about 95 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic infection. READ: In boost for COVID-19 battle, Pfizer vaccine found 94% effective in real ... » Learn More about New Zealand to buy enough Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for entire population

JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore businesses hope Indonesia's new 'Omnibus Law' will bring essential reforms in a wide range of areas from business permits to labour, enabling businesses to operate more efficiently in South-east Asia's largest economy. The law aims to simplify processes to get business licences and also introduces flexibility in the country's labour market by easing recruitment and outsourcing. "The Positive Investment List, a regulation issued as part of the Omnibus Law, opens up sectors such as energy, telecommunication, transportation and construction services to 100 per cent FDI," a spokesman for Enterprise Singapore (ESG) told The Straits Times by email. The spokesman noted that the recently-established Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) could also help catalyse investments into infrastructure projects. The head of the Singapore permanent committee at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Dr Michael Goutama, described the law ... » Learn More about Singapore investors welcome Indonesia’s new Omnibus Law

The Ministry of Science and ICT’s office in Sejong, about 120 kilometers south of Seoul. Ministry of Science and ICT via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network SEOUL — The South Korean government will discuss with providers of online services to set up detailed guidelines for the country’s “Netflix Law,” industry sources said Sunday. The Ministry of Science and ICT will hold a meeting this week with officials from Google, Facebook, Netflix, Naver, Kakao and Wavve. The companies are expected to use the session to clarify terms in the revised Telecommunications Business Act, which could potentially disrupt their business activities in the country. Dubbed the “Netflix law,” the law became effective Dec. 10, allowing the government to ask large online content providers to take measures to provide stable services in the country. It also stipulates that foreign providers should have local representatives and be equipped with proper payment systems. The new law applies to online ... » Learn More about South Korea to brief firms on ‘Netflix Law’

NEW YORK CITY — The trial of an alleged Honduran drug-trafficker, whose case implicates Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and other high-ranking officials, gets underway in the Southern District of New York on Monday. Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, 50, was arrested trying to leave Miami in 2020 and has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States and related weapons charges. References to Hernandez appear frequently in the filings against Fuentes Ramirez, as well as in a drug-trafficking case against Hernandez’s brother Tony, who was convicted of drug trafficking and related weapons charges in October 2019. In that trial, U.S. prosecutors said Juan Orlando Hernandez had accepting millions in bribes from drug traffickers. The president has repeatedly denied the allegation. FILE PHOTO: Honduras’ President Juan Orlando Hernandez addresses the audience during the CEO Summit of the Americas in Panama City on April 10, 2015. Hernandez ... » Learn More about Trial implicating Honduran president in drug trafficking begins in New York

BOSTON: The SolarWinds hacking campaign blamed on Russian spies and the “grave threat” it poses to US national security are widely known. A very different – and no less alarming – coordinated series of intrusions also detected in December has gotten considerably less public attention. Nimble, highly skilled criminal hackers believed to operate out of Eastern Europe hacked dozens of companies and government agencies on at least four continents by breaking into a single product they all used. The victims include New Zealand’s central bank, Harvard Business School, Australia’s securities regulator, the high-powered US law firm Jones Day – whose clients include former President Donald Trump – the rail freight company CSX and the Kroger supermarket and pharmacy chain. Also hit was Washington state’s auditor’s office, where the personal data of up to 1.3 million people gathered for an investigation into unemployment fraud was potentially exposed. The two-stage mega-hack in December ... » Learn More about Casting a wide intrusion net: Dozens burned with single hack

Hi all, In today's bulletin: Two people were killed and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in northern Myitkyina town; American and Chinese spacecraft reach Mars in quick succession last month, sparking talk of a space race between the two major powers; Indonesia eases rules to attract foreign investment; and more. Reading this on the web or know someone who might enjoy receiving Asian Insider? Our sign-up page is here . More killed in Myanmar protests as unions call for economic shutdown Two people were killed  and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in the northern town of Myitkyina on Monday (March 8), witnesses said. This was as shops, factories and banks were closed in Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon on Monday (March 8), after major trade unions called for a shutdown of the economy as part of the uprising against the country’s military rulers who had ousted the civilian government in a Feb 1 coup. ... » Learn More about Asian Insider, March 8: More deaths in Myanmar protests; US-China rivalry extending to space

BUENOS AIRES • Argentina's Senate voted yesterday to legalise abortion, a first for a big country in Latin America and a triumph for women's rights campaigners achieved over the visceral objection of the Catholic Church. Abortion is extremely rare in a region where the Church has held cultural and political sway for centuries. Previously, it was allowed on demand only in communist Cuba, tiny Uruguay and parts of Mexico. The fiercely contentious vote was held at 4am after a marathon debate that lasted through the night. In a vote of 38-29 with one abstention, the Senate backed the government proposal to allow terminations through the 14th week of pregnancy. The Lower House had already approved it this month. As the result was read out, a crowd of thousands of people who had supported the Bill erupted in cheers outside the Senate building in Buenos Aires, waving the green flags that represented their campaign. Green smoke rose in the dawn light above the crowd. "This has been a ... » Learn More about Argentina legalises abortion in historic vote

BUENOS AIRES (REUTERS) - Argentina became the first major country in Latin America to legalise abortion when the Senate voted early on Wednesday (Dec 30) to allow it through the 14th week of pregnancy, in the face of opposition from the influential Catholic Church. The fiercely contentious vote - passed with 38 in favor, 29 against and one abstention - came after a marathon debate that began at 4pm on Tuesday. As the result was read out, a crowd of thousands erupted in cheers outside the Senate building in Buenos Aires, waving the green flags that represented their campaign as green smoke rose above the crowd. "We did it, sisters. We made history. We did it together. There are no words for this moment, it passes through the body and the soul," tweeted Ms Monica Macha, a lawmaker with President Alberto Fernandez's centre-left ruling coalition which supported the law. The ruling could set the tone for a wider shift in conservative Latin America where there are growing calls for ... » Learn More about Argentina Senate votes to legalise abortion

Thailand relaxed rules on capital outflows and will increase scrutiny of fund flows into bonds to help cool a rally of the Thai Baht that threatens the Kingdoms economic recovery from the pandemic. The Bank of Thailand moved forward measures that were supposed to begin early next year, most of which will now take effect from end-November. The rules will make it easier for Thai citizens to move money overseas and invest in foreign assets, and to hold foreign currency in Thai banks. It will also require the registration of local and overseas bond investors. “Following the U.S. elections and positive news on Covid-19 vaccine development, investors have turned toward investing in emerging markets, including Thailand,” the bank said in a statement Friday. The situation has “resulted in strengthening the baht quickly and can impact economic recovery.” Bank of Thailand to Restrain the Baht The registration of bond investors “will allow close monitoring of investor’s behaviors ... » Learn More about Thailand Intervenes to Help Cool the Rapid Gain of the Thai Baht

It’s no surprise that technology has an immense impact on every aspect of our lives – and the education sector is no exception. While some say technology has brought no significant change in education, many believe technology has transformed teaching and learning in many ways. It has also been responsible for many tech startups. Unlike the medieval times, students have access to a massive amount of information at their fingertips. Thanks to the internet, learning, communication, and collaboration are no longer restricted within the four walls. Technology-based learning tools have changed the way students work while they learn with the extended reach of the internet and smart devices. From a comprehensive computer-managed learning model to find the right math problem solver online, technology has helped students adapt to academic subjects. The year 2020 accelerated digital transformation, enhanced personalized learning opportunities, and increased educational productivity. ... » Learn More about Ambitious Tech Startups to Watch in the LearnTech Space