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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

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?

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

PARIS (AFP) - The ten costliest weather disasters worldwide this year saw insured damages worth US$150 billion (S$200 billion), topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a report released on Monday (Dec 28). The same disasters claimed at least 3,500 lives and displaced more than 13.5 million people. From Australia's out-of-control wildfires in January to a record number of Atlantic hurricanes through November, the true cost of the year's climate-enhanced calamities was in fact far higher because most losses were uninsured. Not surprisingly, the burden fell disproportionately on poor nations, according to the annual tally from global NGO Christian Aid, entitled "Count the cost of 2020: a year of climate breakdown". Only four per cent of economic losses from climate-impacted extreme events in low-income countries were insured, compared with 60 per cent in high-income economies, the report said, citing a study last month in The ... » Learn More about 2020 weather disasters boosted by climate change: Report

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

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

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

SINGAPORE - Vaccinations have begun for Team Singapore's athletes, with national shooters Adele Tan, Tessa Neo and Ho Xiu Yi receiving a shot in the arm - both literally and figuratively - at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases on Wednesday (Feb 24). The trio and their coach Song Haiping were joined by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who shared on social media that they had gotten their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The shooters had planned to travel to South Korea in April to compete in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup, before it was postponed yesterday. Like some of their compatriots, they will be vying for places at the Tokyo Olympics in the coming months. Mr Tong wrote: "We must support our athletes as they travel, train, and compete for Singapore on a global stage. "We will therefore progressively arrange for our athletes and coaches to get their vaccinations ahead of their overseas travel so that they ... » Learn More about National shooters receive vaccination boost in Olympics qualifying bid