Cinmpring kici

Jumat, 19 Juni 2020

Coronavirus: Malaysian government in talks with S'pore to open up borders for citizens of both countries - The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia's government is in talks with Singapore with a view to opening the border to citizens of both countries, as Covid-19 lockdown measures are eased.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Senior Minister (Security), said in a press conference on Friday (June 19) that Malaysia's Health Ministry has determined that Singapore and Brunei are green zone countries, and the government has agreed to allow citizens from both nations to enter Malaysia.

"However, if we are opening our country to Singapore and Brunei and allow them to enter without getting prior approval from the Immigration Department and not require them to undergo Covid-19 screening test, it must be reciprocated," he said, according to The Star.

"Singapore and Brunei must also allow our people to enter their countries without restrictions."

He said currently, however, Wisma Putra is in talks with its Singaporean counterparts.

"So the decision will now depend on the outcome of the talks on our proposal. We will wait and see," he added.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to media queries, said on Saturday (June 20) that Singapore has read media reports regarding Malaysia’s decision to lift the quarantine requirement for certain groups of travellers from Singapore and other green zone countries, if they are screened and found to be negative for the Covid-19 virus.

The spokesman said Singapore was "prepared to work with Malaysia to address the needs of cross-border travellers, including short-term business and official travellers, and Singaporeans and Malaysians who were previously commuting between both countries."

"Such bilateral arrangements would have to include mutually agreed public health protocols, to preserve the public health and safety of citizens on both sides," the spokesman added.

"Both countries will require some time to work out the details on the gradual easing of border restrictions to ensure a stable recovery from the Covid-19 situation."

Ismail Sabri also announced at the press conference that foreigners seeking medical treatment under the medical tourism industry can also do so without the Immigration Department's approval, the Star reported.

However, these foreigners need to register with the Malaysian Health Tourism Council before coming in.

They are allowed to bring one person to accompany them and the person needs to undergo health screening at their country of origin or once they reach Malaysia.

Ismail Sabri said those coming under the medical tourism ticket need not be quarantined as they will be brought directly to the hospital of choice for their treatments.

Modi's robust foreign policy image poses challenge in border row with China - The Straits Times

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crafted his image as a strong nationalist leader, wielding a muscular foreign policy over two terms in office.

Now amid the country's biggest diplomatic and military dispute in recent years, Mr Modi is facing the challenge of managing domestic expectations of a strong Indian response with the reality of facing off against a militarily superior neighbour.

India is grappling with the worst border trouble in decades with China in the Ladakh region following the death of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley on Monday (June 15) .

The deadly clash between the two sides went on for hours, leaving 76 other Indian soldiers injured. Some died when they fell off a high ridge amid sub-zero temperatures into the fast-flowing Galwan River. Indian military officials have also accused the Chinese of using rods studded with nails as weapons, as an agreement between the two sides forbids the use of guns and explosives within 2km of the border.

Ten soldiers were released from Chinese custody on Thursday, according to the Indian military, while the casualties on the Chinese side are so far unknown.

Mr Modi on Wednesday warned that the deaths "would not go in vain", and that India was capable of giving a befitting reply. He told opposition leaders at an all-party briefing on Friday that China had not entered Indian territory and that India soldiers had “taught a lesson” to the Chinese side.

But he also indicated, just like China, that he did not want an escalation of the border tensions.

Analysts said Mr Modi has a tough time ahead of him, with coronavirus infections still going up as well. India has now had 381,000 cases of Covid-19.

"This is undoubtedly the most challenging moment that Mr Modi has faced as prime minister because it comes as a double whammy with Covid-19. I think it is possibly the biggest challenge for any prime minister in several decades," said political analyst Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.

"Mr Modi is trapped between various options which are there before him (on China) and the public image he has created of being a strong leader. Will Modi live up to his muscular image? That will be something for which he will be looked at in history."

Within the military, hit hard by the deaths of 20 soldiers, there is still appetite for an additional military response to push back Chinese troops from what India perceives to be its territory, or even limited warfare.

But the government, which will take the final call, has clearly indicated that the immediate priority is military and diplomatic talks.

Mr Modi, who won back-to-back elections with a landslide victory, remains India's most popular politician even through the coronavirus pandemic.

He returned to power last year and has continued his dominance in Indian politics, tightening his grip on various institutions.

No opposition leader has been able to mount a credible challenge to the Prime Minister politically.

On foreign policy, however, the robust approach has largely been reserved for Pakistan, another country with which India has border issues.

In 2019, India launched air strikes against what it said was a terror training camp in Pakistan, following a suicide bombing in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed.

While the facts of the strike were contested by Pakistan, it helped the Modi government build up a domestic narrative of a tough foreign policy.

But the government can ill afford to follow the same template with China. Leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have been careful in their remarks on China to the media and have refrained from fanning the flames of nationalism.

Still, domestic calls for boycotting China have been deepening.

"Clearly, public pressure will be there. What the government can do is no longer involve China (firms) in areas which are of strategic importance or government tenders, which will be showcased just to placate public opinion in the short term," said Professor Harsh V. Pant, head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.

Indian media has reported that the government is looking at curtailing Chinese presence in telecommunications, for instance.

Mr Modi, who usually has a very fractious relationship with the opposition, has moved to evolve some national consensus, holding a meeting on Friday with opposition leaders on the border row.

Opposition leaders were briefed by the defence and external affairs ministers on the developments in Galwan Valley.

Still the opposition Congress has accused the government of not revealing the true depth of the issue. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is understood to have asked at the meeting for details of the violent clash and that the government should keep briefing the opposition.

Ahead of the meeting, her son, Mr Rahul Gandhi, had tweeted: "It's now crystal clear that: The Chinese attack in Galwan was pre-planned. GOI (government of India) was fast asleep and denied the problem. The price was paid by our martyred Jawans (soldiers)."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYXNpYS9zb3V0aC1hc2lhL21vZGlzLXJvYnVzdC1mb3JlaWduLXBvbGljeS1pbWFnZS1wb3Nlcy1jaGFsbGVuZ2UtaW4tYm9yZGVyLXJvdy13aXRoLWNoaW5h0gEA?oc=5

2020-06-19 15:07:52Z
52780856897796

Singapore businesses potential target of global phishing campaign taking advantage of COVID-19 pandemic - CNA

SINGAPORE: There is a potential global phishing campaign purporting to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic – and Singapore is reportedly among the six countries targeted, the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCERT) said on Friday (Jun 19).

The bogus campaign will be centred on government support for businesses and individuals relating to COVID-19, SingCERT said.

Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of Manpower cautioned the public about such phishing schemes.

It said hackers plan to use a spoofed email address - covid-support@mom.gov.sg - to bait recipients to click on the embedded phishing link.

"These phishing emails are designed to drive recipients to fake websites where they will be deceived into divulging personal and financial information," said MOM.

SingCERT later provided more details about the phishing campaign.

A report, said SingCERT, claimed the campaign is set to launch in Singapore on Jun 21 and will offer businesses an additional support of S$750 for their employees.

“Although the report suggests that the phishing campaign in Singapore would spoof the Ministry of Manpower and is targeted at businesses using COVID-themed lures, there are always ongoing phishing attempts by various cyber criminals who use different themes or lures, and spoof different entities,” SingCERT explained.

“This is because phishing remains a common and effective technique by cyber criminals to gain access to individuals' accounts, deliver malware to victims, or trick victims into revealing sensitive information including account credentials, bank account numbers and credit card numbers.”

READ: MOM warns of fake website phishing for personal information

HOW TO STAY SAFE

In light of the situation, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has reached out to relevant parties to notify them about the potential phishing campaign as well.

“Opportunistic cyber criminals have been using the COVID-19 situation to conduct malicious cyber activities and with the increasing reliance on the Internet during this period, it is important to be vigilant,” CSA warned.

SingCERT outlined ways businesses and individuals can be vigilant, including verifying the authenticity of unsolicited emails requesting sensitive information or financial payments. This verification can be done by checking with the sender through an alternative medium.

SingCERT also advised against avoiding clicking on links or attachments found in emails or text messages from unknown senders. It also recommended double-checking details to verify the authenticity even if the message comes from someone familiar.

Government websites will only use .gov.sg links, except for some websites which the public are already familiar with like skillsfuture.sg, onemotoring.com.sg and ns.sg. Any Government link shorteners will only be on a go.gov.sg link URL, SingCERT added.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWJ1c2luZXNzZXMtcG90ZW50aWFsLXRhcmdldC1waGlzaGluZy1jb3ZpZC0xOS0xMjg1MzIyNNIBAA?oc=5

2020-06-19 14:56:48Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWJ1c2luZXNzZXMtcG90ZW50aWFsLXRhcmdldC1waGlzaGluZy1jb3ZpZC0xOS0xMjg1MzIyNNIBAA

North Korea's Kim stokes tensions with eye on distracted Trump - CNA

SEOUL: North Korea has been ramping up tensions with South Korea in recent weeks, but the campaign seems aimed at making a renewed push for sanctions relief by recapturing the attention of a US administration that is distracted by domestic issues.

North Korea blew up a joint liaison office on its side of the border last week, declared an end to dialogue with South Korea and threatened military action.

After three historic meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to lead to a denuclearisation deal, US President Donald Trump's attention is fixed elsewhere, including the coronavirus epidemic, anti-racism protests and the November presidential election.

Kim, however, is facing real-world consequences for the failed talks, with North Korea's sanctions-hit economy further strained by a border lockdown imposed to prevent a coronavirus outbreak, potentially threatening his support base among the elites and military.

Analysts say one of Kim's goals in lashing out at US ally South Korea is to remind Washington of the unresolved issues with North Korea, potentially forcing it to intervene.

READ: North Korea remains an 'extraordinary threat': US

"Trump could feel the need to talk to the North to manage the situation for now, and publicly claim that he had warded off the possible military provocations that Kim has threatened," said Chang Ho-jin, a former South Korean presidential foreign policy secretary.

"By raising inter-Korean tensions, North Korea could also be hoping South Korea will push harder to get sanctions exemptions for joint economic projects that have so far been elusive."

'LAST-DITCH EFFORTS'

A diplomatic source in Seoul said US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun who had led negotiations with North Korea, are willing to make "last-ditch efforts" before the US election.

"There was anxiety among them that they couldn't just idle away the first half of this year," the source said, noting Washington would switch to full election mode soon.

But a US source familiar with the matter told Reuters that while Washington is willing to talk with Pyongyang at any time, there will unlikely be any negotiations that lead to a significant breakthrough in the near future, especially if North Korea only offers to dismantle its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.

READ: Commentary: Is North Korea tearing at the seams?

The source said that sanctions relief is likely far away, as North Korea has been unwilling to discuss abandoning enough of its nuclear programmes for the United States to consider rolling back sanctions.

The pandemic, anti-racism protests and the rise of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden may have changed Kim's strategy for winning concessions, said Wi Sung-lac, a former South Korean chief nuclear negotiator.

In his New Year address, Kim vowed to unveil a "new strategic weapon," after Washington ignored a year-end deadline he had set for a restart of talks, but North Korea appears to have fallen off Trump's agenda as he found himself mired in domestic crises.

"North Korea had been expected to stage a serious provocation such as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, but COVID-19 and the ensuing US political situation seem to have provided Kim a new calculation," Wi said.

READ: North Korea seeks crisis to force concessions: Analysts

"With Trump already in trouble, firing an ICBM would only benefit Biden, so he resorted to short-range missile testing as a stop-gap measure and now is targeting the South."

If Biden is elected, any negotiations would be "much more painful" for Kim as he would take a more principled approach and empower seasoned negotiators without summitry extravaganzas, said Cho Tae-yong, a South Korean lawmaker who previously as vice foreign minister worked with Biden's foreign policy advisers.

Some experts do not rule out a return to ICBM testing if Trump looks increasingly likely to lose in the election, but that would also upset China which has been lobbying for Pyongyang to ease international sanctions.

"Serious provocations like an ICBM test could backfire, so Kim must be thinking hard not to overplay his hand until November," Wi said.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL25vcnRoLWtvcmVhLXMta2ltLXN0b2tlcy10ZW5zaW9ucy13aXRoLWV5ZS1vbi1kaXN0cmFjdGVkLXRydW1wLTEyODUyMTUy0gEA?oc=5

2020-06-19 09:57:07Z
52780860462927

China inspects food imports, halts bus routes over COVID-19 fears - CNA

BEIJING: China has launched a nationwide campaign to inspect food imports after a new coronavirus outbreak emerged at a wholesale market in Beijing, with experts suggesting it shares similarities to European strains.

Authorities have been testing hundreds of thousands of people for the contagion while neighbourhoods have been locked down and schools closed to prevent a second wave of the epidemic that China had largely brought under control.

READ: Beijing residents rush to coronavirus test clinics as emergency rules expand

Another 25 cases were confirmed in Beijing on Friday (Jun 19), taking the total number of infections since last week to 183.

Chinese authorities shared the genome data of the latest outbreak with the World Health Organization and international scientific community on Thursday.

Initial findings suggest it "came from Europe", but differs from what is currently spreading there, said Zhang Yong of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is older than the virus currently circulating in Europe," Zhang said in a report published by the Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog on Friday.

READ: China publishes Beijing COVID-19 genome data, officials suggest a European strain

Zhang raised the possibility of the virus lurking in imported frozen food or in the wholesale market itself, resulting in similarities to older strains.

The virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon at the market, and Beijing officials on Friday advised citizens to dispose of frozen seafood and bean products bought from Xinfadi.

Xinfadi supplies more than 70 per cent of Beijing's fresh produce and has been temporarily closed due to the cluster.

The virus is believed to have first appeared at a market that sold live animals in the central city of Wuhan.

Song Yueqian, an official at the General Administration of Customs, said the agency had launched a nationwide drive to inspect all fresh products kept in cold temperatures coming from "high-risk countries".

The products include seafood, meat and frozen vegetables, Song said at a press conference.

On Thursday, he said authorities had inspected 15,638 samples – all of which tested negative.

READ: China finds heavy coronavirus traces in seafood, meat sections of Beijing food market

China also suspended imports of products from German meat company Toennies after an employee tested positive for the virus there, though Song said they "have not discovered any evidence of infection through eating food" so far.

"There is no evidence to prove other ways of transmission [besides aerosols, respiratory droplets or close contact]," Feng said.

But Feng advised consumers to avoid touching raw fish or meat and be aware of hygiene when preparing food.

NOTICE TO FOOD EXPORTERS

The Customs authority has also asked companies that export food to China to sign a declaration that their produce is not contaminated by the coronavirus, three people who received such a letter said on Friday.

The declaration, seen by Reuters, may be an effort by China to reduce the additional testing it has carried out over the last week and make exporters responsible for guaranteeing their products' safety, one meat supplier who had signed it said.

"It's very costly and time-consuming to test all products. They're asking suppliers to sign this letter so they can go back to normal," said the meat supplier.

He declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The French pork industry association Inaporc also received the notice, an official said.

READ: China says it must improve hygiene in markets after Beijing COVID-19 outbreak

China's Customs agency did not immediately respond to a fax seeking comment on the notice.

The declaration said the exporter is willing to comply with Chinese laws and guidance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization to ensure food imported into China is not contaminated with the virus.

"In the event that a new case/suspected case of COVID-19 is detected in a food enterprise, or if there is a risk of contamination of food products exported to China, we are willing to take all necessary measures to eliminate food safety risks and protect consumer health," it adds.

How much weight the declaration will carry, however, is unclear.

"If any shipments are found to have COVID-19, they will be destroyed anyway, with or without the letter," said another meat supplier who had not signed it.

NEW OUTBREAK'S ORIGINS UNKNOWN

Scientists cautioned against making early conclusions on the Beijing cluster.

"It is possible that the virus now causing an outbreak in Beijing had travelled from Wuhan to Europe and now back to China," said Ben Cowling, a professor at the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health.

But he told AFP that the first case had not yet been identified and it may be too late to find out how this outbreak started.

Francois Balloux of University College London wrote on Twitter that – based on the data shared – there had been local transmission for some time before the outbreak was identified.

"Their position in the tree does not allow to confidently assign a geographic origin to the lineage. They could have originated from essentially anywhere," he wrote.

READ: China races to prevent COVID-19 second wave

The city also suspended several bus routes between Beijing and surrounding Hebei province from Friday, on fears of the new outbreak spreading beyond the capital.

The resurgence came after China had largely brought the virus under control and eased restrictions on movement inside the country.

There are now 293 people ill with COVID-19 in China, the highest number since early May.

Until recently, most new cases had been imported by nationals returning from abroad.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL2NvdmlkLTE5LWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNoaW5hLWJlaWppbmctaW5zcGVjdC1mb29kLWltcG9ydHMtYnVzZXMtMTI4NTI2NjjSAQA?oc=5

2020-06-19 10:56:08Z
52780857043022

Singaporeans may be allowed to enter Malaysia without COVID-19 restrictions, but this should be a reciprocal arrangement: Putrajaya - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans may be allowed to enter Malaysia without the need to undergo COVID-19 screening and home quarantine, but there should be a reciprocal arrangement for Malaysians, said Putrajaya on Friday (Jun 19).

Speaking during a press conference on COVID-19 measures, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the Malaysian government has agreed to allow citizens from both Singapore and Brunei to visit freely provided the same flexibility is extended to Malaysians entering both countries.

Mr Ismail Sabri, who is also defence minister, said this was because both Singapore and Brunei are categorised as green zones by the Malaysian Health Ministry.

“We have agreed to allow Singapore citizens that live in Singapore or Brunei citizens who live in Brunei to come into our country. Hence, we are opening up our country to Singapore citizens and Brunei citizens to come in without the need for approval from our immigration department or to undergo COVID-19 screening tests or home quarantine,” he said.

Malaysia's Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob giving a daily briefing on Jun 8, 2020. (Photo: Bernama)

However, he noted that this was on the condition that Malaysians would also be afforded the same privileges.

“The loosening of the border restrictions must be reciprocated and both these countries must allow our citizens to enter without restrictions, as we have allowed,” said Mr Ismail Sabri.

For the case of Singapore, he stressed that the decision is dependent on the outcome of discussions between the foreign ministries of both sides.

“This is being negotiated by our foreign ministry with Singapore’s foreign ministry. They are still discussing … If they agree to our suggestions, we will agree to relax the restrictions and open our borders. So we have to wait and see how the discussions pan out,” the minister added.

READ: All travellers coming into Singapore to be tested before stay-home notice ends

READ: Allowing Malaysians to commute to Singapore will boost both countries’ economies, says Johor chief minister

Earlier this month, Singapore’s National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that measures, safeguards and precautions have to be put in place before travel can resume between Singapore and Malaysia.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, said that before such travel can resume, testing may have to be carried out, a quarantine period may have to be imposed, or a combination of both measures.

He added that the volume of travel at the land checkpoints would not be as high as before COVID-19 hit both countries.

“We are talking about resumption of travel, but in a controlled manner and in a safe manner for both sides. That's in our mutual interest,” he said.

Malaysia's movement control order (MCO) has been in place since Mar 18, restricting domestic and international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now in the recovery phase of the MCO, which will last until Aug 31.

Similarly, Singapore implemented a circuit breaker period from Apr 7 to Jun 1, which tightened border controls. It is currently in phase 2 of post-circuit breaker reopening.

To break the chain of infection, both governments mandated a 14-day quarantine for people entering the countries. These measures made it impossible for Malaysians, who live in Johor but work in Singapore, to travel across the strait.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL3NpbmdhcG9yZS1tYWxheXNpYS1jb3ZpZC0xOS1zd2FiLXRlc3QtcXVhcmFudGluZS1pc21haWwtc2FicmktMTI4NTIwNDbSAQA?oc=5

2020-06-19 09:46:34Z
52780862738542

S'porean wanted by FBI charged with falsifying invoices to hide sale of sugar to North Korea - TODAYonline

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRvZGF5b25saW5lLmNvbS9zaW5nYXBvcmUvc3BvcmVhbi13YW50ZWQtZmJpLWNoYXJnZWQtZmFsc2lmeWluZy1pbnZvaWNlcy1oaWRlLXNhbGUtc3VnYXItbm9ydGgta29yZWHSAQA?oc=5

2020-06-19 06:23:25Z
52780862767148

Jumat, 19 Juni 2020

Related Stories: