Travel restrictions feeling a little blow to the tourism industry. Im melissa chan welcome to news asia thank you for joining us exactly one week before possibly the most consequential u. S. Election secretary of state mike pompei own defense secretary mark esper has flown to india to meet with their counterparts its almost as if theyre running against the clock rolling out as much of their age policy in case their boss President Donald Trump loses the election india has signed a military agreement with the u. S. To share sensitive satellite information and the 2 will participate in naval exercises next month those are war games along with australia and japan all members of the quad a partnership of india pacific democracies. Joining us is korea mohan of the German Marshall Fund for more agreement pump ale and esper are in india but this is as much about china isnt it absolutely so this meeting comes in the backdrop of chinese aggression at indias border region which shows no signs of abating it also comes in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that is leading to a lot of questions in india about economic dependence on china the role of china in International Organization so china is definitely a factor but lets not forget that this meeting is also a culmination of all of us india ties which has been growing stronger not only over the last 4 years but also since the early 2 cousins i would say when india and us signed the civilian nuclear deal so this partnership has being going from strength to strength china has definitely exeter rated the trends. The u. S. Stands to gain a lot by building closer ties with india delhi can serve as a counterweight to rising china but what does india stand to gain isnt having an antagonistic relationship with china only going to make things more difficult for india. The Indian Foreign minister zarif can say when asked about whether india would choose sides in the us china competition said india will choose its own side and will work for his own National Interests so thats an important frame to keep in mind. Successive indian governments in the pasta actually have been quite mindful of beijings sensitivities when it comes to indias close and eyes with the us and have even pump the brakes on us india ties however india has being increasingly disappointed with china despite several high level summit between climate system modi and presidency they have been so many roadblocks to india China Partnership including chinas coziness with pakistan on its growing influence in indias neighborhood in the indian ocean region gatekeeping india out of International Organizations and really the watershed moment of conflict on the border that showed that not only was the relationship competitive but it can actually need to military escalation as a result of which india has been diversifying and strengthening its partnerships not only with the us but we are number of other countries including france vietnam indonesia japan shadia and even the e. U. How do most people in india ceria feel about the countrys involvement in the quad which if you look at a map essentially looks like an encirclement strategy from chinas point of view. So its interesting chinas views of the quad have really often dated between calling it sea foam that will disappear shortly to the asian nato and the military aspect of the quads is actually quite exaggerated but for me the more interesting question and also for a lot of people in india is the broader trend why does countries in the region feel the need to revise tax forms like the quad and the quad is just one example there are so many trilateral minilab szell configurations coming up in the in the Pacific Region and that is because countries including india have feelings she think he threatened by china by the possibility of military aggression china unilaterally altering status quo threats to the economic retaliate and coming out of china as a response to domestic policies of a number of countries which youre reading that to this movement that countries are now grouping together in order to ensure that the balance of power is maintained in asia that all countries pay by the rules and the region is not dominated by any one country and i think by law that is seen within this Broader Movement to what extent do you think a potential Biden Administration would change the relationship so it is in a sweet spot when it comes to the us election no matter who wins it is an emerging bipartisan consensus that the us and the other nations ship is extremely important joe biden recently remarked that he sees india as a critical partner for maintaining u. S. National security interests so there is little expectation that there will be any fundamental change in the Us India Partnership with the new administration and the deal that happened today we need to remember is a result of almost 20 years of foundation needs down by the bureaucracies of both sides karima mohan thank you thank you for having me. Pale and as for head to sri lanka and the next 2 countries that have been unduly impacted by Chinese Investment and influence this american trip is very much about countering china and 2020 has been a reckoning of sorts for us global power theres a feeling among many people all over the world rightly or wrongly that china is quickly becoming a new great power in. The city of hung joe on chinas booming east coast a key location for the Electronics Sector at a Tech Convention we find several Chinese Companies that have been blacklisted by the u. S. For instance surveillance camera maker doll which has been accused of aiding chinas repression of the muslim weaker minority and with its products what is the impact of u. S. Sanctions no one wants to talk to foreign reporters here value by. Swallowing is also under pressure chinas Telecom Giant had to stock up on billions of dollars worth of computer chips from the u. S. In order to keep Manufacturing Products in the future as the u. S. Government bans huawei from dealing with u. S. Firms due to security concerns. Force another to. Many sanctions against chinese firms may cause a lot of problems for china but sometimes this can be an inspiration the pressure can help chinas Technology Firms grow bigger and stronger but its you know it ought to be called out to go to the 3rd healthy for the facing the future with confidence in contrast to the u. S. China has successfully imposed strict measures against the coronavirus pandemic that. The city is able to breathe again after the pandemic life and the economy on the right path yeah i also was look at the u. S. And the others because their governments didnt take action the pandemic situation there is still serious it is a very easy job but you dont know if your book could have u. S. Elections wont mean any major changes for china that they will trump wins the pressure. And china will increase but biden will also go against china car house a little bit youll be free to put them in beijing the Foreign Policy expert at this chinese think tank completely agrees with the communist leadership he thinks the us is china bashing china is a force on stoppable china will continue its arise on Peaceful Development this is something any country in the world especially developed countries need to acknowledge apu is it is a political suicide tried to write off a child. On chinas state run Television President xi jinping appears at the Military Museum to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the korean war in which china haunt the u. S. In appearance meant as a signal whoever wins the u. S. President ial election will face a strong china was leadership will defend its interests with confidence. In. Thailands beach towns have turned into ghost towns ever since the government banned Foreign Tourists from entering the country following the pandemic that proved decisive in the sense that the country has had just 3700 cases of covert and if you dozen deaths but its hurt the economy and perhaps no place has taken the hit more so than world famous to catch. Fast deserted beaches a tourist train but with hardly any visitors the place is fast becoming a nightmare for those trying to make a living here thailands to catch usually attracts millions of visitors every year 80 percent of the islands profits come from tourism with more than 300000 people employed in the sector. But the coronavirus pandemic has changed all that. A fixture of the islands famous nightlife these dances have lost that audience. And this bar is one of the few still pumping out music despite the lack of party goers. Hes like a c. P. A. And the like of course. We need to. Improve. And so others havent managed to stay afloat tens of thousands of lost their jobs and left the island others have taken huge pay cuts or are trying to scrape together an income in other ways. International tourists have not been allowed to enter thailand since april 1st after the government announced the state of emergency due to a surge in corona virus cases the country has so far remained relatively unscathed by the virus but the economy has paid the price. We know the problems that we too much on International Tourism and we are trying to buy lands in the past the house in domestic market and its 70 percent of International Market we are trying to balance may be in the near future will be 60 and 60 percent for months now the catch is being preparing to welcome back foreign visitors as part of an experimental reopening project but their arrival keeps being pushed back to mastic tourists alone cant meet the shortfall now the hope is the sun wont set on the tourist industry even if it takes years to recover. Thats it for today theres always more dot com for slash asia and be sure to check us out on facebook and twitter we leave you now with pictures from a new bike lane in singapore where you can cycle along under the watchful gaze of some dinosaurs thank you for watching well see you next time. Combating the corona pandemic. Where does research stand. What are scientists learning. Background information and news. Hour carona updates. Covert 19 special next on d w. O many pushed. Us right now right now Climate Change to break off the story. Faces much less the way photos one we. How much work can really get. We still have time to ask im going. To subscribe like this. The coronavirus pandemic has spawned its own epidemic of this information social media is awash with it emanating from the political fringes and even from those at the center of power. The subject of topics covered them are covered over. You know why the judge a judge everybody out of all rich people are buying it see ya bastard said i. But i do business of many governments and medical organizations are waging a secondary war against misinformation and a deliberate decision from ation. That some countries are using claims of dissent from ation as an excuse for suppressing legitimate reporting and to suppress the spread of Accurate Information domestically and abroad. That using the pandemic to ramp up censorship and secrecy legislation thats having a Chilling Effect on journalists and the spread of information and accurate timely information is essential to saving lives. But come to 19 special here in the daily news i want to get johns in the end good to have you with us it is the job of journalists to uncover facts and share them with a pop like but what if those facts dont support of the official line of democracy should be able to handle that but now during the pandemic some governments think otherwise and thats often puts journalists and Public Health at risk. Behind the mosque of corona virus censorship spreads journalists around the world have come under attack for reporting on the pandemic it started in china where citizen journalists dared to deviate from the official narrative. Images of overstretched hospitals in which the virus is right in front of me or chinas criminal prosecutors are behind me im not afraid of death do you think im afraid if you come in this party of china or polish well. Chang she should wear disappeared in february and was only seen again by friends in September Fung been another reporter remains missing here to release secret videos of coronavirus victims. She. Reporters without borders has documented coronavirus coverage restrictions in nearly half of all u. N. Member states those who are jailed are at risk of infection. Al jazeera journalist mohammad more near died in july from coronavirus after being arrested in egypt as did reporters. Jailed for documenting corruption in saudi arabia the deliberate targeting of the press has worried the United NationsHuman Rights Commission or across the world cup in 1000 is also being instrumental lies to limit peoples rights to speak to express opinion and to participate in making decisions that affect their lives in the Russian Federation china kosovo many other countries i know it reports of threats and intimidation against journalist brokers and civic activist but at the local level with the apparent aim of this courage and criticism of the author this response is to call it 19. At a time when information can save lives press repression can fuel the pandemic. And im joined now by ali funk a Senior Research analyst for technology and democracy at Freedom House good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. Hi thank you so much for having me so Freedom House found that 2020 was the 10th Consecutive Year of decline in Internet Freedom and this is that a time when of in dimmick has really accelerated our reliance on Digital Technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to expression and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups since around favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least 45. 00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offense says their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments of at least 28. 00 countries censored websites or social media posts which is the press and favor hurl healthiest mistakes and corruption allegations and then we also found that theres been increased surveillance around the world theyve been using the pandemic as a cover to expand Data Collection i mean we also on the other side see a lot of protests small protest against corona virus. I mean how do you differentiate between authorities using covert 9000 to curb freedom of speech and those genuinely trying to flatten the code of. Its a great question i mean during times of crisis certain restrictions to freedoms can be justified these restrictions just need to be grounded and laws they have to be the least intrusive as possible and include independent oversight but restrictions to press freedom and Free Expression really only undermine governments ability contain the virus as weve mentioned you know information can be the difference between life and death restrictions to free speech limit peoples ability to access Accurate Information and keep themselves safe and then in order for people to be willing to take these drastic measures such as closing their shops staying at home not going to school its really important that they trust their elected leaders and government officials can only gain this trust by being transparent and people are free and open information environment right and of course what you mentioned very important Accurate Information of the internet social media suddenly is sadly a perfect breeding ground for fake news and a conspiracy theories especially now during the pandemic weve seen that how can journalists help expose of those lies without putting themselves at risk. Our research has shown that theres been a concerted strategy by state officials and their supporters to promote these conspiracy theories pseudo science that really aligns with their nationalistic or distant f. O. B. Goals so what journalists can do its more important ever that we expose the to these distant formation campaigns including where theyre coming from to do to stay safe really they can use encrypted Communications Platforms such as signal to stay safe from you know government censorship Virtual Private Networks are going to be really important to be able to continue their reporting and its really through this reporting now more than ever journalists in their work are more important its a life and death issue. You mentioned in one of your previous answers and many studies suddenly agree with you namely that 19 is pushing Digital Technologies ai the internet what needs to be done to use this development to promote freedom of speech and democracy. So youre right were really sleepwalking into the world in which our most sensitive personal and biometric data our face our fingerprints are going to be at the mercy of private companies and state agencies so thats why Freedom House is actually calling for a freeze on the use of biometric surveillance such as facial recognize facial recognition until we you know how these new technologies really attract human rights and democracy any new surveillance programs are encoded in 18 also need strict safeguards we need to prove 1st that there you have effective in limiting disease spread and then if public expert Public Health experts agree that they are we need to ensure that data is deleted after the pandemic theres independent oversight and also that any program is transparent and thats really the only way and its going to take collective Global Action to ensure that the pandemic doesnt create a long term deterioration and Internet Freedom of the human rights of privacy and Great Depression and a funk there from a Freedom House joining us in new york thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Sometimes even the experts dont agree and thats making it harder for us laymen to grasp complex issues luckily we have our very own scientific correspondent to turn to time to ask garrick. What are the risks of the focused protection of products made out in the Great Barrington declaration. Since the very earliest days of this pandemic there have been those who believe that our responses to covert 19 so the lock downs and all the other measures that they have actually caused more damage than the disease itself and they believe that we need to look for other options even without access to a vaccine since really wide scale infection would be at least theoretically a pathway to what we want which is herd immunity the concepts laid out in the highly controversial declaration that you mention was proposed several weeks ago by 3 scientists from the u. S. And britain and its been signed by others it says that we need to only focus on protecting groups that it classifies as vulnerable especially the elderly and that urges a return to normal life immediately for everyone else that means basically not trying to limit infections among those that it says are at minimal risk of death so what would be the dangers of going down that path there are some pretty major ones and the big flaw in the declarations reasoning a lot of experts say is the fundamental assumption that people who appear to gain at least some immunity after surviving that disease will keep that immunity for extended periods weve already seen some cases of people who. Ive gotten covert 19 a 2nd time though those so far theyve thankfully been few and far between them still the coming months could see many many more another big question how exactly would you go about protecting vulnerable populations effectively in societies where the virus is basically raging unchecked is that even possible and in aspects that the declaration doesnt address at all is the potential long term damage that poke at 19 could do to many younger people even those who survive then of course at least some people who arent classified as vulnerable will turn out to be very vulnerable to over 1009. 100 potentially even millions of people worldwide and people who wouldnt have died if social distancing measures remained in force until effective vaccines are available. Well Derek Williams there on spring one of your questions and hell be back again tomorrow so keep posting your questions on our you tube channel and if youd like to keep up with the latest developments on the coronavirus to subscribe to our newsletter just log on to d w dot com slash corona dash this letter. And i was 19 special for today for me and the team in berlin thanks for keeping us company stay safe and healthy. Because. The email lucy enjoyment my pal shall come. After the revered army the mild blues are now months without them when. I. See byron steamroll im tough trying for thomas levin dosti should say this legal record. Should go. To. New york heres me going to you and my last years judgement sauce i want to bring you an angle a mouthful and youve never caught our surprise yourself with god its possible until this magical what a loser. Who talks of people who follow along the way maurice and critics alike join us from arkansas stops. Every jew you can see for us and for our planet. Global ideas is on its way to bring you more conservation law to me makes it scream. How can my projects have a chance to mock we can make a difference modeling to. Its the environmental series of over 3000. 00 on t. W. And almost. It was the 1st International Tribunal in history. The number of trials. 75 years ago a high ranking officers of the nazi regime were jointed by the allied forces. They were the 1st war criminals to be held accountable for their crimes so. Our 2 part series right in the dark starts nov 12th on d w. Frankfurt. International gateway to the best connection self road and rail. Located in the heart of europe you are connected to the whole world. Experience outstanding shopping and dining offers and try our services. Biala gassed at Frankfurt Airport city managed by from. This is it every news life for broken anger flares up across italy as it already is taking coronavirus restrictions there. Cancer free peaceful protests violence including the phillies the government promises support for Small Businesses will it be enough also. So coming up. Tonight john without any fear or favor. And that i will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences amy kearney barrett sworn in as u. S. President u. S. Supreme Court Justice rather a boost for the courts conservative majority any controversial political went for president trouble. Plus playing the president s firm lincoln to kennedy to trump we focus on the u. S. Presidency as for trade on the silver screen. Where the rock thank you so much for your company around where we begin this broadcast in italy which has been hit by a wave of protests against a new round of government restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus clashes broke out in milan tyrann and several other major cities italian authorities have ordered bars and restaurants to close their doors at 6 pm and theaters cinemas and gyms shuttered for a month Prime Minister just ific on to is promising new financial 8 east tensions. It began as an angry protest they chanted for freedom in turin. But it quickly descended into a violent game of cops and most local media reports the group was made up of hardcore football fans nor does all trust riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to send them home. Designer shops were targeted to. Police clashed with protesters tear gas and pyrotechnics and plentiful supply several arrests were made as the caribbean yairi try to restore order to the cities although wise quiet streets. The unrest was taken by new rules forcing the countrys Hospitality Industry to close its doors at 6 pm. Its release late night dining culture as Restaurant Owners locked up many feared this would be the beginning of the end. Is pretty good tourists have disappeared and lunch time is empty as well with 75 percent of the employees walking from home. In fact were done with this job. I think were going to close in a week. Period. Then room industry workers poor discipline is away and protest. Because that is that every down to what youre seeing here is just a part of our supplies that weve had to throw away and sacrifice weve already paid for it instead of setting it to our customers our friends were forced to throw on the growing does weve already done in the past. The peaceful gathering in sharp contrast to scenes elsewhere but as italy tightens restrictions the sense of anxiety here every bit as strong. Tempers flaring there in italy lets get you more now some of your book already is a journalist in milan and joins us right now good day sylvia what more can you tell us about the demonstrations that unfolded in milan and across the country. Well we have to remember that these demonstrations started a few days ago especially in naples were the government of the region of naples combine. Into a couple of put very strict rules in place for the region and people went to the streets to demonstrate against that from their. Demonstrations that spread all around the country and right now we have like many of us russian in the north part as well like last night we could hear the seas and police cars going on and on for the for the whole night we know that many people were on the street but we have to remember that there are some peaceful demonstration of people that are for instance restaurants on our own are that are peacefully demonstrating in the street and we also have to Violence Group that we still have to identify at the moment sylvia tell us a little bit more about the community there are most affected by these new restrictions do they feel that they are being one seriously targeted by these restrictions that are put in place by the italian government. They do we have 2 main groups one is the group of the restaurants owner the bars are the clubs owners who have been trying to keep up with the measures during the last because last few months or so they tried to dispense shaped tables for instance or to had. A limited number of people that could get into the restaurant and they feel like theyre being mistreated at the moment and also we have that group of people like. Movies theater as owners or t. F. There is owners or actors and everyone whos involved in entertainment everything is being closed down right now so they feel like theyve been the culture is that the cultural aspect is not being taken care of the moment by the government and livelihoods of course once again sylvia how difficult will it be to unsourced these restrictions and make people comply. Well i think that of course we are concentrating on the profit was right now but there are many many people who actually still comply already comply with the weasels. All of us i mean were going to have a car if you at 11 pm and we know that we cannot go to restaurants and bars after 86 pm so i think the italian people are used to that and i understand why. Measures are being put in place at the moment its just that people are angry because we knew that this was going to come we need. A new wave were going to come and we have seen from other countries around us like france and spain and the u. K. That this was happening so the feeling of. Preparedness of our government is the feeling that make people mad mostly so if you because of the reporting from milan italy thank you very much thank you. And stricter rules are also on the way here in germany chance the ugly american will meet with the heads of these 16 regional states in an attempt to break rapidly spreading chains of infection chancellor merkel says germany has learned more targeted ways to combat covert 19 since the National Lockdown in the spring schools are expected to remain open while restrictions on night life and social gatherings are tightened. All right lets get you more now on these developments is standing by new not 1st of all talk to us about this meeting that is about to get away or is already underway what can we expect from that. Well its going to take place tomorrow angloamerican is going to try and press the countrys 16 state premiers to agree on new restrictions on whats been dubbed a lock down lights and that strategy would basically work with 2 tools one would be to continue to have strict lock downs in districts where of infection rates are skyrocketing currently in germany we have 2 districts in the various that are experiencing that life is standing still that because of high infection rates and to nationwide some new restrictions would be implemented in concrete terms pubs and restaurants will close again much like in the spring events would be canceled and Opening Times of shops would be limited the government has so far always said that theyre going to try and avoid to close schools and kindergartens at all cost but of course that remains to be seen as theyre already closed in those 2. 00 districts in bavaria and of course pub and Restaurant Owners are already warning that many of them wont survive in the long term if they have to close now and they say that the hygiene concept working they should be punished is going to be a very tough meeting thats also what the bavarian state premier mike was there to has that right a very tough meeting if germany were to implement a 2nd lockdown and given the protests that weve seen unfold here as well what people except one comply with it. Well of course theres a certain sense of where in this in the general population possibly also because germany is still coping fairly well compared to some of its neighboring countries and the Health Care System is not overwhelmed yet but that might change anytime soon and yes there have been some protests including last weekend here in berlin where there were some 2000 people from all over the country that came to the island to protest there is a Small Movement against the corona measures but overall people are very much in favor of the governments measures and a recent poll actually shows that 2 thirds of germans are expecting new restrictions to be put in place soon and another poll shows that 51 percent of those os find that the current measures are appropriate and only 15 percent think that those measures are exaggerated so theres overall there is big support for the governments strategy. Reporting thank you. While some people who contract the coronavirus end up suffering socalled long cove it what that means is that months after income becoming infected these patients still suffer from shortness of breath extreme fatigue and a range of other debility debilitating symptoms while its not known for sure how many corner virus cases end up with long but it can affect people of all ages news visited 129 year old woman who still struggling with major health problems. For valerie geason a short walk around the neighborhood is a challenge in itself she has to have a rest every now and again. Its 7 months since the 29 year old contract that the coronavirus but shes still constantly exhausted. Hearted. And the most tiring thing ive done today i can feel my heart pounding and i have to breathe more deeply than most its crazy just walking round the block is a big deal like a Champions League game since league one of the never got tested at the time because there were limited facilities but a medical examination later confirmed that she had been infected by the corona virus she has never doubted that for a 2nd. And its as if my health had fallen off the cliff i just felt completely exhausted imagine having really bad humor and then double that i have never felt so ill. After being seriously ill for 2 weeks valerie was back to normal fit and full of energy during the summer she even cycled from copenhagen to berlin but a month later she started feeling worse again. And feels like a different time as a guy cant ride a bike anymore i cant even go shopping on my own calvin meth man only used to live and work in copenhagen now she has moved back in with her parents in berlin and is being treated by several different doctors shes been given a diagnosis of postcode it fatigue syndrome but. I need to have a lie down in the afternoon and i often fall asleep during the day as well as even the thought of getting on the train to go and meet someone having a talk and getting the train back its just too much. They cant work and isnt sickly she chats online to other people whove gone through the same experience they all want to know how much longer it will go on the World Health Organization says that even for young people like motherly code that 900 symptoms can lingle recurred for months after an initial recovery she finds a support group a big help. And thats when its like a comforting routine for me in the evening talking to others in the same position. As from me i dont feel so alone and i try to take an optimistic view. One of the its getting a little better each day and her hope is that people will continue to take over 1000 seriously. I want to bring an update now some of the other stories making news around the world. Thousands have rallied in bangladesh as capital dhaka in the biggest anti french demonstration since prison my confident cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad muslims across the world have condemned mccalls remarks which followed the murder of a french teacher who showed the coachmans in class. A bomb has ripped through an islamic seminary in the northwest pockets in northwest pakistan killing at least 7 students and injuring dozens more police say the device went off during a visit by a prominent religious scholar no group has yet claimed responsibility. Hurricane 0 has made landfall on mexicos yucatan peninsula battering the coast with winds of up to 130 kilometers an hour forecasters say the storm is likely to move towards the u. S. Gulf coast zita is the 27th named storm in a historic hurricane season. Violent protests have broken out in the u. S. City of philadelphia after police shot and killed a black man officers say he was armed with a knife violence was the latest in a months long the nationwide anti racism or rallies following the Police Killing of george floyd back in may. The confirmation of Amy Kone Barrett to the u. S. Supreme court has ushered in a conservative majority for years to come while the Senate Approved the nomination by 52 votes to 48 barretts appointments was strongly opposed by democrats. After a month in the spotlight she finally got to say these words dont. Judge me i need barack hes heading to the u. S. Supreme court. Its a privilege to be asked to serve my country and this office and i stand here tonight truly honored and humbled. President donald trump is on hand to celebrate one of his signature achievements lucky in a conservative majority on the Supreme Court for many years to come. This is a