RTHK: Biden ponders 'diplomatic boycott' of Beijing Games

The United States is considering a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday.

"Something we're considering," Biden said when asked if a diplomatic boycott was under consideration as he sat down for a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A diplomatic boycott would mean that US officials would not attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

Beijing is yet to respond to the comments. Asked in May about the prospect of a boycott, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said US calls for a boycott were driven by ideology and political prejudice, and said a few people in the US were using human rights to smear China.

A US decision not to send diplomats would be a rebuke of President Xi Jinping just days after Xi and Biden worked to ease tensions in a virtual summit, their first extensive talks since Biden took office in January.

Activists and members of Congress from both parties have been pressing the Biden administration to diplomatically boycott the event given the US government's criticism of China's human rights record, especially in Xinjiang. Beijing has rejected US criticism of its actions.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told a regular briefing on Thursday that US consideration of a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics was driven by concerns about human rights practices in Xinjiang.

"There are areas that we do have concerns: human rights abuses," Psaki told reporters. "We have serious concerns."

"Certainly there are a range of factors as we look at what our presence would be," she said, while declining to provide a timeline for a decision.

"I want to leave the president the space to make decisions," she said. (Reuters/RTHK)

This story has been published on: 2021-11-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Discussions underway on moving Eskom to energy department

Deputy President David Mabuza says talks are underway to determine if Eskom will be moved to fall under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy for better alignment and oversight.

The Deputy President was responding to questions from provincial delegates in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

To address the Honourable Members question on whether government has considered moving Eskom from the Department of Public Enterprises to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, discussions are currently underway as part of a broader government effort to improve the management of parastatals.

The reorganisation, once finally decided, would better align companies such as Eskom to their mandate, he said.

Tshitereke Matibe, the ANCs provincial delegate from Limpopo, had asked the Deputy President whether government had considered moving Eskom from the Department of Public Enterprises to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

The Deputy President said the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council will advise government on the appropriate shareholder models and repositioning of State-owned companies as effective instruments of economic transformation and development.

In this regard, we should await the finalisation of the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Councils work for further guidance.

As government, we continue to engage with key stakeholders to address any implementation bottlenecks and challenges in our efforts to provide stable energy, which will stimulate sustainable economic growth.

Private sector experts are also invited to share expertise and experience across a number of key performance areas that the Eskom Political Task Team is seized with.

No additional panel of experts will help fix Eskom challenges

The Deputy President said the challenge at Eskom has not been with the quality of advice or plans, but rather the resources, services and funding required in implementing interventions on power generation.

It is, therefore, our view that an additional panel of experts shall not improve the situation, and we remain open to specific ideas that can contribute to further improvements.

Equally, the Board of Eskom has been urged to review existing weaknesses that continue to affect performance of the utility and ensure that we resolve operational challenges.

The management of the utility is also doing its best to focus on intensive maintenance and management of the aging power generation fleet to avoid breakages that lead to collapse in generation and ultimately power outages.

Mabuza said government is cognisant of the impact and inconvenience of inadequate electricity supply on peoples daily lives and its devastation to the countrys economic growth.

Collectively, this undermines development and delivery of critical services on a predictable basis across society.

Honourable Members should rest assured that measures are being undertaken to ensure that the negative impact of load shedding is minimised in order to avoid the total collapse of energy-intensive economic sectors such as mining and manufacturing.

The Deputy President said within the framework of the Integrated Resource Plan, alternative energy generation measures are also being explored and implemented to augment electricity supply and improve the stability of the grid upon their completion.

The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy recently announced the preferred bidders for the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme Bid Window 5.

The 25 projects in this latest round of Independent Power Producer procurement will eventually add the much needed 2 583 megawatts capacity of renewable energy to South Africas grid.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Low voter turnout: leaders must listen to their constituents

Deputy President David Mabuza said while government is not in possession of any empirical evidence linking low voter turnout in the recent local government elections to service delivery, he said leaders must listen and respond to issues raised by the people.

He said this when he fielded oral questions in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

As for low voter turnout, we are not in possession of any empirical evidence which suggests that poor service delivery especially by outgoing local government administrations, has resulted in low voter turnout during these elections.

In fact, there are many variables including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related risk-adjustment restrictions. This is a trend elsewhere in the world where elections were conducted under similar conditions.

The Deputy President said, however, that the fact that people did participate, is an illustration of their commitment to democracy, and added that this is what government must build on.

Having said that, it is important to point that as we were campaigning for our parties, some of the criticism levelled at us as leaders, is of our own making.

We get preoccupied by our own responsibilities of office as members of parliament, members of the executive or as mayors and councillors, thus spending less time talking to the people and responding to their needs.

The Deputy President said leaders must listen to the people and respond to the issues they raise that affect them at community level.

In our view, all leaders must make themselves available to be at the service of the people and work to unite our communities.

People are looking for collaborative approach by parties that places their needs at the centre as opposed to party agendas.

To improve the situation, the arrogance of leadership must give way to humility.

We continue to work hard to restore the confidence of the people by implementing municipal interventions that government has put into place.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: July unrest shows need for anti-poverty programmes

Deputy President David Mabuza says the July civil unrests, which saw violence and looting break out in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, are an indication that leaders across the political divide should work together to roll-out anti-poverty programmes and promote social cohesion.

He said this when he responded to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

The extent of poverty and inequality in our country especially in the affected communities of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, suggests that we must work together and harder across the political divide to deepen anti-poverty programmes in order to ensure that we achieve inclusive growth and we enhance social cohesion.

Public sentiment to the possibility of a better South Africa, should be constantly kept alive through concrete improvement to their socio-economic condition. Doing so is in our collective interest, he said.

Mabuza said following the July unrests and violence - that led to more than 359 deaths - law enforcement agencies are still busy with investigations into all criminal acts of violence and looting that took place.

He said government was pleased that the affected provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are starting to normalise and businesses and logistics networks are back to full operation.

He said peoples security and livelihoods have been restored.

As for what measures has government taken to ensure the security of the country and its people, the President did appoint a Panel of Experts to conduct assessment of the countrys response to deal with such incidents in the future.

Upon the conclusion of its work, Parliament will have the opportunity to engage with the findings and recommendations thereof.

In the final analysis, the events and subsequent aftermath of the July unrests, is a stark reminder that the project of building and consolidating democratic society that is inclusive and reflective of the aspirations contained in our Constitution, is far from being over.

The Deputy President commended the support of all social partners in finding practical solutions to the problems on the ground, and who have supported efforts to restore calm in the various affected areas during and post unrest period.

For as long as the poor feel that the system is leaving them behind and is benefitting only the few, we run a societal risk of allowing a section of society to be easily persuaded into opting out of democratic processes.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us, to find shared solutions to ensure that such incidents are never repeated.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: BRICS members called to enhance efforts towards water sustainability

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo has called for enhanced collaborative efforts towards water sustainability across the globe.

Mahlobo made a call during the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Water Ministers virtual meeting held on Thursday.

Speaking on behalf of Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, Mahlobo said the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequality which still exists in many parts of the world, and implored BRICS member states that more work still has to be done to ensure equity in societies.

Inequality has showed its ugly head and it is women and children who continue to bear the brunt of this. Now, more than ever before, we need to work together so that our citizens do not continue to live in hardships, Mahlobo said.

Mahlobo added that the effects of climate change had devastating impact on water security in South Africa, and commended the strong relations the country has with its neighbouring countries.

South Africa is one of the water scarce countries in the world and this is exacerbated by drought as a result of climate change. But as a region, we have one of the best examples where we share watercourses instead of rivers being used as a source of conflict.

We work in peace unlike in some parts of the world. In Southern Africa, water is used to promote peace and development whereas elsewhere, water has been used as a source of conflict and sometimes as a source of war, he said.

The Deputy Minister also reiterated governments commitment to uphold its constitutional mandate to provide clean water for all and dignified sanitation facilities.

Our Constitution is very clear that water is regarded as a human right and this is why in our own motto here in South Africa, we say water is life and sanitation is dignity. We continue to work tirelessly so that citizens of our country have dignified lives, Mahlobo said.

The Deputy Minister further emphasised that the current dispensation has come a long way since 1994, and in terms of the provision of water services, South Africa has increased delivery from 64% in 1994 to 94% in 2021. He however, admitted that much still has to be done.

The BRICS Water Ministers Meeting was the first of its kind as proposed in 2019 by Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi who motivated that sustainable water management and sanitation are major challenges which required urgent attention.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: SAA cancels daily Mozambique flights, adjusts other schedules

The South African Airways (SAA) has announced that it will be removing return daily flights from Maputo, Mozambique, from its schedule at the beginning of December.

SAA Interim Executive for Commercial, Simon Newton-Smith, clarified that the decision was taken as a result of a lack of uptake in the route.

When SAA resumed operations at the end of September, we committed to constantly monitor passenger volumes and revenue on all routes. Demand on this service has not met expectations and for the time being, this change is in line with our strategy of being a transparent management and fiscally responsible, Newton-Smith said.

He said passengers who hold tickets to travel will be accommodated on Mozambique Airlines or they can opt to receive a credit voucher which will be offered in the original form of payment.

Those who no longer wish to travel will be able to cancel their booking and are expected to receive a full refund.

No airline likes to cancel flights but we are committed to success and sustainability of our airline, whilst we meet our valued customer requirements. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience and full assistance will be provided to all customers holding an SAA ticket on flights that are withdrawn from the schedule. Customers should refer to issuing offices for assistance, he said.

The airline says those customers who used travel agents to book flights should contact them directly and tickets that were bought online or through the SAA call centre can be reconciled through contacting the SAA Trade Support via e-mail at Tradesupport1@flysaa.com.

SAA will also not be operating its return flights to Accra in Ghana on Christmas and New Years Day.

Flights to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be operational on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

The airline said flights to Lusaka, Zambia will operate for five days a week from December 1 instead of seven days a week.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: 20.7% increase in murders between July and September

A total of 6 163 people were killed in South Africa between July and September 2021, Police Minister Bheki Cele says.

The revelation is contained in the 2021/22 quarter two crime statistics released on Friday.

With 1 056 more people killed, this represents a 20.7 % increase compared to the corresponding period.

However, compared to the same period in the 2019/20 financial  when there was COVID-19 lockdown, the figure represented a 13.2% increase.

Compared to a period without Lockdown, this would have resulted in an increase of 717 deaths.

According to the statistics, 1 334 murders occurred at the home of the victim or of the perpetrator.

From a sample of 5 176 cases, police determined that 2 424 people were murdered in public places such as streets, open fields, parking areas and abandoned buildings.

A total of 424 of the murders occurred at taverns, shebeens, nightclubs and bottle stores.

Liquor outlets, said Cele, were the third most likely place to be killed in South Africa.

During this period, 23 SAPS officers were killed between July and September 2021.

Most (6) were killed in KZN, followed by Gauteng and Western Cape, each recording 4 police killings, the Minister said.

Cele cited the violent July unrests in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng as part of many factors that contributed to the increase in murders,

He said: This is evidenced by the KwaZulu-Natal province recording a 44.4% increase in its murder cases in the period of July to September this year.

With 536 more deaths compared to the previous year, KZN recorded 1 744 murders during this period.

A total 229 more people were murdered in the Gauteng province between July and September 2021.

The Minister said while it was clear that the July unrests contributed to the murder grim figures, he pointed out that Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and the North West also recorded double-digit increases in murder cases during this reporting period.

However, he said a glimmer of hope was shone through from the Western Cape province, as it was the only province to record a decrease in murder cases.

Out of the top 30 murder stations, the Harare, Khayelitsha and Nyanga police stations in the Western Cape, recorded decreases in their murder figures.

We remain encouraged by the decreases and attribute them to the resourcing of policing in the Western Cape through more personnel and vehicles deployed at identified hot-spots, especially in the Cape Town Metropole, he said.

He reiterated that the province received the lions share of policing resources and funding to bring about peace and stability.

To date the SAPS has injected the most resources in that province and in KZN, compared to all other provinces, he said.

The Minister said it was clear that intervention measures were beginning to bear fruit in the Western Cape.

Were seeing a pattern of stability emerging, he said.

Cele said the Ministry was making a call to the province to work in conjunction with the SAPS in the utilisation of the resources they are plaughing into the fight against crime.

We believe this will give us better results when we work as a collective in order to sustain what we have achieved, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has flagged an increasing volatility in the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in wastewater samples in recent weeks.

The SAMRCs Wastewater Surveillance Programme operates a wastewater research and surveillance programme to detect early warning systems for COVID-19.

The team, with their laboratory and municipal partners, collects samples of wastewater weekly from more than 70 wastewater treatment plants across four provinces to test for non-infectious RNA fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

According to the SAMRCs Wastewater Surveillance Programme leader, Dr Mongezi Mdhluli, after nearly two months of being predominantly very low, the levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in wastewater are now increasing.

While the concentrations of the non-infectious SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments remain low, relative to what we saw in wastewater at the height of the third COVID-19 wave, it is notable that the increasing volatility in viral fragment loads is now being observed at wastewater treatment plants in both urban and rural areas.

This includes all provinces in which the SAMRC Wastewater Surveillance Programme is underway, namely the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and Western Cape.

SAMRC President Professor Glenda Gray said the observation does not spell out the start of the fourth wave at this stage.

We believe it is a signal to which we need to pay very close attention, especially when coupled with the increase in COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalisations, that we have been seeing in recent days, Gray explained.

The Professor has since urged people to vaccinate since the evidence shows that inoculation dramatically reduces COVID-19 disease, hospitalisation, death, and is the most powerful prevention measure citizens have right now.

While we cannot at this point say that we are on the cusp of the fourth wave of COVID-19, it is nevertheless prudent for all South Africans to ensure that they and their loved ones become vaccinated as soon as possible and at the very least before the upcoming holiday season, said Gray.

In addition, she said everyone has a role to play in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this regard, vaccination and our behaviour are the main keys, she said, encouraging all South Africans to increase their vigilance and adhere strictly to the simple but powerful, non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 prevention measures.

These include wearing a mask, using hand sanitiser, keeping a distance of at least 1.5 metres from others and avoiding gatherings.

In addition, when gatherings are unavoidable, they should be held in outdoor spaces or as many windows and doors as possible must be opened to increase ventilation when inside.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Happy Valley restricted area set

The Government tonight made a restriction-testing declaration for Way Man Court in Happy Valley due to a preliminary positive imported COVID-19 case involving the L452R mutant strain.

The Centre for Health Protection said the 31-year-old female patient is a foreign domestic helper who arrived in Hong Kong on October 23 from the Philippines.

Her specimen collected upon arrival in the airports temporary specimen collection centre tested negative for COVID-19. The results of the six tests conducted during compulsory quarantine were also negative.

Upon completion of the compulsory quarantine on November 13, she returned to her employers residence of at Way Man Court, 50-52 Village Road, Happy Valley.

She took another test on November 18 at a community testing centre and the sample tested preliminarily positive, with a Ct value of larger than 30. Her specimen carried the L452R mutant strain.

The patient has been asymptomatic and received one dose of COVID-19 vaccination on July 23 in the Philippines.

In view of the presence of a mutant strain, the Government decided to make a restriction-testing declaration for Way Man Court as a precaution.

The declaration took effect from 7.30pm and aims to be finished by about 7am tomorrow. People in the restricted area are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing before 11pm tonight.

Those who have undergone testing from November 17 to 19 and can provide the SMS notification or related certification containing the test results do not need to get tested again.

According to todays compulsory testing notice, people who had been at the premises for more than two hours from October 29 to November 19 must undergo compulsory testing by November 21 even if they were not in the restricted area when the declaration took effect. Vaccinated people are also subject to the requirement.

Moreover, the places where the patient had visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period will also be included in a compulsory testing notice.

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Anti-terror exercise concluded

The Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit conducted an anti-terrorism exercise at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link today.

The unit co-ordinated with an aerial flight patrol of the Government Flying Service, helping Police pursue a wanted vehicle.

The exercise simulated an operation against terrorists who opened fire towards a crowd. The terrorists also attempted to use a chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear device outside the West Kowloon Station. Police arrested the culprits.

The exercise aimed to test and enhance departments' capabilities in dealing with terrorism-related intelligence and responding to different forms of terrorist attacks.

The unit's Police Senior Superintendent Leung Wai-ki told the media today that although public order had basically been restored in the past 12 months, several violent incidents around July 1 this year illustrated that some local radicals had not abandoned their extremist pursuits.

Mr Leung pointed out that the overall terrorist threat level in Hong Kong remains moderate and there is no specific intelligence suggesting that Hong Kong will be subject to any terrorist attack.

In order to ensure we are fully prepared to respond or deal with any kind or any format of a terrorist incident in Hong Kong, all enforcement agencies under our Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit will conduct regular counter-terrorism exercises or other emergency drills in accordance with the latest global or local situation.

About 300 officers from the Police Force, Government Flying Service, Immigration Department, Correctional Services Department, Customs & Excise Department and Fire Services Department took part in the exercise.

The Government Laboratory and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation also assisted in the exercise.

The unit promotes the message of Spot & Report among the public, stressing that tragedy could often be avoided if local communities provide timely useful information to law enforcement agencies.

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Tech revamps dispute resolution

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

The uniqueness of the theme of today's colloquium is the use of square brackets for the phrase [Post-]Pandemic Era. It reflects that in some jurisdictions they adopt a zero-COVID approach whilst others a live-with-COVID strategy. Yet irrespective of the different approaches, the world has to adapt and must adapt quickly. Trade continues, and trade law-related disputes are unavoidable.

Despite a fall in world trade in 2020 due to the pandemic, recent figures have shown a resurgence of global economic activity and projected a rebound in world trade in 2021.

As cross-border trade will continue to be an engine of growth in the post-pandemic recovery, an important topic which warrants our discussion today is the development of international trade laws.

Application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Anna Joubin-Bret commented at the 4th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit in Hong Kong Legal Week 2021, the CISG, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, is the most successful substantive uniform commercial law treaty.

CISG entered in force for China as of January 1, 1988. CISG will soon be applicable to the Hong Kong SAR. The legislation has been passed and pending the procedural aspects in accordance with Article 153 of the Basic Law and for the Central People's Government to formally notify the Secretary-General of the United Nations (as depository for the CISG) of the requisite declaration for its application to the Hong Kong SAR, CISG will come into force in the Hong Kong SAR next year.

(i) Reservation under Article 95 of the CISG

China has made a reservation under Article 95 of the CISG, declaring that it is not bound by Article 1(1)(b). This means that CISG rules only apply to international sales contracts between parties whose places of business are in different CISG contracting states (as required by Article 1(1)(a)) in Mainland China.

In response to the consultation submissions in the Hong Kong SAR, the CISG will apply to the Hong Kong SAR in full, that is without China's Article 95 reservation.

This distinction evidences China's determination to fully implement and respect one country, two systems and in particular to facilitate the Hong Kong SAR to continue to develop its common law legal system.

(ii) Mainland - Hong Kong SAR arrangement

Being an international convention governing international sale of goods, CISG does not apply to transactions within China, namely between businesses in the Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR. We will discuss with the Central People's Government to arrive at an arrangement to ensure the effective implementation of the principles enshrined in CISG under one country, two systems.

Balancing trade and public health: solidarity is key

Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, lawyers practising international trade law have repeatedly warned of the risk that COVID-19 response measures adopted by governments, which unavoidably interfere in some way with the business operations of private enterprises, might be challenged in courts or investor-state dispute settlement proceedings. Indeed, the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) published an issues note in 2020 warning that there could be a surge of investor-state cases with respect to COVID-related measures.

In December 2020, as a measure to guarantee the supply of a COVID-19 medication Remdesivir in Russia, the Russian Government, in accordance with its national law and in line with the compulsory licensing regime under Article 31 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), issued an order to grant a compulsory license to a Russian company for the use of certain patents without the consent of the patent holder, Gilead Sciences, a US-based pharmaceutical company. The order allowed the Russian company to produce the COVID-19 medication in Russia on a non-exclusive basis until the end of 2021, upon paying to Gilead adequate compensation.

Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement permits WTO members to grant compulsory licences under their own national laws, so as to allow the use of a patent without the patent holder's authorisation, subject to the payment of adequate compensation and usually after unsuccessful efforts to obtain authorisation from the patent holder. This latter requirement for prior negotiations with the patent holder may also be waived in the case of a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency or in cases of public non-commercial use.

In the Russian case, Gilead later filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, challenging the government order and arguing that it undermined Gilead's rights as the patent owner in choosing its licensees and in setting the amount of consideration for the licence. In May 2021, the Supreme Court rejected Gilead's claims, and the Russian Government's order was upheld.

Apart from Article 31, the international community has explored other measures to combat the pandemic under the TRIPS Agreement. Back in October 2020, India and South Africa initiated a proposal for a temporary waiver of certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, suspending the patent rights in relation to COVID-19 medications, so as to aid the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19. The proposal has since gained support from a significant number of countries, including China, Russia and the US. China has expressed support of the developing countries' demand for the TRIPS waiver and will do all things that are conducive to the equitable distribution of COVID-19 medications and their fight against the pandemic.

The TRIPS Council is scheduled to have a meeting this week to discuss the proposal, and the world eagerly awaits its decision.

Dispute resolution under the new normal: online dispute resolution (ODR)

Another area which will be key in driving our post-pandemic recovery is technology. Technological developments and innovation have revamped the dispute resolution scene.

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Structural Reform convened in June this year, ministers of the member economies issued a joint statement, endorsing the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR) and recognising the importance of the collaborative framework on ODR (APEC ODR Framework) as a tool to advance structural reforms to support post-pandemic economic recovery and to build strong, sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the region.

Last week, the economic leaders of APEC issued the leaders' declaration after their meeting, welcoming the EAASR, as providing for collaboration on growth-focused reforms designed to be inclusive, resilient, sustainable and innovation-friendly. The leaders' express support for the EAASR provided a very solid basis for furthering APEC's ODR work under it.

The APEC ODR Framework, developed by the APEC Economic Committee, is part of an exemplary initiative undertaken by APEC to help businesses, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), to resolve cross-border commercial disputes through the use of ODR. The APEC ODR Framework provides a one-stop-shop for e-negotiation, e-mediation and e-arbitration, ensuring fast and affordable access to justice for MSMEs. Hong Kong, China, being a staunch supporter of APEC's work, was one of the early economies to have opted-into the APEC ODR Framework and, with the support of eBRAM Centre, we have launched a series of initiatives to develop and promote the use of ODR in the Hong Kong SAR, in line with the APEC ODR Framework.

Meanwhile, ODR has also been accorded high priority in the ASEAN agenda, and a workshop on ODR was organised in our Hong Kong Legal Week 2021. Prominent speakers emphasised the value of ODR under the new normal throughout the Legal Week, and as Michael Dennis said, for MSMEs which often face financial constraints and cannot afford lengthy legal proceedings, ODR is not just an alternative, it is the only practical redress option.

To keep track of the ODR landscape and develop legal tools to address potential issues, the Inclusive Global Legal Innovation Platform on ODR (iGLIP on ODR) was recently set up with the support of the Department of Justice (DoJ) Project Office for Collaboration with UNCITRAL (DoJ Project Office). At its 54th Session in July, UNCITRAL has just endorsed the suggestion of its secretariat to continue to collaborate with the DoJ Project Office and to take part in iGLIP on ODR, so as to utilise the experience, resources and connections available to co-operate in promoting, raising awareness and capacity building on ODR. The second meeting of the iGLIP on ODR will be held next week, where we will discuss, amongst other things, ODR as a means of access to justice, access to technology and minimum standards.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now almost two years into the pandemic. No one can say for sure when we will eventually come to the much-longed-for truly post-pandemic era. Whether the pandemic remains or subsides, we must rethink our modus operandi in the status quo and re-orient to the new normal.

To echo the words of the WHO Director-General on the pandemic, No country can solve this crisis alone...That means a paradigm shift in global solidarity - in sharing experiences, expertise and resources, and in working together to keep supply lines open, and supporting nations who need our support. Global solidarity and multilateralism are essential to overcome the setbacks of the pandemic, and for us to emerge from these challenges to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng gave these remarks at the 2021 Colloquium on International Law Development of International Trade Law in the Post-Pandemic Era on November 19.

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: LegCo candidates briefing held

Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) Chairman Barnabas Fung conducted an online briefing tonight for the candidates of the 2021 Legislative Council General Election on important points to note in running their election campaigns.

The election will be held on December 19.

Briefing the candidates on the arrangements for polling, Mr Fung said the Registration & Electoral Office (REO) plans to set up over 620 ordinary polling stations and not more than 24 dedicated polling stations.

The ordinary polling stations will be open for polling between 8.30am and 10.30pm.

Eligible electors can cast all the votes they are entitled to cast at the same polling station.

The Election Committee Constituency (ECC) electors will be allocated to the polling station at the Convention & Exhibition Centre to cast their votes.

The REO will prepare a guide to the voting procedures which will be sent to every elector along with the poll card at least 10 days before the polling day.

On queuing arrangements, two queues will be set up at the polling station, one special queue for people in need including seniors aged 70 or above, pregnant women and people who have difficulties in standing for a long time to queue due to their physical condition, while another one will be for the ordinary electors.

On the polling day, electors can check the approximate waiting time of each ordinary polling station on the election website.

The Electronic Poll Register system will be used for issuing ballot papers at polling stations.

For dedicated polling stations, polling stations without satisfactory network coverage or allocated for relatively few electors, the printed copy of the final register will be used for issuing ballot papers.

To strike a balance between voting rights and disease prevention, all electors are not required to use the LeaveHomeSafe mobile application or other alternative measures when entering polling stations to cast their vote.

After the close of the poll, the ordinary polling stations, except for the ECC polling station and the small polling stations at which less than 500 electors are assigned to vote, will be changed to counting stations for the counting of Geographical Constituencies votes.

The ballot boxes of all Functional Constituencies and the ECC will be delivered to the central counting station at the Convention & Exhibition Centre for counting.

Mr Fung stressed that the EAC will strive to ensure that the election will be conducted in an open, fair and honest manner as in the past.

This story has been published on: 2021-11-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Vietnamese student wins 2021 Mic

Vietnamese student wins 2021 Microsoft Office contest

Nguyen Duc Phat from the Vietnam Maritime University has won a silver medal at the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC).

Nguyen Duc Phat (Photo: VNA)





To secure the medal for the Microsoft Excel 2016 category, Phat has surpassed hundreds of competitors from nearly 100 nations and territories.



Earlier, the student championed the MOSWC - Viettel 2021, which was participated by nearly 1,800 students from across Vietnam.



Phat said he learned the Microsft Excel in high school and has been worked hard to sharpen his skills.



Presented by the US-based Certiport, Inc. since 2002, MOSWC is a global competition that tests students skills on Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Top students aged between 13 and 22 are invited to represent their respective countries at the World Championship. In some countries or regions, students are required to participate in a national championship, and the winners of that event go on to the World Championship.



Its 2021 edition marked Vietnams 12th year participating in the contest./.
Catherine Davis Announces Her Bid for Governor of Georgia

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catherine in the Capitol

Nov. 19, 2021

ATLANTA, Nov. 19, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catherine Davis today announced that she has entered the 2022 race for Governor. "Georgia is not the same state I was welcomed into when I relocated here in 1995," said Catherine Davis. "Crime is quickly escalating, many local tourist destinations are no longer safe, the cost of living is ballooning and elections are no longer trustworthy. Hardworking Georgians want to raise their families in safe neighborhoods and meaningfully contribute to their communities. They cannot live fruitful lives when they can't walk or jog down their own streets."

"Georgia is facing a crisis of confidence in state government that has been escalating for some time," said Davis. "As I speak with people across the state, I am finding that both the people and what matters to them most are being ignored. Many of those who have been elected are for themselves and what will benefit them personally. The values that Georgians cherish are no longer prominent in their minds, plans or actions. What Georgians care about are issues such as the sanctity of life, election integrity, medical freedom, religious freedom and school choice."

The November 3, 2020 election has been called "safe, secure, honest", but the many anomalies that have been discovered since then suggests the election was anything but safe, secure or honest. In fact, some of the anomalies identified fall into the criminal category, such as ballot harvesting, and violation of state and federal laws. The growing list of allegations include: dead people voted, children under the age of 18 voted, ballots violated the chain of custody protocols, multiple ballots scanned several times and much more. These allegations have yet to be addressed to the satisfaction of Georgia voters. "Without significant changes, Georgians cannot have confidence that our votes will be counted as intended before next year's primary and general election," said Davis.

The pro-life community is seeing a similar lack of action with regard to pro-life laws. As a fully committed pro-life advocate who values the sanctity of life and wants abortion to end, it is unconscionable to think Georgia's pro-life laws are not worth the paper they on which they are written because of a lack of enforcement. Without significant changes, Georgians cannot have confidence that the sanctity of life is valued in this state.

When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was vetoed a few years ago, it left Georgians vulnerable to government encroachment on the basic freedom of religion guaranteed in the Constitution. Families are being denied medical freedom  the freedom to choose care that is in their best interest while preserving bodily autonomy. Parents are being forced to leave their children in schools that violate parental rights and beliefs, including some children being assaulted.

"Life, Liberty and Leadership--these cherished, yet fading values, are desperately needed in our great state. Many of our politicians have become the enemy of the people, leaving 'we the people' vulnerable to corrupt practices--which seem to be growing. I believe the people of Georgia deserve better and I believe I am the ONE for Georgia," Davis said.

About Catherine Davis

Catherine, a public speaker and civil rights champion, is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Tufts University who attended the University of Bridgeport School of Law. Originally from Connecticut, Catherine has called Georgia home for more than 25 years.

SOURCE Catherine in the Capitol

CONTACT: Sheryl Sellaway, 404-273-5133, Sheryl@righteouspragency.com

Related Links www.catherineinthecapitol.com
By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman

Every year, after the Breeders' Cup, I like to take a week on Unlocking Winners and highlight a handful of horses I'm excited to follow in the months ahead.

Usually, I focus on up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contenders. But this year, I'm going to take a different approach and share thoughts on exciting horses from any division.

The three horses I'm featuring have yet to win at the graded stakes level, but I'm optimistic they all have the talent and potential to do so in the near future.

Let's dig in and explore their credentials!

Amadevil

I'm surprised there hasn't been more talk about Amadevil. Granted, the three-year-old daughter of Dominus hasn't been facing the toughest competitionso far, she's been squaring off against Ohio-bred sprinters at Thistledown.

But Amdavil is also undefeated and completely unchallenged in five starts. After winning her debut by 24 1/4 lengths, she trounced a pair of allowance events by 11 3/4 and 5 1/2 lengths before nabbing the Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora S. and Scarlet and Gray H. by 6 3/4 lengths apiece.

To put it another way, Amadevil has won her first five starts by a combined 55 lengths. All of her victories have come against older rivals, and she'd led gate-to-wire on four occasions. Along the way, she's thrown dome some solid Beyer and Brisnet speed figures.

I fully expect Amadevil to secure a sixth victory in Saturday's six-furlong First Lady S. at Mahoning Valley, where she looms as a clear standout on paper. And who knows? If Amadevil posts another unchallenged victory, perhaps her connections will ship her to Santa Anita for the Dec. 26 La Brea S. (G1), where Amadevil could have a legitimate chance to win or place against Grade 1 company.

Sandstone

Speaking of talented fillies... have you seen the eye-catching performances put forth by Sandstone in her last two starts at Churchill Downs?

A two-year-old daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense, Sandstone surely wasn't cranked for a peak performance in her May 28 debut at Churchill, where she settled for fifth place in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint won by future stakes winner Behave Virginia. But after taking four months off, Sandstone looked like a completely different filly in a one-mile maiden special weight on Oct. 3.

Indeed, Sandstone obliterated her pursuers, pressing quick fractions of :22.84 and :46.43 before powering clear to win by nine lengths. She was equally impressive (maybe more so) when stretching out around two turns for the Oct. 31 Rags to Riches S., carving out the pace before turning back a challenge from heavy favorite Yuugiri to romp home an uncontested winner.

In the Rags to Riches, Sandstone went from 1 1/2 lengths in front at the eighth pole to 10 3/4 lengths clear at the finish line. She'll surely be tough to deny in the Golden Rod S. (G2) at Churchill Downs next week, and looking ahead, and I believe Sandstone has the potential to vie for victory in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Speaker's Corner

I'll be the first to admit Speaker's Corner wasn't among my most successful selections of 2021 when he finished a distant sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1). But the son of Street Sense clearly ran below form at Parx, and he's since rebounded and reiterated his standing as one of the most exciting horses in training.

Certainly Speaker's Corner was impressive in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer on Oct. 29 at Belmont Park. Dashing to the lead through splits of :23.36, :46.48, and 1:10.20, Speaker's Corner was full of run down the homestretch, drawing clear to trounce his pursuers by 6 3/4 lengths. Even better, his snappy final time of 1:41.83 translated to a massive 109 Beyer speed figure. Only Knicks Go and Hot Rod Charlie have posted higher figures in races longer than one mile this season.

All told, Speaker's Corner has won three of his five starts, with his maiden victory at Belmont Park last year coming at the expense of future stakes winners Caddo River, Greatest Honour, Bourbonic, and Original. I'm not sure why Speaker's Corner misfired in the Pennsylvania Derby, but I don't believe that performance is indicative of his true potential. To the contrary, I believe this speedy sophomore has the talent to win at the graded stakes level (and perhaps even the Grade 1 level) before his career is over.

Now it's your turn! Which horses are you excited to follow for the foreseeable future?

*****

Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests pagethere's a new challenge every week! (Please note: older contest entries can be found here.)

J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite.
HCM City epicentre has 120,000 sick beds for Covid-19 patients

HCM City can now arrange to treat over 120,000 Covid-19 patients at a time according to Chief of Office of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai.













Chief of Office of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai speaks at the conference



Speaking at a Thursday press conference on the pandemic development in the city, Mai said that local hospitals now have more than 9,000 doctors and over 19,600 nurses who all have had experience in treating Covid-19 patients.



"We've also set up a network of 2,500 doctors who are joining in treating Covid-19 patients at home," the official said. "Patients can also call the hotline 1022 for medical support."



Answering media questions on patient complaints about being refused at hospitals, or being unable to access the medicine and hotline, the official explained that the city had recently seen a surge in the number of patients again so overloading had reoccurred.



"We've worked with local hospitals to curb this problem," she said.



HCM City has remained the biggest Covid-19 hotspot in Vietnam. The city has reported a surge in the number of infections in recent days a short time after removing strict social distancing measures. On Thursday the city recorded 1,609 new infections.
Vietnam can learn from Brussels' flood prevention experience: expert

Vietnam can learn from and apply experience drawn from measures that have been taken by Brussels to respond to climate change, prevent floods and protect the environment, Tristan Roberti, President of the Environmental Commission at the Brussels-Capital Region, said.













Prolonged heavy rain has flooded the DT640 road connecting Tuy Phuoc and Phu Cat districts in central province of Binh Dinh, disrupting the traffic. (Photo: VNA)

Brussels has potential for renewable energy but it is impossible to install wind power stations there due to limited space and frequent flights at Brussels International Airport. Thus, the capital does not focus on wind power but develop solar energy, Roberti said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.



The city has encouraged residents to install solar panels on their roofs. It also set up an online energy map. Accordingly, people only need to access the map, fill in their home address to know whether the roof is suitable for installing solar panels and how they benefit from it. Businesses and schools are motivated to install solar panels.



Roberti said Brussels authorities have also provide technical assistance to households to install solar panels. Financial support is provided through the issuance of "Green Certification", which allows reducing energy prices for families, agencies and schools participating in the project.



In July, the Wallonia region - a French-speaking region in the south of Belgium - suffered a historic flood that killed nearly 50 people. To prevent Brussels from this situation, the capital applies rainwater collection in a natural way, so that it penetrates deep into the ground.



In some big cities, roads are asphalted which hinder water from seeping into the soil, causing flooding. Therefore, the city always leaves "green areas" for water to drain easily when designing roads.



In addition to upgrading the sewer system every year, the city also built a rainwater storage tank which helps limit the consequences caused by floods.









Tristan Roberti, President of the Environmental Commission at the Brussels-Capital Region. (Photo: VNA)





Regarding sustainable development, Brussels, like other major cities, is facing three challenges, he said. The first challenge is that the buildings have been built for a long time, not paying much attention to environmental factors as well as energy. Currently, the city is renovating these buildings to make them more energy-responsive.



Traffic also poses challenges for Brussels, Roberti said. The city advocates reducing personal cars, increasing public transport, using bicycles or walking. Brussels has now decided to stop using diesel cars by 2030 and gasoline cars by 2035. This is very important in improving air quality in the capital.



Green space is also a problem for the city. Currently, some streets in Brussels still lack green trees and many residential areas do not have green parks. Thus, the city is focusing on planting more trees as the measure does not only improve the environment and scenery of the city but also enhance the air quality as well as the living environment of the people, he said./.
Vietnam among top 10 countries with largest installed solar power capacity

Visual Capitalist, one of the fastest growing publishers globally which focuses on producing content on energy, technology, and the global economy, has listed Vietnam among the worlds top 10 for largest installed solar power capacity.









Vietnam ranks 8th place in the list of top 10 countries with largest installed solar power capacity (Photo: Screenshot from Visual Capitalist)



The website quoted data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which mapped the solar power capacity of each country during the year. This includes both solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power capacity.



The results indicate that the country ranked in eighth place in the list, with the capacity of installed solar power nationwide reaching 16,504 MW, accounting for 2.3% of global capacity. Indeed, its solar power capacity reached 60 W per capita.



China remains as the undisputed leader in terms of solar installations, with 35.6% of global capacity, according to Visual Capitalist. The country has the worlds largest wind and solar project in the pipeline, which could add a further 400,000MW to its overall clean energy capacity.



Following behind China is the United States, which reached 75,572 MW of solar power capacity, making up 10.6%.



The remaining countries among the top 10 include Japan with 9.4%, Germany with 7.5%, India with 5.5%, Australia with 2.5%, the Republic of Korea with 2%, and Spain with 2%.
CPC leadership reviews documents on national security strategy, military honors regulations, sci-tech advisory report

Xinhua) 08:07, November 19, 2021

BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Thursday to review documents including the National Security Strategy (2021-2025), regulations on awarding military honors, and the 2021 advisory report of the national science and technology advisory commission.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

To safeguard national security under new circumstances, a holistic approach to national security should manifest, and a new security structure should be formed, the meeting said.

With political security prioritized, the country will coordinate efforts to protect security in major sectors and regions, including political, economic, social, sci-tech, and other emerging areas.

No concession will be made on issues concerning China's core interests and national dignity. The country's sovereignty, security, and development interests should also be resolutely safeguarded, the meeting noted.

The regulations on awarding military honors aim to inspire all service personnel to strive for the centenary goal of strengthening the armed forces, the meeting said.

It emphasized that the fundamental principle and system of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces must be upheld.

The meeting also called on the national science and technology advisory commission to closely observe and study the development of science and technology at home and abroad, conduct in-depth research on the country's sci-tech strategies, and promote innovation.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Russia to strengthen cooperation with China despite Western sabotage: Putin

Xinhua) 08:11, November 19, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses an expanded meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry Board in Moscow on Nov. 18, 2021. (Kremlin photo)

Relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, Putin said.

MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, and the two countries will step up cooperation further, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"We will continue to strengthen ties with our good neighbors and friends in the People's Republic of China," Putin said at an expanded meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry Board.

The bilateral relations have served as a model for effective interstate cooperation in the 21st century, he stressed.

Putin noted that some Western countries are "openly trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing."

"Together with our Chinese friends, we will continue to respond to such attempts by expanding our political, economic and other cooperation, and coordinating steps in the international arena," he said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
U.S. COVID-19 vaccination, booster approval pick up as holiday season approaches

Xinhua) 08:14, November 19, 2021

People ride scooters on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 25, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Nearly 10 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in the United States have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose, just two weeks into the immunization campaign for the 28 million young Americans in that age group, said White House official Jeff Zients.

NEW YORK, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fewer Americans this year plan on taking precautions against COVID-19 when hosting or attending holiday gatherings compared with last year, signaling some return to normalcy now that 59 percent of the country is vaccinated against the virus, local media has reported.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center polled 2,042 adults nationwide from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, finding that 51 percent would ask party-goers to wear masks, down from 67 percent, showed the survey published on Monday. Half of those surveyed would ask for the vaccination status of their friends and family.

But anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiment isn't necessarily to blame, Iahn Gonsenhauser, a collaborator on the survey and chief quality and patent safety officer at the Wexner Medical Center, was quoted by CNBC as saying.

Vaccinated Americans are also starting to feel more comfortable seeing each other without masks, and groups of fully immunized individuals can enjoy the holidays together "with basically no precautions in place," he said.

"I was pretty surprised to see that 51 percent were still considering asking attendees to wear masks," Gonsenhauser added. "I think that what we've seen happen is a change in the understanding and approach to risk mitigation, particularly with a significant proportion of vaccinated individuals."

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated that 228,175,638 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 68.7 percent of the whole U.S. population; fully vaccinated people stood at 195,612,365, accounting for 58.9 percent of the total. A total of 31,464,669 people, or 16.1 percent of the fully vaccinated group, have received booster shots.

FORTH AND BACK

Nearly 10 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in the United States have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose, just two weeks into the immunization campaign for the 28 million young Americans in that age group, Jeff Zients, the White House's coronavirus coordinator, said on Wednesday.

Zients, speaking to reporters alongside the nation's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, estimated that by the end of the day on Wednesday, 2.6 million children younger than 12 would have received their first shot.

Students of Montrara Ave. Elementary School are seen in their in-person class in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Xinhua)

"In fact, the pace of vaccinations for kids has been accelerating. In the last week, 1.7 million kids got vaccinated -- double the prior week," he added. The CDC signed off on a pediatric vaccine for younger children on Nov. 2, and the nationwide drive to inoculate that age group was operational on Nov. 8.

In contrast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is suspending enforcement of the Joe Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large private businesses after a federal appeals court upheld a stay on it last week.

OSHA said in a statement published on its website that while it is confident in its power to protect workers amid the pandemic, it is suspending activities related to the mandate, citing the pending litigation. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit fully blocked Biden's executive order requiring companies with over 100 workers to mandate vaccination for their employees after temporarily staying it earlier.

BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC are expected to recommend COVID-19 boosters for anyone who wants one and is at least six months past their initial vaccination by the end of the week. The CDC has said it's safe to mix vaccine brands.

"COVID-19 vaccines do a great job of preventing hospitalization and death, but their protection against infection starts to fade at about six months, even in young, healthy people. That's why by the end of the week, booster doses may be recommended for all adults, or at least those over 30," reported USA Today on Thursday.

There's really no downside to getting a third shot, Ted Ross, an infectious disease expert at the University of Georgia in Athens, was quoted as saying. California, New Mexico and Colorado are among the states that have already made boosters available to all adults.

Local residents come for the COVID-19 booster shots at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Los Angeles, the United States, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua)

Meanwhile, Moderna has asked federal regulators to authorize booster shots of its coronavirus vaccine for all adults, a request that the FDA could grant as early as this week along with a similar request from Pfizer, reported The New York Times on Wednesday.

If the CDC also signs off, every adult who was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot at least six months ago would not only be eligible for a booster, but could choose which vaccine. The agency's committee of independent experts is set to meet on Friday to discuss booster shots.

It would also allow U.S. President Joe Biden to fulfill his August pledge to offer booster shots to every adult, nearly two months later than the administration originally planned, though, and "amid an ongoing debate among experts over whether extra shots are necessary for younger, healthy adults," according to the report.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Germany's daily COVID-19 infections reach record high of 65,000

Xinhua) 08:17, November 19, 2021

People walk past a sign to notify visitors of COVID-19 measures at a market in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

"We are heading into a serious emergency at the moment. We will really have a very bad Christmas if we do not take countermeasures now," said RKI President Lothar Wieler on Wednesday during an online debate.

BERLIN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of daily COVID-19 infections in Germany continued to rise strongly, exceeding 65,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases announced on Thursday.

Daily infections increased by around 15,000 within one week as the country's seven-day COVID-19 incidence rate climbed to 336.9 cases per 100,000 people, according to the RKI. A week ago, the seven-day incidence rate still stood at 249.1.

A man enters a COVID-19 test center in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

"We are heading into a serious emergency at the moment. We will really have a very bad Christmas if we do not take countermeasures now," said RKI President Lothar Wieler on Wednesday during an online debate.

"We have never been as worried as we are now," said Wieler. The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients is rising, he said, adding that for people suffering from strokes, it can take up to two hours to find a free intensive care bed in some places.

As of Wednesday, 56.4 million people in Germany have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, bringing the country's vaccination rate to 67.8 percent, according to the RKI.

People queue to receive COVID-19 vaccines outside a vaccination center in Berlin, capital of Germany, Nov. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Stefan Zeitz)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Kissing up Western world? Chinese photographers photo for Dior sparks criticism

(Global Times) 08:38, November 19, 2021

Photo: Web

Chinese well-known photographer Chen Man has once again entered the spotlight after a photo for a Dior exhibition sparked controversy among Chinese netizens, many of whom claimed it is "deliberate sweet talk" for Western stereotypes about Chinese people.

The photo is on display at a fashion exhibition for the French brand that opened at the West Bund Art Center in Shanghai on Friday. The photo shows a model with single eyelids and dark skin dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and holding a Dior bag.

The photo quickly sparked discussion as some said it was feeding into Western stereotypical images of Chinese, while others applauded the work for its departure from the fair skin and large eyes that are considered the typical standards of beauty in China.

The photo is a clear call back to an earlier work from Chen called "Whatever the Weather." Shot in 2012 for a special edition cover of British fashion magazine i-D, the work is comprised of 12 photos of women from China's various ethnic groups dressed in stylish modern takes on traditional clothing winking at the camera.

Photo: Web

Some netizens took note of this, and soon the set began circulating on Chinese social media. The viral photo has further triggered criticism from Chinese social media review site Douban to the Twitter-like Sina Weibo with critics again saying the models play into Western stereotypes about Chinese.

Some netizens, however, argued that they don't think Chen's work is a deliberate play into Western stereotypes, as the photos are images of ordinary Chinese women from the country's various ethnic groups and thus reveal a comprehensive image of the people of the country.

"There are beautiful models with big eyes and there are those without," said one netizen.

The Global Times has been unable to reach Chen for comment.

Apparently due to the controversy surrounding the photos, Dior pulled its original post of the new photo from Sina Weibo on Sunday.

The photos also sparked a discussion of the different approaches that are taken when it comes to marketing in China and the rest of the world.

"When it comes to city publicity or brand promotion in the European market, photos usually go with an image of calmness, elegance and nobility. So why do we have to use the image of ordinary people, even one with ugly makeup on, when it comes to Chinese models?" wrote one netizen.

Some netizens posted images as examples of this contrast: In World War II, the image of a brave, calm, elegant, beautiful, and fashionable British woman produced in the UK became such a classic that it has been passed down till today.

"Dior and Chen Man themselves should also highlight the same appearance of Chinese women, but they failed to do that," wrote one netizen.

Some insiders in the fashion industry say that this issue has nothing to do with artistic and cultural differences, but it reflects the same situation behind the creation of the image of Fu Manchu, positioning Chinese imagery as insignificant and insidious.

This is not the first time a controversial marketing campaign has rocked Chinese fashion circles.

In June, similar criticism also appeared during a graduation fashion show at the Academy of Arts &Design, Tsinghua University, where one of the graduates' runway shows featured models with eye makeup deliberately done to make models' eyes appear lengthened.

This also shows that makeup decisions are related to identity and education of the creator and involve a common problem in Chinese fashion circles when it comes to aesthetics, a lack of self-confidence, said fashion insiders.

Chen grew up in Beijing. Both her grandfather and her mother were doctors. Chen studied at the China's Central Academy of Fine Arts and then set up her own studio after graduation. She has shot cover photos for celebrities such as Chinese mainland actress Fan Bingbing and Taiwan actress Brigitte Lin.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
25 millionth car rolls off production line at SAIC-GM-Wuling

Xinhua) 08:49, November 19, 2021

The new energy convertible Hongguang MINIEV CABRIO developed by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, is displayed at the 19th International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2021) in Shanghai, east China, April 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

NANNING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, has rolled 25 million vehicles off its production line as of Thursday, the company said.

The 25 millionth car produced by the company was a Wuling Asta SUV model. As of Wednesday, the company has sold more than 19.5 million vehicles under the Wuling brand since 1985.

Sales at Baojun, the company's passenger car sub-brand, have reached nearly 5 million units since the sub-brand was launched in 2010.

Over the years, the company has been expanding its new energy vehicle (NEV) production business. In 2017, the company showcased its first NEV, the Baojun E100. As of Wednesday, the company's NEV sales have exceeded 650,000 units in total.

SGMW, a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors and Liuzhou Wuling Motors, is based in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Chinese, U.S. heads of state hold virtual meeting to steer China-U.S. relations

09:10, November 19, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden via video link, in Beijing, Nov. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

"China and the U.S. are two giant ships sailing in the ocean. It is important for the two sides to keep a steady hand on the tiller, so that the two giant ships will break waves and forge ahead together, without losing direction or speed, still less colliding with each other," Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out when meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden via video link on Nov. 16.

The first-ever virtual meeting between a Chinese President and a U.S. President was significant for China-U.S. ties and international relations. The two sides had thorough and in-depth communication and exchanges on issues of strategic, overarching, and fundamental importance shaping the development of China-U.S. relations.

During the meeting, the two heads of state both voiced opposition to the so-called "new Cold War," saying the two countries should jointly hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation.

Against the backdrop of profound changes and a pandemic unseen in a century, the world is at a historical crossroads, and so are China-U.S. relations. At the critical moment, the two heads of state are steering the relations between the two countries and have charted the course for and injected impetus in the development of China-U.S. relations in the near future, which benefits the two peoples and meets the expectation of the international society.

To keep the relationship between the two countries in the right direction, they must review how they have developed their ties in the past days and look into the future from higher perspectives.

When the two heads of state held phone call conversations on Feb. 11 and Sept. 10 this year, Xi mentioned the development of China-U.S. ties "over the past half century and more" and the history of how the "ice" was broken between the two countries in 1971.

He stressed that the most important event in international relations over the past 50 years was the reopening and development of China-U.S. relations, which has benefited the two countries and the whole world. The most important event in international relations in the coming 50 years will be for China and the U.S. to find the right way to get along. History is a fair judge. What a statesman does, be it right or wrong, an accomplishment or a failure, will all be recorded by history.

Biden echoed Xi's comment that history is a fair judge and that they should make the relationship work and not mess it up.

The virtual meeting demonstrated that historical responsibilities should be critical foundations for the development of China-U.S. relations.

To keep to the right direction in the relationship between the two countries, they must show broad vision and shoulder great responsibilities. The two countries should look ahead and press forward, demonstrate strategic courage and political resolve.

During the meeting, Xi highlighted that a review of the experience and lessons learned in growing China-U.S. relations shows that for the two countries to get along in the new era, three principles must be followed: mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

In the interactions between two countries this year, from Anchorage to Tianjin, and Zurich and Rome, China has always insisted that mutual respect and treating each other as equals are vital premises for the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations. The peaceful coexistence between the two countries conforms to the common interests of the international society, including China and the U.S. themselves. Only cooperation leads to win-win results, and cooperation is necessary for the two countries as their interests are deeply intertwined.

The world is big enough for China and the U.S. to develop individually and collectively. The right thing to do is to choose mutual benefit over a zero-sum game or the I-win-you-lose approach.

To bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development, the two countries must focus on concrete actions and meet each other halfway.

Xi identified four priority areas on which China and the U.S. should focus their efforts. He said the two countries should shoulder the responsibilities of major countries, lead global response to outstanding challenges, and act in the spirit of equality and mutual benefit to move forward exchanges at all levels and in all areas and generate more positive energy for China-U.S. relations. Besides, they should also manage differences and sensitive issues in a constructive way to prevent China-U.S. relations from getting derailed or out of control, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on major international and regional hotspot issues to provide more public goods to the world.

Efforts must be taken on the four priority areas so that the two countries can run their domestic affairs well and, at the same time, shoulder their share of international responsibilities. If they can make the right political decisions and make progress in these areas, they will bring tangible benefits to the two peoples and the people in the rest of the world.

To bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development, the two countries must respect each other's core interests and major concerns.

The Taiwan question has always been the single most important and most sensitive issue at the core of China-U.S. relations. At present, there is a new wave of tensions across the Taiwan Strait due to the repeated attempts by the Taiwan authorities to look for U.S. support for their independence agenda as well as the intention of some Americans to use Taiwan to contain China.

Xi remarked that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China.

Biden reaffirmed the U.S. government's long-standing one-China policy, stated that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence," and expressed the hope for peace and stability to be maintained in the Taiwan Strait.

It is hoped that the U.S. will practice what it has said, explicitly and firmly oppose all "Taiwan independence" actions, and stop sending wrong signals to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence.

The virtual meeting between the two heads of state was candid, constructive, substantive, and productive. It helped increase mutual understanding, added to the positive expectation of the international community for this relationship, and sent a powerful message to the two countries and the world.

The U.S. should work with China and meet China halfway, implement the consensuses of the meeting with concrete actions, maintain dialogues and communication with China, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and manage differences responsibly, so as to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development, and benefit the two peoples and the people in the rest of the world.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Vietnamese PM to attend China-ASEAN special summit: spokesperson

Xinhua) 09:11, November 19, 2021

HANOI, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the special summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday via video conference, a Vietnamese spokesperson said Thursday.

Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks at a regular press briefing in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

This is an opportunity for the leaders from both sides to assess China-ASEAN cooperation in the past 30 years and set out important directions in the time to come, Hang said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Xi to attend summit commemorating 30th anniversary of dialogue relations between China, ASEAN via video link

Xinhua) 09:17, November 19, 2021

BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend and chair in Beijing the summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Nov. 22.

The summit will be held via video link, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the announcement on Friday.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Small mining town in Xinjiang embarks on path of eco-tourism

09:18, November 19, 2021 By Li Yanan ( People's Daily

As China has actively sought mechanisms for realizing the market value of green products, eco-tourism in the country has embraced new opportunities for development in recent years. Against this backdrop, Keketuohai township in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has successfully transformed itself from a small mining town into a characteristic tourist destination.

Photo shows Erqisi River that passes through a canyon of the Keketuohai National Geological Park in Keketuohai township, Fuyun county, Altay prefecture of northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (Peoples Daily Online/ Yuan Huanhuan)

Welcome to Keketuohai, Tan Shengli, manager of the scenic spot of Keketuohai national mine park, part of the Keketuohai National Geological Park, said to tourists, acting as a temporary park guide of the magnificent scenic spot located in Keketuohai township. Tan feels enthusiastic about his job as the scenic spot transformed from an old mining area has made local residents lives better.

The small mining town in Fuyun county, Altay prefecture of Xinjiang, gradually developed from a rare metal mine in the 1930s. The No. 3 lode in the township, in particular, had the richest mineral resources among all lodes of the mining area. However, after more than half a century of inefficient opencast mining, the site turned from mountains that were more than 200 meters high into a 250-meter-deep mine pit.

The transformation of the locality started in 2013, when the Keketuohai mining area was listed among the first batch of pilot areas of the countrys independent industrial and mining area transformation and relocation project and Keketuohai townships ecological restoration officially started.

Over the past years, a number of ecological restoration projects have been completed, including those launched to improve the environment and flood prevention and control in industrial and mining areas and to better the geological environment and enhance debris flow control and restore vegetation in the surrounding areas of the No. 3 lode of the Keketuohai mining area.

Photo shows the No. 3 mine pit of the Keketuohai National Geological Park in Keketuohai township, Fuyun county, Altay prefecture of northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The mine pit is 250 meters deep, 250 meters long, and 240 meters wide. (Peoples Daily Online/ Yuan Huanhuan)

So far, more than 100,000 trees of various kinds have been planted in relevant areas, adding over 1.5 million square meters of green area to the locality and turning bare mountains green again.

Meanwhile, the No. 3 mine pit, the geological exhibition center, as well as other important sites of the mining area, have been put under good protection. In addition, the Ayiguozi cave, which was abandoned many years ago, has become a tourist attraction after restoration, and the abandoned old factory buildings have also been transformed into a tourism facility.

Thanks to such efforts, the old mining area in Keketuohai has been developed into a new calling card of the locality.

Today, Keketuohai has straight roads and neat rows of trees, and has increased the income of local residents through the development of tourism. Each local household can earn 20,000 yuan ($3,138) to 30,000 yuan in three months during peak tourist season, said Tan.

A special exhibition room on the fourth floor of an executive leadership academy for officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Keketuohai township houses various tools and necessities used by the local people for production and living in different historical periods. They were all donated by Bahtibek Kasimhan, a local resident of the township.

In the 1990s, many enterprise employees left Keketuohai township after the mines were closed. Many of their tools and articles for daily uses were then left behind. Kasimhan looked through these articles and collected the ones he considered worth saving in his spare time.

Many production tools are now displayed on the shelves of the exhibition room. Picking up a hammer, Kasimhan told Peoples Daily that every miner had one of these when they worked in the Keketuohai mining area. Half of the hammer would be worn away after two to three years of use, he said.

Miners often carried ore from mining sites in the wild to Keketuohai using a leather basket, said Kasimhan, pointing at a leather basket on a wooden stool in the exhibition room. He found the basket in the yard of a miner.

Besides collecting such old objects, Kasimhan also visited more than 100 miners who used to work in the Keketuohai mining area and their family, and recorded their stories. Among the people he visited, there are the first miner of ethnic minority group to join the CPC in the Keketuohai mining area, the first lathe worker of the Kazak ethnic group in the mining area, as well as the first national role model.

This national role model has attended the celebrations of the third founding anniversary of the new China. Look, thats the invitation letter, said Kasimhan, adding that the photos of all the people he visited are displayed in the exhibition room.

In 2015, when the local government renovated the geological exhibition center of Keketuohai township, Kasimhan donated more than 100 old objects he collected to the exhibition center, and started to act as a volunteer guide for tourists.

After the executive leadership academy for CPC officials was inaugurated at the end of 2017, Kasimhan became one of the teachers of the academy, and put the rest of his collections on display at the exhibition room of the academy.

I hope that Keketuohai and the hardworking spirit of the people in the township will be remembered forever, he said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Kuwait concludes "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with Saudi Arabia, U.S.

Xinhua) 09:21, November 19, 2021

Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister.

The joint drill constitutes deterrence against any party with ill intentions against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in addition to reflecting interaction and cooperation among Kuwaiti, Saudi and U.S. military forces, the minister said in a statement.

Mohammad Al-Dhafiri, Commander of the Kuwait Army Ground Force, said that the exercise included seminars, and practical and field exercises to achieve the desired goals and implement joint ground operations to achieve consistency in the participating units at the operational and tactical levels.

Fahad Al-Mutair, Commander of the Saudi Land Force, said that various military and field operations were carried out in preparation for raising the readiness and capabilities of the participating units to defend the security of the Gulf region and to enhance joint military cooperation.

For his part, U.S. Army Central's Commanding General Ronald Clark said that during the past days the participating soldiers gained knowledge through conducting various military exercises, in which they learned how to communicate at military levels and acquired new tactics and techniques.

The "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise kicked off on Nov. 7 in Kuwait with the participation of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Kuwaiti Land Forces, and the American Spartan Force.

Helicopters take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

A helicopter launches a guided missile during the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Paratroopers carrying flags of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Paratroopers carrying flags of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2021 shows a target hit during the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Rocket launchers fire as they take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Armored vehicles take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Railway 'spider-men' spotted in East China

By Huang Jingjing (People's Daily App) 09:37, November 19, 2021

Have you ever seen dozens of "spider-men" at the same time?

If not, this video will show you. On Monday, dozens of wire men were spotted working at a construction site of a railway station in Jinan, East China's Shandong Province. The scene amazed many Chinese netizens, who expressed their respect for infrastructure workers in the country.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Chinese ambassador calls for justice on Zheng Shaoxiong's death

(CGTN) 11:17, November 19, 2021

Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang expressed condolences on the death of Zheng Shaoxiong and called for justice for the 24-year-old student.

Shocked and dismayed by the murder, Qin Gang on Thursday posted on Twitter:"Chinese Consulate General in Chicago is helping them deal with the aftermath. We call for justice in his case and protection of Chinese in U.S. from hatred and xenophobia."

Zheng Shaoxiong just graduated from the University of Chicago and was killed in a robbery near the campus.

Zheng was walking on a sidewalk to his rented room in Hyde Park neighborhood at around 1:54 p.m. (1954 GMT) on November 9, when 18-year-old Alton Spann approached him and demanded property with a gun. Zheng was shot in the chest and pronounced dead after being taken to University of Chicago Hospital.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China responsible for 95% of APEC forest increase

China Daily) 11:31, November 19, 2021

Aerial photo taken on Nov 13, 2021 shows a view of a dawn redwood forest in Zhanghe Reservoir of Jingmen city, Central China's Hubei province. (Photo/Xinhua)

Forest cover in China increased 26.5 million hectares from 2007 to 2020, contributing about 95 percent of the total increase among all 21 members of the APEC, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Wednesday.

The administration also said the forest cover of the Asia-Pacific region grew by a total of 27.9 million hectares during the same period, achieving the goal of increasing forest cover of the region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forest by 2020.

The goal was set during the 15th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Sydney, capital of Australia, in 2007.

"As a member of the APEC, China has promoted the rehabilitation of forest cover in the region, and has made great contributions to achieving the goal set in Sydney," the administration said.

To do that, China has revised policies and regulations on forestry and grasslands and proposed the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) in 2008, a non-profit international organization dedicated to boosting forest management and rehabilitation in the region.

As of last year, APFNet had carried out 50 programs on sustainable forest management and rehabilitation, established cooperative partnerships with 11 international organizations and offered professional training to staff from 26 economies.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Feature: Havana's Chinatown gradually returns to normal

Xinhua) 13:17, November 19, 2021

HAVANA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Havana resident Mariana Ramirez, 45, recently returned to the city's Chinatown some 20 months after the COVID-19 pandemic brought nearly everything to a standstill.

Red lanterns swinging in the breeze and the aroma of Chinese dishes wafting through the streets are part of what makes this neighborhood so special, she told Xinhua.

"This is a wonderful place, full of charm and history. I very much enjoy the unique atmosphere. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time," she said.

Ramirez is among the hundreds of local and foreign visitors returning to Chinatown as it returns to normal from lockdown.

Teresa Maria Li, director of the House of Chinese Arts and Traditions, said more cultural activities are taking place in Chinatown as the neighborhood gears up for Lunar New Year celebrations.

Chinatown's local leaders have organized handicrafts bazaars, sales of ornamental plants, and Chinese cookbook launches, among other events. A new gallery is scheduled to be inaugurated in Chinatown as part of the 14th Havana Biennial of Fine Art.

"This is an essential part of the city," Li said, adding that "we have taken solid steps for Cubans and foreign visitors to learn more about Chinese culture."

According to Gertrudis Ortiz, the Cuban author of a book on Chinese cooking, these initiatives greatly contribute to spreading knowledge about not only Chinese cuisine, but also culture.

Visitors to the popular neighborhood have enjoyed the first street performances by students and instructors of the Cuban Wushu School, which reopens after the island emerged from lockdown.

Roberto Vargas Lee, director of the school, said that while the neighborhood was still far from reaching its pre-pandemic hustle and bustle, many businesses were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"It is very important for businesses and restaurants to resume operating after being closed for so long due to the virus," Vargas Lee said.

"Everybody is welcome here," he said, adding "the Lion Dance is back again."

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Belgian man passionate about integrating Chinese culture with his approach to chocolate confectionary

People's Daily Online) 14:06, November 19, 2021

Tom Taelman, a 40-year-old Belgian who runs a chocolate workshop in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, hopes to contribute to culture exchanges between China and his home country.

Taelman making chocolates. (Photo/chinanews.com)

"Belgian chocolate is well-known all over the world. I hope to promote Belgian chocolate in Chengdu so that more Chinese people can get to know Belgium," said Taelman who learnt the fundamental skills of chocolate production during his childhood when his family operated a chocolate factory in the western European country back then.

Taelman first set foot in Chengdu in 2013 during a business trip with an automobile company. Two years later, he got married with his wife Chen Li, a Sichuan native. In 2016, the couple co-founded a Belgian chocolate brand named "Choclito".

Under the influence of his wife, Taelman became increasingly interested in traditional Chinese culture and at one point the man came up with the idea of integrating Chinese elements with his chocolate making, hoping to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries in this way.

Taelman making chocolates. (Photo/chinanews.com)

In addition to chocolates featuring Sichuan-style mahjong, giant pandas and Sichuan opera masks, Taelman also launched new products in the shape of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, moon cakes, and traditional Chinese rice puddings.

"These wonderful innovations gained wide popularity among my customers," Taelman said with a smile on his face.

According to Taelman, many of his Belgian friends, after learning about the countrys fast economic development, broad business opportunities and amicable living environment, stated that they look forward to visiting China after the pandemic winds down.

"China has a long history and a rich culture," said Taelman, adding that he hoped more foreigners could come to learn the beauty of this country.

Chocolates made by Taelman. (Photo/chinanews.com)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Macao SAR hosts Chinese, Portuguese related cultural events

Xinhua) 14:23, November 19, 2021

MACAO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is hosting a series of events with the cultural elements of China and Portuguese-speaking countries in November and December, including a film panorama, art exhibitions and performances.

The "Encounter in Macao -- Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries," the third of its kind, presents audiences with films from China and Portuguese-speaking countries with the theme of food, according to the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR, organizer of the events.

Audiences can have a taste of life from the big screen with stories telling the rough lives of film characters, depicting their different sentiments, or seeking the relationships between family and life.

The art exhibitions display works of 10 artists from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and 17 artists from Portuguese-speaking countries and regions featuring paintings, photography and sculptures, showcasing the frontier outlook of contemporary art in China and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions such as Portugal, Brazil and Angola.

A total of six troupes from Macao performed traditional songs and dances from Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries and regions at the SAR's local communities.

In addition, the city's famous Portuguese-style historical buildings on Taipa Island offered free tours to mark its centenary, leading local residents to learn more about how Portuguese descendants used to live in Macao.

Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR government, said the events are aimed at building a platform and a bridge between the different civilizations of China and Portuguese-speaking countries in order to promote friendship, mutual understanding and common prosperity.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Former U.S. treasury chief says financial decoupling from China not in American interests

Xinhua) 14:25, November 19, 2021

Containers of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited are seen at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, the United States, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

"Wholesale financial decoupling is impossible, and partial decoupling is likely to make the U.S., China and the world more susceptible to financial crises," said former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson.

SINGAPORE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At an economic forum on Thursday, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson rebutted the voice calling for financially decoupling the United States from China, saying such a move is not in American interests.

"Wholesale financial decoupling is impossible, and partial decoupling is likely to make the U.S., China and the world more susceptible to financial crises," Paulson said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum held in Singapore, according to The Straits Times.

Photo taken on June 19, 2019 shows toys made in China at a shop in Orlando, Florida, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"It is crucial to have a mechanism for the world's first- and second-largest economies to coordinate, as this is the only way to put out the next big financial and economic fire," he said.

The United States benefits from having its financial institutions operating in China on a level playing field, he added.

He said he hardly thinks it is in American interests to walk headlong down the path of a wholesale decoupling from China.

"The rest of the world isn't going there," he said.

It is not wise for the United States alone to break global supply chains and cut off U.S. workers from some of the largest and fastest growing markets in the future.

"Without cooperation in the internal system, there will be chaos," he added.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
China's Hunan inks agreement with Madagascar's Alaotra-Mangoro to deepen exchanges

Xinhua) 15:36, November 19, 2021

CHANGSHA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hunan Province has signed an agreement on friendly relations with the region of Alaotra-Mangoro in the Republic of Madagascar, the local foreign affairs office said Friday.

According to the agreement, the two sides will deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as health, agriculture, economy and trade, culture, education and tourism.

Hunan and Alaotra-Mangoro are both rich in agricultural, mineral, forest and tourism resources. Since 2007, the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences has implemented hybrid rice projects in Madagascar, according to the foreign affairs office.

It added that in recent years, both sides have forged in-depth cooperation in the hybrid rice industrial chain, covering fields such as hybrid rice seed production, seed processing and rice processing.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Can female-only subway carriages provide safer commutes?

CGTN) 15:36, November 19, 2021

Squeezing into a packed subway train is a familiar experience for most city dwellers in China.

The country is home to five megacities, each of which has a population of over 10 million people. Although many have gotten used to the close physical proximity on subways, overcrowded carriages are all too often not a safe space for passengers.

Several years ago, while Wang Xin was riding the subway in Beijing, she felt a hand touching her inner thigh. When she turned her head to look, her suspicion immediately fell on a thin-framed man with glasses. But she couldn't be sure.

"It was unlikely that he did that unintentionally," said Wang. "But I chose to be silent because I was about to get off the train," she recalled with disgust.

An online poll carried out by CGTN in August on WeChat, China's largest message app, showed that nearly nine percent of all 865 respondents from China had experienced harassment on the subway, and more than 13 percent were not sure whether their uncomfortable experience could be counted as harassment. Among female participants, almost 14 percent believed they had been harassed, compared with about four percent of male participants.

The survey also showed that roughly 65 percent of all respondents supported female-only carriages or would like to give them a try. Among those supporters, nearly 64 percent were female. Women are more likely to fall victim to harassment, but whether female-only carriages would help remains a hotly debated question in China and beyond.

"Personally, I wouldn't bother myself finding the carriage for ladies during peak hours," said a 30-year-old woman living in Guangzhou. The city set up female-only carriages since 2017 along with Shenzhen, another big metropolis in south China's Guangdong Province.

Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province, joined in on the act last December. While some supporters argue female-only carriages can prevent sexual harassment and create a better environment for women, others say they are impractical during rush hours, as there aren't nearly enough for all female passengers.

When female-only carriages were introduced in Japan in 2000, they quickly received widespread support, especially among passengers who are afraid of "chikan," usually referring to sexual predators who take advantage of crowded spaces on public transport.

In Tokyo, over half of reported groping cases during 2020 occurred on a train or at a station.

Back in 2009, India introduced eight "ladies special" trains reserved entirely for female passengers in major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. They gained popularity among women and the practice became a source of pride for local subway operators.

Many pointed out that the ultimate solution to reducing sexual harassment against women on public transport is to educate people including children to respect women and offer help when needed.

Though popular in Asia, similar measures were criticized in the UK and Germany by some who said segregating women in public was a backward solution. Efforts to protect women from sexual harassment on public transport cannot rely solely on designated spaces as its effectiveness varies across different regions and cultures, they argue.

Beyond the special space

Several cities in France and Brazil have embraced public awareness campaigns to reframe the transit safety problem for women. Posters on trains, buses and social media platforms call for more awareness of sexual harassment in public transportation.

Since 2017, the Beijing Women's Federation, a branch of the All-Women's China Federation, has been using posters and videos to deter offenders and educate the public on sexual harassment and its prevention.

Technology is joining the campaign by facilitating reporting and data collection. In Tokyo, the "Digi Police" smartphone app developed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. Users can activate the app that blasts off "stop it" repeatedly to deter gropers. The app can also produce a full-screen SOS message reading: "There is a molester. Please help."

In 2017, Los Angeles County launched a 24-hour hotline to make trains or buses safer. Different from the sexual assault hotline, callers could have a direct link to metro security for reporting and tracking the assaults, and are also offered follow-up services such as psychological counseling.

Since 2017, the Beijing Subway has worked in concert with local police forces to carry out a pervert-hunting campaign, which involves training patrol officers and metro staff to collect evidence and seize suspects.

"I will report to the station police immediately if I am informed by the security staff in the carriages. The police officers will arrive within minutes," said a metro staff attendant of Line 1 at the Guomao station in Beijing.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Chongqing's century-old building turns teahouse with light rail view

Ecns.cn) 15:50, November 19, 2021

A century-old building on the "three-story road" of Liziba has been transformed into a teahouse, attracting many visitors due to its proximity to the light rail line, Yuzhong District, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Photo: China News Service/Ouyang Yunjing)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
FOCAC: African countries have agency in engaging China

16:04, November 19, 2021 By Tichaona Zindoga ( People's Daily Online

Photo taken on June 17, 2021 shows the Iconic Tower (C) being topped out at the construction site of the central business district (CBD) project in new administrative capital, Egypt. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

The increase in cooperation between China and Africa over the past two decades, cemented under the framework of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), represents a systematic engagement that will likely endure for a long period to come.

This year marks 21 years since the inception of the agreement , with the Eighth Ministerial Conference set to be held in Dakar, Senegal, at the end of this month.

The meeting is expected to entrench further cooperation between the two sides  with 53 African countries, along with the Commission of the African Union on one side, and China on the other.

Under FOCAC, the two sides have engaged in cooperation on a large number of varied areas, including infrastructure development, funding/loans, energy, telecommunications, health, agriculture, and so forth, all of which have had a profound impact on individual countries.

In Zimbabwe, a series of projects have been undertaken with Chinese, such as the expansions to the Kariba and Hwange electricity generation projects; the upgrading and expansion of airports in Harare , Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls; and, the construction of the new parliament building . Other development projects include the Mahusekwa Hospital, Marovanyati Dam, and various upgrades to telecommunications infrastructure.

All of these projects cost millions of dollars, and with all having been made possible thanks to China. At the same time, Zimbabwe, like many other African countries, is eligible for loans guaranteed at concessional rates, to ensure that it can meet its own developmental goals.

These two areas  namely, infrastructure development and funding  have led to some commentators expressing cynicism, with claims that China is ensnaring Africa in a so-called debt-trap cycle.

The Abuja Light Rail in Abuja, Nigeria is the first urban rail transit system opened in West Africa. It was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria. (Photo by the CCECC)

Capacity building, forging goodwill

Chinas readiness to provide help to the African continent, both at the continental level (symbolised by the construction of the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and at the individual country level is dually a matter of capacity and goodwill.

The rise of China as an economic giant over the past four decades has benefited Africa at a time traditional Western funders and former colonizers have lost their grip. This has allowed China to translate traditional political friendship  honed during the liberation struggles against imperialism  into economic opportunities for both sides.

With countries in Africa marking an average of 50 years since their political independence, a state of economic independence has nonetheless remained as yet unrealized and elusive. This has seen China become the continents go-to friend, once again.

In itself, China has been a model for success as it rose from being an economic backwater to a world powerhouse.

It took just four decades to achieve that transformation, and there is a willingness on both sides to share experiences and bridge opportunities in a practical way.

Contrary to the perceptions created by detractors that China is doling out loans in order to ensnare African countries, the facts are that financing models to Africa have been agreed to by both sides and are systematic and progressive.

At a very basic level, African countries have determined what to do with the funds received from China or the kinds of important infrastructure that need to be financially supported. This means that Africans have control themselves on just how they choose to engage with China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and foreign leaders attending the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) head for the venue of the summit's opening ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

During the 2018 Beijing Summit and the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC that was held in Beijing from September 2 to 4, 2018, for example, both parties agreed that China will extend loans of concessional nature, export credit line and export credit insurance to African countries, make the loans reasonably more concessional, create new financing models and improve the terms and conditions of the credit to support China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation and industrial capacity cooperation, and the infrastructure construction, development of energy and resources, agriculture, manufacturing and the comprehensive development of the whole industrial chain of Africa.

Based on this framework, China agreed to extend US$20 billion of credit lines and support the setting up of a US$10 billion special fund for development financing.

Countries agree that, in its investment and financing cooperation with Africa, China is committed to the principles of no political strings, mutual benefits and efficient development, supports Africa's pursuit of diversified and sustainable development, and will make active efforts to help African countries improve debt sustainability and achieve internally-driven development and mutually-reinforcing economic and social development.

Accordingly, Africa welcomed the release of the Guiding Principles on Financing the Development of the Belt and Road. China will also strengthen cooperation with the African Development Bank and other multilateral development banks in Africa, and properly manage the follow-up investment of the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF) .

FOCAC, for us and for the world

Among many African observers, FOCAC represents an important framework that speaks to the needs of the continent and serves as a key platform to interact with and learn from China.

African countries are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming meeting as it will define the course of the relationship moving forward, with a reported four major policy documents set to come out.

Still, there is a long way to go: African countries are where China was four decades ago, meaning that there is a gap in the two sides level of development.

African countries need to learn from the Chinese model of modernization and explore a road to development suited to their own respective national conditions.

There is a need for African countries to inculcate and entrench certain policies, practices and approaches, which includes tackling corruption, promoting reform and opening up, ensuring political stability, and performing self-correction, among others.

The author is a Zimbabwean journalist and writer, previously serving as an editor at The Herald, Zimbabwe's major national newspaper.

The opinions expressed in this article reflect those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of People's Daily Online.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
U.S. government galvanizes Syrias White Helmets into making fake videos and spreading misinformation

16:52, November 19, 2021 By Yi Heng ( People's Daily Online

(Cartoon by Lu Lingxing)

Many American media outlets disclosed that the U.S. has been a primary funder backing the White Helmets, a non-governmental organization in Syria that has repeatedly fabricated videos in an attempt to smear the Syrian government.

In November 2016, the White Helmets, officially known as the Syria Civil Defence, admitted that a video it had released about its members rescuing wounded residents in the Aleppo Governorate, in Syria, was faked and proceeded to make an apology publicly.

In September 2018, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation issued a statement saying that Syrian anti-government forces staged once again a fabricated video showing so-called evidence of people being attacked by the Syrian government with chemical weapons.

In 2018, as the Syrian Armed Forces gradually took back territories, the U.S. hatched a plan with its allies on helping the White Helmets to withdraw from Syria. One year later, then U.S. President Donald Trump authorized $4.5 million in American aid for the White Helmets.

It is obvious that the U.S. is the one behind the Syrian organizations practices of directing fabricated videos and spreading false information online. However, the poorly-made videos seemed to be full of faults and their attempts at manipulation can easily be seen through by netizens.

The White Helmets represent nothing but a group of America-led minions parading under the banner of humanitarianism. By attempting to interfere in Syrias internal affairs by funding its non-governmental organizations, the U.S. has truly revealed its evil nature of hegemonism.

Related

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Operation Northwoods against Cuba reflects U.S. history of provoking war abroad

Gulf of Tonkin Incident a clear-cut example of US escalation, warmongering towards other countries

Baby incubator lie reflects US history of fanning hatred, triggering war

Manufactured Yinhe Incident an example of U.S. attempts to deliberately provoke China

U.S. governments Office of Strategic Influence a forerunner of whitewashing efforts in U.S.-led War on Terror

Secret "Downing Street memo" sheds light on fabricated lies that fueled U.S.-led Iraq War

Washing powder pretext in lead up to US-led Iraq War shows Americas ridiculous attempts at misleading the world

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Zheng Shanjie, Party chief of Anhui province, addresses the opening ceremony of the 2021 World Manufacturing Convention, in Hefei, capital of the Chinese province, Nov.19, 2021. (Photo by Liu Weixin)

The 2021 World Manufacturing Convention (WMC) kicked off Friday in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province.



Zheng Shanjie, Party chief of the province, addressed the opening ceremony after reading a message from vice premier Liu He. Governor Wang Qingxian chaired the event.

Wang Qingxian, governor of Anhui province, chairs the opening ceremony of the 2021 World Manufacturing Convention, in Hefei, capital of the Chinese province, Nov.19, 2021. (Photo by Xu Guokang)

With the theme of "innovation-driven, digitally empowered: global manufacturing industry aligned for high-quality growth," the four-day event features 23 activities including the opening ceremony, business matchmaking events, forums and exhibitions.



Covering an area of 43,000 square meters, the venue in the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center, showcases new products, technologies and models of the manufacturing industry.

More than 400 companies from home and abroad attend the event. It also attracts foreign diplomats and officials of international organizations like Christian Wulff, global chairman of the Global Alliance of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Jang Ha-sung, South Korea's ambassador to China.

Contracts on 1,752 projects were signed at the WMC held in 2018, 2019 and 2020, worth a total of 1.8 trillion yuan (about US$281.3 billion). 1,518 out of them kicked off as of October 31.

The 2021 World Manufacturing Convention kicks off in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, Nov.19, 2021. (Photo by Liu Weixin)




A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan) A primary school in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, has set up an "innovation studio" in a bid to broaden students' horizen by enriching their knowledge of science and arts. At the studio, students are encouraged to make the paintings from their textbooks "come alive" with the help of sound, light, and even programming. Such activities are in line with the "double reduction" policy, namely reducing students' excessive homework and off-campus tutoring during their nine-year compulsory education. (Xinhuanet/Yang Xiaoyuan)


The Yangtze River Delta Integrated Development Forum of the World Manufacturing Convention 2021 opened in Hefei, Anhui province, on Thursday.



Executive Vice Governor Liu Hui attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Anhui is now actively building a cluster of emerging industries with important impact, gathering scientific and innovative leading enterprises, cultivating strategic emerging industrial clusters, and accelerating the development of modern industrial systems.

The province will speed up a number of landmark and major projects in ten emerging industries, and strengthen high-quality development drivers, Liu said in his speech.

The province will take action to strengthen and reinforce industrial chains, expand and strengthen inter-provincial industrial cooperation parks, rely on business associations to form industrial alliances, and increase the quality, output and efficiency of industrial chains, according to the speech.

Anhui will also boost the integrated development of scientific innovation and industries, give full play to the role of the G60 science and innovation corridor, and absorb, combine and allocate strategic resources in emerging industries all around the world, Liu said.

Industry experts and entrepreneurs in the Yangtze River Delta delivered speeches and exchanged their views at the forum. Cases of Anhuis effort to promote the integrated development of the delta were also released.

(By Li Ruichuan)




Persimmons in Jigongjian village, Shexian County, east Chinas Anhui Province, have entered harvest season recently.

Jigongjian has a long history of planting persimmon trees, and the oldest persimmon tree in the village is over 400 years old. Villagers have a tradition of drying the persimmons.

In recent years, the fruit has become a cash cow for local growers and has boosted the development of the tourism sector in the village. Now many persimmon farmers also sell their products via live-streaming sessions.




Photo taken on July 21, 2019 from Xiangshan Mountain shows the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei,Taiwan. [Photo/Xinhua]

By Zhang Xi

Lithuania has shown its true color when it jumped out to openly provoke China on the Taiwan question. And the pro-independence Taiwan authorities will miscalculate if they take Lithuania's move as the island steps into a larger space on the international stage.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday night strongly protested Lithuania's approval of the establishment of the so-called Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania to show that China will never compromise on the one-China policy. .

The fact is unchallengeable that there is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

The Lithuanian side shall be responsible for all the ensuing consequences because of its trick to establish official ties with the island. In fact, it disobeyed its promises when it established diplomatic ties with PRC in 1991, intruding into China's red line.

It seems that the Baltic country, used to face choices between China and anti-China forces, which now believe the Taiwan card can be played to disrupt rising China's reunification efforts and contain its development. Now it has given a clearer answer by putting itself as a pawn of the anti-China political camp.

The situation across the Straits used to be stable and peaceful before the Democratic Progressive Party came to power in 2016. Its refusal to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus that there is only one China and efforts to push its secessionist political agenda have deteriorated the cross-Straits relations.

Especially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the DPP has further hardened its stance against Beijing to shift the Taiwan residents' blame on the island's stagnating economy.

With the encouragement of some Western powers, the Taiwan authorities and some countries like Lithuania may believe they can change and overturn the fact that both sides of the Straits belong to one China. However, their behaviors can only strengthen the Chinese people's determination to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as achieve China's full reunification.

Lithuania should correct its wrongs. And the time is now.

The author is a writer with China Daily.
(Cartoon by Lu Lingxing)

By Yi Heng

In 2003, the US launched its second war against Iraq on the pretext that the latter was in possession of weapons of mass destruction and was secretly aiding and abetting terrorist groups.

On Feb. 5, 2003, in a notorious UN Security Council meeting on Iraq, then US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented a test tube containing white powder, claiming that it was somehow evidence corroborating that Iraq was developing chemical weapons.

In 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it (the white powder) would have been washing powder.

"I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and it will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now, Powell later said in an interview with a US media outlet.

Based on the unfounded charges thrown at the Middle Eastern country, the US, together with its allies, went on to invade Iraq without receiving the authorization of the UN. The unprovoked war plunged Iraq into a state of chaos and reportedly led to around 200,000 to 250,000 civilian deaths.

The US is guilty of confounding white with black and making ill-founded accusations against Iraq, behavior that has exposed the evil nature of American intentions. Such reprehensible conduct by the Americans has not only destroyed the lives of innocent people, but has also revealed that the export of US-style human rights, which serve the interests of the US and the US only, have become the laughing stock of the international community of nations.
By Liu Huan, Wang Chenghao

President Xi Jinping elaborated on Chinas principled position on the Taiwan question at the recent virtual meeting with his US counterpart, President Joe Biden. Several experts pointed out that the discussions about the Taiwan question during the meeting are clear and indisputable. The two major countries are sending a strong message against Taiwan independence to the international community.

The interviewed experts said the US government has repeatedly reaffirmed its position of not supporting Taiwan independence. The US side should abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, and prudently and properly handle the Taiwan question to prevent damage to bilateral relations and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

According to Wang Yingjin, Director of the Center for Cross-Straits Relations Studies at Renmin University of China, the cross-Strait situation is facing a new wave of tensions recently because the DPP authorities are still trying to seek US support for their independence agenda and some Americans insist on using Taiwan to contain China.

This has caused the international community to worry about possible conflicts across the Taiwan Strait. The virtual meeting between Chinese and American heads of state sent a loud and clear message against Taiwan independence that answered the misgivings and concerns of various parties.

Li Haidong, Director of the American Studies Center of China Foreign Affairs University, pointed out that the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques lay the political foundation for bilateral relations, to which successive US administrations have made clear commitments.

Lately, some Americans have kept making wrong remarks and moves on the Taiwan question in an attempt to confuse and blur the one-China principle. In response, the Chinese government has repeatedly lodged stern representations to the US side.

The interviewed experts held that the contents and connotations of the one-China principle are definite and explicit both politically and legally. It is enshrined in the three China-US joint communiques, the UN Resolution 2758, and other formal international agreements and documents with legal force. There is no room for tampering, distortion or denial..

As the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, both the so-called Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, concocted by some forces in the US, contravene the three China-US joint communiques. In essence, they place US domestic law above international obligations and are illegal and invalid.

Li Haidong analyzed that at the recent meeting, the Chinese side once again made it clear to the US side that Taiwan will have no other future than being reunified with the mainland. China hoped the US side will follow the overwhelming trend, abandon short-sighted petty gains on the Taiwan question, and promote the peaceful and steady development of China-US relations.

In the past few days, the DPP authorities have made carping comments on media reports from the mainland about the Xi-Biden virtual meeting, hyped up Americas so-called commitment to Taiwan. In response, experts said the Taiwan authorities attempt to seek independence by leveraging on external forces would never succeed, and the DPPs stubbornness and obsession will lead it to a lethal blow.

According to Li, US President Bidens explicit stance on the Taiwan question sent a clear message to the international community that Taiwan independence is unacceptable. This has smashed the DPPs illusion that Washington will endorse its Taiwan independence dream.

Its known to all that the US plays the Taiwan card in order to contain Chinas development, but at the same time, they also fully know that supporting Taiwan independence will bring destructive consequences, and wont sacrifice its overall interests for that.

The Taiwan question concerns Chinas sovereignty, territorial integrity and core national interests, said Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies. He slammed the DPP for stubbornly clinging to their position of Taiwan independence, challenging the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and colluding with foreign forces to seek the so-called independence and provoke Beijing, which poses the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. Curbing the attempts at Taiwan independence and severing the collusion between the US and Taiwan Island is maintaining the cross-Strait peace and managing risks, so as to keep the Taiwan question from inflicting subversive and comprehensive damage to China-US relations.

Wang Yingjin stressed that Taiwan independence attempts will only bring more tensions and turmoil to the Strait and more disasters to the residents on the island. The Chinese mainland has repeatedly said that it will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and effort, and will never leave any room for Taiwan independence.
By Zhang Jianhua

VIENTIANE, Nov. 19 -- Members of a medical expert team dispatched by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to Laos have been awarded medals by the Lao People's Army. The medal-awarding ceremony was held in Vientiane, the capital of Laos on November 16.

According to the Chinese Embassy in Laos, the Chinese medical expert team was awarded the Class III Medal of Valor and the Medal of Friendship for its outstanding contributions to the development of the Military Hospital 103 of the Lao People's Army during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese medical experts devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the patients treatment and personnel training of medical technologies in Laos, helped improve the diagnosis, treatment and nursing level of the Lao Military Hospital 103, said Lao Defense Minister General Chansamone Chanyalath, who is also member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and deputy prime minister, in a document signed by him on awarding medals to the Chinese military medical team.

Wang Wen, leader of the Chinese military medical team, expressed his gratitude to the Lao Ministry of National Defense for recognizing their work. They would continue to carry forward the fine traditions of the Chinese medical teams in Laos and spare no effort to provide assistance for protecting the health of the Lao service members and people, said Wang.

The Lao Military Hospital 103 is a comprehensive hospital with assistance from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. Since 2019, the Chinese PLA has continuously dispatched medical teams to the hospital, where the Chinese military medical experts carried out a series of medical-aid activities such as clinical teaching, academic exchanges, popular science lectures, and free medical consultations. They also helped the doctors of the hospital complete a number of major difficult surgery operations, setting multiple "firsts" in the history of Lao medicine.
The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico are meeting Thursday for their first trilateral summit in five years, to discuss longstanding issues such as climate change, migration, economic competitiveness, as well as newer challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House Thursday. The leaders will first have bilateral meetings with Biden before converging for the first North American Leaders' Summit since 2016.

"It's the culmination of 10 months of work to revitalize North America's platform that is both critical to our domestic economic success, as well as a partnership that can play a critical role in resolving regional and global challenges," White House deputy press secretary Chris Meagher said Wednesday.

 Challenges Include Migration, Cuba, Competition

However, the so-called "three amigos" also have rocky terrain to cover. After taking office, Biden halted the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocol, known as the "Remain in Mexico" program, but Texas and Missouri successfully sued the federal government to have it restarted. That is likely to happen in coming weeks.

"The feeling of the United States that Mexico is not doing enough on security, I think will be a possible point of tension as well," said Ryan Berg, a senior fellow in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Surely the leaders will discuss the Remain in Mexico program, the fact that Title 42, as well, is still on the books, the migratory flows, as well as how Mexico can help the United States in the Northern Triangle countries."
Netflix has hiked its subscription fee in Korea by 17.2 percent, apparently confident that it will remain the No. 1 streaming service here.

Netflix insisted it has not raised the fee since it launched in Korea in January 2016 and the increase was "unavoidable."

The company said Thursday the standard fee will rise 12.5 percent to W13,500 a month and the premium fee 17.2 percent to W17,000 (US$1=W1,183). The standard fee is the most popular service that can be played on any two devices at a time, while a premium account can be used on four devices in high-res. The basic fee covers only one device at W9,500 a month. New Netflix users will have to pay the new fees starting Thursday and existing users next month.

The streaming giant claims it needs to raise fees in order to continue offering differentiated content. Apple TV+ and Disney+ began offering streaming services in Korea this month, intensifying competition, and Netflix does not run ads and the only source of income is subscription fees.

A Netflix staffer said, "We earned W415.5 billion in Korea last year but pledged to invest W550 billion. Fees in the U.S. were raised by 12.5 percent in October last year, and they were also raised in Canada and Japan."
Hyundai and affiliate Kia both unveiled concepts for self-driving electric SUVs at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

Hyundai's "Seven" concept car will turn into the Ioniq 7 when it hits showrooms in 2024. The front seats can be rotated 180 degrees, and the rear seats are benches. A 77-inch screen inside the car allows passengers to watch TV.

The concept does not have a steering wheel at all, but the commercial version will have one. Lee Sang-yup of the Hyundai Global Design Center said, "We designed the cars in expectation of fully autonomous driving."

Kia's concept EV9 is also the basis of a self-driving SUV of the same name that will come out in 2023. The steering wheel tucks under the dashboard in autonomous driving mode and pops up again when manually driven. The front seats can swivel back and the second-row seats can be changed into a table, while the third-row seats swivel for passengers to enjoy the view.

Hyundai said the goal is for both vehicles to travel up to 482 km on a single charge, while an 80-percent charge will be possible within 20 to 30 minutes.


Minjoo Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Thursday that he will not insist on handing out coronavirus relief payments to all citizens, but he added small businesses "urgently need support" to survive the impact of the pandemic. That is a startling U-turn from Lee's campaign pledge late last month to hand out between W300,000 and W500,000 in additional support money to every citizen (US$1=W1,183). Lee said he withdrew his plan due to "resistance from the opposition and reluctance by the government." But in fact it was an opinion poll that showed 60 percent of the public opposed his plan.

The incident demonstrates what can happen if government business gets tangled up in elections. The ruling party tried to pull out all the stops to support Lee's pledge, even trying to defer part of this year's tax collection to next year in order to fund the bonanza. Minjoo Party lawmakers threatened the finance minister with a National Assembly hearing when he opposed the plan citing a violation of tax laws, and Lee threatened to strip the ministry of budget-planning duties.

When he falsely claimed that the government's coffers were being filled by surplus tax revenues, MP-affiliated regional mayors and governors jumped on the bandwagon ahead of their own regional elections next year. Ulsan, Incheon and Gwangju announced plans to award W100,000 in COVID-19 relief payouts to each citizen. Suncheon added to the hype by submitting a W29 billion supplementary budget plan to the city council.

The MP deceived the public by claiming that the government's coffers are overflowing with money. In reality, the government is W90 trillion in the red this year. Even the finance minister criticized the plan as being "hopeless." Lee's U-turn shows that only a sensible public can slam the brake on populist policies. Koreans must keep an eye on reality and keep politicians in check so sovereign debt stops rising at the fastest pace in the developed world.


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Press Release

November 18, 2021 Dela Rosa vows to follow up on DICT's commitment to service all internet users in the PH by January 2025 SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa has vowed to make sure that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will fulfill its promise to provide adequate and efficient service to all internet users in the country, currently estimated at 89 million, within the next three years, or by January 2025. Dela Rosa, Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee C, made the vow on Wednesday during the interpellation on the 2022 proposed budget of the DICT, which he sponsored, amounting to P10,565,161,000. During the interpellation made by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, whose second term at the Senate is set to end in 2022, it was revealed that currently, there are 25,213 macro cell towers and around 127,000 small towers existing in the country, translating to around 3,500 users simultaneously using each of the macro cell tower. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) added that the ideal number of internet users per cell tower is 500, and to achieve the ideal ratio, there is a need for around 150,000 additional cell towers aside from the existing 25,213 to cater to all 89 million Filipino internet users. "The immediate plan, Mr. President, is to increase the number of micro towers since mas mabilis itong gawin para ma-compensate 'yung lacking numbers ng malalaking towers, ng macro towers... With the cooperation of the telcos [telecommunications companies], maybe within three years, ma-achieve natin 'yang [ideal] ratio," Dela Rosa said. The Mindanaoan Senator added, "We have more favorable conditions right now kaya masasabi natin na medyo madali o mabilis 'yung pag-construct ng mga tower... Dati-rati, imbes na 200 days 'yung processing ng permits, ngayon ay 15 to 16 days na lang, and from 30 permits na kinakailangan noon, ngayon ay 13 na lang. Kaya mabilis na po... the situation is kinder to us." The former top cop was referring to Section 4 of the Bayanihan 2 law crafted by Congress last year to simplify the processing of permits for the construction of cell towers in the country in response to the grievance of telcos. The minority leader welcomed this response and emphasized that DICT should make sure that they will follow through with their commitment and stick to their timetable. "It's good to set targets because three years from now, I am sure si Senator [Francis] Tolentino, maniningil po 'yan kung 'yan po ang inyong pangako na pagdating ng 2025, you will be able to service 89 million internet users because of increases in the micro towers. You know, I'm sure that the entire nation will clap their hands," Drilon said. Dela Rosa responded, "After three years, Mr. President, not only Senator Tolentino will be around, yours truly will still be around. And kung su-swertehin, mare-re-elect po, so hindi lang si Senator Tolentino ang maniningil sa kanila, ako mismo."
Press Release

November 19, 2021 Bong Go gives overview of his first 100 days if elected President, pledges to continue and add to Duterte legacy Senator and presidential aspirant Christopher "Bong" Go vowed to continue the momentum that President Rodrigo Duterte has built during the 47th Philippine Business Conference & Expo Presidentiables' Forum held by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry on November 17 and 18. In a video message delivered before business leaders and policymakers on Thursday, Go promised to build an administration that will reflect the ideals, principles and love for country espoused by the President, as well as continue the programs that have benefited the Filipino people in the past five years. "I vow to do my best every day to serve the Filipino people selflessly. Uunahin ko ang inyong kapakanan. Tapat na serbisyo lang po ang puhunan ko. At kung mapagbibigyan, walang oras ni minuto ang masasayang. Gagawin ko ang lahat maipaabot lang ang serbisyong nararapat para sa inyo ... Tuloy ang serbisyo, tuloy ang malasakit, tuloy ang tunay na pagbabago," said Go. "The Duterte Administration has already mapped out concrete plans to sustain our nation's gains amidst these unprecedented challenges. All we have to do is to continue to enforce, implement and improve these programs all for the welfare of our Filipino people," he continued. The legislator pointed out that the Philippine economy was among the fastest growing in Asia prior to the pandemic, enjoying robust growth and financial stability. The government had also been well on its way to attaining its goal of reducing the poverty incidence to 14% by 2022. To raise the country from the ravages of COVID 19, he pledged to implement the Duterte Administration's three-pillar strategy which consists of gradually reopening of the economy in a safe manner, ensuring the timely implementation of recovery packages, and accelerating the progress of the national vaccination program. "Following this key strategy, we will bring our people towards recovery. And with other programs under my administrationwhere we will put our health sector and economy as the pinnacle of our agendawe will bring people towards prosperity and resilience," said Go. To highlight his contributions to the health care sector, he cited the successful passage of his legislative priorities, particularly the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 which provides poor and indigent patients improved access to financial support from the government. There are currently 149 fully operational Malasakit Centers nationwide, a figure which Go vowed to increase in his first 100 days in office. "(It is) my goal is that every public hospital in the country will have a Malasakit Center. We will bring down to the lowest amount possible, if not zero balance, the hospital bill of our poor people," he continued. "I would also like to emphasize that in my administration, you can expect the same strong stance in the government's fight against corruption, criminality and drugs. This is crucial in creating an environment conducive for business, where everyone will feel safe," added Go. Should his presidential run prove successful, the senator said he would prioritize putting the economy on track to return to its pre-pandemic level by pursuing a path towards rapid and inclusive economic recovery in his first 100 days. To do so, his administration will open up more sectors, build up the tourism industry, and provide recovery packages to sectors hit hardest by COVID-19, such as agriculture and fisheries and micro, small and medium enterprises. It will also provide ten million of the poorest of the poor Filipinos financial assistance and jobs as well as improved access to zero-interest loans. The administration will likewise pursue tax reforms that complement the Comprehensive Tax Reforms Programs of the Duterte Administration, continue the infrastructure projects of the Build, Build, Build Program, and initiate inter-island linkages or the mega-bridge program to improve the movement of goods and people across the archipelago. Other initiatives will include providing free quality and reliable internet connectivity through a Free WiFi for all program and passage of the E-Governance, Department of Disaster Resilience, Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos, and Center for Disease Control and Prevention bills. "I regard President Rodrigo Duterte as the best president this country has ever had and that puts a lot of pressure to whoever succeeds him. Indeed, the successor will have big shoes to fill ... Iniwasan ko ang position na ito but fate has a way of turning things around. The presidency, I believe, is a matter of destiny. I leave my fate to God and to you, my fellow Filipinos," said Go. "President Duterte is the epitome of a strong, brilliant and selfless leader powered by his love for the country. And just like him, I vow to do my best every day to serve the Filipino people selflessly," he continued. To end, the senator reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to ensuring the continuity of the legacy of the Duterte Administration. He promised to serve the Filipino people to the best of his abilities and to put their welfare and interests at the heart of his administration. "Hindi ko hahayaan na masayang lang ang lahat ng pagod at effort ng Duterte Administration. Hinding-hindi natin sisirain ang legacy ni Pangulong Duterte. Nakita niyo naman po sa loob ng limang taon, tahimik tayong nagtatrabaho ... Hintayin niyo na lang ang resulta. Let my track record speak for itself. I am a man of action," said Go. "Ako ang inyong Mr. Malasakit, uunahin ko ang bayan at ang Pilipino sa pagbibigay ng serbisyong walang tulog. Tutulungan natin ang lahat. Ito ang serbisyong Tatak Duterte."
Press Release

November 19, 2021 Hontiveros questions controversial firm's buying spree, takeover of PH fossil energy assets Senator Risa Hontiveros believes it is "very puzzling and alarming" that a single private entity, Udenna Corporation, was allowed to acquire almost all of the Philippines' strategic fossil energy assets in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Hontiveros says the company, led by a campaign donor of President Rodrigo Duterte, seemed to have secured a "mind-blowing" number of favorable government deals in recent years. Udenna's chairman is Dennis Uy, a campaign donor and friend of President Duterte. To look into this, Hontiveros has filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 950, urging the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to look into the "propriety" of Udenna's takeover of the said assets in the WPS, as well as its impact on the nation's security and economic interests. "By allowing Udenna to control both the Malampaya Project and its gas pipeline, as well as the fossil energy resources in the Recto Bank, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) not only deprived the Philippine government of a substantial source of revenue, but also allowed private - and possibly foreign - interests an undue advantage over the nation through the possession of its vital strategic assets," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros noted that in 2019, Udenna acquired a 45 percent share in the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project from Chevron Malampaya LLC for USD 545 million. It later entered into an agreement with Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. to acquire another 45 percent of the project for USD 380 million. The DOE also recommended the award to Udenna of two service contracts covering areas in the Recto Bank - an underwater formation said to contain most of the oil and natural gas in the West Philippine Sea. The senator pointed out that Udenna paid for the Malampaya shares not with existing assets but with loans from various banks. In return, Udenna is set to earn a projected income of nearly USD 1.2 billion from its Malampaya shares. Hontiveros flagged that state-owned PNOC may have allowed Udenna's "buying spree" by not exercising its right of first refusal - which gave PNOC the right to have the first opportunity to purchase Malampaya shares owned by Shell and Chevron. "If the government had matched Udenna's offer, it would have been guaranteed a net income of around USD 275 million for around four years, until the existing wells are depleted by 2024. By failing to exercise its right of first refusal, the government was deprived of hundreds of millions of dollars which we could have used to meet the people's needs," Hontiveros said. "The Malampaya project is very important to the daily lives of Filipinos. We should make sure that no law was broken, and that the public's interests are not prejudiced in transactions related to these vital national assets," Hontiveros concluded.
Pangilinan pays tribute to late Jesse Robredo

NAGA CITY - Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Friday visited the grave of former Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and paid tribute to the latter's legacy in promoting transparency and good governance.

Pangilinan is currently in Naga City for a series of dialogues with farmers, volunteers, and leaders of various sectors in the region.

During the visit, the senator laid a wreath at the tombstone of the late iconic Bicolano leader. He was accompanied by long-time Robredo ally, Rep. Gabriel Bordado (Cam. Sur, 3rd Dist.).

Pangilinan spoke highly of the friendship he developed with the late Robredo who served for six terms as mayor of Naga.

"Bago ako naging Sharonian, una ako naging Jessenian (Before I became a Sharon Cuneta fan, I was first a Jesse fan)," he said.

Pangilinan is the running mate of Robredo's widow, Vice President Leni Robredo.

As a former mayor, he said, Robredo was able to transform Naga into a vibrant city, eventually earning him domestic and international recognitions, including the coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award for effective governance in the year 2000.

"Mula noon nababalitaan na namin yung mga milagrong hatid ng kanyang pamumuno dito sa Naga, kung paano niya ginawa ang mga reporma kasangga ang mga kababayan natin (Since then, we've been hearing a lot about the miracles that happened under his leadership here in Naga, how he made the reforms with the help of his constituents)," Pangilinan said.

The late Naga executive and DILG chief also became known for his so-called "tsinelas" (flip-flops) leadership, referring to his highly successful rural grassroots and poverty alleviation program. He died in an airplane crash on August 18, 2012.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host in February 2022, the largest technology event ever, LEAP, with global experts expected in the attendance.

Set to take in Riyadh Feb.1-3, LEAP according to organizers, is set to become a global platform for the entire innovation ecosystem, connecting pioneers and disruptors with business and government leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and more to experience and learn about the technologies of the future.

Technology and innovation have enormous potential to transform economies and societies. We live in a time where you either leap or be left behind. We are proud to host LEAP to help the region lead and leapfrog with technology and innovation, said Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder, Kaspersky, Raghu Raghuram, CEO, VMware, Maelle Gavet, CEO, Techstars, Youngcho Chi, President and Chief Innovation Officer, Hyundai Motor Group, Peggy Johnson, CEO, Magic Leap and Nnenna Nwakanma, Chief Web Advocate, World Wide Web Foundation are among speakers around the world.

Olayan Alwetaid, Group CEO, stc, Salman Al Badran, CEO, Mobily, Ghinwa Baradhi, CIO MENAT region for HSBC and Sky Kurtz, founder and CEO at Pure Harvest feature among regional speakers invited for the event.

LEAP is sponsored by leading local and international companies including, Microsoft, CISCO, KPMG, Software AG, Nutanix, STC, Zain, Mobily and Ericsson.
The British banks global Islamic banking brand, Standard Chartered Saadiq, has launched an Islamic financial programme to fund Halal businesses of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Zawya reports.

The fund, $100 million in value is part of the banks Halal360 initiative, is also targeted at helping corporates and multinationals, with a focus on some of the key Halal markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Hairol Ariffein Sahari, CEO of Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) expects the program to help companies such as those in Malaysia to penetrate markets in the Middle East, Asia and other global markets. HDC is the leading company in Malaysias integrated and comprehensive Halal ecosystem and infrastructure to strengthen the countrys presence in the global Halal market, Zawya notes.

Standard Chartered Saadiq is the only international Islamic banking network with a presence spanning across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
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Researchers including The University of Texas at Austin have published a study in Nature that says subducting tectonic plates become segmented like a slinky snake, in a process similar to geologic boudinage (pictured) but on a much larger scale. CREDIT Haakon Fossen, Structural Geology/Cambridge University Press

Our world's surface is a jumble of jostling tectonic plates, with new ones emerging as others are pulled under.

The ongoing cycle keeps our continents in motion and drives life on Earth. But what happens when a plate disappears into the planet's interior?

The question has long puzzled scientists because conventional wisdom said that sinking tectonic plates must remain intact to keep pulling on the portion behind it, but according to geophysical evidence, they are destroyed.

Now, in a study published Nov. 11 in Nature, scientists say they've found an answer that reconciles the two stories: Plates are significantly weakened as they sink but not so much that they break apart entirely.

The finding came after scientists put tectonic plates through a computer-generated gauntlet of destructive geologic forces. The model showed that as the plate enters the mantle, it bends abruptly downward, cracking its cold, brittle back. At the same time, the bending changes the fine grain structure of the rock along its underbelly, leaving it weakened. Combined, the stresses pinch the plate along its weak points, leaving it mostly intact but segmented like a slinky snake.

This means the plate continues to be pulled under despite becoming folded and distorted.

According to the researchers, the model predicted a scenario that matches observations from Japan. Studies of the region where the Pacific tectonic plate dives -- or subducts -- under Japan have turned up large cracks where the plate bends downward, and they have shown signs of weaker material underneath. Deep seismic imaging conducted by The University of Texas at Austin's Steve Grand has also revealed tectonic shapes in the Earth's mantle under Japan that appear a close match for the slinky snake in the model.

Co-author Thorsten Becker, a professor in UT's Jackson School of Geosciences, said that the study does not necessarily close the book on what happens to subducting plates, but it certainly gives a compelling case to explain several important geologic processes.

"It's an example of the power of computational geosciences," said Becker who assisted in developing the model and is a faculty associate at UT's Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences. "We combined these two processes that geology and rock mechanics are telling us are happening, and we learned something about the general physics of how the Earth works that we wouldn't have expected. As a physicist, I find that exciting."

The study's lead author, Taras Gerya, a professor of geophysics at ETH Zurich, added that until now, geophysicists had lacked a comprehensive explanation for how tectonic plates bend without breaking.

Things got interesting when the researchers ran their simulations with a hotter interior, similar to the early Earth. In these simulations, the tectonic snake segments made it only a few miles into the mantle before breaking off. That means that subduction would have occurred intermittently, raising the possibility that modern plate tectonics began only within the past billion years.

"Personally, I think there are a lot of good arguments for plate tectonics being much older," Becker said, "but the mechanism revealed by our model suggests things might be more sensitive to the temperature of the mantle than we thought, and that, I think, could lead to interesting new avenues of discussion."

Becker and Gerya were joined by David Bercovici, a geophysicist at Yale University whose investigation into how rock grains are altered in the deep mantle helped motivate the research. The study is based on a two-dimensional computer model of plate tectonics incorporating Bercovici's rock deformation research and other plate-weakening mechanics. The researchers are now studying the phenomena using 3D models and plan to investigate what those models can tell them about the occurrence of earthquakes.

The research was supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, ETH Zurich, and the U.S. National Science Foundation. The simulations were run on high-performance computing clusters at ETH Zurich.



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Pre-dawn FBI Raids Target Election Integrity Whistleblowers

MEDIA ADVISORY: Richard Harris, Executive Director, Truth & Liberty Coalition is available for interview.

Photos provided to Truth & Liberty Coalition courtesy of Sherronna Bishop

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Truth & Liberty Coalition

Nov. 19, 2021

WOODLAND PARK, Colo., Nov. 19, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- Recent FBI raids on the homes of Mesa County (Colorado) Clerk Tina Peters, conservative activist Sherronna Bishop, and others are raising alarms about election integrity and the activities of federal law enforcement.

Bishop heard a loud banging sound at her door early Tuesday, not thinking federal agents were trying to enter her home, she said on an interview with WWW Broadcast Network.

She also claimed during the interview an agent "manhandled" her daughter, leading the teen through their Grand Junction, Colorado, home by her hooded sweatshirt.

FBI agents searched three other western Colorado homes, including that of Peters, according to a coloradopolitics.com article written by Ernest Luning.

"The FBI raided my home at 6 a.m. this morning, accusing me of committing a crime," said Peters, 66, a Gold Star mother and elected official as reported in coloradopolitics.com. "And they raided the homes of my friends, mostly older women. I was terrified."

Earlier this year, Peters and Bishop appeared on the Truth & Liberty livecast to detail their work in defending election integrity, according to a Truth & Liberty spokesperson. Peters is under fire for preserving election records prior to a scheduled 'upgrade' of Dominion voting machine software ordered by the Colorado Secretary of State office, she said on the livecast.

According to a Mesa County Forensic Examination and Analysis report, the Griswold-Dominion upgrade deleted approximately 29,000 files, including hundreds containing election records critical for a full audit. Peters contends the removal of files violates state and federal law and would have made a full investigation into the results of the contested 2020 presidential election impossible, she said on the livecast.

"They are looking for anything and everything to try to discredit us -- to discredit me as a whistleblower -- because of what we found on these Dominion machines," Peters said Wednesday in an interview with former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

Tuesday's raids shined light on the perceived politicization of the FBI, according to the T&L Coalition. "Recent decisions by the FBI to investigate concerned parents at school board meetings at the request of the National School Board Association along with raids of whistleblowing journalists from Project Veritas have raised questions about the impartiality of federal law enforcement," according to Truth & Liberty Coalition.

Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said such incidents have "negatively impacted the perception of the department as a fair administrator of justice," according to The Epoch Times news report by Zachary Steiber, November 17, 2021.

Bishop's work during 2021 school board elections raises questions about whether her involvement triggered increased scrutiny from the FBI. "Colorado was able to flip nine school boards this year. We were able to get one of our leftists to resign and we also flipped our school board in the election," Bishop said during a broadcast at Lindell TV Wednesday night. "And people like me are considered domestic terrorists now, because we don't stand for the policies that have been forced upon our children."

"We encourage citizens to contact officials to preserve election records in their communities, tell county clerks to make images of election machine servers, call on state legislators to support election integrity laws, and demand Congress hold federal agencies like the FBI and Department of justice accountable." according to a Truth & Liberty Coalition official.

Click here to access Truth & Liberty Coalition's "Election Integrity Fact Sheet" with additional facts and useful links. The fact sheet is updated to stay current.

About Truth and Liberty Coalition: Truth & Liberty Coalition, Inc. is a 501(C)(4) non-profit based in Woodland Park, Colorado. Established by Andrew Wommack and other Christian leaders, the goal is to educate, unify and mobilize Christians and conservatives to become involved in the affairs of their community and government.

SOURCE Truth & Liberty Coalition

CONTACT: Michael Perini, mike@periniassociates.com
By Trend

The Black Sea Trade and Development Banks (BSTDB) portfolio of signed operations in Azerbaijan now stands at EUR 130 million for seven operations, Dmitry Pankin, President of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

"Due to the pandemic, there has been a significant decline in new investments and the capital expenditures of the companies all over our region. This was reflected in the number of companies, which applied for financing to BSTDB, with Azerbaijan being no exception to the above trend. Therefore, the Banks portfolio growth in Azerbaijan was not up to our plans. In 2021, the Bank signed only one new operation for AZN 10 million and disbursed EUR 48,2 million to Azerbaijani clients," he said.

Pankin pointed out that BSTDB strives to support governments economic priorities and adequately respond to market demand.

"We give special attention to operations that promote regional cooperation, increased and diversified export of goods and services, and new employment creation. The Bank seeks to provide financing for efficiency enhancements of infrastructure, renewable energy, manufacturing, agribusiness. However, it depends on the demand from Azerbaijani entities. Any bankable project that contributes to economic development, increases export potential and adds employment is a priority for us in Azerbaijan," he added.
By Trend

Events were held on the occasion of the National Day of Azerbaijan within the framework of Expo 2020 Dubai, Trend reports.

At the Expo 2020 Dubai, Azerbaijan is represented by a pavilion located in the green technology section of the exhibition. Interactive online media in the national pavilion, reflecting "the development of tomorrow depends on the decisions made today" concept, present video materials on the history, geography, culture, and contemporary art of Azerbaijan.

The pavilion provides information on sustainable development and innovations in the economic and social spheres in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as on construction work in the territories liberated from the Armenian occupation during the 44-day second Karabakh war [from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020].

The concept of a three-story pavilion, reminiscent of the shape of a tree and its branches, confirms that a sustainable future can only be achieved with the development of human capital. The landscape of the pavilion is decorated with sculptures from the "Khari Bulbul" and "Gazelles" series made by artists from Azerbaijan and other countries.

The pavilion also presents an exposition dedicated to the culture and history of Azerbaijan, a "Fragile Saz" installation made by the sculptor Elvin Nabizade, "Heart" sculpture - by Leyla Aliyeva, and carpet motifs - by Faig Ahmad.

The design and concept of the nature-inspired pavilion are unique and make the pavilion one of the most visited at the exhibition.

The national pavilion receives over 10,000 visitors a day. As part of the exhibition, concerts and various cultural programs are regularly held on the pavilion stage, and the visitors have the opportunity to closely get acquainted with the history and modern life of Azerbaijan.

So, on November 18, within Expo 2020 Dubai, events were held on the occasion of the National Day of Azerbaijan. Every single day of Expo 2020 is dedicated to a specific country represented here by a pavilion.

A procession took place in the first half of the day within the framework of the National Day of Azerbaijan.

Later, at the Al Wasl Plaza, the ceremony of raising the national flags of the UAE and Azerbaijan was held, and the national anthems of the countries were performed.

The assistant of the President of Azerbaijan - Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov noted during his speech on the plaza that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of relations with the UAE.

"Relations between the two countries are based on the principles of mutual friendship and respect, and both peoples are historically linked by religious and cultural roots. The UAE is one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan, next year we'll mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Alakbarov said.

For many years, relations between the two countries have been dynamically developing in various fields. Taking this opportunity, we would also like to invite investors from the UAE to take part in the repair and infrastructural work that is currently being carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan," he added.

Afterward, the guests got acquainted with the national pavilions of Azerbaijan and the UAE.

As a result of the event, Al Wasl Plaza was illuminated by the tricolor of the Azerbaijani flag.

The World Expo 2020 opened in Dubai (UAE) on October 1 under the Connecting Minds, Creating the Future motto. Azerbaijan is represented at the exhibition by the "Seeds for Future" pavilion, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Center.

On behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan was one of the first countries which supported and confirmed their participation in Dubai Expo 2020.

First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva drew particular attention to the worthy participation of our country in the exhibition, and Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to begin the construction of the national pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020.

Azerbaijan, which attaches special importance to the exhibition, previously successfully participated in international exhibitions in Milan, Antalya, Nur-Sultan, and Beijing and received high awards.

The country, distinguished by its successful participation in this international platform, was also nominated for the World Expo 2025.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov have discussed the potential to build up a partnership in all spheres, the Turkmen presidential press service reported on November 18.

During the meeting, the minister stated that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to increasing economic cooperation between the two countries.

In turn, Berdimuhamedov noted Turkmenistans commitment to developing long-term cooperation with Azerbaijan on an equal and mutually beneficial basis for the benefit of both nations.

The parties discussed the issues of interstate cooperation in the context of the implementation of agreements reached at the high level, as well as the existing strong potential to build up the partnership in all spheres.

Special emphasis was placed on the high dynamics of developing productive relations, successfully built both bilaterally and multilaterally within the framework of authoritative international organizations and structures.

Emphasizing the strategic nature of interstate cooperation in the political, trade, economic, transport, communications, and other fields, the parties noted the importance of strengthening the role of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Azerbaijani Commission on Economic Cooperation as a coordinating body for developing relations in various fields.

In this context, it was noted that mutual investment is one of the factors for expanding the fruitful partnership.

They emphasized that it is necessary to continue to provide the appropriate economic, financial, and legal conditions for business activities and the organization of forums that promote contacts between the business circles of both countries.

Moreover, the sides noted that the geographical location of the two neighboring countries creates favorable prerequisites for the effective combination of efforts in implementing projects to form transcontinental transport and transit corridors, providing the most favorable land and sea routes for transportation of goods, and their integration into the international transport infrastructure.

Recalling the agreements reached during the Turkmen president's visit to Azerbaijan, it was noted that they gave a strong impetus to the further development of transport and logistics relations.

One of the topics of discussion was cooperation in the energy sphere, which is strategic for the national economies of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Emphasizing that the development of this sector is a priority for both countries, which possess the largest oil and gas deposits, the parties spoke in favor of building up the traditional cooperation based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.

At the end of the meeting, they expressed confidence that the interstate relations would continue to strengthen on a long-term and constructive basis.

On January 21, 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum of understanding over the joint exploration of the Dostlug gas field. According to experts' estimates, the Dostlug gas field contains natural gas and 60-70 million tons of oil.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on January 21 that the signed agreement opens a new page in the development of the Caspian's hydrocarbon resources.

"This project will contribute to the strengthening of the energy security of our countries, as well as our neighbors. This project opens up great export opportunities, thereby contributing to the growth of the well-being of our peoples," the president said.

In turn, the Turkmen leader noted that the signing of the memorandum marks a new stage in the energy cooperation between two countries in the Caspian Sea.

The deal will enable future transport of Turkmen hydrocarbons to Europe via Azerbaijan, thereby bolstering Azerbaijans position as a regional energy hub and Europes energy provider.
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried have discussed the situation in the South Caucasus and regional security, the Foreign Ministry reported on November 18.

Karen Donfried expressed concern about tensions on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia and called on both sides for de-escalation and a peaceful settlement.

Bayramov briefed Donfried in detail about the provocative steps taken by Armenia in recent days. The minister pointed out that the responsibility for the aggravation of the situation in the region lies directly with Armenia's military and political leadership.

He noted that Azerbaijan is ready to begin the process of delimitation with Armenia on the basis of the principles of international law, however, no reaction came from Armenia.

During the telephone conversation, the sides also exchanged views on the implementation of trilateral statements and other issues related to regional security.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and newly-appointed Serbian ambassador to Azerbaijan Dragan Vladisavljevic have discussed the regional situation and military cooperation, the ministry reported on November 18.

At a meeting held on November 18, the officials focused on mutual relations and the military and political situation in the region. They highlighted prospects for bilateral military cooperation between the two countries.

Hasanov congratulated Vladisavljevic on his appointment as an ambassador to Azerbaijan and wished him success in expanding military cooperation between the two countries.

The two officials noted that Azerbaijan and Serbia are successfully developing ties in the military field as well.

In turn, Vladisavljevic expressed satisfaction with his appointment as ambassador to Azerbaijan. He pledged to contribute to the development of Azerbaijani-Serbian relations, especially in the military sphere.

He also advocated exchanging information on the Azerbaijani army's effective military operations during the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020.

Azerbaijan and Serbia cooperate in various spheres. The Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed between the two countries in 2013 and the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Partnership signed in 2018 laid the foundation for the development of relations.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Serbia amounted to $5.9 million in the eight months of 2021. Trade between the two countries amounted to $9 million in 2020.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan has signed Protocol No. 16 to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on behalf of the Azerbaijani government.

"Ambassador Fakhraddin Ismayilov, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe, signed today, in the presence of the Secretary-General, Marija Pej?inovi? Buri?, the Protocol No. 16 to the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (CETS No. 214), bringing the number of signatures to 23," the Council of Europe press service reported on its website.

The protocol allows the highest courts and tribunals of a High Contracting Party to request to the European Court of Human Rights an advisory opinion on questions of principles relating to the interpretation or application of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or the protocols thereto.

It aims to strengthen the interactivity between the Court and the national authorities, as well as the implementation of the Convention, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

The Council of Europe Office in Azerbaijan has been assisting and overseeing the implementation of co-operation activities with Azerbaijan since its establishment after the countrys entry into the Organisation on 25 January 2001. It also provides information on relevant activities of the Council of Europe to the general public and its partners.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that there is no alternative to resolving tensions with Armenia through constructive dialogue, the Foreign Ministry reported on November 18.

Bayramov made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Swedish counterpart, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde on November 18.

"Bringing to the attention of Minister Ann Linde that Armenia did not respond to Azerbaijan's appeal to start the delimitation process on the basis of the principles of international law, Jeyhun Bayramov said that there is no alternative to resolving the issue through constructive dialogue," the ministry said.

Linde expressed concern over the tensions on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border on November 16 and called on both sides to refrain from escalation and engage in a constructive dialogue.

Bayramov described the recent tension on the state border with Armenia as the latter's provocative step against Azerbaijan. He briefed the Swedish counterpart about Armenias military provocations against Azerbaijan starting since November 8, 2021.

He drew Linde's attention to the former Armenian defence minister's illegal visit to Azerbaijani territories, the concentration of about 60 Armenian military personnel in the direction of Azerbaijans military positions in Lachin region, the attack by Armenian terrorists on the Azerbaijani post near Shusha, Armenias ongoing shelling of Azerbaijani army positions in Kalbajar and Lachin.

Bayramov stressed that the Armenian military-political leadership bears sole responsibility for escalating the regional situation and blocking the fulfilment of the trilateral statement.

Furthermore, the two ministers focused on preparations for the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Stockholm, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

Seven Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and 10 were wounded during military operations on the state border with Armenia on November 16.

On November 17, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border has stabilized since the evening of November 16.

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres, and historic Shusha city.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani and NATO military experts have discussed military education under the Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), the Defence Ministry reported on November 18.

The working meeting of the military officials was held in line with the NATO-Azerbaijan joint action plan to support the development of Azerbaijans military education system, the report added.

The military education specialists of the Defence Ministry and the Alliance exchanged views on the activities carried out in Azerbaijans military education field throughout 2021 during the meeting held at the War College of the Armed Forces.

The sides evaluated the planning and implementation of activities for the coming year and analysed new prospects and cooperation plans for the future.

Following the meeting, the guests visited the Azerbaijan Military Academy named after national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The officials discussed the future development of the military education system and a number of issues related to military education methodology.

Moreover, joint briefings on the experience gained in military education spheres were conducted.

Relations with NATO started in 1992 when Azerbaijan joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. This forum for dialogue was succeeded in 1997 by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which brings together all Allies and partner countries in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Bilateral cooperation began when Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 1994. Thanks to regular participation in PfP activities, Azerbaijan has been able to contribute actively to Euro-Atlantic security by supporting NATO-led peace-support operations.

Azerbaijans participation in the PfP Planning and Review Process (PARP) since 1997 has allowed NATO and individual Allies to assist Azerbaijan in developing selected units to improve interoperability with those of the Allies.

NATO and Azerbaijan started work on a jointly agreed Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) in 2008 to integrate NATO standards into the teaching methodologies and curricula of the countrys Professional Military Education (PME) institutions.

In 2018, Azerbaijan asked NATO to also involve the Military High School, a pre-commissioning school, in DEEP.

Cooperative activities, reform plans and political dialogue processes are detailed in Azerbaijans Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), which is jointly agreed upon.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijans Land Forces have conducted command and staff drills, the Defence Ministry reported on November 19.

The drills were conducted under the approved annual combat training plan, the report added.

During the exercises, units were brought to the different levels of combat readiness and withdrawn to the designated areas. The command and control bodies were deployed in the area, the ministry said.

As a part of the drills, multiple combat tasks were fulfilled to improve the interoperability among the units, to boost the commanders swift decision-making and command management abilities, as well as their uninterrupted combat management skills.

Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve its military personnels combat readiness.

The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.
By Trend

The events on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan show that the situation in the region is still unstable and the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is required as a guarantor of stability in the region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov. 18 at an expanded meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Trend reports referring to TASS.

The president stressed that the role of Russian diplomacy is increasing in making further efforts to settle disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in restoring economic ties in South Caucasus and transport corridors.

I think that the prospects are not bad, the president said. All regional countries, including Russia, are interested in the long-term settlement of these problems.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Training and methodological sessions have been held for the Azerbaijani army's young officers serving in relevant positions of military units, the Defence Ministry has reported.

Under the sessions plan, classes were arranged to improve the tactical and decision-making skills of the officers, who graduated from the Azerbaijani Military Academy named after Heydar Aliyev and the military medical faculty of Azerbaijan Medical University in 2021, the report added.

The ministry said that the classes were conducted in a way similar to real combat conditions.

Following the verification of their practical skills in several military specializations, the officers attended theoretical classes.

Theoretical teachings were concentrated on military personnel's psychological training and the outcomes of the 44-day war's information battle with the enemy, the ministry underlined.

Furthermore, the combined arms, special, and physical readiness of the officers involved in the sessions were tested, as well as their physical endurance was also checked. It was noted that the young officers showed high results during the sessions.

At the closing event, the results of the training and methodological sessions were analysed and the importance of the sessions was emphasized.




By Trend

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed confidence during a joint press conference with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde that a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia will be held, Trend reports on Nov. 19.

You have said that according to the Kremlins comment on a possible upcoming trilateral meeting, a consensus is required for this meeting, Lavrov said.

I can confirm that to obtain a consensus, all those who are going to meet must agree with this, the Russian foreign minister added.

Lavrov has expressed confidence that such a meeting will be held.
By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev has said the Azerbaijani-Russian friendship is of great importance for ensuring security in the South Caucasus, TASS reported on November 19.

He made the remarks at the Baku-hosted meeting of the Russian-Azerbaijani expert council on November 19.

"The history of relations between the two countries has deep roots. The friendship between Azerbaijan and Russia is strategic cooperation and it is very important for ensuring security in the South Caucasus," he said.

The presidential aide noted that the current level of Baku-Moscow relations corresponds to the historical traditions of Azerbaijan and Russia and ensures mutually beneficial cooperation.

Hajiyev also stressed the great role of the Russian-Azerbaijani expert council for the development of the dialogue between the two countries. Meanwhile, he stressed that a third party can join the cooperation of Azerbaijani and Russian experts.

In November 2020, through Russia's mediation, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire deal to end the 44-day war. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

Azerbaijan and Russia have mutual cooperation in different fields, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. More than 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Earlier this year Azerbaijan participated in a number of international exhibitions held in Russia. The Azerbaijani-Russian trade turnover amounted to $2.6 billion in 2020, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner. Additionally, Azerbaijan is a major supplier of fruits and vegetables to Russia.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkeys Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu has said that the Touristic Eastern Express train will resume its trips on December 15, 2021, Yeni Shafak has reported.

The train has suspended its activities since the middle of March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Karaismailoglu said.

He underlined that the first express train on the Ankara-Kars line will run from Ankara on December 15 and from Kars on December 17. Moreover, the trains will depart from Ankara on Wednesdays and Fridays, from Kars Fridays and Sundays, he added.

Karaismailoglu said that two trains will be run per week and the number of trips and wagons of the train is being determined in line with the passenger demand. The train will run from Ankara at 1555 and from Kars at 2220. The train only consists of sleeping and dining cars, the minister stressed.

He noted that 37,000 passengers had traveled on the train since their first trip. Karaismailoglu drew attention to the fact that the Ankara-Kars express had been described as one of the four most beautiful train routes in the world by travel writers.

The minister stressed that the 1,300-km Ankara-Kars route provides passengers with the opportunity to see historical and cultural values while enjoying different flavors during the 32-hour travel.

He added that the tourist express offers opportunities not only for Kars but also for the discovery of Sivas, Erzurum and Erzincan.

On the Ankara-Kars line the train makes a three-hour break, which enables the travelers to visit the cities such as Ilic, Erzurum, Erzincan, Divri?i and Sivas, Karaismailoglu emphasized.

Furthermore, the passengers also can explore the natural and cultural venues such as Karanlik Kanyon, Uc Kumbetler, Cifte Minareli Medrese, Ani Arkeolojik Alani, Divrigi Ulu Camisi, Gok Medrese among others, he added.

Travel lovers have the opportunity to witness not only the historical richness but also taste the gastronomic richness of Turkey, Karaismailoglu said.

Established on May 29, 2019, the Touristic Eastern Express is implemented in cooperation with Turkeys Culture and Tourism Ministry together with the Transportation Ministry and the TCDD railway company to contribute to the development of tourism in the country.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Turkeys border guards in the Ighd?r-Aghr? section of the Turkey-Iran state border actively use the latest technological weapons and equipment produced in the country to prevent irregular immigration and smuggling, as well as to fight terrorism, Yeni Shafak has reported.

The members of the Turkish Armed Forces are protecting the state border with Iran despite the harsh terrain and climatic conditions using all the possibilities of modern technologies.

The servicemen prevent all kinds of illegal crossings such as terrorists, drugs, illegal goods, diesel and irregular immigrants.

The commandos carry out reconnaissance and surveillance operations by applying weapons and equipment developed by Turkish engineers in their duties to find and neutralize terrorists.

The guards constantly inspect the firewall for external elements such as terrorists and smugglers trying to enter Turkey through caves and tunnels.

The personnel uses an underground imaging device of which software and hardware are produced entirely by domestic means. Thanks to this device as well as thermal and magnetic sensors, the border guards can detect possible caves and tunnels.

Furthermore, the domestic armored personnel carriers Vuran and Kirpi 2 are also the biggest supporters of the border guards, enabling them to patrol the region safely and quickly.

High-tech weapon systems and thermal cameras in armored vehicles produced by ASELSAN are also used effectively on the borderline.

The national production unmanned aerial vehicle Gozcu ensures that the area scanning is carried out effectively and fast. Moreover, the vehicle also has the ability to send the ammunition it carries to the target with its autonomous flight and detonate it at a specified distance.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

For the first time, Global Health Summit & Awards will be held in Baku.The ceremony will take place at the Fairmont Baku on November 21.

The Global Health Summit & Awards recognizes representatives of the medical field and health.

The event is organized by Company "Reputation Inc" and business platform "Millionaire Concept Network".

The project aims at introduction of the professional doctors to the public, evaluation of their activity.

Global Health Summit & Awards will bring together popular doctors and other medical workers from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Georgia and European countries. Various medical brands will also take part in the Gala Night.

Chairman of the management committee of the Health Federation of Africa Dr. Mohamed El Sahili and Anil Tasdemir, who is the director of "BossLife" magazine are expected to address the Gala Night.

Moreover, a summit will be held within the Global Health Awards.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az.
By Trend

The information disseminated in some media and social networks about the alleged cancellation of disability and the cancellation of pension payments to 200,000 citizens does not correspond to reality, the chairman of the State Medical-Social Expertise and Rehabilitation Service under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan Anar Bayramov said at a press conference on the work carried out in the field of disability assessment and rehabilitation, Trend reports.

According to Bayramov, the disseminated false information is aimed at casting a shadow on the measures taken in the field of transparency in the assignment of disabilities and causing distrust of the relevant structure.

"Social payments for disability in general did not stop. They stop only after the expiration of the period of disability. If a citizen expires the period of disability, he must timely collect the necessary medical documents so that the referral was entered into the electronic system from the moment of expiry of the period of disability," Bayramov said.
India's Forgotten Assyrian Bishop

In St. Mary's Orthodox Church or 'Cheriyapally' in Kerala's Kottayam town, the recent deciphering of a nearly 300-year-old inscription on a wooden plank, has shed light on the long forgotten connection between Kerala and a Persian Bishop from the early 1700s known as Mar Gabriel. During his time in Kerala, Mar Gabriel became an important spiritual and political entity, with nearly 22 parishes associated with him and he developed considerable influence with the Dutch colonial powers.

History of the Nasranis

Christianity established itself in Kerala within the first century A.D, and the local Christian community known as the Nasranis made connections with various ancient Christian communities in Persia, Syria, Asia Minor. The Nasranis used an ancient language known Syriac in their liturgy, which led to them being referred to as Syrian Christians. The Syrian Christians of Kerala had links with the Church of the East or the Persian Church, which was based in Mesopotamia, and later established itself as the main church in the Sasanian Empire. The Persian Church used Eastern Syriac Rite, which was also used among the Syrian Christians in Kerala as their liturgy.

Nestorius, the Archbishop of Constantinople in the 3rd century, began ruffling the feathers of the rest of the Christian clergy by arguing that Jesus Christ had both a divine nature as well as a human nature, and that Mary should not be viewed as 'Theotokos' (the Mother of God), rather as the bearer of Jesus, the human. In 431, Roman Emperor Theodosius II conveyed the meeting of council of Christian Bishops in Ephesus (in modern day Turkey) to discuss the theological views of Nestorius. The Council of Ephesus condemned the teachings of Nestorius, also known as Nestorianism, as heresy. This was reiterated by the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

However, the Persian Church refused to consider Nestorianism as heresy, and viewed Nestorius as a saint. The tensions between the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire also influenced the straining relations between the Vatican and the Persian Church. In 424, the Persian Church declared itself independent from the Roman Catholic Church. The Persian Church spread across parts of modern day Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Central Asia, and even parts of China. Nevertheless, the Church slowly went into decline, which was only hastened by the military conquests of the Timurid Empire.

Syrian Christians in India were forcibly brought under the Catholic Church by the Portuguese who took control of parts of Kerala in the 16th century. However, a section of the Syrian Christians resisted and fought for their independence. In order to get recognition from other churches, the leader of the dissident Syrian Christians, Mar Thoma I sought to build a relationship with the Church of Antioch. In 1665, the Patriarch of Antioch (the head of the Church of Antioch) recognised Mar Thoma as the Bishop of the Malabar region. In this period, the hold of the Portuguese had considerably weakened due to the conquest of the Dutch East India Company in Kerala. The Dutch assisted the local Syrian Christians in establishing ties with Antioch. The Syrian Christians under Mar Thoma adopted The West Syriac Rite, as followed by the Church of Antioch, which was distinct from the East Syriac Rite of the Persian Church.

Mar Gabriel's Mission

The Patriarch of the Persian Church, Eliya X, decided to send Bishops to Kerala to revive the East Syriac liturgy. Therefore, in 1705, Mar Gabriel, a Nestorian Persian Bishop from Baghdad, was sent to Kerala. Interestingly, in a letter written by Mar Gabriel, he mentions that the Persian Patriarch in 1700 had sent Bishop Mar Symons to Malabar. However, before Symons arrived, he sent a letter declaring his intent to visit the region. This letter was intercepted by some Roman Catholics, who captured the Bishop and imprisoned him in Pondicherry. Following this tragedy, the Patriarch sent Mar Gabriel for the mission to Kerala. It is also possible that Mar Gabriel was senior to most Bishops in Persia, as the British Resident G.T Mackenzie in the Travancore Manual mentions that Mar Gabriel was the Archbishop of Oburbigan, a See under the Church of the East.

Mar Gabriel went to Thekkumkoor Kingdom in present day Kottayam and joined the St. Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral in Changanassery. He tried to seek recognition from the local Roman Catholic officials but they never fully trusted him. Eventually, he was made to leave the church in in Changanassery after it was revealed that Mar Gabriel was in fact a Nestorian, which was viewed as heresy. He then proceeded to join Cheriyapally in Kottayam in 1708. Cheriyapally, built in 1579, is the second oldest church in Kottayam and is held in high regard by the local the Syrian Christian community.

Inscription about Mar Gabriel in St. Mary's Orthodox Church or 'Cheriyapally' in Kerala's Kottayam town.

Relations with the Dutch

Mar Thoma's successor, Mar Thoma IV, found his position challenged by the presence of Mar Gabriel who he viewed as a rival and a heretic. He therefore wrote to the Patriarch in Antioch complaining about the "Ninevite" Gabriel's presence and how his clergy was not well equipped to counter Gabriel's theological knowledge and skills. The letter was sent via the Dutch, who did not transmit it to Antioch, perhaps owing to their comfortable position with Mar Gabriel, who they viewed more as an ally than as a threat.

Mar Gabriel's ability to build political relations with the Dutch made him a power centre in Kottayam. He once wrote to Jacob Canters Visscher, a Dutch Chaplain, an account of the history of the Syrian Christians. In his letter, he claims that there were several Christian priests from Baghdad, Ninevah and Jerusalem who came to the Malabar region to provide leadership to the native Christian community. He writes about how in the 1500s the Portuguese tried to bring the Syrian Christians under the authority of the Catholic Church, and when this was resisted, they persecuted the Syrian Christians. According to the letter, a Portuguese Bishop named Alexio went to Cochin to make Syrian Christians accept his authority, and when he failed, the Portuguese persecuted the Syrian Christians and bribed the King of Cochin to stop him from helping the Syrian Christians. The arrival of the "justice-loving" and "peaceable" Dutch, who defeated and drove out the Portuguese, is described as a godsend by Gabriel. The person being referred to as "Alexio" is probably Aleixo de Menezes, the then Roman Catholic Archbishop of Goa.

Visscher in one of his letters provides us the only surviving description of Mar Gabriel. In his letter he wrote:

"Mar Gabriel, a white man, and sent hither from Bagdad, is aged and venerable in appearance, and dresses nearly in the same fashion as the Jewish priests of old, wearing a cap fashioned like a turban, and a long white beard. He is courteous and God-fearing and not at all addicted to extravagant pomp. Round his neck he wears a golden crucifix. He lives with the utmost sobriety, abstaining from all animal food. His house, rather a large one for the habits of the Malabar people, is situated on a hill in the kingdom of Tekkenkoer. He holds the Nestorian doctrine respecting the union of the two natures in our Saviour's person."

Mar Gabriel also used his political connections with the Dutch to make several interventions. Dr Jincy Othottil in her research has highlighted how in 1708, when there were problems between Syrian Christians in Kandanad and the Raja of Cochin, Mar Gabriel wrote to the Dutch Commander to help resolve the issue. In 1709, he once again wrote to the Dutch Commander to help defuse tensions between the Syrian Christians and Roman Catholics. In 1727, the Dutch sent a missive to the rulers in Malabar to ensure that the Syrian Christians are not harassed. This could have been the result of Mar Gabriel's repeated letters to the Dutch.

Syrian Christians discontent with Mar Thoma IV began to follow Mar Gabriel. Nearly 22 churches came under his influence. He also tried introducing traditions of the Persian Church. It is said that during his stay in Cheriyapalli, the three day-feast, a ritual of the Persian Church, was observed. He used the donations of the devotees to purchase paddy fields, and the rice that was harvested from the fields were used for the feast. He also advocated allowing priests to get married and to discard the Catholic custom introduced by the Portuguese which prescribed celibacy for priests.

In 1729, Mar Thoma IV's successor, Mar Thoma V, wrote to the Dutch Commander in Cochin complaining against Mar Gabriel. The Dutch requested one of their distinguished chaplains, Rev. Valerious Nicolai to sort out the problems between the two bishops. Nicolai wrote to Mar Gabriel and to Mar Thoma, pointing out that both of them were following heresy and offered to show them the 'true way.' Mar Gabriel responded negatively to this unsolicited advice, whereas Mar Thoma said that he could not deal with doctrinal issues without the permission of his Patriarch in Antioch.

A legacy forgotten

On 8th February, 1731, Mar Gabriel passed away and was buried in Cheriyapally. As he had not appointed a successor, the mission to re-establish the Eastern Syriac Rite as the dominant liturgy also ended with his death. A feast was observed every year in memory of Mar Gabriel, until this practice was later abolished by Patriarch of Antioch. Unfortunately, those who viewed Mar Gabriel as a heretic due to his Nestorian beliefs, destroyed his tomb in Cheriyapally. The debris from the tomb was later used for building the staircase of the office building of Cheriyapally. A wooden plank which supports the staircase, with the old inscription about the burial of Mar Gabriel in Cheriyapally is now the only remaining historical artefact connecting the history of Kerala with the forgotten Persian Bishop.
China needs coal to end its energy crisis. Given its stagnant economy, Russia is betting on Chinas needs. While Beijing is encouraging the use of "clean" coal, its efforts to break from the polluting material are in danger. Putins Russia is now playing second fiddle to Xis China.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  China and Russia are ready to jointly develop coal deposits on Russian territory. The commitments by the two governments at the recent COP26 in Glasgow seem to have already been forgotten.

Beijing needs coal for its power plants at a time when it is struggling to overcome an energy crisis that has badly affected its economy since August.

After years of economic stagnation, aggravated by the persistent COVID-19 emergency, Moscow needs to raise cash. Exporting its mineral wealth and natural resources is the only real source of foreign currency for the former Soviet power.

Coal shortages and related price increases are the main reasons for ongoing power blackouts in China.

In order to meet the targets for reducing harmful emissions, many Chinese provinces have curbed coal production.

Together with India, China demanded that the COP26 final communique refer to "reduction" and not "elimination" of the use of coal in the coming years.

The agreement with Russia and the US$ 31 billion in credits that the Chinese government has promised to encourage the use of "clean" coal (a myth for a large part of the scientific community) confirm doubts about Beijings real commitment to fight climate change.

Above all, the Chinese and the Russians have agreed to jointly manage the Zashulanskoe deposit in the Siberian region of Trans-Baikal. Moscow has also pledged to immediately increase coal supplies to its Chinese partner.

China must compensate for the loss of coal from Australia after banning it, sparking a trade war with that country.

Russian and Chinese authorities are also considering working together to exploit Russian oil and gas fields, both on land and at sea.

On Wednesday, during a virtual meeting with Russian officials, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng said that energy is the most important practical cooperation between the two countries, Xinhua reported.

During the same meeting, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stressed that Russian gas exports to China from the Siberian pipeline have gone from 4.1 billion cubic metres in 2020 to 12 billion this year.

At Beijing's request this month, electricity supplies also doubled to reach 555 million kilowatt-hours per month.

To counter the pressure from the United States and its allies, China and Russia have boosted political, economic and military collaboration.

A nuclear superpower with the economic system of a third world country, Russia now seems resigned to a subordinate role of exporter of raw materials to Xi Jinpings China.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Flooded in the Volga by the Soviets to build a large hydroelectric station. It has a glorious history. Father Paisij's great role in the reconstruction of Russia. An eventual discovery seen as a sign of the new Orthodox rebirth in the country.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Underwater expeditions are underway to verify the condition of the Monastery of the Protection of the Mother of God of St. Paisij, an ancient shrine submerged 100 years ago by the Soviets in the Volga River to build a large hydroelectric station.

The exploration is organized by the Regional Department of Economic Development of the Jaroslavl region in northern European Russia, with the blessing of Feoktist (Igumnov), local bishop of Pereslavl and Uglic.

The expedition which began on Nov. 15, is being conducted by professional divers, civil defense members and a group of historians. The Soviets finished the hydroelectric plant in the late 1930s under Stalin, under whom the destruction of ancient churches was a program of "demonstrative atheization." The complex was built using parts of the same monastery buildings, dismantling some of the walls. For the first time since the creation of the Uglic reservoir, there is a desire to discover what has remained underwater all this time.

The monastery has a glorious history, dating back to its foundation in the mid-15th century by the monk Paisij, sent by his uncle and spiritual father Makarij of Kaljazin, whose monastery was also sunk by the Soviets (the bell tower still emerges from the waters). The monastery of Paisij was one of the first stone buildings in the city of Uglic, one of the most important spiritual centers of Russia, which was reborn after the "Tatar yoke" of two centuries thanks to the monastic evangelization of the north. Its central church could accommodate over 2 thousand worshippers, and on its walls were several frescoes by the famous iconographer Andrei Rublev.

The monastery of Pokrov (Protection) had ended up in the midst of the "Times of Troubles" of the early 1600s, with the invasions of the Poles and the "fake-zars" in the power vacuum after the period of Ivan the Terrible. Its reconstruction after the clashes, in which over 60 monks lost their lives, again marked a rebirth of Orthodox Russia during the first patriarchal century. It was one of the most important sanctuaries and rich in monastic vocations, with a great impulse to the formation not only of monks, but also to the education of the people.

The director of the expedition, Dmitry Sirgaev, is known for organizing in the Upper Volga area a large eco-park called "Legends of the Forest". He emphasized that the idea of studying the sunken monastery came after a collective study of the history of the Uglic territory, in order to pass on the memory to future generations. In his opinion, "the spiritual influence of the monastery was enormous, and one cannot forget the great role of Father Paisij in the reconstruction of the whole country."

There have long been many legends about the actual preservation of the monastery's remains. Some believe that nothing has been saved; for others there are still the walls of the main church. Others claim that every now and then you can still hear the sounds of the ancient bell tower, originally 30 meters high. Mystery also surrounds the relics of St. Paisij, which may have been preserved in the underwater ruins of the monastery.

One of the oldest experts on the history of the area, Viktor Erokhin, a resident of Uglic, has made available many topographical maps with plans of the monastery before its destruction, along with photographs and other documents. In his opinion, at least the foundations and various architectural elements should be found: "We hope to find one of the beautiful golden crosses, it would be a sign of the new revival of the Orthodox faith in our country".
by Shafique Khokhar

Saad Rizvi was released from prison following agreements signed between the government and the Islamist party. The ban against the formation was also removed. Pastor Javed Maish: "TLP guilty of the death of several people".

Lahore (AsiaNews) - Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, head of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (Tlp), was released yesterday from the prison of Kot Lakhpat (Punjab) by decision of the High Court. After reaching the mosque of Rehmatul Lil Alameen, headquarters of the far-right Islamist party, hundreds of affiliates welcomed and greeted him.

Rizvi, son of the organization's founder, had been arrested on April 12 this year on terrorism charges. The TLP had organized violent protests to force the government to expel the French ambassador from the country after the publication of some satirical cartoons on the Prophet Mohammed. Two days later the authorities banned the fundamentalist group.

As a sign of protest, on October 22 the LTP began a march towards Islamabad along one of the main arteries of the country, demanding the release of its leader and the release of other detainees.

In the clashes that took place in Lahore and Gujranwala at least 7 police officers died and dozens of people were injured. Following an agreement between the Pakistani government and the Tlp, at the beginning of the month about 2 thousand members of the party were released; the ban on political participation was also removed.

On Nov. 10, Rizvi and the Tlp itself were removed "with immediate effect" from the anti-terrorism lists on which they had previously been placed by the government, the Punjab Interior Department said.

"The Tlp has been banned for on reasonable grounds," Javed Maish, pastor of Christ Savior Church in Essa Nagri, told AsiaNews. "The Tehreek-e-Labbaik is guilty of the death and injury of Law Enforcement personnel and innocent bystanders. Rizvi had been arrested to stop the violence, killings and property damage. I can do nothing but pray for peace and harmony in the country," the cleric added.
by Nirmala Carvalho

India's prime minister has announced a u-turn on the disputed laws. Small farmers had been protesting for a year that subsidies and state warehouses would suffer under a new system they feared would favor monopolists. The president of the Indian bishops' labour commission: "The cry of the poor has been heard".

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The three contested agricultural market reform laws against which thousands of Indian farmers have been protesting for a year now will be withdrawn. This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech to the nation.

"We haven't been able to explain to our farmers. This is not a time to blame anyone. I want to tell you that we have taken the farm laws back," said the Prime Minister, urging farmers to return to their homes and fields. Modi further stated that his government "will continue to work for their welfare."

The government's turnaround comes as India approaches local elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for early 2022 and considered a crucial appointment for the Modi government, which has been weakened by the pandemic.

Passed on September 20, 2020, the three contested measures reduced subsidies to support agricultural products and limited the possibility of storing production in state warehouses, a system with many flaws but which offers guarantees to small producers since farmers are paid in advance by the State. The fear was that with the new scheme introduced by the Modi government, the agricultural market would end up in the hands of monopolistic groups.

For this reason, hundreds of thousands of farmers have mobilized in recent months, both locally and with oceanic demonstrations in Delhi, resumed in recent weeks after the blockades imposed by the pandemic.

Modi's decision was welcomed by the Indian Catholic Church, which had expressed support for the farmers' protests by meeting their representatives. Mgr. Alex Vadakumthala, bishop of Kannur in Kerala and president of the Commission for labor of the Bishops' Conference of India (Cbci) commented to AsiaNews: "We welcome this news, farmers are the backbone of the country. We were all worried because their cry had not been heard for a year. It is a signal in the right direction for the future.

"These agricultural laws - explains Mgr. Vadakumthala - were not written with the well-being of the people at the center and were becoming a burden. The Church is on the side of the poor, with those who suffer from any form of injustice in society. We help the last ones to make their cries heard and that is why I am happy that the request of the farmers was accepted."
by Melani Manel Perera

A recent survey by the Institute for Health Policy found that many Sri Lankans are dissatisfied with the economic situation and the handling of the COVID-19 epidemic. Many voters are disappointed by the government.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  One in four Sri Lankans would emigrate if given the chance, this according to a recent survey on the situation of the country that is trying to leave the COVID-19 epidemic behind.

Released on Wednesday, the results of the Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey, conducted by the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), reveal a certain malaise in Sri Lankan society.

The young and the educated are the ones who want to emigrate the most, with about one in two saying they want to leave the country. Of those who would like to emigrate, one in four intends to do so.

The IHP noted that the poll results confirm Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's recent remarks that young people who voted for the government are now waiting to get passports to go abroad.

Among adults who voted for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, however, the desire to emigrate is strongly influenced by level of education and income; the higher the latter, the greater the desire.

Overall, voters disappointed with the government are three times more likely than the president's loyalists to opt for emigration.

A certain pessimism about the economic situation and dissatisfaction with the government's response to COVID-19 seem to be the key factors in the disappointment of a section of the electorate.

Two thirds of Rajapaksa's former supporters expect the economy to worsen next year, while only 47 per cent of dissatisfied voters rate the government's response to the pandemic as good, compared to 74 per cent for loyalists.

Some people who are trying to leave the country have expressed their frustration.

"People have no money to eat or drink and maintain their family. No jobs, said Nihal Sarachchandra Hewag, who used to work in the United Arab Emirates and is now trying to emigrate with his family again.

The price of goods has skyrocketed, he noted. The resources of the whole country are being sold abroad secretly. The government isnt helping people to live freely."

There is no orderly control of the epidemic, said Nilakshika Tennekoon, a young scholar from the Open University of Colombo trying to go to Australia, speaking to AsiaNews.

Checks are made on the whim of our rulers and the country opens and closes at their wish. They are trying to kill our people, she added.

The survey shows that disappointed voters are also in favour of greater control measures against COVID-19.

For one in two, fewer than a hundred deaths a year would be acceptable if the restrictions were eased, compared with two-thirds of the president's supporters who believe a thousand deaths a year or more would be acceptable.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Ravi Rannan-Eliya, the lead researcher who developed the survey, explained that the data show that the policy change towards the coronavirus in early 2021 cost the government dearly in terms of support, with a majority of citizens preferring tighter controls.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
As the Federal Savings Bank continues to experience significant business growth, we have been working closely with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to upgrade our policies and procedures, John Calk said in an emailed statement. These enhancements have and will make the bank even stronger as we help our customers achieve the American Dream of home ownership.
Since schools fully reopened at the start of the new school year, the states mask mandate has been the target of volatile parent protests at school board meetings, with critics saying the COVID-19 mitigation strategy recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is harmful to students mental and physical health, and violates parental rights.
So yes, the message was very confusing, McNally said. It just became really difficult for anyone to know what to do  even patients with medical conditions and their caregivers. The age recommendation is also fairly arbitrary since the risk for someone 64 is not fundamentally different than for someone 65.
Sembrano said he thinks its the best version of Rey Gordo to date, but not because of the ingredients or the recipe. The key, he said, is small things in procedure itself, like mash temperatures and fermentation management  getting it really dialed in not with ingredients, but procedure.
"My first instinct was ... we're going too far now. They're actors. Actors are gonna act," he said. But then a wheelchair-using actor, whose name Noah doesn't mention, "completely opened my eyes" with something the actor wrote: "I understand what an actor is. I too am an actor. But I'm an actor in a wheelchair, and I never see parts that are leading roles for a person in a wheelchair. So the one time I see a role where there's a person in a wheelchair, I think, 'This could be it.' ... Because when you think about it on the flip side, they never call people with wheelchairs in to play able-bodied people."
Martinez also lamented that because the students who allegedly engaged in the sexual relationships with teachers were 18 years old, these will be cases that will be very difficult to prosecute. The inspector generals office said it contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services at least 22 times about allegations tied to the school and collaborated with the Chicago Police Department, but no criminal charges came about for various reasons outside the control of CPS and the OIG.
The board met for just half an hour before voting 17-0 in favor of the proposal, which saw only small changes since Preckwinkle unveiled it a little over a month ago. It was the second time Preckwinkle passed a budget without dissent during the coronavirus pandemic, which officials said had capsized county finances but did not inflict as much disaster as feared thanks to earlier fiscal decisions and federal stimulus funds.
I went abroad for the first time in my life not to attend your graduation ceremony, let alone your wedding celebration, but to attend your funeral, she said. You said you wanted to take me to see the world. You wanted me to witness your dreams. You wanted us to look forward to the future together.
I dont think its that kind of case, Richards said. Is it ever going to happen again? Is there ever going to be a total unrest in Kenosha or some other city and thats going to happen? I just dont see that. It was a case of self-defense, the right to protect ones self.  I dont know that theres any broader implications. I dont want to make it bigger than it is.
In the 2018 amended ordinance, Deerfields definition of an assault weapon includes, among others, semi-automatic rifles that have a fixed magazine with a capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition; shotguns with a revolving cylinder; and semi-automatic pistols and rifles that can accept large-capacity magazines and possess one of a list of other features. Among the dozens of specific models cited are the AR-15, AK-47 and Uzi, according to the ordinance.
You are here: Business

The first direct China-Europe freight train service linking southwest China's Guizhou Province and Russia's Moscow started service Thursday.



Loaded with goods including guitars, electronics and ceramics, the inaugural train is expected to arrive in Vorsino, Moscow on Dec. 3, according to Guizhou provincial commerce department.

There is no transit stop along the new route and the train will leave China via the land port of Manzhouli on the China-Russia border for its destination.

The new route is expected to cut the transportation time to 15 days, compared to 53 days by the sea.

Previously, goods in Guizhou mainly relied on China-Europe freight trains launched by cities including Chongqing, Chengdu and Xi'an to reach European and Central Asian countries.

The inland province plans to launch more China-Europe freight train services to destinations such as Poland and Germany.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced Thursday the successful offering of 3 billion U.S. dollars worth of green bonds denominated in U.S. dollars and euros.

The offering comprises 1 billion dollars of 10-year bonds denominated in U.S. dollars, 1.25 billion euros of five-year bonds and 500 million euros of 20-year bonds denominated in euros, with the 20-year tranche being the longest euro-denominated government green bond issued in the Asian region to date, as well as the HKSAR government's first offering of euro-denominated bonds.

Following a virtual roadshow on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, the green bonds were priced on Nov. 17, with the rate of returns for the 10-year bonds priced at 1.855 percent, five-year bonds at 0.019 percent and 20-year bonds at 1.059 percent.

Despite recent market volatility, the green bonds were well received by global investors. The 10-year bonds attracted 2.9 billion dollars in orders, while the five-year and 20-year bonds attracted over 2.2 billion euros in orders.

Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government, said the strong demand for the HKSAR government's green bonds underscores investors' confidence in Hong Kong's economic fundamentals and their support for the HKSAR government's efforts to combat climate change and achieve carbon neutrality.

The inaugural euro-denominated offering has allowed the HKSAR government to reach out to a new group of investors, he added.

The green bonds are expected to be settled on Nov. 24 and will be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. Proceeds raised will be credited to the Capital Works Reserve Fund for government projects that provide environmental benefits and support the sustainable development of Hong Kong.
French cosmetics brand L'Oreal Paris has apologized after consumers filed complaints over the price differences in the label's mask products during this year's Singles Day shopping spree.



Both Li Jiaqi, a top livestreaming host, and Viya, another top-tier livestreamer, issued statements on Nov. 17 that they will suspend all collaborations with L'Oreal's flagship store on Tmall, as the promotional prices offered during their livestreaming shows do not match the price that L'Oreal promised.

Nearly 20,000 consumers complained the mask products they purchased at the livestreamers' sales are more expensive than those offered at the L'Oreal flagship store on Tmall.

L'Oreal said in its reply on Nov. 18 that the company has set up a team to respond to inquiries from consumers and has been working with relevant government departments in a bid for solutions.

The international cosmetics label said after preliminary investigation that some consumers purchased the products at a lower price after pre-sale because they combined the benefits of various platforms and stores.

"We apologize again for the trouble brought to consumers by the complex sales mechanism," according to L'Oreal.

This year's sales growth has been slower on Tmall for the shopping festival. The 24-hour sales figure, or gross merchandise volume in e-commerce terms, was 540.3 billion yuan ($84.5 billion), a rise of only 8.45 percent year-on-year.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has underlined effective macro policies focusing on market entities to advance reform and opening-up and maintain a smooth economic operation.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a symposium on the economic situation attended by economists and entrepreneurs on Thursday.

China has encountered multiple challenges since the beginning of the year, including COVID-19, severe floods, rapidly rising commodity prices, and the tight supply of electricity and coal, Li said.

With the concerted efforts of all market entities, China's economy saw a steady recovery on the whole, and this year's main targets including increasing jobs would be achieved, Li said.

The economists and entrepreneurs in attendance offered suggestions on measures to stabilize exports, promote the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ease rising raw material costs pressure, and promote enterprise innovation.

The premier called for further tax and fee cuts to solve problems for manufacturing enterprises, SMEs, and self-employed people to solve problems, while supporting their innovation and upgrades.

Emphasizing policies to support coal-fired power enterprises to ensure stable power supply, Li also called for targeted measures to strengthen economic operation adjustments to alleviate the pressure transmitted to downstream SMEs by rising commodity prices.

It is necessary to advance reform and opening-up amid efforts to withstand difficulties and pressures by spurring market entities' vitality, Li noted.

China will improve efforts to support new forms of foreign trade such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses. China will also improve policies to support imports and exports and keep the RMB exchange rate stable at an appropriate and balanced level, he said.

Vice Premier Han Zheng attended the symposium.
You are here: China

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Thursday to review documents including the National Security Strategy (2021-2025), regulations on awarding military honors, and the 2021 advisory report of the national science and technology advisory commission.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

To safeguard national security under new circumstances, a holistic approach to national security should manifest, and a new security structure should be formed, the meeting said.

With political security prioritized, the country will coordinate efforts to protect security in major sectors and regions, including political, economic, social, sci-tech, and other emerging areas.

No concession will be made on issues concerning China's core interests and national dignity. The country's sovereignty, security, and development interests should also be resolutely safeguarded, the meeting noted.

The regulations on awarding military honors aim to inspire all service personnel to strive for the centenary goal of strengthening the armed forces, the meeting said.

It emphasized that the fundamental principle and system of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces must be upheld.

The meeting also called on the national science and technology advisory commission to closely observe and study the development of science and technology at home and abroad, conduct in-depth research on the country's sci-tech strategies, and promote innovation.
Eligible groups to receive a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines will be expanded to cover more people in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced Thursday.

All people who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, with the second dose received at least 180 days ago can make reservations for as well as receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccines starting from Nov. 23.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Thursday reported four new imported cases of COVID-19, taking the total confirmed cases in the financial hub to 12,395.

A total of 39 cases have been reported in the past 14 days and all were imported, according to the CHP.

Since the launch of the government inoculation program in late February, around 4.69 million people, or 69.6 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of the vaccines, while around 4.49 million, or 66.7 percent are fully vaccinated.

A total of 64,104 people have taken the booster shot in Hong Kong.
On Dec. 2, trains will start running along the China-Laos railway. The network links China's Kunming in Yunnan province to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Cutting through what was once a difficult journey, the railway line will become the fastest and most modern route into the country. Its high-speed trains will run at 160 kilometres per hour, and its freight trains at 120 kilometres per hour.



Laos is landlocked, surrounded by mountainous terrain and lacking seaports. Such an unfavourable location and minimal infrastructure have hampered Laos' economic prospects, despite its development in tourism and agriculture.

However, all that is about to change once the China-Laos railway is inaugurated, which has carved its way through the mountains to establish a rapid transit and commercial link between the Southeast Asian country and the world's second largest economy, creating a new output for trade, business, tourism and commence. As the largest project of its kind ever built in Laos, it is a showpiece of economic integration throughout the broader region. It stands out as a signature project of the Belt and Road Initiative, making the two countries not just neighbors on a map, but neighbors in practice too.

Prior to this construction, the primary trade and export route for the economy of Laos has been through its southern border with Thailand, which whilst near the capital of Vientiane, relies on a road and rail route to Bangkok. It also has four cross-border roads into Vietnam to the South too. However, these rural routes are aging and time consuming. So far, there are no major highways into China due to the mountainous terrain, which has traditionally made the logistics of exports challenging, expensive and uncompetitive.

The China-Laos railway creates the first ever freight and transit railway connecting Laos northwards into China's Kunming, which is expected to provide a gateway into the rest of China and its southern regions. This ensures Laos with access to a huge market that did not exist before, significantly broadening the scope of its export and business partners beyond its traditional associates of Thailand and Vietnam. Considering China's advanced infrastructure and broader international clout, this will also provide more opportunities for the goods of Laos to reach the rest of the world. In other words, it is a gamechanger for the economy of Laos, giving it capabilities and opportunities that it never had before.

Above all, this project demonstrates the success of how the BRI is transforming regions through economic integration, overcoming geographic obstacles and bringing countries closer together, unleashing potential and making it possible for countries to reimagine their economic future.

Infrastructure is an investment in the future, one which ultimately pays off through creating exports, jobs, development and momentum. The China-Laos project is a connecting piece which brings together a continent, delivering mutual gains to multiple countries in the process. Hopefully, it will allow this landlocked country to become an exporting and manufacturing powerhouse.

Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
 Flash

China on Thursday expressed strong protest over and firm opposition to Lithuania's approval of the establishment of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania", according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that the Lithuanian government, in disregard of the Chinese side's strong objection and repeated dissuasion, approved the establishment of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania" by the Taiwan authorities. This act created the false impression of "one China, one Taiwan" in the world, flagrantly violated the one-China principle, and renounced Lithuania's political commitment in the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs.

"The Chinese government expresses strong protest over and firm objection to this extremely egregious act, and will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lithuanian side shall be responsible for all the ensuing consequences," said the spokesperson.

There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, said the spokesperson, adding that China demanded the Lithuanian side to immediately correct its wrong decision.

"We also have this stern warning for the Taiwan authorities: Seeking 'Taiwan independence' by soliciting foreign support is a totally misguided attempt that is doomed to fail," the spokesperson said.
 Flash

Iraqi security forces on Thursday arrested eight militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group, including a local leader, in separate anti-terror operations, the Iraqi military said.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, a commando force from the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) arrested an IS local leader in the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

According to intelligence reports, the local leader is responsible for the coordination of the extremist group's activities in the provinces of Anbar and Kirkuk, the statement added.

Moreover, the CTS forces captured seven IS militants in separate operations in the provinces of Anbar, Kirkuk, and Nineveh, said Yahia Rasoul, the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces.

Rasoul revealed that five of the arrested militants were captured in Anbar, one each in Kirkuk and Nineveh.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the Iraqi forces defeated IS in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
 Flash

Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister.



The joint drill constitutes deterrence against any party with ill intentions against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in addition to reflecting interaction and cooperation among Kuwaiti, Saudi and U.S. military forces, the minister said in a statement.

Mohammad Al-Dhafiri, Commander of the Kuwait Army Ground Force, said that the exercise included seminars, and practical and field exercises to achieve the desired goals and implement joint ground operations to achieve consistency in the participating units at the operational and tactical levels.

Fahad Al-Mutair, Commander of the Saudi Land Force, said that various military and field operations were carried out in preparation for raising the readiness and capabilities of the participating units to defend the security of the Gulf region and to enhance joint military cooperation.

For his part, U.S. Army Central's Commanding General Ronald Clark said that during the past days the participating soldiers gained knowledge through conducting various military exercises, in which they learned how to communicate at military levels and acquired new tactics and techniques.

The "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise kicked off on Nov. 7 in Kuwait with the participation of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Kuwaiti Land Forces, and the American Spartan Force.
GiveSendGo.com Inspires Radical Giving

NEWS PROVIDED BY

GiveSendGo

Nov. 19, 2021

BOSTON, Nov. 19, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- GiveSendGo.com, the world's #1 Christian crowdfunding site, is covering all its third-party processor's fees on Giving Tuesday, November 30, 2021, making it the best day to create and give to a campaign on GiveSendGo.

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement designed to unleash the power of radical generosity worldwide. GiveSendGo is encouraging the public to get involved in Giving Tuesday by either creating a campaign for a need in their community or by giving to a campaign, or multiple campaigns, on Giving Tuesday.

"As a crowdfunding site, giving is what we're all about. Since the conception of Giving Tuesday we have found it to be an initiative we can get behind, because we know we're called by God to be Givers." said co-founder of GiveSendGo, Jacob Wells. "Giving Tuesday is a reminder we can be intentional about seeing the needs of others and giving to those needs."

Daily challenges of giving are also being shared on GiveSendGo's social media platforms to inspire the public to not only be dedicated to giving on GiveSendGo's website on Giving Tuesday, but also to live a life of joyful giving, recognizing the needs in their own neighborhoods and communities.

"We're doing these challenges and covering processing fees on Giving Tuesday because we want to be an example of giving, not just a platform for it," said co-founder of GiveSendGo, Heather Wilson. "While thousands of people around the world join in on Giving Tuesday we believe as Christians we should be the leaders in giving, as we know how much God has given us."

Wilson said GiveSendGo is a platform that encourages people to work together to make a positive difference in the world.

"Something amazing happens when people come together to meet a goal," Wilson said. "That's the whole premise of GiveSendGo.com."

For those wanting to start a campaign during the month of November, GiveSendGo is sharing their Giving Tuesday toolkit with pre-made templates for people to use to promote their campaign. To access our Giving Tuesday toolkit and for more information on this initiative, visit GiveSendGo's Giving Tuesday landing page at www.GiveSendGo.com/site/giving-tuesday#.

To schedule an interview or to request more information about GiveSendGo please contact PRESS@GiveSendGo.com.

SOURCE GiveSendGo

CONTACT: GiveSendGo, 302-857-0093, PRESS@GiveSendGo.com
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Self Storage Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Self Storage Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Self Storage Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Self Storage Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Self Storage Market is projected to expand by healthy CAGR of 4% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunity & Trends of the Market:

Definition

Self Storage is one type of business or industry where storage spaces known as storage units in the form of rooms, containers, lockers etc. are rented out to the tenants on the basis of short-term or long-term contracts. The spaces are rented for both personal and commercial usages and most storage facilities offer insurance for purchases. The self storage spaces are safer than ware houses as the spaces are secured by locks which storage company employees do not have access to and can only be opened by the key or code given to the tenant of the space.

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=830

Market Drivers

The growing need to store agricultural and industrial goods due to the fluctuating business cycle is the main drivers behind the growth of Self Storage Market. Just as there are times when sale is very high and it is necessary to store products beforehand so that supply can meet the demand at that time, there are times when sale is not very good and products need to be kept in the inventories. As a result storage spaces has become a necessity now-a-days. Sometimes storage spaces such as lockers are needed for personal usage too. All these reasons are driving the growth rate of Self Storage Market high.

Beside this, the rapid urbanization, growing population, rising per capita income and rising concern over storing things away for later use are also some of the key players behind the rapid growth of the Self Storage Market.

Aside from these, the governmentally granted permissions for the business and agricultural firms to be able to store as much as the firms want and rising foreign investments in the Self Storage sector are also adding fuel to this increasing market growth.

The regular introduction of different and brand-new types of Self Storage Spaces and Services with better technology, qualities and durability in different sizes and price range to satisfy the varying tastes of the customers is also attracting new consumers and thus helping the growth rate of Self Storage Market to rise high. The convenience and efficiency of self storage spaces is also helping in the expansion of the said market.

Market Restraints

The Self Storage Market has a huge potential. Though it is expanding very fast day by day, many things are preventing it from using its full potential. Some of these restraints are

High prices of the raw materials, high installation, maintenance and repairing costs and high cost of R&D activities resulting into high rents of the premium quality end products.

Lack of security.

Unavailability of these products in many regions.

Lack of awareness about the availability and benefits of the Self Storage Spaces and Services in the developing countries.

Lack of penetration in the largescale industrial market as the industries have their own storage spaces.

Opportunities

The Residential Self Storage Segment has a lot of opportunities to grow in the forecast period as the concern over storing stuffs for future use is rising rapidly. The commercial sector will face a boom too but it would be relatively lower than that faced by the residential sector as it would be mainly caused by small and medium scale industries who do not have adequate space or resources to store their products at their company premises. The shot-term contractual rents sector will face relative higher growth rate as it is more preferred by the small scale sectors for its low costs.

Trends

During the forecast period, Asia Pacific followed by North America and Europe are expected to have the largest share of Self Storage Market. The demand for these products in the Asia Pacific region is driven by its expanding small and large scale industrial sector, growing population and rising disposable income among individuals. Rising concerns over proper storage of stuffs to make business sale and personal lifestyle easier are also driving the growth. It is also believed that on the basis of product type, the concrete rooms and metal lockers segment will have the largest share for its low prices, provided security and high demand and efficiency and convenience. The medium and small storage units are also expected to rise significantly in the said time for its low cost and high demand among small scale industries and individuals.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Self Storage Market encompasses market segments based on material type, product type, service type, location type, storage unit type, contract term, application, end usage, distributional channel and country.

By Material Type the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Wood

q Metal

q Concrete

q Glass

q Plastics

q Others

By Product Type the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Rooms

q Containers

q Lockers

q Others

By Service Type the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Climate-controlled Self Storage

q Non-climate-controlled Self Storage

q DIY Moving Truck Rental

q Full-service Moving

q Others

By Location Type the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Indoor

q Outdoor

By Storage Unit Type the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q High Storage Unit

q Medium Storage Unit

q Low Storage Unit

By Contract Term the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Short-term Contracts

q Long-term Contracts

q Others

By Application the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Household

q Vehicle

q Business

q Others

By End Usage the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Personal

q Commercial

By Distributional Channel the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q Offline

q Online

q Others

By country/region, the global Self Storage Market has been divided into:

q North America (the U.S., Canada),

q Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

q Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

q Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

q Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

q AECOM

q CubeSmart

q Life Storage, Inc.

q Metro Storage LLC

q National Storage Affiliates

q Prime Storage Group

q Public Storage

q Safestore Holding PLC.

q Simply Self Storage Management LLC

q StorageMart

q Urban Self Storage

q U-Haul International, Inc.

q World Class Capital Group LLC

q W.P.Carey Inc.

others have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Self Storage Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Few Recent Developments

CubeSmart

The North American real estate investment trust CubeSmart, established in 2004, has been investing a lot in self storage facilities. The company has recently opened up an 89,000 sq. ft. storage space of worth USD 7.5 million in Lantana, South Florida in September, 2018. The self-storage space has up to 750 spaces and is expected to grow more depending upon the demand. Depending on the size of the space, The storage units are priced between USD 68 to USD 363 a month. As of December, 2019 the company owns more than 524 properties in more than 24 states across the USA.

Life Storage Inc.

Headquartered in New York, USA, the real estate investment trust Life Storage Inc. is one of largest providers of self storage facilities in the entire world and has ranked 4th largest in USA in 2019. The company has acquired 18 properties in Arizona, Nevada, and Tennessee in June, 2017 and a property for USD 6.93 million in the Tampa in April, 2019 to expand its business. As of December, 2019, the company owns 854 properties in total. In July, 2018, the company has also announced to go digital to save the customers trouble of standing in line and wasting time by providing them a fully digital platform to inspect, select and pay the rent online.

Metro Storage LLC

The North American company Metro Storage LLC has been known as one of the most successful market players in Self Storage Market for the past 40 years. The company has recently announced the purchase of a more than 95,000 sq ft land in Minnesota in 2020. They also have started construction on a 100% climate-controlled self-storage facility with an offering of 908 storage units, LED lightings, modern lock and security systems and surveillance cameras etc. facilities. They have also opened up their 7th New Jersey Self Storage Facility Store in July, 2020 with both climate-controlled and non-climate-controlled offerings.

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/self-storage-market/830#tableOfContent

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Self Storage Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Self Storage Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of different type of models, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Self Storage caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Self Storage Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Self Storage Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Self Storage Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Tea-based Skin Care Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Tea-based Skin Care Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Tea-based Skin Care Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Tea-based Skin Care Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Tea-based Skin Care Market is projected to expand by healthy CAGR over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunity & Trends of the Market:

Definition

Skin care products that are produced with significant utilization of natural tea and its variants like white tea, green tea, hibiscus tea, spearmint tea and oolong tea is known as tea-based skin care products. Tea is a rich source of beneficial properties that aids a variety of skin care issues. Magnesium, manganese, potassium, folate, tannin, caffeine, Vitamin E and Vitamin B are some of the vitamins and minerals that are richly imputed in tea. These makes it fit for skin care treatment.

Market Drivers

The surging health awareness among the consumers is providing the initial impetus to the tea-based skin care market. The consumers are increasingly getting aware with regard to the harmful influence of the synthetic chemical products that are incorporated in inorganic skin care products and their adverse influence on the human health which is driving this market.

The benefits associated with the deployment of tea-based skin care products is fueling the growth of this market. It consists of antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory properties. It lowers the rapidity of the aging process. It hydrates the skin and does away with the probability of eczema, acne, and other shin related concerns. It improves the texture and tone of the skin owing to it being an excellent astringent property. It defends the skin from the harmful effects of the sun and UV rays. The use of tea-based skin care product accrues numerous benefits to the user which is charging up the growth of this market.

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The soaring employment of the female population in the workforce has indirectly charged up the growth of this market. Further, the upsurge in the purchasing power of the individual around the globe and the skyrocketing middle-class population especially in the developing nations has accelerated the growth of this market.

The use of synthetic chemical products has negatively impacted the environment. Growing environmental concerns among the millennials and also rigid directives of the government aimed at environment conservation is supporting the growth of the tea-based skin care products.

Market Restraints

The use of tea-based skin care products has led to side effects of the users. Side effects include rashes and allergies which is hindering the growth of this market.

Tea-based skin care products are of immoderate prices. The prices of these organic products are extravagant relative to that traditional skin care products and skin care products that make use of synthetic chemicals. These premium prices make it beyond the reach of consumers with low and average income and threatening the growth of this market.

Local and regional brands provide such tea-based skin care products to consumers at a low price and of low quality. They also tend to imitate the packaging style of leading brands. This attracts the unaware consumers and is severely straining the growth of this market.

The cut-throat competition among the market players results in the chances of adopting unfair practices that is impeding the growth of this market.

Opportunities

Rapid urbanization and transitioning of the lifestyle patterns of the people is expected to provide good chances to kickstart operations in this market.

Packaging plays a pivotal role in attracting consumers. New and exclusive packaging with aesthetically pleasing labeling is expected to provide ample opportunities to this market.

The penetration of internet and social media is expected to provide lucrative opportunities to this market for adopting new selling and advertising techniques and widening consumer base.

Trends

In terms of revenue, the Asia Pacific region holds a significant share accounting to 30% and is expected to continue its domination and even emerge as the fastest growing region in the forecast period. The presence of tea plantations that has resulted in the ample supply of raw material coupled with the association with natural skin care products for a length of time in the past, for example Ayurveda in India are the main reasons behind such progress. Moreover, the presence of leading players of this market and their attractive promotional techniques have positively led to the growth of this region. The facial skin care segment holds a significant position and is projected to dominate in the forecast period owing to the soaring need for visual aesthetics and the penetration of social media platforms. The Face mask section is expected to register massive growth. Globally, the tea-based skin care products market is expected to grow at CAGR of 7.5% in the forecast period.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Tea-based Skin Care Market encompasses market segments based on product type, distributional channel and country.

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By Product Type the global Tea-based Skin Care Market has been divided into:

q Body Care

q Facial Care

q Others

By Distributional Channel the global Tea-based Skin Care Market has been divided into:

q Online

q Offline

o Convenience Stores

o Supermarkets/Hypermarkets

o Others

By country/region, the global Tea-based Skin Care Market has been divided into:

q North America (the U.S., Canada),

q Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

q Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

q Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

q Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

q Unilever

q Schmidts Naturals

q Avon Products

q Lu Ming Tang

q AmorePacific Corporation

q Natura & Co.

q Purity Cosmetics

q Organic Tea Cosmetics Holdings Co Ltd

q ArtNaturals

q LOreal S.A.

others have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Tea-based Skin Care Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Few Recent Developments

Unilever

In June 2019, Tatcha LLC was acquired by Unilever. The prime objective of this acquisition was the expansion of its organic skin care products business globally. This acquisition resulted in the expansion of its tea-based skin care products.

Schmidts Naturals

In July 2018, a jasmine tea scent body wash was launched by Schmidts Naturals. The aim of this lauch was to improve its market presence.

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Tea-based Skin Care Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Tea-based Skin Care Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of Type of models, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Tea-based Skin Care caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Tea-based Skin Care Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Tea-based Skin Care Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Tea-based Skin Care Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/tea-based-skin-care-market/916
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Sunflower Wax Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Sunflower Wax Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Sunflower Wax Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Sunflower Wax Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Sunflower Wax Market is projected to expand by healthy CAGR over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunity & Trends of the Market:

Definition

Sunflower Wax is derived from the different segments of the sunflower plant. These waxes are organically obtained during the process of derivation of sunflower oil. Sunflower wax primarily comprises of a variety of FA esters and fat-based alcohols. It is obtained through the process of winterization of oil. Sunflower Wax is mainly situated in the hull of sunflower seeds. The composition of sunflower seed is determined by the type and origin of sunflower seeds and the proportion of hull taken from the sunflower plant. It is a hard wax with a high melting point.

Market Drivers

Sunflower Wax being a vegetable wax is highly demand. Awareness among consumers to consume nature-based products is driving the demand for organic wax that is sunflower wax.

On account of the pale color and low odor of sunflower wax, it is gaining momentum as a replacement of candelilla wax, carnauba wax and rice bran wax.

The capacity to bind oil, non-stickiness, its role as a thickener and stabilizers is making possible its wide spread application in the food and beverage industry.

Also, sunflower wax is finding new areas of application in the cosmetics and wellness industry, foods and beverage industry and pharmaceutical industry owing to its natural content.

The widespread accessibility of raw materials namely sunflower seeds and sunflower oil is fueling the production of sunflower wax which in turn is fueling the sunflower wax market.

With the surging importance of aesthetic pleasure and the need for home decor, sunflower wax is used in the preparation of candles which is powering the growth of this market.

Apart from the above drivers, the expansion of the vegan population coupled with the rising health conscious population is propelling the growth prospects of the sunflower wax market.

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Market Restraints

Although sunflower wax can be used as replacement for candelilla wax, carnauba wax and rice bran wax but we cannot do away with the possibility of the reverse. That is, rice bran wax and carnauba wax have a great potential to act as a substitution for sunflower wax. This is severely restraining the growth of the sunflower wax market.

The sunflower market is highly fragmented as a result of the attendance of both regional players and major players. Despite the dominance of major players, the regional and local players that comprises of producers and manufacturers are gaining importance. This severely hinders the long run prospects of sunflower wax market.

Opportunities

The growth of the personal cosmetics and wellness industry coupled the penetration of internet and social media and the escalation of lifestyle blogging is a great opportunity for the growth of the sunflower wax market.

The deliberate actions of the people to ensure a healthy lifestyle and consume organic food to avoid adverse impact on human body is a great scope to expand the application of sunflower wax in the food and beverage industry. The association of health consideration together with the ever-increasing food and beverage industry can unfurl new opportunities for the sunflower wax market.

The broadening of vegan population owing to health issues and to avoid animal cruelty is a good set of circumstances for the sunflower wax market.

Trends

The market of North America is likely to have future growth prospects owing to the presence of a variety of cosmetics and personal wellness brands. The high standard of living of this region can positively influence the sunflower wax market. The Europe market is likely to show considerable growth owing to the rising demand of home decor, candles and many more. Moreover, technological advancement and research and development activities in this field is likely to develop the market structure in the forecast years. Also, the growing vegan population across the globe is likely to develop the market for sunflower wax

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Sunflower Wax Market encompasses market segments based on product type, application, and country.

By Product Type, the global Sunflower Wax Market has been divided into:

q Active Ingredients

q Specialty Additives

q Functional Ingredients

By application, the global Sunflower Wax Market has been divided into:

q Emulsions

q Mascaras

q Lipsticks

q Hair Care

q Others

By country/region, the global Sunflower Wax Market has been divided into:

q North America (the U.S., Canada),

q Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

q Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

q Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

q Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

q Strahl Pitsch

q Poth Hille

q ProTec Ingredia

q Natural Dog Company

q Henry Lamotte Oils

q Koster Keunen

q Goyel Chemical Corporation

q Popatlal Jeshingbhai And Co

q V H Trading Company

q Shree Krishna Lubricants

others have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Sunflower Wax Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Few Recent Developments

Avon Products

Avon Products launched a new cosmetic brand by the name Distillery. This brand provides nature-based products that are guaranteed to offer the said results. Distillery comprises of a liquid lip that is composed of sunflower wax which is supposed to be launched by 2020.

Koster Keunen

Koster Keunen has opened a new production site with the most advanced technology in Netherlands. This new production unit is committed towards the research and development of beeswax after removing pesticides. The impact of this on its sunflower wax segment is ambiguous to comprehend.

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Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Sunflower Wax Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Sunflower Wax Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of Type of models, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Sunflower Wax caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Sunflower Wax Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Sunflower Wax Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Sunflower Wax Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/sunflower-wax-market/789
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market is projected to expand by healthy CAGR over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunity & Trends of the Market:

Definition

Nitrile Gloves are derived from nitrile rubber. These gloves are more resistant to oils, acids and chemicals and are more durable and more strengthen than natural rubber gloves. Disposable nitrile examination gloves have witnessed significant demand during the Covid 19 pandemic. Nitrile Gloves are less prone to cause allergic reaction and puncture resistant.

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Market Drivers

The primary drive for the disposable nitrile examination gloves initiates by the policies mandated by the local and global agencies. Rising security norms and the strict adherence by the doctors, surgier, practitioners and the medical staffs to avoid the contamination, transmission and cross-contamination with harmful bacteria of the patient and to the patients is providing the initial impetus to this market.

The association of surging population, soaring proportion of the population suffering from chronic health hazards and the expansion of medical tourism empowering the growth of the disposable nitrile examination gloves market.

The flourishing healthcare sector, larger investment in both the public and private health care sectors, development of a sophisticated infrastructure for health facilities and the budget provisioning and increasing expenditure on healthcare from the governments end is fueling this market growth.

The rising predominance of contagious diseases and the frequent occurance of epidemics and pandemics like the Covid 19 and Swine Flu is expected to upsurge the use of disposable nitrile examination gloves market.

The superiority of nitrile gloves over the latex gloves on account of higher durability, better strength and flexibility, higher resistant to puncture and also the lower incidence of skin allergy is empowering the growth of this market.

The awareness among employees of various sectors like oil and gas, Pharmaceuticals, automotive finishing and chemicals industries to use nitrile gloves so as to avoid skin irritation and diseases coupled with the flourishing nature of these industries is empowering the growth of the market.

Market Restraints

The presence of only a handful number of companies that directly distribute disposable nitrile examination gloves to commercial institutions and healthcare centers is hindering the growth of the global disposable nitrile examination gloves market.

Nitrile examination gloves are made out of synthetic rubbers. The prices of synthetic rubbers and nitriles are highly volatile. This leads to the fluctuating and premium price of the final good thereby posing severe threat to this market.

Cut-throat competition and the possibility of toxic reactions in the gloves is impeding the growth of the global disposable nitrile examination gloves market.

Opportunities

Constant research and development in this field and sponsorships for R&D are improving developmental activities from the leading players. This is expected to improve product portfolio and offer customized gloves which is a great future prospects for this market.

With the upsurge of the E-commerce platforms, the supply of these products is taking place in real time and also the fast delivery option is paving down path for the growth of this market.

Health related concerns of the growing population around the globe is a lucrative opportunity for the expansion and establishment of a sound footing in the global disposable nitrile examination gloves market.

Trends

An examination made in 2019 shows that at present North America is a dominate market share. The USA has an approximate share of 30% of the global rubber gloves market. The Nitrile segment of the gloves market is put in motion. In the forecast period, Asia Pacific is expected to show significant progress because of the thriving healthcare sector and food and beverages sector. According to Operational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the healthcare segment, pharmaceutical sector and research laboratories is likely to witness the broadening the application of the disposable nitrile examination gloves market. The use of powdered gloves is banned on January 2017 by the American FDA. This implies that the non-powdered section is projected to witness growth prospects. Chlorinated Nitrile examination gloves are also estimated to witness market progress.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market encompasses market segments based on product type, component type, texture type, product finish type, end use and country.

By Product Type the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q Non-Sterile

q Sterile

q Powdered

q Powder-Free

By Component Type the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q Butadiene

q Acrylonitrile

By Texture Type the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q Aggressively Textured

q Micro-Roughened

q Smooth

By Product Finish Type the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q No Finish

q Polymer Coated

q Chlorinated

By End Use the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q Food Processing

q Oil & Gas Construction

q Healthcare

q Manufacturing

q Automotive

q Others

By country/region, the global Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market has been divided into:

q North America (the U.S., Canada),

q Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

q Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

q Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

q Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

q Rubberex Corp Bhd

q Top Glove Corporation Bhd

q Halyard Health

q Cardinal Health

q Ansell

q Costco and 3M Company

q Kimberly Clark

q Walgreens

q Harbor Nitrile

q Hardy 9 Mil

others have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Few Recent Developments

Rubberex Corp Bhd

In May 2020, Rubberex Corp Bhd announced a plan to shoulder a private placement with the aim of raising USD 7 million in order to expand the nitrile gloves production segment.

Top Glove Corporation Bhd

In June 2019, Top Glove Corporation Bhd made an announcement to launch its brand-new powder free, environment friendly, medical glove, the BioGreen Biodegradable Nitrile Gloves.

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of Type of models, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/disposable-nitrile-examination-gloves-market/866#tableOfContent

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Disposable Nitrile Examination Gloves Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/disposable-nitrile-examination-gloves-market/866
Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Chilled Water Storage System Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Chilled Water Storage System Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Chilled Water Storage System Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Chilled Water Storage System Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Chilled Water Storage System Market is projected to expand by a healthy CAGR of 5.6% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunity & Trends of the Market:

Definition

Chilled water storage system is a storage container made of steel, concrete, plastic etc., usually used to store water at temperature ranging from 4.40 Celsius to 5.60 Celsius with the help of conventional chillers. The system can be installed both under and above the ground and can hold water based on its building material, usually bigger sizes are made from concrete and smaller ones from plastics or steel. At the time of discharge, the cold water at the bottom of the cistern is equally replaced by warm water at the top of the cistern inside a Chilled Water Storage System. The Chilled Water Storage System also has a stratified layer installed inside of it. These systems are used in many places like agricultural, power generating, industrial, construction sectors etc. to store and provide cold water whenever needed.

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Market Drivers

Growing need to maintain heat density at the oil & gas refineries, power generating and automotive manufacturing industries are the main drivers behind the rapid growth of the Chilled Water Storage System Market. The expanding agricultural and construction sectors are also playing very important role in the growth of the Chilled Water Storage System Market. The rising need for chilled water in air cooling system is another key player in this.

Beside this, growing population, rising per capita income and rapid urbanization are also some of the key factors behind the rapid growth of the Chilled Water Storage System Market.

Aside from these, rising awareness regarding increasing water scarcity and foreign investments in the said sector are also adding fuel to this increasing market growth.

The regular introduction of different and brand-new types of end product with better qualities, more storage space, better cooling technology and insulation and in different price range to satisfy the varying tastes and consumption abilities of the customers is also attracting new consumers and thus helping the growth rate of Chilled Water Storage System Market to rise high. The convenience and efficiency of Chilled Water Storage System is also helping in the expansion of the said market.

Market Restraints

The Chilled Water Storage System Market has a huge potential. Though it is expanding very fast day by day, many things are preventing it from using its full potential. Some of these restraints are

? High cost of raw materials.

? High installation, maintenance and repairing cost.

? High cost of R&D activities.

? High cost of the premium quality end products.

? Non-durability of many end products under extreme weather conditions.

? Unavailability of enough space to install these products in many regions.

? Unavailability and lack of awareness about the benefits of Chilled Water Storage Systems in the rural areas of the developing countries.

Opportunities

The Chilled Water Storage System Market growth is mainly based on the consumption of these products in power sectors, refineries and automotive manufacturing sectors. Due to the rising water scarcity now-a-days the water collection and storage segment has a very high demand and many opportunities. Followed by this the power and energy sector will have the second largest market share due to increase in demand for power supply.

Trends

During the forecast period, Asia Pacific is expected to have the largest share of Chilled Water Storage System Market. The demand for these products in the Asia Pacific region specially in China, India, Japan, Thailand etc. is driven by its growing need in the expanding agricultural, construction and industrial sectors of these countries. Rising population, high per capita income and rapid urbanization are also driving this market growth. It is also believed that on the basis of end usage, the municipal and industrial segment will have the largest share for its high hemicellulose content, demand and efficiency and convenience. It is also expected that by material type concrete segment will see a very high growth rate in future for its strength, durability, efficiency and low cost.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Chilled Water Storage System Market encompasses market segments based on material type, product type, portability, application, end usage, distributional channel and country.

By Material Type the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Steel

q Fiberglass

q Concrete

q Plastics

q Others

By Product Type the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Stratified Tank System

q Multiple Tank System

q Diaphragm Tank System

q Others

By Portability the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Portable Water Storage

q On-site or Non-portable Water Storage

By Application the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Water Storage and Collection

o Rainwater Storage

o Wastewater Collection

o Hydraulic Fracture Storage and Collection

o Others

q Agricultural

q Industrial

q Building and Constructions

q Petrochemical

q Automotive

q Power Generation

q Others

By End Usage the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Personal

q Commercial

q Industrial

q Municipal

By Distributional Channel the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q Supermarkets and Hypermarkets

q Online

q Others

By country/region, the global Chilled Water Storage System Market has been divided into:

q North America (the U.S., Canada),

q Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries),

q Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries),

q Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries),

q Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

q Wessels Company

q Cooling Tower Systems, Inc.

q Cool Water Technologies

q Delta Cooling Towers, Inc.

q Brentwood Industries, Inc.

q Johnson Controls

q Liang Cooling Tower Sdn Bhd and King Sun Industry Co. Ltd.

q Paharpur Cooling Towers Limited

q Berg Chilling Systems Inc.

q Horus Air Moving Co. Ltd.

q KingSun Industry

others have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Chilled Water Storage System Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Few Recent Developments

Wessels Company

The Wessels Company, headquartered in Greenwood, Indiana, has been dominating the world market for Chilled Water Storage Systems for a long time. The company has an excellent reputation for producing top quality chilled water HVAC systems. They also have been certified by ASME and meets the Japanese Inspection Standard (JIS) which has increased the trust of its consumer in the company even more. They also built chilled water buffer tanks or CBTs for smaller storage capacity with excellent cooling systems in a lower cost than chilled storage systems for the convenience of their customers.

Delta Cooling Towers, Inc.

In 1970 Delta Cooling Towers Inc., situated in USA and one of the leading market players in Chilled Water Storage Systems Market, was the first ever company to manufacture a seamless, non-corrosive, polyethylene cooling tower line with the invention of the Pioneer Series. Now the company has introduced another new line known as the Paragon Series Induced Draft Cooling Towers which has brought and expanded their single non-corroding cooling tower capacity up to 250 tons. The company has developed a packaged cooling system with closed-circuit cooling system, closed-loop system with plate heat exchanger to make the freezing system better and stop evaporation of water in a lower cost and with more efficiency.

Berg Chilling Systems Inc.

Since 1972, the Canadian company Beg Chilling Systems Inc. has been designing, manufacturing and installing thermal process control systems for various companies, sectors, countries and regions all over the world. The company has been focusing on R&D activities to make their products more durable and provide a better chilling system. The company is also trying to gain market power by expanding their business through various acquisitions of companies and signing contracts for cooperation.

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/chilled-water-storage-system-market/807#tableOfContent

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Chilled Water Storage System Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Chilled Water Storage System Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of different type of models, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Chilled Water Storage System caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Chilled Water Storage System Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Chilled Water Storage System Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Chilled Water Storage System Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/chilled-water-storage-system-market/807
Haryana, India (19-November-2021) There are several people stuck with the dying hopes of their business ventures. Internet is the master plan for such people to save the dying blossom of their business. You can multiply your reach and interact with more and more people for your services. Getting online on the internet registers your claim in cyberspace for providing your essential services to the people. Several professionals in the business like Exly provide the perfect platform for you to register yourself with your services. However, some fraud in the current online marketers needs to be avoided. This article with the overall goal to help you determine which ones will work best is here.

New Craze Of Internet Marketing

The technical advancements have made sharing your services and talent work online from your home. An artist looking to sell his artwork, teachers sharing his knowledge to educate others or any other professional looking to provide their service can now do this at a bigger platform from their home. There are several tools to take your business online, and some professionals in this segment give the best output. These service providers work perfectly to deliver your company's message out there in an effective way. Just pick the perfect site with features supporting your work plans and a large community reach. Online business is the easiest way to grow and boost your customer. Internet works at times when you are sitting back to relax. Some sites work from keyword research tools and social media monitoring software to content management systems and web hosting services.

Online Teaching Facility

Teachers struggle the most to share their facilities and reach more students. Live support is an additional feature that helps you get everything done online easily. There are millions of students looking for the best teachers and thousands of teachers looking to share their intelligence. These online service providing sites connect the suppliers to buyers. Online teaching facility has made education easily accessible for everyone. Teachers have the potential source to share their gift of knowledge. Easy accessibility, cheap courses, variety of educators and topics are some major advantages of online classes. The best part of online classes is the attractive package they offer, giving a chance to choose from their different packages and a free package with limited features on first sign up. A platform to appreciate your knowledge is what online service is all about.

Business Growth With Internet

No matter what business you are in, whatever your niche is, whatever products or services you offer, whatever your website looks like, and your target audience, you can easily find a reliable website like Exly to share your services. Even if the answer is not found in their free package, they have a very well structured and designed pro package to solve all your questions. Grow your business online today with different tools provided on these services providing websites. With internet technology, you can reach more, sell more and ultimately make more than usual. The most amazing thing about online marketing is that they also provide a very good affiliate program that offers a large amount of income to any affiliate who makes real sales.

After seeing this information, the logical thing to conclude is that going online to grow your business is by far the most convenient way of growing at a substantial rate. Your services, your talent is precious, and you only need a perfect medium to share your talent and make some earning from it. Not every move in business has a positive outcome, but with sheer dedication and online support, you can make your fortune.

Exly App

Website-https://www.exlyapp.com/
Gas Turbine Market Growth & Trends

The global gas turbine market size is projected to reach USD 35.02 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Supportive policies majorly determine the increasing demand for gas turbines in developing markets, such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) support scheme executed by Germany. The growing urbanization is triggering the development in the building & construction as well as cement sectors.

The projected growth in end-user industries is estimated to trigger the growth of the overall market. Key Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including Siemens Energy and General Electric, are expanding their distribution, operations, and after-sales facilities worldwide to boost the >200 MW capacity segment over the projected period. The power & utility segment is projected to experience growth in demand owing to the rising need for electricity across the globe.

Furthermore, most of the major countries worldwide are expected to switch to gas-based power generation from coal-based power generation due to a rise in environmental concerns. High energy loss resulting in lower efficiencies is expected to be a major factor affecting the growth of the open cycle technology segment. Even though these systems require less space, unfavorable environmental conditions significantly affect their component efficiency, thus lowering the overall system efficiency compared to combined-cycle units.

However, open cycle technologies are being preferred by some industrial end-users, so a rise in industrial activities in the forecast period will boost the growth of open cycle technology in the forecast period. The rising population is a major factor significantly impacting the power generation market in the Europe region. Growth in population and GDP are projected to attract various end-use industry players looking to expand their consumer base.

The major end users for gas turbines in Europe include power generation, oil & gas, mobility, petrochemicals, food processing, and pulp & paper. The market in Europe is likely to observe slow growth owing to factors, such as stalled industrial output affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the debt crisis, and growing unemployment. However, a positive outlook across Eastern Europe, in terms of consumerism and manufacturing, is expected to drive the market in the future.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Gas Turbine Market Report

Gas Turbine Market Report Highlights

In 2020, the power & utility emerged as the largest application segment and accounted for over 85% share of the global revenue

Increasing investments and new installations are resulting in the rising share of distributed power in the global energy mix hence propelling the market growth

The >200 MW capacity segment is poised to register the fastest CAGR of over 7% from 2021 to 2028, owing to the growing electricity generation activities across the world

In 2020, the open cycle application segment accounted for the highest revenue share of the overall market

Saudi Arabia is among the major end users in the MEA region due to the strong presence of gas turbine providers in the country, which are working on enhancing their market share

Access Press Release@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-gas-turbine-market

Gas Turbine Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global gas turbine market on the basis of capacity, technology, end-use, and region:

Gas Turbine Capacity Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

200 MW

>200 MW

Gas Turbine Technology Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Open Cycle

Combined Cycle

Gas Turbine End-use Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Power & Utility

Industrial

Gas Turbine Regional Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America US.

Europe Russia

Asia Pacific China India Japan

Central & South America

Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia Egypt



List of Key Players of Gas Turbine Market

General Electric

Siemens Energy

Mitsubishi Power, Ltd.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Ansaldo Energia

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

MAN Energy Solutions

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
CHICAGO, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- How can you get answers to solve business challenges more quickly and accurately? Today it has become impossible to sell a or develop a product or service without any kind of market research. Even more so after the COVID-19 pandemic, which was accompanied by tremendous amount of demand and supply chain disruptions. The period of self-isolation, lockdown, and contagion may be temporary but has had some permanent effects on consumer behavior. These new consumer behaviors effect all areas of customer's life. From how they work to how they shop and entertain themselves. These shifts in behavior affects all kinds of goods and services market in some way. Syndicated research reports paint a picture of what kind of innovations or trends can a particular product possess to be profitable for a course of time. For already flourishing product or company they provide an insight on what consumer behavior is like and recent changes in policies and regulations by government that can affect product demand. Explore Arizton's Portfolio Now! Here are examples of some companies that benefitted by using market research Lego had always been about boy pop toys previously, until an inhouse team of researchers conducted a 4-year study to come up with a product for female gender. The percentage of sales of female pop toys at that time was 9%. This market research studied girls' playing habits & patterns and included extensive questioning that would make Legos more interesting for girls. After the research Lego came up with a new product line called 'Friends'. The colours of bricks used in this line were more diverse and vibrant. The product also had a more appealing packaging for girls. They also increased the size of the figures so that they can accommodate accessories such as hairbrushes and makeup. The Danish toymakers were a hit amongst girls after product's release in 2012. Not just this, Lego Friends also became the reason why revenue in girl construction toys in U.S. and European countries tripled to USD 900 million in 2014 from USD 300 million in 2011. Apple is one of the largest names in technology products for years. This isn't because of just their innovations. Instead, it is because of their inhouse market research team 'Apple Customer Pulse' who finds out what customers exactly wants from Apple devices by conducting several studies and surveys. These surveys have led to several design modifications and innovations in Apple products. One of these innovations was for the phones to have bigger screens to view videos and games clearly.A Avail Exciting Thanksgiving Offers Now! Outsource Market Research?

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HYDERABAD: Justice Lalitha Kanneganti of Telangana High Court on Friday granted bail to Saranala Sreedhar Rao, the tainted managing director of Sandhya Conventions and Constructions & Estates Private Limited.

This is the second High Court respite for the realtor in three days.

Rao was arrested in Bangalore by Telangana police on November 17 following a FIR lodged against him on a complaint by Chaithanya Krishna Murthy Gogineni, a designator partner of Rowa & Company Associates LLP at Raidurgam police station. He alleged that the petitioner has sold two office units in Sandhya Techno-1 and later the same was encroached upon by the petitioners after joining hands with Incredible India Projects Pvt Ltd.

Rao approached the High Court on Thursday, for bail under Section 439 of CrPC. However, in the absence of the remand report, the petition was adjourned to Friday.

Justice Lalitha expressed displeasure at the functioning of the investigation officer of Raidurgam police station, who, in violation of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, took custody of Rao. The judge advised the public prosecutor, Prathap Reddy to urge senior police officials to sensitise their staff about the Criminal Procedure Code.

M.S. Prasad, senior counsel representing the petitioner, complained about the highhanded behaviour of the police. He said that the petitioner was arrested in Bangalore by police in civil dress without following due procedures. He expressed fears that PT warrants could be issued against his client.

Meanwhile, public prosecutor Pratap Reddy argued that the bail petition itself was not maintainable. But as the court was inclined to hear the case on its merits, he said that there are 17 other cases and complaints against the petitioner, including allegations of cheating people. The police had no other option but to arrest him immediately. He also submitted that the petitioner was absconding from the time he got the first court relief.

Justice Lalitha wondered why the petitioner was not arrested without issuing 41a notice when there were criminal antecedents. She took note of the fact that the Raidurgam inspector had served notice and arrested the petitioner on the same day in another case and that the concerned magistrate had rejected the remand faulting police.

The judge said The conduct of the inspector makes it clear that he is unaware of the criminal procedure and Supreme Court guidelines in the Arnesh Kumar case.

The judge directed the Inspector to file a counter, responding to the violations.
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh High Court has made it clear that it will go into legality of two acts  Decentralisation of AP and Repeal of APCRDA  apart from the procedure adopted by the AP government in formulating these acts.

The three-judge division bench, comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy and Justice D.V.S.S. Somayajulu, continued its hearing on the issue of capital city Amaravati for the fourth consecutive day here on Thursday.

The bench observed that it would no longer go into details of suitability for setting up the capital city at a place, as the main issue is not related to these places. The justices advised advocates to argue on legality of the two acts.

Petitioners counsel V. Muralidhar Rao contended that though the government acquired lands from farmers with an assurance to build the capital city with international standards, it is now backtracking with some mala fide intentions. He submitted that the government had finalised the capital city Amaravati based on recommendations of Sivaramakrishnan Committee report after taking into consideration its strategic location.

Muralidhar Rao argued that the government is now raising the issue of regional inequality if Amaravati is developed. This stand goes against the fact that the then government had resolved in 2014 to develop megacities and smart cities in several regions of the state.

Another counsel for petitioners B. Adinarayana Rao argued that Sivaramakrishnan Committee had left the choice to state government on selection of a place for developing the capital city. Accordingly, the then government selected Amaravati as the location.

Adinarayana Rao submitted that it is for the first time in the country that farmers voluntarily offered 33,000 acres of land to develop the capital city. As such, the government should honour the sacrifices of farmers. In this context, he pointed out that though Tughlaq and Akbar relocated their capital cities elsewhere, they had to subsequently restore the capitals at their original places.

Interestingly, the Chief Justice commented that whatever they speak in a lighter vein while hearing arguments, these comments are being highlighted prominently in the media. This is causing a lot of inconvenience, as they are forced to clarify their comments outside the court.
Farmers celebrate after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repealing of the three Central farm laws, at Singhu Border in New Delhi, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, and appealed to the protesting farmers to return home.

Addressing the nation on the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi insisted that the laws were in the benefit of farmers and then apologised to people of the country while adding that the government could not convince a section of farmers despite its clear heart and clean conscience.

"There may have been some shortcoming in our efforts due to which we could not explain the truth, as clear as the light of the diya, to some of our farmer brothers," he said.

Noting that it is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, he said it was no occasion to blame anyone.

"I have come to tell you that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws. In the upcoming Parliament session starting at the end of this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal the three farm laws," Modi said.

"I would request all my protesting farmer friends, today is the auspicious day of Guru Purab, return home, to your fields and family and make a new beginning, let us move forward afresh," he said.

The goal of the three farm laws was to empower farmers, especially small farmers, the prime minister said.

He listed various steps taken by his government for the welfare of small farmers and pointed out that the agriculture budget has risen by five times with over Rs 1.25 lakh crore being spent annually.

Modi said that he had seen the challenges faced by farmers very closely in his five decades of public life and therefore when the country gave the opportunity to serve as 'Pradhan Sevak' in 2014, he gave top priority to agriculture development and farmers welfare.

The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of formal dialogue with the farmers, had maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer, while protesters claim they would be left at the mercy of corporations because of the legislations.

The ruling BJP will hope that the decision to repeal the three laws will cancel out the political headwinds it has encounters in Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, two states which are going to the polls early next year.

The decision will also help former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh in sealing his expected alliance with the BJP for the polls.

Many farmers had been protesting and were encamped at Delhi's borders since November 2020 with a demand that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee MSP for crops.

SKM welcomes decision to repeal farm laws

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal the three farm laws.

It also said that the SKM will take note of all developments and will hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions.

"Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures," the SKM said in a statement.

The farmers' body said if the farm laws are formally repealed, it will be a historic victory of the one-year long farmers' struggle in India.

"The agitation of farmers is not just against the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. This important demand of farmers is still pending," it said.

The SKM added that the demand of the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill is still pending.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the aegis of various farmers unions have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws.

The farmers' body said that nearly 700 farmers have been martyred in this struggle.

"The central government's obstinacy is responsible for these avoidable deaths, including the murders at Lakhimpur Kheri, SKM said in a statement.

Farm union welcomes government's decision to repeal farm laws

The Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) Ugrahan faction welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal the three contentious farm laws.

"It is a good move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Gurupurab," Joginder Singh Ugrahan, the leader of BKU's Ugrahan faction, told reporters.

On the prime minister's appeal to protesting farmers to return to their homes, Ugrahan said, "Farmers' unions will sit together and decide the future course of action."

BKU(Ugrahan) is the largest among the all protesting farmers unions and are protesting at the Tikri border. Ugrahan faction of the BKU has sizeable presence across Punjab.
Bengaluru: Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to repeal the three contentious farm laws as 'freedom for farmers', former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each of the farmers who 'martyred' during the agitation.

In a series of tweets, the stalwart Congress leader hailed those who staged took part in the agitation and compelled the Centre to withdraw the 'anti-farmer laws'.

"Narendra Modi & the BJP has withdrawn anti-farmer laws - a result of relentless opposition by farmers & @INCIndia. My sincere thanks to all the farmers, Congress leaders & concerned citizens of our country," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

"Now that the BJP has finally realised their mistake & withdrawn anti-farmer laws, it is time to give justice to the farmers who martyred during the struggle. I urge @PMOIndia to announce Rs 25 lakh to the deceased farmers. Farmers have finally got their independence!" Siddaramaiah added.

Terming the announcement of repealing the farm laws and an outcome of democracy, he said, "No matter how strong a dictator is, he will have to finally bow down to people in democracy. Freedom for Farmers!"

Former Chief Minister and JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy too welcomed the decision of Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of withdrawal of three agricultural laws, which was drawing the ire of the farmers is a welcome sign. Centre getting 'enlightenment' is a good development," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

He however, wondered why the government unilaterally brought the law into force and then withdrew it suddenly.

"Repeal of the black laws is his historic and a victory of farmers. For more than a year, the farmers had staged protests on the border of Delhi. The centre too had committed inhuman cruelty on them. Many precious lives were lost. Farmers fought amidst cold, rain and scorching summer," Kumaraswamy said.

He cautioned the Centre that it should be honest and sincere in its decision as there were assembly elections in five states.

"This decision should not prove to be a 'high drama' for 'harvesting votes'. The Prime Minister should have promised that he will not enforce these black laws in a different form," the JD(S) leader tweeted.

He also said that the Prime Minister should have apologised for the deaths of farmers from different parts of the country during the agitation.

Kumaraswamy demanded stringent action against those who committed atrocities on farmers.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Centre deciding to repeal the three contentious farm laws, calling it a victory of the farmers' protest.

In a democracy, people's will has to be respected, he said in a tweet, responding to Modi's announcement made through a televised address to the nation.

"I wholeheartedly welcome Hon'ble @PMOIndia 's decision to repeal the three anti-farmer laws. History teaches us that people's wishes shall prevail in a democracy. I congratulate all the farmers & bow down to their determination for having achieved this through Gandhian means," Stalin said in a tweet.

He recalled the ruling DMK piloting a resolution against the three farm laws in the state Assembly earlier and said it was a matter of pride that the party stood by the peasants.

With the announcement coinciding with the birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Stalin said the farmers have "shown the world this is the soil of Indira Gandhi by taking up" the protests to "win their rights."

The PMK also welcomed Modi's announcement.

Party founder Dr S Ramadoss took to Twitter and said the "decision taken in the interest of the farmers is welcome."

This was a victory for the farmers, who had braved many difficulties including harsh cold, he said, adding the nation will develop only if the farmers did.

MDMK founder Vaiko said the Centre had "kneeled" due to the farmer's year-long protest and dubbed the the PM's announcement as a "massive victory" for them.

Addressing the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, the prime minister said the three laws were for the benefit of farmers but "we couldn't convince a section of farmers despite best efforts."
The civic body collects library cess as part of its property tax collections, as provided for in the The Telangana Public Libraries Act of 1960. Representational Image. (DC Image)

HYDERABAD: The election code that is presently in vogue ahead of the MLC posts has come as a dampener to one of the most silent, and almost obscure, sectors-the public libraries.

The adverse impact of the poll code is such that Hyderabad City Grandhalaya Samstha (HCGS) is compelled to forgo their eagerly awaited annual feature for the third successive year, albeit for different reasons.

According to Padmaja Potluri, secretary of HCGS, the election code has prevented libraries from celebrating National library week, held every year from November 14 to 20. The previous two years were lost to Covid-19.

Despite fund crunch, the public libraries have been attempting to turn a page for the better. However, HCGS officials pointed out that grants they receive from GHMC will only help meet ends.

GHMC is supposed to devolve eight per cent of the property tax it collects for maintenance and upkeep of public libraries in its jurisdiction. The civic body collects library cess as part of its property tax collections, as provided for in the

The Telangana Public Libraries Act of 1960.

The Samstha gets Rs 95 lakh from the government every quarter that takes care of salaries and pensions while another Rs 4 lakh it receives every quarter is earmarked for salaries of outsourced employees.

Currently, the Samstha has 79 full-time and 39 outsourced employees. Positions of those who have retired over the years have not been filled.

The GHMC provides Rs 15 lakh every month for buying of newspapers and periodicals, payment of water and electricity bills, covering the 83 libraries under it. Around 10 libraries are in rented buildings, while eight function from rent-free buildings.

B. Avinash Rao, a senior assistant with the Samstha, said to survive the competition from television and mobile phones, all our libraries need a facelift, more staff and books catering to all aspirations.

M. Padmanabha Reddy, secretary of Forum for Good Governance, said, The library cess should be spent only on books and developing libraries. The government should ensure that this money is not diverted to other activities.
Claiming that the Centre was able to achieve the distinction of administering 111 crore vaccine doses as of Sunday during the Covid-19 pandemic, Shah stated that this was a big achievement and an example of cooperative federalism. (DC Image)

Tirupati: Union home minister Amit Shah said Indias development could not be imagined without the contributions of states of southern India.

Shah on Sunday chaired the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meeting held at Taj Hotel in Tirupati. In his opening remarks, Shah said the ancient culture, traditions and languages of southern states of India enriched the countrys ancient legacy.

The Modi government respects all regional languages of India and therefore at todays SZC meeting we made arrangements for translation into all languages of the states that are in the Southern Zonal Council, he said adding that he would be happy to see delegates feeling free to speak in the language of their state in the future.

Claiming that the Centre was able to achieve the distinction of administering 111 crore vaccine doses as of Sunday during the Covid-19 pandemic, Shah stated that this was a big achievement and an example of cooperative federalism. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision to leverage cooperative and competitive federalism to achieve all round growth in the country, he added.

When the pandemic began, it was said that India would not be able to cope with it. However, the country quickly ramped up its health infrastructure as well as domestic production of vaccines under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Today, we have overcome fear about the pandemic and the Union government will continue to do everything possible to cover all states under the vaccination programme, he maintained.

He said the Zonal Councils were advisory bodies in nature and yet they had been able to successfully solve many issues. The Zonal Councils provided an opportunity for interaction at the highest level amongst members, he added.

In the last seven years we have held 18 meetings of Zonal Councils, compared to the very few meetings held earlier, he informed, adding that now meetings of different Zonal Councils were convened regularly and this could happen only with the cooperation of all state governments as well as Central ministries and departments.
TRS chief and chief minister Chandrashekar Rao is yet to declare the party's candidates for the 12 MLC seats. (DC File Image)

Hyderabad: Elected representatives of the ruling TRS are giving sleepless nights to the party leadership by threatening to contest the upcoming MLC polls under local bodies quota independently to press for their demands.

The party leadership has roped in ministers and MLAs to pacify them.

The Election Commission has, on November 16, released a poll notification to hold elections for 12 MLC seats under local bodies quota. The last date for nominations is November 23 and the polling will be held on December 10.

The elected representatives of urban and rural local bodies, namely sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, ward members, councilors and corporators are eligible to vote in these elections. There are over 5,500 voters in these categories. Of them, about 90 per cent belong to the ruling TRS alone.

TRS chief and chief minister Chandrashekar Rao is yet to declare the party's candidates for the 12 MLC seats.

However, the elected representatives who are angry at the state government for not giving them priority, powers and funds in their respective villages and mandals, are threatening to contest the polls independently if their demands are not met.

Surprisingly, the voice of dissent came first from the undivided Medak district, which is represented by none other than KCR and minister Harish Rao.

The MPTCs and ZPTCs from this district held a meeting and threatened to contest the MLC polls independently if their demands were not met. Soon, the dissidence within TRS spread to other districts. With this, the party chief has roped in panchayat raj and rural development minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and in-charge ministers of respective districts to hold talks, pacify them and prevent them from filing the nominations.

Dayakar Rao on Thursday invited the leaders of MPTC and ZPTC associations to the ministers' quarters in Hyderabad and held talks with them. He assured them to look into all their demands by holding talks with the CM very soon and asked them not to contest the MLC elections.

Rao pacified them by saying the TRS government recently enhanced their salaries significantly and is ready to consider their other demands positively. However, association leaders are yet to come up with their

response on the minister's assurances.
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao seems to have had the last laugh in the ongoing tussle with the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over paddy procurement, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the repeal of the three farms laws.

With the Prime Ministers announcement coming just a day after Chandrashekar Rao threatened to mobilise support of farmers and political parties to the nationwide agitation against the farm laws, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) was quick to give credit to its leader for the Fridays development.

The Chief Minister already got a shot in the arm with the Centre on Thursday expressing its inability to procure more paddy and asking states to encourage alternative crops to paddy and wheat. This is in sharp contrast to the state BJP leaders asking farmers to grow paddy and demanding that the state government procure till the last grain.

Ministers, MPs and other elected representatives queued up since the Prime Ministers announcement to claim the credit. Ministers K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao saluted the farmers for their relentless fight, while they called it the success of their supremo.

The overjoyed energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy went on to announce that the Chief Minister would undertake agitation against the Centre demanding repeal of electricity amendment bill which also insists on several reforms including fixing meters to agriculture power connections.

Modi seems to be worried over the impact that Chandrashekar Rao could have brought to the farmers agitation. He must have thought that Raos initiative with the Maha Dharna will make South India rally against the farm laws, said agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy.

The TRS cadres were happy over the Chief Ministers strategy to dilute the outcome of Huzurabad bypoll picking up from Bandi Sanjays call to farmers to grow paddy. The Chief Minister, besides holding media interactions on successive days, led the Maha Dharna of TRS demanding the Centre to spell its stand on procurement.

The TRS also sought to differentiate between the Central and state leadership of the BJP which the ruling party fears to be emerging as the prime alternative to it. Appreciating Modi for gracefully admitting the mistake and repealing the Acts, the TRS leaders took potshots at the state BJP leaders who they said lacked the culture and dignity the Prime Minister exhibited.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
GNU Free Documentation License

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Copyright  2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <https://fsf.org/>

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0. PREAMBLE

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ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents

To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of the License in the document and put the following copyright and license notices just after the title page:

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If you have Invariant Sections, Front-Cover Texts and Back-Cover Texts, replace the "with  Texts." line with this:

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If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of free software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to permit their use in free software.
Predictably, Xi Jinping may be "playing" Joe Biden for fools about agreeing on anything about COP 26 emissions, even if it's considered a victory.

The White House can only hope environmental goals that have never been on the plate will be given importance.

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has its own timetable same as Russia. There's no sacrifice of its development because they know the COP 26 goals will fail.

China does not appease it does what it wants

For the nth time, Beijing has been in talks with the US to get a promise to comply, brutally misleading Washington, mentioned Sky News Australia. The Chinese leader has vowed to reach net-zero carbon gases by 2050, the benchmark agreed on in Glasgow during the climate summit.

Sky News Host Peta Credlin is not sure if the pledge of China to lower emissions should even be celebrated. This goes for John Kerry proclaiming the CCP controlled state will comply.

Immediately, Kerry, climate envoy, said it was a success for the US to get Beijing to cooperate. But he was countered by media saying that it's not a sure thing and might be a for-show only. Xi Jinping may be taking Joe Biden for a ride is not implausible, since he is pursuing an agenda that keeps him aware.

Read also: Joe Biden Scoured For Enabling Russia With Geopolitical Weapon Using Natural Gas That Causes EU Woes

He wants to impress that the White House got what it takes to take on China in climate issues. Even a small token for the show is enough, but the media said that the People's Republic of China just played the US, cited the Express UK.

What comes next?

Bernstein, a wealth management firm, said to reach the goal of zero carbon emissions in 2060. A total of $6.5 Trillion should be spent on renewable technology in the next forty years.

The cost is $116 bn a year that is more than what was spent by China in 2019 overall. The question is whether the huge price tag will be a problem for the Chinese leadership.

Ms. Credlin spoke to Graham Lloyd of The Australian newspaper that China emits one of the most carbon gases in the world.

But Mr. Lloyd stressed that Beijing is talking to the US about its emission goals, even saying it's 2060 to get to zero-carbon gases. They set the date and now it's depends on China to make it happen.

He added to see where the money goes, and how the PRC will go about lessening carbon gas emissions. Also, the amount of $65 trillion for almost 50 years is a bit much, noted Ajansev.

One more thing is that how to go about doing it has not been thought out yet. Both leaders had a video conference last Tuesday, where all these things are coming from.

Despite the claim of the White House that it was relatively smooth, there are too many issues in between.

Xi Jinping could be taking Joe Biden for a ride in these talks. No problem for China that stands to gain the most. The US leader has been low on all fronts, doubtful he can exploit whatever comes out of it.

Related article: Biden Chooses Trade Deal With EU Instead of the UK Leading to Another Disappointment for Downing Street

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The search for the crashed F-35 Fighter starts a frantic race after it gets lost in the sea, forcing the pilot to eject due to technical problems.

Military sources say the stealth jet went down in the morning while in a routine flight after leaving the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Top secret planes like it when it meets an accident are usually retrieved so the debris and components are recovered sooner.

Loss of an advance fighter is cause for concern

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is one of the few aircraft carriers with a whole squadron of Lightning II's, the reported loss of even one is of serious concern.

UK's flagship aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth has the most advanced squadron on its deck; loss anyone is a big deal with a price tag of 100m for the jump jet, reported the Sun UK.

Before the plane hit the water, the pilot managed to get out. It broke up while hitting the water.

A search and rescue Merlin helicopter located the down the pilot. Later, he was onboard the QE, cited the Independent UK.

Based on the flight path of the hit-tech jet fighter, it experiences problems between Cyprus and Egypt at 10 AM (UK Time).

The lost RAF F-35 starts a frantic search over where the plane went down. One chief priority for all the search crews involved is to keep it from Russian hands. Fortunately, the Mediterranean Sea is not so deep making the search less harder.

Read also: The F-35 Lightning II: Getting New Block IV Upgrades To Improve the 5th Generation Fighter

Units of the Royal Navy involved in the search might be racing with the subs of Vladimir Putin to find the wreckage first.

The thought if any of the debris from the downed 5th gen fighter gets recovered by the Russians who are familiar with the area is a harrowing thought. Technology on the plane wreck will be most valuable for its stealth fighter program.

Officials talk about the accident

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that the pilot ejected safely soon after he noticed that something was wrong with the aircraft. He added that the pilot is a naval aviator.

Def Sec Wallace informed the pilot is safe and uninjured, but he added that mishaps would occur and cannot be avoided in the case of such planes like the Lightning II. Operation on an aircraft carrier in a maritime environment is challenging for the best weapon systems.

The unit is almost undetectable by radar due to a low radar reflect and systems on it are only found on it. Hence, the urgency to locate it.

Royal Air Force 617 squadron is the unit the lost aircraft is assigned to. This is a group of RAF specialist descent from 1943's Dambusters.

An F-35 could do a short rolling takeoff and vertical landing which can malfunction anytime due to its complex nature, but human error can factor too.

This is the second unit that has crashed so far, with a good safety record till now. The planes have seen action in Iraq and Syria as strike aircraft. A lost RAF F-35 Fighter starts a frantic search due to the top-secret nature of its systems that cannot be allowed to be copied by any foreign power.

Related article: Russia to Deploy High Tech Radars That Can Detect Stealth Signatures and Hypersonic Systems in the Far East Sector

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
According to a Congressional investigation, the Chinese military is currently capable of invading Taiwan or is on the verge of doing so.

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) present maritime and airlift capacity could support an initial landing force of at least 25,000 troops in Taiwan. China is most likely to invade Taiwan if it believes the US is not militarily capable of or politically willing to intervene. According to the commission, they interpret ambiguities in US policy to mean that opportunistic Chinese aggression against Taiwan will not provoke a decisive US response.

China is ready for a full-scale invasion of Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping has a high-risk tolerance and a desire to leave a lasting legacy, both of which may outweigh his concerns about US cautions against striking Taiwan.

China's nuclear development puts it on track to become the US' "nuclear peer" in terms of quality and number of land-based strategic missiles by 2030. The report warns that China may abandon its nuclear deterrence policy in favor of a "limited" nuclear first-use policy, as per Daily Mail.

The United States and its NATO allies establish their nuclear strategy based on deterrence, which means that they build up weapons capabilities solely to dissuade other countries from attacking. They only use nuclear weapons if they are attacked first. To deploy a nuclear bomb for the first time, China would have to do so without warning to fulfill a policy purpose.

In a diplomatic milestone for the Chinese-claimed island, Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania on Thursday, despite Beijing's vehement objections. China has retaliated against Lithuania for allowing the term "Taiwanese" at Taipei's representative office.

Per Big News Network, the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was inaugurated in the capital Vilnius. Currently, Eric Huang, Taiwan's head of Mission in Latvia, was named the country's first representative to Lithuania.

According to the press release, the new office will allow bilateral cooperation in various industries, including semiconductors, lasers, and fintech. It will "create a new and promising road for bilateral ties between Taiwan and Lithuania."

Read Also: Joe Biden Hosts US-Canada-Mexico Summit; Trade Issues on the Agenda as Bilateral Meetings Get Under Way

Taiwan opens office in Lithuania

The new office would take on the role of developing Taiwan-Lithuania ties and servicing and protecting Taiwanese individuals in the country, with immediate effect. As a result of Lithuania's decision to create reciprocal representative offices with Taiwan, China has raised its pressure on the country.

According to a newly released annual study from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Chinese military capabilities are at an all-time high to attack Taiwan. The USCC report warned that the PLA has "systematically planned, trained, and built the forces it believes are required to invade the island" during the years 2020-2021, describing the period as "a period of dangerous uncertainty" that may have weakened the military dimension of the rest of the world's ability to conduct cross-Strait deterrence.

It went on to say that the Chinese military may have already developed the skills and sophisticated training needed to invade Taiwan, including executing air and naval barriers, cyberattacks, and missile strikes.

To avoid decisive US action, China would degrade, isolate, or defeat Taiwan's defense troops, limit access, and strengthen its area-denial capabilities. The PLA's present military sea and airlift capacity could handle a 25,000-strong first landing force, according to the agency.

After creating a beachhead, China has built significant military capabilities to send civilian ships for the PLA to land further soldiers on Taiwan. The conventional military forces of the United States will not be able to resist China's leaders. The Chinese authorities feel that the US "is not militarily competent of defending Taiwan or is politically ready to act," hence a deterrence failure is most likely, as per Republic World.

Related Article: China Sends Long-Range Bomber To India Border, Poses Grave Threat To Neighbors

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The Kremlin denies any invasion plans for Kyiv, as the UK scratched out a defense deal with Ukraine. But Vladimir Putin reminded that his army could overrun the smaller force, but that is not what he wants, it is the allies who paint him that way.

The Russian leader said that Downing Street made the border more unstable by sticking his nose where it should not be. But Putin stressed it just takes 50 minutes to emphasize how much time it takes to eliminate Ukraine's arms and numbers.

Kremlin denies invasion plans

The UK has been against the annexation of Crimea that Ukraine wants back, with the current tension and London backing up Kyiv. It resulted in a verbal lashing from the Kremlin was not invading instead maintained its NATO who are the villains and the UK too, reported the Sun UK.

Media from Russia went on the offensive and reported the naval fleet and troops in Crimea are more than enough to overrun the Ukrainian force. They gave a timing of 50 to 600 minutes to win over their opponents in a conflict.

Brinkwire cited a highly ranked source to the outlet if Ukraine launches an attack against territories held by Russia. It will be the fearsome Black Sea Fleet's task to destroy all enemy ships and coastal support facilities.Included targets are bases, radio-electronic, aerial defenses, artillery units, and airstrips to restrict enemy movement.

Other defenses would be a no-access bubble, a crucial defense of Crimea; stationed are units for sea, air, artillery, and missile defenses to attack anything in range. But troops for airborne, armored, special, and marine units are on station at Novorossiysk. Kremlin denies any invasion plans for Kyiv as it wants to secure its borders.

Read Also: Movement of Russian Armor and Troops to the North Ukraine Border A Reminder to NATO Putin is not Playing Games

There is speculation that massed Russian hardware and troops on the border shared with Ukraine will start an all-out offensive, but that is not the case.

One expert opinion stressed that Putin will not order an attack but will act to defend itself contrary to the alarmist claims of the US and UK.

London forces Moscow's hand

The Kremlin has been called the bad guy, but it's the opposite. In its belief Crimea has been acquired by force, London has postured its military to stabilize everything.

An agreement between UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace and Oleksii Reznikov, Kyiv's envoy, Moscow, was called vile and antagonistic. Selling warships and armament was called hostile, noted Telegraph and Argus.

Despite the claims of Britain that it did not mean any trouble or undermine the Russians, it got slammed for what it is.

Russia's spokesman Zakharov stated that it's the UK military raising the tension, especially on the Russian-Ukraine border. Saying Moscow is stoking trouble is the opposite. The defense deal between Kyiv and London is causing instability on the continent of Europe.

Furthermore, UK leaders are risking the peace enjoyed now. Ms. Zakharova warned that it is a mistake to force Moscow to an action they will regret.

Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister, explained that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky is looking for provocations to get assistance from NATO.

Mr. Lavrov calls the Kyiv government that makes the Kremlin the bogeyman, which is not accurate. President Zelensky is trying to gather all western forces to defend Ukraine, which is a dangerous flashpoint.

It comes as Moscow revealed it would complete forming a new air assault grouping in Crimea by next month. But the Kremlin denies any invasion plans for Kyiv instead says it's the west doing all the provocations endangering peace.

Related Article: Ukraine Buys New Military Hardware To Combat Russian Troops at the Border To Defend the Country if Necessary

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United States President Joe Biden hits a historic low for approval ratings at only 36%, with disapproval at 53% in a new national poll by the Quinnipiac University, which is his lowest since taking over the White House in January.

Compared to the Quinnipiac University's October survey, the Democratic president's recent approval went down, and his disapproval rating jumped up. The data also showed something that was expected for most people, that there is a huge partisan divide.

Biden's Declining Approval Ratings

Democrats by an 87%-7% margin gave the U.S. president their support, while Republicans by a 94%-4% gave their disapproval. Among independent voters, there were only 29% who expressed their support of Biden and how he has handled the United States' issues, which led to 56% disapproving.

In a separate national poll conducted by Marquette University Law School, U.S. President Biden had 49% approval and 51% disapproval ratings, data that was also released on Thursday. The survey was conducted from Nov. 1 to Nov. 10 and showed how the American president's approval rating from the same university went down by nine points from July, Fox News reported.

Additionally, Biden hit historic lows for handling several issues, including the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, foreign policy, and climate change. The U.S. president also received unfavorable votes on personality questions, with 51% of respondents saying they did not believe the Democrat was honest, 57% said he lacked valuable leadership skills, and 56% said the Biden administration was incompetent in running the federal government.

Read Also: U.S. Suffers Drug Epidemic as Fentanyl Overdose Fatalities Reach Record High, Killing 100,000 People in One Year

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham criticized Biden over his most recent poll numbers on the economy, focusing on the 34% that approved of his handling of the economy. She wondered who the supporters could be and what they could like about how the Democrats managed the country's economy.

Another Republican, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, said Biden's low disapproval rates should not come as a surprise to any American. The official said that the Democrat campaigned as a competent moderate and now governs as an incompetent socialist. Cotton said it was "no surprise his poll numbers have collapsed," the New York Post reported.

Climate Change Package

The situation comes as Biden laid out the details of a significantly scaled back yet still sweeping $1.9 trillion economic and climate package in a private meeting. However, officials argued that there was still significant work to be done amid critical holdouts from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Biden and several other Democratic leaders have agreed to clear the way towards resolving the package in various meetings and calls on Tuesday. They will spend the next several days discussing a framework on the multi-trillion-dollar economic and climate package by the end of the week.

Authorities have previously set deadlines that were not met in various discussions, but some argued that the latest talks would be different. One official said, "We want it to stick, we need it to stick," CNN reported.

Related Article: Paul Gosar's Siblings React to House's Decision To Censure Him For Posting An Anime Video Targeting Joe Biden, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez

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A 20-year-old man was not given prison time despite pleading guilty in 2019 to third-degree rape, attempted sexual abuse, and two misdemeanors in a new judge ruling who called imprisonment of the suspect "inappropriate."

Judge Matthew J. Murphy III of Niagara, New York, County Court, gave the suspect, Christopher Belter, eight years of probation instead of the up to eight years imprisonment he was facing. The decision was made this week as Belter was sentenced in the assault of the victim, only identified by the initials M.M. and in the sexual attacks on three other teenage girls.

Avoiding Prison Time

The county judge said that he was not "ashamed" to admit that he prayed over what was the appropriate sentence in Belter's case due to the sensitivity of the issue. Despite his ruling, Murphy said that there was great harm and that multiple crimes were committed in the case.

However, the judge later argued that a sentence that involved incarceration or partial incarceration of Belter was not appropriate. Murphy said the suspect was required to register as a sex offender and argued that the probation would act like a "sword hanging" over his head for the next eight years, the New York Times reported.

Belter was charged with first-degree rape, third-degree rape, and sexual abuse in late 2018, when he was still 17 years old, involving four girls aged between 15 and 16. The crimes allegedly took place inside his family's home in Lewiston, near Niagara Falls. The suspect was believed to have committed the acts between January 2017 and August 2018.

Read Also: Paul Gosar's Siblings React to House's Decision To Censure Him For Posting An Anime Video Targeting Joe Biden, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez

Previously, state police said that Belter's family called their Lewiston home a "party house" and accused them and family friends of providing guests, including minors, alcohol and marijuana. The then-teenage Belter pleaded guilty in 2019 and received a sentence of a two-year interim probation.

Judge Murphy previously said that one of the teenage girls who was a victim of the suspect gave a "gripping statement." In her recounting of experiences, the young girl described how she was forced to focus on a plant to distract herself while Belter was raping her, Yahoo News reported.

Pleading Guilty to Rape

The county judge said that during the rape, Belter allegedly told his victim to "stop being such a baby." Murphy also said of the statement that the victim focused her attention on the leaves of a nearby plant while crying amid the sexual assault.

A lawyer for one of the victims, Steven M. Cohen, denounced Judge Murphy's sentencing, telling reporters on Tuesday that justice was not done in the case. He revealed that his client, who was joined with some of the other victims in the courtroom, expressed their deep disappointment in Murphy's sentencing of Belter.

Following the sentencing, Cohen's client threw up in the ladies' room and argued that if Belter was not a White defendant from a rich and influential family, at least in his experience, he would surely have been given prison time. On the other hand, Belter's attorney, Barry N. Covert, refused to comment regarding the sentencing. During the sentencing hearing, the defense attorney said that the suspect regretted his actions when he was a teenager, the Washington Post reported.



Related Article: Iowa Resident Found Guilty of Murder; Victim's Family Wants Him Charged With Hate Crime

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Mississippi executed a man by lethal injection on Wednesday evening after he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing his estranged wife and sexually abusing his young stepdaughter in front of her dying mother. He was Mississippi's first prisoner to be executed in nine years.

David Cox was sentenced to death by a jury in 2012 after pleading guilty to capital murder in the shooting death of his estranged wife, Kim Cox. He admitted to a number of additional charges as well, including sexual assault.

In 2012, Cox pled guilty to capital murder for the shooting death of his estranged wife, Kim Kirk Cox, in May 2010. In addition, he admitted to a number of additional crimes, including sexual assault. The death penalty was imposed by a jury, as per Newsweek.

Man executed in Mississippi after admitting to murder, sexual assault crime

During the execution, Cox wore a red prison uniform and was covered by a white sheet. He was restrained by broad leather straps on a gurney. Cox seemed to take several deep breaths and his mouth moved slightly as the lethal chemicals began to pour into his body through a clear plastic tube. He was confirmed dead in a matter of minutes.

Cox's stepdaughter, who is now 23 years old, was there at the time of execution. On the night of May 14 and 15, 2010, she was 12 years old when he sexually molested her three times in front of her wounded mother in the little hamlet of Sherman, while holding them and one of her younger brothers as hostages.

In 2012, Mississippi carried out six executions. The state has no plans to execute any of the more than 30 convicts already on death row. Pharmaceutical companies began limiting the use of their medications in executions, making it more difficult for governments to obtain lethal injection supplies.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections acknowledged that it had purchased three drugs for the lethal injection procedure in court files earlier this year: midazolam, a sedative; vecuronium bromide, which paralyzes muscles; and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

The medications indicated in the court papers were the ones used for the execution, Cain said on Tuesday. He wouldn't reveal how or where the department got them.

Before taking up his new position in Mississippi, Cain, the former head of the Louisiana state penitentiary at Angola, had observed multiple executions in that adjacent state. During Cox's execution, he stood beside him.

Read Also: Missing New Jersey Teen Runs Away From Her Mom Who Stabbed Her, Threw Bleach in Her Eyes For Losing Benefits Card

Mississippi Governor refutes a group's petitions to stop Cox's execution

Death Penalty Action, an anti-execution group, previously stated that killing an inmate who has surrendered all appeals would be "state-sponsored suicide." The group petitioned Republican Governor Tate Reeves to suspend Cox's execution, but Reeves' spokesman claimed the governor denied since Cox acknowledged to "horrific crimes."

In recent years, Cox was represented by attorneys from the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel. Cox issued a handwritten letter vehemently protesting to their ongoing engagement after the State Supreme Court set his execution date. Krissy C. Nobile, the agency's director, announced Tuesday that the office does not intend any additional appeals for David Cox after "considerable and arduous thought, and out of respect for David Cox's autonomy and stated desire."

Kim Cox's father, retired cop Benny Kirk, stated David Cox contacted him the night of the attack and reported he had shot Kim. Per CBS News, Benny Kirk was talking on the phone with his daughter when she said, "Daddy, I'm dying."

The house was surrounded by police, who sought to persuade David Cox to release his wife and two children. Kim Cox died following an experience that lasted more than eight hours.

The Associated Press does not normally name sexual assault victims, but Lindsey Kirk, Cox's stepdaughter, volunteered to be interviewed and speak about what occurred to her. Last week, she said that David Cox had sexually assaulted her for several years while her mother was away and that he threatened to murder them if she informed anybody.

Kirk texted her mother about her stepfather's attacks while living with her grandparents in the summer of 2009. Shortly after, David Cox was arrested and charged with statutory rape, sexual offences, child abuse, and possession of methamphetamine. He was released in April 2010 without being placed on trial. After getting a restraining order against him, Kim Cox moved in with her sister.

After the execution, Kim Cox's family did not release a comment. Questions lingered before David Cox's execution regarding whether he was involved in the 2007 disappearance of his brother's wife, Felicia Cox, who was last seen in a nearby county.

Her daughter, Amber Miskelly, recently informed WTVA-TV that David Cox was the last person who saw her mother alive. After the execution, Cain claimed that David Cox had made no mention of his sister-in-law's abduction.

Related Article: Couple Found Dead Weeks After Wife Confessed She Struggles Adjusting to New Life in Georgia

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The US needs a foreign policy win if Joe Biden is ready to deal with Putin's higher stakes. So, the EU and NATO have been outmaneuvered by the Russian strongman, who is at the top of his game.

The EU needs the US leader to step up several levels as the Belarus-Poland border chaos and the Ukraine border standoff is overloading Brussels resources to the max. The White House needs to push its weight to reign in Moscow, or if not, the EU will have difficulties.

Biden to meet Putin

This scheduled talk between the White House and Kremlin will be high starks as the EU and NATO face its most lethal opponent, Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Europe is now at the brink with Ukraine and the energy crisis turning Brussels on its head, especially a new conflict like overloading borders, reported the Express UK.

For the EU, stakes are high, but for the US President, way higher as the Russian strongman has benefited from this development.

The preliminary groundwork for the meeting has been done, but no set date yet. Officials Russia's Nikolai Patrushev and the US' Jake Sullivan have set cybersecurity and the Polish crisis as points for discussion. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that hybrid war is not what Russia is doing.

Confirmation of the meeting comes after the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warning to reveal more attacks online in the UK. Claims of ransomware cyber-assaults supposed to come from Russia last year only cited BBC. Joe Biden should be ready to deal with Putin, especially in this concern.

Read Also: Russia Probes EU's Reaction in the Ongoing Migrant Crisis at the Poland-Belarus Border

Russia and the US discussed cybersecurity; one conclusion reached by the US is that Moscow should act on hackers if the information is passed on to them. But what Biden says in effect is the Kremlin does sponsor the online attacks. The last ransomware attacks show how ineffectual cybersecurity is.

The White House and the UK have been allegedly provoking the Kremlin

Ukraine will be a significant concern for the discussion, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last Monday. Saying the buildup of Russian armor and service members are lying close to the border. He added that if the Kremlin were provocative, that would be dangerous.

This week Kyiv and London inked a deal for ships and missiles to improve its navy, one that Putin views as dangerous, pushing a possible conflict at the doorstep of Ukraine.

Brussels has slammed Russia and Belarus for the escalation on the fringes of the Polish border, as Middle Eastern migrants are languishing because the EU will not take them in.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is blamed unjustly for initiating the exodus of migrants, and Brussels has sanctioned him for flawed elections, but the Kremlin stands by its ally, noted CNBC.

The EU has been crucial of Minsk with complaints that it has no involvement in the weaponized migrants going to Poland. Mr. Peskov mentioned that problems with Washington and the Kremlin have continuously injected the chance for Putin to discuss with his western counterpart.

Despite the Geneva summit, Russian officials want to have another one if the US administration agrees. If Joe Biden is ready to deal with Putin this time, he has to do better after the AUKUS deal, as the Afghan pullout has not helped to convince others the US is back.

Related Article: Moscow Calls UK Foreign Secretary Insincere, Blames the EU for the Border Mess

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New information in the investigation into the origins of the coronavirus infection has come to light as a United States scientist who dedicated himself to studying public accounts of early COVID-19 cases in China suggested that patient zero was a Wuhan market vendor.

The scientist said that an influential World Health Organization (WHO) inquiry looking into the origin of the health crisis most likely made a mistake in its early chronology of the pandemic. The international agency's initial investigation related the first coronavirus case to an accountant who lived many miles from the Wuhan market.

Coronavirus Infection Origin

On Thursday, the scientist published the report in the prestigious journal Science that is set to rekindle the debate of whether or not the coronavirus pandemic started from wildlife sold at the market, a leak from a virology lab, or some other way.

The controversy of where the greatest public health catastrophe in a century started has resulted in massive geopolitical battles. However, in the recent months where professionals worldwide have struggled to find the answer to the question, very few new facts and pieces of information have surfaced, the New York Times reported.

The Arizona-based scientist, Dr. Michael Worobey, who is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, said he based his conclusions on public records and reports of early cases in the pandemic in China. He noted that the vendor, who he believes is patient zero, was from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.

Read Also: US Suffers Drug Epidemic as Fentanyl Overdose Fatalities Reach Record High, Killing 100,000 People in One Year

Worobey said that the earliest symptomatic cases were linked to the Huanan Market, more specifically, in the western section of the area where vendors kept raccoon dogs in cages. He said that the incident provided strong evidence of a live-animal market being the origin of the health crisis.

Wuhan authorities, February 2020, said that they had identified the first coronavirus patient, who was allegedly a male accountant who fell ill on Dec. 8, 2019. Officials said that the man had no connection to the Wuhan market. Earlier this year, WHO representatives visited China and interviewed the accountant, who was described in March 2021 as the first known case of the deadly infection, Fox News reported.

Relationship to the Wuhan Market

Worobey said that more than half of the earliest documented cases of the coronavirus were among residents who had direct links to the Wuhan market. He argued that the case was not a mere coincidence. The scientist said that the female seafood vendor who is the first known patient became symptomatic on Dec. 11, 2019.

While his claims contradict reports from Wuhan authorities that said the accountant who had no relationship to the market was the first known case of the coronavirus after becoming symptomatic on Dec. 8, 2019. Worobey said the patient's medical records showed he visited the dentist on that day and did not show symptoms until Dec. 16, 2019, and six days later, was hospitalized.

Despite the virus being very stealthy due to its capability of spreading asymptomatically, the locations and occupations of the first known patients pointed to a Wuhan market origin. Worobey said that the virus spread outward into the city of 11 million people, the Washington Post reported.



Related Article: Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Connecticut Records 8 COVID-19 Related Deaths of Residents With Underlying Health Issues

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As some major highways in British Columbia reopened to limited traffic on Thursday, an advance team of Canadian soldiers arrived, but officials said the situation remained critical following floods and mudslides that forced evacuations, blocked transportation routes, and killed at least one person and thousands of farm animals.

The good news, according to Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, is that the heavy rain has stopped and no further heavy rain is predicted for the remainder of the week. After record rains flooded most of the province's south for more than 48 hours, British Columbia's leader, John Horgan, has declared a state of emergency, SFGate reported.

Thousands remain stranded in Canada's massive floods

One person has been confirmed dead following a landslide that washed vehicles off a road in Pemberton, and the number of persons thought to be missing at the scene has risen to four, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Mike Farnworth, the province's public safety minister, stated during a press conference this afternoon that the cost of rebuilding damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure will be "significant."

The death toll from enormous floods and landslides that wreaked havoc on portions of British Columbia is expected to grow, with the Canadian province declaring a state of emergency on Wednesday and the federal government providing significant assistance.

After severe rains and mudslides devastated roads and cut off many mountain settlements, authorities have verified one death, NY Post reported. There are at least three persons who have gone missing. According to Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, 18,000 people have been relocated in the Pacific Coast province.

Floods and mudslides also cut off access to Vancouver, the country's main port, upsetting already stressed global supply networks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will assist the province in recovering from the "terrible, terrible disaster," as he described it.

Hundreds of air force troops are being sent from Ottawa to assist with the recovery, and "thousands more are on standby," Trudeau told reporters in Washington ahead of a US-Canada-Mexico meeting on Thursday.

Read Also: Kim Jong Un Reappears After Month-Long Absence, Health Concern as North Korea Joins Hypersonic Arms Race

Flood-hit British Columbia's residents prompted to panic buy

Some of the settlements that have been impacted are located in isolated mountain locations with restricted access and cold weather. Up to 400 people are stuck in Tulameen, northeast of Vancouver, with many without electricity, according to Erick Thompson, a spokesperson for the area's emergency operations.

Food was running out in Hope, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Vancouver. According to Pastor Jeff Kuhn, a fifth of the town's 6,000 citizens were looking for a place to stay. Narinder Singh Walia, head of the Dukh Nivaran Sahib Gurdwara Sikh temple in Surrey said approximately 100 volunteers spent all night Tuesday making nearly 3,000 meals and then rented helicopters to bring the food to Hope.

According to industry groups, shoppers in Canada's flood-hit province of British Columbia have emptied supermarket shelves as a result of catastrophic flooding, however the shortages are due as much to panic buying as to damaged supply lines. Even after the floodwaters recede, certain sections of the province are anticipated to see temporary dairy shortages, with shopkeepers and government urging patience, as per SCMP.

On Thursday afternoon, a police vehicle guided a convoy of four Save-On-Foods delivery trucks over a roadblock on Highway 7, which was devastated by mudslides during the storm, to reach the isolated town of Hope.

Following record-breaking rain over southern British Columbia between Saturday and Monday, every major highway between the Lower Mainland, where Canada's third biggest city, Vancouver, is located, and the province's interior has been closed off by washouts, flooding, or landslides. Late Monday, a woman's body was discovered in one of the mudslides.

Related Article: Washington-Canada Flooding: Days of Heavy Rainfall Kill 1, Hundreds of Victims Rescued

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The USS Connecticut, which met up with a mishap while cruising the South China Sea, remains a mystery about what happened to the submarine. The sub hit an underwater seamount that was not charted yet.

The sub could have avoided the accident if it kept to its schedule for maintenance, as fate would put it, that made waves in media. One question now is why it was not in the dry dock for maintenance, or does the US Navy have enough space.

USS Connecticut refit was delayed way before the crash

The US Navy has enough dry-docks, which would be crucial to compete against China when the USS Connecticut needs immediate repair is a case in point, reports 19FortyFive.

Next is to determine which ship needs these valuable spaces to make a difference in urgently required ships. But should it even be a problem which vessel gets priority first?

The Seawolf class is supposed to be at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for about 21-months for refit, and it would not be available up to August 2022. Navy brass decided to change the plan in 2020 and delay maintenance, cites Forbes.

Instead, it was in the South China Sea used for patrolling the area. If it were not ordered to patrol, the sub would have undergone the required 24-months of repair is needed, but hopefully, the submarine is salvageable.

Due to the mishap, its loss from service is regrettable because it is one of three advanced Seawolf-class subs, and only a few can match up to the USS Connecticut.

Read Also: US Submarines Get Improved Arctic Port to Dock Courtesy of Norway

The last time Connecticut went to dry dock was in summer 2018 to inspect the submarine's hull. Damage caused by the seamount impact means a return to Washington state, not in Guam, where it's close that has no facilities to check and repair.

The navy has four public shipyards that will work on all vessels for maintenance or refits to compensate for the lack of naval shipyards. Still, it might be a dire problem if the repair facilities are not suitable during wartime, according to USNI News.

Plans to upgrade shipyard facilities

Realizing the problem, the USN has made the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan to help solve this logistical nightmare. Building new dry docks, which are additional structures that include privately owned ones too.

An $830 million in the FY 22 budget is the funds for the work needed to improve the chances of keeping more ships afloat.

No way for the USN to maintain its effectiveness is essential, but no new dry docks are seen; hence this is the first built-in seventy years.

Connecticut has made evident as the worst problem for the Indo-Pacific and the East and South China Seas. If a warship sustains damage, it only goes to Guam for assessment, then steams to Puget Sound to get repairs done.

China is probing for weakness that could be corrected, especially in Guam that will be benefited from it. Americans must realize that these spaces for ships are no joke; when who gets to repair ships and lessen getting overwhelmed like what is preventing the USS Connecticut from getting repaired sooner.

Related Article: SSN-21 Sea Wolf-class: American-Made Soviet Typhoon ICBM Hunters

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Prince Andrew reportedly took out a $2 million loan from a private bank under investigation for money laundering, then received the same amount back days later from a prominent political donor whose family owns the business.

Bloomberg News cited individuals and bank papers to report that the jet-setting UK monarch borrowed the money in late November 2017 from Banque Havilland, which is currently under criminal investigation.

Tory Party's donor pays Prince Andrew's debt

Even though the Luxembourg bank seldom offers unsecured loans and an internal credit application found it "not in accordance with the bank's risk appetite," the middle son of Queen Elizabeth II was authorized, according to the report.

According to documents seen by Bloomberg, it was allowed in part because it offered up "additional commercial prospects with the Royal Family." The money was to cover $1.7 million he already owed the bank, with the remainder going for "general working capital and living expenditures," according to the report.

Prince Andrew was sent another $2 million by a firm controlled by banker David Rowland, a significant political donor whose family owns Banque Havilland, just 11 days later.

The tax haven banker who allegedly paid off Prince Andrew's $2 million debt from his family's bank got a front row seat at Princess Eugenie's wedding. David Rowland, 76, has known Prince Andrew for a long time and was there at Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, The NY Post reported.

He allegedly sat first row for the Royal event at Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel, which also hosted Eugenie's cousin Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding in May of the same year.

Read Also: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Allegedly Reject Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Invitation Despite Monarch's Frequent Health Scare

Prince Andrew, David Rowland's ties

The loan arrangement was replaced in November 2017 with a $2 million loan to support the Prince's general working capital and living expenditures. Despite an internal credit application revealing it was "not in accordance with the bank's risk appetite," the new loan was authorized in 2017.

The loan supplemented Prince Andrew's income, which was already supplemented by his Royal Navy pension and his mother's allowance. Rowland is said to have paid off the loan by wiring the same amount to Prince Andrew's account at his family's bank just days after the loan was approved in November 2017.

Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy organization Republic has called for a probe of the Duke of York's ties with Rowland, who is placed 226th on the Sunday Times Rich List.

The two have been pals since Prince Andrew presented a monument of the financier in Guernsey in 2005. The bronze monument was unveiled as part of a black-tie event honoring the magnate's achievements.

Prince Andrew also attended the inauguration of Banque Havilland in Luxembourg, Monaco, and Abu Dhabi in 2009, 2012, and 2018. Rowland has donated more than $8.9 million to the Tory Party and is said to have seen the Queen at Balmoral in 2010.

He also paid $53,936 to help Andrew's ex, Sarah Ferguson, pay off her debts, and accompanied the Prince on travels to China, even attending certain meetings. Prince Andrew also had a 40% share in Inverness Asset Management, which is part of the Rowland family's Blackfish Capital Management, as per MIRROR.

Related Article: Prince Andrew's Legal Team Given January 2022 Schedule To Toss Sexual Assault Lawsuit; Duke Faces Increased Trouble as "Walls of Silence" Fall

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Soldiers who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and have not sought an exemption would be unable to re-enlist or be promoted, thus terminating their careers in the military.

US Secretary Army Releases a Memo

In a recently published article in MSN News, the Army Secretary has issued a memo warning hundreds of thousands of troops in the National Guard that if they refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, their membership in the troop may be terminated.

Christine E. Wormuth wrote in her memo that she is adamant about flagging any troops who fail to comply with the obligatory vaccination mandate. She also added that this would prevent them from promotions, awards, bonuses, and the like.

It is also stated in the memo that if soldiers continue to decline, they will be denied "continuous duty" unless an official vaccination exemption is given. Wormuth's warning comes during a confrontation with the Oklahoma National Guard that is still ongoing, according to a published report in The Hill.

Read Also: Pentagon's Vaccine Mandate Deadline Nears But Hundreds of Thousands of the US Service Remain Unvaccinated

Suspension of the Vaccine Mandate in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to postpone the vaccination obligation for members of the Oklahoma National Guard earlier this month, claiming in a letter that around 10 percent of the force has not gotten a jab and does not intend to get vaccinated.

Moreover, the message of the memo sparked a tense standoff between Oklahoma authorities and the Pentagon, which demands that all National Guard personnel follow the same vaccination protocols as active-duty troops. Unless federally deployed, guard personnel are under the command of the governor, according to a report published in The New York Times.

In Oklahoma, 89 percent of airmen in the Guard have been vaccinated, compared to barely 40 percent of Army guardsmen; the Army National Guard's deadline is coming up next month. All branches of the military are free to set their own vaccination mandate dates for active duty and guard personnel, as well as their own sanctions for refusing to take the doses.

Pentagon Worry Other States May Follow

In a published article in Defense One, officials with the Texas National Guard, for example, said in an email that the Pentagon appeared to be imposing vaccine mandates on military and National Guard members without adequate protections in place of those with religious objections, and hinted that it, too, might allow members to skip the shots.

President Biden and his administration have taken actions or announced plans to take actions that threaten the sovereign authority of the State of Alaska, including imposing vaccine mandates on military and National Guard members without adequate protections in place for individuals with religious objections, according to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Needless to say, it is unclear if the Pentagon can compel Guardsmen who serve under both federal and state jurisdiction to get vaccinated if their governors do not demand it. Vaccine exemptions have been issued by the Defense Department in the past, including persons who were already leaving the service or who had medical difficulties; but those for religious reasons are still waiting.

Related Article: US Military Officials to Require Vaccination Among Staff by September 15



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hong Kong authorities declared a wild boar hunt after the animals have continued to trespass in crowded public areas, with one incident where one bit a police officer, and health officials are warning of their potential spread of disease.

Officials reported that the boars have taken subway rides, loitered at pedestrian crossings, and have eaten from food that local residents gave them. However, recent incidents have become far too much for authorities despite having long roamed the hills and hiking trails surrounding the city.

Wild Boar Population

Last week, one boar bit a police officer, which caused authorities in the Asian hub to start a major crackdown on the animals. Officials announced the boar hunt on Wednesday night with an operation that captured and euthanized seven wild boar in a part of the city that was less than half an hour's drive away from the financial center of the region.

Officials' decision to capture the animals and use medicine injections for what they called "humane dispatch" is a significant shift from a policy where they previously aimed to capture, neuter, and relocate boars to remote areas. In a statement, the city's Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that the previous approach was ineffective and failed to control the nuisance caused by the wild pig population, NBC News reported.

Read Also: Mississippi Executes Man Who Killed His Wife, Sexually Assaulted 12-Year-Old Stepdaughter

Local residents frequently feed the wild boars that have come from hiking trails near Hong Kong despite appeals from authorities to avoid such actions. They argued that the animals could spread diseases and may gather in large numbers. A statement read that a large group of the animals wandered and gathered at the site, which posed a threat to members of the public and road users.

Increase of Wildlife in Hong Kong

The incident of the boar attacking a police officer was when the animal knocked down the law enforcement personnel and bit his leg before dropping to its death from a residential car park. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam warned people who were feeding wild boars that they could face stiffer penalties if caught breaking the rules.

"I understand that a lot of Hong Kong people love the wetlands and nature. However, we also need to protect public safety. There were about 30 cases of wild boars attacking humans, we can't simply sit on our hands while things deteriorate," said Lam during a regular news conference earlier this week, the Associated Press reported.

The situation comes as, in recent years, videos of wild boars that have gone into urban areas have become much more frequent. One incident is where footage showed a group of boars frolicking in a fountain outside a Bank of China branch in Central and young boars riding the MTR.

The number of boar sightings and nuisance reports has jumped from 225 in 2011 to 1,002 last year. In the last decade, there have been 36 injury cases caused by wild pigs, four of which happened in 2018. In just the first half of 2021, authorities have already received 562 reports of boar sightings or nuisance reports, the South China Morning Post reported.



Related Article: Second Capitol Rioter Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison; 'QAnon Shaman' Calls Himself a Good Man, Not an Insurrectionist

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Rumors claim that a Samsung facility recently suffered a COVID-19 outbreak, with 11 employees testing positive. The unfortunate event might cause delays in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 release date, but not for the Samsung Galaxy S22.

According to TechRadar, Samsung implements strict health protocols. About 70 percent of its employees work at home, and only 30 percent work in the factory to access sensitive developer tools. However, their precautions was not enough and working in their manufacturing facility explosed employees to a dangerous situation.

Samsung Team Tested Positive for COVID

YouTuber Super Roader, allegedly a former Samsung employee, claimed that 11 company employees tested positive for COVID-19. He revealed the details on a video, which TechRadar later explained.



The YouTuber said the sick employees were previously assigned on the R5 Tower of the Samsung Digital City, which is the same building used to test products such as Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8. Although the severity of the outbreak was not revealed, it is safe to assume that operations came to an abrupt stop.

Super Roader emphasized the delays caused by this event. He said Samsung would have to choose between prioritizing S-series smartphones or tablets. Since smartphones are the more popular choice in the market, Samsung will choose Galaxy S22, implying a production delay with Tab S8.

Keep in mind that the official release date for both of these products has yet to be revealed.

Read Also: Fourth Stimulus Check Study Says New Payment Is Critical: Will $2000 Online Petition Be Completed Before 2022?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Rumor and Samsung Galaxy S22 Release Date

Earlier this month, leaker and tech analyst Jon Prosser posted a rumor anbout Samsung's timeline. He said the Galaxy S21 FE might be released in January, and Galaxy S22 might come out in February.

New exclusive stuff:



S21 FE in January 



S22 in February https://t.co/jf0JqUGNLQ  Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) October 28, 2021

Prosser predicted an Unpacked event for the Galaxy S22 lineup. He said pre-orders might start on February 8, 2022, and the products would be available by February 18.

While Samsung is investigating my S22 Ultra leak



EXCLUSIVE 

Unpacked event for S21 FE

January 4, 2022

No pre-order period

Available January 11, 2022



Unpacked event for S22 lineup

February 8, 2022 @ 10:00am ET

Pre-orders begin same day (2/8)

Available February 18, 2022



 pic.twitter.com/S9n9rAf1cs  Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) November 6, 2021

Following the pattern, Galaxy Tab S8 might release on March 2022 at the earliest. However, various factors could also push its date back by a few months.

Keep in mind that these are merely speculative release dates for Samsung flagship devices. These predictions are not guaranteed to be 100 percent accurate, so readers should take this with a pinch of salt.

As previously mentioned, Samsung has yet to reveal official details about Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy S22, so it is hard to determine whether they are ready for launch or not

However, if these rumors are true, then fans will have a lot of thinking to do. It might be a critical week for shoppers because new and improved devices might come out in succeeding months. More details for these products might be revealed in the coming months.

Related Article: Mark Cuban Giving Away Mavs NFTs? Here's How Fans Can Get 1 For Free (Sort of)!
Smartphone production firecasts reveal a return to pre-pandemic levels for 2022 with over 1 billion units. In relation to this prediction, Samsung is expected to produce more devices than Apple.

However, the Cupertino-based tech giant will not just produce smartphones but other devices as well.

Apple vs. Samsung Production Prediction

In a report published by Trend Force, smartphone production is projected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with a 3.8 percent year-over-year increase. The report forecasts that companies would generate roughly 1.39 billion smartphone units in the coming year.

In addition to this, 600 million units are predicted to be 5G phones, which is 45.7 percent of the market.

For those who are not familiar with year-over-year (YOY) increases, Investopedia stated that it is a method of getting the results of two or more measured events over time in order to compare them on an annualized basis. Additionally, comparisons are a common and successful method of assessing a firm's financial position.

A YOY comparison can be done on any measurable event that happens yearly. The examples of YOY comparisons are annual, quarterly and monthly performances.

On the other hand, with about 500 million devices manufactured by 2021, the 5G smartphone market share is expected to reach about 37 percent.

Despite the Chinese government's efforts to promote 5G commercialization, which has resulted in an 80 percent market share in China, the Trend Force report argued that infrastructure expansion and increased 5G tariffs could lead to a global market share increase in 2022.

However, manufacturers may encounter component shortages when developing 5G devices because of restricted manufacturing capabilities.

Read Also: Hello Kitty NFT Release Date, Features: How Can You Buy New Sanrio Collectibles?

The Trend Force report furthered that the South Korean technology company Samsung might create roughly 276 million devices in 2022, with foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 leading the way. Aside from the Samsung Galaxy phones, features like the company's S Pen have helped preserve its premium-segment market share.

However, Samsung may encounter competition in developed countries, while demand in emerging markets is expected to concentrate on entry-level products.

Surprisingly, the Cupertino-based technology company is predicted to deliver roughly 243 million units, or about a five percent increase YOY. Moreover, Apple is expected to introduce four smartphone products in the second half of 2022, with price tags that might arise because of increasing material costs.

This data shows that Samsung will be producing more smartphones next year beating Apple's production by more than 30 million units.

2022 Samsung Galaxy Smartphones

According to 91 Mobiles, the Samsung Galaxy S22 will be the next-generation flagship phone. It is rumored to debut in February 2022. The S22 series, like its predecessor, will be available in three different models: the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Apart from Samsung Galaxy S22, 91 Mobiles furthered that Samsung will also release Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Samsung Galaxy M22, Samsung Galaxy A13 5G, Samsung Galaxy A03, Samsung Galaxy A33, Samsung Galaxy A82 5G and Samsung Galaxy M62 5G.

The phones listed are the device that will be available in the first few months of 2022. Most Samsung A series and M series smartphones will be refreshed in the coming year, with all of them moving to 5G chipsets.

2022 Apple Products

Despite the projected low production next year, iGeeksBlog reported that there are several devices that Apple will introduce, including the iPhone 14 lineups, iPhone SE Plus, AirPods Pro 2, three Apple Watches, iPad Pro with glass back and more.

Related Article: iPhone Spy Feature: TikTok Video Shows How You Can Listen to Convos Even Up to 15 Meters Away!




FSC Chairman Koh Seung-beom. Korea Times file




gettyimagesbank
North Korean officials attend the 5th Conference of the Frontrunners of the Three Revolutions in Pyongyang, its state media reported Friday. Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for strengthening the country's self-reliance despite "immediate challenges," including economic difficulties, during a conference on a mass movement aimed at developing its ideology, technology and culture, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.



Kim delivered the message in a letter to the participants at the 5th Conference of the Frontrunners of the Three Revolutions that kicked off in Pyongyang on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



"The meaning of the three-revolution lies in strengthening independent power in the path to carrying out socialist tasks, breaking through unexpected challenges and hurdles," he stressed.



The conference was attended by senior party officials and people "who are taking the lead in implementing the revolutions" to "share the successes and experience, and analyze and review the mistakes and lessons drawn in the course of the mass movement."



In the letter, Kim articulated methods to carry out the development and rebuked people who are not making utmost efforts for the movement, "intimidated by immediate challenges, such as the economic difficulties," the KCNA said.



"The tasks set forth by our party are vast, and challenges are piling up, but we cannot wait until all circumstances are met," Kim was quoted as adding. "We need to undauntedly move forward along our development path with only our strength."



The remarks came as North Korea has called for achieving economic development under a new five-year plan unveiled at the country's eighth party congress in January, during which Kim admitted to a failure in his previous development plan amid crippling sanctions and a protracted border closure due to COVID-19.



After the leader's letter was delivered, a senior party official, Ri Il-hwan, made a report on the movement and said the country's technology development has "made headway" to a "higher level" to consolidate "the self-sustaining foundation of the national economy."



The KCNA said a second-day session was to be held, though it remains unclear for how long the conference will continue.



This week's event marks the second of its kind held under the current leader after the fourth conference took place in November 2015. The previous sessions were held in 1986, 1995 and 2006. (Yonhap)


Medical worker guides people to receive COVID-19 tests at a screening center in Seoul Station, Friday. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



The government's lack of measures to deal with the fallout from its eased antivirus restrictions under the "Living with COVID-19" plan has prompted confusion in the medical field.



In particular, critics point out that indicators for evaluating the risk of COVID-19 do not properly reflect how bad the coronavirus situation is.



According to data from local governments, the rapid increase in infections is leading to a shortage of hospital beds, especially in intensive care units (ICUs).



In the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, 81.5 percent of ICU beds were occupied as of Saturday.



The rate in Seoul alone was 82.9 percent, showing a more serious bed shortage problem. Of the total 345 ICU beds in Seoul, 286 are in use, leaving 59 available.



Experts point out that the government's lack of preparation before easing the antivirus restrictions has led to the deficiency of ICU beds in the metropolitan area.



"Compared to the current increase in daily infections, preparation for ICUs and medical personnel was insufficient," said Choi Jae-wook, a professor of preventive medicine at Korea University School of Medicine.



"The KDCA's new five-tier system to assess the COVID-19 risk level on a weekly basis to decide whether to continue with the eased virus restrictions, announced Wednesday, appears to be far from this reality."



The risk level, assessed by the health authorities through comprehensive indicators, is "moderate" for the metropolitan area and "low" for the country as a whole among the five levels.



The KDCA said it will immediately review whether to carry out contingency plans if hospital bed occupancy for severe cases surpasses the 75 percent threshold, but pointed out that occupancy of ICU beds in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon should be counted separately.



Eom Joong-sik, a professor of infectious disease at Gachon University Gil Hospital, pointed out: "Critically ill patients are concentrated in the metropolitan area, but it seems the government says that it's okay because we have more beds in an area three to four hours away from the capital."



"Even if the government secures more ICU beds, I wonder how it will secure the medical personnel to work there," Eom said.



In response, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum called for efficient ICU management during a meeting with chiefs of 22 tertiary hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area. Friday.



"The government's priority will be swiftly adding hospital beds and supporting medical resources as quickly as possible.



"There are concerns that our journey to return to normalcy may stop for a while if we cannot overcome this crisis," Kim said during the meeting.



Under the measures, critically ill patients in the capital area can be sent to available intensive care beds in non-capital areas. Kim ordered the authorities to strengthen the country's patient transport system with air ambulances to support their transfer.


gettyimagesbank



After Biden-Xi summit, South Korea is urged to make most of diplomatic situation to its advantage



By Kang Seung-woo



The virtual summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Nov. 15 (local time), was a welcome sign that the two powerhouses are likely moving toward a managed strategic competition to stop mounting tensions from turning into a catastrophe.



At first sight, South Korea, which has retained its longstanding course of keeping a "middle" ground in the U.S.-Sino competition, seems to now have some leeway from the rivalry. But many diplomatic observers believe nothing has changed for Seoul, which means competition will be the main theme governing U.S.-China relations in pursuit of their respective interests, with the South Korean government under constant pressure to choose between the two.



Since his inauguration in January, Biden has pursued stronger security cooperation with traditional allies, including South Korea, in thwarting moves by China, leaving the government here scrambling to seek measures to avoid possible diplomatic friction with Beijing. South Korea is still suffering from China's economic retaliation for its earlier approval of the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile shield on the Korean Peninsula.



Considering the fallout, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has repeated the nation's stance that the U.S. and China are equally important partners for South Korea, indicating that Seoul will not pick a side between either Washington or Beijing. The U.S. is South Korea's long-time security ally, while China is its top trading partner.



During the three-and-a-half-hour talks, the first formal meeting between Biden and Xi since the U.S. president took office in January, the two heads of state spoke of the need for cooperation to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict.



"Biden said the U.S. and China needed to establish commonsense guardrails to prevent competition from turning to conflict, which can be interpreted that tension will be inevitable as Washington and Beijing continue to pursue their interests in the future. Given the American president's remark, competition will continue to be a defining feature of U.S.-China ties within a broader framework and it could further deepen," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.



"With the bilateral ties showing a sign of becoming a zero-sum game, South Korea could eventually be forced to choose between the U.S. and China."



Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst now with the Rand Corp., expressed a similar view.



"South Korea will continue to feel pressure from the U.S. and China to choose between the two countries. We're unlikely to see Seoul's position change as a result of the Biden-Xi meeting. That is, we won't be seeing South Korea shift dramatically toward either country, because the pressure remains," she said.



"For Seoul to slightly shift its diplomatic position after the Biden-Xi summit  when tensions between the two countries have been affirmed and intensified  may provoke greater sensitivities from the two countries."



She also said the U.S. government may expect a more affirmative stance from its allies in the region, so South Korea will have to make sure it follows through on key alliance commitments.



However, Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the results of the Biden-Xi summit will not negatively impact South Korea's diplomatic realities.



"I suspect the Biden-Xi summit may take the sharp edge of U.S.-China competition, and make some degree of cooperation on North Korea (as we saw in the China-hosted six party talks) more likely," Manning said.



According to Manning, South Korea is in a difficult position more than most other middle powers and it has managed that reasonably well so far.



"There will always be difficult choices to make, but for at least the next two to three years, barring unintended consequences, I suspect we will see reduced U.S.-China tensions as both leaders are preoccupied with difficult domestic situations, and thus South Korea is not likely to be forced to unambiguously take sides," Manning added.





President Joe Biden listens during a virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15 (local time). UPI-Yonhap
Yeo Han-koo, head of the trade negotiations division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, left, shakes hands with Katherine Tai, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), during the 6th Korea-U.S. FTA Joint Committee Meeting at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



Yeo Han-koo, head of the trade negotiations division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, met with Katherine Tai, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Friday, to explore ways further to strengthen their countries ties on a number of pending issues, such as collaboration in addressing the semiconductor shortage



The specific details of the Yeo-Tai meeting are unknown, however, Yeo reportedly directly asked his U.S. counterpart to hold talks on the revision of Section 232 of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which deals with tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. As had been widely expected, various proposals and ways to strengthen the strategic partnership in chips and autos were also discussed, government officials said.



"Yeo requested an early start in consultations regarding the U.S. tariffs in Section 232 that have been affecting local steel exporters," an official at the country's trade ministry said.



Tai's visit to Korea has drawn attention because her visit comes a few days after Korean semiconductor companies operating plants in the United States submitted "second-level" semiconductor operational data to the U.S. Commerce Department. Samsung and SK's partial compliance with a U.S. demand is strengthening views that Korea will back Biden administration's initiative to address technology supply chain concerns actively and thoroughly.



Despite repeated requests from SK and LG, no separate meetings with their leaders were held. The USTR is known as the "hidden force" who pressured SK to accept LG's requests to pay billions of dollars in compensation in a battery dispute case by a White House-set deadline, according to officials.



Tai is the USTR of Asian descent and is a key figure in the Biden administration's trade policy.



Yeo and Tai took part in the 6th Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Committee Meeting at the Shilla Hotel, Friday. The two sides vowed to strengthen strategic partnerships on various new trade issues, including supply chains, technology, and digital and climate-related trade policies.



The KORUS FTA took effect in 2012, and the joint committee is held as a consultation channel between the two countries' trade representatives to inspect the implementation of the FTA and to discuss related issues.



Tai arrived from Japan for a four-day stay, Thursday, and held separate talks with Labor Minister An Kyung-duk on workers' rights and related trade policy, later Friday. On Saturday, she is scheduled to meet with female leaders from the public and private sectors before heading to India the following day.




A truck driver loads urea solution that he bought at a gas station in Uiwang, Nov. 16. Yonhap



A first shipment of urea will arrive in South Korea from China next week, a move expected to help address a supply crunch of urea solution, a key fluid needed in diesel cars to cut emissions, Seoul officials said Friday.



A ship carrying 300 tons of urea will leave from the Chinese eastern city of Tianjin on Saturday and arrive in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Tuesday, according to the government.



The government said it plans to accelerate necessary procedures to enable the urea to be used to produce urea solution upon arrival.



The shipment is part of the 18,700 tons of urea that have been under inspection by China for exports to South Korea.



South Korea is grappling with the supply shortage of urea solution as China imposed export curbs on urea to ease domestic supply bottlenecks in October.



Beijing has decided to export the 18,700 tons of urea for which Korean firms had already signed contracts with Chinese exporters. Of them, applications for export inspections on 11,310 tons of urea have been filed.



The government said it is making a flurry of diplomatic efforts to import urea and its solution in a bid to avert a potential logistics crisis.



A Korean firm is in talks with an Indonesian company to import about 10,000 tons of urea, and another company has clinched a deal to bring in 40 tons of urea for industrial uses from Taiwan.



Local firms have recently inked deals to additionally import urea solution from countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico and Australia.



The government said the output of five major producers of urea solution has surpassed the average daily consumption of 600,000 liters in the latest sign that the supply shortage is easing.



South Korea said 97.6 percent of its urea imports came from China in the first nine months of this year, up from 88 percent in 2020, underscoring its heavy reliance on the resource-rich neighbor for the key material.



Last year, South Korea imported 80,000 tons of urea, an amount sufficient to produce around 240 million liters of urea solution for diesel cars. (Yonhap)


Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps



Ruling party's Lee withdraws additional disaster relief fund proposal



By Jung Da-min



Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is seeking a breakthrough in the next presidential election slated for March as in recent opinion polls he has been falling behind his rival candidate Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).



Support for Lee, which started to decrease after news broke in late August of a corruption-ridden highly lucrative land development speculation scandal, has been stagnating in recent weeks, while Yoon has been enjoying a rise in his popularity. Since he was selected as the main opposition party's presidential candidate, Nov. 5, about a month after Lee was named as the candidate of the ruling party, Yoon has led in many opinion polls, ahead of Lee.



As part of efforts to find a breakthrough and win back public support, Lee has withdrawn his proposal of providing another round of COVID-19 disaster relief funds to all people regardless of their financial status, an idea only backed by the DPK. Lee's proposal drew criticism from the opposition parties and the government which cited the country's fiscal stability, while public opinion in recent polls was also against Lee's idea.



"I will not insist on the target and method of providing support. If it is difficult to reach an agreement over my proposal of providing disaster relief funds to all people, we should hurry to provide support at least for small business owners and the self-employed," Lee wrote on Facebook, Thursday. "We do not have enough time to argue with each other over different ideas of helping people, when right now small business owners and the self-employed are facing a very difficult reality."









In late October, Lee, who has put forward a "basic" series of promises that include offering a universal basic income at the forefront of his election campaign, proposed providing another round of COVID-19 disaster relief funds to all people regardless of their financial status, in an effort to win public support.



But public opinion was not in favor of his idea, according to the polls. In a survey of 1,009 adults conducted early November by local pollster Korea Society Opinion Institute, 60.1 percent of respondents said they opposed the idea, while 32.8 percent supported it.





Yoon Seok-youl, left, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea shake hands at an economic forum held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps
Yoon Seok-youl, right, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, shakes hands with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming at the PPP's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Yoon Seok-youl, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said he would make efforts to improve ties with China during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, Friday.



Ambassador Xing paid a courtesy call to Yoon at PPP headquarters and discussed diplomatic issues between the two countries.



Yoon said he hopes to better understand and promote bilateral ties with China if he wins the election.










Two Chinese and seven Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) without notice Friday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.







Between around 11 a.m. and 16:38 p.m., the planes separately entered the KADIZ northeast of South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo before exiting it, the JCS said, noting that none of them violated the country's territorial air space.







Each plane flew through the KADIZ for about 10 minutes.







Prior to their entry, the South Korean military deployed F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and a KC-330 tanker plane to the scene as a "normal tactical step" to prepare against any contingencies, the JCS said.







This is the first time the Air Force has mobilized a tanker for such a KADIZ-related incident, the military said.







Through a communication hotline, the Chinese authorities told the South Korean military that their aircraft were staging a "routine" exercise.







South Korean officials said that the Chinese and Russian aircraft's entry into the KADIZ appear to be part of a combined exercise, pointing out this needs further analysis.







The KADIZ is not territorial airspace, but foreign aircraft entering it are required to identify themselves to prevent accidental clashes. (Yonhap)






South Korea and the United States are in the final-stage of talks over President Moon Jae-in's proposal for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, a top official said Friday.







Unification Minister Lee In-young made the remarks during a forum on international relations, as the government has been striving to accelerate consultations with Washington over the proposal, which it says would serve as a catalyst to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea.







"The South and the U.S. have been holding very serious, deep consultations regarding the end-of-war declaration," he said. "I can say that to a certain extent, those discussions are entering a final stage."







Saying that a "sign of change" on the Korean Peninsula has been emerging, the minister predicted that the North would not do things that would escalate tensions for the time being.







"Still, the North has continued to conduct short-range missile tests, but kept a level short of crossing the red line," the minister said.







"However, we can't make a conclusive judgment, the North might not behave in a way that would foment tensions in a high-intensity, strategic way or escalate them," he added.







In recent months, the Moon administration has been stepping up diplomacy with Washington, Tokyo and other concerned parties to elicit their support to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue and move forward on its stalled peace agenda. (Yonhap)


Namyang Dairy Product Chairman Hong Won-sik listens to questions from the National Assembly State Affairs Committee during an audit held in Seoul, Oct. 5. Korea Times file









South Korea's No. 2 dairy company, Namyang Dairy Products Co., said Friday that its controlling shareholders  Chairman Hong Won-sik and his family  have signed a deal to sell their majority stake and management rights to the mid-sized local Dayou Winia Group.







Namyang said the sale will go ahead only if it wins a legal dispute with local private equity fund (PEF) Hahn & Company. But if Hahn & Company wins the dispute, Namyang will have to sell its majority stake to the PEF.







Details of the prices of the major stake sale and the date to finalize the deal were not available, Namyang said.







In late May, Hong and his family struck a deal with Hahn & Company to sell a 53 percent stake in Namyang Dairy Products for 310.7 billion won ($262.1 million).







The largest shareholders of the dairy firm did not conclude the deal July 30, delaying a shareholders meeting that was set to approve it.







In August, Hahn & Company filed a lawsuit against Namyang Dairy Products calling for it to honor the contract.







In response to the lawsuit, Hong and his family informed Hahn & Company they would not comply with the deal, Sept. 1. (Yonhap)










Japan under fire for undermining trilateral cooperation



Japan cannot avoid criticism for its serious diplomatic discourtesy in boycotting a planned joint press conference of vice-ministerial officials from South Korea, the United States and Japan in Washington, Wednesday. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held the conference alone after her Korean and Japanese counterparts pulled out, due to their bilateral conflict over Korea's southernmost Dokdo Islets.



First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun quoted Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori as having said that Japan would not take part in the joint briefing, just before the start of the trilateral talks. Japan took issue with a visit to Dokdo by Korean National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong Tuesday. The vice-ministerial talks took place as scheduled to discuss diverse pending issues. Yet, the parties failed to narrow the differences in their stances.



It is deplorable that Japan upset the diplomatic protocol involving the three countries. It is natural for Korea's police chief to visit the country's Dokdo Islets, where its police are stationed. Japan has taken flak for raising this issue despite the need to solidify trilateral cooperation on more significant issues, such as North Korea's nuclear program and so forth.



The Japanese government had already lodged a protest to Korea over Kim's Dokdo visit, later on Tuesday. It is a serious and callous diplomatic discourtesy for Japan to raise the matter again on the multilateral diplomatic stage involving the three allies. The trilateral meeting was significant due to the need to cement the alliance in the wake of the crucial summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.



Japan's inappropriate behavior could potentially shake the trilateral alliance, undermining the Biden administration's efforts toward cementing it. Cheong Wa Dae also expressed displeasure over Japan's action, describing it as unprecedented. The trilateral talks, resumed under the Biden administration, have partly the goal of containing China. They have also served as a useful diplomatic channel among the three countries.



The three officials were supposed to discuss grave issues such as an official declaration to end the Korean War, sought by the Moon Jae-in administration, as well as regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific. Yet, due to Japan's seemingly "uncooperative" move, the participants did not have the chance for in-depth discussions. Sherman said, "As has been the case for some time, there are some bilateral differences between Japan and the Republic of Korea that are continuing to be resolved."



This recent case shows that the bilateral conflict between Seoul and Tokyo has worsened to the extent of threatening trilateral cooperation. It also indicates that Japan will continue to bring up the issue of Dokdo with the international community. It is time for the nation to deal resolutely with the matter through specific and concrete policies, so that it can maintain the upper hand over Japan internationally.


U.S. Olympic athletes in the official Team USA Opening Ceremony Parade stand on the podium wearing Ralph Lauren designed uniforms in the United States, on July 12, 2012. AP-Yonhap





By Kim Jae-heun







Ralph Lauren will block online customers in Korea from its official American website a week ahead of Black Friday, the biggest sales event of the year there, along with shoppers from the entire Asian region.







"Local customers are restricted from directly purchasing Ralph Lauren products via the American online mall during the Black Friday sales. This policy will continue for a while and we are waiting for the headquarters in the Unites States to give us an explanation," a Ralph Lauren official in Korea said.







Ralph Lauren, and many other brands, commence Black Friday sales from Nov. 26 when apparel and accessories will be offered with discounts of up to 90 percent.







The price benefit is not the only reason why many local customers shop on the casual fashion giant's American website. There are a variety of items that are not available on the domestic market.







Industry insiders say there are two possible reasons for the fashion company blocking direct purchases from the Asian region during this period.







In Korea, Ralph Lauren is one of the most popular casual fashion brands purchased during the Black Friday sales. The fashion firm's Korean branch wants to defend its sales here and it allegedly requested the headquarters to block local customers.







Prices of Ralph Lauren items at local department stores are 30 percent to 50 percent higher than the same items in the United States.







One industry source, contrary to Ralph Lauren's local distributor's earlier statement, said, "Ralph Lauren's Korean branch is said to have filed a complaint with its U.S. headquarters for hurting domestic sales during the Black Friday event in America."







Another possible reason is that many Chinese shoppers are said to have purchased large quantities of Ralph Lauren products to resell in China while returning replicas to the American seller for refunds. Though, this allegation has not been confirmed by the brand's representatives.







Due to the restrictions on overseas direct purchases, local customers are resorting to strategies such as using VPNs to route IP address locations to outside Asia.







Also, people are using American addresses registered to Korean logistics agencies there and then pay additional shipment fees to receive their orders from sales intermediaries.







Some have suggested it is possible to circumvent the system by using PayPal for online payments, but this is said to be an unreliable method.







"Ralph Lauren items become very expensive with various fees added when they are imported to Korea. The fashion firm needs to find a way to reduce the price gap instead of just blocking local shoppers from direct purchases from America," said a Korean only identified by their surname, Kim.


This picture taken on Nov. 18 shows the lobby of the Taiwanese Representative Office with flowers in Lithuania, Vilnius. AFP-Yonhap



China on Friday condemned the opening of a de facto Taiwanese embassy in Lithuania as an "extremely egregious act," saying any move seeking Taiwanese independence was "doomed to fail."



Taipei announced on Thursday it had formally opened an office in Lithuania using the name Taiwan, a significant diplomatic departure that defied a pressure campaign by Beijing.



"There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.



"We demand that the Lithuanian side immediately correct its wrong decision."



China tries to keep Taipei isolated on the world stage and baulks at any official use of the word "Taiwan", lest it lend a sense of international legitimacy to the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if needed.



"The Lithuanian government, in disregard of the Chinese side's strong objection and repeated dissuasion, has approved the establishment of the so-called 'Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania,'" added the statement from Beijing.



"The Chinese government expresses strong protest over and firm objection to this extremely egregious act.



"The Lithuanian side shall be responsible for all the ensuing consequences."



Lithuania in July agreed to let democratic self-ruled Taiwan open a representative office using its name, the island's first new diplomatic outpost in Europe in 18 years.



That move prompted a fierce rebuke by China which withdrew its ambassador to Lithuania and demanded Vilnius do the same, which it eventually did.



China also halted freight trains to Lithuania and stopped issuing food export permits.



"The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania officially commences its operation in Vilnius on November 18, 2021," the foreign ministry said on Thursday, breaking with the island's tradition of calling its representative outposts Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices.



Taiwan's foreign ministry said the Lithuania office would be headed by Eric Huang, currently Taipei's chief of mission in neighboring Latvia.



"We are very happy that we have the opportunity to be a facilitator and promoter for the relations between Taiwan and Lithuania," Huang told AFP.



On the significance of using the name Taiwan, he said it was "of course very meaningful".



"We will not emphasize too much about the geopolitical context. As the representative office of my country, what I am focused on is to promote a substantive relationship."



Only 15 countries officially recognize Taipei over Beijing.



But Taiwan maintains embassy equivalent representative offices with many nations and several countries have similar arrangements in Taipei.



International support for Taiwan has grown since China's President Xi Jinping came to power.



He has ushered in a more authoritarian and muscular era for China and taken a markedly more aggressive approach to Taipei since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen.



She is loathed by Beijing because she regards Taiwan as an already sovereign nation and not part of "one China".





This picture taken on Nov. 18 shows the name plaque at the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, Vilnius. AFP-Yonhap


AI/ML- QA Engineer, Information Intelligence Seattle , Washington , United States Machine Learning and AI Summary

Posted: Nov 13, 2021 Role Number: 200313458 Are you interested in having a serious impact across all Apple platforms? Do you have great communication skills, an unwillingness to settle for anything less than the best, and a desire to push the boundaries of existing technologies? The Information Intelligence QA team is looking for a top-tier QA Engineer to support some core macOS and iOS functionality. Information Intelligence QA is a highly multi-functional team responsible for supporting various frameworks and products, such as Spotlight & Visual LookUp, on macOS and iOS. The ideal candidate will be comfortable triaging incoming bug reports, scoping and bringing up new test plans, implementing manual test passes, and working on improving tools and automated testing, working on build & integration systems. You'll be supporting an engineering team in fast-paced environment, so be prepared to embrace new challenges and opportunities as you qualify critical macOS and iOS apps and technologies. Key Qualifications Excellent analytical skills

Ability to investigate and debug difficult problems

Strong understanding of SQA methodologies & practices

Ability to rapidly triage incoming issues and decide on next steps

Good understanding of macOS application development & testing

Experience with mobile device & computer interaction

Working knowledge of macOS and iOS Description - Join a dynamic and fast-paced team of engineers to ensure that our software meets the high quality bar Apple is known for. You will complete documented and ad-hoc testing for both UI-based products/apps and lower-level frameworks. You will monitor incoming bugs for Spotlight and help ensure those bugs are routed appropriately and are properly addressed in a release. - Be a part of a hands-on team that fosters creativity and generates novel solutions to deliver engineering precision. We partner with a variety of cross and multi-functional team members from a diverse array of groups across the company. Real passion for product ownership and track record of product development will prove critical to your success on our team. - Prioritize tasks with rapid development cycles, remain flexible and calm in the face of uncertainty, and drive vendors to deliver excellent results for time-critical issues. - You have excellent judgment and integrity with the ability to make timely and sound decisions. Ability to stay focused and prioritize a heavy workload while achieving extraordinary quality. You are upbeat, adaptable, and results oriented with a positive attitude. You bring passion and dedication to your job and are committed to our vision and supporting the developer community. Education & Experience BS and MS in Computer Science or equivalent industry experience Additional Requirements - Work independently and be dedicated to quality

- Comfortable and adaptable in a fast-paced and informal environment

- Detail oriented






Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note de la presentation au Parlement du Town Planners Council Bill , de The Independent Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, Revision of Laws (Amendment) Bill aussi, de la situation liee a la Covid-19 entre autres.

1. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Town Planners Council Bill into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Town Planners Council of Mauritius with a view to better regulating the profession of town planners and to provide for the practice and discipline of town planners. The Bill accordingly provides that the Council would, inter alia:

(a) register town planners;

(b) regulate the profession of town planners;

(c) exercise and maintain discipline in the profession of town planners;

(d) promote advancement in the field of town planning; and

(e) approve, conduct or cause to be conducted training courses, programmes, lectures, seminars or conferences, including continuing professional development courses or programmes, for town planners.

The Bill also provides for the registration of local and foreign firms of town planners in Mauritius.

2. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to amend the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act in order to provide a better legal framework to regulate licensees of the Authority. The Bill, inter alia:

(a) empowers the Authority to impose administrative penalties;

(b) enhances the regulatory provisions in the Act; and

(c) aims to provide more synergy between the Authority and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority by amending the composition of the ICT Authority to provide that the Chairperson shall be a member of the ICT Authority.

3. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Revision of Laws (Amendment) Bill into the National Assembly. The main object of the Bill is to amend the Revision of Laws Act to provide that an electronic revised edition of all Acts, including regulations, shall be published on the web portal of the Attorney Generals Office. The enactments included in the electronic revised edition shall, for all purposes, with effect from the date on which they are published on the web portal of the Attorney Generals Office:

(a) be regarded as equivalent to the enactments included in a revised edition and shall be deemed to be the official text of the enactments so published; and

(b) be taken to be the laws of Mauritius.

The electronic revised edition would be free of charge and any user would, over and above of viewing the laws of Mauritius on the web portal, be able to print a copy thereof.

Appropriate security features in terms of QR Code and digital signature would be incorporated in the electronic version of the law documents.

4. Cabinet has taken note that Regulations would be made under section 14 of the Passports Act to allow for the digitalisation of the disembarkation card. A new Digital Embarkation/Disembarkation System is presently being developed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The new System would integrate all forms used by incoming passengers into a single electronic document for entry into Mauritius. The current passport Regulations do not allow the Passport Officer to require passengers to provide the information required in the disembarkation card electronically.

5. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of an agreement on extradition and an agreement on mutual legal assistance with France. Bilateral agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance are becoming of paramount importance in combatting transnational crimes.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of a Fertiliser Subsidy Scheme for (non- sugar) foodcrop planters. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a sharp increase in the cost of fertilisers due to various reasons. The Bio Farming Support Scheme for Hydroponic growers provides a subsidy to the tune of 60 percent on the purchase price of bio inputs (pesticides and fertilisers) to registered planters up to a maximum of

10,000 sq m. However, there is no subsidy on fertilisers to non-sugar foodcrop (vegetables) growers in general. A subsidy of 50 percent would be provided on the cost of fertiliser for one crop cycle per annum to planters registered with the Small Farmers Welfare Fund. Some 11,000 planters registered with the Small Farmers Welfare Fund would be benefitting from the Scheme.

7. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping and the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, with respect to the implementation of a Sea Cucumber Project. The areas of cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding would comprise, amongst others:

(a) seed production, including the development of the seed production techniques;

(b) field culture; and

(c) training and capacity-building of officers of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the measures adopted by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security to mitigate the risk of introduction of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Mauritius in view of its recent outbreak in numerous European countries. The Livestock and Veterinary Division of that Ministry has informed the importers of day-old chicks, raw poultry products and processed poultry products from European countries as well as other markets, of the following:

(a) every application for import would be subject to a comprehensive risk analysis prior to issue of import permits;

(b) day-old chicks and raw poultry products would be allowed to be imported only from countries, zones or regions which are certified by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting countries as free from HPAI in line with the recommendations of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE); and

(c) thermally treated poultry products would be allowed to be imported only if the poultry products have undergone a thermal treatment which would inactivate the virus in line with the recommendations of the OIE and certified by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting countries.

9. Cabinet has taken note of the updated COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan which has been devised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, following the resurgence of new local COVID-19 cases in March 2021 and subsequently, the Delta cases within the local community. New measures have been taken for the re-organisation of the screening process, for the handling of contact and positive cases. The importance of the vaccination roll-out, the high rate of comorbidities amongst the Mauritian population and the handling of persons with disabilities have also been taken into consideration for the elaboration of the revised Plan.

10. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 255.9 million cases have been reported globally, of which 231.3 million persons have been successfully treated.

With regard to Mauritius, as at 18 November 2021, there were 1,476 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 49 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 11 November to 17 November 2021, 85 deaths were attributed to COVID-19.

Cabinet has also taken note that as at 18 November 2021, there were two active cases in Rodrigues.

Cabinet has further taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, including the administration of the booster dose in the Republic of Mauritius. As at 18 November 2021, 915,568 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 72.8 percent of the population). 881,676 persons had been fully vaccinated (representing 70 percent of the population). 39,879 persons had received a booster dose. 32,065 adolescents aged between 15 to 17 years had received a first dose of vaccine and 26,116 adolescents were fully vaccinated.

Cabinet has also taken note that a consignment of 107,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine donated by the US Government through the COVAX Facility, reached Mauritius on 15 November 2021.

11. Cabinet has taken note that an Air Bubble Agreement has been entered into with the Indian authorities and was effective as from 15 November 2021 for two weekly flights to and from Mumbai.

12. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage submitting to UNESCO, the nomination forms for inscription of the death certificate and archival documents of Bienheureux Pere Jacques Desire Laval and documents pertaining to the Slave Trade and Slavery Records in Mauritius, on the Memory of the World International Register of the Memory of the World Programme of UNESCO.

The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme was set up in 1992 by UNESCO to, inter alia, facilitate preservation, of the worlds past, present and future documentary heritage by most appropriate techniques, to assist universal access to documentary heritage and to increase awareness worldwide of the existence and significance of documentary heritage and, thereby, foster a dialogue and mutual understanding between people and cultures.

13. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives together with the Fashion and Design Institute participated in the Salon International de Textile Africain (SITA) to showcase the Mauritius savoir-faire as regards fabrics made locally and the talent of young designers and won the first prize. The SITA is an annual meeting platform where decision-makers, fashion actors and experts in African textile exchange ideas, best practices and reinforce relationships among themselves to combat difficulties faced in African Textiles and work out appropriate solutions. Mauritius was selected, out of 32 participating African countries, as the best Stylist during the Cotton Night defined as the culminating event of every SITA edition.

14. Cabinet has taken note that part of the Vacoas  La Marie (B64) Road would be temporarily closed as from Monday 22 November 2021, in the context of the reconstruction of the Takamaka bridge at La Caverne, by the Road Development Authority. The new proposed Takamaka bridge would consist of a single span reinforced concrete structure with hydraulic section of a width of nine metres and a height of 2.3 metres. The road thereat would be widened to seven metres and would cater for flash flood of a return period of one in 100 years. A press communique would be issued on the traffic diversion and appropriate temporary traffic signs would also be installed at strategic locations to guide road users.

15. Cabinet has taken note that two working sessions would be organised by the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation in collaboration with Meta (formerly known as Facebook) in November 2021, namely:

(a) a Misinformation Deep Dive session for high level Government stakeholders on 24 November 2021  The objectives of the session are to, inter alia, inform/update health authorities and policymakers of the approach to tackling COVID-19 misinformation, especially vaccine misinformation, and present a comprehensive approach to help tackle information crisis (product launches and media literacy campaign); and

(b) the launching of the Africa Small Medium Business Report on 25 November 2021  The report, Unlocking Africas Potential: How social media is powering small businesses in Africa which would be launched, examines how the digital economy, as evidenced through the Facebook Apps, creates value for Small and Medium Businesses that are operating in Africa.

The working sessions would be conducted on a hybrid model whereby the Meta Public Policy team for the South African region would be in Mauritius while the rest of other teams would participate virtually.

16. Cabinet has taken note that a new Joint Monitoring Framework Agreement on the implementation of the EU-Mauritius Gender Action Plan III has been signed between the European Union and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare at the High Level Policy Dialogue meeting which was held recently. The First Joint Monitoring Framework Agreement was signed between the European Union and the Ministry in 2018 to track progress on the implementation of the EU-Mauritius Gender Action Plan II. The Agreement serves as a tool to monitor key performance indicators related to the promotion of gender equality, addressing gender-based violence and the economic empowerment of women and girls. The new Joint Monitoring Framework Agreement covers a period of four years and provides for five thematic areas. Its main objectives are:

(a) the design of actions and programmes funded by the EU in favour of the Republic of Mauritius under the new Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027;

(b) monitoring, reporting and evaluation; and

(c) any other relevant initiative and process.

17. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance in collaboration with the EU-funded AML/CFT Global Facility would organise a Regional Workshop on Compliance with International and EU requirements concerning the FATF Recommendations 8 from 22 to 25 November 2021, in accordance with strict sanitary protocols. The aims of the Workshop are to:

(a) allow regulators of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) exchange best practices and challenges faced among themselves and also with the EU and other States on the applied methodology, chosen policies and work undertaken to ensure compliance of their respective legislations and practices with the FAFT Recommendation 8 requirements;

(b) provide a tangible opportunity to proceed with concrete steps to improve the relevant Mutual Evaluation Assessments in relation to Recommendation 8 by the participating States; and

(c) take cognizance of the recent research report of the EU-funded AML/CFT Global Facility entitled  Typologies of the Illicit Financial Abuse of NPO Sector  Specificity, Complexity, Complicity and Harm.

18. Cabinet has taken note that a fire incident occurred at the Emmanuel Anquetil Building on Thursday 18 November 2021 at around 15 30 hours. Preliminary investigations carried out have revealed that the fire incident was not of electrical nature but due to a gas cylinder found on the roof of the building which exploded and was projected on the Esplanade of the building. There was a minor fire outbreak on the roof of the Emmanuel Anquetil Building and it was extinguished by the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service promptly. No casualty has been reported and no structural damage has been observed to the Emmanuel Anquetil Building and the surrounding buildings/amenities. Police enquiry is ongoing.

19. Cabinet has taken note of the activities that would be organised by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the National Childrens Council, in the context of the Universal Childrens Day 2021, celebrated on 20 November. The theme for this year is Proteksion Zanfan se pa enn opsion me enn Obligasion. The official celebration of the Universal Childrens Day 2021 would be organised on 19 December 2021 at the Roches Noires Multi-Purpose Complex.

A message by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare would be broadcast on MBC TV on 20 November 2021.

20. Cabinet has taken note that a National Hybrid Cybercrime training would be organised jointly by the South African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the support of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) from 29 November to 03 December 2021 in Mauritius. The objective of the 5-day training would be to strengthen capacity of Police Officers and Prosecutors in SADC Member States to effectively investigate and prosecute cases related to cyber-enabled crimes especially resulting in sexual violence against women/girls as well as other forms of violence. The training would also create a pool of regional experts/trainers capable of delivering training to other Police Officers. All sanitary protocols would be strictly complied with.

21. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in the Fifth Trade Policy Review of Mauritius held recently at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat in Geneva. The Trade Policy Review is a transparency exercise mandated by the WTO Agreement and covers changes in trade practices and policies for the period under review. Two documents were prepared, namely a report by the Government of Mauritius and an independent report by the WTO Secretariat. The Permanent Representative of Botswana to the WTO who chaired the meeting laid emphasis, amongst others, on the openness of the Mauritian economy and the economic reforms pursued during the review period.

The Minister highlighted on the impact of the COVID-19 and the wide array of measures taken by the Government to sustain jobs, to address the socio-economic challenges, and to put the economy back on the path of recovery. Some 51 WTO Members took the floor to comment broadly the Government and Secretariat Reports. The economic reforms undertaken by Mauritius to facilitate trade and investment were widely acknowledged as well as the key measures adopted by Government to mitigate economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the margins of the Trade Policy Review, the Minister participated in various high level meetings and events. He met the Director General of the WTO, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. He also made a statement at the Information Session on the pandemic and rising shipping rates organised by the Director General of the WTO.

22. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance in South Africa. Following the exit of Mauritius from the FATF grey list and the UKs list of high risk third countries, and the prevailing socio-economic conditions in South Africa, the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance together with the Economic Development Board mounted a mission to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town with a view to leveraging on the new status of Financial Services Sector and attract South Africa-based financial services operators to relocate or expand their business footprint in Mauritius.

A number of roundtable sessions and targeted one-to-one meetings were organised and were attended by High-Net-Worth Individuals, prospective investors and key professionals, including tax advisors, wealth and asset managers, and law practitioners. The key products and attributes as well as service offering of the Mauritius International Financial Centre (IFC) were also showcased. The Minister interacted with various companies in the field of private wealth and wealth management, family offices, fund management, global legal services, insurance and reinsurance, and brokerage services. Concrete and firmed-up interests were expressed by reputed firms.

23. Cabinet has taken note of the composition of the Dental Council of Mauritius for the period November 2021 to October 2024, following the election of members of the Council on 06 November 2021.

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Le PPS est intervenu sur ce projet de loi qui fait debats dans la population et nontamment ceux qui se servnt des reseaux sociaux populaires dans le monde.

1. Mr Speaker Sir,

I thank you for allowing me to take the floor to debate on this vital piece of legislation, that is, the cybersecurity and cybercrime bill in this August Assembly.

2. Mr Speaker Sir,

In our age of digital connectivity, cities and counties across the world must meet the ever-increasing demands of citizens and businesses for efficient and effective digital government.

3. Monsieur le President,

Avant dentrer dans le vif du sujet, je voudrais faire part de ma deception concernant certaines reactions simplistes de certains qui ne trouvent rien de mieux que dutiliser des  petty arguments  pour tenter de faire croire que le gouvernement veut instaurer une dictature a travers le Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill.

4. A mon humble avis, il sagit la de personnes qui ont pour habitude dutiliser tous les moyens, y compris les moyens technologiques et les reseaux sociaux, qui voient tout simplement leur marge de manuvre etre reduite. A ceux-la, je leur dirai tout simplement :  Si vous avez les

mains propres et la conscience claire, vous navez rien a craindre.

5. Et quels sont leurs arguments ? Ils trouvent que la liberte est menacee De quelle liberte font-ils allusion ? Celle de pouvoir balancer toutes sortes de mensonges, de propos incendiaires et racistes, de diffamations et dabsurdites sur les plateformes technologiques ? Cette loi, Monsieur le President, na rien de dangereux. Bien au contraire, elle permettra de mettre hors detat de nuire ceux qui representent eux-memes un danger pour la paix, lharmonie et la securite de notre pays et de ses habitants. Une autre reaction que nous avons entendue, ou plutot lue,

cest que le telechargement de musiques et de films a des fins lucratifs devient illegal. Je ne ferai ici quune parenthese en soulignant que les artistes Mauriciens investissent enormement pour produire des uvres, quelles soient musicales ou des films. Je suis certain quils seront plus que ravis de savoir que leurs uvres sont protegees et que dautres personnes ne se feront pas dargent a leur detriment. Je viendrai, un peu plus tard, sur laspect de la responsabilite de la gestion des contenus indesirables sur les reseaux sociaux. Mais, heureusement, Monsieur le President, nous avons dun autre cote des personnes sensees qui reconnaissent, par exemple, que le Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill fait etat dun respect accru de

la Convention de Budapest et que la section concernee du present projet de loi garantit un equilibre entre laspect repressif et le respect des droits de lhomme.

6. Mr Speaker Sir,

With the ever-accelerating shift to digital and online services, cybersecurity is more important than ever before. Cybersecurity experts reported an 800% surge in cybercrime since the start of the pandemic, with approximately 4,000 cyberattacks occurring each and every day. No one is safe from this surge in cybercrime. Hackers today have their sights set on everything from personal work accounts to

essential government infrastructure. If we are going to thrive in our more heavily digitized economy and society, then we will need the cybersecurity protections that make all of our digital interactions safe. I wish to therefore congratulate the Minister of Information Technology, communication and innovation for presenting this bill.

7. For years, cybersecurity policy has been the unspoken elephant in this legislative assembly but this government, under the Primeministership of Hon. Pravind Jugnauth, has come forward with a Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill.

8. Mr. Speaker, Sir,

The with the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the world moved online, accelerating a digital transformation that has been underway for decades. Today, in a spirit of protecting our population, and particularly our children, Government and private sector organisations are encouraging the work from home system, and our children are being called upon to follow their classes online. Unfortunately, nobody, neither here in Mauritius, nor across the world, can predict what will happen regarding the pandemic. How long will it last? Will there be

more mutations and new variants? How would such situations affect social and economic activities? No-one knows

In the face of uncertainties, what do we do? Do we stay idle and wait that things worsen before taking actions? Digitalization of services and activities is the way forward. But, together with this digitalization we should have the right parameters to avoid abuses and misuse of the informatic tool. Cybersecurity is a MUST.

Mr Speaker Sir,

Many governments have strengthened their strategic approach to the digital transformation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As detailed in the OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2020, 34 OECD countries had put in place a national digital strategy co-ordinated at the highest level of government as of mid-2020, with an additional five OECD countries (Chile, Colombia, Japan, Italy and Turkey) reporting co-ordination at the prime minister/chancellery level since 2016.

Mauritius cannot lag behind. As people spend more time online whether for work, school, or social interaction  extra attention is needed to support their well-being. Government is seizing the opportunity to address the diverse range of social issues that the digital transformation raises.

9. Monsieur le President,

Maurice doit devenir plus agile dans la mise a jour ou lelaboration de strategies nationales de cybersecurite, ainsi que dun cadre juridique et reglementaire concernant le cyberespace. Ces initiatives doivent adopter une approche multipartite, notamment en accordant une

attention particuliere a la construction de capacites dintervention en cas dincident dans tous les secteurs. Le gouvernement ne peut pas agir seul, et la participation de la communaute technique et du secteur prive est essentielle au renforcement de capacites de resilience

efficaces. Comme decrit dans le projet de loi a partir du paragraphe 38  setting up of the computer emergency response team.

10. Monsieur le President,

Lechange dinformation a augmente depuis leruption de la COVID-19. Nous devons maintenir cet elan et le formaliser pour toutes les questions liees a la cybersecurite. La cybersecurite exige une cooperation internationale, et il est necessaire daccroitre la confiance, a tous les niveaux, entre les pays et les industries. Demain, il y aura un nouveau virus ou un ennemi commun dans le cyberespace; par consequent, la collaboration aux niveaux politique, technique et de

lapplication de la loi sera essentielle pour nous proteger et nous permettre de travailler ensemble pour trouver des solutions.

11. Monsieur le President,

Un bon exemple de cooperation internationale est le reseau hemispherique regional Computer Security Incident Response Team America, CSIRTA, qui est une communaute dequipes dintervention en cas dincident de securite informatique dans lhemisphere occidental. Pendant des crises telles que Wannacry et la pandemie de COVID-19, cette communaute a pu se reunir virtuellement pour partager des

informations en temps reel et echanger des connaissances et des informations pour relever les defis regionaux.

12. Mr Speaker Sir,

I would like to touch on a highly sensitive subject  cyberbullying  taking place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. Who, in this House, does not remember the Telegram issue? Members of the Opposition, rightly I must say, pressed upon Government in this same August Assembly, for remedial actions.

13. Mr Speaker Sir,

Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint  a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

Le paragraphe 17 de ce projet de loi prevoit clairement que la cyberintimidation est passible dune amende maximale dun million de roupies et dune servitude penale dune duree nexcedant pas 20 ans.

14. Mr Speaker Sir,

This bill is intended to ensure that the media will take greater responsibility for the damage caused by incorrect reports, and to improve news quality and public trust but to also explore how to deal with the spread of false information on social media, such as Facebook and YouTube which can lead to cyberbullying.

15. Other countries in the Asia Pacific like Singapore previously passed its new anti-fake news law in 2019, called The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) in Parliament with an overwhelming

majority from the House. The POFMA gives the government more power to act against the spread of what it has termed as falsehoods. It puts the power in the hands of ministers to order the correction or removal of online content judged to be a falsehood, but lines have been drawn on what it can act on.

16. In addition, it will also allow the government to impose fines of up to SGD 1m on tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter if they do not act swiftly to limit the spread of falsehoods by

displaying corrections or removing them completely. It will also force tech platforms to disable fake accounts operated by bots and block advertisements on fake news sites, thereby cutting off their revenue streams.

17. Mr Speaker Sir,

2021 was a breakout year for ransomware as the cybersecurity attack vector wreaked havoc on individuals and organizations around the world. While ransomware is not a new cybersecurity risk, it is a threat that received attention at the highest levels of government. Ransomware affected peoples ability to get health care, put

gas in their vehicles and buy groceries. The financial effects of ransomware also became particularly pronounced in 2021. Attacks hit supply chains, causing more widespread damage than an attack against a single individual. There has also been an increased response from government and technology vendors to help stem the tide of ransomware attacks.

18. Mr Speaker Sir,

Along the efforts of the government at paragraph 18, organizations and individuals should take steps to mitigate ransomware attacks. But there is no silver bullet that will solve or defend against ransomware. What is needed is a multilayered approach to improve IT security overall.

19. Mr Speaker Sir,

This bills approach to cybersecurity and cybercrime will go beyond protecting the nations critical information infrastructure, as

pervasive connectivity opens up new and wider areas of attack. The government will work to secure our wider cyberspace given the increasingly wide-spread and interconnected use of digital technology in all domains. This needs to be underpinned by building organisational capability and talent development.

20. Monsieur le President,

Pour conclure, le projet de loi sur la cybersecurite et la cybercriminalite fait partie de la strategie de cybersecurite de Maurice visant a renforcer la posture de cybersecurite du pays. Avec la croissance des cybermenaces a

lechelle mondiale, le projet de loi est essentiel pour proteger les services essentiels contre les perturbations causees par les cyberattaques, prevenir et repondre aux menaces et incidents de cybersecurite, et pour etablir un cadre de licence pour ameliorer la credibilite des services de cybersecurite a Maurice.

21. Ce projet de loi prevoit un cyberespace plus sur a Maurice dans le cadre du plan strategique digital mauritius 2030 et Monsieur le President, sur ces mots, je soutiens pleinement les dispositions dans ce projet de loi.

22. Vive la Republique de Maurice!

23. Merci, Monsieur le President !
National

DRI seizes 80 kg smuggled gold from Delhi airport; Chinese national, 3 held

NEW DELHI, NOV 19 (PTI) | Publish Date: 11/19/2021 1:25:28 PM IST

Over 80 kg gold worth nearly Rs 40 crore, being smuggled into the country by concealing it inside imported machinery parts, has been seized by DRI officials at the airport here, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

Four foreign nationals -- two South Koreans, one Chinese and a Taiwanese  have been apprehended in the case, it said.

Later, in a swift follow-up operation, further recovery of 5.409 kgs of foreign-origin gold smuggled into India adopting a similar modus operandi, was made from a Delhi-based jeweller, the statement issued by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said.

The recovered gold, totally weighing 85.535 kgs, valued at approximately Rs 42 crore, has been seized, it said.

In an intelligence operation code-named molten metal, several Indian and foreign (Chinese, Taiwanese, South-Korean) nationals suspected to be indulging in smuggling gold into India from Hong Kong using the air cargo route, were identified, the DRI said.

The intelligence indicated that the gold smuggled in the form of machinery parts was being melted and moulded into bar/cylinder shapes before being disposed of in the local market, it said. Acting upon the said intelligence, DRI officers examined an import consignment at the air cargo complex of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here.

During the examination, the consignment was found to contain electroplating machines fitted with transformers. The EI laminates of the transformers were found to have been made of gold coated with nickel, essentially to hide the identity of the gold, the statement said. Approximately, 1 kg of gold was recovered from each of the 80 imported electroplating machines, it said.

Further, during search operations conducted in several rented properties in Chattarpur and Gurgaon, four foreign nationals (two from South Korea and one each from China and Taiwan) were found to be using sophisticated metallurgical techniques to convert the smuggled gold in the form of EI laminates into bar/cylindrical form for further distribution, the probe agency said.

These activities were being conducted by the foreign nationals in rented farmhouses/apartments in plush localities in South Delhi and Gurgaon, and extreme precautions were taken to keep the illegal nature of their activities hidden even from their immediate neighbours, the DRI said.

The four foreign nationals involved in the smuggling activities have been apprehended and are being questioned, it said.

During questioning, it has been revealed that two of the foreign nationals had stuck up a close relationship while being behind bars for their previous offenses of gold smuggling, the statement said, adding that further investigation is in progress.
International

First batch of Russias aid arrives in Afghanistan

Afghan workers unload humanitarian aid donated by Russia at Kabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Kabul, Nov 19 (IANS) | Publish Date: 11/19/2021 11:12:09 AM IST

The first batch of Russias humanitarian aid has arrived in Afghanistan.

Three planes carrying 36 tons of humanitarian aid landed at the Kabul airport on Thursday. The aid, including flour, cooking oil and blankets, has been handed over to Afghan officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Expressing gratitude to Russia for the aid, the Afghan officials receiving the aid called on other nations to support the war-torn country at this moment when Afghans are facing food shortage, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia, according to a statement from the NDMA, will send 108 ton of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in three rounds, with the first round arriving on Thursday morning and the remaining two in the near future.
International

Joe Biden praises Canada, Mexico as leaders discuss strains

Washington, Nov 19 (AP) | Publish Date: 11/19/2021 11:46:37 AM IST

Reviving three-way North American summitry after a five-year break, President Joe Biden on Thursday joined with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to declare their nations can work together and prove democracies can deliver even as they sort out differences on key issues.

But as Biden, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, spoke of their mutual respect, the three leaders also found themselves dealing with fresh strains on trade, immigration, climate change, and other matters.

We can meet all the challenges if we just take the time to speak to one another, by working together, said Biden, who hosted the North American neighbours for what had been a near-annual tradition in the decade before President Donald Trump came to office.

It was a day of full-on diplomacy that required careful choreography as Trudeau and Lopez Obrador each met separately with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before gathering for a three-way conversation in the East Room that featured a language mix of English, French, and Spanish. As they played up the closeness of the alliance, points of tension were also clear.

They include differences between Washington and Ottawa over proposed tax incentives that would benefit U.S. electric car auto manufacturers, frustration from Lopez Obrador that the U.S. isnt moving to issue more temporary work visas even as American businesses complain they suffer from a worker shortage, and disappointment by the U.S. and Canada that Mexico is not moving faster to address climate change.

Biden met first with Trudeau, calling the U.S.-Canada relationship one of the easiest in the early going of his presidency.

But as they sat down for talks, the president also confirmed their differences over proposed electric vehicle tax incentives in his massive social services and climate bill.

Were going to talk about that, Biden said. It hasnt even passed yet in the House.

The provision in Bidens proposed spending plan would offer American consumers a $7,500 tax credit if they buy electric vehicles through 2026.

The following year, only purchases of electric vehicles made in the U.S. would qualify for the credit.

The base credit would go up by $4,500 if the vehicle was made at a U.S. plant that operates under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement. Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Wednesday called the incentive a clear violation of an updated trade agreement among the three countries that aimed to protect U.S. jobs and products made in North America.

The union provision has also sparked pushback from some non-union shops and U.S. lawmakers. Still, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden is pretty committed to the bill providing good-paying union jobs.

Trump had an icy relationship with Lopez Obradors predecessor, pressing Enrique Pena Nieto to never publicly say that Mexico wouldnt pay for a southern U.S. border wall.

But Lopez Obrador appeared to reach a one-issue understanding with Trump: Mexico slowed the flow of Central American migrants trying to reach the U.S. border, and Trump often appeared to turn a blind eye to just about every other facet in the complicated relationship.

Lopez Obrador offered warm words for Biden when they appeared before the cameras Thursday. The two leaders discussed Mexicos relations with the U.S. under Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt before the portraits of both that Biden has displayed prominently in the Oval Office.

The Mexican president praised Biden for treating his government with respect, something he noted has not always been a given in the two countries long history, and for including funding in his spending bill to overhaul the immigration system.

But he also alluded to his desire to see the U.S. move quickly on temporary visas.

Lopez Obrador has mentioned on multiple occasions his interest in the U.S. government expanding its work visa program so more Mexicans and Central Americans can fill the demand for labour in the U.S.

The temporary workers in turn could have access to the higher pay they seek in the U.S. without becoming part of the illegal immigration flow. Why not study the workforce demand and open the migratory flow in an orderly manner? Lopez Obrador said.

Thursdays meetings at the White House marked the first trilateral get-together for North American leaders since a June 2016 gathering of Trudeau, Barack Obama, and Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa. The tradition of three-way meetings started when George W. Bush played host to Mexicos Vicente Fox and Canadas Paul Martin in 2005 at his ranch in Texas.

Mexicos priorities heading into the summit were to obtain concrete advances on immigration and more equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. and Canada have expressed frustration that Lopez Obrador has failed to get on board with global efforts to curb climate emissions. The Mexican president skipped this months U.N. climate summit in Glasgow and has accused elite nations of demonstrating hypocrisy when it comes to environmentalism.

Trudeau and Biden were also expected to discuss the future of an oil pipeline that crosses part of the Great Lakes and is the subject of rising tension over whether it should be shut down. Biden is caught in a battle over Enbridges Line 5, a key segment of a pipeline network that carries Canadian oil across the U.S. Midwest.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat and Biden ally, has demanded closure of the 68-year-old line because of the potential for a catastrophic rupture along a 4-mile section (6.4 kilometers) in the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The Biden administration has not taken a position but is under increasing pressure to do so.

Canada last month invoked a 1977 treaty that guarantees the unimpeded transit of oil between the two nations.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-18 16:18:21|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2021 shows a damaged house, an alleged hideout of Daesh group, in Sarai-e-Shamali locality of Khair Khana district of Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan security forces raided an alleged hideout of the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh, in Kabul and killed one militant, a Taliban official said Thursday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Security forces raided an alleged hideout of the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh, in Kabul city and killed one militant, a Taliban official said Thursday.

"The security forces of the Islamic Emirate targeted a hideout of Daesh group in Sarai-e-Shamali locality of Khair Khana district on Wednesday night, killing an insurgent and arresting a few others," Inamullah Samangani said in his twitter account on Thursday.

The operation was carried out in the wake of twin blasts in Dashti Barchi area of Police District 13 of Kabul city on Wednesday afternoon that left at least one dead and injured six others including three women.

Kabul has been the scene of violent incidents over the past couple of days.

The hardliner IS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the twin blasts on Wednesday. Enditem

Members of Taliban security forces inspect an alleged hideout of Daesh group in Sarai-e-Shamali locality of Khair Khana district of Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2021. The Afghan security forces raided an alleged hideout of the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh, in Kabul and killed one militant, a Taliban official said Thursday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

A member of Taliban security forces inspects an alleged hideout of Daesh group in Sarai-e-Shamali locality of Khair Khana district of Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2021. The Afghan security forces raided an alleged hideout of the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh, in Kabul and killed one militant, a Taliban official said Thursday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

A member of Taliban security forces inspects an alleged hideout of Daesh group in Sarai-e-Shamali locality of Khair Khana district of Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2021. The Afghan security forces raided an alleged hideout of the Islamic State (IS), or Daesh, in Kabul and killed one militant, a Taliban official said Thursday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-18 18:49:50|Editor: huaxia

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Visitors wearing face masks view artworks at the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday.

In the past 24 hours, the national death toll from COVID-19 grew by 1,251, a new single-day record, to 260,335, and the number of recoveries soared by 36,414 to 7,919,250.

Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 4,062 new cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total to 1,908,585. Enditem

A visitor wearing a face mask views artworks at the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

A staff member checks a visitor's QR code at the entrance to the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

A staff member checks a visitor's QR code at the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

A staff member checks a visitor's QR code at the entrance to the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

A staff member checks a visitor's QR code at the entrance to the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM), in Russia's capital Moscow, on Nov. 18, 2021. Russia reported 37,374 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,219,912, the official monitoring and response center said Thursday. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-18 22:24:28|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Thursday to review documents including the National Security Strategy (2021-2025), regulations on awarding military honors, and the 2021 advisory report of the national science and technology advisory commission.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

To safeguard national security under new circumstances, a holistic approach to national security should manifest, and a new security structure should be formed, the meeting said.

With political security prioritized, the country will coordinate efforts to protect security in major sectors and regions, including political, economic, social, sci-tech, and other emerging areas.

No concession will be made on issues concerning China's core interests and national dignity. The country's sovereignty, security, and development interests should also be resolutely safeguarded, the meeting noted.

The regulations on awarding military honors aim to inspire all service personnel to strive for the centenary goal of strengthening the armed forces, the meeting said.

It emphasized that the fundamental principle and system of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces must be upheld.

The meeting also called on the national science and technology advisory commission to closely observe and study the development of science and technology at home and abroad, conduct in-depth research on the country's sci-tech strategies, and promote innovation. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-18 22:57:32|Editor: huaxia

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Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister.

The joint drill constitutes deterrence against any party with ill intentions against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in addition to reflecting interaction and cooperation among Kuwaiti, Saudi and U.S. military forces, the minister said in a statement.

Mohammad Al-Dhafiri, Commander of the Kuwait Army Ground Force, said that the exercise included seminars, and practical and field exercises to achieve the desired goals and implement joint ground operations to achieve consistency in the participating units at the operational and tactical levels.

Fahad Al-Mutair, Commander of the Saudi Land Force, said that various military and field operations were carried out in preparation for raising the readiness and capabilities of the participating units to defend the security of the Gulf region and to enhance joint military cooperation.

For his part, U.S. Army Central's Commanding General Ronald Clark said that during the past days the participating soldiers gained knowledge through conducting various military exercises, in which they learned how to communicate at military levels and acquired new tactics and techniques.

The "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise kicked off on Nov. 7 in Kuwait with the participation of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Kuwaiti Land Forces, and the American Spartan Force. Enditem

Helicopters take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Tanks take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

A helicopter launches a guided missile during the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Paratroopers carrying flags of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Paratroopers carrying flags of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2021 shows a target hit during the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Rocket launchers fire as they take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

Armored vehicles take part in the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, 2021. Kuwait concluded on Thursday the "Gulf Shooting 2021" exercise with the participation of Saudi and U.S. forces, said Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Interior Minister and Acting Defense Minister. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 04:18:23|Editor: huaxia

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People ride scooters on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 25, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Nearly 10 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in the United States have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose, just two weeks into the immunization campaign for the 28 million young Americans in that age group, said White House official Jeff Zients.

NEW YORK, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fewer Americans this year plan on taking precautions against COVID-19 when hosting or attending holiday gatherings compared with last year, signaling some return to normalcy now that 59 percent of the country is vaccinated against the virus, local media has reported.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center polled 2,042 adults nationwide from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, finding that 51 percent would ask party-goers to wear masks, down from 67 percent, showed the survey published on Monday. Half of those surveyed would ask for the vaccination status of their friends and family.

But anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiment isn't necessarily to blame, Iahn Gonsenhauser, a collaborator on the survey and chief quality and patent safety officer at the Wexner Medical Center, was quoted by CNBC as saying.

Vaccinated Americans are also starting to feel more comfortable seeing each other without masks, and groups of fully immunized individuals can enjoy the holidays together "with basically no precautions in place," he said.

"I was pretty surprised to see that 51 percent were still considering asking attendees to wear masks," Gonsenhauser added. "I think that what we've seen happen is a change in the understanding and approach to risk mitigation, particularly with a significant proportion of vaccinated individuals."

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated that 228,175,638 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 68.7 percent of the whole U.S. population; fully vaccinated people stood at 195,612,365, accounting for 58.9 percent of the total. A total of 31,464,669 people, or 16.1 percent of the fully vaccinated group, have received booster shots.





FORTH AND BACK

Nearly 10 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in the United States have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose, just two weeks into the immunization campaign for the 28 million young Americans in that age group, Jeff Zients, the White House's coronavirus coordinator, said on Wednesday.

Zients, speaking to reporters alongside the nation's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, estimated that by the end of the day on Wednesday, 2.6 million children younger than 12 would have received their first shot.

Students of Montrara Ave. Elementary School are seen in their in-person class in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Xinhua)

"In fact, the pace of vaccinations for kids has been accelerating. In the last week, 1.7 million kids got vaccinated -- double the prior week," he added. The CDC signed off on a pediatric vaccine for younger children on Nov. 2, and the nationwide drive to inoculate that age group was operational on Nov. 8.

In contrast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is suspending enforcement of the Joe Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large private businesses after a federal appeals court upheld a stay on it last week.

OSHA said in a statement published on its website that while it is confident in its power to protect workers amid the pandemic, it is suspending activities related to the mandate, citing the pending litigation. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit fully blocked Biden's executive order requiring companies with over 100 workers to mandate vaccination for their employees after temporarily staying it earlier.





BOOSTERS FOR ALL ADULTS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC are expected to recommend COVID-19 boosters for anyone who wants one and is at least six months past their initial vaccination by the end of the week. The CDC has said it's safe to mix vaccine brands.

"COVID-19 vaccines do a great job of preventing hospitalization and death, but their protection against infection starts to fade at about six months, even in young, healthy people. That's why by the end of the week, booster doses may be recommended for all adults, or at least those over 30," reported USA Today on Thursday.

There's really no downside to getting a third shot, Ted Ross, an infectious disease expert at the University of Georgia in Athens, was quoted as saying. California, New Mexico and Colorado are among the states that have already made boosters available to all adults.

Local residents come for the COVID-19 booster shots at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Los Angeles, the United States, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua)

Meanwhile, Moderna has asked federal regulators to authorize booster shots of its coronavirus vaccine for all adults, a request that the FDA could grant as early as this week along with a similar request from Pfizer, reported The New York Times on Wednesday.

If the CDC also signs off, every adult who was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot at least six months ago would not only be eligible for a booster, but could choose which vaccine. The agency's committee of independent experts is set to meet on Friday to discuss booster shots.

It would also allow U.S. President Joe Biden to fulfill his August pledge to offer booster shots to every adult, nearly two months later than the administration originally planned, though, and "amid an ongoing debate among experts over whether extra shots are necessary for younger, healthy adults," according to the report. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 05:05:17|Editor: huaxia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses an expanded meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry Board in Moscow on Nov. 18, 2021. (Kremlin photo)

Relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, Putin said.



MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, and the two countries will step up cooperation further, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"We will continue to strengthen ties with our good neighbors and friends in the People's Republic of China," Putin said at an expanded meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry Board.

The bilateral relations have served as a model for effective interstate cooperation in the 21st century, he stressed.

Putin noted that some Western countries are "openly trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing."

"Together with our Chinese friends, we will continue to respond to such attempts by expanding our political, economic and other cooperation, and coordinating steps in the international arena," he said. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 16:20:11|Editor: huaxia

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People pray for a man killed in a gunfight in Srinagar city, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 19, 2021. Authorities in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir exhumed two bodies of four men killed in a controversial gunfight and handed them over to their families, officials said Friday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir exhumed two bodies of four men killed in a controversial gunfight and handed them over to their families, officials said Friday.

The exhumations were carried out Thursday evening at a northwestern village of Kupwara district, and the bodies were handed over to their families late in the night in Srinagar city, summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Two bodies belonging to businessmen Mudassir Gul and Mohammad Altaf Bhat were exhumed from a graveyard in far-off Handwara village last night," a local government official said. "The bodies were later brought to Srinagar after securing an assurance from their families to keep the burial a low-key affair and peaceful."

Eyewitnesses said when the bodies were brought to their homes for reburial, relatives including women were seen wailing and beating chests.

On Wednesday night, the police detained over a dozen relatives of the two families as they protested demanding the bodies.

Meanwhile, a shutdown called by the separatist alliance, All Parties Hurriyat Conference, against the controversial killings have affected normal life in the region.

Shops, businesses and private offices in the region remained closed in the wake of the shutdown. Reports said public transport also remained off the roads in the region.

In February, the police had booked a resident of Pulwama district under the anti-terror law for campaigning to secure the body of his teenage son, who the authorities claimed was a militant.

A guerilla war has been going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Enditem

People wail over the killing of a man in a gunfight in Srinagar city, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 19, 2021. Authorities in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir exhumed two bodies of four men killed in a controversial gunfight and handed them over to their families, officials said Friday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

People wail over the killing of a man in a gunfight in Srinagar city, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 19, 2021. Authorities in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir exhumed two bodies of four men killed in a controversial gunfight and handed them over to their families, officials said Friday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 17:30:22|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 21, 2019 from Xiangshan Mountain shows the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

-- The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and brooks no trampling. Any attempt to play tricks with it is a dangerous miscalculation.

-- Lithuania has gone its own way in defiance of the will of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, the general consensus of the international community and the norms recognized by the vast majority of countries. It is a totally wrong decision to play the "Taiwan card" in attempts to contain China, and Lithuania will eventually shoot itself in the foot.

BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania recently followed through its treacherous decision to allow the Taiwan authorities to open a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan" in the country.

Such a blunt provocation against the one-China principle betrays its promise to honor the one-China principle when the European country forged diplomatic ties with Beijing. As the Chinese government has repeatedly warned before, Lithuania will ultimately pay a heavy price for its recklessness.

In the joint communique the two countries signed in 1991 on the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, Lithuania recognizes "the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and Taiwan as an inalienable part of the Chinese territory." It also promises in black and white the obligation not to establish official relations or engage in official contacts with the Chinese island province.

However, Lithuania has brazenly breached its obligations by challenging the one-China principle and meddling in China's domestic affairs.

It is widely acknowledged that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and China's sovereignty over Taiwan has been clearly confirmed in a number of international law documents including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration.

The one-China principle, a universal consensus of the international community, serves as the political foundation of the relations between China and countries worldwide, including Lithuania. The Chinese government has all along opposed countries having diplomatic ties with Beijing allowing the establishment of the so-called "Taiwan representative office."

A train runs on the Pingtan Strait Road-rail Bridge of Fuzhou-Pingtan railway in southeast China's Fujian Province on Dec. 26, 2020. The Fuzhou-Pingtan railway in east China's Fujian Province was opened to traffic on Saturday after seven years of construction, making it more convenient for Taiwan compatriots to travel to the mainland. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and brooks no trampling. Any attempt to play tricks with it is a dangerous miscalculation.

Lithuania has gone its own way in defiance of the will of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, the general consensus of the international community and the norms recognized by the vast majority of countries. It is a totally wrong decision to play the "Taiwan card" in attempts to contain China, and Lithuania will eventually shoot itself in the foot.

Seeking "Taiwan independence" can only leads to a dead end. The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China, one which brooks no external interference. Soliciting foreign support is a totally misguided attempt that is doomed to fail, and any attempt or conspiracy to create "two Chinas" or a false impression of "one China, one Taiwan" will have no chance of succeeding.

Lithuania should redress its wrong decision and refrain from going too far on the wrong path. Meanwhile, the Taiwan authorities should stop trying to count on foreign forces to split Taiwan from China. This is because the determination of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to realize the great cause of the national reunification will always be unshakable. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 19:19:55|Editor: huaxia

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Students learn about anti-drug know-hows via VR (virtual reality) devices at an educational base in Xingye County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 18, 2021. Local authorities on Thursday hosted a series of activities to raise anti-drug awareness among young people. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Students learn about the harm of drug driving via a VR (virtual reality) device which simulates drug driving experience at an educational base in Xingye County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 18, 2021. Local authorities on Thursday hosted a series of activities to raise anti-drug awareness among young people. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Students learn about the harm, traits and varieties of drugs at an educational base in Xingye County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 18, 2021. Local authorities on Thursday hosted a series of activities to raise anti-drug awareness among young people. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

A staff member explains anti-drug know-hows to students at an educational base in Xingye County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 18, 2021. Local authorities on Thursday hosted a series of activities to raise anti-drug awareness among young people. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 20:21:25|Editor: huaxia

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People attend a memorial service for Zheng Shaoxiong in Chicago, the United States, Nov. 18, 2021. (Jason Smith/University of Chicago/Handout via Xinhua)

Zheng Shaoxiong "embodied the values of the University of Chicago through his commitment to improving the lives of others by using his knowledge and expertise to address some of the key problems we face as a global society," says Paul Alivisatos.



CHICAGO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The University of Chicago (UChicago) hosted on Thursday afternoon a memorial service for Zheng Shaoxiong, a Chinese student who just graduated from UChicago and was killed in a robbery near the campus.

Addressing the memorial service, Li Rong, Zheng's mother, was actually talking to her son. She said this was the first time for her to go abroad, not for sightseeing, not for graduation ceremony nor for the wedding of her son, but for his funeral.

Li talked about the happy life she and her son had spent together and the dream they had dreamed together, until the robber's bullet smashed all of these. When the mother said her son lay on the cold street in blood, helpless and in despair, one could feel her heart was bleeding.

This video screenshot shows Li Rong, Zheng Shaoxiong's mother, addressing a memorial service for her son in Chicago, the United States, Nov. 18, 2021. (Jason Smith/University of Chicago/Handout via Xinhua)

Li is a proud mother. She specified her son's education years, from attending a middle school at his hometown in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, to studying at Hong Kong Universtiy and to becoming a postgraduate at UChicago.

Two days before Zheng was killed, Li received a bottle of fragrance from her son for her birthday. "I am wearing the fragrance you bought me today. I believe you can smell it, smell the flavor of mom," Li spoke to her son gently.

Li expressed her thanks to people known and unknown. "You give me warmth and consolation in the darkest time of my life... Give me courage to overcome difficulties to bring my son home."

Li said she knew that tens of thousands of mothers paid close attention to the memorial service. "In a mother's name, I strongly call for protecting the safety of every student. We cannot let this tragedy happen again," she stressed.

Li did not shed a tear during the speech, but everyone could feel her heart was broken.

President of the University of Chicago Paul Alivisatos speaks during a memorial service for Zheng Shaoxiong in Chicago, the United States, Nov. 18, 2021. (Jason Smith/University of Chicago/Handout via Xinhua)

UChicago President Paul Alivisatos called Zheng's killing "a sad and difficult time for the University of Chicago community." "We are heartbroken by this tragic and senseless loss, which has been felt deeply by our community, both here in the United States and around the world," he added.

Alivisatos said UChicago has welcomed and benefited from the presence of international scholars and students like Zheng, and in particular those from China. "Since our earliest years, our commitment to the community of scholars from China remains as strong as ever as we face this tragedy together."

"He (Zheng) embodied the values of the University of Chicago through his commitment to improving the lives of others by using his knowledge and expertise to address some of the key problems we face as a global society," said Alivisatos. He added that Zheng will always be remembered as a wonderful, talented, and caring person who touched so many people's lives and helped make them better.

Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2021 shows the scene of a memorial service for Zheng Shaoxiong in Chicago, the United States. (Jason Smith/University of Chicago/Handout via Xinhua)

Bian Zhichun, deputy consul general of Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, sent condolences to Zheng's family and friends, as well as expressed thanks to UChicago for assistance during the whole process.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights of Chinese nationals overseas," Bian said, urging Chinese citizens including Chinese students overseas to enhance safety consciousness. He added that the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago will spare no effort to serve Chinese citizens overseas.

UChicago professors and colleagues also talked about what kind of person Zheng was in their eyes at the memorial service.

Zheng, 24, was walking on a sidewalk to his rented room in Hyde Park neighborhood at around 1:54 p.m.(1954 GMT), when 18-year-old Alton Spann approached him and demanded property with a gun. Zheng was shot in the chest and pronounced dead after being taken to UChicago Hospital. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 09:35:40|Editor: huaxia

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JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The National Department of Health on Thursday announced that South Africans over the age of 50 who receive their first shot of the vaccine against COVID-19 can now receive a grocery voucher.

The department said that the "Vooma Vouchers" were aimed at making it easier for older people to get vaccinated by "offsetting some of the costs they incur getting to the vaccination sites."

The Health Department plans to increase the vaccination rate among people in their 50s, as data shows that over 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths have affected this age group.

At the moment, three in five people in their 50s have received at least one jab.

South Africa started to issue "Vooma Vouchers" for people aged 60 and over beginning last month, encouraging them to get the jab.

Currently, over 13 million people have been fully vaccinated in South Africa. With a population of roughly 60 million people, the country is striving to meet its target of vaccinating 70 percent of its adult population by Dec. 31. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 18:11:45|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Somalia and the United Nations have said they are scaling up humanitarian operations to support early action to help mitigate the impact of the worsening drought in the country.

About 2.3 million people in 57 out of 74 districts, nearly 20 percent of the population, in the affected districts, are ravaged by serious water, food and pasture shortages as water pans and boreholes have dried up, the Somali government and the UN said in a joint statement issued on Thursday evening.

"The situation is grave. Families are losing their livestock, a key source of livelihood in Somalia, and may starve to death in the coming months," Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Khadija Diriye said in the statement.

"I am particularly worried about children, women, the elderly and disabled people who continue to bear the brunt of Somalia's humanitarian crisis," Diriye added.

She said authorities, local communities and humanitarian partners are ramping up responses and reprogramming their activities to address critical emerging needs.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund is allocating 8 million U.S. dollars for the drought response and the Somalia Humanitarian Fund is making a reserve allocation of 6 million dollars to help tackle the drought.

The UN said nearly 100,000 people have abandoned their homes, especially in central and southern areas, in search of food, water and pasture for their livestock, exposing their families to the danger of resource-based conflict over the diminishing resources.

According to the UN, the deteriorating situation has compounded vulnerabilities at a time when the number of people who need assistance and protection in Somalia is forecast to rise by 30 percent from 5.9 million to about 7.7 million in 2022.

In addition, 71 percent of all Somalis currently live below the poverty line, especially in areas where humanitarian access is a challenge, the UN said.

Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said those affected by the drought have already endured decades of conflict, climatic shocks and disease outbreaks.

"A perfect storm is brewing in Somalia. We must act now to prevent a slide into the crippling kind of drought and even famine conditions experienced in previous years," Abdelmoula said.

Climate projections show that Somalia is on the verge of a fourth consecutive failed rainfall season and is at the risk of a potentially extreme situation by April 2022.

According to the UN, Somalia is on the frontline of climate change and has experienced more than 30 climate-related hazards since 1990, including 12 droughts and 19 floods.

The frequency and severity of climate-related hazards is increasing, the UN said, adding that the lack of access to safe, portable water and hygiene and sanitation facilities has heightened the prospect of water-borne diseases. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 18:43:53|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least seven persons were killed in multi-car collision and blast in southeastern Egypt, the state-run Ahram website reported on Friday.

The accident took place after a car driver tried to avoid being hit by a bus coming from the opposite side, which caused a severe crash among a line of cars behind.

"The charred bodies were scattered near the Assuit desert road," the report said.

Civil Protection Forces were deployed in the scene and put the fire out. Dozens of ambulances have transferred the wounded people to the nearest hospitals. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 21:26:44|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Ghanaian government targets to build at least 30,000 toilets for poor urban households in the country's second city Kumasi as part of efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6, an official told Xinhua.

George Asiedu, the Coordinator for the Ghana Sanitation and Water Project (SWP), said the four-year project, which commenced in August, is part of the measures by the government to end open defecation in the country.

"The SWP has received a new funding of 125 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank, and the first component of the funding will support 30,000 households in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) to construct portable improved toilets," he disclosed.

The coordinator said the GKMA project would bear 70 percent of the cost of toilets for the low-income households to improve the sanitation situation in the beneficiary communities.

"The project will also provide 150 institutional toilets in schools and healthcare facilities in the targeted communities. The school toilet facilities will help girls remain in school during their menstrual cycles and improve the general sanitation conditions in the schools," Asiedu stated.

According to him, the project will further improve sanitation services in the communities through investments in wastewater and septic sludge management. It will also improve upon liquid waste and drainage management and invest in bio-digester sludge processing plants.

The GKMA project follows the successful implementation of the World Bank-funded Greater Accra Metropolitan Area SWP, which provided 33,385 toilet facilities for low-income households in the capital Accra between 2013 and 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 23:43:15|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Friday urged the local manufacturing community to expand the range of products available in readiness for the expansion of market opportunities in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Betty Maina, the Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, called on the manufacturers in Kenya to increase the range of manufactured goods and services available to the market in order to take advantage of new market opportunities around the world.

Maina, who joined the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in Nairobi during the industry's launch of preparations for the hosting of a manufacturing sector expo, slated for November 24 to 28 in Nairobi, said the increased production of goods would facilitate entry into new markets.

KAM CEO Phyllis Wakiaga said the Changamka festival, the annual manufacturing expo, will provide a sales platform to local manufacturers, including the producers of agricultural produce, processed foods, fresh produce, and motor vehicle spares.

The manufacturing expo is expected to provide a platform to Kenya's manufacturing industry to launch new products. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 11:05:12|Editor: huaxia

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VIENTIANE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Laos is expecting to earn about 463 million U.S. dollars from the sale of minerals domestically and for export in the last three months of 2021, after earning 1,464 million U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2021.

The value of mineral sales this year is expected to be 15.04 percent more than targeted, Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone told the National Assembly last week, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Friday.

The value of minerals produced in the first nine months was 12,601 billion Lao kips (some 11 billion U.S. dollars) or 91.21 percent of the 13,812 billion Lao kip (some 12 billion U.S. dollar) figure approved by the National Assembly. The value for the whole year is expected to reach 15,889 billion Lao kips (some 14 billion U.S. dollars), he said.

Some 124 companies are operating 209 projects in the exploration and processing of minerals as well as feasibility studies on mining operations, of which 14 companies are currently constructing facilities, the Ministry of Energy and Mines reported at its Party Congress last week.

Over the last five years from 2016-2020, the value of minerals and mineral products produced rose to 7,526 million U.S. dollars, while the value of minerals produced for domestic supply and export reached 8,092 million U.S. dollars.

In the five years from 2021-2025, the value of minerals and mineral products produced is expected to hit 7,832 million U.S. dollars, which is an increase of four percent over the previous five years.

The value of minerals and mineral products for domestic supply is expected to reach 1,974 million U.S. dollars, which is an increase of 38 percent over the past five years, while the value of minerals and mineral products exported is expected to fall by five percent to 6,362 million U.S. dollars.

Laos has been ranked as one of the most resource-rich countries in Asia. More than 570 mineral deposits have been identified, including gold, copper, zinc, iron, potassium, limestone and lead.

In a bid to use these resources to bolster development, the government will encourage greater processing of minerals and reduce the amount of unprocessed minerals exported.

It will also upgrade mineral production so that raw mineral ores are processed and value-added prior to export. Besides, the improvement of mining areas can prevent excavation from exerting adverse social or environmental impacts.

Creating a stronger workforce is another goal, both in mining engineering and geographical engineering, as well as establishing sustainable financial mechanisms to manage natural resources and protect the environment, according to the report. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 12:39:16|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Night-sky gazers in Australia are, weather permitting, in for a visual treat on Friday evening with the longest partial eclipse of the Moon in almost 600 years.

The rare celestial sight will be caused by the Earth casting a shadow which will shroud more than 97 percent of the full Moon's face.

Lunar eclipses can usually be observed somewhere on Earth about twice a year. Normally the Moon's orbit is either above or below the Earth's shadow, but during an eclipse the full Moon travels through the shadow.

Professor Tim Bedding, from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy at the University of Sydney, said by the time the Moon rises on Friday, just after 7:30 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), it will already have started moving through that shadow.

"Over the next hour or so, it will move deeper into the shadow and reach maximum eclipse at 8:03 p.m., before gradually emerging from the shadow," Bedding told Xinhua.

He said light from the Sun would reach the Moon by "bending through the Earth's atmosphere" creating a reddish or pink hue on the Moon's face.

"The eclipse will also be visible over the Pacific and Southeast Asia, including most of China, giving millions a nice chance to enjoy an unusual celestial event."

Tanya Hill, the astronomy senior curator for Museums Victoria, said Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, would have the best view of all the Australian capital cities, as the "moon will be fairly high by the time of the maximum eclipse".

"The moon will be very low in the sky for much of the eclipse, meaning you'll need an unobstructed view towards the east northeastern horizon, perhaps with the aid of an elevated viewing position," Hill wrote in the website of Conversation. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 16:25:08|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet is set to approve an economic stimulus package on Friday, which includes a record 55.7 trillion yen (490 billion U.S. dollars) in fiscal spending to help economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The total package, including funds that do not lead to immediate spending, will be worth 78.9 trillion yen (690 billion dollars), containing some of Kishida's signature policies, which aims to both revive the economy and realize the prime minister's goal of redistributing wealth by increasing support for households and firms, local media reported, citing sources.

The Japanese government wishes to pass a supplementary budget to fund the package in an extraordinary parliamentary session scheduled by the year-end, and the size of the budget is expected to be 31.9 trillion yen (279 billion dollars).

Among key measures in the package, handouts of 100,000 yen (875 dollars) in cash and vouchers for children aged 18 or younger will cost some 2 trillion yen (17 billion dollars).

In addition, another 2 trillion yen (17 billion dollars) will be given to struggling families and students, with small companies suffering from the pandemic expected to get financial aid of up to 2.5 million yen (21,900 dollars) each.

The "Go To Travel," a government subsidy program that has been suspended last December due to the spread of the virus, will be resumed to promote the local tourism sector, following a recent sharp fall in the number of daily COVID-19 infections across the country.

To promote Japan's digitalization while stimulating consumption, the government will urge the use of "My Number" identification card system by giving shopping points worth up to 20,000 yen (175 dollars) to individuals who already have or newly acquire the cards.

The government will raise the monthly salaries of care workers, nursery school staff, and nurses by 1 to 3 percent from current levels, as their income is widely seen as insufficient compared with other industries.

Moreover, in face of surging prices of gasoline and other oil products, a new subsidy program for oil distributors will be implemented to contain prices if the price reaches a certain level.

The government will also assist in building state-of-the-art semiconductor factories to ensure sufficient supplies of computer chips.

Some policy measures under the package will be covered by the initial budget to be drafted next month for fiscal 2022. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 18:24:03|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- As Australia has emerged from COVID-19 lockdown, keen diners have shown up in droves to restaurants, cafes and bars, while owners have scrambled to find staff to meet the surging demand.

SEEK, one of the largest job recruitment platforms in Australia, reported earlier this month that the number of job ads in October increased by 63.2 percent year on year, the highest number since the company was established 23 years ago.

Kay, a recruiter for a Korean restaurant in central Sydney, said it has been almost impossible to find enough workers on such short notice.

"All the student workers and people on working holidays have already gone back to Korea, so we need to hire many workers," she told Xinhua.

Kay is among thousands of hospitality recruiters littering job ads with words like "urgent" and "immediate start" in an effort to entice workers in the overcrowded recruiting market that is now offering higher-than-average wages, flexible hours and lowered experience requirements.

However, "people also want more money and easier jobs," she said.

This phenomenon seemed to contradict the country's unemployment figures which grew to 5.2 percent at the end of October from 4.6 percent one month earlier, according to the latest data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Tim Harcourt, professor and chief economist at the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua this is a likely indicator that Australia's economy is doing better than expected.

"I think the higher unemployment rate is a reflection that more people looking for work," said Harcourt, adding that "yet there are tight labour markets in some low-wage sectors."

The labour shortage has left the hospitality sector struggling to keep pace with demand, as the peak season over school holidays and Christmas is approaching.

Stephen McGuire, owner of a hospitality recruitment agency in Sydney, told Xinhua his workload has been "crazy" since lockdown ended.

Restaurants have to reduce opening hours, said McGuire, adding that "restaurants normally were open seven days a week nowadays have to cut down to five days because there are not enough workers."

He said the hospitality venues have begun raising wages to address the labour shortage.

In his view, the outlook for the industry would be "dismal", until Australia opens its borders to overseas workers, such as backpackers and students, who used to supplement the labour force in service industry.

Harcourt argued that filling Australia's unskilled labour market with foreign workers was a "band-aid solution".

"In the long term, it's not fair for the temporary workers, also not fair for the people who want to be permanent workers and know their rights," said Harcourt.

He said the federal and state governments are supposed to find more sustainable ways to manage immigration, in order not to leave the employers in Australia at the mercy of what he called "the Russian roulette of the immigration system."

Recognizing the looming crunch, the state government of New South Wales offered some 3000 free training courses in October, in an attempt to bolster the workforce ahead of Christmas.

The hospitality industry and governments would ultimately be forced to adapt to the new climate, Harcourt said, adding that better bargaining power and rising wages would benefit workers. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 19:05:58|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two kidnapped people have allegedly been killed in separate abduction incidents in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, multiple sources reported on Friday.

On Thursday, physician Nader Alemi, a physiographist and neurologist, who was abducted nearly two months ago in Nawabad area of Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh, lost his life in his kidnappers' clutch, Khaama Press, a local online news agency, reported.

The well-known physician has long been working for the Balkh provincial hospital, the report said.

On Monday, chancellor Mohammad Zarif Anwari, head of Mawlana Private University, was found dead near his house in Mazar-i-Sharif, after being kidnapped over the weekend in Balkh, according to local sources.

The reports came days after Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban's caretaker government, said that the level of kidnapping has recently declined in the country.

More than 80 kidnappers have been arrested and 12 victims freed since the Taliban's takeover in mid-August, according to Mujahid. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 18:43:23|Editor: huaxia

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KIEV, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) member states are divided over granting Ukraine a perspective to join the political and economic union, Interfax-Ukraine news agency said on Thursday.

"Europe is not in a position to be ready for the next step. There is no consensus in this regard," Katarina Mathernova, deputy director-general of European neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations of the European Commission, was quoted as saying.

The EU treats Ukraine as a partner and cooperates with it in many sectors, Mathernova said.

In the current circumstances, Ukraine should focus on creating necessary conditions in the internal market for further integration with the EU market, the official added.

According to Mathernova, the EU plans to mobilize some 7 billion euros (about 7.94 billion U.S. dollars) in the next seven years for investments in Ukraine. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-19 19:08:11|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Friday called on the European Union (EU) to cooperate with Minsk to resolve a months-long migrant crisis that has left more than 10 people dead.

During a phone conversation, Lukashenko informed Putin of Minsk's steps to de-escalate the situation and provide humanitarian assistance to the migrants, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Since August, thousands of migrants, most of them from war-torn countries in the Middle East, were stranded at the border between Belarus and its neighbors, seeking to enter the EU territory. However, more migrants arrived at the Belarusian side of the border with Poland earlier this month.

Clashes broke out last week between Polish soldiers using water cannons and migrants throwing stones. Similar tensions also occured on Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania.

Putin and Lukashenko expressed "serious concern over the unacceptable, brutal actions" of the Polish border guards against the migrants, the statement said.

The EU has been blaming Belarus for the crisis, while Minsk has denied the accusation and said it is ready for talks. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-11-20 00:17:39|Editor: huaxia

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VALLETTA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The online performance of "Yeh Shen," a Cinderella-like Chinese puppet show, is available since Friday during an international arts show hosted by Malta.

The ZiguZajg International Arts Festival for Children and Young People will last until Nov. 29.

The story of Yeh Shen originally appeared in a book that was written during China's Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.).

The China National Theatre for Children (CNTC)'s puppet masters relate the story of a little girl named Yeh Shen, who remained kind and eager to help others even in adversity and finally harvested happiness.

"Yeh Shen" is considered the earliest version of "Cinderella" in the world, Yang Xiaolong, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, told Xinhua.

This performance is just another example of the lively cultural exchanges between China and Malta, Yang said. It is also an attempt to broaden the scope of this cooperation by making a classic Chinese puppet show accessible to children all over the world.

The CNTC performed "Three Monks," another Chinese classic, during the sixth edition of the ZiguZajg Festival in 2016.

The festival, first held in 2011, has become a renowned annual cultural event that showcases outstanding plays from all over the world. Enditem
Geneva, Switzerland (PAMA) - At least 39 people have been killed by security forces in Sudan since the 25 October military coup, 15 of whom were reportedly shot dead on Wednesday, according to the UN Commissioner for Human Rights
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's National Centre for Disease Control on Thursday launched of a campaign to issue a certificate of vaccination against coronavirus, with the issuing of the first electronic vaccination card to Prime Minister Abdelhamid al-Dbaiba
Washington, US (PANA) - US President Joe Biden on Thursday revoked an Executive Order, thereby terminating the Burundi sanctions programme and related visa restrictions, the US State Department announced
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Explainer: What is at stake in Venezuela's regional elections?

Carlos Garcia Rawlings /Reuters



US says Venezuela vote neither free nor fair -DW

Reporting by Vivian Sequera, Deisy Buitrago and Mayela Armas/ Reuters

CARACAS

Petroleumworld 11 182021

Venezuelans will vote on Sunday to elect state governors, mayors and municipal councillors, in the first elections contested by the opposition since 2017.

WHY IS THE ELECTION IMPORTANT?

If the opposition performs poorly, losing the four governorships it won in 2017, it would be left with no regional powerbase to contest presidential elections planned for 2024.

Sunday's vote is also a test of the impartiality of the National Electoral Council, Venezuela's highest election body. In May, following international pressure, the CNE included two opposition members on its 5-member board, making it the most balanced in 17 years.

WHY IS THE OPPOSITION TAKING PART?

Frustration has grown within the opposition at the failure of four years of U.S. sanctions to weaken President Nicolas Maduro's grip on power. After years of opposition electoral boycotts, the ruling Socialist party controls every branch of government.

The opposition's return comes after talks between delegations representing Maduro's government and the opposition in Mexico, facilitated by Norway, to resolve the political crisis.

The talks were suspended after the extradition to the United States on Oct. 16 of Alex Saab, a businessman with close ties to Maduro, on money laundering charges.

WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY?

Some 21 million Venezuelans are registered to vote, though participation is not mandatory and turnout is expected to be low.

The more than 14,000 voting centers are scheduled to open at 6 a.m. on Sunday and close 12 hours later, unless there are still people waiting to vote. Voting is by electronic ballot with some 38 parties taking part.

Results are not expected until after midnight.

WILL THE ELECTIONS BE FAIR?

The vote will be overseen by an observers mission from the European Union for the first time since 2006, deployed in 22 of Venezuela's 23 states. The electoral authorities say that in total there will be about 300 international observers.

The European Union mission - comprised of around 100 observers - is scheduled to give its first opinion after 48 hours. A final report is due after 2 months.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

The election marks a challenge for opposition parties, which have long appeared divided and struggled to outline an agenda beyond demanding a change of government in the OPEC nation.

The opposition leader Juan Guaido - recognized by the United States and its allies as Venezuela's rightful leader - is seen as the head of the fragmented movement.

Andres Caleca, analyst and former president of the National Electoral Council, said the opposition would need to restructure its leadership if it suffers a heavy defeat.

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED OUTCOME?

With turnout expected to be low, the opposition will struggle to improve on the 4 governorships it won in 2017, analysts say.

The ruling Socialist party is also expected to retain its grip on key mayorships, like Caracas.

Maryhen Jimenez, researcher at the Latin America Centre at Oxford University, said the opposition's lack of unity meant it would likely suffer a heavy defeat and would need to use whichever state governorships it did win as a base to rebuild.

ANY IMPACT ON TALKS IN MEXICO?

The opposition has not commented on the talks since the government walked out in October. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia said on Nov. 8 in Moscow that discussions "are going well", feeding expectations the government wants to return.

The government hopes the talks can lead to the lifting of U.S. sanctions. A clean bill of health for Sunday's elections from EU observers might help with that, and pave the way for a deal on guarantees sought by the opposition for a presidential ballot.

______________________________________
Ecuador targeting oil output above 500,000 bpd by end of 2021

Reuters



Ecuador hopes to hit oil production of above 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the year,

following a massive drilling campaign by multiple energy companies, Energy Minister Juan Carlos Bermeo said on Thursday.

By Alexandra Valencia / Reuters

BOGOTA

Petroleumworld 11 18 2021

Ecuador hopes to hit oil production of above 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the year, following a massive drilling campaign by multiple energy companies, Energy Minister Juan Carlos Bermeo said on Thursday.

The countrys President Guillermo Lasso, who took office in May, wants to raise average daily production to 1 million bpd by the end of his term in 2025, though state-run energy company Petroecuador has seen recent dips in production.

Oil production in Ecuador sits near 485,000 bpd currently, the vast majority of which is produced by Petroecuador. The state-owned company and other private-sector producers are conducting drilling campaigns as they try to raise output.

We are trying to add the largest amount of production to close this year with a (rate) of over 500,000 barrels of oil (per day), Bermeo told reporters.

Ecuador is looking to generate increased investment to bring in $30 billion over the next four years, especially in the oil, mining and electricity sectors.

In the oil sector, the government is seeking to award the Sacha field - one of Ecuadors biggest and which has a daily production capacity of 65,400 bpd - to interested companies, and also hopes to drum up interest via a new bidding round for fields in the southeast of the country.

The government will not block the sale of assets held by Spanish energy giant Repsol to Canadian company New Stratus Energy Inc, Bermeo said.

In order for them to continue with negotiations and sale processes, they need authorization from us (...) we have given that authorization, he added.

Repsol operates blocks 16 and 67, which have a combined output of 13,000 bpd and where the contracts for both will run out in December 2022.



______________________________________
Biden praises Canada, Mexico as leaders discuss strains

Susan Walsh / The Associated Press.



President Joe Biden walks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington,

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.

By Aamer Madhani, Rob Gillies and Maria Verza/ AP

WASHINGTON

Petroleumworld 11 19 2021



Reviving three-way North American summitry after a five-year break, President Joe Biden on Thursday joined with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to declare their nations can work together and prove democracies can deliver even as they sort out differences on key issues.

But as Biden, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, spoke of their mutual respect, the three leaders also found themselves dealing with fresh strains on trade, immigration, climate change and other matters.

We can meet all the challenges if we just take the time to speak to one another, by working together, said Biden, who hosted the North American neighbors for what had been a near-annual tradition in the decade before President Donald Trump came to office.

It was a day of full-on diplomacy that required careful choreography as Trudeau and Lopez Obrador each met separately with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before gathering for a three-way conversation in the East Room that featured a language mix of English, French and Spanish.

The leaders issued a post-summit statement saying they had agreed to collaborate on addressing migration, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic  without specifying how they would resolve their differences.

As they played up the closeness of the alliance, points of tension were also clear.

They include differences between Washington and Ottawa over proposed tax incentives that would benefit U.S. electric car auto manufacturers; frustration from Lopez Obrador that the U.S. isnt moving to issue more temporary work visas even as American businesses complain they are suffering from a worker shortage; and disappointment by the U.S. and Canada that Mexico is not moving faster to address climate change.

Biden met first with Trudeau, calling the U.S.-Canada relationship one of the easiest in the early going of his presidency. Trudeau said his values are deeply aligned with Biden, but there are issues of disagreement.

As they sat down for talks, Biden confirmed their differences over proposed electric vehicle tax incentives in his massive social services and climate bill, and noted the legislation hadnt even passed yet in the House.

The provision in Bidens proposed spending plan would offer American consumers a $7,500 tax credit if they buy electric vehicles through 2026. The following year, only purchases of electric vehicles made in the U.S. would qualify for the credit. The base credit would go up by $4,500 if the vehicle was made at a U.S. plant that operates under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement.

It doesnt recognize the level to which auto production has been incredibly integrated between our two countries over the past 50 years, Trudeau said after the meetings. Its possible for an auto part to crisscross the border six or seven times before it finally rolls off an assembly line in a completed vehicle.

Trudeau said the credit would pose quite a problem for vehicle production in Canada.

The Americans are very aware of Canadas position on this and our concerns around it, and quite frankly the threats it poses to over 50 years of integrated auto-making in our two countries which was mostly reaffirmed in the Canada, U.S., Mexico free trade agreement, the new NAFTA, Trudeau said.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Wednesday called the incentive a clear violation of an updated trade agreement among the three countries that aimed to protect U.S. jobs and products made in North America.

The union provision has also sparked pushback from some non-union shops and U.S. lawmakers. Still, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden is pretty committed to the bill providing good-paying union jobs.

Trump had an icy relationship with Lopez Obradors predecessor, pressing Enrique Pena Nieto to never publicly say that Mexico wouldnt pay for a wall along its border with the southern U.S.

But Lopez Obrador appeared to reach a one-issue understanding with Trump: Mexico slowed the flow of Central American migrants trying to reach the U.S. border, and Trump often appeared to turn a blind eye to just about every other facet of the complicated relationship.

Lopez Obrador offered warm words for Biden when they appeared before the cameras Thursday. The two leaders discussed Mexicos relations with the U.S. under Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt before the portraits of both that Biden has displayed prominently in the Oval Office.

The Mexican president praised Biden for treating his government with respect, something he noted has not always been a given in the two countries long history, and for including funding in his spending bill to overhaul the immigration system. But he also alluded to his desire to see the U.S. move quickly on temporary visas.

Lopez Obrador has mentioned on multiple occasions his interest in the U.S. government expanding its work visa program so more Mexicans and Central Americans can fill the demand for labor in the U.S. The temporary workers in turn could have access to the higher pay they seek in the U.S. without becoming part of the illegal immigration flow.

Why not study the workforce demand and open the migratory flow in an orderly manner? Lopez Obrador said.

After the meetings ended, Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard characterized the day as very successful, adding, There is an ideological, political affinity and good chemistry between the three and that is going to mean a new stage in the relationship.

Ebrard said the U.S. had agreed to put in motion a development program for Central America similar to what Mexico has proposed, but he did not specify what the program would entail. Mexico has pushed an expansion of one of Lopez Obradors signature social programs that pays farmers to plant trees on their land to relieve the economic pressure to migrate.

Thursdays meetings at the White House marked the first trilateral get-together for North American leaders since a June 2016 gathering of Trudeau, Barack Obama and Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa. The tradition of three-way meetings started when George W. Bush played host to Mexicos Vicente Fox and Canadas Paul Martin in 2005 at his ranch in Texas.

Mexicos priorities heading into the summit were to obtain concrete advances on immigration and more equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. and Canada have expressed frustration that Lopez Obrador has failed to get on board with global efforts to curb climate emissions. The Mexican president skipped this months U.N. climate summit in Glasgow and has accused elite nations of demonstrating hypocrisy when it comes to environmentalism.

Trudeau and Biden also discussed the future of an oil pipeline that crosses part of the Great Lakes and is the subject of rising tension over whether it should be shut down. Biden is caught in a battle over Enbridges Line 5, a key segment of a pipeline network that carries Canadian oil across the U.S. Midwest.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat and Biden ally, has demanded closure of the 68-year-old line because of the potential for a catastrophic rupture along a 4-mile section (6.4 kilometers) in the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The Biden administration has not taken a position but is under increasing pressure to do so.

Canada last month invoked a 1977 treaty that guarantees the unimpeded transit of oil between the two nations.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. Gillies reported from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Verza reported from Mexico City.

______________________________________
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Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/18/2021 -- While Singapore has thankfully remained out of the headlines for structural failures since the collapse of the Hotel New World in 1986, the Asia Pacific region in general has not been so lucky. We have continued to see structures fall - and people die - which has underlined the need for those in forensics jobs to focus on finding the causes in order to prevent disasters happening again. In July this year, for example, 17 people died when a building collapsed in the city of Suzhou in China. Forensic examination of the building after the event found that the collapse was the result of structural alterations that had been made by the owner. While the hotel used to have just three floors, over the years, additional levels have been added and it was this that was found to be at the heart of the disaster.



Forensics jobs are vital to ensuring the ongoing safety of those who use buildings on a regular basis by learning from the mistakes of the past. LVI Associates works with those who specialise in this area, making connections at organisations looking to recruit the best and brightest talent. The firm also provides hiring support across many other areas of the infrastructure sector, including renewable energy, building services, transportation and water and environmental. A combination of permanent, contract and multi-hire solutions creates options for every hiring need, whether that is short or long-term. LVI Associates has established a database of more than a million mid-to-senior professionals over the years and contacts with businesses across the infrastructure industry. As a result, today the firm works with a wealth of talented people as well as enterprises that range from innovative small businesses to internationally renowned brands. It is an obvious go-to for organisations keen to hire for resilience and expansion, as well as individuals looking to take that career-defining next step in areas such as forensics jobs.



In addition to extensive expertise in the Asia Pacific region, LVI Associates also brings a unique global perspective to the table. The team in Singapore is part of a 1,000+ strong international workforce that covers many different locations across the globe. It is also the recruitment partner of choice to hundreds of world-leading companies as part of the Phaidon International group, which operates across 6 countries. Given the international nature of the infrastructure sector, this kind of dual regional and worldwide reach is a vital part of the resources that LVI Associates can provide. The internal team is also a huge asset - consultants are trained on an ongoing basis and work with best-in-class recruitment technology and strategies so that they are always at the cutting edge. Alongside forensics jobs there are also many other roles available via LVI Associates today, including Senior I&C Engineer, Operations Engineer [Waste & Water], Senior Process Integration Engineer and Technical Chemical Sales Manager.



"Like for many sectors, 2020 marked a defining moment for recruitment. Challenged by uncertainty, but unwavering in our commitment to our clients, we have endured through 2021 with a sense of duty to clients and candidates", commented Andrew McNeilis, Managing Director at LVI Associates. He went on to say, "as we reflect on the challenges of virtually securing and retaining talent, we're inspired by a team who have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and continue to help all our clients secure top talent on a global scale."



To find out more information about forensics jobs across Asia Pacific visit https://www.lviassociates.sg



For any media enquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital  020 7100 0726.



For all other enquiries please contact LVI Associates Singapore: +65 3165 1400.



For more information about LVI Associates Singapore services, please go to https://www.lviassociates.sg



About LVI Associates Singapore

LVI Associates Singapore is the leading specialist recruitment agency for the infrastructure sector. Reimagining recruitment for this fast moving and innovative industry has enabled the firm to bring together the brightest talent and key enterprises to help continue to drive the sector forward.
Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/18/2021 -- In recent years the focus of building design and operation has switched from trying to insulate humans from nature to attempting to adapt these structures to their natural surroundings. Stricter building codes and the motivation to cut energy costs and wastage have meant that there have been plenty of challenges for those in building services jobs focused on creating more sustainable living environments. Commercial and residential buildings make up around 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions and this is often higher in tropical climates such as Singapore where nature presents more challenges. However, there are already notable pioneers, including the South Beach development which is rated platinum under Singapore's Green Mark Certification Scheme, which means it's capable of 30% more energy savings than a regular building. The desire for more sustainably operating buildings isn't just being driven by cost as, increasingly, shareholders are also beginning to demand that this be taken into account.



LVI Associates is a leading specialist recruitment agency for the infrastructure sector, providing expert support in many different fields, including building services jobs and roles in construction, forensics, transportation and renewable energy. The firm has a well-established presence in the Asia Pacific region, supporting a broad spectrum of businesses, from innovators to international behemoths, and ensuring that talented people are in the right position to take that career-defining next step. The firm combines permanent, contract and multi-hire solutions so that individual options can be tailored to every need. With a database of more than a million mid-to-senior professionals, LVI Associates is well resourced in supporting infrastructure businesses keen to recruit the talent behind our everyday lives. Contacts at organisations across the sector ensure that the right connections can be made to help the industry, and the enterprises within it, develop and grow.



One of the advantages of working with a firm like LVI Associates is the strength of knowledge and experience in the region. This is combined with a broad international perspective that comes from being part of a 1,000+ strong international workforce. In addition, LVI Associates is also the recruitment partner of choice to hundreds of world-leading companies as part of the Phaidon International group, which operates across 6 countries. These vital connections enable the firm to facilitate effective hiring across many areas, including building services jobs. Also key is the strength of the team at LVI Associates. Consultants are trained on an ongoing basis and work with best-in-class recruitment technology and strategies so that they are always at the cutting edge. As well as building services jobs there are many other roles available through the firm today, including Quality Engineer, Asset Manager [Renewable Energy], Business Development Manager [Water Projects] and Membrane Field Service Engineer.



"Like for many sectors, 2020 marked a defining moment for recruitment. Challenged by uncertainty, but unwavering in our commitment to our clients, we have endured through 2021 with a sense of duty to clients and candidates", commented Andrew McNeilis, Managing Director at LVI Associates. He went on to say, "as we reflect on the challenges of virtually securing and retaining talent, we're inspired by a team who have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and continue to help all our clients secure top talent on a global scale."



To find out more information about Building services jobs across Asia Pacific visit https://www.lviassociates.sg



For any media enquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital  020 7100 0726.



For all other enquiries please contact LVI Associates Singapore: +65 3165 1400.



For more information about LVI Associates Singapore services, please go to https://www.lviassociates.sg



About LVI Associates Singapore

LVI Associates Singapore is the leading specialist recruitment agency for the infrastructure sector. Reimagining recruitment for this fast moving and innovative industry has enabled the firm to bring together the brightest talent and key enterprises to help continue to drive the sector forward.
A 30-year-old woman from the city of Esperanza, Argentina  the so-called Esperanza Patient  appears to be the second person whose immune system cleared the HIV-1 virus without antiretroviral therapy.

During infection, HIV places copies of its genome into the DNA of cells, creating what is known as a viral reservoir, said senior co-author Dr. Xu Yu, a researcher at Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard Brigham and Womens Hospital, and her colleagues.

In this state, the virus effectively hides from anti-HIV drugs and the bodys immune response.

In most people, new viral particles are constantly made from this reservoir.

Antiretroviral therapy can prevent the new viruses from being made but cannot eliminate the reservoir, necessitating daily treatment to suppress the virus.

Some people, known as elite controllers, have immune systems that are able to suppress HIV without the need for medication.

Though they still have viral reservoirs that can produce more HIV virus, a type of immune cell called a killer T cell keeps the virus suppressed without the need for medication.

In 2020, Dr. Yu and co-authors identified the first elite controller who had no intact HIV-1 viral sequence in her genome, indicating that her immune system may have eliminated the HIV-1 reservoir  what the scientists call a sterilizing cure.

The researchers sequenced billions of cells from that patient  known as the San Francisco Patient  searching for any HIV-1 sequence that could be used to create new virus, and found none.

The newly-identified patient, like the San Francisco Patient, has no intact HIV-1 genomes in a total of 1.188 billion peripheral blood mononuclear cells and 503 million mononuclear cells from placental tissues.

These findings, especially with the identification of a second case, indicate there may be an actionable path to a sterilizing cure for people who are not able to do this on their own, Dr. Yu said.

The results may suggest a specific killer T cell response common to both patients driving this response, with the possibility that other people with HIV have also achieved a sterilizing cure.

If the immune mechanisms underlying this response can be understood by researchers, they may be able to develop treatments that teach others immune systems to mimic these responses in cases of HIV infection.

We are now looking toward the possibility of inducing this kind of immunity in persons on antiretroviral therapy through vaccination, with the goal of educating their immune systems to be able to control the virus without antiretroviral therapy, she said.

The teams paper was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

_____

Gabriela Turk et al. A Possible Sterilizing Cure of HIV-1 Infection Without Stem Cell Transplantation. Annals of Internal Medicine, published online November 16, 2021; doi: 10.7326/L21-0297
Over the past few years, Turkey has become quite a hub for hair restoration. Medical tourism in the country has been on the rise, with men and women around the globe flocking to have hair transplants in Turkey and solve their hair loss issues once and for all.

However, before you get on board with the trend and schedule your hair transplant operation, it's important to get familiarized with transplant procedures in Turkey and learn what you can expect to experience.

So, take a look at a few things you'll need to know before you book your hair transplant procedure in Turkey.

The costs of hair transplant procedures are affordable

The first thing you should know is that you won't have to break the bank to afford a hair transplant in Istanbul. Hair transplant surgery and most other medical and cosmetic procedures, for that matter, are significantly cheaper in Turkey than in the rest of Europe and North America. That doesn't mean that it's any less effective, however.

The country is known for its highly educated and experienced medical professionals. Some of the top medical universities, clinics, and healthcare facilities are located in Turkey. Therefore, the reason for the lower price isn't the supposed lower quality of the staff and equipment. It's the lower cost of living.

Compared to western Europe, for example, Turkey is a significantly more affordable country in every way - education, healthcare, housing, food, taxes, utilities are all much cheaper. Whereas transplanting hair with the minimum number of grafts in the UK could cost you up to 30,000, in Turkey, the procedure with the maximum number of grafts is just a fraction of the price (up to 70% cheaper).

You can easily find reputable clinics

Considering just how in-demand hair restoration surgery is in Turkey, finding the right clinic for your needs is exceptionally easy. Among the most reputable ones is Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic.

Dr. Serkan Aygin and his medical team have gained a reputation as the most trusted professionals in the industry due to their 98% growth rate of transplanted hair.

Dr. Serkan Aygin has been in the field for over 25 years, perfecting his approach and honing his skills since 1996. To date, he's successfully operated on over 10,000 patients.

His skills and expertise have earned him numerous awards, including the European Award in Medicine in the field of hair transplant surgery in 2019. Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic itself earned the Best Medical Tourism Facility award at the Annual Health Tourism Awards in Spain in the same year.

With Dr. Serkan Aygin, you'll receive the utmost quality of care at surprisingly affordable prices. When you get your quote, you'll find that the price includes transportation costs from the airport to the hotel, clinic, and back, a free consultation, the procedure itself, needle-free anesthesia, translators and interpreters, accommodation, post-op medication, and more.

Clinics in Istanbul use advanced hair restoration treatments

Dr. Serkan Aygin offers the most advanced hair transplantation techniques to his patients - sapphire FUE hair transplant and DHI hair transplant.

During the FUE treatment, Dr. Aygin first administers soft anesthesia to the recipient and the donor area of your head. This type of anesthesia doesn't use needles but instead administers the anesthetic through a pressurized nozzle.

Then, the doctor will extract hair follicles from the donor area and leave the grafts in a nutrient solution while he makes tiny incisions to open canals in the recipient area. Afterward, he will start implanting hair into the incisions one graft at a time.

The DHI method is only slightly different. Dr. Serkan Aygin uses a specialized Choi pen to extract follicular units and insert them without needing to open canals in the recipient area beforehand.

Both procedures have high success rates, and you can check out the before and after results directly on Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic's site.

The final results are permanent and natural

Once the procedure is done, you will receive thorough instructions for post-op care alongside all the medication necessary to expedite the healing process. However, while you'll recover from the procedure quickly, it will take some time before you start noticing new hair growth.

Within the first few weeks, you'll likely notice your newly implanted hair falling out - this is a normal process known as "shock hair loss." New hair will start growing after about three months, and you'll notice the full effects within 12 to 18 months. You'll have invisible scarring, and your hair will look completely natural.

The bottom line

Having a hair transplant in Turkey is the best way to deal with hair loss permanently. Contact Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, schedule your consultation, and book a life-changing appointment that will restore your hair to its full glory.
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Emergency radio concept to support crisis communication DARC reports the flood disasters in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate have shown that functioning communication in crisis situations is of great importance, but not a matter of course



A translation of the DARC post reads:



The DARC department for emergency and disaster radio has taken the knowledge from the affected areas as an opportunity to develop a concept for future support of the population in such emergency situations.



In times of prolonged communication failure, the unit would like to be prepared in order to be able to support the population and independent helpers on site. That is why we created a concept that many external helpers from business, aid organizations, the fire brigade, the German armed forces and politics helped develop, explains Oliver Schlag, DL7TNY, the DARC's federal officer for Emergency and Disaster Radio eV.



The focus here is on both building up and maintaining a base of material at the federal level as well as expanding the regional emergency radio groups. The aim is to build up a pool of material and helpers who can then set up and operate a temporary network with access to the Internet, for example, for the citizens in damaged areas.



In the coming months, the volunteers will set up the prototype of such a regional emergency radio group and its material at the federal level. For the first steps, the unit uses the additional financial resources from the Pro membership. The DARC board has decided that the money will be used to support this project in the coming year. In order to achieve maximum dissemination and response from the public, the prototype is to be presented nationwide in the second phase. The aim here is to find external donors for the expansion of the prototype to cover the whole of Germany.



An active emergency radio that broadly supports society is good evidence that we radio amateurs can use the frequencies assigned to us responsibly and in the interests of the community. But we are also dependent on help from business and politics , concluded the DARC emergency radio officer.



Further information at https://darc.de/notfunk



Source DARC https://darc.de/
By Libby Eggert

eggertli@grinnnell.edu

When a job came open for a staff position in the Special Collections office at Grinnell College, Chris Jones mom took his car keys and hid them until he banged out a resume, cover letter and application for the job. Jones had been working at the Special Collection Library at his graduate school, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Now, Jones has been at Grinnell for seven years as both the Special Collections librarian and archivist of the College. He held that initial Special Collections staff position for four years before his boss retired and encouraged him to apply for the spot. In his new spot, he assumes many roles and responsibilities for the colleges invaluable archive.

Jones grew up in Iowa City. He received his B.A. in French with an emphasis in business at University of Northern Iowa. He knew he wanted to be a librarian, so immediately he got his Masters of Library and Information Science from UIUC.

I went into librarianship to help people, said Jones. One of the biggest boosts I get is  the reaction that people give sometimes being introduced to something that is so old, so rare or so beautiful, but so much outside of their realm of experience thus far that their reaction is oh my gosh.

To Jones, Grinnell is unique in its archival collection because of how much the school values precedent and history.

Theres a very clear reliance on what has come before, he said. One example he gave is the medallion ceremony, where students receive a half dollar coin engraved with their class year during their welcome ceremony. None of these traditions would be possible without archives, Jones said.

A major part of Jones job is interacting with other departments and faculty members. He worked with an English course to explore Korean literature, as well as a tutorial class to look at the history of books in the West. He is also a liaison to the History Department, and works with them regularly.

No two days are the same, said Jones. His days consist of meeting with his colleagues, helping students learn how to use materials or teaching seminars to classes.

One of the biggest boosts I get is  the reaction that people give sometimes being introduced to something that is so old, so rare or so beautiful, but so much outside of their realm of experience thus far that their reaction is oh my gosh.  Chris Jones, Library Archivist

Currently Jones is working on a grant with Iowa State University called Digitizing Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices. He also is working with Grinnells project archivist, Laura Michaelson, to catalog and digitize the Salisbury House Library Collection.

Jones also serves on the librarys outreach team, which works on social media presence and planning events for the library.

But when his days are unscheduled, Jones likes to take a deep breath and do a dive into our rare book collection, which is probably my favorite aspect of Special Collections.

For Jones, Grinnell is uniquely small and tight-knit compared to the larger public schools he attended, which has pros and cons for the self-described introvert.

Its really hard sometimes to remember that pretty much everybody knows who you are  [but] its a much tighter community which makes it actually a lot easier to learn  about events or whatever is happening in the community, said Jones.

When hes not hosting walk-in hours from 1:30-5 p.m. in the basement of Burling, or digitizing every book in Special Collections, you might find Jones reading, playing video games or spending time with his new puppy Indie or his seven cats.
By Ellianna Cierpiot

cierpiot@grinnell.edu

On Thursday, Nov. 18, at 11:00 a.m., a group of around 70 students gathered outside the JRC to support the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) in their demand for a $15 an hour minimum wage for dining workers. This demand was announced at the unions general meeting on Saturday, Nov. 6.

At the rally, student workers shared personal stories about their experiences with understaffing at the Dining Hall. Some talked about being switched stations without training and having to work significantly past the time they were scheduled due to understaffing. A Dining Services student leader said they had had to regularly ask student workers to stay late.

They act like were disposable, but we get three to four emails a week asking us to pick up a shift, said a student worker in attendance.

Representatives of UGSDW said that they believed a wage raise to $15 an hour would solve many understaffing problems.

Following the rally, attendees moved into the JRC, where 20 students representing UGSDW entered a meeting with Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Mary Greiner, Associate Vice President for Finance and Assistant Treasurer Nancy Combs and the Vice President of Human Resources Jana Grimes. Also representing the Colleges bargaining team was Frank Harty, a lawyer from the Nyemaster Goode law firm.

We plan to formally request to reopen contract negotiations with the College with the hope of negotiating a higher wage for students in the dining hall, said Isaiah Gutman `23, a UGSDW executive board member-at-large, after their meeting. We just had a meeting with the College Dining Administrative team to talk about the issues going on in the dining hall  $15 is crucial to resolving understaffing in the Dining Hall.

If the College agrees to reopen contract negotiation, UGSDW will begin negotiations with the Colleges bargaining team over the demand for a wage increase.

This story is still developing.

Editors note: S&B copy editor Isaiah Gutman `23 is an executive board member-at-large for the UGSDW; he did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) recently celebrated the successful completion of the Banjul International Airport Rehabilitation and Development Project in the west African nation of Gambia.

The SFD had supplied a loan worth $31 million to fund the project which will increase the airports operational capacity by 43%, enhancing trade and supporting economic growth.

In addition, it has provided a further $10.5 million loan to build a VVIP airport lounge which will provide facilities to host official delegations and international conferences.

The foundation stone for the new VVIP lounge was laid during the official inauguration ceremony by the Gambia Vice President Dr Isatou Touray and the CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad.

Gambia Vice President Dr Isatou Touray lauded Saudi Arabia and the SFD for its commitment to sustainable infrastructure projects, including the development and expansion of Banjul airport, which will increase the living standards of two million people.

Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony, CEO Sultan bin Abdul Rahman Al Marshad said: "This is an important milestone in the growth and prosperity of Gambia. The Banjul airport project is an extension of the ongoing support being provided by the kingdom to the African nation, which includes 14 development loans and five grants with a total value of $215 million across transport, education, water, and economic development.

"This scheme is just one of over 20 projects the SFD has supported in the air transport sector around the world at a value of $294 million, including the construction of runways, provision of engineering consultancy, and expansion of navigational services, aimed at stimulating sustainable economic and social growth," he added.
Harmony One Founder Joining UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation Advisory Board

Stephen Tse

Stephen Tse, founder and CEO of Harmony One, a fast and open blockchain for decentralized applications, is the latest global industry leader to be appointed to serve on the University of Wyoming Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation (CBDI) Advisory Board.

Tse will join other advisory board members at the boards first meeting in January, says Steven Lupien, UW CBDI director.

Industry partners and leaders like Stephen Tse will help guide activities, curriculum, experiential learning and research opportunities for the center, Lupien says. Stephen will have the chance to actively engage with students, faculty, staff and other Wyoming leaders working in the blockchain technology space.

Tse says he looks forward to being involved with UW and the CBDI Advisory Board.

Wyoming has quietly become an epicenter for blockchain innovation, and I am proud to join the ranks of other esteemed individuals committed to making blockchain more accessible and scalable to unite more communities and build a brighter world, Tse says. I am looking forward to collaborating with the other board members and students at the University of Wyoming to work together in accelerating the future of the blockchain economy while we are still so early in the evolution of the space.

Earlier this year, Harmony One made a gift commitment to UW totaling $120,000 over three years to support the WyoHackathon and blockchain-related educational, research and outreach programs.

Tse has been obsessed with protocols and compilers since high school. He reverse-engineered ICQ and X11 protocols; coded in OCaml for more than 15 years; and graduated with a doctoral degree in security protocols and compiler verification from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tse was a researcher at Microsoft Research, a senior infrastructure engineer at Google and a principal engineer for search ranking at Apple. With institutional venture capital, he founded the mobile search engine Spotsetter. Apple later acquired the startup. Tse founded Harmony One in 2017.

The CBDI is blockchain inclusive, featuring an interdisciplinary approach among UW colleges, including the College of Business, the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the College of Law, as well as the states community colleges. The center focuses on fostering innovation, applied research and education, technology development, economic development and job growth, and corporate engagement.

For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/cbdi or email Lupien at slupien@uwyo.edu.
UW WWAMI Medical Students Participate in Research Symposium

Students in the Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program recently presented their research projects through poster displays and viewings by academic judges and the public during the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences third annual research symposium.

All medical students in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) program are required to complete research during their time in the program. Most students participate in research projects during the summer between their first and second years of medical school. Students are required to present their summer projects in the form of poster presentations.

The Nov. 8 event was hosted by Ivinson Memorial Hospital and held in the hospitals atrium.

Eleven students took part in the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) this past summer in which, during a four-week rotation, each student works side by side with a primary care physician in a rural or urban underserved community. While at their RUOP sites, students also are expected to complete an abbreviated community health assessment to identify both community assets and public health issues.

Taylor Kennedy completed her RUOP project in her hometown of Cody with Dr. Adam Peters, a family medicine physician who practices at the Billings Clinic.

I researched community-based interventions to improve sun-safe behaviors and increase skin cancer awareness in an effort to decrease the incidence of skin cancer in Cody, she says. I chose this topic because Cody has a higher incidence of skin cancer than both Wyoming and the U.S. averages.

Participating in RUOP has been the most rewarding experience I have had in medical school, so far, because of the hands-on nature; the connections with the medical community in my hometown; and my ongoing pursuits to improve skin cancer education, she adds.

During this past summer, Ariel Gjovig, a second-year medical student from Gillette, spent a month learning at Crook County Medical Services District in Sundance with Dr. Heith Waddell as her preceptor.

During my RUOP experience, I had the opportunity to be involved in patient care, including taking a medical history; performing physical exams; charting; and helping with medical procedures, Gjovig says. I also received the invaluable experience of learning about what it takes to practice medicine in a rural area and the importance of community support.

In addition to medical experience, I also was given opportunities to do two different kinds of research. I did a community-based research project and learned about diabetes nutrition struggles in a rural area as well as worked with Dr. Waddell to write a case study-based research article that will be published in a professional journal this spring, she continues. Overall, this experience solidified my path into rural medicine and built an immense amount of confidence in my skills as a future physician.

At the same time, seven students took part in an area of research called Scholarship of Discovery (SoD). This empirical research examines new discoveries made through original investigation. A hypothesis is made regarding the relationship between variables, and a study attempts to validate the hypothesis through observation. The study may take the form of a basic laboratory study; a survey; a secondary analysis of an existing data set; a chart review; a qualitative study; or a prospective clinical trial.

Bret Andrew, a second-year medical student from Casper, chose the SoD route with Dr. Joseph McGinley, an interventional radiologist in Casper. Andrew studied the effects of combining two known joint injections -- hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids -- for osteoarthritis to study their long-term pain reduction as a therapy.

I enjoyed getting to work with Dr. McGinley greatly and learning about his patient population, which happens to be my hometown of Casper. Our results were very promising as a treatment of osteoarthritis, and I hope our project helps educate practitioners on a safe and effective way to treat these patients suffering from knee pain, Andrew says. It showed me a different angle of academic research that I hadnt experienced -- retrospective studies -- and has taught me that it is very possible to continue contributing to the greater database of clinical knowledge in the United States as an M.D.

I look forward to implementing what I learned into my practice as a future physician and am grateful to all of the University of Wyoming faculty, as well as Dr. McGinley and his staff, for their assistance in this experience, he adds.

2021 Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program Research Symposium awardees are:

Bret Andrew -- first place, SoD.

Sierra Levene -- second place, RUOP/SoD.

Audrey Lucas -- first place, RUOP.

In a separate award category, members of the public attending the event were invited to choose their favorite research poster by popular vote. Kennedy won the Peoples Choice Award.

Medical student presenters, listed by hometown, name, project title and RUOP/SoD placement site, are:

Byron -- Austin Ellis, Shear Wave Elastography in Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms, VA Center for Limb Loss and Mobility in Seattle, Wash.

Casper -- Bret Andrew, Sequential Intraarticular Corticosteroid and Hyaluronic Acid Provides Significant Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Symptom Improvement, The McGinley Clinic in Casper; Joseph Keating, Oral History of COVID-19 in Sundance, WY, Sundance; and Dane Patey, Performance of Alcohol Symptom Checklists Between Virtual and in Person Primary Care Visits, MedStar in Seattle, Wash.

Cheyenne -- Jackson McCue, Sinus Rinse Education for Coal Miners in Douglas, WY, Douglas; Rikki Nelson, The Use of High Frequency Ultrasound for in Vivo Pregnancy to Monitor and Assess Fetal Development after Endocrine Disruption, Laramie; and Bryce Snow, Access to Exercise Facilities in Uinta County, WY, Evanston.

Cody -- Taylor Kennedy, Strategies to Reduce the Incidence of Skin Cancer in Cody, WY, Cody; and Grace Nicholas, Carpal Tunnel Release with Ultrasound Guidance (CTR-US): Intermediate-Term Results with MRI Correlation, The McGinley Clinic in Casper.

Gillette -- Ariel Gjovig, Improving Diabetes Nutrition Education in Sundance, WY, Sundance.

Green River -- Holly Huber, Effective Teaching Module for Training Residents and Fellows on Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspirations of Thyroid Nodules, Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Wash.

Laramie -- Sierra Levene, Impact of Age, Sex and Race on Velopharyngeal Anatomy within the First Two Years of Life, UW College of Health Sciences, Laramie.

Moran -- Cade Budak, COVID-19 Pandemic in Salmon, ID: Medical Humanities, Salmon, Idaho.

Pinedale -- Luiza Bosch, Vaccination Hesitancy: A Common Trend in Powell, Wyoming, Powell.

Powell -- Blake Hopkin, Improving Cancer Screening Education and Rates in Conrad, Mont. through Social Media, Conrad, Mont.

Sheridan -- Maison Furley, Best Practices to Manage Increasing Pediatric Mental Health Admission Acuity, Sheridan.

Thermopolis -- Cody Abbott, Isolation: Antagonist and Antidote in Rural Wyoming, Thermopolis.

Wheatland -- Audrey Lucas, Using Behavior Change Models to Help Healthcare Workers Discuss COVID-19 Vaccines with Patients to Increase Community Vaccination Numbers in Goshen County, WY, Goshen County.
She missed two months of school for refusing to wear a mask. Now shes happy to be back


remaining of

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Public Health Guidance For Festive Period 2021

As we approach the festive period and as we see an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, Government advises everyone to take a pre-cautionary approach when arranging, attending and hosting events.

'The vaccine is preventing against the majority of hospitalisations and severe disease. However, the evidence obtained shows that of the positive cases we have had over the last 3 weeks, less than 5% were in individuals with no symptoms, i.e. the majority had Covid symptoms. Members of the public are therefore urged not to attend events or functions if they have any COVID symptoms, even mild ones.'

The Director for Public Health has provided reviewed guidance in order to support and reduce the uncertainty for those hosting private events and functions.

Ventilation and duration of contact are the two main factors that determine the risk of COVID-19 infection. The main concern is related to crowded indoor events, which are assessed to be of a higher risk. As such, the Director of Public Health strongly advises the public to consider limiting numbers appropriate to the venue and adopting a precautionary approach this side of the festive period.

When holding a private event, organisers should carry out a risk assessment which captures the following:

1. The current epidemiological situation

2. The number of people attending

3. The vaccination status of attendees

4. Format of the event

5. Ventilation

Further guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/3FsYm2c

The Director of Public Health says she will continue to review the epidemical situation and the guidance provided could be amended based on the circumstances faced. As the booster programme continues to be rolled out it is expected that Gibraltar will see a decrease in the number of positive cases, which might allow this guidance to be further reviewed.

The Director for Public Health, Helen Carter, said: Please consider the guidance provided when holding or attending an event. It is important that we all work together in trying to minimise the impact of the pandemic in the build-up and during the festive period, whilst still allowing people to enjoy themselves. Please help to limit the impact of the pandemic in our community. When offered the booster, please take up the offer.

The Chief Minister said: We want to avoid having to provide for any lock down in the coming weeks and months. To do that, we need the support of each member of the community. We really need to see people following guidance and in particular we need people to take up the offer of the Booster Jab as soon as they are offered it. People can see the numbers of cases rising throughout Europe and lockdowns taking effect throughout the continent. Here although cases are rising, hospitalisations are currently low. We need to keep it that way, but if numbers continue to rise exponentially, we may see numbers in hospital grow too. I genuinely believe these are the last throes of the pandemic, but it will not be over completely for some time now and we cannot relax completely until then. I therefore implore the public to follow the advice from Public Health Gibraltar.
On 17 November, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), in his capacity as the depositary of the Convention, received the Instrument of accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention - RKC) from H.E Mr. Muktar Djumaliev, the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Kingdom of Belgium at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

This important achievement, marked with the deposit of the Instrument of accession, follows the successful visit of the WCO Secretary General in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at the beginning of November 2021, where he met with the H.E. Mr. Sadyr Japarov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as other political leaders.

During his meeting with Ambassador Mr. Muktar Djumaliev, it was recalled that this international instrument is considered as forming the basis for effective, efficient and modern Customs procedures. Having entered into force on 3 February 2006, the Revised Kyoto Convention is a WCO legal instrument regarded by the entire international Customs Community as a blueprint for a modern Customs administration in the 21st Century. Additionally, it complements efforts towards the implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) that entered into force on 22 February 2017. With the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Convention now has 129 Contracting Parties.

Amongst others, the Conventions key elements include the application of simplified Customs procedures in a predictable and transparent environment, the optimal use of information technology, the utilization of risk management for efficient Customs control, a strong partnership with the trade and other stakeholders, and a readily accessible system of appeals.

In an international environment marked by the unprecedented situation due the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCO welcomes the fact that the number of Contracting Parties to the RKC continues to grow, especially as this instrument contains a dedicated Specific Annex (Annex J5) that provides core provisions for the management of relief consignments during emergency situations, and is at the core of the WCOs Economic Competitiveness Package (ECP).

The WCO Secretary General strongly encourages those eligible to become a Contracting Party to accede to the RKC as soon as possible, given this instruments significance for Customs, and above all to implement its provisions.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-20 05:14:47|Editor: huaxia

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A trail of smoke is seen in the sky over Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2021. Israel launched missile strikes at some sites in Damascus and the central province of Homs on Thursday night, Syrian state TV reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel launched missile strikes at some sites in the Syrian capital of Damascus and the central province of Homs on Thursday night, Syrian state TV reported.

The Syrian air defenses responded to the attacks, intercepting most of the Israeli missiles, reported the TV, citing a military source.

The Syrian authorities were assessing the damages caused by the strikes, it added.

The sounds of explosions were clearly heard in Damascus as the Syrian air defenses were responding to the attack.

A Xinhua reporter in Damascus saw Syrian air defense missiles chasing targets in the sky before loud explosions were heard.

The Israeli attack was the second to hit Syria within two days, after a missile attack targeted military sites in the country's southwestern province of Quneitra on Tuesday.

Israel has repeatedly launched attacks at Syrian military sites under the pretext of targeting the sites where pro-Iran militias are located. Enditem