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Worst is yet to come WHO chief advocates for solidarity to fight the coronavirus

(CGTN)16:55, July 01, 2020

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,the World Health Organizations (WHO) Director-General(Xinhua/File Photo)

The World Health Organizations (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is speeding up and the worst is yet to come.

Tedros also noted in his daily briefing that the lack of national unity and lack of global solidarity was actually helping the virus spread.

The WHO chief pointed out five priorities that every single country must focus on now to save lives. And the politicization of the pandemic is not one of them.

Some countries are now experiencing a resurgence of cases as they start to re-open their economies and societies. Most people remain susceptible. The virus still has a lot of room to move, he said. But the hard reality is: This is not even close to being over. Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up.

Please quarantine COVID politics, he said, adding that the virus has two dangerous combinations 鈥?one is its fast, its contagious and second is, its a killer. It can exploit divisions.

Your health is in your hands 鈥?That includes physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering coughs, staying home if you feel sick, wearing masks when appropriate, and only sharing information from reliable sources.

You may be in a low-risk category, but the choices you make could be the difference between life and death for someone else, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also remarked that theres no reason to suspect that the coronavirus was introduced deliberately and that nothing good would come out of anyone insisting otherwise, during an interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel.

As the president explained, in their current predicament, countries should join forces instead of accusing one another.

We need to do everything that leads us to deliverance from this threat, Putin said, adding that thats where success awaits us rather than on the way of confrontation.

The second priority marked by Tedros is to improve surveillance to find cases, he added while repeatedly stressing on the importance of tracing and quarantining.

He added that if any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse.

The lame excuse is there are too many 鈥?Trust me there are not too many in war situations. If contact tracing helps you to win the fight, you do it even risking your life鈥?

The third priority should be to save lives. Early identification and clinical care saves lives. Providing oxygen and dexamethasone to people with severe and critical disease, saves lives, he said and advised countries to pay special attention to high-risk groups.

Fourth is to accelerate research, while fifth is political leadership.

He emphasized that global solidarity was crucial to the pandemic response and to implement a comprehensive strategy to suppress transmission.

Weve already learned a lot about this virus, but theres still a lot we dont know 鈥?and there are still tools we need, concluded the WHO chief.

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Europeans view of U.S. has worsened after COVID-19 pandemic

(CGTN)17:04, July 01, 2020

（Photo/Xinhua）

A majority of Europeans are having an increasingly negative perception of the U.S. as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent poll commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

The pan-European survey was conducted by Datapraxis and YouGov in nine EU member states in the last week of April 2020, and into early May. The research was published on Monday by ECFR under the title European foreign and security policy.

The survey for 11,000 people revealed that respondents from almost all nine countries had a worsened view of the United States.

Participants in France and Germany, 46 percent and 42 percent respectively, said their view of the U.S. had worsened a lot as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Poland and Bulgaria were the only countries where the most people said there had been no change in their view of the United States.

It also shows that only two percent of Europeans surveyed expressed the view that the U.S. was a helpful ally in the fight against COVID-19.

Author of the research, Susi Dennison and Pawel Zerka, noted: The proportion of respondents who felt that the U.S. had been a key ally through the crisis was vanishingly small, with the largest proportion in Italy, at just six percent.

Meanwhile, 25 percent of respondents from Italy saw China as the most useful ally in the crisis, as China was seen sending ventilators, medical experts and personal protective equipment to Italy and some other European countries.

In a frightening world, one looks around for friends. But Europeans are uncertain who they can rely on. As a pan-European poll ECFR carried out in 2019 showed, Europeans preferred the idea of an EU that was strong enough not to be forced to choose sides in a conflict but, ultimately, would usually side with the United States over any other ally. Now, Europeans trust in Trumps America is gone.

On Tuesday, European Union approved to exclude the United States from its initial safe list of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday.

The reports authors also said that many respondents were appalled by the U.S.s response to tackling the coronavirus crisis at a global level, although the White House has repeatedly denied that it has mishandled the pandemic.

Although, the coronavirus crisis had appeared to galvanize public support for the European Union to take more coordinated action to tackle global threats, as few respondents to the survey had a positive view of the EUs coronavirus response.

However, and when asked who has been your countrys greatest ally during the coronavirus crisis a majority of respondents from seven countries answered no one.

Europeans have digested the fact that the U.S. is no longer necessarily a friend for Europe in times of need. As Germany takes over the Presidency of the EU, next month, this important shift in public opinion towards the U.S. may push European governments to pursue a more independent line in the rebuilding of the international order after COVID-19.

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China’s cultural consumption lights up the night economy

(Peoples Daily Online)09:09, August 24, 2020

As COVID-19 wanes in China, cinemas, bookstores, bars, sports centers and other public cultural spaces in various cities have been reopened, launching various activities. The glowing night economy lights up the cities evening sky again.

A musical performance at a scenic spot in Zhoushan city, Zhejiang province. (Photo/Xinhua)

During the epidemic, normal prevention and control measures, such as home quarantine, have curbed peoples offline consumption activities, whereas online shopping and online movie watching have become the normal life consumption.

According to statistics, retail sales of consumer goods in Beijing in the first six months of this year totaled 597.3 billion yuan (about $ 86.5 billion), down 16.3 percent year-on-year. As the epidemic wanes, residents restrained enthusiasm for consumption has begun to release, and the night economy has become an important engine to accelerate the recovery of consumption, stimulating urban vitality.

Cities across the country have launched projects such as scenic spot night tours and cultural night markets, which organically integrates local culture, themed landscapes, performing arts, entertainment, catering and other forms of business, highlighting the cultural elements of the night economy.

Citizens visit Qingming Bridge historical and cultural Street in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Aug. 8, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

The economic forms at night are rich and diverse, and the urban space can be both lively and noisy, as well as quiet and indifferent. The late night study of Sanlian Taofen Bookstore is open 24 hours a day in Beijing; named Page One, the bookstore has become a cultural landmark of the city during the evening; 45 museums in Shanghai have opened night shows and 35 bookstores have held evening reading meetings , enriching the forms of the night economy while meeting the diversified spiritual needs of the people.

Culture is constantly integrated into the urban night economy, constituting its core element. The Night Tour to Jinjiang project in Chengdu of southwest Chinas Sichuan province integrates the local culture into the night economic form; ice and snow world in Harbin of northeast Chinas Heilongjiang province attracts tourists from all over the country with a variety of lights and shapes.

Beijing citizens watch a performance in Wangjing Commercial Street on Aug. 8, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

While the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City night excursion project in Xian, northwest China’s Shaanxi province is also favored by tourists, the Night Touring of Qinhuai project in Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province has become a name card for local night tourism.

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Creative products give murals of ancient grottoes a modern spin

(Xinhua)16:48, September 14, 2020

LANZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — Born and raised in Dunhuang, northwest Chinas Gansu Province, Yao Yanbei has long been immersed in the cultural heritage of the city.

Once an outpost on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang boasts exquisite Buddhist art dating back over 1,650 years. Its Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are home to more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals.

After graduating from a college in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Yao returned to Dunhuang as a promising designer. She was determined to promote her hometown through her creative works.

In 2016, inspired by patterns in Dunhuang murals, Yao created a toy camel embellished with fiery red hair and patterns of honeysuckle on its hump.

Through the toy camel, I intended to convey the spirit of the locals who are usually tough-minded and hard-working, Yao said.

Tourists can take home artistic products like the camel replica as souvenirs after visiting the murals, she said. They help more people know about my hometown.

In August 2017, Yao spent nearly a month inside grottoes sketching the murals, in quest of inspiration from the Buddhist art.

Staying in the grottoes from dawn to dusk, I felt spiritually connected with the ancient artists who painted the murals. It was an amazing experience, she said.

Inspired by the sculptures and murals, Yao later designed an array of innovative products, including tote bags, T-shirts, bookmarks, pocket mirrors and key rings. They all emanate a modern vibe that appeals to the younger generation.

Thanks to the efforts of designers like Yao, the cultural and creative industry began to take root in Dunhuang. Starting from 2018, every year the city has held an international design week to help promote the budding industry.

By pooling the wisdom of designers from home and abroad, we want to make Dunhuangs creative products more fashionable and reflective of the latest trends, said Liu Mengxing, a vice general manager of a local company.

We hope more people can realize that the culture of Dunhuang not only thrives in a remote desert but can also spice up our daily life, Liu added.

Looking ahead at her career in design, Yao plans to explore Dunhuangs ancient art further and apply the wisdom of ancient artists into products of modern life.

I want to design more creative products that appeal to more international customers, said Yao. I hope my design can bring people closer to Dunhuang.

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U.S. to reduce troop presence in Iraq, Afghanistan by November

(Xinhua)09:11, September 10, 2020

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Commander of U.S. Central Command Kenneth McKenzie confirmed on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan by November, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

The Politico reported that McKenzie, during a ceremony for Operation Inherent Resolve with the Iraqi minister of defense, said that U.S. troop presence in Iraq would be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September.

The force reduction is due to the great progress the Iraqi forces have made and in consultation and coordination with the Government of Iraq and our coalition partners, he said.

Currently, there are over 5,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic State (IS), mainly for training and advisory purposes.

McKenzie noted that the reduced size of U.S. military presence in Iraq would still be able to advise and assist Iraqi forces in rooting out the IS remnants in Iraq.

The top U.S. general in the Middle East told several media outlets later in the day that U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be decreased to about 4,500 level by early November.

The Pentagon said in mid-July that the United States maintained its force level in Afghanistan at mid-8,000s, meeting the conditions of the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in late February.

The agreement also called for a full withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups.

The numbers and time frame of the troop reduction plan that McKenzie disclosed on Wednesday were mainly in line with previous reports and discussions.

The Wall Street Journal wrote in a late August piece that the Pentagon would reduce military presence in Iraq by roughly one-third over the next two or three months, bringing U.S. troop numbers down to 3,500.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper also confirmed last month that U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be lowered to less than 5,000 by the end of November.

As the presidential election looms, President Donald Trump has doubled down efforts to seek to fulfill his campaign promise to bring troops home and to pull his country out of endless wars.

During his meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi last month, Trump reiterated his intention to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Trump also has sought a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan, which has caused about 2,400 U.S. military deaths, is the longest one in U.S. history.

The troop reduction announcement came amid the development of a delicate relationship between Trump and the military.

In Mondays White House briefing, Trump claimed senior leaders in the Pentagon probably didnt like him because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.

Army Chief of Staff James McConville on Tuesday defended military leaders to media outlet Defense One, saying the senior leaders would only recommend sending our troops to combat when it is required in national security and a last resort.

The news also came days after an article published in The Atlantic, quoting anonymous sources, saying that Trump disparaged slain U.S. service members by referring to them as losers and suckers. Trump and White House officials have vehemently denied the report.

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Iraqi official says Iraq, U.S. agree to cut troops in September

(Xinhua)09:36, September 10, 2020

BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said on Wednesday that the U.S. decision to cut its troops in Iraq came within an agreed timetable between the Iraqi government and the United States.

The latest step to cut the number of U.S. troops came as a result of coordination and joint work between us and the U.S.-led international coalition forces, Tahseen al-Khafaji, the JOC spokesman, told the official Iraqi News Agency.

Al-Khafajis comment came after Kenneth McKenzie, the head of the U.S. militarys Central Command, said that the Pentagon will draw down the level of U.S. troops in Iraq to 3,000 this month.

In consultation and coordination with the government of Iraq and our coalition partners, the United States has decided to reduce our troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September, McKenzie said in Iraq.

On Aug. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who was on an official visit to the United States, that the U.S.-led coalition forces will rapidly withdraw from Iraq within three years.

The withdrawal came as unidentified militant groups have frequently targeted Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops across Iraq, as well as the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone, by mortar and rocket attacks.

The troops cut decision came as the Iraqi-U.S. relations have witnessed a tension since Jan. 3 when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraqs paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.

More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising to the Iraqi forces.

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37 mln people displaced following U.S. war on terror since 2001 report

(Xinhua)11:04, September 10, 2020

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Victimized by eight most violent wars the United States has launched or participated in, at least 37 million people have fled their homes since 2001, according to a new report by Brown Universitys Costs of War project.

The number, a very conservative estimate, surpasses those displaced by any war or disaster since the 20th century, except for World War II, and is almost as large as the population of Canada, said the report, which was published on Tuesday and titled Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States Post-9/11 Wars.

The estimate includes 8 million people displaced across international borders as refugees and asylum seekers, and 29 million people displaced internally to other parts of their countries.

Most of the refugees were displaced in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria.

We focus on wars where the U.S. government bears a clear responsibility for initiating armed combat (the overlapping Afghanistan/Pakistan war and the post-2003 war in Iraq); for escalating armed conflict (U.S. and European intervention in the Libyan uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and Libyas ongoing civil war and U.S. involvement in Syria); or for being a significant participant in combat through drone strikes, battlefield advising, logistical support, arms sales, and other means (U.S. forces involvement in wars in Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines), noted the report.

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Afghan gun battle kills 5 militants in southern Helmand province

(Xinhua)16:16, September 10, 2020

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — Five militants were confirmed dead and nine others injured as clashes flared up in Gereshk district of the southern Helmand province on Thursday, a statement from the national army here said.

The clashes broke out after a group of Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints early Thursday and the troops retaliated, forcing the insurgents to flee after leaving five bodies behind and nine more injured, the statement said.

The Afghan forces also discovered 14 mines planted by the insurgents in the area and defused them on the spot.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of the troubled Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital havent commented.

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Indian Air Force formally inducts 5 Rafale jets in fleet at Ambala airbase

(Xinhua)17:12, September 10, 2020

NEW DELHI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday formally inducted the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets in its arsenal, officials said.

The induction ceremony was held at Air Force Station in Ambala of Haryana state, adjacent to Indian capital Delhi.

Indias Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly attended the event and watched the aircraft flying at low-speed during an air display.

IAF has formally inducted the Rafale aircraft in 17 Squadron Golden Arrows today, at Air Force Station, Ambala. The ceremony also marks Rafales full operational entry into IAF, said a brief statement issued by IAF.

The first five Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft had arrived at the Ambala airbase from France on July 27 this year.

Reports said the second batch of aircraft is expected to arrive in India by the end of November this year.

The IAF would be acquiring a total of 36 Rafale jets from France and all the aircraft are expected to be inducted into IAF by the end of 2021.

Officials said Rafale aircraft is Indias first major acquisition of fighter aircraft for IAF after Sukhoi.

India in 2016 signed a deal with France for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a bid to bolster the countrys military image.

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Virus in Beijing’s Xinfadi from Europe, but older China CDC

(Global Times)08:16, June 22, 2020

The novel coronavirus found in Beijings recent outbreak at Xinfadi market has come from Europe, but it is older than Europes most recent virus, said Chinese health officials.

Although the coronavirus found in Beijings Xinfadi market has come from Europe, it differs with their current outbreak, as it is older than the current European coronavirus, according to preliminary research results, said Zhang Yong, assistant director of National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The large amounts of samples found in Xinfadi wholesale market indicate that the virus has been around for some time. If it had only just arrived in the city for a short period of time, there may not have been so many positive samples found; however, we need more data before making an informed decision about its origin, Zhang said.

Genomic epidemiology is the one of the main methods used to determine the lifespan of the virus. We need to first sequence the whole genome, before putting all the different viruses together to see which virus has more mutations; that is, those with more mutations normally suggest an updated virus, whereas those with less mutations closer to the original virus, and they are much older, circulating for a longer period of time compared to recently discovered viruses, Liu said, adding that some calculation also needs to be completed using mathematical models.

Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on Tuesday that the Beijings recent outbreak probably did not occur in late May or early June, but it probably started spreading a month earlier.

In this specific outbreak, many asymptomatic or mild cases were detected, and that is why the environment has such a large amount of recorded samples, said Gao.

In fact, the novel coronavirus will spread more easily in dark, humid, and polluted environments, which may catch some residents unexpected. If locals at the wholesale markets had been infected, it would have likely been exposed to many people very quickly, Gao added.

In regard to the virus first transmission into the country, there are several possibilities being discussed. For example, the virus may have remained in imported frozen foods, and did not mutate due to frozen environment throughout the entire storage and transportation period, from overseas all the way to China, Zhang said.

It is also possible that the virus may have been lurking in dark, humid environments, which have not been properly disinfected and sterilized, before it was then exposed to local residents, causing its slow evolution. In the end, what we see is that this virus is closer to the old European virus, Zhang said.

Epidemiological investigation and big data may find connections between cases, but it may also fail to determine which individuals have been spreading the virus. We hope that through laboratory tests and genome sequence analysis, that we can learn the transmission routes, Zhang said.

The Institute is taking the lead in establishing a nationwide virus monitoring and tracing system based on the entire viral genome, so as to deal with the current problems surrounded with virus traceability, which is a matter deeply related to national security, Zhang said

Chinese scientists are working day and night to find out exactly how did the virus from Europe arrive at Beijings Xinfadi market.