Month: September 2021

(Xinhua)14:40, November 27, 2020

ROME, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome will start the operation of COVID-tested flights from three U.S. airports on a trial basis, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), the airports operator said Thursday.

Starting in December, passengers on COVID-tested flights coming from New York, Newark or Atlanta airports will not have to quarantine, if they test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of departure and upon arrival at the airport, according to an ADR statement.

Such flights are also expected to be launched between the airport and German cities of Munich and Frankfurt with the aim of ensuring the new travel procedure could be tested within the European Union, said the statement.

After assessing the effectiveness of the COVID-tested flights in inhibiting the movement of infected people, the service is expected to be widely available in the summer of 2021, the statement added.

The experiment … will take advantage of the experience already successfully gained on the COVID-tested Rome-Milan flights in operation since Sept. 16, 2020, said ADR.

The trial of COVID-tested flights comes as both Italy and the United States are still grappling with the coronavirus, with Italys national caseload surpassing 1.5 million and that of the United States nearing 13 million.

(Xinhua)15:12, November 27, 2020

BANGKOK, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — A new report released Friday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat is urging Southeast Asian governments to amplify their COVID-19 stimulus packages with much-needed investments in climate action and adaptation, in order to support vulnerable populations exposed to both pandemics and slow-onset disasters.

The second edition of Ready for the Dry Years: Building Resilience to Drought in South-East Asia uncovers deep impacts across the region that have persisted after drought conditions have ceased and accumulated over time, including disruption to livelihoods and food security, as well as increased environmental hazards such as forest fires and haze.

The report finds that economies are now facing an unprecedented threat to macroeconomic stability and new vulnerabilities are emerging, as the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 and the climate crisis converge.

Southeast Asia has long endured severe droughts. Over the past five years, the region has experienced the strongest droughts recorded in decades with no ASEAN Member State spared.

During the peak, over 70 percent of the land area was affected and nearly 60 percent of the regions population were exposed.

The ever-present threat of drought, with devastating impacts across the Southeast Asia region, is a hallmark of the climate crisis. Through our strengthened engagement and strategic partnership, both ESCAP and ASEAN can mobilize rapid and large-scale collaboration amongst member states, development partners, stakeholders and relevant sectoral bodies to tackle a common and shared transboundary challenge, said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

ASEAN must shift towards a more responsive and adaptive drought risk management, said Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi.

The development of drought management policies and plans at the national level must focus on drought prevention, mitigation, vulnerability reduction, planning and preparedness, instead of dealing with or responding to aftermath losses and damages.

About 15 percent to 25 percent of the regions population live in drought hotspots, where high drought exposure overlaps with socioeconomic vulnerability and land degradation.

As the climate warms, drought severity is expected to increase. However, compared to other disasters, droughts are more predictable and tend to reoccur in the region once every five years.

Thus, the report calls for a more proactive approach and details policy actions along three tracks: reduce and prevent; prepare and respond; and restore and recover.

The proposed actions cover a wide range of policy areas, from the management of food, water and energy systems, to the implementation of early warning systems and drought risk financing.

(Xinhua)11:04, November 28, 2020

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — A United Nations (UN) spokesman on Friday called for exercising restraint and avoiding escalation in the Middle East region following the assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

We have noted the reports that an Iranian nuclear scientist has been assassinated near Tehran today. We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said when responding to a question related to the assassination.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Inga Rhonda King, president of the Security Council for the month of November, Irans permanent representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi expressed strong condemnation against the criminal assassination of its nuclear scientist.

He added Iran expects the secretary-general of the United Nations and the Security Council to strongly condemn this inhumane terrorist act and take necessary measures against its perpetrators.

Iranian high-ranking nuclear physicist Fakhrizadeh, dubbed the father of the Iranian bomb, was assassinated near capital Tehran on Friday by armed terrorists, Irans Ministry of Defense announced.

The Iranian government suspects that the assassination was performed by Israels Mossad intelligence agency, though Tel Aviv has neither confirmed nor denied the allegation, according to media reports.

(Xinhua)11:16, November 28, 2020

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — Dalma Maradona, the oldest daughter of the late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, on Friday posted on Instagram a touching farewell message to her father, who died on Wednesday from a heart attack.

I was always very afraid of my death, but today I no longer am … because I know that it is going to be the moment that I see you again and hug you again! I already miss you pa! she wrote.

The message was accompanied by a photo of a young Dalma, a daisy in one hand, with her father wearing the jersey of the Napoli football club in Italy.

Dalma, 33, said she had the best husband in the world and a daughter who will obligate her to move forward.

Life is short so well see each other soon! … I love you forever! the actress added.

Dalma and her sister Gianinna Maradona are the offspring of Maradona and Claudia Villafane.

(Xinhua)08:18, November 25, 2020

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — As the world grapples with the worst pandemic in a century and a flagging global economy, Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken the world stage to offer Chinas approach to overcoming these challenges.

Attending an array of international events in the past week that virtually gathered leaders of the worlds major economies, Xi has demonstrated Chinas firm commitment to helping the world defeat COVID-19, building an open world economy, and advocating multilateralism.

His pledges and proposals, ranging from vowing to actively consider providing vaccines to others and further cutting tariffs to honoring Chinas carbon neutrality commitment, won broad recognition at the meetings of BRICS, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Group of 20 (G20).

COVID-19 VACCINES

As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, sickening 58 million people, all eyes are on the race for an effective vaccine.

China has five vaccines under phase-three clinical trials in multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The country has also joined COVAX, a global initiative backed by the World Health Organization, to ensure effective and equitable global access to vaccines.

Xi reiterated Chinas promise to make its COVID-19 vaccines a global public good.

China stands ready to step up cooperation with other countries on research and development, production and distribution of vaccines for COVID-19, Xi said at the G20 Riyadh Summit.

We will honor our commitment of giving assistance and support to other developing countries, and work to make vaccines a global public good accessible and affordable to people around the world, he said.

Pierre Defraigne, executive director of the Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation, said Xis speech is part of a responsible choice of a great nation, which has shown a lot of credit for its actions in the world.

Speaking at the BRICS summit, Xi said China has designated its own national vaccine RD center and will work with other BRICS countries both online and offline to advance collective vaccine research and trials, set up plants, authorize the production and recognize each others standards.

OPEN WORLD ECONOMY

Addressing the events, Xi has championed building an open world economy and facilitating free trade.

Speaking at the 27th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, Xi called for continued efforts to press ahead with regional economic integration for the early realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, adding that China will favorably consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

This important announcement once again demonstrated Chinas firm determination to further open up and was widely welcomed by the international community, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

This followed the signing of the worlds largest free trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), by 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Xi also reassured the world that Chinas new development paradigm is by no means aimed to close its doors but to build a new system of open economy of higher standards.

Noting that the pandemic has fueled the boom of new technologies, new business models and latest tech innovations such as 5G, artificial intelligence and smart cities, Xi urged tapping into the booming digital economy to battle the pandemic and reboot the flagging world economy.

He proposed measures including enhancing data security cooperation, strengthening the digital infrastructure, and leveling the playing field for high-tech companies from all countries.

CHAMPIONING MULTILATERALISM

Xi has consistently championed multilateralism.

He used these diplomatic occasions to take swipes at the rising protectionism, unilateralism and attempts at de-globalization or economic decoupling.

History teaches us that multilateralism, equity and justice can keep war and conflict at bay, while unilateralism and power politics will inflate dispute and confrontation, Xi said.

Flouting rules and laws, treading the path of unilateralism and bullying, and withdrawing from international organizations and agreements run counter to the will of the general public and trample on the legitimate rights and dignity of all nations, he said.

Bobby M. Tuazon, director of Policy Studies at the Center for People Empowerment in Governance of the Philippines, said multilateralism and international cooperation proposed by China is the way forward especially in the light of critical global challenges.

Xi urged the G20 members and BRICS countries to safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, calling the United Nations the core institution for addressing international affairs through cooperation.

We remain convinced that the theme of our times — peace and development — has not changed, and that the trend toward multipolarity and economic globalization cannot be turned around, Xi said.

(Xinhua)15:49, November 25, 2020

South Koreas childbirth hit a record quarterly low in the third quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic delayed marriages, statistical office data showed Wednesday.

The number of newborn babies was 69,105 in the July-September quarter, down 6.2 percent from the same quarter of last year, according to Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest quarterly reading since data began to be compiled in 1981.

For the first nine months of this year, the number of newborns totaled 211,768, down 8.8 percent compared to the same period of last year.

The countrys combined childbirth was expected to fall below 300,000 this year. The yearly childbirth hovered below 500,000 from 2002 to 2016, before sliding below 400,000 in 2017.

The record-low quarterly childbirth came as locals postponed marriages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of marriages reached a record low of 47,437 in the third quarter, down 11.0 percent from a year earlier.

(Xinhua)16:22, November 25, 2020

A geopark in central highlands Vietnams Dak Nong province has officially become the third in the country to join the global geoparks network of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The provinces Dak Nong Geopark, which received a certificate as part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network on Tuesday, covers more than 4,700 square kilometers of land with 65 heritage and geomorphological sites, including volcanic craters, volcanic caves, and waterfalls, the news agency reported.

Notably, the geopark is home to the largest system of volcanic caves in Southeast Asia with more than 50 caves, said the report.

On July 7, the Programme and External Relations Commission of the 209th UNESCO Executive Board approved the Global Geoparks Councils proposal to recognize the Dak Nong geopark as a global geopark.

Dong Van Karst Plateau in northern Vietnams Ha Giang province and the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in northern Cao Bang province have already been named members of the Global Geoparks Network, said the report.