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International News (6893)
January
U.S. worried North Korea could return to nuclear and ICBM tests, urges dialogue
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United States is concerned North Korea's escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday, while urging Pyongyang to join direct talks with no preconditions.
North Korea conducted its largest missile test since 2017 on Sunday, sending a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile soaring into space.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said a recent flurry of North Korean missile tests was reminiscent of heightened tensions in 2017, when North Korea conducted multiple nuclear tests and launched its largest missiles.
He said the latest launch took North Korea a step closer to fully scrapping a self-imposed moratorium on testing its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which it hasn't tested since 2017.
A senior official of the Biden administration was asked in a briefing for journalists whether Washington shared the concern that Pyongyang might resume ICBM and nuclear testing.
"Of course, we're concerned," he said. "It's not just what they did yesterday, it's the fact that this is coming on the heels of quite a significant number of tests in this month. And that follows on tests at the end of the year going back to September, of a variety of systems."
"We obviously don't want to see further testing and we've called upon to DPRK to refrain from further tests," he said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.
North Korea's testing spree is a major unwanted headache for the Biden administration as it seeks to head off any plans by Russia to invade Ukraine and contends with relations with China at their worst level in decades.
Under President Joe Biden, Washington has repeatedly sought talks with North Korea but has been rebuffed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held three summits with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, but the talks did not realize Kim's demand for a removal of sanctions on Pyongyang.
The official said the latest North Korean test was part of an "increasingly destabilizing" pattern and in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and therefore international law.
"It requires a response," he said. "You will see us taking some steps that are designed to show our commitment to our allies ... and at the same time we reiterate our call for diplomacy. We stand ready and we are very serious about trying to have discussions that address concerns on both sides."
The official did not detail the nature of the response.
Despite urging dialogue, Washington has maintained sanctions on North Korea and imposed more following recent tests and sought to encourage the U.N. Security Council to follow suit.
However, China and Russia delayed a U.S. bid to impose U.N. sanctions on five North Koreans Washington has accused of procuring goods for its weapons programs.
Asked whether the United States could secure Chinese and Russian support for new sanctions, the official replied:
"Our belief is that they understand their responsibilities as Security Council members to make sure that the Council's resolutions are enforced and the Council takes up its responsibility promote peace and stability in the region." (reuters)
January
Arab league announces "Arab Talented" initiative results
Written by Nur Yasmin
The King Abdul Aziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) announced the results of the first edition “Arab Talented" initiative on Saturday (29/1).
The statement, released by the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA-OIC) and received here Sunday, said that the names of 230 Arab talents, who had obtained the highest scores in the 2021 Arab Talented 2021 initiative, had been revealed.
The participants, representing 12 Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Libya, were divided into three categories -- 'Exceptional Talent', 'Talented', and 'Promising Talent'.
"The identification of talented Arabs and the development of their capabilities reflects the interest in the scientific, social and cultural challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)," said Director-General of ALECSO Hani bin Moqbel Al-Moqbel.
He further said that it serves as a stimulus to ensure a better future for the emerging Arab generations in light of global trends to achieve sustainable development, within the investment in human capital, talent and creativity.
Meanwhile, the Mawhiba's Secretary-General, Dr Saud bin Saeed Al-Mathami, stated that the foundation will be providing the talents with a number of in-person and remote care programs.
They include the " Excellence Program for Enrollment in Prestigious Universities", consisting of guidance provision, as well as consultancy and leadership training, in addition to the Mawhiba Global Enrichment Program and the Mawhiba Academic Enrichment Program.
The "Arab Talented" initiative was launched in April 2021, under the partnership between Mawhiba Foundation and ALECSO. (Antaranews)
January
China Jan factory activity growth slows, demand wanes as COVID surges
Written by nuke
Employees work on a production line manufacturing lithium battery products at a factory in Yichang, Hubei province, China, May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer -
Growth in China's factory activity slowed in January as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and tough lockdowns hit production and demand, but the slight expansion offered some signs of resilience as the world's second-largest economy enters a likely bumpy new year.
The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) registered 50.1 in January, remaining above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction, but slowing from 50.3 in December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Sunday.
Analysts had expected the PMI to fall to 50.
The official results contrasted with those in a private survey https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/chinas-jan-factory-activity-contracts-covid-lockdowns-bite-caixin-pmi-2022-01-30 of mostly small manufacturers in coastal regions, which showed activity fell at the fastest rate in 23 months.
China's economy started last year strong, reviving from a sharp pandemic-induced slump, but it started losing momentum in the summer, weighed down by debt problems in the property market and strict anti-virus measures that hit consumer confidence and spending.
Rising raw material costs and soft demand have also eroded corporate profit margins. Profits at industrial firms rose at their slowest pace in December for more than a year and a half.
With the real estate slump expected to drag on through at least the first half of this year and the emergence of more infectious COVID-19 variants, China's central bank has started cutting interest rates and pumping more cash into the financial system to lower borrowing costs. Further modest easing steps are expected in coming weeks.
Stability will trump everything ahead of a once-in-five-years Communist Party congress this year, with policymakers looking to ward off a sharper slowdown that could undermine job creation.
RISKS OF EASING, COVID CURBS
But such easing carries risks, as other global central banks like the U.S. Federal Reserve are preparing to raise interest rates, which could spur potentially destabilising capital outflows from emerging markets like China.
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday cut its China 2022 growth forecast to 4.8per cent, from 5.6per cent previously, reflecting the property woes and the hit to consumption from strict COVID-19 curbs.
"Industrial activity slowed due to weak domestic demand," said Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. "The service sector is also affected adversely by the outbreaks in many cities."
"The weak PMI indicates the policy easing measures from the government have not yet been passed to the real economy... We expect the government will step up policy supports in coming months, particularly through more fiscal spending."
A sub-index in the official PMI for production stood at 50.9, down from 51.4 in December, while new orders fell to 49.3 from 49.7.
While China's new COVID-19 cases have been low compared with many other countries, a surge of infections since late December in the manufacturing hub of Xian forced many auto and chip makers to shut operations. Production has gradually returned to normal as the city emerged from a lockdown.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd last month temporarily adjusted operations at its Xian manufacturing facilities for NAND flash memory chips, but it said on Wednesday that production has returned to normal.
Output in Tianjin, which battled an outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, was also affected.
At the same time, the government is trying to limit industrial air pollution levels ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics, starting on Friday. China has told steel mills in northern regions to cut production until mid-March.
A survey on China's sprawling services sector also showed growth slowing in January, as virus containment measures hit consumer sentiment.
China's official composite PMI, which combined manufacturing and services, stood at 50.1 in January compared with 52.2 in December.
China's economy grew 4.0per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, its weakest expansion in one and a half years//CNA
January
People shovel snow during a major snowstorm on Jan 29, 2022 in Stony Brook, New York. (Photo: Getty Images/AFP/Andrew Theodorakis) -
Blinding snow whipped up by powerful winds pummelled the eastern United States on Saturday (Jan 29), as one of the strongest winter storms in years triggered transport chaos and power outages across a region of about 70 million people.
Major cities like New York and Boston bore the brunt of the blizzard, which the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed intensified on Saturday into a "bomb cyclone" - characterised by the explosive power of rapid drops in atmospheric pressure.
The heaviest-hit parts of New York and Massachusetts received 61cm of snow by early evening, with more than 95,000 homes in Massachusetts reported without power.
Cold weather stretched as far south as Florida, where the NWS warned of "scattered to isolated falling iguanas from trees" as plunging temperatures temporarily paralysed the large lizards.
Residents in towns and cities across the eastern seaboard were urged to avoid all unnecessary travel for a second night of whiteout conditions, with additional snowfall expected to be heaviest across New England.
In Long Island, officials said a woman had been found dead in her car by a snowplough operator.
Salt machines and snowploughs crawled along the streets of New York City, where Central Park was covered in 19cm of snow and regional train lines were partially shut down.
In Times Square, the famous neon billboards formed glowing halos in the snowy air. But the frigid temperatures did not stop Robert Burck, a Times Square fixture known as the "Naked Cowboy".
Wearing only his underwear, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, he strolled through the nearly empty tourist hotspot, strumming his guitar.
"It's fantastic," one undaunted tourist, Gonzalo Vazquez of Spain, told AFP in Times Square. "It's like skiing, surrounded by lights and awesome LED screens."
In the trendy Cobble Hill neighbourhood in Brooklyn, the sidewalks were almost deserted and many businesses were closed. But the few who did brave the elements smiled as they wished each other, "Happy snow day!"
New York and the neighbouring state of New Jersey plus Virginia, Maryland and Delaware declared emergencies for all or part of the states.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the storm's perils were not over yet, warning residents on Saturday that "the most dangerous phase of the storm is now".
"Please continue to avoid any unnecessary travel while our crews are working to clear the roads," she said.
In Boston where a snow emergency was declared, Mayor Michelle Wu tweeted a reminder on Saturday "to stay off the roads if you can".
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said there had been "serious whiteout conditions for most of the midday today", and that there was still "pretty limited visibility out there".
Eric Calessandro, a homeowner in the town of Marshfield near Boston said he had just lost power, but was optimistic his 8,000-watt generator would pull him through.
He said he "should be able to bear it out for a couple days without power", adding that he had stocked up on food and water in advance.
Boston Public Works said 900 snowploughs were hard at work on the city streets.
Plough driver Mark Burns, working in Boston's South Shore area, said the snow had gotten heavy: "It was supposed to be light and fluffy, but it's a little wet now."
More than 3,500 flights were cancelled for Saturday traveling within, into or out of the United States, according to flight tracker FlightAware, and just over 1,000 flights have already been cancelled for Sunday.
Cancellations on Friday totalled more than 1,450.
The blizzard comes on the heels of a similar winter storm that blanketed a swath of eastern North America - from Georgia to Canada - just two weeks ago, cutting power to thousands of homes and also disrupting thousands of flights//CNA
January
Britain to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to vulnerable children aged 5 to 11
Written by nuke
A teacher wearing a face shield works at Holne Chase Primary School, amid the outbreak of COVID-19, in Milton Keynes, Britain, Sep 3, 2020. (File photo: REUTERS/Andrew Boyers) -
Britain will this week begin offering vaccinations to children aged between five and 11 who are most at risk from coronavirus, the state-run National Health Service (NHS) said on Sunday (Jan 30).
Britain has been slower than some other countries in offering the shots to five- to 11-year-olds, and is not planning to vaccinate the age group more broadly unlike countries such as the United States and Israel.
NHS England said children in the cohort who were in a clinical risk group or who live with someone who is immunosuppressed would be able to get a first COVID-19 shot, in line with advice issued last month by the Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation.
"I would like parents and guardians to be reassured that no new vaccine for children would have been approved unless the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness had been met," UK vaccines minister Maggie Throup said.
"I encourage as many as possible to make sure they get their child the jab when contacted."
Children will be offered two 10 microgramme doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, which is a third of an adult dose.
Infections are currently high among school children in England, with the Office for National Statistics estimating that nearly 12 per cent of younger school pupils had coronavirus in the week ending Jan 22//CNA
January
Cambodia to host summit of ASEAN foreign ministers from Feb 16
Written by nuke
Flags are seen outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat building, ahead of the ASEAN leaders' meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Apr 23, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan) -
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet next month to discuss humanitarian aid for Myanmar, the current chair of the grouping, Cambodia, said on Saturday (Jan 29).
Cambodia's foreign minister, and ASEAN special envoy, Prak Sokhonn, is preparing for his first visit to Myanmar, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"His priorities are to implement the five-point consensus which was agreed unanimously and will be discussed during the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers' retreat," it said, adding that the event was scheduled for Feb 16 and Feb 17.
Last year's military overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in Myanmar has been a setback for ASEAN and its efforts to present itself as a credible and integrated bloc.
The grouping made a surprise move in barring the military junta from key meetings over its failure to honour a five-point ASEAN "consensus" that included ceasing hostilities and allowing dialogue.
This month, Cambodia said the foreign ministers' meeting, the first during its chairmanship of the 10-nation bloc, had been postponed because some ministers had expressed difficulties in attending//CNA
January
UK to offer NATO 'major military deployment' in Europe
Written by nuke
With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border, both sides are pursuing diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict. (File photo: AFP/Anatolii STEPANOV) -
Britain is preparing to offer NATO a "major" deployment of troops, weapons, warships and jets in Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday (Jan 29), to respond to rising "Russian hostility" towards Ukraine.
The offer, set to be made to NATO military chiefs next week, could see London double the approximately 1,150 UK troops currently in eastern European countries and "defensive weapons" sent to Estonia, his office said.
"This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin - we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face Russian hostility," Johnson said in a statement late on Saturday.
"I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air," he added.
The British leader said if Russian President Putin chose "bloodshed and destruction" in Ukraine, it would be "a tragedy for Europe".
"Ukraine must be free to choose its own future," he argued.
Johnson, who has been under intense political pressure for weeks following a series of scandals, said on Friday he will speak to Putin in the coming days to urge de-escalation over Ukraine.
Meanwhile, he is to visit the region next week.
Relations between Russia and the West are at their lowest point since the Cold War after Moscow deployed tens of thousands of troops on the border of Ukraine.
Britain's foreign ministry is expected to announce the toughening of its sanctions regime on Russia in parliament on Monday, to target strategic and financial interests.
Meanwhile UK officials will be dispatched to Brussels, home to NATO headquarters, to finalise details of the military offer after ministers discuss the differing options also on Monday.
Britain's chief of defence staff Tony Radakin, the head of the armed forces, will brief the Cabinet on the situation in Ukraine the following day.
The possible deployment of aircraft, warships and military specialists as well as troops and weaponry will reinforce NATO's defences and "underpin the UK's support for Nordic and Baltic partners", according to Johnson's office.
Britain already has more than 900 military personnel based in Estonia, and more than 100 are currently in Ukraine as part of a training mission started in 2015.
Meanwhile a light cavalry squadron of around 150 personnel is deployed in Poland.
The warship HMS Prince of Wales - currently in the so-called "High North" European Arctic region, leading the NATO's Maritime High Readiness Force - is on standby "to move within hours should tensions rise further", Downing Street said.
On the diplomatic front, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace are preparing to visit Moscow for talks with their counterparts in the coming days, it added.
"They will be asked to improve relationships with President Putin's government and encourage de-escalation," Johnson's office said.
Wallace is also set to travel to meet with allies in Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia next week//CNA
January
Putin orders apparent new system for banning Internet content
Written by nuke
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with government members via a video link in Moscow, Russia Jan 12, 2022. (Photo: Alexei Nikolsky/Reuters) -
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his administration to consider an apparent new system to ban "toxic" Internet content, although details were not released.
The new system, contained in a list of presidential orders on the Kremlin website, was described as a "self-regulated register of toxic content" which would be used "to protect minors". The Kremlin would review it by Jun 1.
The order, with Thursday's date, was first reported by Russian media on Saturday.
Putin has hinted at plans for a more sweeping crackdown on online content, blaming the Internet for corrupting youth and for fuelling street protests by political opponents branded extremists by the authorities.
Russia stepped up pressure last year on foreign tech companies, imposing punishments including a nearly US$100 million fine against Google for failing to delete banned content.
In December, Putin signalled support for a proposal from a member of his human rights council for a new voluntary mechanism to ban toxic content, which Russian online platforms would agree to in return for being treated preferably to foreign platforms//CNA
January
Portugal grapples with in-person voting for people with COVID-19
Written by nuke
A polling station at an auto repair shop prepares for the snap elections, in Lisbon, Portugal, January 29, 2022. REUTERS -
Portuguese election organisers were taking extra safety precautions on Saturday (Jan 29) after the government decided to allow voters who are infected with the coronavirus to leave isolation and cast ballots in person along with everyone else.
With around a tenth of Portugal's 10 million-strong population now thought to be isolating due to COVID-19, the government decided last week to lift restrictions for Sunday's vote.
In a press conference on Saturday, the electoral commission said "all conditions have been met for the vote to take place in absolute safety".
Like many European countries, Portugal is experiencing record-setting infections, although widespread vaccination has kept deaths and hospitalisations lower than in earlier waves.
Authorities have asked those with COVID to vote between 6:00 and 7:00 pm, but the time recommendation is not mandatory. There will be no designated areas for infected voters.
Staff setting up a polling station at an auto repair shop in the Lisbon parish of Santo Antonio were placing stickers on the floor on Saturday to encourage social distancing. Voters will receive a face mask before they enter.
Parish President Vasco Morgado said he was concerned some non-infected voters might be afraid to show up.
"The people working at the polling station are also putting themselves at risk for the sake of democracy," he said.
Sofia Mantua, 27, is taking all precautions to vote on Sunday, including taking her own pen. It would have been better if those infected voted on a different day, she said.
"It's always hard to manage... I think it should have been planned (ahead of time) because we knew we were still in a pandemic," Mantua said.
The election is wide open as the ruling Socialists continue to lose their lead in opinion polls to the main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats//CNA
January
The team of eight Australian experts landed in the capital Honiara (Photo: AFP/Mavis PODOKOLO) -
Australia flew a small team of emergency medical specialists to Honiara on Saturday (Jan 29) after the Solomon Islands requested help in battling a worsening outbreak of COVID-19.
Australian officials said the team of eight experts landed in the capital alongside a shipment of more than 37,000 vaccine doses.
"The multi-disciplinary team includes specialists in emergency medicine, infectious disease control, logistics and occupational therapy," the foreign affairs department said in a statement.
"The Australian government is committed to standing with the people of Solomon Islands as they respond to and recover from COVID-19."
Until last week, the nation of 700,000 had recorded no deaths and just 31 infections but on Friday confirmed cases climbed to nearly 900 with five deaths.
Actual numbers are likely much higher due to limited testing capacity.
A lockdown in the capital, which began Tuesday and was due to end Saturday evening, has been extended until Sunday morning as authorities struggle to contain the virus with vaccination rates low.
Under the orders, residents must stay at home unless they have been granted an exemption as an essential services worker.
According to World Health Organization data from Jan 22, just over 270,000 vaccine doses had been administered in the Solomons.
The Australian team is the latest form of aid sent by Canberra after the arrival of medical supplies, including oxygen concentrators and protective equipment.
It is Australia's second intervention in the Solomons in recent months after troops and police were deployed late last year in the wake of riots over Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's rule//CNA