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International News (601)
February
The UK's first industrial contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) will be delivered on Tuesday. As quoted by bbc.com (Feb18) the communications antenna is part of a consignment of supplies that is due to arrive on a Cygnus freighter. Made by MDA UK, the Columbus Ka-band (COLKa) Terminal will enable astronauts to connect with scientists and family on Earth at home broadband speeds. The equipment will be fixed to the exterior of Europe's ISS science module in a few weeks' time. This should improve substantially on current arrangements for radio links. David Kenyon, managing director of Oxfordshire-based MDA UK, told BBC News that at the moment, the communications from Columbus go through the American data relay satellites, but those satellites are prioritised for US use. This gives Europe some independence. Although Britain was an original signatory to the 1998 treaty that brought the International Space Station into being, the country never got involved in building the platform. Indeed, it pretty much walked away from the project right at the outset, preferring to spend its civil space budget in other areas of space exploration// Voi.bbc.com
February
Coronavirus: Largest study suggests elderly and sick are most at risk
Written by nuke
Health officials in China have published the first details of more than 70,000 cases of Covid-19, in the biggest study since the outbreak began. As quoted by bbc.com on Feb18, data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) found that more than 80 percent of the cases have been mild with the sick and elderly most at risk. The research also points to the high risk for medical staff. The findings put the overall death rate of the Covid-19 virus at 2.3 percent. In Hubei, the worst affected province, the death rate is 2.9% compared with only 0.4 percent in the rest of the country. China's latest official figures released on Tuesday (Feb18) put the overall death toll at 1,868 and 72,436 infections. Officials said there were 98 new deaths and 1,886 new cases in the past day, 93 of those deaths and 1,807 of the infections were in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak. More than 12,000 people have recovered, according to Chinese authorities// Voi.bbc.com
February
Rocket Attack Hit Military Base Near US Embassy in Baghdad
Written by nuke
Rocket attacks again hit US military Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. This rocket attack hit a military base located near the US Embassy in Iraq. Reported by AFP on Sunday (02/16/2020), the attack occurred on Sunday morning which was a series of efforts to destroy US assets in the country. US military sources and a Western diplomat said that it was not known what was affected by the attack. AFP contributors heard several sounds of the rocket explosion followed by the roar of military aircraft circling near the Green Zone, the area where the US mission was located. This is the 19th attack since October targeting the US embassy or military base consisting of 5,200 US troops in Iraq. There is no claim on who carried out the attack, but the US suspected the attack was carried out by an Iranian-backed group, Hashed al-Shaabi, a military network officially incorporated into Iraqi security forces. (Detik-Sg)
February
Munich Security Conference Discusses Global Issues
Written by Ani Hasanah
Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China, speaks on the second day of the 56th Munich Security Conference. (cnbc)
The Munich 2020 Security Conference was held again on the 14th to 16th of February 2020 in Germany. The annual conference was attended by several Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and Ministers of Defense and international organizations to discuss the global security situation. In addition to economic, political and security issues, the development of the corona virus (covid 19) was also one of the focuses of this meeting. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, as quoted by CGTN said the handling of the corona virus requires international cooperation and support, because it needs to be built an effective framework.
"This sudden out break reminds us once again that we live in a time when traditional and non traditional security issues are entwined and when local issues easily become global and vice versa. No country can prosper in isolation or meet all challenge on its own as our interest are so closely inter-connected in the era of globalization we face the same challenges shoulder common responsibilities and have a shared future. This means we must set up an effective framework for multilateral cooperation to jointly tackle the myriad challenges. It also points to the need for committing to multilateral cooperation whereby international affairs are truly discussed and decided by all involved," said Wang Yin.
Previously Wang Yi in a strategic meeting with Germany said the Chinese government had made various efforts to deal with the corona virus, both for its citizens and the international community. World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus at the Munich Security Conference said no one could predict the outbreak. Tedros Adhanon continues to encourage all efforts that have been made by China in dealing with this corona virus. (WATI / AHM)
February
Based on the Latest Data: 69 Thousands of people infected with Corona Virus, 1,669 killed, and 9,419 recovered
Written by nuke
The death toll from the Corona virus continues to grow. To date, there have been 1,669 people who have died due to Corona, including 4 people outside mainland China. Reported by CNN, Sunday (2/16/2020), the death toll from this deadly virus has exceeded 1,600. This virus has also infected 69,000 people worldwide. One new death toll outside China was confirmed yesterday. A Chinese tourist infected with the Corona virus died in France. This adds to the series of deaths outside China after previously in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan. The death of a corona patient in France also marks the first death outside of Asia. (Rep-Sg)
February
Biggest jump in world defence spending in 10 years: Study
Written by nuke
MUNICH, Germany: Global spending on defence rose by four per cent in 2019, the largest growth in 10 years, led by big increases from the US and China, a study said Friday (Feb 14).Beijing's military modernisation programme - which includes developing new hard-to-detect hypersonic missiles - is alarming Washington and helping drive US defence spending, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said.The IISS's annual "Military Balance" report said the increase alone in US spending from 2018 to 2019 - US$53.4 billion - was almost as big as Britain's entire defence budget. Both China and the US increased spending by 6.6 per cent, the report said, while Europe - driven by ongoing concerns about Russia - stepped up by 4.2 per cent. But this growth only brought European defence spending back to levels seen in 2008, before the global financial crisis saw budgets slashed. European NATO members have been seeking to increase spending to placate President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused them of freeloading on the US.Trump has railed at European allies, particularly Germany, for not living up to a 2014 NATO pledge to spend two percent of GDP on defence. The mercurial president's anger over spending has fuelled concern about his commitment to the transatlantic alliance, culminating in an explosive 2018 summit where he launched a blistering public attack on Germany in a televised meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. (AFP)
February
Football: UEFA receives record 28.3 million ticket requests for Euro 2020
Written by nuke
UEFA has received approximately 28.3 million requests for 2.5 million available tickets at the 2020 European Championship, double the amount sought in the last edition of the event, European soccer's governing body said on Friday (Feb 14). In the ticketing sales phase for fans of qualified teams in December, a record 8.9 million tickets - more than three times the number in the same phase for Euro 2016 - were requested. The month-long general public sales from June 12 last year had 19.3 million ticket applications, UEFA added. The final, which will take place at London's Wembley Stadium on July 12, has attracted over 714,000 ticket requests - almost eight times the capacity of the ground.
"The match between France and Germany, which will be staged in Munich on June 16 attracted 710,000 requests," UEFA said in a statement.
Euro 2020, which runs from June 12-July 12, is being played in 12 cities across Europe for the first time to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition.
"Significantly, 64per cent of ticket applications came from fans within host countries, emphasising that UEFA Euro 2020 will bring football closer to more local fans than ever before," UEFA added.
Fans of the four teams who advance through the European qualifying playoffs can apply online for tickets in April. (reuteurs)
February
Indonesia - Australia will Implement IA-CEPA on April
Written by nuke
The process of ratification of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement IA-CEPA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has been completed by the two countries, and will be implemented in April. At the launching of the website "70 Years 70 Stories" in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/02 ), Deputy Ambassador of Australia, Allaster Cox, hopes that Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is able to encourage trade and investment for both countries.
"Well the IA-CEPA is a new Australia - Indonesia comprehensive economic partnership agreement which is just nearly ratified between the two countries and will enter into force soon. It's an agreement to boost trade and investment between our two countries and there is a range of measures to increase trade and opportunities for both countries. So I think after the agreement enter into force which probably in April, 99 percent of all Indonesian exports will enter Australia duty free and a range of goods will enter the Indonesian market with new greater access and will open up opportunities also for Australian exports and imports into Indonesia's own production, there is also a new arrangement to encourage investment and other opportunities" Cox said.
Deputy Ambassador Cox added, the most important aspect of this agreement was to increase the knowledge of businesspeople in both countries in terms of investment opportunities. Indonesia-Australia trade value for the past several years was 16 to 17 billion US dollars. Hopefully, the Partnership Agreement can be a stimulus and catalyst within the next 5 to 10 years//NK
February
Indonesia - Australia will Implement IA-CEPA in April
Written by Ani Hasanah
The process of ratification of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement IA-CEPA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has been completed by the two countries, and will be implemented in April. At the launching of the website "70 Years 70 Stories" in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/02 ), Deputy Ambassador of Australia, Allaster Cox, hopes that Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is able to encourage trade and investment for both countries. He also said that the IA-CEPA is a new Australia - Indonesia comprehensive economic partnership agreement which is just nearly ratified between the two countries and will enter into force soon. It's an agreement to boost trade and investment between our two countries and there is a range of measures to increase trade and opportunities for both countries. So I think after the agreement enter into force which probably in April, 99 percent of all Indonesian exports will enter Australia duty free and a range of goods will enter the Indonesian market with new greater access and will open up opportunities also for Australian exports and imports into Indonesia's own production, there is also a new arrangement to encourage investment and other opportunities.
Deputy Ambassador Cox further stated that the most important aspect of this agreement was to increase the knowledge of businesspeople in both countries in terms of investment opportunities. Indonesia-Australia trade value for the past several years was US$16 to 17 billion dollars. Hopefully, the Partnership Agreement can be a stimulus and catalyst within the next 5 to 10 years. (NK)
February
Hubei’s New Coronavirus Testing Practices Uncover a Spike in Pneumonia Cases
Written by Ani HasanahFears that the novel-Coronavirus may be spreading at a faster rate than previously estimated have arisen after a new diagnosis technique uncovered far more suspected cases since Tuesday.
According to CNA’s Beijing correspondent Olivia Siong, in their studio on Wednesday, Medical staff using CT scans in Hubei Province, China, say diagnoses of pneumonia and possible novel-Coronavirus cases have elevated sharply since Tuesday (11/02/2020), with up to 15,000 new infections discovered.
Following the outbreak in December 2019, the virus has infected an estimated 60,000 people and claimed the lives of 1,300. The increase in infections comes as a blow to the province, which has experienced shortages in medical supplies since transport lockdowns came into effect at the end of January and quarantining an unprecedented 50 million people in the province, according to The New York Times. The global infection rate sits at just above one per cent while the infection rate in Hubei hovers around four per cent, raising concern about the effectiveness of Chinese authority’s efforts to slow the spread.
Ms Siong explained the discontent within Mainland China over methods officials used to deal with the issue. The punishment of doctors who initially sounded the alarm of a “SARS-like” virus early on sparked anger among the Chinese people. Ms Siong said they believe authorities could have prevented the emergency sooner had they not ignored the doctor’s warnings.
"With the case of Dr Li, he was one of the first to sound the alarm of a SARS-like virus but if you recall, eight people in Wuhan were reprimanded for spreading so-called rumours and false information. And so many people feel that if they had been taken seriously, the situation may not have gotten to this stage that we are seeing today," Ms Siong told CNA.
She mentioned the further fallout China was facing following the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations. 160 million Chinese people’s travel has been disrupted following the Lunar NY break, alongside fears that China’s slowing economy, at its lowest point in 30 years, will be unable to recover from the losses they are feeling in tourism, trade, and labour-power. Many countries, including Indonesia have begun placing harsh travel restrictions and bans on Chinese citizens. (VOI/LAURA GREEN)
