Economic

Record 2.1m Chinese sit civil service exam as economy slows, youth jobless rate climbs

A record number of Chinese are sitting the national civil service examination this year, in hopes of landing a secure government job amid slowing growth and high youth unemployment. More than 2.12 million applicants registered for Nov 28’s exam, known as guokao in Mandarin, according to the state-owned China News Service. That is 35 per cent higher than last year’s 1.57 million, and the first time the number has crossed 2 million. That also gives applicants just a 1-in-68 chance of success, even though 31,200 government jobs are open at 75 central government agencies and 23 attached institutions. Successful candidates will take up their positions early next year. More than a million applicants have taken the exam every year since 2009. This year’s surge in numbers comes amid a slowdown in economic growth, caused in large part by the Covid-19 pandemic, and a persistently high youth jobless rate. And job security is now back on top of the government agenda. Last week, Premier Li Keqiang re-emphasised the focus on “ensuring security in employment, people’s livelihoods and market entities”, a government catchphrase not seen for a while but often used when it launches policies to support the economy – much required now as the country weathers the worst of the pandemic’s impact. Click here to read…

Biden’s Economic Plans Collide With Inflation Reality

President Biden took office with a raft of economic plans to better position the U.S. to compete on the world stage and jump-start a labor market ravaged by the pandemic. Ten months into his term, Mr. Biden is facing a new set of economic challenges. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to a 52-year low last week, available jobs are trending near record highs and consumer spending is rising. But those positive economic developments have been complicated by supply-chain bottlenecks and the highest inflation in three decades. Now, Mr. Biden is racing to show the public that he is taking action to address rising prices and bottlenecks amid mounting anxiety among some of his advisers about political fallout heading into next year’s midterm elections. He has instructed his most senior economic advisers to focus on the issues, White House officials said, setting up an internal task force that is tracking granular data such as how many containers are sitting in the country’s ports and how long they have been there. Many economists are skeptical that efforts under way by the White House, including releasing petroleum reserves and prodding ports to operate longer hours, can meaningfully change the short-term path of inflation.Click here to read…

US-EU press on with plan to tackle ‘dirty’ Chinese steel flooding markets

China’s “unfair trade practices” are once again in US crosshairs, with Washington indicating it will use a new metals alliance with the European Union (EU) to prevent Chinese dumping amid uncertainty over the next phase of bilateral trade talks. In an op-ed published on Nov 28 in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo took aim at cheap Chinese metals flooding global markets, lowering prices for American manufacturers and leading to the loss of 16,000 steel jobs in the US between January 2015 and October 2016. To tackle the problem, the United States will begin negotiations with the EU to create “the world’s first carbon-based sectoral agreement on steel and aluminium trade.” “The United States produces some of the cleanest steel in the world, while China produces some of the dirtiest,” they said. Late last month, Brussels and Washington announced a new metals deal that US President Joe Biden said would “restrict access to our markets for dirty steel, from countries like China”. The agreement notably combined climate and trade policy, while ending a years-long trade dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs. But the latest criticism by two senior US officials comes at a critical point, with the phase one trade deal set to expire in about one monthClick here to read…

US-China tech war: Beijing’s efforts to catch up in advanced chips on hold as country’s attention turns to mature nodes

China has been forced to make a course correction in its drive for semiconductor self-reliance, focusing instead on boosting production of mature technologies while putting the goal of catching up with the world’s most advanced chip makers on the back burner, according to analysts and industry insiders. Despite strong political will from President Xi Jinping, generous financial support from the government, and the enthusiasm of domestic players, China is facing the harsh reality that its chances of becoming self-sufficient in advanced chips are remote. On the one hand, China is able to ease the supply shortage by boosting production of lower end chips used in automobiles and home appliances, but on the other, it has to rely on wafer fabs such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Samsung Electronics for advanced chip manufacturing in the coming years, if not decades, even if China’s own IC design firms are able to design these high end chips. “In the leading edge, it is going to become more difficult for Chinese companies to catch up,” Gokul Hariharan, co-head of Asia-Pacific TMT Research at US investment bank J.P. Morgan, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. However, he added that the market for older generation technology remains promising and Chinese companies have potential there. Click here to read…

U.S. puts Chinese firms helping military on trade blacklist

The U.S. government put a dozen Chinese companies on its trade blacklist on Nov 24 for national security and foreign policy concerns, citing in some cases their help developing the Chinese military’s quantum computing efforts. The government also said several entities and individuals from China and Pakistan were added to the Commerce Department’s Entity List for contributing to Pakistan’s nuclear activities or ballistic missile program. The latest U.S. action on Chinese companies comes amid growing tensions between Beijing and Washington over the status of Taiwan and trade issues. In total, 27 new entities were added to the list from China, Japan, Pakistan, and Singapore. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement that the new listings will help prevent U.S. technology from supporting the development of Chinese and Russian “military advancement and activities of non-proliferation concern like Pakistan’s unsafeguarded nuclear activities or ballistic missile program.” China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Commerce Department wants to stop the Chinese military from developing its counter-stealth technology, which could include equipment like advanced radars, and counter-submarine applications such as undersea sensors. Click here to read…

Property tax concerns for China’s homeowners, buyers amid Xi Jinping’s common prosperity drive

After China announced plans to roll out a nationwide property tax to help address wealth inequality, concerns were raised if it will become the last straw to break the back the beleaguered real estate sector and become a move that would deal a blow to the domestic economy that could trigger a domino effect worldwide. The policy will not take immediate effect and China will first carry out pilot schemes for the next five years in several selected cities. “We must actively and steadily push forward property tax legislation and reform, and carry out pilots well,” President Xi Jinping said in August when spelling out his vision to lead the Chinese people to so-called common prosperity, with property tax one of the few specific policies mentioned. After years of debates on the first recurring property tax, with only property transactions currently taxed in mainland China, a property tax law will be “promptly” drafted once the pilot schemes have been completed. Under the law, both residential and non-residential properties will be taxed based on their values, but rural households will be excluded. While no other details of the taxation plans have been revealed, the pre-announcement highlighted the determination of China’s top leadership to launch the nationwide property tax. Click here to read…

India, Israel aim to boost ties through defense tech and trade

India and Israel are pushing to strengthen ties by deepening cooperation in the fields of defense and information technology, as well as resuming long-stalled negotiations over a free trade agreement. That comes as New Delhi looks to access Israel’s advanced military technology and to indirectly reinforce its relationship with Washington, a close ally to Israel. In turn, Israel hopes to unlock huge new markets for its companies. The Defense Research and Development Organization of India and Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development signed a bilateral agreement earlier this month to promote the development of technologies for both military and commercial use. Under the move, Indian and Israeli startups will work together on tech such as small, unmanned aircraft and artificial intelligence. That follows an October agreement between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid aiming to complete a bilateral FTA by June 2022. Negotiations originally started in 2010 but have long been suspended. Now, for the first time, the two governments have specified a target date for concluding the deal. The bilateral FTA would enable the two countries to promote the development of IT-based technological innovations on top of India’s access to Israel’s advanced weaponry. Click here to read…

New omicron COVID variant throws wrench into pandemic recovery

Worries over the new coronavirus “variant of concern” have triggered a flight from risk in financial markets around the world as investors scramble to assess the implications for the global economic recovery and monetary policy. Following sell-offs in Asian and European stocks with the detection of the omicron variant, the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Nov 26 fell 2.5% for its steepest decline of the year. Economically sensitive energy and financial stocks were particularly hard hit. Meanwhile, benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil futures dropped below $70 a barrel in New York for the first time in roughly two months, down by more than 10%. Investors sold off risk assets, from stocks and oil to cryptocurrencies, and streamed into the relative safe haven of U.S. Treasuries. The benchmark 10-year yield fell to the 1.48% level at one point Nov 26 in the sharpest decline since March 2020 — when the initial wave of the pandemic threw markets into turmoil. Yields and bond prices move in opposite directions. With economies reopening and earnings rebounding, investors had been pouring money into risk assets, sparking a global stock rally this yearClick here to read…

Sri Lanka awards port project to China after dropping Japan, India

Sri Lanka will tap a Chinese company for a port project in Colombo, its largest city, that had been awarded to Japan and India before the partnership was scrapped early this year. The decision highlights Colombo’s balancing act and comes a month after Indian conglomerate Adani Group was awarded another deal worth over $700 million to develop the West Container Terminal at the Colombo port. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said he wants to be “neutral” in Sri Lanka’s relations with India and China as the nation struggles with a shortage of foreign currency. His cabinet on Nov 23 agreed to have state-run China Harbour Engineering develop the Eastern Container Terminal while stipulating that local authorities would handle all operations. It cited recommendations by a cabinet-appointed committee as the basis for the decision. The apparent pro-China tilt of Rajapaksa’s government is seen as a factor in the change of plans. Beijing has invested heavily in projects on the strategically positioned island under its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Sri Lanka had signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan and India in May 2019, under previous President Maithripala Sirisena, to jointly develop the Colombo terminal. Click here to read…

Turkey, UAE sign financial cooperation deals as ties warm

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates signed accords on energy and technology investments on Nov 24 after talks between President Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Ankara. Sheikh Mohammed’s meeting with Erdogan, the first such visit in years, comes as the two countries work to mend frayed ties after a period of bitter regional rivalry, and amid a currency crisis in Turkey. The memorandums of understanding were signed between the Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ), Turkish Wealth Fund (TVF), and the Turkish Presidency Investment Office, as well as with some Turkish companies. The agreements highlight the pivot towards economic partnership after a battle for regional influence since the Arab uprisings erupted a decade ago. The disputes have extended to the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf, before Ankara launched a charm offensive in the region last year. ADQ signed an accord on investing in Turkish technology firms and on establishing a technology-oriented fund, while Abu Dhabi Ports also signed an agreement on port and logistics cooperation. The UAE announced it was establishing a $10bn fund to support mainly strategic investments in Turkey, including in the health and energy fields, its state news agency WAM said. Click here to read…

Strategic

U.S.-China defense talks: Biden seeks channel to Xi’s inner circle

Efforts to secure early talks between U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs show how both sides see a military channel as a bare minimum to avoid accidental confrontations. The U.S. and China are working to arrange a phone call or a virtual meeting of top defense officials, including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, before the end of the year, multiple American officials have said. With Chinese President Xi Jinping tightening his grip on power, Austin will seek to build ties with officials at the Communist Party’s core who are close to the leader. “China attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two militaries and is willing to maintain exchanges and cooperation with the U.S.,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters Nov 25, suggesting Beijing is interested in the idea as well. Austin looks to meet with Xu Qiliang, vice chairman and Xi’s deputy in the Chinese Communist Party Central Military Commission. “Xu is essentially in charge of day-to-day operations of the People’s Liberation Army,” according to a source with knowledge of the PLA. The U.S. defense secretary in the past has frequently engaged with China’s defense minister. But the Communist Party, not the government, is behind key political and military decisions in ChinaClick here to read…

U.S. invitation of Taiwan to democracy summit angers China

The Biden administration has invited Taiwan to its Summit for Democracy next month, the State Department announced, prompting sharp criticism from China, which considers the self-ruled island as its territory. The summit makes good on a pledge President Joe Biden made during his campaign, and it reflects his emphasis on returning the U.S. to a global leadership position among world democracies. The event is aimed at gathering government, civil society and private sector leaders to work together on fighting authoritarianism and global corruption and defending human rights. The invitation list features 110 countries, including Taiwan, but does not include China or Russia. The inclusion of Taiwan comes as tensions between the U.S. and China have ramped up over America’s approach to the island nation. The United States’ “One China” policy recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The democracy summit invite list set off a new round of criticism from Beijing. “What the U.S. did proves that the so-called democracy is just a pretext and tool for it to pursue geopolitical goals, suppress other countries, divide the world, serve its own interest and maintain its hegemony in the world,” said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read…

Pentagon Plans to Improve Bases in Guam and Australia to Confront China

A Pentagon review of military resources world-wide plans improvements to bases in Guam and Australia to counter China but contains no major reshuffling of forces as the U.S. moves to take on Beijing while deterring Russia and fighting terrorism in the Middle East and Africa. Known as the global posture review, the assessment—whose results haven’t been previously reported—plans for improvements to the airfields and other infrastructure at U.S. bases in Guam and Australia, defense officials said. Force posture in the Middle East, Europe and Africa will continue to be analyzed, the official and others in the Pentagon said. Afghanistan underwent a separate interagency review, they said, and cyber and nuclear capabilities are also being reviewed under separate initiatives. A China-specific review, of which much of the results are classified, was completed earlier this year. Another senior defense official said that, despite expectations that it would result in strategic changes, the global posture review didn’t find a need for large adjustments. More changes may follow a new national-defense strategy due early next year, the official said. Click here to read…

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation

Russia’s defense chief on Nov 23 signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China, pointing to increasingly frequent U.S. strategic bomber flights near both countries’ borders. During a video call, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe “expressed a shared interest in stepping up strategic military exercises and joint patrols by Russia and China,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry. “China and Russia have been strategic partners for many years,” Shoigu said. “Today, in conditions of increasing geopolitical turbulence and growing conflict potential in various parts of the world, the development of our interaction is especially relevant.” Shoigu pointed to increasingly intensive flights by the U.S. strategic bombers near Russian borders, saying that there were 30 such missions over the past month alone. “This month, during the U.S. Global Thunder strategic force exercise, 10 strategic bombers practiced the scenario of using nuclear weapons against Russia practically simultaneously from the western and eastern directions”. Wei praised Russia for successfully countering what he described as U.S. pressure and military threats. Shoigu and Wei hailed a series of maneuvers that involved Russian and Chinese warplanes and naval ships, and signed a plan for military cooperation for 2021-2025. Click here to read…

Meeting near Russian border, NATO weighs response to Moscow’s military maneuvers

Polish President Andrzej Duda has said the Belarus border issue and the Ukraine buildup cannot be seen separately. Duda visited NATO headquarters last week to ask for “strengthening of the air policing mission…strengthening of observation, surveillance and strengthening of the readiness of NATO units along the eastern flank of the alliance.” So the stakes are particularly high for the meeting of NATO foreign ministers starting on Nov 30, coincidentally taking place in Riga, Latvia. Speaking to the press on Nov 27, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pointed out it was “the second time this year that Russia has amassed large and unusual concentrations of forces in the region…heavy capabilities like tanks, artillery, armored units, drones and electronic warfare systems as well as combat-ready troops.” Stoltenberg said the move is “unprovoked and unexplained. It raises tensions and it risks miscalculations.” He also warned that “any use of force against Ukraine will have consequences [and] costs for Russia.” NATO is grappling with how to avoid such miscalculations, while making the costs appear high enough to get the Kremlin to back off. “All options are on the table and it’s now for the alliance to decide what are the next moves that NATO wants to take,” Karen Donfried, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, told reporters on Nov 26. Click here to read…

Erdogan says Turkey ready to mediate between Ukraine and Russia – NTV

Turkey is ready to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, President Tayyip Erdogan was cited as saying by broadcaster NTV on Nov 29, despite having angered Moscow by selling armed drones to Kyiv earlier this year amid tensions in eastern Ukraine. U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have massed on the border of Ukraine, which is also battling Moscow-backed separatists who control part of its territory in the east. Ukraine’s military intelligence has said Moscow was preparing for an attack in early 2022. Russia has dismissed the comments as “malicious” U.S. propaganda. NATO member Turkey has good ties with both Kyiv and Moscow but opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya. It has forged close energy and defence cooperation with Russia but has also sold Turkish-made drones to Kyiv, angering Moscow. Speaking to reporters on a flight from Turkmenistan, Erdogan was cited as saying by NTV and other media Turkey wanted the Black Sea region to be in peace, adding he was discussing the issue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin frequently. Asked about Erdogan’s offer, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment. Last month, Moscow said the Turkish drones risked having a destabilising impact. Click here to read…

Why wind tunnels are key in China’s race for hypersonic weapon supremacy

Development of China’s new-generation hypersonic weapons and aircraft is expected to get a boost with construction of a wind tunnel simulator to test vehicles and missiles at many times the speed of sound – with more such facilities in the pipeline. Recent announcements and tests involving vehicles and spacecraft suggest China has accelerated its hypersonic arms race with the United States as Beijing tries to gain a generation’s edge, according to defence experts. China, the US and Russia have been locked in a hypersonic technology competition. The term hypersonic relates to speeds between Mach 5 and 10, or five to 10 times the speed of sound. Hypersonic weapons glide and travel in a low orbit and are more manoeuvrable than conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles, making them harder to track and destroy by the US’s global missile-defence network. The Aerodynamics Research Institute (ARI), under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), announced last weekend that the FL-64 – a one-metre-class hypersonic aerodynamic wind tunnel – had passed major calibration tests after two years of development. This indicated that it was ready to for testing hypersonic weapons and equipment. Click here to read…

US & UK to share classified submarine data with Australia under AUKUS

Washington, London, and Canberra have signed an agreement on the sharing of sensitive, classified submarine data as part of the AUKUS pact to arm Australia with nuclear-powered subs, reached by the sides in September. The newly-signed deal will allow the US and the UK to share nuclear propulsion information with Australia “which they cannot with any other country,” Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton announced on Nov 22. This exchange will help determine the “optimal pathway” for Canberra to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact, he said. Australia is currently in an 18-month period to examine the requirements for the delivery of the state-of-the-art hardware. The deal will also allow Australian servicemen to receive training from their American and British counterparts on properly building and operating nuclear-powered submarines. “This agreement will assist Australia to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to create a world-class regulatory and safety regime required for the safe operation of naval nuclear propulsion,” Dutton said. The Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information Agreement now has to be reviewed by a committee in the Australian Parliament. Click here to read…

Italy, France to deepen ties as Merkel’s exit tests European diplomacy

The leaders of Italy and France will sign a treaty on Nov 26 to strengthen bilateral ties at a time when European diplomacy is being tested by the departure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Quirinale Treaty is aimed at enhancing cooperation between Paris and Rome in areas including defence, migration, the economy, culture and trade. The signing ceremony comes shortly after a new coalition pact was agreed in Germany, ending 16 years of rule by Merkel, who was the undisputed leader of Europe and forged especially close ties with successive French leaders. The new Berlin administration is expected to be more inward-looking, especially at the start of its mandate, and both Paris and Rome are keen to deepen relations in a period clouded by economic uncertainty, the pandemic, a more assertive Russia, a rising China and a more disengaged United States. “Macron’s intention is to create a new axis with Italy, while it is in Italy’s interest to hook up with the France-Germany duo,” said a senior Italian diplomatic source, who declined to be named. Click here to read…

Japan and Vietnam share concerns over China at summit

Leaders from Japan and Vietnam expressed “serious concern” over China’s drive to increase its clout in the East and South China seas at a summit in Tokyo on Nov 24. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, met to discuss areas of mutual interest and agreed that Japan will export more defense equipment, such as naval vessels, to Vietnam. Chinh is the first foreign leader to visit Japan since Kishida took office. This is also Kishida’s first in-person meeting with another head of state, other than at international conferences. At the summit, Kishida stressed that Vietnam is a “vital partner” in creating a free and open Indo-Pacific. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi visited Vietnam in September to attend the signing of an agreement on defense equipment exports. On Nov 23, Kishi also met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Gen. Phan Van Giang, to discuss expanding Japan’s exports of such equipment. Vietnam could receive naval vessels and related equipment from Japan, and the two countries also signed a military cooperation deal covering cybersecurity and medicine, such as for naval and air force officers, Vietnam’s state-controlled media reported. In 2017, Japan agreed to build six coast guard patrol boats for Vietnam in a $350 million dealClick here to read…

Kishida tells troops: Capacity to strike enemy bases is option

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Nov 27 vowed to strengthen his nation’s defense capabilities, citing threats stemming from North Korea and China. “The security environment surrounding Japan is changing at an unprecedented speed,” Kishida said in front of 800 troops at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Asaka. “To strengthen defense capacity, we will not rule out options such as having enemy base strike capabilities,” Kishida said, adding that he had ordered a review of Japan’s Medium Term Defense Program as well as its national security and defense guidelines. North Korea’s recent tests of more advanced rockets have raised the possibility that Japan’s current missile defenses may be rendered ineffective, forcing policymakers to consider new options. They include the ability to attack the missile launch itself in enemy territory. Japan’s pacifist constitution only allows self-defense capabilities, ruling out preemptive strikes. The strikes being debated now would only be fired after it has been determined that Japan is being attacked. “We cannot overlook how North Korea has developed new technologies such as hypersonic weapons and trajectory-shifting missiles,” Kishida said. The prime minister also shared his concerns about China during a speech on a blustery morning at the camp, on the border between Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture. Click here to read…

Kyrgyz president’s allies poised to win in landslide

Allies of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov appeared set to win Nov 28’s parliamentary election by a landslide, according to early figures, further cementing his grip on the Central Asian nation with close ties to Russia and China. A Russian military airbase located in Kyrgyzstan allows Moscow to project power throughout the broader region and to locations such as Afghanistan. With ballots from more than 90% of polling stations counted, opposition party Butun Kyrgyzstan had received 6.8% of the vote, with the rest split between a host of pro-presidential parties. Japarov, 52, came to power during the turmoil that followed the October 2020 parliamentary elections, the results of which a number of political parties refused to accept. Freed from prison where he was serving a sentence for a political stunt that involved kidnapping a provincial governor, Japarov became prime minister within days and then successfully ran for president on a nationalist and populist platform. Japarov has maintained the former Soviet republic’s traditionally close ties with Russia and dismissed suggestions of allowing the United States to establish a military base in the country in addition to the existing Russian facility. This week the state security service headed by Japarov’s close ally said it had prevented a coup planned by a group of unnamed former senior officials and parliament members. Click here to read…

Gaddafi’s son blocked from Libya election

Libya’s election commission has disqualified 25 of the 98 candidates running for president, including Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the leader whose 2011 overthrow plunged the North African country into a decade-long civil war. Gaddafi had announced his candidacy on November 14 and looked like one of the front-runners in the contest, scheduled for December 24. On Nov 24, however, the election commission ruled him ineligible. It is a preliminary decision and can be appealed in court. A military prosecutor in Tripoli had urged the commission to disqualify Gaddafi on grounds of his 2015 conviction in absentia for war crimes related to the 2011 insurrection that overthrew his father. Muammar Gaddafi had ruled Libya for over 40 years before he was ousted and killed by NATO-backed rebels. Saif al-Islam was the chosen candidate of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, a group of his father’s loyalists formally established in 2016. He also has a pending arrest warrant on behalf of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Gaddafi reacted to the decision by pointing out that General Khalifa Haftar has two criminal convictions – a 1987 court-martial over his surrender to Chad, and a 1993 civilian conviction for plotting to overthrow the government – yet he has not been disqualified from running. Click here to read…

Those guilty of chemical attacks must be held accountable, says UN Chief

The perpetrators of chemical-weapon attacks must be identified and held accountable for their actions, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Nov 29. His comments came as he opened the second session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. Currently, 60 percent of UN member states are covered by five nuclear weapon-free zones in Latin America and the Caribbean; the South Pacific; Southeast Asia; Africa; and Central Asia. Guterres said that expanding these zones would lead to more robust disarmament and non-proliferation norms. The second session of the annual conference, which was delayed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was presided over by Mansour Al-Otaibi, the permanent representative to the UN for Kuwait, which was chosen to inherit the presidency from Jordan after the first session in 2019. In line with a General Assembly decision, the goal of the conference is to “elaborate a legally binding treaty” to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, on the basis of “arrangements freely arrived at by the states of the region.” Click here to read…

Iran Doubles Down on Demands as Nuclear Talks Resume

Iran made many demands as it resumed talks Nov 29 with the U.S. and other world powers aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal, doubling down on its position before negotiations first started in the spring and raising doubts over an early breakthrough. The talks, taking place in the Austrian capital amid a strict coronavirus lockdown, are intended to agree on the steps Iran and the U.S. will take to return into compliance with the 2015 deal, which lifted most international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for strict but temporary restrictions on Iran’s nuclear work. “The U.S. has no other way for its return to the JCPOA but to remove all the sanctions imposed on the Iranian nation since it walked out of the JCPOA,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, referring to the formal name of the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He said the U.S. return to the deal would depend on “guarantees that Iran’s economic partners would be able to deal with Iran without worries and with confidence.” In a sign of the distance between the two sides over reaching an agreement, Iran continued to refuse to talk directly with the U.S. team. Click here to read…

Israel signals readiness to escalate Iran confrontation

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has signalled a readiness to step up Israel’s confrontation with Iran, reiterating on Nov 23, his country would not be bound by any new Iranian nuclear deal with world powers. Bennett, who took power in June, described Iran in a speech as being at “the most advanced stage of its nuclear programme”. While his government has previously said it would be open to a new nuclear deal with tougher restrictions on Iran, Bennett reasserted Israel’s autonomy to take action against its arch foe. “We face complicated times. It is possible that there will be disputes with the best of our friends,” he told a televised conference hosted by Reichman University. “In any event, even if there is a return to a deal, Israel is of course not a party to the deal and Israel is not obligated by the deal.” Bennett voiced frustration with what he described as Israel’s smaller-scale clashes with Iran’s militia allies”. “To chase the terrorist du jour sent by the [Iranian covert] Quds Force does not pay off anymore. We must go for the dispatcher.” Stopping short of explicitly threatening war, Bennett said cyber-technologies and what he deemed Israel’s advantages as a democracy and international support could be brought to bear. “Iran is much more vulnerable than is commonly thought,” he said. Click here to read…

World’s highest child soldier numbers in West, Central Africa

West and Central Africa is the region with the highest number of child soldiers in the world, as well as the most underage victims of sexual violence, according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Since 2016, the region has been hit by growing conflict in which more than 21,000 children have been recruited by government forces and armed groups, the report said on Nov 23. In addition, more than 2,200 children have been verified as victims of sexual violence during the past five years, it added. Meanwhile, some 3,500 children have been abducted, making it the region with the second-highest abductions in the world, while there have been at least 1,500 attacks on schools and hospitals. Overall, the UN’s children agency said more than 57 million children in the region are in need of humanitarian assistance, a number that has doubled since last year as a result of conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. “Whether children in West and Central Africa are the direct targets or collateral victims, they are caught up in conflict and face violence and insecurity,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF’s regional director for West and Central Africa. Click here to read…

Medical

COVID: What we know about the omicron variant

The new variant B.1.1.529, which the World Health Organization officially named omicron, was first discovered on November 11, 2021, in Botswana. That’s just north of South Africa. Since then, B.1.1.529 has also been found in South Africa. It’s mainly been diagnosed in the province of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria. Scientists estimate that up to 90% of all new coronavirus cases in Gauteng may be linked to B.1.1.529. By Nov 29, there were 13 confirmed omicron cases in the Netherlands, and other cases outside of southern Africa, including in Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, France, Canada and Australia. Researchers are concerned about the new variant because they say it shows an “extremely” high number of mutations of the coronavirus. They have found 32 mutations in the spike protein. By comparison, the delta variant, which is considered highly infectious, shows eight mutations. While the number of mutations in the spike protein is not an exact indication of how dangerous a new variant is, it does suggest that the human immune system may find it harder to fight the new variant. There are indications that omicron can escape an immune response, leaving people at a greater risk. Click here to read…

Omicron variant: in slap at China, US praises South Africa’s detection of new Covid strain

The United States praised South Africa on Nov 27 for quickly identifying the new Covid strain called Omicron and sharing this information with the world – a barely veiled slap at China’s handling of the original outbreak of the novel coronavirus. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor and they discussed cooperation on vaccinating people in Africa against Covid-19, the State Department said. “Secretary Blinken specifically praised South Africa’s scientists for the quick identification of the Omicron variant and South Africa’s government for its transparency in sharing this information, which should serve as a model for the world,” the statement said. In August of this year the US intelligence community released a report in which it said it could not reach a firm conclusion on the origins of the virus – among animals or in a research lab were top scenarios – because China had not helped in the US investigation. Washington has also accused Beijing of waiting too long before sharing crucial information about the outbreak, saying that a more transparent handling could have helped halt the spread of the virus. Click here to read…

China makes billion-dose pledge to Africa to help overcome the coronavirus pandemic

China has promised to donate a billion coronavirus vaccines, advance billions of dollars for African trade and infrastructure, and write off interest-free loans to African countries to help the continent heal from the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking via a video link from Beijing during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would supply a billion doses to help Africa vaccinate 60 per cent of its population by next year. Of those, 600 million would be via donations and the rest would be produced jointly by African countries and Chinese companies. In addition, China would send medical teams to help the continent deal with the pandemic, Xi said, to the forum, which is being hosted by Senegal. “China will undertake 10 medical and health projects for African countries and send 1,500 medical personnel to Africa,” Xi said. Most countries in Africa have not vaccinated their citizens. The World Health Organization says while many high-income countries reported more than 60 per cent vaccine coverage, just over 7 per cent of Africa’s population is fully vaccinated – despite a recent rise in shipments to the continent. Click here to read…

Big Pharma unveils its plans for Omicron strain

With the World Health Organization (WHO) designating Omicron the latest “variant of concern” following an emergency meeting on Nov 26, warning that the highly mutated strain could be more infectious than those seen before, Big Pharma quickly launched into PR-mode, as several firms rushed to outline how they would combat the new variant. “In the event that [a] vaccine-escape variant emerges, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days, subject to regulatory approval,” Pfizer announced, though it did not say whether any specific research had been conducted into Omicron so far. BioNTech, in a separate statement, noted that Omicron “differs significantly from previously observed variants as it has additional mutations located in the spike protein,” referring to the mechanism by which the coronavirus gains access to host cells and causes infection. The company also said that a so-called “escape variant” could “require an adjustment of our vaccine if the variant spreads globally.” Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, two other major Covid vaccine developers, issued similar missives on Nov 26, with the latter company stating that it’s already testing a booster shot for healthy adults that contains twice the vaccine dosage than what is currently approvedClick here to read…