Category: World News

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26 countries pay tribute to frontline heroes

The initiative included a unified performance by these police bands by playing the “Victory March of Aida Opera” as a global thanks …reports Asian Lite News

The Ministry of Interior, MoI, has participated in a global celebration with the participation of 26 countries, which included the presentation of a special recital as a gesture of honour and appreciation for the noble efforts made by the frontline heroes to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and for their human sacrifices in order to preserve the health and safety of societies around the world.

The initiative included a unified performance by these police bands by playing the “Victory March of Aida Opera” as a global thanks and hope message of thanks in addition to this the initiative is to emphasise that the world is united and that humanity is what brings us together.

The event witnessed the participation of representatives of the musical groups from the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Lithuania, Mauritius, Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

Also read:UAE, India to bolster defence ties

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Business World News

Global FDI flows fall 49% in H1 2020

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows fell 49 per cent in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, due to the economic fallout from COVID-19, according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

UNCTAD’s latest Global Investment Trends Monitor released on Tuesday showed developed economies saw the biggest fall, with FDI reaching an estimated $98 billion in the six-month period, a decline of 75 per cent compared to 2019.

It noted that in the wake of the pandemic, lockdowns around the world slowed existing investment projects and the prospects of a deep recession led multinational enterprises to reassess new projects.

“The FDI decline is more drastic than we expected, particularly in developed economies. Developing economies weathered the storm relatively better for the first half of the year,” said James Zhan, UNCTAD’s investment and enterprise director. “The outlook remains highly uncertain.”

The trend of massive FDI decline in developed countries was exacerbated by sharply negative inflows in European economies, mainly in the Netherlands and Switzerland. FDI flows to North America fell by 56 per cent to $68 billion.

Meanwhile, the 16 per cent decrease in FDI flows to developing economies was less than expected, due to mainly resilient investment in China, it noted. Flows decreased by just 12 per cent in Asia but were 28 per cent lower than in 2019 in Africa and 25 per cent lower in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the six months to June 2020, developing countries in Asia accounted for more than half of global FDI.

The decline cut across all major forms of FDI, the report shows.

The report shows that cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) values reached $319 billion in the first three quarters of 2020. The 21 per cent decline in developed countries, which account for about 80 per cent of global transactions, was checked by the continuation of M&A activity in digital industries.

The value of greenfield investment project announcements — an indicator of future FDI trends — was $358 billion in the first eight months of 2020. Developing economies saw a much bigger fall (49 per cent) than developed economies (17 per cent), reflecting their more limited capacity to roll out economic support packages.

Also Read: FDI inflows to India witness 13% growth

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Sport World News

IOC Chief Thomas Bach Wins Seoul Peace Prize

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Monday received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize, the IOC said in a statement.

Bach joined the ceremony virtually from Lausanne, with the award being collected on his behalf by the former UN Secretary-General, His Excellency Ban Ki-moon.

The Seoul Peace Prize comes with a USD200,000 prize, which Bach will donate to the Olympic Refuge Foundation and three other social charities.

“This prize belongs to the entire IOC and all of the Olympic Movement. Without their tireless work and all the support of so many from all around the world, these achievements for peace through sport could never have been accomplished,” Bach said.

Congratulating Bach, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Chung Sye-kyun, said: “President Bach played a fundamental role in transforming the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 into the Peace Olympics, putting them beyond all political tensions as a symbol of hope.”

Ki-moon, who collected the award on behalf of Bach, highlighted the creation of the first Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. “It was an unprecedented and monumental event in modern Olympic history. I still vividly remember the cheers as the Refugee Team entered the stadium. It was a truly inspiring moment,” he said.

On the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and the Olympic Refuge Foundation, Bach said: “The refugee athletes demonstrated to a global audience that we are all part of the same humanity. Their participation in the Olympic Games was a clear signal that refugees are our fellow human beings – that they are an enrichment to society just as they are an enrichment to our Olympic community.”

Also Read: Athletes from hotspots will be allowed: IOC Chief

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-Top News World News

Guterres appeals for global solidarity on UN Day

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Covid-19 is humanity’s common enemy in the world today and now is the time for a stepped-up push for peace to achieve a global ceasefire. Guterres said…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for global solidarity to tackle common challenges on the occasion of UN Day.

“We face colossal challenges. With global solidarity and cooperation, we can overcome them. That’s what the UN is all about,” Xinhua news agency quoted Guterres as saying in a message on Saturday.

The 75th anniversary of the UN comes amid a global pandemic, he said, adding that the world body’s founding mission was more critical than ever: to promote human dignity, protect human rights, respect international law, and save humanity from war.

Covid-19 is humanity’s common enemy in the world today and now is the time for a stepped-up push for peace to achieve a global ceasefire, he said.

“We must also make peace with our planet. The climate emergency threatens life itself. We must mobilize the whole world to reach carbon neutrality — net zero emissions of greenhouse gasses by 2050.

“Around the world, we must do more to end human suffering from poverty, inequality, hunger and hatred — and fight discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or any other distinction,” he added.

the Secretary-General asked for the engagement of people everywhere to uphold the values of the UN Charter, build on advances across the decades, and realize the shared vision of a better world for all.

UN Day falls on October 24 when the the UN Charter was implemented.

Also read:‘Humanity above the realm of politics’: Guterres hails WFP



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Sport World News

Athletes from hotspots will be allowed: IOC Chief

Thomas Bach, IOC President

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach says he doesn’t expect countries to pull out of next year’s Tokyo Olympics due to Covid pandemic and that athletes too won’t be barred if they test negative.

The Olympics are set to be held from July 23 to August 8 next year after being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but leading health experts have, over the past few months, expressed doubts on whether the Games can be held without a vaccine for the virus.

Bach said that athletes who would be travelling to Tokyo from countries that have a high amount of infections won’t be barred from participating in the Games.

“Athletes do not bear responsibility for the virus,” said Bach in an Instagram chat with German javelin thrower Johannes Vetter.

“If they test negative and follow the safety regulations, they should have the opportunity to participate. I also do not expect countries to opt out. All 206 National Olympic Committees affiliated with the IOC are determined and full of anticipation.”

Bach also said that the organisers are planning testing centres at the athletes’ village, which will be treated as a bio-secure bubble.

“The athletes village is the beating heart of the Games, but this time it will not have the social function that we are used to,” said Bach.

Also Read: IOC lauds Abe’s role in Olympics’ preparedness

Also Read: Qatar to bid for Olympics 2032

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World News

Putin reiterates support for ‘stronger UN’

Russia actively supports the activities of the UN and defends the need for strict observance of the norms and principles of its charter…reports Asian Lite News

As one of the founding countries of the United Nations, Russia consistently advocates strengthening the organisation’s central role in addressing global affairs, President Vladimir Putin said.

Russia actively supports the activities of the UN and defends the need for strict observance of the norms and principles of its charter, Putin said in a message to participants in a gathering dedicated to the UN’s 75th anniversary on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The UN has been and remains an uncontested global structure that provides an opportunity for multilateral equal dialogue and partnership in solving the most diverse problems facing humanity,” said the message published by the Kremlin.

“Undoubtedly, only together can we effectively confront the global challenges of the 21st century and ensure the peaceful, prosperous development of mankind,” it read.

Also read:US rejects Russia’s proposal to extend nuclear treaty

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Africa News World News

More bodies retrieved from Libya mass graves

A total of 86 bodies have been recovered in Tarhuna since the beginning of a search in June, while Tripoli has seen the recovery of 28 bodies so far, said Jafri….Reports Asian Lite News

Libyan authorities have announced the recovery of 12 unidentified bodies in mass graves in the city of Tarhuna, some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli.

Abdul-Aziz Jafri, spokesman of the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons, told Xinhua news agency on Sunday that the bodies were recovered from five newly discovered mass graves in the city.

A total of 86 bodies have been recovered in Tarhuna since the beginning of a search in June, while Tripoli has seen the recovery of 28 bodies so far, said Jafri.

The forces of the UN-backed Libyan government have been accusing the rival east-based army of mass killings in Tarhuna.

Tarhuna had been the main military operation centre of the east-based army before the city was taken over by the UN-backed government.

The east-based army and the UN-backed government had been engaged in a deadly armed conflict for more than a year in and around Tripoli, which ended in early June with the UN-backed government announcing takeover of all western Libya after withdrawal of the east-based army.

The fighting has killed and injured hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 150,000 others.

Also read:Militarisation threatens 125,000 Libyans: UN

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EU News World News

UNAOC decries beheading of French teacher

The UNAOC chief stressed that togetherness, peace and tolerance are rooted in religions across the faith spectrum…Reports Asian Lite News

Miguel Moratinos, the high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), condemned the beheading of a teacher in the northwestern suburbs of Paris on Friday.

“The high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, condemns in the strongest terms the decapitation of a French school teacher on Friday in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France.

The high representative stresses that such heinous crime is unjustifiable whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed,” according to a press statement issued by his spokesperson Nihal Saad on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UNAOC chief stressed that togetherness, peace and tolerance are rooted in religions across the faith spectrum.

He reiterated that respect of the other regardless of their culture, religion, belief or race is crucial to living together in just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.

The high representative emphasized that freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression are anchored in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also stressed that hate speech and stigma sow division and fragments in societies.

The UNAOC chief reiterated that this horrific crime “should not deter our commitment and will to stand against divisive policies and extremist ideologies in all its manifestations.”

Moratinos expressed his heartfelt condolences to the victims’ family and the government and people of France.

On Friday afternoon, a decapitated man was found on the street near a middle school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburban area of northwest Paris. The victim was a 47-year-old history teacher who had reportedly shown to his students as part of a class on “freedom of expression” caricatures of Mohammad.

Also read:Iran to buy arms from the world as UN embargo ends

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-Top News World News

NZ PM to form new govt before official results

Wellington, Aug. 17, 2020 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attends a press conference held in the parliament building Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 17, 2020. Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday that the general election will be held on Oct. 17, four weeks after Sept. 19 when the poll was originally scheduled for. (Xinhua/Guo Lei/IANS)

According to the preliminary count results for the election held on Saturday, the Labour Party won 49 per cent of the vote, which transfers to 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament…Reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday said that she expected to form a new government within the next two to three weeks before the official results of the general elections in which her Labour Party secured a landslide majority, were declared.

According to the preliminary count results for the election held on Saturday, the Labour Party won 49 per cent of the vote, which transfers to 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament in a Mixed-Member Proportional voting system, with the opposition National Party lagging behind at 27 per cent, or 35 seats, reports Xinhua news agency.

While addressing the media in Auckland on Sunday afternoon, Ardern said the work would begin and the Labour caucus will meet on Monday.

“My expectation is that we will form government within the next two to three weeks,” said Ardern.

“We clearly have a mandate on behalf of New Zealand to crack on with government formation.

Wellington, Aug. 17, 2020 (Xinhua) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attends a press conference held in the parliament building Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 17, 2020. Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday that the general election will be held on Oct. 17, four weeks after Sept. 19 when the poll was originally scheduled for. (Xinhua/Guo Lei/IANS)

Besides the general election vote, New Zealanders also cast their ballots for two referendums on end of life choice and legalisation of the recreational use of cannabis.

Preliminary referendum results will be released on October 30, and the official results of the election and referendums will be released on November 6.

Meanwhile, Ardern did not rule out the possibility to form a coalition government with the Green Party, which won 7.6 per cent of the vote or 10 seats in Parliament.

There was a range of options for agreements with the Greens, said Ardern.

After the 2017 general election, the Labour Party, which won 46 seats in Parliament, formed a coalition government with the support from New Zealand First Party and Green party.

Also read:New Zealand suspends extradition treaty with HK

Categories
-Top News World News

Jacinda wins second term in landslide victory

Wellington, Aug. 17, 2020 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attends a press conference held in the parliament building Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 17, 2020. Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday that the general election will be held on Oct. 17, four weeks after Sept. 19 when the poll was originally scheduled for. (Xinhua/Guo Lei/IANS)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Saturday won a landslide victory in the country’s general elections held earlier in the day, securing her a second term in office.

With most ballots tallied, Ardern’s ruling Labour Party has won 49 per cent of the vote and is projected to win 64 seats – enough for an outright majority, which will be a first in the country since it introduced a voting system known as Mixed Member Proportional representation (MMP) in 1996, the BBC reported.

According to the Electoral Commission, opposition centre-right National Party, currently on 27 per cent, has admitted defeat in Saturday’s poll.

The ACT New Zealand and Green parties came in third with 8 per cent of the votes.

Addressing her supporters following the results, Ardern said: “New Zealand has shown the Labour Party its greatest support in almost 50 years.

“We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander.”

After conceding, National Party’s leader Judith Collins congratulated Ardern and promised her party would be a “robust opposition”, adding “we will be back”.

Saturday’s election was initially scheduled for September 19 but was postponed due to a second Covid-19 outbreak.

The previous Parliament, which was elected on September 23, 2017, was officially dissolved on September 6 paving the way for the polls, Xinhua news agency.

Polling stations across the country opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.

More than a million people have already voted in early polling which opened on October 3.

Besides the general election vote, New Zealanders also cast their ballots for two referendums on end of life choice and legalisation of the recreational use of cannabis.

Preliminary referendum results will be released on October 30, and the official results of the election and referendums will be released on November 6.