Tag: Portuguese

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Chinese vice president meets Portuguese president, PM

For his part, Rebelo de Sousa asked Han to convey his cordial greetings and best wishes to Xi, hailing that Portugal-China friendship has grown stronger as time goes by…reports Asian Lite News

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng visited Portugal from Sunday to Tuesday and met with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa to discuss bilateral ties.

When meeting with Rebelo de Sousa, Han conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Han said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China-Portugal relations have maintained sound and steady development.

Since the beginning of this year, China’s economy and society have returned to normal and its economic growth has picked up, creating greater cooperation opportunities between China and Portugal and other countries, Han said.

China is committed to developing friendship and cooperation with other countries, promoting the building of a new type of international relations, and expanding converging interests with other countries, he added.

China-Portugal and China-Europe relations should focus on win-win cooperation, Han said, noting that China is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Portugal and Europe to serve respective economic development and contribute to the stability and recovery of the world economy.

For his part, Rebelo de Sousa asked Han to convey his cordial greetings and best wishes to Xi, hailing that Portugal-China friendship has grown stronger as time goes by.

He said that Portugal has always been committed to building a bilateral relationship featuring friendly mutual trust and positive cooperation. The Portugal side refuses to view its relations with China and Europe-China relations from a simple perspective.

The Portuguese president said Portugal is ready to further strengthen high-level exchanges with China, deepen important cooperation in trade, science, technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges, among other fields, and continue to actively promote constructive cooperation between Europe and China.

During talks with Costa, Han pointed out that China attaches great importance to its traditional friendship with Portugal and has always been promoting and developing China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership from a strategic and holistic perspective.

Han said that Portugal is an excellent window for Chinese companies to enter the European market, noting that the close cooperation between enterprises of the two countries has yielded important results, which reflects the high level of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

He also said the Chinese side encourages Chinese companies to invest in Portugal and welcomes companies from other countries, including Portugal, to invest and develop in China, and looks forward to extensive exchanges with the Portuguese government and all social sectors.

Han called on the two sides to promote the resumption of face-to-face exchanges and the inter-departmental exchange and dialogue mechanism, and push for more fruitful practical cooperation in trade, investment and other fields.

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Films Lite Blogs

Spielberg hopes to break record of Portuguese helmer

Steven Spielberg tells Tom Cruis

Spielberg said he wanted to break the record of Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira, who directed his last film at the age of 106, adding that he had genetics on his side as his father Arnold Spielberg lived till 103…reports Asian Lite News

Steven Spielberg delivered a blockbuster speech accepting the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin Film Festival, reports ‘Variety’.

The filmmaker said that despite directing for six decades, making ‘Duel’ and ‘Jaws’ felt like “last year”. “I know a lot more about moviemaking than I did when I directed my first feature film at 25,” Spielberg said, notes ‘Variety’.

“But the anxieties and the uncertainties and the fears that tormented me as I began shooting ‘Duel’ have stayed vivid for 50 years, as if no time has passed. And luckily for me, the electric joy I feel on the first day of work as a director is as imperishable as my fears, because there’s no place more like home for me than when I’m working on a set,” the auteur added.

“I also feel a little alarmed to be told I’ve lived a lifetime because I’m not finished, I want to keep working. I want to keep learning and discovering and scaring the shit out of myself, and sometimes the shit out of you,” Spielberg said, according to ‘Variety’.

“I gotta get back to some of those earlier scarier movies, but that’s another story for later on. As long as there’s joy in it for me, and as long as my audience can find joy and other human values in my films, I’m reluctant to ever say that’s a wrap.”

Spielberg said he wanted to break the record of Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira, who directed his last film at the age of 106, adding that he had genetics on his side as his father Arnold Spielberg lived till 103.

Talking about his autobiographical film, the multiple-Oscar-nominated ‘The Fabelmans’, according to ‘Variety’, Spielberg said it happened because “it was time to look back at my early life at the world I was born into and emerged out of so that I could make my way, make my mistakes and make my movies, and because I made my movies, I get to be in Berlin tonight accepting this overwhelming honour for lifetime achievement.”

Spielberg was introduced onto the stage by U2 frontman Bono, adds ‘Variety’. “Steven Spielberg’s films have touched so many hearts for so many years because each of them tells a human story,” Bono said. “Every story is Steven’s story, but he uses all his skills to make it your story too, our story too, my story too.”

ALSO READ-Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Fabelmans’ premiered at TIFF

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India News Lite Blogs

Tulu queen who united Hindus, Muslims against Portuguese

Ullal port was a prosperous port and hub of the spice trade to the outer world and the Portuguese, Dutch and British had clearly set their eyes on it…reports Asian Lite News

Rani Abbakka, the great Tulu queen regarded as the first female freedom fighter of India, is not only known for her valour who repulsed the Portuguese army, but also her strength to unite people of different faiths against the armed forces of a foreign state.

The queen hails from Karnataka, which is, currently, communally divided. A region witnessing revenge killings among Hindus and Muslims, this state has a great lesson to learn from the legacy of Rani Abbakka, when Muslims and Hindus unitedly fought under her leadership against the Portuguese.

Rani Abbakka Chowta was the first Tuluva queen from Ullal province of the present Dakshina Kannada district. She represented the Chowta dynasty which ruled Tulu Nadu, comprising strategic regions of coastal Karnataka.

The Portuguese forces, after establishing their rule in Goa, turned their focus on capturing Mangaluru, Ullal ports. The brave Rani Abbakka, who left her husband and came back to her father, repulsed the Portuguese attacks for four decades, leading the army from the front.

She is regarded as one of the foremost woman warriors and bravest of the fighters. Historians say Rani Abbakka has not been given her due place in India’s as well as Karnataka’s history.

Abbakka’s uncle Tirumalaraya crowned her as the queen of Ullal. She married Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja II. However, the marriage did not last very long, as Rani Abbakka returned to Ullal.

Ullal port was a prosperous port and hub of the spice trade to the outer world and the Portuguese, Dutch and British had clearly set their eyes on it.

Knowing about the crouching foreign forces waiting for a chance to take over Ullal, the local chieftains united, forgetting their communal reservations.

Rani Abbakka gave equal representation to Hindus, Jains and Muslims. During her rule in the 16th century, the coastal region was an example of unity and integrity for the entire nation, as Hindus and Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder in every aspect.

When the Portuguese, unable to find traitors, came to know that Rani Abbakka’s estranged husband nursed a deep grudge against her, they launched attacks on Ullal from 1555 to 1568.

After Ullal was captured, Rani Abbakka took shelter in a mosque. She gathered an army and launched an attack on the Portuguese, in no time. Her army fought with valour and killed General Joao Peixoto after which the Portuguese had to retreat.

She forged an alliance with the Bijapur Sultan and the Calicut (Kerala) rulers. However, she was captured by the Portuguese army and sent to jail later.

Folklore has it that even in prison she revolted and died fighting. Her tale has been told through Yakshagana, the famous local art form of the region.

The Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava is held every year to commemorate her bravery and awards are given in her name. In 2003, the Indian postal department issued a special cover on Rani Abbakka. The bronze statues of the late queen are installed in Ullal and Bengaluru. The Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS is named after Rani Abbakka.

Karnataka, which is presently in the news for Hindu-Muslim clashes, was once united and together repulsed attacks by foreign occupying forces.

The foreign enemies could not find internal enemies and destroy their local kingdoms as Hindus, Muslims and Jains were united. Patriots are still waiting for the day when people of different faiths will unite against the common enemy.

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COVID-19 News World

Portuguese Prez calls for fight for economic and health recovery.

Portuguese Prez calls for fight for economic and health recovery.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has asked people to fight for economic and health recovery…reports Asian Lite News

“We have to fight for something vital to overcome the pandemic, fight for life, for the health system, economic recovery, social inclusion, we have to recover,” de Sousa told participants at the Web Summit held in Lisbon on Thursday.

Portuguese Prez calls for fight for economic and health recovery.

“The digital transition and digital revolution depends on the people, not on the President and Prime Ministers,” he said, urging young people to “make a difference … in energy, in digital, in everything that means a better world.”

“This is the post-pandemic restart,” he added.

ALSO READ: Biden proceeds with Covid-19 vax mandate

The Web Summit started last Monday in Lisbon and attracted more than 42,000 participants from different countries, including startups, investors and technology developers, Xinhua news agency reported.

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-Top News Defence India News

ICG on alert as Portuguese ship spills oil 450 km off Chennai

The Coast Guard said that it had received information from the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Colombo late on Wednesday about a mid sea oil spill about 450 km southeast of Chennai…reports Asian Lite News.

The Indian Coast Guard said on Thursday that 10 kilolitres (KL) of oil have spilled into the sea about 450 km southeast of Chennai from a Portuguese flag container ship named MV Devon.

The vessel was on passage from Colombo to Haldia in West Bengal, carrying 10,795 tonnes of general cargo in 382 containers, manned by 17 crew of mixed nationality.

The Coast Guard said that it had received information from the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Colombo late on Wednesday about a mid sea oil spill about 450 km southeast of Chennai.

“The ICG is in continuous contact with MV Devon and the master has reported that the vessel is stable. ICG pollution response team at Chennai has been alerted and kept on standby. In addition, ICG ships and aircraft deployed at sea are also put on alert in pollution response configuration,” the ministry of defence said.
On investigation, it was found that MV Devon had developed an underwater crack on the left side of the fuel tank containing about 120 KL of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).

The crack resulted in spillage of about 10 KL of oil into the sea before preventive action was taken and the remaining oil in the tank was transferred to another tank by the ship’s crew.

The container carrier is expected to reach Haldia on Friday and as per the ship’s master, the vessel is stable, the Coast Guard said.

ICG saves crew of sinking ship In a daredevil operation, the Indian Coast Guard rescued 16 crew members of a sinking cargo ship near the Revdanda jetty off Maharashtra’s Raigad district, an ICG spokesperson said here.

The incident happened in the early hours when Indian-flagged M.V. Mangalam’s second officer intimated that the ship, with 16 on board, had partially sunk around 3 kms off the Revdanda jetty in the stormy Arabian Sea.

In view of the distress and with water ingress panicking the crew, the ship captain was even planning to abandon the vessel, the ICG was told.

Gauging the seriousness of the situation, the ICG’s MRCC team calmed down the alarmed captain and crew and asked them to remain on board as help was being deployed.

ICG Subhadra Kumari Chauhan immediately set sail from Dighi Port towards the sinking vessel, while two ICG helicopters took from Daman for the evacuation operation.

The ship reached the vicinity of M.V. Mangalam by 10.15 a.m. as challenging weather conditions prevailed, but it sent rescue boats to pick up the crew.

Around that time, the two helicopters also arrived and started winching up the crew of vessel, saving all 16, and flew them to Revdanda for medical aid, said the ICG spokesperson.

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