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The European Union provided the Czech Republic with 30 ventilators
Due to the second COVID-19 outbreak, the Czech Republic received 30 ventilators from the European Union on Saturday and is currently seeking more support and equipment from its allies to help battle the current health crisis.
The government is also planning to increase the number of beds, equipment, and personnel, including a 500-bed field hospital in Letňany, which is supposed to provide medical help for 15,500 COVID-19 patients at once. The hospital is ready and should be available for use close to November 10th. Currently, the government is considering to build a similar one in Moravia.
The Czech government will bring up to 300 military personnel from the European Union and NATO members to help with the current pandemic. 28 military doctors from the United States will also provide their help to sustain the country’s health service with COVID-related hospitalizations.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic reported 15,252 new registered infection cases of coronavirus as of Oct. 23, which has become a new daily record. Currently, the Czech Republic faces Europe’s fastest spread of the infection.
Currently, the official number of registered cases of COVID infections in the country is well over 250,000 and shows a steady increase on a daily basis while the overall number of deaths remains in the 2000 – 2100 range.
A-G Highlights Empathy In Religion
The A-G also highlighted that there was no confusion in religion, as they were all brothers and sisters in humanity.
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (fourth from left) with the residents of Tangnikula at Wainikoro Jame Masjid on October, 25, 2020.
The fundamental preaching of the Prophet Muhammad were highlighted by the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum as he gathered with devotees to mark Eid Milad un-Nabi on Sunday. The event was held at Fiji’s oldest mosque at Wainikoro.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the idea of celebrating how the prophet lived his life means one must show empathy and know how to interact with others.
“Every year when we celebrate the Prophet’s birthday; if not doing on daily basis it is the time for us to look at ourselves what we are doing,” he said.
The A-G also highlighted that there was no confusion in religion, as they were all brothers and sisters in humanity.
He said the constitution gives us the privilege as a secular state so that every Fijian has the opportunity and right to practice their own religion.
He added that it was important to use religion as a way to make friends and live in harmony rather than use it as a fighting tool.
Edited by Jonathan Bryce
Feedback: [email protected]
Bahá’í Radio: Stations invite participation, connect people during pandemic
TALAVERA, Philippines — Radio stations operated by Bahá’í communities in several countries have found a renewed purpose during the pandemic, acting as a source of critical information and an anchor of community life when other forms of interaction have been limited.
Radyo Bahá’í in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines has played a significant role during the health crisis in creating a sense of togetherness through participatory programs dedicated to prayer and uplifting music reflective of the culture of the region. Its broadcast radius of 90 kilometers has also allowed the station to transmit crucial messages to remote areas which would otherwise be difficult to reach.
Christine Flores, director of Radyo Bahá’í, says, “Families are spending so much more time together, and we hope to contribute to a home environment characterized by unity and cooperation. For example, prayers and songs are broadcast every hour during the day, many contributed by listeners. Praying regularly is key to upliftment and inspiration. We are spiritual beings, and it is natural for us to connect with our creator in our homes.”
The station is also assisting with educational needs in the region by collaborating with the country’s Department of Education. Regular broadcasts of education materials by Radyo Bahá’í reach thousands of children whose schools are closed because of public health measures. These educational broadcasts are supplemented with songs and stories inspired by the Bahá’í teachings on such themes as truthfulness, generosity, patience, and kindness.
“The radio has been an important instrument in fostering a sense of belonging and connection between people during a time of distancing,” says Mrs. Flores. “A collective spirit is needed to face this crisis. A shared identity is strengthened when people hear programs reflecting their culture in their own local language and when they are contributing to content. Normally, information and ideas are passed around as people meet each other, but now the radio station is helping fill this need in our region.”
Across the Pacific Ocean, a Bahá’í-inspired radio station in Panama has focused on inspiring acts of service and attending to practical needs during the pandemic. Listeners are given the opportunity to offer support to those living in rural areas struggling to access public services given the restrictions on movement.
Fabio Rodriguez, coordinator of the station, says, “Our programs emphasize service and the idea that all people have the right to contribute to society. The station welcomes people from the area to assist in the production of programs, who are able to convey the reality of their shared experiences and their hopes in a way that speaks to the hearts of their fellow community members. This in turn encourages more people to see themselves as active participants in shaping the life of their communities.
Elsewhere in Latin America, Chile Bahá’í Radio based in Labranza, Chile, has been in close dialogue with surrounding indigenous communities to ensure that programs speak to their needs and aspirations. One area of focus of the station has been the preservation of language and culture of the Mapuche people.
“The radio plays a vital role in promoting the noblest aspects of the Mapuche people, and contributes to a sense of hope and comfort in this crisis,” says the coordinator of the station, Alex Calfuquero.
“Early morning prayer is a fundamental tradition, and Mapuche prayers are often included in the station’s devotional programs, which are sometimes broadcast from the Bahá’í temple in Santiago.”
Katty Scoggin, who collaborates with the radio stations in Chile and Panama, reflects on recent experiences: “These Bahá’í radio stations have been operating for years and years. They have been a part of the local culture. These initiatives are not just a one-sided broadcast service, they have a meaningful presence in the communities they serve.
“In media, there are the people who create something, and the people who consume content—usually just as recipients. We are trying to learn about something different. These radio stations assist with raising capacity for service to society and give a voice to the whole community.”
Churches, Buddhist group hail ratification of Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
A broad spectrum of churches and a major Buddhist group have hailed the ratification of Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which seeks for the first time to establish a comprehensive ban on atomic weapons.
The treaty aimed at destroying all nuclear weapons and prohibiting their use forever crossed a decisive milestone Oct. 24, signaling its entry into force in 90 days.
The ratification by Honduras of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons or TPNW, becoming the 50th nation to do so and the minimum needed for it to enter into force as international law.
“The Holy See and the popes have vigorously supported the effort of the UN and the world against nuclear weapons,” Vatican News reported.
“In a video message on September 25 on the occasion of the UN’s 75th anniversary this year, Pope Francis reiterated his call for increased support for the principal international and legal instruments on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and prohibition.”
The World Council of Churches, representing more than 550 million mainly Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant Christians on Oct. 26 welcomed the ratification of the prohibition treaty.
“It has now triggered the 90-day period after which the treaty will enter into legal force, meaning that a new normative standard in international law has been created, and that – for those States which are parties to it – the treaty must now be implemented,” said Peter Prove, director of the WCC’ Commission of the Churches on International Affairs.
The governments of the nine countries which continue to hold and develop nuclear weapons have been critics of the TPNW.
The WCC said that those of countries which believe themselves to be protected under the “umbrella” of nuclear-armed States – seek to minimize its significance by pointing to the fact that the States which have ratified the Treaty do not have any nuclear weapons anyway.
Although the TPNW does not bind the States that are not parties to it, the treaty creates a new global norm towards rejecting nuclear weapons, which is expected to influence and constrain their behavior
The Soka Gakkai Buddhist group also welcomed the UN nuclear ban treaty when it posted a statement on its Facebook page.
Soka Gakkai international director-general for Peace and Global Issues Hirotsugu Terasaki said, “The entry into force of the TPNW establishes the fundamental norm that nuclear weapons are subject to comprehensive prohibition. This has a profound historical significance.”
The Buddhist group’s statement called upon nuclear-weapon and nuclear-dependent states, including Japan – the only country to have experienced the devastation caused by nuclear bombing during wartime – to attend as observers the first meeting of parties to the TPNW to be held within one year from its entry into force.
The 50 member ratification threshold was reached a little more than three years after the treaty was completed in negotiations at the UN’s New York headquarters.
UN Secretary General António Guterres described the ratification as “the culmination of a worldwide movement to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.”
The UN’s announcement was hailed by anti-nuclear activists but the United States and 8 other nuclear-armed countries have strongly opposed it.
Guterres commended all the countries whose ratification of the accord, approved by 122 nations at the General Assembly on July 7, 2017, has helped bring the ban on weapons this far, singling out the work of civil society groups.
Catch-up, ‘get ahead and stay ahead’ of coronavirus, urges UN health agency chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), informed journalists that “intensive care units are filling up to capacity in some places, particularly in Europe and North America”.
Meanwhile over the weekend, numerous world leaders re-evaluated their situation, the UN health agency chief noted, and “took action to limit the spread of the virus”.
No one wants lockdowns
He conceded that many across the world are experiencing mental and physical “pandemic fatigue” but underscored the need to stand strong.
“No one wants more so-called lockdowns”, he acknowledged, urging leaders to “balance the disruption to lives and livelihoods with the need to protect health workers and health systems as intensive care fills up”.
He spoke emphatically about the stress and trauma health workers face on the frontlines, facing a fresh wave of patients and underscored the need to protect them.
“The best way to do that is for all of us to take every precaution we can to reduce the risk of transmission, for ourselves and others”, said the UN official.
Pandemic: ‘Everyone’s business’
Battling the pandemic is “everyone’s business”, Tedros asserted, adding that “we all have to play our part”.
To keep our children in school, businesses open and lives and livelihoods preserved, he stressed that “trade-offs, compromises and sacrifices” must be made.
That translates to, among other things, people staying at home, maintaining physical distance and wearing masks while governments must break transmission chains, test, isolate and care for cases, in addition to contact tracing and supporting quarantines.
“With these measures, you can catch-up to this virus, you can get ahead of this virus, and you can stay ahead of this virus”, the WHO chief maintained. “We say this because we have seen many places around the world get ahead and stay ahead of the virus”.
No magic solutions
Underscoring the need for hard work from leaders at all levels of societies, health workers, contact tracers and individuals, the UN health official attested that when leaders act “quickly and deliberately”, COVID-19 can be stemmed.
“Science continues to tell us the truth about this virus…how to contain it, suppress it and stop it from returning, and how to save lives among those it reaches”, he spelled out, noting that many countries and cities that have successfully “followed the science”.
Stop the politicization of COVID-19 — WHO chief
Keep politics out of it
Political divisions; blatant disrespect for science and health professionals; and spreading deliberate confusion, have caused cases and deaths to mount, according to the WHO chief.
“This is why I have said repeatedly: Stop the politicization of COVID-19”, he warned. “A pandemic is not a political football. Wishful thinking or deliberate diversion will not prevent transmissions or save lives”.
What will save lives however is “science, solutions and solidarity”, Tedros stressed.
EU consumers should enjoy a “right to repair” and enhanced product safety | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201024IPR90101/
WTO members give green light for EU sanctions against US over Boeing aid
GENEVA: World Trade Organization (WTO) members gave the green light on Monday for Brussels to slap tariffs on US$4 billion (RM16.7 billion) in US imports annually in retaliation for illegal American aid to plane maker Boeing.
A WTO arbitrator had ruled on Oct 13 that the retaliatory sanctions were warranted, but the move needed to be approved by the organisation’s 164 member states before the European Union (EU) could go ahead.
During a meeting in Geneva on Monday, “WTO members approved the European Union’s request for authorisation to impose retaliatory measures against the United States for its failure to comply with the WTO ruling regarding US government subsidies for Boeing,” a WTO official said.
According to a list of targets seen by AFP, Brussels is expected to impose tariffs on a long line of imports, including aircraft made in the United States, along with tractors, sweet potatoes, peanuts, frozen orange juice, tobacco, ketchup and Pacific salmon.
Monday’s decision was the latest development in a 16-year saga between Washington and Brussels over support for their leading aircraft manufacturers. It mirrors WTO’s move a year ago to authorise a record US$7.5 billion in US sanctions against European goods.
Meanwhile, the United States on Monday told the WTO that it regretted the EU‘s decision to pursue retaliatory tariffs for Boeing subsidies, adding it favoured a “negotiated resolution” with the bloc over its subsidies to rival planemaker Airbus.
The US speech, seen by Reuters, came at a meeting of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) which gave its formal clearance for the EU to impose tariffs on US$4 billion of US goods.
“The United States strongly favours a negotiated resolution of its dispute with the EU over the massive launch aid subsidies it provided to Airbus. The United States has recently provided proposals for a reasonable settlement that would provide a level playing field,” the US delegation said. – AFP, Reuters
Africa climate change report reveals heat rising north and south, Sahel getting wetter
“In recent months we have seen devastating floods, an invasion of desert locusts and now face the looming spectre of drought because of a La Niña event. The human and economic toll has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement.
Filling the gap
The report aims to fill a gap in reliable and timely climate information for Africa, which translates into a lack of climate-related development planning, said Vera Songwe, Under-Secretary-General, and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Africa has been warming progressively since the start of the last century, and in the next five years, northern and southern Africa are set to get drier and hotter, while the Sahel region of Western Africa will get wetter, WMO’s Regional Strategic Office Director, Filipe Lucio, told a press conference.
“Overall, Africa needs to take action. Action is needed today in terms of adaptation, but also is needed tomorrow in terms of mitigation”, Lucio said.
The agricultural sector is key to building climate resistance, since it is the dominant employer and it relies on the use of water and energy – both heavily implicated in climate change, he said.
Northern and southern areas under threat of aridity and desertification would benefit from reforestation, which helps to prevent water runoff and creates vegetation which supports the hydrological cycle.
Policy recommendations
Policy changes are also recommended in transport, energy, infrastructure and industry. Financing has improved with the establishment of a UN-backed Green Climate Fund but there are still limitations in terms of the continent’s ability to tap into such funds, he added.
Climate change has contributed to a jump in food insecurity, mosquito-borne disease and mass displacement in the past decade, and the rise in sea levels has led to unusual weather patterns such as Tropical Cyclone Idai, which hit Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe in 2019.
It showed the need for communities to learn about the risks and for impact-based warnings about the appropriate actions to take.
Cautionary tale
A day after the cyclone made landfall, it appeared to have dissipated and people thought the worst was over. But then disaster struck when flooding followed, overwhelming Mozambique’s major port city of Beira, Lucio said.
“People were asked to find refuge in appropriate places but the city of Beira was never built to withstand a category-5 tropical cyclone. So that means the building codes need to be changed, but the building codes cannot be changed using what tropical cyclones used to be like in the past.
“They need to have forward looking analysis to anticipate the trends into the future and start designing infrastructure and other systems taking into account the changing nature of these tropical cyclones.”
Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity: European Union calls for G20 to address the excess capacity
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