… resurgent coronavirus pandemic in Europe forced the change of plan … along with European Council President Charles Michel; European Commission President … the council of the EU.
European Council President Charles Michel … practice one’s religion and one’s …
China Rejects Human Rights Criticism as EU Seeks Trade Rebalance
EU sends tough message to Xi
European Union leaders told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday to open up markets, respect minorities and step back from a crackdown in Hong Kong, also asserting that Europe would no longer be taken advantage of in trade.
Anxious to show that the EU will not take sides in a global standoff between China and the United States, German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined the bloc’s chief executive and chairman to deliver a tough-talking message to Beijing.
“Europe is a player, not a playing field,” European Council President Charles Michel, who chaired the video summit, told reporters in reference to a growing sense in Europe that China has not met its promises to engage in fair and free trade.
With more than a billion euros a day in bilateral trade, the EU is China’s top trading partner, while China is second only to the United States as a market for EU goods and services.
China’s Xi was not part of the post-summit news conference and there was no joint statement, but the state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi rejected any interference in Chinese affairs, particularly on human rights.
“Chinese people will not accept ‘an instructor’ on human rights and oppose ‘double standards’, Xinhua reported Xi as saying during the video summit. “China is willing to strengthen exchanges with the European side based on the principle of mutual respect so that the two sides can both make progress.”
The European Union accuses China of breaking a host of global trade rules, from overproduction of steel to stealing Western intellectual property, which Beijing denies.
European attitudes have also hardened towards Beijing because of the novel coronavirus, which many scientists believe originated in China, and because of a new security law on Hong Kong that the West says curtails basic rights.
“Overall, cooperation with China must be based on certain principles – reciprocity, fair competition. We are different social systems, but while we are committed to multilateralism, it must be rules-based,” Merkel said.
The EU also wants stronger commitments on climate change from China, world’s top polluter.
China yesterday invited EU observers to visit Xinjiang to “truly understand” the situation. Rights groups say over a million Uighurs languish in political reeducation camps, while a campaign of forced assimilation has targeted academics, religious leaders and activists from mostly Muslim minority groups. Beijing describes its Xinjiang camps as vocational training centres where education is given to lift the population out of poverty and to chisel away at Islamic radicalism.
On Monday US customs said it would bar a raft of Chinese products including cotton, garments and hair products, from Xinjiang over fears they were made using forced labour.
Climate change: Record northern heat, fuels concerns over US wildfire destruction
“The northern hemisphere just had its hottest summer on record”, said Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson.
“It also had its hottest August on record; this is according to figures released last night by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).”
Data indicates that from June to August, temperatures were 2.11 degrees Fahrenheit (1.17 degrees Celsius) above average.
Five warmest summers since 2015
This surpasses previous warmest periods in 2016 and 2019, Ms. Nullis said, adding that the five warmest summers for the northern hemisphere have occurred since 2015.
At a global level, August was the second warmest on record, the WMO spokesperson added, citing NOAA data, at 1.69F (0.94C) above the 20th-century average of 60.1F (15.6C).
The past month was the 44th consecutive August and the 428th consecutive month, with temperatures above the 20th century average. “The 10 warmest Augusts on record have all occurred since 1998”, she said.
The 2020 fire season on the west coast of the US has also been record-breaking in its scale, with some 16,0000 firefighters involved in the effort to protect people and towns in California alone.
16,000 firefighters battling blazes
“The heat has contributed to a very, very destructive fire season”, Ms. Nullis said. “As we know, the states of California, Oregon and Washington have been worst-hit, entire neighbourhoods razed to the ground, forcing the evacuation of hundreds and thousands of people and tragically causing casualties.”
In addition to fatalities and destruction, the fires have impacted air quality for millions of people and turned skies orange, the UN agency warned. Satellite images show clouds of smoke billowing over the western Pacific and likely travelling more than 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometres).
The smoke led to a hazy morning on the opposition coast, as the sun battled to shine through an unusual layer of smog in New York City.
Citing “red flag” conditions in northeastern California for much of this week, Ms. Nullis explained that this was the most dangerous threat level and that it is characterised by a combination of strong winds and tinder-dry conditions.
Of 41,599 fires recorded in the US so far this year, 36,383 were caused by human activity, the WMO spokesperson continued, with more than 2.5 million acres scorched across the United States.
California saw most individual blazes, with 7,072 human-caused fires reported, according to the US National Interagency Fire Center.
Tropical cyclone threat
Ms. Nullis also warned that the US National Hurricane Center issued advisories for “no less than five” tropical cyclones over the Atlantic basin – tying with the record for the highest number of tropical cyclones there at one time.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is so active that it is expected to exhaust the regular list of storm names, the WMO spokesperson said. “If this happens, the Greek alphabet will be used for only the second time on record,” she added.
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The attack on Calle del Correo, on September 13, 1974, an anniversary that nobody remembers.
On September 13, 1974, two activists from the terrorist group ETA entered the Cafeteria Rolando, located right at the top of Calle del Correo, next to what at that time was the headquarters of the General Directorate of Security. today in the Community of Madrid, right at km 0 of Puerta del Sol. They left a small backpack that contained a bomb and left calmly. At 2:30 p.m., the explosion killed 11 people at that moment and two more as the days went by. and injured more than 60 people. The bomb, which was deposited in the bathroom, contained thirty kilos of dynamite and various shrapnel.
ETA planted the bomb in that place, presumably because members of the State forces and police came to eat every day. However, days before, due to a tip that warned them not to go to the nearby cafeterias for a while, there were hardly any police and administrative personnel from the DGS in the premises eating.
A massacre that caused a heated debate within ETA about the indiscriminate use of violence, so much so that they denied having committed said attack, and even affirmed that it was the Francoist State itself that did it to blame the gang. There were some who believed it.
ETA assumes in its latest internal bulletin “Zutabe”, dated last April, (2018) 758 murders and 2,606 “actions” among which includes attacks not claimed up to now by the terrorist group, such as that of the Correo cafeteria in Madrid in 1974, and describes the Hipercor massacre as the “greatest mistake and misfortune.” https://okdiario.com/espana/eta-reivindica-atentados-que-no-habia-asumido-hasta-ahora-como-calle-correo-madrid-3317125
Forty-four years it took ETA to confirm authorship. But in 2013, that is to say 5 years before, I published a book entitled THE DAMNED ATTACK, where I narrate with data, names and signs everything that happened around that attack. Five years before. The book can continue to be purchased if someone wishes by sending an email to [email protected], or by sending a wassap to the phone 604.343.030 And it will soon be published on Amazon.
The story of an anniversary that no one has mentioned. An absurd massacre that no one seemed interested in then and that doesn’t seem to interest them now either. No noise was made, the police reports, as I comment in the book, gave data and names that were imprisoned and that came out a short time later. Never in the history of this country, so many dead and so many wounded came out so cheap. The dictatorship had to be demolished and the democrats demanded Amnesty and Liberty, that each one take account of it.
Originally published at LaDamadeElche.com
UN report highlights links between ‘unprecedented biodiversity loss’ and spread of disease
The fifth edition of the UN’s Global Biodiversity Outlook report, published by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), provides an authoritative overview of the state of nature worldwide.
The report notes the importance of biodiversity in addressing climate change, and long-term food security, and concludes that action to protect biodiversity is essential to prevent future pandemics.
Wake-up call
The study acts as a wake-up call, and an encouragement to consider the dangers involved in mankind’s current relationship with nature: continued biodiversity loss, and the ongoing degradation of ecosystems, are having profound consequences of human wellbeing and survival.
“As nature degrades,” said Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Director of the Convention on Biological Diversity, “new opportunities emerge for the spread to humans and animals of devastating diseases like this year’s coronavirus. The window of time available is short, but the pandemic has also demonstrated that transformative changes are possible when they must be made.”
Ten-year targets missed
This year’s study is considered to be particularly significant, because it serves as a “final report card” for the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, a series of 20 objectives set out in 2010, at the beginning of the UN’s Decade on Biodiversity, most of which were supposed to be reached by the end of this year.
However, none of the targets – which concern the safeguarding of ecosystems, and the promotion of sustainability – have been fully met, and only six are deemed to have been “partially achieved”.
“Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised”, said Ms. Mrema, “and the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own well-being, security and prosperity.”
Although the lack of success in meeting the targets is a cause for concern, the authors of the Outlook are at pains to stress that virtually all countries are now taking some steps to protect biodiversity, without which the state of the world’s biodiversity would be considerably worse.
The bright spots include falling rates of deforestation, the eradication of invasive alien species from more islands, and raised awareness of biodiversity and its importance overall.
However, this encouraging progress can’t mask the fact that the natural world is suffering badly, and that the situation is getting worse. Financing is a case in point: funding for actions linked to biodiversity has been estimated at between $78 – $91 billion per year, way below the hundreds of billions needed.
And this figure is dwarfed by the amount of money spent on activities that are harmful to biodiversity, including some $500 billion for fossil fuels, and other subsidies that cause environmental degradation.
Transitions to a healthier planet
Contained within the report are several recommendations, or “transitions”, which map out a scenario for a world in which “business as usual” is halted, and environmental devastation is reversed.
Under the proposals, ecosystems would be restored and conserved; food systems would be redesigned to enhance productivity, whilst minimizing their negative effects; and the oceans would be managed sustainably.
The design of cities also comes under the spotlight, with calls for a reduced environmental footprint in urban areas, and “green infrastructure”, making space for nature within built landscapes.
The report amplifies the UN’s support for nature-based solutions, hailed as one of the most effective ways of combatting climate change. Alongside a rapid phase-out of fossil fuel use, they can provide positive benefits for biodiversity and other sustainability goals.
And, in relation to health concerns, and the spread of diseases from animals to humans, the report calls for a “One Health” transition, in which agriculture, the urban environment and wildlife are managed in a way that promotes healthy ecosystems and healthy people.
Reacting to the report, UN chief António Guterres said that the transitions represent an unprecedented opportunity to “build back better”, as the world emerges from the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic:
“Part of this new agenda must be to tackle the twin global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss in a more coordinated manner, understanding both that climate change threatens to undermine all other efforts to conserve biodiversity; and that nature itself offers some of the most effective solutions to avoid the worst impacts of a warming planet.”
Buddhist Times News – The Dalai Lama is Urging Action on Climate Change
By — Shyamal Sinha
If Buddha were to return to our world, he would certainly be connected to the campaign to protect the environment.
Speaking for myself, I have no hesitation in supporting initiatives that help protect the environment. This is a question of survival because this beautiful blue planet is our only home.
Over the past year, millions of young brothers and sisters have been protesting, calling on political leaders to take action to combat climate change. They are helping to educate the public even as we all witness the destruction of ecosystems and the dramatic decrease in biodiversity.
I really appreciate Greta Thunberg’s efforts to raise awareness of the need to take direct action. Her effort to elevate the issue of global warming among schoolchildren is a remarkable achievement. Despite being very young, her sense of universal responsibility is wonderful. I support her “Fridays for Future” movement.
I believe that every individual has a duty to help guide our global family in the right direction. Prayers and good wishes alone are not enough. We have to assume responsibility. Large human movements spring from individual human initiatives.
The youth of the 21st century have the ability and opportunity to bring change, to create a century of peace, dialogue and compassion. Even as global warming increases in intensity, many young people are working together to share and find solutions. They are our real hope.
Ideas may travel from the top down, but the movements that put them into effect have to work from the bottom up. Because their efforts are based on truth and reason, I believe young people will succeed in bringing about real change.
However, we cannot rest our hopes only on the younger generation. We have to choose political leaders who will act on this issue with urgency. Today, we are seeing a strong connection between environmental politics and elections.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama called on world leaders Saturday to join forces in fighting climate change.
“Now we should pay more attention about global warming,” the exiled leader said in a video message to a virtual meeting of Group of Seven parliamentary leaders.
The session was hosted by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, a longstanding advocate for the Himalayan region.
National leaders have been meeting less frequently with the Dalai Lama due to pressure from China.
In his video address, the Dalai Lama said people today have more of a sense of shared interest in saving the planet.
“If you look (at) past history, too much emphasis individual nation, individual religion, including color,” the 85-year-old Buddhist leader said, according to a statement from the International Campaign for Tibet.
“So it creates a lot of problem. Basically, you see, they are selfish, self-centered attitudes,” the 1989 Nobel peace laureate said.
Climate change is affecting some of the world’s least powerful people, the Dalai Lama added.
“Due to global warming, too much rain some area. Some area dry. So these people suffer,” the Dalai Lama said. “Particularly like in Africa and some area in India and China also.”
The impact along economic lines is also imbalanced, he added.
“The rich people, big hotel, not much serious sort of feeling,” the Dalai Lama said. “But poor people, they really face serious problem.”
Saturday’s meeting brought Pelosi together with counterparts from Britain, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
I often have the impression that politicians do not take climate and environmental protection seriously enough. Ignorance is the No. 1 enemy.
It is not sufficient to hold meetings and conferences. We must set a timetable for change. Only if political leaders start to act now will we have reason to hope. We must not sacrifice our civilization for the greed of the few.
Journalists have an equally important role. I tell them that in this modern time they have a special responsibility to bring awareness to the people — not just report on bad news, but they must also bring people hope.
Recent studies suggest that the world is getting close to exceeding its carbon budget. Therefore, this budget must become the most important currency of our time. Politicians are gradually running out of excuses, but we must use our time wisely.
The 7 billion human beings on Earth need a sense of universal responsibility as our central motivation to rebalance our relations with the environment. Appreciating the sense of oneness of humanity in the face of the challenge of global warming is the real key to our survival.
Since the future of all coming generations rests on our shoulders, we must be determined in taking action before it is too late.
I’m a monk so I have no children, but people who have children have to think about how life will be for them and their grandchildren. We’re at the start of the 21st century. Even now, we should be looking ahead to how things might be in the 22nd and the 23rd centuries.
Member States continue to drive financial support to WHO/Europe
A total of US$ 210 million (€177 million) in specified voluntary contributions was received by WHO/Europe for the first half of 2020, from 81 contributors. A large proportion of this amount (59%) was from Member States, followed by intergovernmental organizations – mainly the European Union (EU) (17%), United Nations organizations (6.5%), partnerships (6%), and non-state actors (including philanthropic foundations, private sector entities, academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations) (4%).
Over this period, the top 3 donors were Germany (US$ 37.2 million/€31.3 million), the EU (US$ 35.6 million/€30 million), and the United States of America (US$ 30.3 million/€25.5 million). As well as increasing the total value of their donations in recent years, these donors have been among the top 3 since 2016. European Member States’ contributions together with the EU’s represented 57% of total voluntary funding to WHO/Europe at the end of June 2020.
Of the specified voluntary funding received from Member States of the WHO European Region, and the EU, most of this funding (63%) is allocated directly to WHO/Europe’s work in countries. Of this amount, Turkey receives 28% and Ukraine 11%, a concentration of funds largely explained by emergency operations in these countries.
“I would like to thank all countries and organizations that generously contribute to WHO/Europe’s work, improving the health and well-being of the 900 million people living in the WHO European Region. These times call for global solidarity, and I am committed to pursuing new ways to ensure that WHO/Europe has the resources it needs to deliver the European Programme of Work, as well as provide proactive support to country health authorities to mobilize resources for their pandemic recovery,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
From January to the end June this year, just over half of WHO/Europe’s funding (51%) has been directed towards work for emergencies, including that linked to the COVID-19 outbreak. This contributes to the global strategic priority set down in WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work, to address health emergencies. A further 22% has been put towards the third global priority of promoting healthier populations, and 20% to the first priority, achieving universal health coverage.
Member States will be discussing a new vision for delivering health across the European Region – the European Programme of Work (EPW) – at the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, taking place virtually on 14–15 September 2020. To support the EPW, WHO/Europe is developing an engagement strategy for 2020–2025, to promote coherent resource mobilization and partnership efforts. This strategy will seek to align resource mobilization with the EPW priorities, and increase the level of flexibility, sustainability and predictability of contributions.
Member States from the European Region, together with the EU, have also assumed a leadership role as contributors to the global COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan with their combined voluntary contributions (close to US$ 750 million/€631.5 million) representing more than half of total funds pledged and received to date.
Further details of the Organization’s work, financing and progress on implementing its global General Programme of Work can be found in the Programme Budget Portal.
EU contributes 86.8 million Ethiopian Birr (2 million Euros) to UNICEF
The European Union contributes 86.8 million Ethiopian Birr (2 million Euros) to UNICEF to provide nutrition support for communities affected by desert locusts in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, 15 Sept 2020 – The European Union (EU) has provided 86.8 million Ethiopian Birr (2 million Euros) to UNICEF to support vulnerable communities affected by desert locusts in the Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali and Tigray regions. The funding is being made available through the EU’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations directorate-general (ECHO).
The support is in addition to 2.4 million Euros the EU provided to UNICEF in May 2020 to address the nutrition impact of multiple hazards such as climate-induced recurrent droughts, disease outbreaks, and internal displacements in the Afar, Somali and Oromia regions.
Due to the combined effects of desert locusts, climate change and the secondary impacts of COVID-19, UNICEF and its nutrition partners anticipate the number of children needing treatment for severe acute malnutrition this year to rise by 24 percent. Therefore, the number of children UNICEF is targeting for treatment has increased from the 460,000 children initially planned (including 16,000 refugees) to 570,000 children (of whom 18,400 are refugees).
“Children are always the most affected when livelihoods are eroded and access to food and adequate nutrition becomes a challenge,” says UNICEF Representative Adele Khodr. “We are therefore immensely grateful to the European Union for providing this funding at this critical time. It will enable us to scale up our nutrition interventions and ensure that life-saving treatment reaches the dramatically increasing number of children in need across Ethiopia.”
With the first EU funding received in May 2020, UNICEF was able to procure and distribute 30,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food for treating 30,000 severely malnourished children in Afar, Somali and Oromia regions.
“As one of the largest humanitarian donors in the world, the EU is committed to support efforts to address urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia” says Yassine Gaba, the Head of the EU Humanitarian Aid’s office in Ethiopia. “Children are the most vulnerable during times of natural and man-made disasters, and with European help and solidarity, I am confident UNICEF will help address some of the most pressing needs.”
This latest funding will enable UNICEF to procure therapeutic foods and associated essential medicines to treat an additional 60,000 severely malnourished children. The grant will also support the warehousing and transportation of malnutrition treatment supplies to ensure they reach the last mile, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
UNICEF will also provide meals to support 3,000 caregivers of children admitted to stabilization centers.
#
Note to Editors
The current desert locust infestation is the worst in 25 years and is expected to have a significant impact on food security in Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Afar, Tigray and Somali regions. The COVID19 pandemic also poses a grave risk to the nutritional status and survival of vulnerable children.
An increase in child malnutrition is expected due to a decline in household income, challenges in the availability and affordability of nutritious food, and disruptions in accessing routine health and nutrition services. A joint assessment of the impact of the desert locust infestation on food security and livelihoods in Ethiopia conducted in April 2020 indicates that about one million individuals, including an estimated 126,000 children under five, will require emergency food assistance.
For more information, please contact:
Feven Getachew, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Ethiopia, Tel.: +251 929 241 1294, email: [email protected]
Mathias Eick, Regional Information Officer, ECHO Nairobi, Tel.: +254-722791604, email:
[email protected]
China rejects human rights plea during ‘intense’ EU trade talks
“Europe needs to be a player, not a playing field,” he said.Xi rejected criticism by Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel of his country’s human rights record, arguing there was no universal path to human rights, while accusing the EU of having its own issues to deal with.
“China does not accept human rights proselytisers and opposes double standards,” he said according to Chinese state media service Xinhua.
Von der Leyen said the talks, originally marked as a key event on the road to a bilateral free trade treaty between the block and the Asian giant, were “frank and open, constructive and intense”.
Germany has long maintained a policy of quiet diplomacy with China but has become more assertive in 2020, releasing its first Indo-Pacific strategy last week and laying out its principles for increasing European action in the region to guard against “significant shifts in the balance of power”.
China banned German pork imports on Saturday. The Chinese customs office said the decision was based on cases of African swine fever. The Chinese government has this year issued trade infringements on Australian wine, barley, wheat and beef after disputes over the coronavirus, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and Xinjiang.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne used a virtual speech to the United Nations on Tuesday to say human rights must be central to debates and decision making as the world grapples with the coronavirus.
“Australia firmly believes that nations that uphold principles domestically are more likely to cooperate in ways the promote the common good, respecting fundamental human rights and freedoms,” she said.
State media service Xinhua reported Xi firmly opposed any country’s interference in China’s internal affairs.
“The essence of Hong Kong-related and Xinjiang-related issues is to safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security and unity, and to protect the rights of people of all ethnic groups to live and work in peace,” he said.
Hours after the meeting, US Assistant Secretary of State David Stillwell pushed for greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
“We are joining a chorus led by Australia for a while now,” he said.
The US announced new trade measures on China on Tuesday, blocking products that it claims are made by forced labour in Xinjiang where the Uighur Muslim minority has been sent to “re-education camps”.
The move will ban cotton, electronics and hair products from specific manufacturers in Xinjiang. China is the world’s largest cotton producer and more than 80 per cent of it comes from the semi-autonomous region.
“This is not a vocational centre, it is a concentration camp, a place where religious and ethnic minorities are subject to abuse and forced to work in heinous conditions with no recourse and no freedom,” US Homeland Security acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli said.
