Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by catherintherye

China mass testing start again, 3rd Wave

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 22:42:21 +0800

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/ar...er-run-vaccines

Fresh local Covid-19 cases in China trigger run on vaccines

Tracers search for ‘patient zero’ after clusters reported in Liaoning and Anhui provinces
Officials under investigation and mass testing under way

Authorities in China have stepped up Covid-19
controls and residents are lining up to get vaccines after two provinces reported the country’s first cases of community transmission in over three weeks.

Yingkou, a port city in northeast China’s Liaoning province, reported five confirmed and eight asymptomatic cases as of Saturday.

The cities of Luan and Hefei, in the eastern province of Anhui, reported seven confirmed cases, and seven cases of asymptomatic infection as of Sunday afternoon.

Shenyang, Liaoning’s capital, also reported one confirmed case on Sunday.

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Saturday night that Yingkou was likely the source of the outbreak even though Luan was the first to report one on Thursday.

Last year, Yingkou reported a number of local transmissions linked to imported cases, and Wu did not rule out the possibility that this was the situation again.

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As long vaccine not enough or achieved herd immunity......new wave will come....US advantage this time as their population now almost 50% vaccinated.....it's a race to vaccine and control the outbreak again

Israel invasion of Al Aqsa lit the powder keg

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 19:57:46 +0800

[YOUTUBE]nO16R9gtj-0[/YOUTUBE]

From evil Brits to World Jewry to Arabs

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 13:49:29 +0800

Now the baton pass to US....

[YOUTUBE]ZXfuqUhzESg[/YOUTUBE]

China & US in race to put man on Mars

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 12:04:15 +0800

[YOUTUBE]rYBATCT0ig8[/YOUTUBE]

India start ordering best vaccines in world

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 10:09:36 +0800

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-...-china-7316772/
UP talks to Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson; waits for Centre’s word on China
A reading of the tender’s terms, from cold-storage needs to country requirements, shows that China’s Sinopharm is eligible for application but the state government has said it will await word from the Centre on that.

The Centre said that Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna could open discussions on their vaccine supplies only in the third quarter of 2021 even as two of these pharma firms have participated in the pre-bid meeting held Wednesday in connection with the global vaccine tender for 40 million doses floated by Uttar Pradesh.
“We had a pre-bid meeting for the global firms Wednesday and everyone, allowed by the Government of India, has participated in it. Among the firms waiting for clearance, both Pfizer and J & J also were there,” Sidharth Nath Singh, Minister in UP government, told The Indian Express.
The pre-bid meeting was also attended by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. Singh said the government is expected to float the global tender within a month.

A reading of the tender’s terms, from cold-storage needs to country requirements, shows that China’s Sinopharm is eligible for application but the state government has said it will await word from the Centre on that.

For example, the tender, floated by Uttar Pradesh Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, mandates that storage at 2-8 degrees Celsius, in line with the cold storage of India’s immunization programme. And those bidders requiring “special cold storage condition” should either have their own cold chain transporting system or should have a “proper contract” with an agent.

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India gets the best vaccine for its people, order extra cold storages...

Palestinian destroy racist white woman reporter

catherintherye — Sun, 16 May 2021 00:58:18 +0800

[YOUTUBE]GtivLcDAHz0[/YOUTUBE]

West accused China of Human Right violations

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 20:43:31 +0800

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/202105...00m/0in/080000c

West and rights groups accuse China of massive Uyghur crimes

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Human rights groups and Western nations led by the United States, Britain and Germany accused China of massive crimes against the Uyghur minority and demanded unimpeded access for U.N. experts at a virtual meeting on Wednesday denounced by China as "politically motivated" and based on "lies."

China's U.N. Mission sent notes to many of the U.N.'s 193 member nations last week urging them not to participate in the "anti-China event." And China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun sent text messages to the 15 Western co-sponsors of the meeting expressing shock at their support, urging them to "think twice" and withdraw it.

He warned that if they don't, it will be "harmful to our relationship and cooperation."

At the meeting, Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward called the situation in Xinjiang "one of the worst human rights crises of our time."

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China accused of human right violations by Boris Johnson ambassador to UN together with Western gangs. Virtual meeting done recently on this topic

Uighurs to join protest in New Zealand

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 15:30:03 +0800

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/...-palestine.html

Protesters gather across New Zealand amid escalating violence between Israel and Palestine

Nationwide rallies and marches took place across New Zealand on Saturday as the latest eruption of long-running tensions between Israel and the Palestinians continues to escalate.

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Whanganui, Nelson and Wellington to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Thousands gathered around Auckland's Britomart, holding signs, flags, and chanting "free Palestine".

The Israel army has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Gaza, while Palestinians have launched more than 2000 missiles and rockets.

New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has expressed "grave concern" over the escalating violence.

"The growing death toll and the large numbers of casualties, including children, from Israeli airstrikes and Gazan rockets is unacceptable," she said in a statement on Thursday.

But the Palestine Solidarity Network says she's just tiptoeing around the issue.

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Uighurs showing support for the Palestinians, gatherings in New Zealand for solidarity to condemn Israeli committing crime against humanity....

Is Israel guilty of practicing Apartheid?

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 15:21:30 +0800

[YOUTUBE]MknerYjob0w[/YOUTUBE]

Most crowded crossing in the World

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 14:16:33 +0800

[YOUTUBE]1XRmYTQ2Qek[/YOUTUBE]

Finally savior come for Palestinians

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 12:41:37 +0800

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57125479

Israel Gaza violence: US envoy arrives for de-escalation talks

A US envoy has arrived in Tel Aviv for de-escalation talks as tensions between Israel and Palestine continue.

Hady Amr will take part in talks with Israeli, Palestinian and UN officials in the hope of agreeing on a ceasefire.

Early on Saturday, Israel conducted air strikes in Gaza and Palestinian militants responded by firing rockets into Israel.

The clashes recorded over the past five days marks some of the worst violence in the region in years.

The conflict began on Monday and followed weeks of spiralling Israeli-Palestinian tension in East Jerusalem. The increased hostilities culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas - the militant Islamist group which rules Gaza - began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.

At least 133 people have been killed in Gaza and eight have died in Israel since the fighting began.

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Finally peace will arrived, a US envoy been sent and just arrived in Jerusalem.....wait for good news

Will China monopolized Space Station in future?

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 12:32:11 +0800

https://theconversation.com/tiangong-china-...o-expect-160389

China launched Tianhe-1, the first and main module of a permanent orbiting space station called Tiangong (Heavenly Palace 天宫), on April 29. Two additional science modules (Wentian and Mengtian) will follow in 2022 in a series of missions that will complete the station and allow it to start operations.

While the station is not China’s first – the country has already launched two – the modular design is new. It replicates the International Space Station (ISS), from which China was excluded.

There are many reasons for China to invest in this costly and technologically challenging project. One is to conduct scientific research and make medical, environmental and technological discoveries. But there are also other possible motivations, such as commercial gains and prestige.

That said, Tiangong does not aim to compete with the ISS. The Chinese station will be smaller and similar in design and size to the former Soviet Mir space station, meaning it will have limited capacity for astronauts (three versus six on ISS).

After all, it doesn’t have as much money behind it as the ISS and there are not as many countries involved. If anything can be called the UN in space, it is the ISS, which has as collaborators former cold war enemies (US and Russia) and old friends (Japan, Canada and Europe). Over its two decades and counting of service, the only permanent human outpost in space has hosted about 250 astronauts from 19 different countries, carrying out hundreds of spacewalks and thousands of scientific experiments.

But the ISS is coming to its natural end. It’s scheduled to be decommissioned after 2024 to leave place for the Lunar Gateway, a small outpost that will orbit the Moon. This is an international initiative part of the US-led Artemis Programme that again sees China excluded.
Toward a Chinese monopoly?

Until the gateway is launched, however, Tiangong – which will be placed in lower Earth orbit and have an expected life of 15 years – will probably remain the only functioning space station. Some worry this makes it a security threat, arguing its science modules could be easily converted for military purposes, such as spying on countries. But it doesn’t have to be this way and, if things go as planned, it won’t be.

China may use this opportunity to win back trust and attract international collaboration. This may be particularly important given Nasa’s criticism following the recent Chinese out-of-control rocket that plunged into the Indian Ocean. There are signs the country is trying to be more open, having already declared Tiangong will be open to host non-Chinese crews and science projects. Astronauts from Europe’s space agency, Esa, have in fact begun training with Chinese “taikonauts”, and international projects have been included in the station’s first approved batch of selected experiments.

Tiangong might not remain alone for long either. Supported by Nasa, private corporations have started designing their own orbital modules, from Bigelow Aerospace’s inflatable habitat B330 to the commercial laboratory and residential infrastructure built by Axiom. Even Blue Origin has shown interest in building a space station. The Russians seem to like the idea, too – they already have plans for a luxury space hotel.

What’s more, the already extended ISS lifespan may be further prolonged, although there are many issues surrounding its end date.

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Will there be a "Red" China led International Space Stations vs "Blue" US led International Space Station in the future? Very exciting future of space competition coming soon...

China rover landed on Mars after 9 minutes terror

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 09:41:03 +0800

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/art...er-nine-minutes

China successfully lands Mars rover Zhu Rong after ‘nine minutes of terror’

Landing a rover on Mars involves a communications blackout period during which it must land without human intervention
Only half of all attempts to land on the red planet have succeeded because of its challenging atmosphere

After seven months of space travel, three months orbiting and “nine minutes of terror”, China has become the third country in the world to safely land a rover on Mars.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said in a statement that its rover Zhu Rong – named after the Chinese mythical god of fire and war
– had successfully landed on Mars on Saturday after “nine minutes of terror”: Nasa’s name for the time interval when engineers on Earth have no control or oversight of the rover because of a radio signal delay.

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Waiting for Elon Musk Mars rover how many exact terror needed before landing. Who are we to say, since we never land there before....

Australia standing up to China, wins trade war

catherintherye — Sat, 15 May 2021 07:34:38 +0800

https://asiatimes.com/2021/05/australia-lar...war-with-china/

Australia largely winning its trade war with China
China is spending more than ever on Australian imports despite punitive trade restrictions on coal, barley, meat and wine

PERTH – Australia is often blamed for putting all its eggs and everything else into one basket then shipping the lot to China.

Those who worry about Beijing’s resultant leverage over Australia may feel vindicated after the travails of 2020 and 2021, but the trade war rooted in geopolitics hasn’t net-net hurt the Australian economy or its crucial commodity exports.

Indeed, China is spending more than ever on imports from Australia, given its reliance on iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG), two commodities commanding ever-higher prices on global markets and for which Australia is the world’s largest exporter.

So far China has hit Australian coal, barley, meat, lobsters and wine with punitive trade measures, a tit for tat response to Australia’s call for an independent investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic that by all credible accounts started in Wuhan, China.

Australia’s A$1 billion wine export industry reported a 96% drop in exports in the first quarter of 2021 after Chinese anti-dumping sanctions hit profits in the fourth quarter of 2020.

After the recent announcement of an “indefinite” halt of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, China is now apparently moving beyond beef and booze to target Australian LNG exports.

A Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources said that two second-tier Chinese LNG importers have been told by Beijing not to take any Aussie cargoes of the fuel for a year.
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Australians very proud they are winning the trade war with China, seething and angry China now seeking revenge, will plan to diversify liquid gas from Australia. I think a lot of LNG suppliers will benefit from business especially Malaysia since we also supply to China. I think more order coming from PetGas, anyone buying this stock? It will rise.

Macron offer support to Israel

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 23:39:09 +0800

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1858746/middle-east

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday about the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestinians and called for a return to peace in the region.

In a statement, Macron condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and said Israel had the right to defend itself. He also expressed concern about the plight of the civilian population in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.

Israel pummelled Gaza with artillery fire and air strikes on Friday, killing 13 people including three children, local health officials said, as it targeted Palestinian militant tunnels to try to stop the rocket attacks on Israeli towns.

Netanyahu said Friday that Israel had no plans on relenting in its attacks against Hamas in Gaza, after heavy bombardment targeting the group’s targets in the Palestinian enclave.

“They attacked our capital, they fired rockets at our cities. They're paying and will continue to pay dearly for that,” he said following security consultations at the military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv.

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After Syria, Libya, France next military adventure could be with Palestinian...

Israel fire warning shots into Lebanon

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 23:31:51 +0800

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/mi...n-b1847630.html

“Dozens” of people from Lebanon stormed border fences and briefly entered Israel, as hundreds in Jordan attempted the same along the country’s eastern frontier in another escalation of the crisis engulfing the region.

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Israel warning them not to join the protest or else...

China turn to lecture US

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 20:41:53 +0800

https://www.timesofisrael.com/china-says-us...eeting-on-gaza/

China says US ‘ignoring’ plight of Muslims by blocking UN meeting on Gaza

As the crisis has unfurled, China has taken up the Palestinian cause at the Security Council, a venue where it frequently plays its veto card to block motions against its allies.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters the US had single-handedly obstructed the Security Council from speaking out on the crisis, “standing on the opposite side of the international community.”

“What we can feel is that the US keeps saying that it cares about the human rights of Muslims… but it was ignoring the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Hua added.

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China siding with Palestinian people to have their own state. Will clash in the UN security council....

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar whack Joe Biden

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 20:31:53 +0800

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/far-away...nflict-n1267275
Biden followed pro-Israel U.S. precedent. But new critics shake status quo.
"No mention of Sheikh Jarrah. No mention of the Al-Aqsa raid," Rep. Ilhan Omar said after President Joe Biden spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

No mention of Sheikh Jarra.
No mention of the al-Aqsa raid.
No mention of the 13 innocent children killed in air strikes.
No mention of the ongoing occupation of millions in an open air prison.

You aren’t prioritizing human rights. You’re siding with an oppressive occupation. pic.twitter.com/B0DG1IHbaD
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 12, 2021

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Human rights for me, no human rights for you. Sometimes things like this make us realized US policies are not genuine and usually used to advance their strategic interest....

India keep mouth shut not to criticize Israel

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 16:44:06 +0800

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/jai...conflict-252728

Jaishankar mum as US tries to de-escalate Israel-Palestine conflict

New Delhi, May 13

India has remained a conspicuously underplayed voice on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict even as the US said it was deeply engaged across the board with the Israelis, Palestinians and other countries in the region to call for and push for de-escalation.

“We strongly condemn the rocket attacks coming out of Gaza that are targeting innocent Israeli civilians, and Israel has a right to defend itself. Palestinians have a right to live in safety and security, and the most important thing going forward now is to take down the violence, to de-escalate, and that’s exactly what we’re working toward,” said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

India, in the middle of receiving emergency medical supplies from Israel, has not commented on the conflict. Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar retweeted a post by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on the killing of an Indian caregiver in Israel. “We have condemned these attacks and the violence in Jerusalem, and urged restraint by both sides,’’ he said in a second tweet.

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In order not to offend Israel and it's US master, foreign minister of India uncharacteristically muted to condemn the atrocities happening between Jews & Palestinians, good foreign policy by India?

China to be the 3rd country to land rover in Mars

catherintherye — Fri, 14 May 2021 14:09:39 +0800

China's Tianwen-1 mission will attempt daring Mars rover landing Friday

Since February, Tianwen-1 has been orbiting Mars, ready to deploy its lander and rover, Zhurong, to the surface of the red planet.
https://www.cnet.com/news/chinas-tianwen-1-...landing-friday/

China may soon become just the third country to safely touch down on the surface of Mars.

On Friday, the China National Space Administration will attempt to land its rover Zhurong on the red planet, experiencing the so-called "seven minutes of terror" endured by Martian exploration robots, according to Chinese space watchers.

The ambitious Tianwen-1 mission to Mars launched in July 2020 and contains three spacecraft: an orbiter, which is now circling Mars, a lander and a rover. This is China's first mission to Mars, and landing on the planet is a difficult task — only around half of the trips to the planet have proven successful, and no agency beside NASA has landed on the surface since 1973.

China has been relatively quiet about when we can expect the entry, descent and landing to begin, but reports suggest it will occur at 4:11 p.m. PT (11:11 p.m. UTC) on May 14. The lander and rover are currently encased within a protective shell, but will detach from the orbiter earlier and begin to head toward the surface.

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About 10pm tonite perhaps landing take place. Will be the 3rd country landing rover there, but 2nd country having operable rover on the ground. Expect new photo sharing or video from this mission...