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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006833

MOSCOW — Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn has asked the Russian Government to accelerate the transfer of vaccine production technology to Việt Nam, to ensure supplies remain sustainable.

Meeting with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko in Moscow on Tuesday local time, Sơn thanked the Russian Government for supplying COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam, as well as the recent transfer of biological products that has allowed for the production of one million doses of vaccine. He also reaffirmed the importance of Việt Nam’s friendship and partnership with Russia.  

For his part, Chernyshenko said Việt Nam is a reliable friend and partner of Russia. He expressed his delight at Việt Nam’s achievements, especially in stabilising the macro-economy and its pandemic response.

During the meeting, the two officials pledged to work harder on deepening relations through the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. The importance of the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was also emphasised, as was regular coordination to promote key projects of mutual interest that allows capital to pass from one country to the other. 

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Both parties also highlighted the need to fully realise the potential of the Vietnam – Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreement. Export’s under this agreement could be beneficial to each country’s markets.

Both ministers agreed that utilising Việt Nam’s strong market demand and Russia’s high-tech and scientific research would be mutually beneficial.  

The Russian Deputy PM also agreed to consider increasing scholarships for Vietnamese students, at the request of the Vietnamese FM.

Regarding issues relating to Vietnamese people in Russia, Chernyshenko said that he would direct Russian agencies to facilitate the extension of residence for Vietnamese citizens whose visas have expired, but were unable to return home due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. — VNS

Published : September 30, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006832

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite some positive developments in recent years, Malaysia remains concerned over the lack of progress in global nuclear disarmament, says Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pic).

He said the world must remain steadfast in its pursuit of nuclear disarmament, despite the uncertain security environment and the various challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The status quo of a world with nuclear weapons is simply unacceptable and unsustainable,” said Saifuddin in a pre-recorded telecast at the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons yesterday.

He said it is hoped that the commemoration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons would continue to generate global momentum and public awareness of the urgency to have a nuclear weapon-free world.

Saifuddin said during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in 1996, Malaysia had expressed concern that the indefinite extension would not serve as an incentive towards the universality of the treaty, but would be a carte blanche for the nuclear-armed states to retain their weapons indefinitely.

“These concerns remain true until today. For countries in possession of nuclear weapons, they continue to uphold the potential utility of such weapons. In extension, nuclear umbrella states also continue to promote the existence of such weapons,” he said.

Saifuddin pointed out that attaining a nuclear weapon-free world has been a longstanding desire of the international community since the inaugural United Nations General Assembly in 1946.

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He said this brought about the NPT, which remains until today the cornerstone of global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

“While we come closer to the 10th NPT Review Conference, the existential threat facing humanity posed by the existence and modernisation of nuclear weapons remains,” he said.

Moreover, Saifuddin said the nuclear disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation architecture are being strained and pulled apart.

As such, he said it is imperative and more critical than ever that the world act on nuclear disarmament. “The only and absolute guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination,” he said.

Saifuddin said Malaysia hopes that State Parties would reaffirm their obligations and past commitments towards the Treaty at the upcoming 10th NPT Review Conference, and progress effectively towards their implementation.

He stated that Malaysia also welcomed the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on Jan 22 this year, which further strengthens global norms that nuclear weapons are unacceptable.

“It should not be used; should not be threatened to be used, and should be discarded and destroyed as soon as possible.

“The outlawing of nuclear weapons contributes towards international peace and security,” he said.

He added that Malaysia believes that the TPNW complements, and not undermines, other international legal instruments relating to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, particularly the NPT, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the South-East Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty. — Bernama

Published : September 30, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006831

China is ready to export one of its mightiest weapons－a submarine-launched supersonic cruise missile system that has been deployed by the Peoples Liberation Army Navy.

The YJ-18E, an export version of the YJ-18, is on display at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the largest arms show in the nation, which means its maker－China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp－has obtained government approval to sell the cutting-edge missile overseas.

The YJ-18 and its first variant, the YJ-18A, were declassified and made their public debut in October 2019 when they were carried by vehicles along central Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue during a grand National Day parade. They are believed to be the most powerful and effective missiles in the PLA Navy for anti-ship and land attack operations.

The YJ-18E is likely to be the best cruise missile currently available to any buyer seeking a real ship killer in the international arms market, defense technology observers said, adding that the model has another big attraction－it can also eliminate ground targets.

According to CASIC, the YJ-18E features a sea-skimming flight capability, a subsonic cruise mode and a supersonic terminal strike. This means that after it is launched from a submarine, the missile flies below the speed of sound very close to the sea surface until it approaches the target. Then the missile drops its cruise propulsion back shell and charges toward the target at an ultrafast speed.

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This unique trajectory is in stark contrast to the more common linear flight path of traditional anti-ship missiles and allows the weapon to attack hostile ships far from its carrying submarine in a manner that is hard to detect, the State-owned defense contractor said.

The missile is able to sink large ships and hit fixed targets on the land, CASIC said, noting that it can also be mounted on ground vehicles and ships.

The YJ-18E has a maximum strike range of 290 kilometers, according to the company, which has not revealed other specifications about the weapon.

Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that the YJ-18E is better than almost all other anti-ship cruise missiles on the international market because it integrates subsonic and supersonic flight modes－utilizing the advantages of both－while others use either a subsonic or supersonic approach.

“It boasts a long hit range, low-detectable design, strong penetration capability and a powerful warhead,” he said. “Compared with other competitors, the model is especially better in terms of flight range and terminal attack method, having obvious advantages over others of its kind.”

The biennial China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, popularly known as the Zhuhai Airshow, is being held from Tuesday to Sunday in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

The exhibition is one of the largest defense exhibitions in the world and the only regular occasion for members of the public to closely observe Chinese weapons, especially those designed for export.

The 13th exhibition was originally scheduled to open in November last year, but was postponed due to the impact of COVID-19.

More than 700 enterprises from nearly 40 countries and regions are taking part in this year’s event, according to its organizing committee.

By Zhao Lei/China Daily

Published : September 30, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006830

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has ranked last among 53 countries in a study that measures economies’ resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking report published Tuesday, the Philippines is at the bottom of the list with a score of 40.2.

This is one rank lower in the previous report published in June 2021 where the Philippines ranked 52 out of 53 countries.

Other Southeast Asian countries joined the Philippines at the bottom of the list — Indonesia with a score of 52.4, Thailand with 47.6, Malaysia with 44.1, and Vietnam with 43.7.

“Southeast Asian economies continue to populate the Ranking’s bottom rungs in September, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines the last five. While the region’s outbreak may have peaked, their export-reliant economies are still struggling from the hit,” Bloomberg said.

Indicators used in the report include vaccination coverage, severity of lockdowns and restrictions, progress on restarting travel and easing border curbs, case fatality rate, and the overall mortality throughout the pandemic.

European countries topped the list with Ireland getting a resilience score of 79.4, Spain with 78.2, Netherlands with 76.4, Finland with 76.1, and Denmark with 75.3.

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The report noted lessons that can be learned from the COVID-19 situation.

“A constant of the consistently high-ranked economies has been a widespread degree of government trust and societal compliance,” Bloomberg said.

It also stressed the importance of investment in public health infrastructure.

“Undervalued in many places before 2020, systems for contact tracing, effective testing and health education bolstered the countries that have performed consistently well in the Ranking, helping socialize hand-washing and the wearing of face masks. This was key to avoiding economically crippling lockdowns in the first year, before vaccines were available,” it said.

INQUIRER.net tried to get Malacañang and the Department of Health’s comments on the matter, but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

The Philippines has so far recorded a total of 2,522,965 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic hit the country in 2020. Of this figure, 132,139 remain to be active cases.

In terms of vaccination, the country already fully vaccinated more than 20 million persons against COVID-19.

By Krissy Aguilar/INQUIRER.net

Published : September 30, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006829

The Liberal Democratic Party elected Fumio Kishida as its 27th president on Wednesday. Kishida, 64, will be appointed the prime minister in an extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Oct. 4. His term as party president runs through Sept. 30, 2024.

The former LDP Policy Research Council chairperson earned 257 votes in a runoff to defeat Taro Kono, the administrative and regulatory reform minister, who won 170 votes.

The LDP election was held after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s announcement he would not seek reelection to lead the ruling party.

In the first round, four candidates vied for 764 votes, half from Diet members and half based on votes from rank-and-file members and members of affiliated groups.

Kishida finished in the top spot with 256 votes, while Kono, 58, earned the second-most ballots with 255. They were followed by former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi with 188 and LDP Executive Acting Secretary General Seiko Noda with 63.

As none of the four won a majority, Kishida and Kono participated in a runoff that involved 382 votes from Diet members and one vote from each of the LDP’s 47 prefectural chapters.

Many lawmakers who supported Takaichi in the first round likely voted for Kishida in the runoff.

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During the campaign, Kishida stressed his commitment to party reform. He pledged to “restore political confidence by listening to the voices of the people,” through such means as placing term limits on the party’s executive posts.

Kishida served as foreign minister for four years and seven months in the second administration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, giving him the second-longest tenure of a postwar foreign minister after former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. In last year’s presidential election, Kishida earned the second-most votes after Suga.

Once appointed, Kishida will be the 100th prime minister. The ordinal numbers used in the official counting of prime ministers are based on the term between the person being appointed as prime minister to form a cabinet and their resignation. Therefore, the number increases each time a “new” prime minister takes office, even if the same person assumes the post on multiple occasions. For this reason, the ordinal number is higher than the actual number of individuals who have served as prime minister.

Published : September 30, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006793

MANILA, Philippines—After much speculation, Manny Pacquiao is hanging up his gloves. Pacquiao confirmed his retirement from boxing on Wednesday in a 14-minute video statement on Facebook.

“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today, I am announcing my retirement,” Pacquiao said.

“I never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world especially the Filipino people for supporting Manny Pacquiao,” he added. “Goodbye boxing, thank you for changing my life.”

To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you! Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it. Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Good bye boxing. https://t.co/Bde4wO82sA

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— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) September 29, 2021

In what turned out to be his swan song, Pacquiao was upset by Cuban Yordenis Ugas in August in Las Vegas.

Despite the stunning loss, Pacquiao’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever do it has long been cemented.

Pacquiao is boxing’s only eight-division champion. He won his first world title as a flyweight in 1998, three years after making his debut as a scrawny 16-year-old.

In 2001, Pacquiao made his United States debut as a replacement fighter and scored a scintillating win over the favored Lehlo Ledwaba to claim the IBF super bantamweight crown.

The bout, his first of many under hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach, paved way for his stardom.

His best years in the ring arguably came from 2008 to 2011 when he conquered one weight class after another which culminated with a 12-round demolition of Antonio Margarito for the WBC light middleweight belt.

During that spectacular stretch, Pacquiao dominated the likes of Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya. In April 2016, after beating Tim Bradley in their third fight, Pacquiao announced his retirement but only to return in the ring seven months later and outclass Jessie Vargas.

“I will never forget what I’ve done and accomplished in my life and I can’t imagine I just heard the final bell. Tapos na ang boxing (boxing is over),” the senator and presidential aspirant said.

Walking away from boxing means Pacquiao will get to solely focus on his political career as he aims for the highest post in the 2022 elections.

Pacquiao, who was elected senator in 2016, threw his hat into the presidential race 10 days ago as the standard-bearer for the PDP-Laban faction.

Published : September 29, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006783

The election to replace LDP President Yoshihide Suga, the departing prime minister, is set for Wednesday, when the Liberal Democratic Party’s Diet members will vote, and the ballots of rank-and-file members as well as members of affiliated groups will be counted.

The candidates are Taro Kono, 58, administrative and regulatory reform minister; Fumio Kishida, 64, former LDP Policy Research Council chairperson; Sanae Takaichi, 60, former internal affairs and communications minister; and Seiko Noda, 61, LDP executive acting secretary general.

The need to restart nuclear power plants is a view shared by all four candidates vying to become the party president and next prime minister. Sharp differences among the hopefuls emerge, however, over the country’s overall energy policy.

While the four agree that nuclear power plants should be restarted, Kono has a negative view on building new plants. He has been the only candidate to mention the need to review the nuclear fuel cycle in which spent nuclear fuel is reused.

“We should end [the nuclear fuel cycle] as soon as possible,” he has said.

Kishida and Takaichi call for maintaining nuclear power technology and developing next-generation small modular reactors.

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Noda proposes a plan to promote geothermal power generation.

Regarding the pension system, Kono advocates the creation of a guaranteed minimum pension funded by the consumption tax. Kono is also critical of the current system.

“Those who don’t have the income to pay insurance premiums will see their pensions reduced and will be forced to receive public assistance,” he has said.

Takaichi has said that Kono’s proposal would mean “a hefty tax increase.”

Kishida and Takaichi are calling for expanding the coverage of the employees’ pension program to self-employed people.

On defense policy, Takaichi and Kishida approve of Japan possessing the capability to attack enemy bases, including enemy missile launch sites, for self-defense purposes. Takaichi has called for enacting laws to allow Japan to “promptly nullify [the abilities of] enemy bases,” while Kishida has said that this is “a viable option.”

Kono and Noda are not in favor of that approach. Kono has questioned the feasibility of the idea, arguing, “This discussion only applies to the era when missiles are launched from fixed bases.”

There was general agreement, however, on the direction to take regarding issues such as constitutional revision, measures against the novel coronavirus and relations with Taiwan.

All say they respect the four-item revision proposal compiled by the LDP in 2018, which includes a clear stipulation of the legal grounds for the Self-Defense Forces, and intend to proceed along these lines in Diet deliberations.

They also share the view that the central government needs to take the lead in securing hospital beds in order to bring the pandemic under control.

Published : September 29, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006782

The Office of Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services announced on September 27th that military[Tatmadaw] will be suspending its military operations until February 28th of 2022.

There are totaling 15 facts in the military’s announcement. Some facts are the military announced the statements on ceasefire and perpetual peace 20 times from December 21st of 2018 to September 27th . During the period of more than two years and nine months, the Tatmadaw built a ceasefire and perpetual peace.

Moreover, the announcement reported that not only the meeting between the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar affairs but also some EAOs welcomed the further urging of the ceasefire. The government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has ceased the firing. Vaccination for prevention of COVID-19 is being undertaken for the people residing in the EAOs areas, people from internally displaced person camps and Bengalis in Rakhine State.

As a gesture of hailing the Diamond Jubilee Union Day which will fall soon, the government issued a statement to further extend the five-month suspension of military operations of the Tatmadaw from October 1st of 2021 to February 28th of 2022 with the aim of effectively carrying out prevention, control and treatment activities of COVID-19 across Myanmar, restoring the perpetual peace in the entire nation and boosting the peace process, except for the period of security for life and property of the people, secure and smooth transportation in addition to the State defence and administrative measures across Myanmar in addition to undermining the security and administrative machinery of the government throughout the nation.

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Published : September 29, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006781

Country aims to rank among worlds best as strategic force in science by 2035

President Xi Jinping has set out a vision to develop China into a global hub for talented people and innovation, with steps to train and bring in more top-flight professionals to enable them to fulfill their potential.

Speaking at a central work conference on human resources－held in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday－Xi called for greater emphasis to be given to training talent and quicker steps to establish a competitive edge in human resources.

As China edges closer to the grand goal of realizing its great rejuvenation, the nation is more eager for talented people than at any period in history, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

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The country’s competitive strength and national development and rejuvenation hinge on the fostering of more talented people, he said.

Xi summed up key experiences of the nation’s work related to talent in eight areas, including adhering to the Party’s across-the-board leadership, following the strategy of talent-led growth and focusing on the forefront of global science and technology, the economy, the major demands of the country and people’s health.

He unveiled the nation’s goals in this area over the next 15 years. By 2025, China will see a sharp increase in spending on research and development, secure important progress in developing a leading force in scientific and technological innovation, bring together more top scientists and have a large number of talented people in core technologies.

China will establish a talent system in keeping with high-quality growth and have stronger appeal to high-caliber talent globally by 2030. By 2035, China aims to rank among the world’s top nations in terms of being a strategic force in science and technology and have high-caliber talent, he said.

The president proposed building a leading area for high-caliber talent in Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, saying that the nation’s high-quality resources should prioritize support for a group of national laboratories and new research institutions.

China will launch an international, big science plan to offer a leading innovation platform for talent, he said.

In deepening the institutional reform for talent development, Xi highlighted the need to give play to the role of employers in training and bringing in talented people and enabling them to fulfill their potential.

Scientists must be given greater say in deciding what technological routes to take, allocation of funds and resources, he said, adding that it is equally important to ensure that scientific and research programs can yield outcomes.

Xi urged stronger efforts to train scientists and enable them to play a more important role, adding that it is important to find more scientific workers with broad horizons, strong foresight and judgment.

The role of national laboratories, research institutions, high-level universities and leading tech companies must be amplified to develop a large number of leading scholars and innovation teams, he said.

The nation must focus the strength of its talent policies on young specialists while enabling them to take major responsibility, he added.

China, with the world’s biggest higher-education system, is capable of training a large number of high-caliber talented people, giving rise to leading scholars, he said.

Higher-education institutions, especially top universities, must play a major role in training talented people in the areas of fundamental research, with measures to develop a host of training bases in fundamental science, he said.

Xi also underlined the need to give rise to more philosophers, social scientists and artists, saying that stronger measures must be taken to enhance international exchanges of talent.

He called for special policies to be adopted for talented people in short supply and the establishment of a trust-based mechanism to enable them to play their roles.

Published : September 29, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40006780

However, experts advise not to let our guards down yet.

Bhutan has not reported any positive Covid-19 cases from the community for 45 straight days. The last positive case from the community was reported on August 14: an individual from Gomtu, Samtse.

A member of the technical advisory group (TAG) for Covid-19, Dr Tshokey said that with the exception of a few countries, globally, the overall number of Covid-19 cases is gradually dropping. At the same time, he said, the vaccination coverage is increasing.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of yesterday, more than 231 million (M) confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported, including 4.74M deaths. As of September 22, 5.874 billion (B) doses of vaccines have been administered globally.

Dr Tshokey said that since the detection of the highly contagious Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in December last year, there have been no other variants of that level of concern detected that could pose a new major threat to humanity. “However, there are some variants of interest that are still under WHO’s observation.”

He said: “It’s been a while since we have had to face some potentially dangerous variants of the virus like the Delta variant. Also, because the number of new cases is on the decline, these are some good signs in these difficult times.”

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However, he added that there were still a few countries where the rate of daily new cases is still on the rise. “These countries also have very poor vaccine coverage and are struggling to contain the outbreaks,” he said, adding that as the transmission of the virus escalates in these countries, the risk of potentially dangerous variants like the Delta developing was very likely. “If a new variant of concern should emerge, it would be from one of these countries. So no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

The clinical microbiologist said that the Covid-19 situation in India has also been improving compared to its situation at the beginning of the year.

According to a WHO report, there has been a gradual decline in the number of new cases in India. In the past week (September 15-21), as compared to the previous week (September 8-14), there was a seven percent drop in the number of new cases in India.

However, some of the experts are already warning of an ‘imminent’ third wave of the pandemic in the Indian subcontinent sometime next month. Observers say, given the unpredictable nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the relaxations that have come about in India, a third wave is inevitable.

“A surge in cases in India has a direct impact on Bhutan. One of the longest outbreaks in the country earlier this year was a direct result of the second wave in India,” said a health official.

A worrying trend

Dr Tshokey said that despite the positive situation of having no community cases for more than six weeks, there is a ‘worrying trend’ growing in the country, especially in Thimphu. “People are seen without face masks in town, or wearing them inappropriately, and the frequency and size of social gatherings have also increased. This is a big concern.”

He said that although the government has not made any major revisions to the existing Covid-19 protocols, a general sense of complacency had already settled on the capital. “People coming from places like Mongar and Zhemgang to Thimphu complain about how relaxed people in the capital have become.”

He added: “The protocols are there and the government and taskforce can do only so much. But this is a very worrying trend we are seeing in Thimphu today.”

By Younten Tshedup/Kuensel Online

Published : September 29, 2021