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“I think its good that they meet and talk, but clearly for the issues on the agenda there are no quick fixes,” said Thomas Greminger, director of the Geneva Center for Security Policy.

The security talks between the United States and Russia in Geneva scheduled for Monday have drawn attention from the international community.

The talks are expected to focus on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the rising tensions in Ukraine. Such issues as arms control, cybersecurity and climate change may also be raised. While calling the dialogue a positive signal to improve frayed U.S.-Russia relations, experts are cautious about its outcomes.

NO QUICK FIXES

“We have to manage expectations,” Thomas Greminger, director of the Geneva Center for Security Policy who previously served as secretary general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 2017 to 2020, told Xinhua in a virtual interview.

“It’s obviously great that we will see another round of this Strategic Stability Dialogue on Monday here in Geneva. I think it’s good that they meet and talk, but clearly for the issues on the agenda there are no quick fixes,” he said.

“I would expect the meeting on Monday to be an opportunity to spell out mutual concerns, to spell out mutual expectations,” said Greminger.

File photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting at the Villa La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via Xinhua)

Keith Krause, a professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, said, “I’m not very optimistic. I think that it’s more the beginning of a longer-term conversation.”

“I know that certainly (U.S. President Joe) Biden attempted to reset the relationship with the Russians last year, and I believe that’s a long and slow process because there are many, many very clear differences between the two. Ukraine being one of them, but there are a number of other issues that are quite conflictual at this point,” he told Xinhua via video.

“On the nuclear dialogue, perhaps I would be a bit more optimistic that they will begin to have some conversations,” Krause said.

In a year-end telephone call between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, the two leaders discussed the decision to launch the negotiations under which Russia’s security would be ensured in a bid to prevent a further escalation of tensions.

Biden emphasized that Russia and the United States bear a special responsibility for ensuring stability in Europe and the world.

File photo taken on Feb. 12, 2020 shows the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

TENSIONS IN UKRAINE

The two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have vowed to de-escalate the standoff over Ukraine. Amidst heightening tensions, the Biden administration had previously threatened Russia with fresh, sweeping sanctions.

Russia responded that further large-scale economic sanctions would lead to a severing of relations between Moscow and the West.

On Friday, the foreign ministers of NATO member states held an extraordinary virtual meeting to discuss “Russia’s continued military build-up in and around Ukraine” and broader European security issues.

For Ukraine, seeking NATO membership has become one of its foreign policy priorities. In February 2019, the Ukrainian parliament adopted amendments to the constitution, securing the country’s aspiration to join the alliance.

“Even without these current tensions and without this meeting about to happen, NATO membership of Ukraine couldn’t be expected any time soon since there is a de facto moratorium on this issue in a few very important Western capitals,” Greminger said.

Krause agreed with Greminger, saying, “I don’t think that Ukraine will join NATO any time soon. I do think that the country itself is in some sense divided.”

POTENTIAL COOPERATION

Greminger warned that geopolitical tensions between Washington and Moscow are likely to continue this year.

However, at least some common ground for cooperation could be found, the expert added.

“I have no doubt that this geopolitical competition, this geopolitical rivalry will continue throughout 2022. But I would hope to see in these talks in Geneva an indicator of the will of the great powers to at least manage this competition, perhaps even manage this competition carefully,” he said.

“This would imply that they identify areas of common interest where they would agree to cooperate despite the geopolitical competition. There are some obvious potential areas of cooperation,” he said, referring to issues ranging from climate change, technology and artificial intelligence to the global fight against COVID-19.

“These very difficult issues can only be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy,” Greminger said.

Published : January 10, 2022

By : Xinhua

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

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Twenty-two people lost their lives as heavy snowfalls blocked roads and thousands of tourists were stranded in vehicles in the hilly resort Murree located some 60 km away from the Pakistani capital.

Ammar Alvi took a sigh of relief when he finally arrived home in Islamabad after being stranded in snow for more than 12 hours with his wife and kids. Not far from him, 22 tourists lost their lives in snow.

Like every year, Alvi visited the hilly resort Murree located some 60 km away from the Pakistani capital, not knowing that this trip would turn out to be a nightmare for the whole family.

Heavy snowfalls blocked roads and left them stranded with thousands of others in vehicles.

“It was so scary, we are still in shock and won’t even imagine going to Murree in the coming few years at least. I don’t want to recall what happened,” Alvi told Xinhua when he was refueling his car on the outskirts of Islamabad on his way back home.

“Voices of my children crying out of cold and fear are still in my head … The positive thing is that I was lucky to make out of the nightmare alive,” he said.

Photo released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) shows that Pakistani soldiers carry out rescue work in Murree, northern Pakistan, on Jan. 8, 2022. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

He said rescue teams from the country’s Rescue 1122 agency and military cleared the snow on the road and made way for them to return.

According to Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, thousands of vehicles were stranded in the snow in Murree on Friday night, following which the entry of visitors was banned locally.

He appealed to the local residents in Murree to provide food and blankets to the people stranded in the snow for hours.

Photo released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) shows a vehicle trapped in snow in Murree, northern Pakistan, on Jan. 8, 2022. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

In a conversation with Xinhua, Muhammad Faheem Qureshi, an emergency medical technician with Rescue 1122 in Murree, said 22 people died after being trapped in the snow and their bodies will be handed over to relatives after autopsy.

“All the victims were in the vehicles parked within an area of 2 to 3 km, and the weather was very hostile and windy in that particular place, due to which they had no choice but to completely close car windows for hours, which might have caused suffocation,” he added.

Speaking to Xinhua, Abdul Ghaffar Agha, an Islamabad-based medical specialist and herbalist, said the victims might have inhaled carbon monoxide which is odorless and very lethal.

The National Highways and Motorway Police advised tourists, from its official social media accounts, to keep their vehicles’ windows slightly open while being stranded in snow, and do not let the silencer be covered by snow to avoid excessive carbon monoxide.

Among the dead was Naveed Iqbal from Chakwal district, alongside his wife and children who were spending their winter vacations. Arif Ali said, “my brother loved snowfall so much, he used to visit Murree every year to witness it … but the snow killed him.”

Vehicles are stranded in snow in north Pakistan

According to Rescue 1122, most of the roads have been cleared for traffic flow and families in stable condition were allowed to go back home while others were shifted to different places in Murree before being sent back later.

The military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement early Sunday morning that over 300 snow-affected people including children have been provided medical care by a team of army doctors and paramedics.

Cooked meals were served to more than 1,000 stranded people. Stranded people have been accommodated and provided with shelter, hot meals and tea at various military-owned settlements.

Sources from Murree police told Xinhua that the tragedy happened largely due to overcrowdedness in the small city, which has a capacity to park only 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles, while over 100,000 vehicles entered the city since the snowfall began.

Limited hotel capacity has also exacerbated the traffic jam as people had to stay in their vehicles.

Sources said the police had discouraged the public to enter the resort, but thousands kept pouring in.

“The tragedy is very big and shocking. We have shifted all the tourists to safe places, but over 500 vehicles are still stranded in the snow,”  Qureshi said.

For the local daily life to return normalcy in Murree, he said the rescue workers were trying their best to conclude their mission by Sunday.

Photo released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) shows that Pakistani soldiers carry out rescue work in Murree, northern Pakistan, on Jan. 8, 2022. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

Rescuers conduct rescue work in north Pakistan

Photo released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) shows that Pakistani soldiers carry out rescue work in Murree, northern Pakistan, on Jan. 8, 2022. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

Published : January 10, 2022

By : Xinhua

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010888

Deltacron, a new coronavirus variant, has been identified in Cyprus, Dr Leontios Kostrikis, who leads the team of scientists working at the University of Cyprus’ biotechnology and molecular virology lab said on Saturday.

Speaking to local media, Kostrikis explained that Deltacron shares the same genetic background as the Delta variant along with some Omicron mutations.

“We have found a significant number of mutations only previously found in Omicron cases, which is different from other variants as it has 30 mutations,” he said. “Ten of these were identified in these samples taken in Cyprus”.

He added that the variant was identified in 25 samples taken in Cyprus, 11 of which came from people hospitalised for coronavirus and 14 from the general population.

“The frequency of the mutations was higher among those in hospital which could mean there is a correlation between Deltacron and hospitalisations.

“It is quite possible that the specific variant has not been identified anywhere else in the world, so this discovery could be of global interest.”

Kostrikis said that the sequences of the 25 samples have been submitted to the GISAID database, which will make them available to the global scientific community.

“It is still too early to predict whether Deltacron could overpower Delta and Omicron,” he concluded.

Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said more details related to the Deltacron variant will be given in a press conference in the coming week.

Published : January 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

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A Lao business leader said being part of the RCEP agreement would provide more market opportunities for Laos to expand production for export and promote the tourism sector.

VIENTIANE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, could bring great economic development opportunities to the region, and the agreement is very beneficial for Laos, said Daovone Phachanthavong, the vice executive president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI).

Being part of the agreement would provide more market opportunities for Laos to expand production for export and promote the tourism sector, the LNCCI official told Xinhua in an interview here on Friday.

“Laos is very fortunate to build a community with a shared future with China and sign the RCEP agreement,” said Daovone.

“With the opening of the Laos-China Railway, Laos has become an important node on the China-ASEAN land corridor. The lion’s share of the railway transportation of goods between China and ASEAN will pass through Laos, which can greatly promote the economic development of Laos.”

The Lane Xang EMU train of the China-Laos Railway departs from Vientiane Railway Station in Vientiane, Laos, Dec. 3, 2021. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

RCEP, taking effect on Jan. 1, groups 10 ASEAN members namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

The entry into force of RCEP has provided Laos with the best cooperation opportunities in terms of personnel exchanges and business exchanges, and deepened the interconnection between Laos and other ASEAN member countries.

Daovone said, “RCEP and the Laos-China Railway can effectively reduce the cost of commodity trade. It will help support our economic growth by stimulating new investment and providing greater market access for Lao products. More and more commodities from Laos can be exported to other ASEAN countries.”

Daovone has been engaged in the business of logistics and trade with Chinese companies since 2002 and his business has expanded to more than 10 industries so far.

A trainee driver gets trained on Lane Xang electric multiple unit (EMU) train of the China-Laos Railway in Laos, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Li Huan/Xinhua)

“After the agreement takes effect, it can reduce intra-regional trade costs and transportation prices. The cost of our export products is much lower than before,” said Daovone.

“RCEP can also bring more employment channels to the people in the region.”

Laos-China Railway has transformed Laos from a land-locked country into a land-linked country, through which the country has achieved interconnection with China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries, said Daovone.

Meanwhile, RCEP, covering nearly a third of the world’s population and gross domestic product, is a mega trade pact that aims to break down trade barriers and promote investment.

“I believe that the ASEAN economy will definitely have better development in the future,” said Daovone.

Published : January 09, 2022

By : Xinhua

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BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese scientists published results of in-situ detection of water signals on the moon by the Change-5 lunar lander, lending new evidence to the dryness of the satellite.

The study published on Saturday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances revealed that the lunar soil at the landing site contains less than 120 ppm water or 120g water per ton, and a light, vesicular rock carries 180 ppm, which are much drier than that on Earth.

A device onboard the lunar lander measured the spectral reflectance of the regolith and the rock and detected water on the spot for the first time.

The water content can be estimated since the water molecule or hydroxyl absorbs at a frequency of about three micrometers, according to researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

It was the solar wind that contributed to the most humidity of lunar soil as it brought hydrogen that makes up the water, the researchers said.

The additional 60 ppm water in the rock may originate from the lunar interior, according to the researchers.

Therefore, the rock is estimated to hail from an older, more humid basaltic unit before being ejected onto the landing site to be picked up by the lunar lander.

The study revealed that the moon had turned drier within a certain period, owing probably to the degassing of its mantle reservoir.

The Chang’e-5 spacecraft landed on one of the youngest mare basalts located at a mid-high latitude on the moon. It measured water on the spot and retrieved samples weighing 1,731 grams.

“The returned samples are a mixture of granules both on the surface and beneath,” Lin Honglei, a researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under CAS, told Xinhua. “But an in-situ probe can measure the outermost layer of the lunar surface.”

Lin also said that to simulate authentic lunar surface conditions on Earth is challenging, thus making the in-situ measurement so essential.

The results are consistent with a preliminary analysis of the returned Chang’e-5 samples, according to the study.

The findings provide more clues to China’s Chang’e-6 and Chang’e-7 missions. The investigations of lunar water reserves come into the limelight as the building of manned lunar stations are in the pipeline in the next decades.

Published : January 09, 2022

By : Xinhua

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Banker Citigroup says it will fire unvaccinated employees in the US at the end of January.

In October, Citigroup became the first major Wall Street institution to enforce a strict Covid-19 vaccine mandate.

Other major Wall Street banks have instructed unvaccinated employees to work from home and encouraged them to get jabbed, but none has gone as far as firing staff for not getting inoculated.

However, several large US companies have introduced no jab-no job policies, including Google and United Airlines.

More than 90 per cent of Citigroup employees have been vaccinated and that number is rising quickly.

Citigroup said will assess exemptions to the jab mandate on religious, medical, or other grounds on a case-by-case basis.

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The bank added that it was complying with President Joe Biden’s policy that all workers supporting government contracts must be fully vaccinated.

Citibank Thailand, a subsidiary of Citigroup, has not issued a no jab-no job mandate for its staff.

Published : January 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

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To welcome the upcoming Year of the Tiger, lantern decorations featuring majestic tigers, which represent strength and courage, light up Singapores Chinatown area.

People view the tiger-themed lantern decorations celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, at Singapore

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2022 shows the tiger-themed lantern decorations celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, at Singapore

People view the tiger-themed lantern decorations celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, at Singapore

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2022 shows the tiger-themed lantern decorations celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, at Singapore

Published : January 08, 2022

By : Xinhua

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

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“Airlines for weeks have been forced to cancel flights because of staff shortages driven by the surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide and inclement weather across the country,” said the report.

Nearly 20,000 flights have been canceled in the United States since Christmas Eve, U.S. media outlet The Hill has reported.

Among them were 1,760 flight cancellations within, into or out of the country on Wednesday, said the report.

Meanwhile, more than 4,800 flights were delayed on Wednesday, it said.

“Airlines for weeks have been forced to cancel flights because of staff shortages driven by the surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide and inclement weather across the country,” said the report.
 

A notice of cancellation of Christmas Spectacular performance is seen outside Radio City Music Hall in New York, the United States, Dec. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

The United States registered 791,734 new cases and 1,989 more deaths on Thursday, bringing the national counts to more than 58 million and 831,729 respectively, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the Biden administration has started to push for more people to get vaccinations, as well as boosters, the public seem not so actively responsive to the official calls.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that although eligibility has greatly expanded for more Americans to get a booster shot, it “has not been met with an equal amount of demand.”

“Only about 35 percent of Americans have received a booster since mid-August, when additional shots were first authorized,” the report noted. 

Published : January 08, 2022

By : Xinhua

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010860

Giant panda Xiaohetao, born on July 30, 2016, was released into the Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve, a habitat for wild pandas, in Dujiangyan, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province in December, 2018, with the other giant panda named Qinxin. Xiaohetao was captured by infrared camera in November, 2021.

Photo taken by an infrared camera on Nov. 23, 2021 shows the giant panda named Xiaohetao in the wild.(Xinhua)

Photo taken by an infrared camera on Nov. 21, 2021 shows the giant panda named Xiaohetao in the wild.(Xinhua)

Published : January 08, 2022

By : Xinhua

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010859

“Physicians are concerned that these recommendations put our patients at risk and could further overwhelm our health care system,” said a statement.

 With Omicron cases surging across the United States, recent recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seem quite confusing and risky, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

In a statement released on Wednesday, Gerald Harmon, president of the association, reckoned that tens of thousands — potentially hundreds of thousands of people — could return to work and school infectious if they follow the CDC’s new guidance on ending isolation after five days without a negative test.

People wait for COVID-19 testing at the Times Square in New York, the United States, Dec. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

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“Physicians are concerned that these recommendations put our patients at risk and could further overwhelm our health care system,” said the statement.

Since reemerging without knowing one’s status would unnecessarily trigger further transmission of the virus, the AMA suggested that a negative test should be required for ending isolation after one tests positive.

In December, the CDC reduced the isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 to five days from 10, if asymptomatic, followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others. The guidance did not include a negative test to leave isolation or quarantine.

Published : January 08, 2022

By : Xinhua