Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Six In The Morning Wednesday 28 July 2021

 

China appears to be expanding its nuclear capabilities, US researchers say in new report

Updated 0527 GMT (1327 HKT) July 28, 2021


China is building a second field of missile silos in its western deserts, according to a new study, which researchers say signals a potential expansion of its nuclear arsenal and calls into question Beijing's commitment to its "minimum deterrence" strategy.

Identified via satellite imagery, the new missile base in China's Xinjiang region may eventually include 110 silos, said the report released Monday by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).
It is the second apparent silo field uncovered this month by researchers, adding to 120 silos that appear to be under construction in the neighboring province of Gansu, as detailed by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.


Myanmar could become Covid ‘super-spreader’ state, says UN expert



Special rapporteur urges security council to call for ceasefire amid fears Covid will spread across wider region

 in Bangkok

Myanmar is at risk of becoming a super-spreader Covid state that fuels outbreaks across the region, the UN special rapporteur for the country has warned as he urged the security council to call for a ceasefire.

The south-east Asian country is facing its most severe outbreak yet, on top of a deep political and economic crisis brought about by the military coup in February. Its vaccination programme has ground to a standstill, testing has collapsed, and government hospitals are barely functioning.

Doctors, who have been at the forefront of an anti-junta strike and are refusing to work in state hospitals, have been forced to treat patients in secret because they face the constant threat of military violence or arrest.


Is the Geneva Refugee Convention living up to the times?

As the UN document turns 70 years old, experts say there is a lack of political will to implement the rights of refugees under the agreement. Countries in Africa are already moving beyond it.

Defending human rights is Hamado Dipama's passion. It's something he's been committed to every day since he fled politically motivated violence in his home country, Burkina Faso.

Twenty years ago, as a young student, Dipama joined protests against the dictatorship of Blaise Compaore, who ruled Bukina Faso with an iron fist for 27 years until he was swept from power following a popular uprising in 2014.


Covid-19: France only EU country not exempt from UK travel quarantine

People fully vaccinated in the United States and European Union -- except France -- will be allowed to travel to England without having to quarantine on arrival, the UK government announced on Wednesday. 

"We're helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends," Transport Minister Grant Shapps tweeted, adding that the policy will come into force from 4:00 am (0300 GMT) on August 2.

Travellers fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency will be able to travel from any country on the British government's "amber" traffic light list without having to self-isolate at home for 10 days.


Tokyo governor urges young people to get vaccinated to slow virus surge


By MARI YAMAGUCHI


Tokyo Gov
Yuriko Koike on Wednesday urged younger people to cooperate with measures to bring down the high number of infections and get vaccinated, saying their activities are key to slowing the surge during the Olympics.

On Wednesday, the Japanese capital reported a record high 3,177 new cases. Of those, 1,078 were in their 20s.

Koike noted that the majority of the elderly have been fully vaccinated and infections among them have largely decreased, while the mostly unvaccinated younger people are now dominating the new cases.


Thousands of scientists warn climate tipping points ‘imminent’

Researchers say ‘overexploitation of the Earth’ has seen many of its ‘vital signs’ deteriorate to record levels.

Thousands of scientists have repeated calls for urgent action to tackle the climate emergency, warning that several tipping points are now imminent.

The researchers, part of a group of more than 14,000 scientists who have signed on to an initiative declaring a worldwide climate emergency, said in an article published in the journal BioScience on Wednesday that governments had consistently failed to address “the overexploitation of the Earth”, which they described as the root cause of the crisis.







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