Home Blog Page 6097

Shipping industry proposes levy to speed up zero carbon future

REUTERS

LONDON — Leading shipping associations have proposed creating a global levy on carbon emissions from ships to help speed up the industry’s efforts to go greener.

With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions and the sector is under growing pressure to get cleaner.

For the first time, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Intercargo jointly proposed a levy based on mandatory contributions by ships trading globally, exceeding 5,000 gross tonnages, for each ton of CO2 emitted.

The money collected would go into a climate fund that would be used to deploy bunkering infrastructure in ports around the world to supply cleaner fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, according to the proposal.

“What shipping needs is a truly global market-based measure like this that will reduce the price gap between zero-carbon fuels and conventional fuels,” ICS Secretary-General Guy Platten said.

The proposal was submitted on Friday to the UN’s shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

An IMO spokesperson said all proposals were welcome and would be up for discussion later this year, adding that “proposals on market-based measures are in line with the initial IMO GHG (greenhouse gas) strategy.” 

The IMO will hold an intersessional working group meeting scheduled for late October, ahead of a late-November session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, which will address issues including carbon-reduction efforts.

The European Commission in July proposed adding shipping to the bloc’s carbon market, targeting an industry that had for more than a decade avoided the EU’s system of pollution charges.

The ICS said “piecemeal” approaches such as the EU’s proposal would significantly complicate “the conduct of maritime trade.”  Reuters

Vietnam’s capital ramps up testing after extending COVID-19 curbs

GORDON JOHNSON – PIXABAY

HANOI — Vietnam’s capital on Monday extended coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions for a further two weeks, as authorities launched a plan to test up to 1.5 million people for the coronavirus in higher-risk areas of the capital to contain a climb in infections.

The Southeast Asian country dealt successfully with the virus for much of the pandemic, but the virulent Delta variant has proved more challenging in recent months.

Hanoi, which has ordered people to stay at home and has halted all nonessential activities since July, has now divided the city into “red,” “orange” and “green” zones based on infection risk.

“Accordingly, people in red areas must shelter in place and one person of every household there will be tested three times per week,” a statement from city authorities said, adding that in other zones people would be tested every five to seven days.

Barricades on Monday separated red zones from other areas, photographs posted on social media and media outlets showed.

Hanoi authorities expect up to 1.5 million test samples to be collected in the next week. The government is eager to keep the outbreak from reaching the intensity seen in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the southern business hub, people have been encouraged to test themselves using antigen COVID-19 kits after health services were overwhelmed.

Hanoi has been reporting on average 50 cases daily and has recorded over 4,000 cases since the pandemic began, official data showed.

Although the numbers are still low, authorities are wary after the Delta variant has helped drive up infections across the country to over 524,000 cases.

One third of Hanoi’s 8 million residents have been fully vaccinated and on Sunday the health ministry called on the capital and Ho Chi Minh City to vaccinate all adult residents with at least one dose by Sept. 15.

Vietnam has one of the lowest coronavirus vaccination rates in the region, with only 3.3% of its 98 million people fully vaccinated, and 15.4% with one shot. — Reuters

Toppled Conde failed to live up to pledges in Guinea

GUINEA’S President Alpha Conde addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City, Sept. 25, 2019. — REUTERS

THE APPARENT overthrow of President Alpha Conde in Guinea capped a steady slide from grace for the veteran opposition leader and human rights professor whom critics say failed to live up to pledges to deliver democratic restoration and ethnic reconciliation.

It was not entirely clear what had precipitated the army’s move on Sunday against the 83-year-old Mr. Conde. A special forces commander said in a televised address that “poverty and endemic corruption” had driven his troops to act.

The putsch came less than a year after a disputed election in which Mr. Conde won a third term after changing the constitution to allow himself to stand again.

For Mr. Conde’s critics, the third-term bid was the final nail in the coffin of his claims to be “Guinea’s Mandela” and risked chaos in the West African bauxite and iron ore producer.

Alioune Tine, an independent human rights expert for the United Nations and founder of the AfrikaJom Center think tank, said Conde’s refusal to cede power had made either a popular uprising or a coup inevitable.

“Alpha Conde is one of the politicians who worked over 40 years for democracy in Guinea. Once in power, he totally destroyed it,” Tine told Reuters.

“He put people in prison. He killed and he completely refused any political dialogue with the opposition.”

Mr. Conde has previously denied accusations of human rights abuses. Echoing other African leaders who have altered constitutions to hang onto power, he said he needed more time to realize his vision of a modern Guinea.

Dozens of people were killed in protests in late 2019 and early 2020 against a referendum to approve the new constitution, which passed easily due to an opposition boycott. Leaders of the protest movement were arrested.

The lead-up to the election last October was then marred by sporadic violence between members of Mr. Conde’s Malinke ethnic group and his main rival Cellou Dalein Diallo’s Peul. Mr. Conde was declared the winner with 59.5% of the vote.

Mr. Diallo disputed the results, although there was relatively little violence once they were certified.

‘GUINEA’S MANDELA’

The 2010 election of Mr. Conde, Guinea’s most prominent champion of multi-party democracy, was greeted with optimism by human rights activists and international organizations.

Until then, Mr. Conde had been the chief critic of a succession of autocratic leaders: Ahmed Sekou Toure, who ruled from independence in 1958 until he died in 1984; Lansana Conte, who seized power in a coup after Toure’s death; and Moussa Dadis Camara, who led a coup after Conte’s death in 2008.

His advocacy earned him a death sentence under Toure, forcing him into exile in France, where he became an assistant professor of human rights at the Sorbonne.

He lost presidential elections to Conte in 1993 and 1998. In 1998, he was arrested on the eve of the vote, accused of plotting to overthrow the government and jailed for the next two years.

After the ruling junta agreed in 2010 to a democratic transition, Mr. Conde finally got his chance to stand in an open election and scored an upset victory over Mr. Diallo.

“I will try in my small way to be Guinea’s Mandela and unite every son of Guinea,” he said in his inaugural address. “The restoration of social cohesion and national unity requires a collective look at our painful past.”

His government won early international praise for starting to reform the army, seeking to prosecute soldiers who committed rights violations, reforming the mining sector, and winning billions in debt relief.

But he encountered swift setbacks at home. Ethnic riots between Malinke and Peul broke out in 2012. Disaffected young people attacked an iron ore project run by Vale, causing millions of dollars in damage.

Faced with opposition protests and labor strikes, his security forces cracked down, drawing criticism from the United Nations and rights groups.

Then, the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak killed more than 2,500 people in Guinea and dealt a multibillion-dollar hit to the economy.

Mr. Conde won reelection in 2015, but more turmoil followed as his opponents accused him of angling for a third term and started organizing large street demonstrations.

His promises of reconciliation failed to materialize, with his critics instead accusing him of exploiting ethnic divisions to his political advantage.

“He really tried to play on the ethnic divisions, which split the Guinean population,” said Ryan Cummings, the director of the consultancy Signal Risk.

As news of his toppling was confirmed on Sunday, some rejoiced.

“It’s a victory for the Guinean youth in general, we are really happy, we say well done to the Guinean army, to the special forces,” said Conakry resident Thierno Abdourahim Diallo.

“The youth have won, today we are free, everyone is free today.”  Reuters

New Zealand lifts virus curbs, says Delta elimination in sight

PEOPLE queue up for takeaway food as a nationwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown eases in Wellington, New Zealand, Sept. 1. — REUTERS

WELLINGTON — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said nationwide coronavirus curbs would be lifted, bar in the biggest city of Auckland, as the country gets on top of an outbreak of the Delta variant.

New Zealand had been largely virus-free, excluding a small cluster of cases in February, until an infected traveler from Australia seeded an outbreak that prompted Ms. Ardern to impose the national lockdown last week.

Ms. Ardern, who said restrictions would be eased outside of Auckland from Wednesday, is continuing to pursue an elimination strategy for the disease.

“We are within sight of elimination, but we can’t drop the ball,” Ms. Ardern said at a televised news conference. “Day by day we are making very good progress. What I don’t want to do is move too quickly and then see a resurgence.”

About 1.7 million people in greater Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, will remain in a full level 4 lockdown until at least Sept. 14.

The easing of the alert status to level 2 from level 3 in the rest of the country will allow the reopening of schools, offices and businesses. Regional travel will also be allowed.

Face masks will still be required inside most public venues, including shops and malls. Indoor hospitality venues will be limited to 50 patrons and outdoor venues to 100 people.

Daily new cases in the current outbreak have dropped from a peak of 85 on Aug. 29 to 20 on Monday.

The current outbreak is responsible for 821 of the country’s total of about 3,400 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. It has reported 27 deaths.

Ms. Ardern’s tough lockdowns and international border closure helped rein in COVID-19, but the government now faces questions over a delayed vaccine rollout and rising costs in a country heavily reliant on an immigrant workforce.

Just about 30% of the country’s 5.1 million people has been fully vaccinated, the slowest pace among the wealthy nations of the OECD grouping. — Reuters

Australia sees future for coal beyond 2030

MELBOURNE — Coal will be a major contributor to Australia’s economy well beyond 2030 given growth in global demand, the country’s resources minister said on Monday, a day after a United Nations (UN) envoy called on the country to phase out the fossil fuel.

Without greater efforts to cut coal, climate change will dramatically damage Australia’s economy, Selwin Hart, the UN special adviser on climate change, said in a speech in the capital Canberra on Sunday.

Australia’s heavy reliance on coal-fired power makes it one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita, but its conservative government has steadfastly backed fossil fuel industries, saying tougher action on emissions would cost jobs.

Australia’s latest export figures show “the reports of coal’s impending death are greatly exaggerated and its future is assured well beyond 2030,” Resources Minister Keith Pitt said in a statement.

In the three months to July, Australian coal exports grew 26% in value to A$12.5 billion ($9.3 billion), he noted. Coal prices have climbed as global economies recover from COVID-19 restrictions.

“The future of this crucial industry will be decided by the Australian government, not a foreign body that wants to shut it down costing thousands of jobs and billions of export dollars for our economy,” Pitt added.

The UN has called for phasing out coal by 2030 in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, which include Australia.

In July, energy and environment ministers from the Group of 20 big economies failed to deliver a deal to phase out coal by 2025. But some experts said there were chances of progress at UN climate talks in Glasgow in November.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said Australia is on a path to net zero carbon emissions but has stopped short of committing to a timeline. He has said that Australia would update its 2030 emissions projections going into the Glasgow talks. — Reuters

Israel plans to reopen for small tour groups from selected countries

REUTERS

JERUSALEM — Israel will allow small foreign tour groups from selective countries to visit from Sept. 19 under a pilot program to kick-start tourism, the government said on Sunday.

Tour groups of between 5 and 30 people from countries on Israel’s green, yellow and orange lists will be allowed to enter the country provided all group members have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the tourism ministry said.

Individual tourists, who have not been allowed to visit Israel since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic there in March 2020 unless they are visiting family members, will still not be allowed to enter outside of a tour group.

In May, amid a drop in COVID-19 infections, Israel had allowed in small tour groups. More than 2,000 visitors arrived, mainly from the United States and Europe, raising hopes of recovery within a tourism industry battered by the pandemic.

But the initiative was paused in August as the Delta variant spread, leading to a surge in COVID-19 infections in Israel, despite a world-leading vaccination rollout.

Under the new plan, there will be no restrictions on the number of tour groups that Israel will let in, the ministry said, but groups from countries on Israel’s red list — which currently comprises Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey — will not be eligible.

Foreign tourists must show proof they have received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine within the last six months or a booster shot in order to qualify for entry.

The tourists will also have to present a negative PCR test, taken up to 72 hours before arrival, and will undergo a serological test once they land at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

In 2019, a record high 4.55 million tourists visited Israel, adding 23 billion shekels ($7.2 billion) to the local economy.

The ministry said “not one corona case was identified among the groups” that entered after the restrictions were eased in May. It said it hoped individual tourists would be allowed to visit in the near future, “depending on morbidity rates in Israel and around the world.”

Israel reported nearly 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, down from a pandemic-high of 11,201 reported last Thursday.

Out of Israel’s population of 9.3 million, 5.5 million have received a second shot and another 2.5 million have received a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. — Reuters

TnT, Terrafirma making strides in PBA Pampanga tournament

THE TnT Tropang Giga and Terrafirma Dyip each went 3-0 in the restart of the PBA Philippine Cup last week in Pampanga. — PBA IMAGES

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) resumed its pandemic-hit All-Filipino tournament last week in Bacolor, Pampanga, with the TnT Tropang Giga and Terrafirma Dyip making major strides.

Both the Tropang Giga (6-0) and the Dyip (3-4) went 3-0 in their respective assignments in the opening week of the PBA restart at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym to give their causes a big boost.

Already one of the top teams when action was halted on Aug. 1 over the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the National Capital Region, particularly the Delta variant, TnT has picked up from where it left off in the resumption now in Bacolor.

The Tropang Giga pounded on the Blackwater Bossing, 96-76, on Sept. 1 then followed it up with another convincing victory over the Meralco Bolts, 91-76, on Sept. 3.

It played the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok on Sept. 5 in a battle of leading teams and came out victorious as well, 83-76, behind a balanced attack on both ends.

The three wins not only kept its unblemished record in the ongoing tournament intact and fortified its hold of the top spot, but also sustained its winning momentum heading into the homestretch of the elimination round.

While they are happy with where they are now in the tournament, TnT coach Chot Reyes said they are not getting ahead of themselves and underscored the need to continue to work on their collective game to achieve their goals.

“It’s very important that we stay on an even keel. We’re a work in progress. We’re not thinking of the record, not thinking of anything else except to get better,” said Mr. Reyes, who is in his first conference back with the team he coached from 2008 to 2012.

The 6-0 start incidentally is the best to date in his PBA coaching career.

PLAYING AS A TEAM
Terrafirma, meanwhile, is working on turning things around in the resumption of play.

The team opened its Philippine Cup campaign with four straight losses before its ongoing three-game win streak.

It scored huge upsets over the San Miguel Beermen, 110-104 in overtime, and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 95-90, in that order in their first two games back then scored a 96-84 win over Blackwater on Sunday.

The streak has pushed the Dyip to solo seventh place in the standings and in the mix for a spot in the playoffs.

“I just told them to play as a team. Help one another and stay focused,” said Terrafirma coach Johnedel Cardel of the mind-set they have.

He also asked his team to treat every game like a championship, giving their best effort and being ready game in and game out.

PBA Philippine Cup action continues on Wednesday, with the schedule of games to be released on Tuesday.

Two games were postponed last week in accordance with health and safety protocols of the league.

Fil-Canadian teen Fernandez knocks out another champion to reach US Open quarterfinals

LEYLAH Fernandez of Canada hits a backhand against Angelique Kerber of Germany (not pictured) on day seven of the 2021 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. — REUTERS

NEW YORK — Leylah Fernandez brushed aside yet another former champion as the fearless Canadian teenager stormed into the quarterfinals of the US Open on Sunday with a (4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2) win over 16th seed Angelique Kerber.

It was a precocious and poised performance from Fernandez, who celebrates her 19th birthday on Monday and had already sent a jolt through Flushing Meadows on Friday when she stunned third seed and defending champion Naomi Osaka.

There would be no letdown for Fernandez after the biggest win of her fledgling career, the youngster soaking up the energy from a seething Louis Armstrong crowd after dropping the opening set to three-times Grand Slam winner Kerber.

“Honestly, the crowd has been amazing, so thanks to them I was able to win,” said Fernandez, who next faces fifth seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. “I was just trusting my game.

“She’s an incredible fighter, incredible player.

“Just putting one more ball back in, fighting, and just having fun on the court.”

Fernandez had grabbed the early break at 4-2, but could not consolidate it as Kerber, the 2016 US Open winner, broke right back with the help of a pair of double-faults by the Canadian.

Having made the breakthrough, the experienced German quickly took command, winning four straight games to open up a 1-0 lead.

But Fernandez remained unfazed, fist-pumping and screaming with each winner throughout a tight second set that went to a tie-break that she took 7-5.

Kerber, 15 years older than her opponent, countered Fernandez’s enthusiasm with veteran calm and focus, but it was the 73rd ranked Canadian taking charge in the third, sweeping the final five games to cinch a breathtaking victory.

“I think it was a tough one,” said Kerber. “I mean I gave everything I had today.

“She played I think an unbelievable match, especially in the third set.

“I think she played also one of her best matches in her career, and she had nothing to lose.

“She went out there, she played her tennis. She really is going for her winners.” — Reuters

NBTC setting the stage for Global Games in 2022

THE National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) goes bigger even during this time of the pandemic, setting the stage for its Global Games.

Speaking in an online press conference on Monday, NBTC program director Eric Altamirano said that while the ongoing health crisis has affected their push as an organization, their commitment is still firm and they continue to look for ways to promote and grow the sport of basketball especially among the youth.

“It has always been NBTC’s aim to identify, develop, and hone the best Filipino talents both here and abroad. For the last 13 years, we’ve seen the growth of the program from three cities to more than 100 cities and still growing,” said Mr. Altamirano, who was joined in the press conference by other members of the NBTC family from different parts of the world.

One of the programs the NBTC is lining up is the formation of the Global Games which will take place in 2022 and is geared towards showcasing the talents of young players and help them pursue their basketball dreams .

“We’re hoping that the NBTC Global Games will open the door for hundreds of players overseas to showcase their talents and widen the pool for our national youth team,” said Mr. Altamirano.

In the Global Games, seven tournaments, involving players 18 years old and below, will be held across six countries, namely the United States (West and East Coast), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates. These will serve as international qualifiers.

The winners in these qualifiers earn a ticket to the NBTC League National Finals, which is targeted for a return in March 2023 at the Mall of Asia Arena. There, the best from overseas will take on the top high school teams here in the Philippines.

Mr. Altamirano said an idea such as the Global Games is timely for them even during this time of the pandemic.

“In the last six years, we have gotten numerous requests from international teams to play in the NBTC national finals. We couldn’t entertain all of them since we have limited slots,” he said.

“We saw in the pandemic an opportunity to even widen our network in terms of talent identification,” the NBTC official added.

Throughout the years, the NBTC has become a springboard for young players to grow their basketball careers.

Among the notable alumni of the NBTC are Filipino-American Jalen Green, who was drafted second overall by the Houston Rockets in the recent National Basketball Association Rookie Draft, and homegrown talent Kai Sotto, who is set to play in the Australian Basketball League.

Others went on to play in local collegiate leagues as well as for the national team. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Karateka Tsukii wins gold in Cairo; Obiena ties for second in Poland

FILIPINO-JAPANESE karateka Junna Tsukii bagged the gold medal in the women’s kumite -50kg event of the 2021 Karate1 Premier League on Sunday night in Egypt.— JUNNA TSUKII FB PAGE

FILIPINO-Japanese karateka Junna V. Tsukii bagged the gold medal in the women’s kumite -50kg event of the 2021 Karate1 Premier League on Sunday night in Cairo, Egypt.

Ms. Tsukii, 29, topped hometown bet Areeg Rashed, 2-1, in the finals to win her division in the tournament held from Sept. 3 to 5.

She notched the title with a timely punch with six seconds left in the bout.

It was the third gold medal this year for her, in addition to those she won in the Golden Belt Tournament in Serbia last March and the Karate1 Premier League leg in Lisbon last May.

On the way to winning the Cairo title, Ms. Tsukii defeated Austria’s Aleksandra Grujic, Venezuela’s Yorgelis Salazar, and Egypt’s Reem Ahmed Salama before reaching the finals.

Ms. Tsukii won a gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. She tried to make it to the recent Tokyo Olympics, but was not able to qualify.

The top karateka is steadily competing internationally and is currently seventh in her division in the rankings of the World Karate Federation.

OBIENA TIED FOR SECOND
Meanwhile, Filipino pole-vaulter and Olympian Ernest John U. Obiena finished joint second in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level Series in Poland on Sunday.

Mr. Obiena, 25, cleared 5.80 meters, tied with KC Lightfoot of the United States. He cleared the height in two tries.

American Chris Nilsen won the event after clearing 5.86m.

It was another podium finish for Mr. Obiena, the number five pole-vaulter in the world, after the second place finish he had in the Paris leg of the Diamond League late last month. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Filipino Alex Eala begins US Open girls’ singles campaign

FILIPINA TENNIS SENSATION ALEX EALA — ALEX EALA FB PAGE

FILIPINO teen tennis ace Alex M. Eala begins her 2021 US Open Juniors tennis championships campaign this week, looking to build on the successes she has had to date and develop her game.

Ms. Eala, 16, a Rafa Nadal Academy scholar, earned the second seed in the competition to be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City from Sept. 6 to 11.

The Philippine bet has earned a bye in the opening round and will start play in the Round of 32 where she will take on either Pimrada Jattavapornvanit of Thailand or Charlotte Owensby of the United States.

In the US Open, Ms. Eala, the number two juniors player in the world, seeks another Grand Slam title after winning a couple of championships in doubles play — the 2020 Australian Open Juniors Doubles with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho and 2021 French Open Juniors Doubles with Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva.

She also competed in the Wimbledon early this year, both in the singles and doubles events, but fell short each time in the second round.

Ms. Eala is currently ranked 754th in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings.

The US Open juniors tournament makes a return this year after the event was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Spain’s Alcaraz youngest in US Open era to reach men’s quarters

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest player in the Open era to reach the quarterfinals of the men’s tournament at Flushing Meadows after the 18-year-old Spaniard beat Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk (5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0) on Sunday.

Alcaraz, who is 18 years and four months old, is eight days younger than Andre Agassi when the American reached the 1988 US Open quarterfinals and semifinals, according to US Open stats.

The Spaniard is also the youngest to reach this stage in New York since Brazilian Thomaz Koch in 1963, five years before the sport turned professional, when the tournament was known as the US Championships.

Gojowczyk, 14 years older than Alcaraz and playing in the fourth round of a major for the first time, made a bright start to edge the first set, but was hampered by an injury to his thigh and took a medical time out midway through the fourth.

The German fought hard, but faded badly as the match wore on, laboring behind the baseline as Alcaraz closed out the match with a bagel in the decider, sealing victory in three hours, 31 minutes when Gojowczyk sent a forehand sailing long. — Reuters