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☆ Cargo ship from Ukraine grounded in Bosphorus strait, traffic halted
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Turkish Navy's rescue ship TCG Isin sails in the Bosphorus as the Palau-flagged bulk carrier MKK1, carrying grain under UN’s Black Sea grain initiative, is seen drifted aground in Istanbul, Turkey January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Yoruk IsikISTANBUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The cargo ship MKK 1, travelling from Ukraine to Turkey, was grounded in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Monday and traffic in the strait was suspended but no damage was reported, shipping agents Tribeca said. Several tugs were among vessels sent to provide assistance to the ship, the coastguard authority said. Television footage showed the bow of the ship, carrying 13,000 tonnes of peas, grounded close to the coastline on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Tribeca said the Palau-flagged general cargo ship was grounded at Acarburnu at the northern end of the strait early on Monday as it headed southbound.

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - More than 100 arms-control, environmental and other activist groups have urged the Biden administration to formally apologize to the Marshall Islands for the impact of massive nuclear testing there in the 1940s and '50s and to provide fair compensation. The activists, led by the by the Arms Control Association and including Greenpeace, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Marshallese Education Initiative, made the call in a Dec. 5 letter to President Joe Biden. It urged Washington to deliver on promises of nuclear justice in ongoing negotiations with the Marshall Islands on renewing a Compact of Free Association (COFA) that has been the basis of relations with the Pacific territory since the 1980s. COFA provisions will expire in 2023 for the Marshall Islands and another Pacific territory, the Federated States of Micronesia, and with Palau in 2024. They said that as well as issuing a formal apology and meeting compensation claims, Washington should support long-term environmental remediation, expand access to healthcare, especially for illnesses associated with radiation exposure, and declassify documents related on nuclear testing.

☆ The US military is planning for a 'transformative' year in Asia as tensions with China continue to rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amid rising tensions with China, the US military has sought to bolster its presence in Asia. US forces there may see the "most transformative year" in a generation in 2023, a US official said. Major changes to the US military presence in Asia face logistical and political hurdles, however. Other countries have sought more training with the US military or, in the case of Palau, to host US forces. There are opportunities for the US "to expand its access and deepen relationships" in both Northeast and Southeast Asia, said Thompson, a former US Defense Department official, but US leaders will have to reckon with the limits of those partnerships, especially in Southeast Asia.

The House voted Thursday in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act, which seeks to resolve the U.S. territory's status and its relationship to the United States through a binding plebiscite. The Puerto Rico Status Act also lays out terms for a November 2023 binding plebiscite including all three nonterritorial status options. Lawmakers from both sides debated the merits of the Puerto Rico Status Act on the House floor Thursday. While Democrats insisted the legislation is a significant step toward Puerto Rico's decolonization, Republicans worried over the economic implications of changing Puerto Rico's status. Venator- Santiago, who has been tracking Puerto Rico legislation in Congress for years, said this is the first time since 2010 that the House votes in favor of legislation dealing with changes to Puerto Rico’s territorial status.

☆ Puerto Rican independence bill goes to U.S. House vote on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A House committee approved the Puerto Rico Status Act on Wednesday, paving the way for the full House vote. Puerto Rico, which has about 3.3 million people and high rates of poverty, became a U.S. territory in 1898. If the bill passes the House, it will need 60 votes in the closely divided Senate and Democratic President Joe Biden's signature to become law. The legislation has the support of lawmakers of both parties and Puerto Rican officials. A new Congress with a Republican-controlled House will be sworn in on Jan. 3, at which point any legislative process would have to start over.

☆ Australia's Wong to visit Pacific in bipartisan effort to boost ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The group comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, senior government minister Pat Conroy, and their opposition counterparts, the politicians said in a joint statement on Sunday. Discussions would cover development objectives, the "existential threat" of climate change, and key regional security issues, the politicians said in their statement. The group, while in Vanuatu, would attend a ceremony for the handover of a new wharf and police boat "as part of Australia’s enduring cooperation on shared regional security interests". "I am pleased we are ... demonstrating Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening our Pacific partnerships and addressing regional challenges,” Wong said. It is the first government-led bipartisan visit to Pacific island countries since 2019, they said.

☆ The 10 countries with the least paid vacation—the U.S. is No. 2
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The report, which reviewed data on laws governing annual statutory paid leave and paid public holidays in 197 countries, found that the United States is the second worst country for paid vacation days. NigeriaContinent: AfricaTotal Paid Vacation Days: 17According to van Rijswijk, the U.S. also falls short in the paid leave department. Though most countries have a norm of 4 weeks of paid leave, the U.S. is the only "developed country with no statutory paid leave." For employees vying for more paid vacation days or paid leave, van Rijswijk recommends advocating for yourself by expressing your needs with leadership. "Another way countries with the least paid vacation days can push for change is by putting pressure on government groups and representatives.

☆ What to watch on Monday at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But their messages will likely differ a lot on key points, and their soaring rhetoric will at times clash with performances that have lagged past promises. U.S. President Joe Biden will arrive next week, as will newly elected Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not scheduled to attend COP27, but he will have an envoy at the conference. Other things to watch will include a World Trade Organization report expected Monday about the role of trade policy in climate change, and some expected announcements about forests as climate sinks. Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 22 candidates have together pumped more than $435 million (and counting) of their own money into 2022 midterm races
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Together, 22 self-funding candidates have spent more than the GDP of some small countries. JB Pritzker, a hotel heir, easily leads the group, followed by US Senate candidate Mehmet Oz. A hotel heir, a former TV doctor, a construction magnate, a former US ambassador, and the sons of two top-tier professional sports owners. Put another way: self-funding candidates have spent more money than the nation of Palau's most recent GDP or just enough to buy Colorado's Major League Soccer team. An heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, the incumbent Democrat has spent over $152 million on his 2022 reelection campaign alone.

☆ Taiwan National Day: 'No room for compromise' on sovereignty, President Tsai says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday there is “no room for compromise” over the self-ruled island’s sovereignty but she is willing to work with China to find “mutually acceptable ways” to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait. There is no room for compromise on this,” Tsai said in a speech marking Taiwan’s National Day, delivered as tensions between Taipei and Beijing simmer at the highest point in recent decades. Lawmakers from Taiwan and Japan wave flags at a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022. Taiwan National Day celebrationsThe Republic of China ruled the mainland until its defeat to the Communists at the end of the civil war in 1949, when it retreated to Taiwan. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (top C) attends a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022.

Leaders and representatives from 14 Pacific island states are taking part in the summit. Washington and its allies want to boost maritime security and island states' communication links with countries like Japan, Australia and India, he said. SOLOMON ISLANDS TIES TO CHINAIn a statement on the first day of the talks, Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, said he was confident the islands and the United States "can, and ... will secure and build a partnership." Sogavare has repeatedly appeared to snub the United States, heightening Washington's concerns. Wednesday's talks included a session hosted by U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, who praised Pacific island leaders for a more ambitious global climate target than agreed at the 2015 Paris climate summit.

☆ How a remote lagoon and a 'secret weapon' allowed the US Navy to overwhelm Japanese forces during World War II
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In September 1944, the US Navy captured Ulithi Atoll and used it to support the Allied advance. US NavyService Squadron 10 oversaw the rearming, resupplying, and repairing of Navy ships and aircraft, and otherwise supported the war effort's logistical needs. In all, the unit had over 400 vessels, including repair ships, tankers, floating dry docks, crane ships, desalination ships, tugs, floating barracks, and floating workshops. US NavyBy the end of the war, Ulithi was the world's largest naval facility, hosting as many as 617 vessels. An airfield and a high school damaged by Typhoon Maysak on Falalop Island in Ulithi Atoll in December 2015.

☆ Marshall Islands urges U.S. to better address climate change and its nuclear legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS — The president of the Marshall Islands on Tuesday welcomed what he called progress toward a new association agreement with the United States, but said it is vital to better address the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing and climate change. President David Kabua made the remarks at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he also appealed more broadly for help and action to address climate change, to which his low-lying Pacific island nation is especially vulnerable. The Marshall Islands and other Pacific island states, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, signed agreements known as compacts with the United States in the late 1980s that give the U.S. defense responsibility and the right to military bases in return for economic support. “While we have shared goals and a strong partnership with the United States of America, we also have grave development challenges and essential needs,” Kabua said. “We welcome recent progress with the United States of America towards a renewed Compact of Free Association and with it a targeted trust fund,” he said.

☆ Pacific islands a key U.S. military buffer to China's ambitions - report
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's plane makes its landing approach on Pohnpei International Airport in Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia August 5, 2019. China had made progress in the Pacific on geostrategic goals it has been unable to achieve elsewhere, said the report for the United States Institute for Peace, whose co-authors include former senior military officials. This was cause for concern but not alarm, the report added, saying the U.S. should bolster support for island states in the north Pacific where it had the strongest historical ties. A U.S. missile defence test range in the Marshall Islands is critical to U.S. space and missile-defense capabilities, it added. "China views the Pacific Islands as an area of significant strategic interest," it said.

☆ Mii de oameni au participat la un concert rock în Barcelona, în plină pandemie. Evenimentul are la bază un studiu COVID
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-28 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +1 min

Mii de oameni au participat la un concert rock în Barcelona, în plină pandemie. Evenimentul are la bază un studiu COVIDÎn plină pandemie, 5 000 de oameni au participat la un concert rock în Barcelona, într-un loc închis, pentru a se vedea cât de mare este rata de infectare cu COVID-19 la un eveniment e o asemenea amploare. Studiul s-a făcut cu respectarea unor reguli, cum ar fi testarea cu test antigen și purtarea obligatorie a măștii de protecție pe toată perioada desfășurării spectacolului. Imaginile din Palau Sant Jordi din Barcelona au fost surprinse sâmbătă seara și înfățișează mii de oameni prezenți la un concert al trupei rock spaniole Love of Lesbian, relatează Euronews, citat de Digi24. „Acesta este un alt mic pas către a putea organiza concerte și evenimente culturale în timpul pandemiei”, a declarat dr. Boris Revollo, un medic implicat în studiu.

Persons: Boris Revollo Locations: Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi, Europa

Imaginile din Palau Sant Jordi din Barcelona au fost surprinse sâmbătă seara și înfățișează mii de oameni prezenți la un concert al trupei rock spaniole Love of Lesbian. Aceștia au primit măști pe care le-au purtat atât cât a durat spectacolul, iar înainte de concert au fost testați cu un test rapid, în vederea unui rezultat negativ. Concertul din capitala catalană a reprezentat o analiză pe care autoritățile sanitare din Spania au făcut-o pentru a observa cât de eficiente sunt măsurile în vigoare. Spectacolul de sâmbătă a fost susținut de autoritățile locale și de experții Fundației Barcelona care lupta împotriva SIDA și a bolilor infecțioase. Participanții urmează să informeze organizatorii dacă s-au infectat sau nu, iar echipa de cercetare, condusă de medicul Boris Revollo, va analiza rata de infectare pentru cei 5.000 de oameni care au luat parte la concert și o va compara cu rata de infectare la nivel național.

Persons: Boris Revollo Organizations: Fundației Barcelona Locations: Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spania, Europa

Cetățenii Moldovei pot călători fără vize, cu viza la intrare sau viză electronică în 120 de țări. Totuși în contextul pandemiei, multe țări care permit ca cetățenii Republicii Moldova să intre fără viză, au limitat accesul cetățenilor noștri. Guinea (eVisa, 90 de zile)#9. Guinea-Bissau (eVisa, 90 de zile)#10. Zambia (eVisa, 90 de zile)#37.

Persons: St . Kitts, St . Vincent, Djbouti, Sierra Leone Organizations: Armenia, Columbia, Sierra Locations: Moldova, Republicii Moldova, Albania, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia, Herțegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croația, Dominica, Ecuador, Gambia, Haiti, Namibia, Macedonia de Nord, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Slovacia, Slovenia, Tadjikistan, Tunisia, Turcia, Ucraina, Uzbekistan, Bahamas, Bolivia, Comore, Cuba, Etiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Bissau, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Liban, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldive, Mauritania, Mozambic, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudanul de Sud, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Fildeș

☆ Țara care nu a avut niciun caz de coronavirus, dar care poate deveni prima din lume cu toată populația vaccinată
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-05 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Un grup de insule din Oceanul Pacific, care formează un stat aflat între puținele din lume care nu a înregistrat niciun caz de Covid-19, ar putea deveni prima națiune cu toată populația vaccinată împotriva bolii. Până în prezent, Palau nu a înregistrat niciun caz de coronavirus sau deces legat de virus, potrivit Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății. În ianuarie, când virusul a început să se răspândească în Asia și Pacific, Palau a fost printre primele state care au implementat controale foarte stricte la frontieră. „Suntem norocoși că avem acces la vaccinuri, iar dimensiunea redusă a statului ne avantajează în desfășurarea campaniei”, a spus Udui. Palau a planificat inițial ca vaccinările să fie finalizate până în mai, dar Udui a spus că acest termen „va fi prelungit, cel mai probabil”, din cauza unei încetiniri a distribuției din SUA.

Persons: Ritter Udui, Udui Organizations: Republica, americană Moderna, Vaccinările, Ministerul Sănătății, CNN, Sănătății, Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății, ONU, Arhipelagul, Rhode Island, Palau Locations: Pacific, Republica Palau, Palau, Asia, Washingtonul, Statelor Unite, Rhode, american, SUA

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