Day: December 21, 2022

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‫شبكة تلفزيون الصين الدولية (CGTN): مناهج جديدة: لماذا تخفف الصين من قيودها المفروضة على فيروس كورونا الآن

بكين, 21 ديسمبر / كانون أول 2022/PRNewswire/ — SARS- CoV-2، الفيروس المسبب لـ COVID-19، يتحول باستمرار. منذ بداية الوباء قبل ثلاث سنوات، ضرب الفيروس العالم بوجوه مختلفة – ألفا، بيتا، دلتا، جاما ثم أوميكرون – مما أدى إلى إزهاق أرواح الملايين.

قال وو زونيو، كبير علماء الأوبئة في المركز الصيني لمكافحة الأمراض والوقاية منها، يوم السبت في اجتماع سنوي إنه لو تم اتخاذ أحدث التدابير الصينية لتخفيف القيود في بداية هذا العام، لحدثت 866000 إلى مليون حالة وفاة مرتبطة بـ COVID في البر الصيني الرئيسي في عام 2022.

بحلول نوفمبر عندما أعلنت الصين عن سياساتها الجديدة لتخفيف سلسلة من التدابير الصارمة التي تهدف إلى مراقبة ووقف انتشار COVID-19 ، أبلغت البلاد عن أكثر من 5000 حالة وفاة بسبب هذا الفيروس.

ولم يأت انخفاض عدد القتلى، من بين سكان يبلغ عددهم 1.4 بليون نسمة، بسهولة. ومع محاولة العديد من الدول للتخلي عن تدابير أكثر صرامة واحدة تلو الأخرى في السنوات الثلاث الماضية، لم تحذ الصين حذوها.

على مدى السنوات الثلاث الماضية، كلما وأينما ظهر COVID-19 ، حاولت الحكومات المحلية وقف انتقال الفيروس في أقرب وقت ممكن، على الرغم من أنه يعني تباطؤًا مؤقتًا في الحركة الاجتماعية والأنشطة الاقتصادية.

أصدرت الدولة وحدّثت تسعة إصدارات من بروتوكول التشخيص والعلاج الخاص بـ COVID-19 ، مما يوفر إرشادات للتحكم في انتشار مرضى COVID-19 وعلاجهم في الوقت المناسب.

قال تشونغ نانشان، الخبير الصيني الشهير في أمراض الجهاز التنفسي، الأسبوع الماضي في محاضرة حول مكافحة أوميكرون عقدتها جامعة صن يات سين، إن الإصدار الجديد سيكون مفضيًا إلى التنمية الاقتصادية على أساس الوقاية والسيطرة النشطة على الوباء.

 وقالت لجنة الصحة الوطنية الصينية إن جميع هذه التدابير التي تستند إلى أحدث الأوضاع والطفرات في الفيروس تم إدخالها من أجل احتواء الفيروس المنتشر بطريقة أكثر استنادًا إلى العلم واستهدافًا.

أوميكرون أقل فتكًا

وجد الباحثون أن الإمراضية والفوعة لدى أوميكرون قد انخفضت، مقارنة بالسلالات السابقة لـ COVID-19 .

أظهرت دراسة يقودها باحثون من جامعة هونغ كونغ في منطقة هونغ كونغ الإدارية الخاصة وجامعة هاينان الطبية في مقاطعة هاينان في جنوب الصين، نشرت في مجلة Nature في 21 يناير، أن تكرار ومرضية متغير أوميكرون من SARS-CoV-2 في الفئران يتم تخفيفها مقارنة بالسلالة البرية ومتغيرات ألفا وبيتا ودلتا.

وأبدت نييلتي فان دورمالين، وهي باحثة في مختبر علم الفيروسات التابع للمعهد الوطني للحساسية والأمراض المعدية التابع لمعاهد الصحة الوطنية في الولايات المتحدة، رأيا مماثلًا في نوفمبر في مجلة Science Advances . أظهرت البيانات أن أوميكرون يتكرر إلى مستويات أقل من دلتا في resus macacques ، مما أدى إلى انخفاض المرض السريري.

الخطوة التالية للصين وسط أوميكرون

الباحثون الصينيون متفائلون بشأن الوضع، مع كون أوميكرون هو الفيروس المهيمن في الوقت الحالي.

وقال عالم الأوبئة وو إن نسبة الحالات الشديدة والحرجة للمرض بين جميع الحالات المؤكدة في الصين انخفضت من 16.47 في المائة في عام 2020 إلى 3.32 في المائة في عام 2021. اعتبارًا من 5 ديسمبر 2022، كان 0.18 في المئة.

قال تشانغ وينهونغ، رئيس مركز الأمراض المعدية في مستشفى هواشان بجامعة فودان ومقره شنغهاي، في مؤتمر إنه مع اقتراب الجهاز المناعي البشري تدريجيًا من أوميكرون، كان من غير المحتمل أن تقفز سلالة أكثر عدوى.

وقال تشانغ إن “الاستنتاج المسبق” هو أن الصين تخرج من هذا الوباء، وأن الاتجاه لن ينعكس، لكن كبار السن وغيرهم من الفئات الضعيفة لا يزالون بحاجة إلى حماية مناسبة، وحث كبار السن على الحصول على التطعيم.

أصدرت الحكومة الصينية مؤخرًا خطة تهدف إلى زيادة التطعيم بين السكان المسنين من أجل حماية هذه المجموعة الضعيفة بشكل أفضل.

وتدعو الخطة إلى بذل الجهود للتعجيل بزيادة معدل التحصين بين الأشخاص الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 80 سنة وما فوق، وكذلك إلى مواصلة رفع معدل التحصين بين الأشخاص الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 60 و 79 سنة.

قال المدير العام لمنظمة الصحة العالمية تيدروس أدهانوم غيبريسوس في 14 ديسمبر إنه “آملًا” في أن جائحة COVID-19 لن تعتبر حالة طوارئ عالمية في وقت ما من العام المقبل.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-12-19/-New-Approaches-Alpha-to -أوميكرون- why-China-is-easing-COVID-controls-1fS73iihxZu/index.html

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“GOODBYE PRINCESS” music video records big success 　Global C-Pop star Tia Lee unveils #EmpowerHer campaign

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Media OutReach – 20 December 2022 – C-Pop star Tia Lee Yu Fen has been receiving global attention for her new single “GOODBYE PRINCESS” and the record-breaking the pre-release animation campaign that accompanied it. The music video has received 50 million views and the pre-release campaign attracted over 100 million views across social media. GOODBYE PRINCESS is a note to Tia’s old self as she bids farewell to the past, and reinvents herself. The #EmpowerHer campaign centres on the theme of female empowerment and aims to encourage women around the world to believe in themselves and reach their potential.

To celebrate the successful release and push for positive change, Tia Lee has announced the launch of her #EmpowerHer campaign. Tia has partnered with four inspiring charitable organisations that have shown their commitment to this brilliant cause. The four charities are Beats By Girlz, Daughters of Tomorrow, Teen’s Key, and Women in Music.

As part of the #EmpowerHer campaign Tia will donate up to HK$3.8 million, to be split amongst the partner organisations. Total donations to each charity will be based on the number of views that the “GOODBYE PRINCESS” music video receives on YouTube. The campaign pays a tribute to International Women’s Day on 8 March, 2023.

About Tia Lee | Lee Yu Fen:

Tia Lee Yu Fen, born in Taipei, is a global C-pop star, film and television actress, and fashion model and icon. In addition to her acting roles and musical career, Tia appears frequently at major fashion shows. As a fashion icon and trend-setter, Tia has graced the covers of fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and shares her beauty and fashion tips through a number of Vogue’s social media channels.

Media enquiry, please contact:

global@redhill.asia

+852 60777342 | +852 93793045

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Drug Kingpin Trial ‘Ultimate Test’ for Dutch Rule of Law

AMSTERDAM — With shootings and threats against a princess and the prime minister it sounds like a crime drama, but for the Dutch the growing menace from drug cartels is all too real.

The top-security trial of one alleged cocaine cartel leader, Ridouan Taghi, has captivated the Netherlands in recent months and shone a light on the shadowy “Mocro Maffia.”

The busting of a Dubai-based “super cartel” linked to Taghi, which used the Dutch port of Rotterdam as a hub, has further reinforced fears the liberal country could become a so-called narco-state.

Despite being behind bars in an ultra-secure prison, Taghi has been accused of pulling the strings of what prosecutors call his “killing machine” with secret messages to henchmen outside.

Commentators say the “Marengo” trial, named after a judicial codeword for the operation that saw Taghi charged with 16 others, is unprecedented for the Netherlands.

“The consequence of the Marengo trial, and the violence that was committed afterwards, that has simply caused a huge shock,” Jan Meeus, a Dutch journalist specializing in criminal matters, told AFP.

Speaking after a recent hearing, he described it as “the ultimate test of the Dutch judicial system of the rule of law.”

Extreme violence

Three people linked to a key prosecution witness in the trial, Nabil B., have already been killed in scenes that shocked the Netherlands.

His brother was murdered in 2018, his lawyer Derk Wiersum was shot dead outside his house in 2019, and the prominent Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries was killed in 2021.

Shot dead in broad daylight in central Amsterdam as he left a television studio, de Vries had said he was on the hit list of Taghi, who was arrested in Dubai in 2019.

The army is guarding the “Bunker” in Amsterdam, where Taghi is on trial, in a first for the Netherlands. Judges and prosecutors arrive for hearings inside armored cars.

Plans to spring Taghi from prison using “extreme violence” were uncovered, said Meeus. Taghi’s cousin and one of his lawyers are accused of helping him communicate with the outside world.

“The democratic rule of law is shaken and under pressure from organized crime,” Wim de Bruin, a spokesperson for the national prosecutor’s office, told AFP.

The threat has touched top levels of Dutch society.

Crown Princess Amalia, the daughter of King Willem-Alexander, was recently forced to give up plans to live in student accommodations for security reasons.

Both the 19-year-old royal and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were mentioned in messages by organized crime groups, raising fears of plans to kidnap or attack them, Dutch media reported.

Dogs

Prosecutors say the gangsters have “no respect for human life,” with members calling their victims “dogs” who must “sleep.”

Nicknamed “Mocro Maffia” because many are of Moroccan descent, the gang is notorious for both the youth and the merciless violence of its members.

The violence has forced Dutch authorities to confront their own naivety about the level of organized crime in the country, a parallel economy worth several billion dollars.

The main Dutch police union, the NPB, has sounded the alarm for several years, with its president, Jan Struijs, warning some years ago it was slowly becoming a narco-state.

Struijs told AFP that the Netherlands’ lenient policy on soft drugs was to blame.

The consumption and sale of cannabis have been decriminalized in the country, but the rest of the supply chain that stocks famed Dutch “coffeeshops” remains illegal, with gangs muscling in on them.

Tax paradise

But Marijn Schrijver, co-author of the bestselling book Mocro Maffia said that while the Netherlands’ neighbors like to blame its lax soft drug policies, “that is not the reason.”

“What we are is a tax paradise. We want to import as much as possible into the ports to transport it again, and that makes the Netherlands the perfect place logistically,” Schrijver told AFP.

The recent dismantling in Dubai of the “super-cartel,” which allegedly provided about one third of Europe’s cocaine, indicates that the kingpins may be moving out of the Netherlands.

A Taghi-linked Dutch “big fish” arrested in the Gulf emirate had reportedly formed an alliance with the leaders of Irish and Italian drug gangs.

Europol spokesperson Jan Op Gen Oorth said the “fluid and creative” networks now collaborate and have their “kingpins sitting outside of the EU jurisdiction.”

“It’s not one group against the other anymore, which makes it extremely dangerous,” he told AFP.

Source: Voice of America

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DP World, Hassana Investment Company announce US$2.4 billion investment in DP World’s UAE assets

DUBAI, DP World and the Saudi Arabia-based Hassana Investment Company (Hassana), the investment manager for the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI), which owns one of the world’s largest pension funds, announced today an investment of approximately US$2.4 billion (SAR9.0 billion) in three of DP World’s flagship UAE assets.

This sale of a strategic minority stake in Jebel Ali Port, Jebel Ali Free Zone and National Industries Park, follows on the earlier transaction that successfully closed in June 2022.

Hassana will invest approximately US$2.4 billion in a new joint venture with DP World through which it will hold its economic interest in a stake of approximately 10.2 percent in the three UAE assets. The investment by Hassana implies a total enterprise value of approximately US$23 billion for the three assets.

The Jebel Ali Port, Free Zone and National Industries Park together comprise a best-in-class group of infrastructure assets, with a solid long-term track record of growth. Combined, they form a world-class integrated ecosystem for the supply and logistics chains of over 9,000 companies from around the world, serving more than 3.5 billion people globally. The three assets generated pro-forma 2021 revenue of US$1.9 billion.

After this investment, which closed on 19th December 2022, the three assets will remain fully consolidated businesses within the DP World Group, and their day-to-day operations, customers, service providers and employees will not be affected.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said, “We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Saudi Arabia-based Hassana, which manages one of the largest global pension funds. Hassana shares our long-term vision for the UAE assets, which have a long and sustained track record of growth and resilience. We believe this new partnership will serve to enhance our assets and allow us to capture the significant growth potential of the wider market. The transaction further strengthens our balance sheet, which, combined with the continued resilience of our business, diversity in our portfolio and focus on supply chain solutions, will support our target of achieving a strong investment-grade rating for the DP World group. Overall, we believe this partnership and transaction will drive sustainable value for all DP World stakeholders.”

Saad bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadly, CEO of Hassana Investment Company, said, “We are excited to announce this new partnership with DP World and our investment in Jebel Ali, a world-class infrastructure asset with a solid long-term track record. This partnership highlights our focus and strategy to invest in critical infrastructure assets in the region that we believe will deliver long-term sustainable returns. Favourable demographics and macro-economic drivers and investment in transformational projects will continue to support growth momentum regionally, while trade between the emerging economies of Asia and Africa is also expected to thrive.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Over $600 million in credit limits submitted on DP World’s trade finance platform

DUBAI, Efforts to close the US$1.7 trillion annual global trade finance gap are gaining traction, especially in the small-to-medium-enterprise (SME) sector, with DP World announcing that its platform has received requests for more than US$600 million in credit limits.

DP World Trade Finance offers businesses of every size a quick and simple route to secure the capital they need to trade in global markets. The aim is to bridge the US$1.7 trillion of trade finance gap that exists, stemming from struggles that many business face in securing the upfront funds required to move cargo.

Since its launch in July 2021, DP World Trade Finance has generated over US$600 million in credit limit submissions by facilitating a streamlined connection between SMEs and financial institutions on its trade finance platform. The platform has registered over 56,000 global clients from more than 50 countries around the world to provide them with affordable access to trade finance.

The latest financial institution to join the platform is India Factoring and Finance Solutions Pvt. Ltd, a leading, independent provider of specialised trade finance products in India. The company will now be able to use the DP World Trade Finance platform to lend with confidence and help companies access the capital they need to trade efficiently.

Sinan Ozcan, Senior Executive Officer of DP World Financial Services, outlined the importance of Trade Finance in DP World’s efforts to enable world trade. He said, “DP World’s extensive outreach to businesses across the globe, visibility on trade data and control over cargo help financiers connect with businesses, identify risks, build confidence and provide credit, while businesses gain access to affordable and innovative financing options to grow their business. So far, we’ve onboarded 20 financial institutions onto the platform, covering 80 countries total, and the registration process for new clients is less than five minutes. By enabling more business through finance, we can support growth and generate greater value for all of our partners and customers.”

Ravi Valecha, CEO of India Factoring and Finance Solutions Pvt. Ltd, said, “As a leader in worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, DP World handles over 10 percent of global container traffic and has terminals in countries across the world. Being part of trade finance is a natural extension for them and India Factoring and Finance Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is glad to be associated to be part of their cross-border trade finance solutions – a natural extension as a leader in India’s cross border factoring space.”

Many SMEs have their finance applications rejected every year when they are unable to provide the credit history along with additional trade data that financiers routinely require for credit approvals. These are businesses who buy, sell, import and export goods around the world, meaning a vast amount of trade is being lost. Fundamentally, the level of access to trade finance is critical not only to the survival and growth of exporters, importers and logistics companies, but to the growth of economies as a whole.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Moro Hub partners with F5 to expand application security

DUBAI, Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (PJSC), has signed a Managed Service Provider Agreement (MSP) with F5 – a multi-cloud application security and delivery company committed to bringing a better digital world to life.

The new partnership entails ensuring that Moro Hub’s customers across the region are better able to accelerate digital transformation plans through creating, securing, and deploying applications. It will also include locally hosted, unified security management to accelerate secure workloads hosted in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital DEWA, said, “We are delighted to partner with F5. Together, our expertise and state-of-the-art offerings will empower Moro Hub’s customers with greater security and protection for their applications and critical assets. This agreement is a key part of our commitment that aims to fast-track Dubai’s development as a top global destination for digital technology.”

Mohammed Abukhater, Regional Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at F5, said, “For over 25 years, we’ve protected thousands of companies from potentially devastating financial and reputational losses. Together with Moro Hub, we are a force for a safer, better digital world, ensuring that organizations can provide exceptional, secure digital experiences for their customers and continuously stay ahead of threats. This includes safeguarding the increasingly powerful transformation ambitions at the core of Dubai’s 2030 Vision.”

Recent F5 solution launches of note include F5 Distributed Cloud Services, which provides security, multi-cloud networking, and edge-based computing solutions on a unified software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. The platform also encompasses F5 Distributed Cloud WAAP (Web Application and API Protection), which augments multiple security capabilities across F5 technologies in one SaaS offering.

Source: Emirates News Agency