US SENATOR SEEKS TO BOLSTER TAIWAN'S ASYMMETRIC DEFENSE WITH NEW BILL TAIWAN ESTABLISHES TASK FORCE AGAINST CHINA’S ELECTION- MEDDLING DEEPFAKES CHINA DEFENDS CLIMATE RECORD AFTER BIDEN CRITICISES XI'S ABSENCE FROM COP26 CHINA READY TO WORK RELENTLESSLY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL: SPOKESMAN KREMLIN DENIES MEDIA REPORT ABOUT RUSSIAN TROOP BUILDUP NEAR UKRAINE UN, ETHIOPIA RIGHTS PANEL TO ISSUE REPORT ON ABUSES IN TIGRAY UK'S JOHNSON, INDIA'S MODI LAUNCH SUPPORT FUND FOR SMALL ISLAND STATES AT COP26 CANADA WILL AT SOME POINT BOOST TARGET FOR CARBON EMISSIONS CUTS -TRUDEAU JEFF BEZOS PLEDGES $2BLN FOR LAND RESTORATION, REVEALS AMAZON'S NET ZERO PLAN CAMEROONIAN CONJOINED TWINS SEPARATED IN TURKEY DEMOCRAT ERIC ADAMS WINS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL ELECTION REPORT FINDS 87% OF YOUNG CHINESE IN DEBT OECD DATA SHOWS CHINA REMAINED LEADING FDI RECIPIENT IN FIRST HALF OF 2021 U.S. Senator Josh Hawley on Tuesday (Nov. 2) introduced the Arm Taiwan Act of 2021 to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend itself in a conflict with China. In a press release, Hawley pointed out the rise in cross-strait tensions and continuous Chinese military provocations near Taiwan. “Taiwan is in grave danger, but the future is not yet written,” he said Hawley said that his draft legislation will guarantee the East Asian democracy has the asymmetric capabilities needed to counter a Chinese invasion “so long as Taiwan is prepared to make the difficult choices required to defend itself in the hard years ahead.” The senator urged the U.S. to “do everything in its power to help Taiwan urgently strengthen its defenses.” He said that Beijing will not stop until it expands its
hegemony to the Indo-Pacific and beyond, adding, “We must not let them succeed.” The bill calls for the establishment of a Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative that would “accelerate Taiwan’s deployment of asymmetric defense capabilities” and annually set aside US$3 billion (NT$83.65 billion) for this initiative from 2023- 2027 It also details how the funds should be spent with the aim of providing Taiwan with equipment, training, and other support necessary to enhance its asymmetric defense capabilities. The National Security Bureau (NSB) has established a task force dedicated to countering deepfakes used to influence elections or disrupt society in Taiwan from Chinese perpetrators. The move was prompted by the discovery of falsified photos or videos featuring Taiwanese leadership in 2018 released by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chen Chin-kuang (陳陳陳), deputy director-general of the NSB, said.
According to Chen, intelligence has pointed to such activity involving manipulated audio and visual content, which warranted the set-up of a special unit to tackle the potential threats to national security and electoral integrity using AI-generated technologies. The official added the NSB was hit with over 40,000 cyberattacks in 2020, with the number already hitting 10,000 more, so far this year. Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐徐徐) echoed his statement by saying that many of such attacks were originated in China. China has been identified as an alleged culprit behind continued disinformation campaigns against Taiwan, especially during major events such as presidential inaugurations, national day celebrations, and how the country handled the COVID- 19 pandemic. On November 2, US President Joe Biden criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for not attending the summit as failing to demonstrate global leadership. Recently, China responded to this criticism, saying that actions speak louder than words. What the world needs
to respond to climate change is concrete action instead of cliche. China's actions on climate change are real. Beijing also criticized Washington, saying that the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change while Donald Trump was in office harmed global climate governance and the implementation of the agreement. Tackling global climate change needs more than "empty words", Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday (November 3), amid criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping's failure to attend climate talks in Glasgow. President Xi is not attending the COP26 talks in person, and delivered only a written statement to the heads of state session on Monday (November 1). His U.S.
counterpart Joe Biden told reporters in Glasgow that Xi's absence was a "big mistake". The faltering diplomatic relationship between China and the United States - the two biggest emitters of climate-warming greenhouse gases - is emerging as one of the biggest stumbling blocks during the latest round of climate talks. China stands ready to join hands with other countries to work relentlessly for the lofty cause of human rights for all, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday. The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recently held a plenary session to review a report of the Human Rights Council.
Spokesman Wang Wenbin shared more details of the session and explained the role China has played at a press briefing held in Beijing. "China worked with many countries at the meeting to jointly oppose politicizing the issue of human rights and taking advantage of the human rights issue to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. The representative of China pointed out that human rights is not a patent held by a few Western countries, but rights enjoyed by people in all countries.” Venezuela delivered a statement on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, of which China is also member, and Russia, Pakistan, Egypt, Cuba, Syria, India, Indonesia, Iran, Algeria and other countries all spoke up, according to Wang. They called for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and an immediate stop to politicization of and double standards on human rights. They also rejected interference in the internal affairs of member states and voiced grave concern over the proliferation of country-specific human rights mechanisms, increasing frequency of failure in reaching consensus on Human Rights Council resolutions, and special procedure experts' deviation from the principle of objectivity and impartiality. According to Russia's RT news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently said that reports that Moscow is "strengthening troops and military equipment on the border with Ukraine" are completely baseless and also not true. worthy of Russia's response. Earlier, on November 1, the American
newspaper Politico published an article that caused a stir with satellite images showing Russian military equipment gathered in the city of Yelnyo, about 250km from the Ukrainian border and close to neighboring Belarus. The news site said the move comes as tensions between Moscow and the West are escalating. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on all sides to immediately end hostilities in Ethiopia, after the country's government declared a state of emergency amid concerns that Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces are advancing towards the capital. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently called on all sides to immediately end hostilities in Ethiopia, not restrict humanitarian access, and launch a comprehensive national dialogue to crisis, laying the foundation for peace and stability across the country. Earlier on the same day, Ethiopia declared a state of emergency after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in the north of the country continued to gain control of many parts of the country and plan to into the capital Addis Ababa.
The last time the country had to declare a state of emergency was February 2018, which lasted for six months before transferring power to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Curfews have been enforced and people's movement has been restricted. In the US, recently, Democratic candidate Eric Adams was elected mayor of New York. He became the mayor of New York as the city was facing concerns about the rise of violent crime and the economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently elected mayor of New York, Eric Adams is the mayor of Brooklyn, a radio host and the founder of the anti-crime group Guardian Angels. This is why he was predicted to be the winner as soon as the polls closed. He will become the second black mayor in New York City history when he takes office in January 2022 In an interview with the press on November 2, he said that it is necessary to bring the people of New York City together, and pledged to focus on public safety, expanding the economy, and ending inequality.
The new New York mayor also pledged to revive the plainclothes police unit, which was disbanded in the weeks after the black man George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020 The newly elected New York mayor thinks this police unit should focus on dealing with illegal firearms. A new report from China reveals a whopping 86.6% of the 175 million people born in the country during the 1990s are currently in debt. The study, jointly released by Bank of China Consumer Finance and data platform Datagoo, shines a light on the worrying spending habits common among China’s It reveals young Chinese between the ages of 18 to 32 are prone to taking a "buy now, pay later" approach to consumption. They are also happy to open their wallets for better experiences and high-quality products, even if they cannot afford them. Convenience is king for Chinese youngsters, who spend lavishly on “time-saving and labor-saving products and services,” which commonly include shoe washing machines, breakfast makers, and egg boilers, per the People’s Daily. Sales of these items have been on the rise for several years. During peak shopping season last November, such products were searched for 300,000 times on e-commerce platforms, a 200% increase from the year before, per reports.
Chinese born in the 90s love pets too. Stats show consumers born after 1990 did 40% of all pet-related spending in the country, while the amount spent by those born after 1995 has grown exponentially for three straight years. China remained the leading Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) recipient worldwide in the first half of this year, as the global FDI flows rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest data released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday. According to the data, China remained the world's largest FDI recipient in the first half of this year, with an inflow of 177 billion U.S. dollars. In addition, FDI inflows to non-OECD countries among the G20 members increased by 12 percent month on month, while FDI outflows also increased by 24 percent month on month. The global FDI flows rebounded to 870 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, more than double the size of the second half of 2020 and 43 percent higher than the pre-pandemic level in 2019, data showed. The data also showed that completed cross-border mergers and acquisitions deals in developed economies have exceeded pre- pandemic levels in the first six months of this year, signaling renewed investor confidence in deal-making. Ladies and gentlemen, the El Salvador authorities recently held groundbreaking ceremony for a new hospital for veterinary medicine.
According to the source, the facility is funded by the President of El Salvador with the profits earned from bitcoin. According to the Salvadoran government, this infrastructure project is the first in the world to be generated with profits from bitcoin. The hospital is expected to have medical offices, operating rooms, a rehabilitation area and will directly employ 300 people. In September, the Central American country became the first in the world to adopt the cryptocurrency as legal tender after Congress approved President Bukele's proposal to embrace the cryptocurrency. Within the framework of COP26, the UK and India have announced the "Green Grid Initiative" to improve the connection of the world's electricity grids, thereby helping to accelerate the transition to greener energy. The initiative has received support from more than 80 countries attending the conference. The UK and India recently announced the “Green Grid Initiative”. According to the two leaders, connecting the power grids will allow the transfer of renewable
energy from areas of surplus to areas of shortage. The initiative provides a model of how rich countries can help poorer countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to realizing the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that connecting transnational power grids will be an important solution for the world's efforts towards a green and clean future. Experts say there is a need for more transmission systems for renewable energy sources because these energy facilities are often built in places far from cities. However, this plan will require a large budget. The official announcement of the "Green Grid Initiative" does not specify the cost or capital investment.
Speaking at a discussion hosted by Canada on the sidelines of the 26th Summit of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow, England, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a carbon tax on a global scale, which he said would significantly limit the use of fossil fuels and level the playing field for countries that already impose emissions taxes like Canada. Speaking at a discussion hosted by Canada on the sidelines of the COP26 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had fought hard to enforce a carbon tax in the face of opposition from political parties founded in Canada, and now he wants to take this issue internationally. The prime minister said Canada's federal carbon tax regime could be a model for other countries contemplating taking more drastic action to combat climate change.
A 2018 Canadian federal law required provinces to impose prices on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The idea of this law is that the fee will “prevent” businesses and consumers from creating pollutants. Canadian provinces are free to develop their own pricing systems, as long as they meet minimum federal standards. Canada, a country with a large area and cold weather and a major exporter of crude oil on the world market, is struggling to control greenhouse gas emissions, which are said to is the cause of global warming. So far, less than 20% of global emissions are subject to a carbon tax, and Prime Minister Trudeau expects that number to triple by the end of the decade.
Indonesia could phase out coal-fired power plants by 2040 if it gets sufficient financial help from the international community, the finance minister told Reuters on Tuesday (November 2). The Southeast Asian archipelago is the world's fourth-most populous country and eighth biggest emitter of greenhouse gas, with coal making up about 65% of its energy mix. It is also the world's biggest coal exporter. Visiting the Scottish city of Glasgow for the COP26 conference, Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Indonesia would announce on Wednesday (November 3) detailed plans to move to cleaner energy, with the phase-out of coal being the key issue. Previously, Indonesia said it planned to phase out coal for electricity by 2056, as part of a plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2060 or earlier.
The Bezos Earth Foundation, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has pledged $2 billion to combat climate change by restoring landscapes and transforming agricultural systems. The Bezos Earth Foundation is the billionaire's biggest philanthropic endeavor to date, although he has previously been criticized for giving less money to the charity than other billionaires. Billionaire Jeff Bezos recently said in a statement that his Bezos Earth Foundation has committed $2 billion to fight climate change, this pledge is to preserve what is, to restore what has been lost and develop what is needed in harmony with nature. The pledge is part of the $10 billion the Amazon founder has pledged to spend by 2030 in an effort to combat climate change. The Bezos Earth Foundation plans to spend $1 billion mainly in the US and Africa to plant trees to better secure eroding landscapes and restore high-carbon areas. The remaining $1 billion will be used to transform agricultural systems to increase crop yields, reduce food waste and encourage more plant-based diets.
Once the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos said he will start giving grants and making charitable donations to "scientists, activists, non-profit organizations" – any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world”. Recently, Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, who is in a wheelchair, criticized the United Nations for not being able to get to the COP26 conference venue because the means of transport could not accommodate a wheelchair. On November 2, she met Prime Minister Boris Johnson and received an apology from him Sharing with Israeli media, Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said that she was asked by the COP26 organizers to walk a few hundred meters by herself or get into a vehicle that cannot accommodate a wheelchair. The female minister suffers from muscular dystrophy, forcing her to use a wheelchair to move around. Speaking to Sky News on November 2, Ms. Elharrar said it was a terrible day. She then criticized the United Nations for always calling for increased accessibility but not implementing it in practice. When asked if she blamed the UK or UN hosts, Ms Elharrar replied: "I met Prime Minister Boris Johnson and got calls from a number of British ministers, who all admitted it was a mistake. I made a mistake and am really sorry about that.” She said, adding that they believe the main responsibility lies with the United Nations, which organizes the entire event. It is an agency event, she also stressed that she does not expect such incidents to happen again in the future.
Earlier in the day, COP26 also apologized for this incident. Sixteen-month old Cameroonian twins who were born conjoined at the spine and hips were separated after undergoing a 27-hour long surgery in Turkey. Conjoined twins Mary and Elizabeth Akwe were brought to Turkey for surgery when they were nine months old. After seven months of research and preparation, the babies were separated in a successful surgery that was planned on 3D models. "I was very very happy, for seeing Elizabeth and Mary being separated and well without not any complications," mother Carolina Akwe told a news conference on Tuesday (November 2) as she proudly held her baby Elizabeth. The twins' father, Richard Akwe, said he wanted his daughters to become doctors so they can treat children in Cameroon who need medical assistance.
Doctors say Mary has begun to sing and crawl after surgery and Elizabeth has begun to dance and speak. Ladies and Gentlemen, fans were overjoyed and congratulated actress Kristen Stewart recently, after the Twilight star announced that she and screenwriter Dylan Meyer were engaged after two years dating. On the November 2 evening broadcast of 'The Howard Stern Show', actress Kristen Stewart revealed with a happy voice, "Meyer and Meyer are getting married. We will definitely do that. I said I wanted to propose and she did."
The Twilight star also shared: "Two girls in love, it is difficult to distinguish who will play the role of which gender. We don't want to be clear or think about it. She simply proposed to me." Actress Kristen Stewart publicly dated screenwriter Dylan Meyer in October 2019 when posting a joint photo on social networks. She was born in 1990, is an American actress, known to many after her role as Bella in the Twilight series. The birth image of a Bengal tiger has just been posted on social media by a zoo in Nicaragua. This is the second time the facility has welcomed new individuals of the rare Bengal species this year. Since being born, new individuals of the rare Bengal tiger species, consisting of 2 females and a male, quickly received much attention and interest from the custodians of the Nicaragua National Zoo. The zoo
veterinarian shared that the birth of these three Bengal tigers was a lucky and rare event. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Bengal tiger is native to Asia and there are only about 2,200 individuals left in the wild. The majority of these are found in India. Although the Indian authorities have implemented many conservation efforts, the number of Bengal tigers continues to decline due to poaching as well as the gradual destruction of their habitat. A zoo in Poland is pleased to announce that it has just welcomed a new member. It is the offspring of the rare white-cheeked gibbon. A rare white-cheeked gibbon named Dao has been born Wroclaw, the Polish city's zoo said, moving the critically endangered species one step further away from extinction. White-cheeked gibbons are difficult to breed. Dao was born in late September, but the zoo only announced his birth on Thursday. According
to Radoslaw Ratajszczak, the head of Wroclaw Zoo, it has one of the best enclosures for gibbons in Europe, mimicking their natural habitat with lots of trees and ropes. There are only around 150-160 white-cheeked gibbons left in the wild, as well as about 200 in captivity, Wroclaw zoo said. In the wild, the animals are found in Vietnam and Laos. They have also been seen in China, although not for 30 years. These are FBNC Today's world news Thanks for watching See you in the next FBNC's morning International news
2021-11-07