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RM 172521588

Xi inspects Yellow River estuary

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province. Xi visited a dock at the estuary, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta. He checked the river's waterways, the ecological environment of the wetlands in the river delta, and learned about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. SOUNDBITE 1 (CHINESE): GOU HONGSHUI, Party chief of Dongying district, Dongying City, Shandong Province "In this exhibition area, I introduced how the water flow has changed at the Yellow River Delta, as well as the progress for establishing the Yellow River National Park. What the general secretary was most concerned about was wetland restoration and flood control of the Yellow River. He also asked about our work in detail. The general secretary is very familiar with the situation in the Yellow River estuary and he is very professional." SOUNDBITE 2 (CHINESE): PEI MINGSHENG, Director of the Yellow River Estuary Administration "The general secretary has always been concerned about the Yellow River. I took a drawing board and introduced to him the inter-related layout of the Yellow River levee and the estuary embankment, which formed a largely closed circle. He asked about the flood control situation, and at the same time, he also required that we pay great attention to the ecological protection in the Yellow River Delta and reinforce flood control at the Yellow River estuary." SOUNDBITE 3 (CHINESE): LIU JING, Director of the Ecology Monitoring Center of the Yellow River Delta The general secretary came to the ecology monitoring center and showed great interest in biodiversity protection in the nature reserve. He asked about the oriental white stork, and was concerned about the habitat of the birds. He also asked about how many years it would take for the Suaeda salsa plants to grow into a "red carpet." SOUNDBITE 4 (CHINESE): GOU HONGSHUI, Party chief of Dongying district, Dongying City, Shandong Province "The general secretary pays so much attention to ecological development, which came as a great encouragement for us." SOUNDBITE 5 (CHINESE): LIU JING, Director of the Ecological Monitoring Center of the Yellow River Delta "We would follow the instructions of the general secretary to safeguard this piece of land and do well in ecological protection." SOUNDBITE 6 (CHINESE): PEI MINGSHENG, Director of the Yellow River Estuary Administration "We will work hard to protect the estuary of the Yellow River and do well in flood control, making it a river of happiness that benefits the people." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dongying, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Xi inspects Yellow River estuary )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172503525

China's poverty eradication efforts create new wonders in human history: Bangladeshi minister

China's poverty eradication efforts have created new wonders in human history, a Bangladeshi minister said. Addressing a webinar titled "Poverty Eradication: Experiences from Bangladesh and China" Wednesday, Bangladeshi Education Minister Dipu Moni said, "China has achieved new wonders in raising (more than) 700 million people out of poverty." Since its reform and opening up in 1978, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, showed official data. According to the World Bank's poverty line, poverty reduction in China represents 70 percent of the world's total, achieving the target set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. "While other countries can't copy everything, we can learn from Chinese experiences at least," Moni said at the webinar, which was organized by Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA) and attended by scholars from the two countries. On the traditional friendly relations between China and Bangladesh, Moni said, "Our friendship now encompasses all spheres of life." She said China is immensely contributing to Bangladesh's socioeconomic development. "China is now our very, very important development partner." The minister said poverty eradication is important to the whole world, therefore it is among both the millennium development goals and the sustainable development goals. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said at the webinar there are currently about 700 million people living in extreme poverty in the world, which means that their daily living expenses are less than 1.90 U.S. dollars. He said China actively carries out international cooperation in poverty reduction, provides assistance to developing countries within its capacity, and is a powerful promoter of poverty reduction in the world. Over the years, China has assisted 120 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbeans and Oceania in the construction of farms, agricultural technology demonstration centers, and other projects. Binayak Sen, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said 2000-2020 is an important period in China's poverty eradication. "We have to study this remarkable poverty eradication period of China," he said. China's success in economic development and poverty eradication offers new lessons to rest of the world, said the expert. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dhaka. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China's poverty eradication efforts create new wonders in human history: Bangladeshi minister )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172503529

GLOBALink | Xinjiang, My Home: Dried fruit vendors' dreams

Eili and his brothers have opened a dried fruit shop in Artux City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Eili is responsible for marketing. His brothers are in charge of promotion and shipment respectively. However, the three of them have the same dream, which is selling the best dried fruits from Xinjiang across the country. SOUNDBITE (Chinese):EILI, Dried fruit vendor "I am Eili. I'm from Ahu Township. This is my elder brother. To sell our high-quality dried fruits across the country, he often studies packaging and promotion in other places, and comes back to teach us. Put this in. Be careful. Yes, do it like this. Wrap it like this. Yes, wrap like this. Artux City has been advocating the development of local industries. We would follow the trend. We didn't expect that our business could be so good. Now, whenever there's a festival, we'd get a lot of orders. These almonds are very sweet and crispy. Excellent! It's delicious. It tastes good. We also pay great attention to selection and packaging, since lots of the dried fruits will be delivered to metropolises. My brother and I are very happy that people can buy the best dried fruits from southern Xinjiang. We are very busy when handling the replenishment and shipments. When we are free, we spend time with our families. We have stable incomes now." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | Xinjiang, My Home: Dried fruit vendors' dreams )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172503526

Russia-China partnership not directed against any other country: Putin

Russia-China relations are "not directed against anyone" and are in the interests of both countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in Sochi. SOUNDBITE (Russian): VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President "We talked about this many times. We are friends with China in each other's interests, and (our relations) are not directed against anyone." "Unlike NATO countries, we are not trying to form any closed military alliance, there is no military bloc between Russia and China. We have no such intention," he added. The 18th meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club took place in Sochi from Monday to Thursday. This year's theme is "Global Shake-Up in the 21st Century: The Individual, Values, and the State." The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004 and unites experts, politicians and public figures from all over the world. International participants traditionally discuss urgent global matters in a wide array of fields. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Moscow. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Russia-China partnership not directed against any other country: Putin )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172503524

Overseas scholars impressed by achievements made by CPC

STANDUP (English): SUN LIPING, Xinhua correspondent "The 9th World Forum on Chinese studies is opening today in Shanghai. And we are meeting a group of young and energetic experts." SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SUMAYYAH HOSANY, Doctor, Panhealth Medical Center, Zhejiang "I'm from Mauritius and I'm currently working at Panhealth Medical Center in Wenzhou as a doctor. I think for me recently especially for the past 5 years, I've been to a different part of China and to see the CPC's achievement in terms of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. And I think that's what impressed me the most, especially when I went to Sichuan and Shaanxi. I was extremely impressed by how the people have literally (lifted) up their lifestyle and how everything has improved." SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ESTEBAN ZOTTELE, Researcher, Latin American Studies Center, Changzhou University "I have been in China for more than ten years, I first came to China in 1999, and now I work in Changzhou University. I have been in China for more than ten years, and I can see the improvement of people's living standards every day, which may not be clear to many of us abroad. Therefore, in recent years, we have invited many Latin Americans to visit China. For example, when students, teachers and businessmen come to China, they invite 30 people every year. After they come to China, they say that China is different from what I imagined. They can see the improvement of the living standards of Chinese people in many aspects. Many of China's economic development may be known to them, but compared with what's reported by Western media, they may feel differently after they really come to China for a visit." SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ZOON AHMED KHAN, Research Fellow, Belt and Road Institute, Tsinghua University "For me, I think obviously, the CPC has always been very visionary, and also has been successful in making policies, implementing them, executing them in a very effective way. It is a party that through a lot of hard work has maintained its vision to serve the people for 100 years. And that is what impresses me the most about the Communist Party of China." Themed "the Communist Party of China, China, and the World," the two-day forum attracted nearly 200 renowned scholars from 42 countries and international organizations. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shanghai, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Overseas scholars impressed by achievements made by CPC )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172503527

APEC finance ministers discuss inclusive, sustainable COVID-19 recovery, refreshed Cebu Action Plan

APEC finance ministers agreed on Friday to continue working together to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery while capitalising on the opportunity to build a more resilient future. The New Zealand Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson chaired the virtual Finance Ministers' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from Wellington. "While economic activity in the region has rebounded and vaccination rates are rising, the recovery from COVID-19 has been uneven. Some sectors, such as tourism, small and medium-sized businesses, and some groups, such as women and indigenous peoples, continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic," Robertson said. Finance ministers had constructive discussions on the actions and policies that APEC economies have implemented to combat the pandemic and the need for a balanced approach to preserve long-term fiscal sustainability while supporting wellbeing, targeting support to where it is needed most and tackling long-standing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, he said. Attendees included finance ministers from all 21 APEC economies, APEC Business Advisory Council Chair Rachel Taulelei, among others. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the APEC finance ministers agreed to use all available policy tools to address COVID-19 and support a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive recovery; maintain macroeconomic and financial stability and refrain from competitive exchange rate devaluations. They also agreed to step up efforts to expand vaccine manufacture and supply and support global vaccine sharing efforts; reiterate the importance of a free and fair trade and investment environment with the WTO at its centre; and accelerate the digital transformation. The ministers also agreed on the refreshed Cebu Action Plan strategy, which encourages economies to pay due regard to APEC's new guiding document, the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, and APEC's new structural reform agenda, the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform. "It was a privilege to join with fellow APEC finance ministers to strengthen our bonds and to reflect on our collective progress to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting has reinforced that we have strategies and tools available to us that can continue to drive recovery while also tackling climate change and improving the wellbeing of people across all APEC economies," Robertson said. The Cebu Action Plan was agreed by finance ministers during the Philippines' 2015 host year and sets out the 10-year high-level work programme of the Finance Ministers' Process. 2021 marks the year of a mandated mid-point review of the plan, which gives an opportunity for economies to consider the impact of COVID-19 and the recently agreed Putrajaya Vision 2040. To refresh the plan, New Zealand has recommended the adoption of a Champion Economies model which would allow individual economies to volunteer to run multi-year work programmes on specific policy issues. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Wellington. (XHTV) ( Original Title: APEC finance ministers discuss inclusive, sustainable COVID-19 recovery, refreshed Cebu Action Plan )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172494352

U.S. defames China as "economic bully": guilty party files the suit first

The U.S. is mulling setting up a task force to combat the so called "economic bullying" from China. Is the move necessary? SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BRENDAN AHERN, Chief investment officer of the Krane Funds Advisors "Certainly that the opening-up (of China) is providing a wealth of opportunities for global corporations to bring their services to China's market. At the same time, China has provided outstanding returns for investors." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CAVINCE ADHERE, International relations scholar, Kenya "Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has come in massively to try and share the proceeds of its development with the rest of the world based on mutual understanding, based on a community of shared interest, where nations engage in good will, engage on trust, and build cooperative agreements around similar aspirations." Is the U.S. a friend of integrity? SOUNDBITE 3 (English): STEPHEN NDEGWA, International relations lecturer, United States International University (USIU-Africa) "The U.S. definitely goes out to look for itself. It goes into countries, tries to manipulate situations to suit its own needs at home, and, of course, to extend its hegemony." SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): AHMED SAYED AHMED, Al Ahram Newspaper in Egypt "Western countries, especially the U.S. and European countries, are draining the resources of these (developing) countries, making them as markets for their goods, obtaining raw materials from them and make them rely on the Western countries' conditional aids." Experts have said economic bullying is going against the trend of history SOUNDBITE 5 (English): FERDINAND DUDENHOEFFER, Director of CAR Center Automotive Research Duisburg "We shouldn't impose our values on other regions, because sanctions and enemy images never solve any problem." SOUNDBITE 6 (English): KISHORE MAHBUBANI, Fellow at Asia Research Institute of National University of Singapore "It's very arrogant for Americans to assume that they can transform China. So I would encourage Americans to become a bit more modest and a bit more humble, and to first take care of America's own internal problems before trying to transform the world." SOUNDBITE 7 (English): KISHORE MAHBUBANI, Fellow at Asia Research Institute of National University of Singapore "The world of the 21st century is very different from the world of the 20th century and 19th century. So the zero-sum games of international relations that have played for thousands of years are no longer what the people in the 21st century want." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: U.S. defames China as "economic bully": guilty party files the suit first )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172494351

Death toll rises to 101 from floods, landslides in Nepal

The death toll from floods and landslides sparked by unseasonal rainfalls in Nepal has risen to 101 by Thursday evening, with 35 others still missing. The rain-induced disasters have left 40 people injured and caused a huge loss of crops and properties. "We are currently focusing on rescue and relief operations. The estimate of the losses of properties will be done later," Hum Kala Pandey, chief of the Disaster and Conflict Management Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs, told Xinhua. "We have evacuated over 4,000 people to safe places from different districts." Pandey said the unexpected downpours that started on Monday after the monsoon receded early this month had hit Province 1 in eastern Nepal and Sudur Paschim and Karnali Provinces in the west hard in particular. "There was no heavy rainfall on Thursday, therefore we are expecting there won't be further loss from now on," he added. Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited Bajhang and Kailali districts in Sudur Paschim Province on Thursday, and he directed local authorities to launch prompt rescue and relief operations and promised a relief package to farmers who lost their paddy. According to an estimate by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, paddy worth 10 billion Nepali rupees (8.3 million U.S. dollars) has been destroyed in the disasters. The Nepali government has decided to provide 200,000 rupees (1,667 dollars) to each family that has lost a member in the disasters, and an additional 100,000 rupees (833 dollars) to families losing more than one member. For families who lost houses, the government offers an aid ranging between 300,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) and 500,000 rupees (4,167 dollars). Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kathmandu. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Death toll rises to 101 from floods, landslides in Nepal )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172491595

Lebanon's taxi drivers protest against hike in fuel prices

Taxi drivers all over Lebanon on Thursday took to the streets for the second consecutive day to protest against the hike of fuel prices. Protesters blocked roads causing traffic jam in Saifi, Karantina and Dora. Lebanon's financial crisis, caused by the shortage of U.S. currency reserves, forced the central bank to remove subsidies on fuel, leading to a sharp increase in the price of the commodity. It has been reported that prices of fuel in the country increased by 60,000 Lebanese pounds (39.8 U.S. dollars)over the past week from 242,000 LBP (160.7 U.S. dollars) per 20 liters of gasoline to 303,000 (201.2 U.S. dollars) per 20 liters of gasoline. Authorities promised taxi drivers to offer 20 liters of gasoline per day for each driver in an attempt to alleviate the impact of the crisis for one of the most unfortunate segment of the community. However, promises by the government were not delivered so far. Bilal Hammoudi, a taxi driver, told Xinhua that he hasn't even served one client, since the remarkable increase in fuel prices, which translated into an increase in the prices of shared taxi and taxi services. Taxi drivers interviewed by Xinhua lamented the negligence of the government which has not taken any practical measures to alleviate the impact of the crisis on citizens. Public transport in Lebanon is primarily provided by taxis and microbuses with an increased number of these vehicles not being adequately regulated. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Lebanon's taxi drivers protest against hike in fuel prices )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172491597

China's leading bus maker Yutong delivers 66 electric buses to Denmark

Leading Chinese bus maker Yutong delivered 66 electric buses to Umove, the third largest public transport operator in Denmark on Thursday. It is expected that the first batch of 33 electric buses will be put into use in Copenhagen from December 12. SOUNDBITE 1(English): TIM VALBOLL, Chief Operating Officer of Umove "When compared to other manufacturers, Yutong actually has a battery with a much longer efficiency range than the other manufacturers. The quality of the Yutong bus is very high. And compared to Mercedes bus, as we look at as a high-end product within public transport, that Yutong is on the same level as the Mercedes buses. And compared with the situation we got in Roskilde that we don't have any troubles with the Yutong buses at all, not even the batteries. So (Yutong is) very competent and a very high-end product we see. That's why we have chosen Yutong again." SOUNDBITE 2(English): LI KEJIE, Yutong Manager for Europe "The reason why Yutong won more and more PTO also relies on our incredible economics, then the super low power consumption and reliability. Our goal and vision is to make all related parties satisfied. Let's also do together making more and more contribution for environmental and decarbonization career for the Danish market." Yutong entered the Danish market for the first time in 2019. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the number of Yutong electric buses in Denmark is expected to reach 200, taking up 60 percent of the market share there. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Copenhagen. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China's leading bus maker Yutong delivers 66 electric buses to Denmark )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172491596

Kuwait's airport to operate at full capacity from Sunday

Kuwait International Airport is ready to operate at full capacity from Sunday, Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced Thursday. The airport will gradually operate commercial flights of all aviation companies in accordance with the government's decision, said DGCA Director General Yousef Al-Fawzan. DGCA succeeded in operating under the challenges and requirements of the coronavirus pandemic crisis, he said, calling on airliners and passengers to abide by the COVID-19 safety restrictions needed to enter Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government announced on Wednesday the start of the last phase of the five-phase plan for a gradual return to normal life, easing health restrictions in the country. According to the government spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem, the government decided to allow outdoor activities without wearing masks from Sunday. In addition, the government will issue all types of visas for those who are fully vaccinated, Tareq Al-Mezrem said. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kuwait City. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kuwait's airport to operate at full capacity from Sunday )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488670

China has tools to contain risks to economy: IMF official

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) official has said that the Chinese government has the tools to contain risks to the economy going forward, calling for a boost to productivity to support high-quality growth in the long run. Noting that there is significant fiscal consolidation this year, Helge Berger, IMF China mission chief and assistant director in the Asia and Pacific Department, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the Chinese government will have to try to strike a balance between making sure sovereign debt doesn't increase too fast and continuing to support the economy. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): HELGE BERGER, IMF China mission chief and assistant director in the Asia and Pacific Department "We have seen tremendous fiscal consolidation in 2021. The fiscal deficit, which is a good measure of the overall fiscal behavior of a government for all the entire country has improved by 9 percent of GDP. That is a tremendous turnaround from the fiscal support we saw last year at the height of the pandemic. So the government is obviously trying to balance growth support, and the need to slow the growth of domestic sovereign debt going forward. But it's a delicate balance, and we would hope that a fiscal policy next year will be more neutral." In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF projected the Chinese economy to grow by 8.0 percent this year, a slight downward revision from the previous forecast. The Chinese economy is on track to grow by 5.6 percent in 2022, according to the report. The IMF official said the Chinese government has rolled out a series of regulatory initiatives in recent months, noting that some of these measures are done with "a very good reason." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): HELGE BERGER, IMF China mission chief and assistant director in the Asia and Pacific Department "There was certainly a question about competition policy in the tech sector. There of course is a reason to look at sectors like the property development sector, because corporate debt is very high and bringing this down over time is a very good policy target. But it's always important to be gradual in the way you implement these policy changes. It is important to be, not surprise markets too much and avoid investor uncertainty around these measures." On electricity shortage, the IMF official said it resulted from a coal shortage, combined with China's longstanding regulations to improve the energy intensity of the economy and to slow the growth in energy consumption, adding that the government has ways to address both issues. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): HELGE BERGER, IMF China mission chief and assistant director in the Asia and Pacific Department "We note that some of the announcements that we have seen put a greater emphasis on market-based incentives to improve energy intensity going forward. These are very helpful developments that should help China achieve its 2060 (carbon neutrality) goals going forward." Looking ahead, Berger said he believes productivity is going to be the key driver for China's long-term economic growth, encouraging the country to accelerate its transition toward high-quality growth. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China has tools to contain risks to economy: IMF official )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488665

Brazil makes efforts to promote biodiversity

Brazil takes up almost half of the South American landmass and is rich in biodiversity in the world. Currently, there are more than 120, 000 species of animals and 40,000 plants in the country. The Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBIO), is one of the entities responsible for taking care of biodiversity in Brazil. However, this organization faces many difficulties in achieving environmental protection. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese): ROGERIO ROCCO, Environmental Analyst at Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation "Brazil, an extremely diverse country with six biomes that reflect the environment in distinct forms in each state of the federation, no longer has diversified representation in its states. There is no longer a qualified representation in the municipalities of the country, and also the representations in society have been reduced." The National Environmental Council, the organization responsible for establishing environmental norms and standards, has reduced the number of its members by 76 percent, according to a decree published by the current government. Therefore, the entity lost its technical capacity to produce new rules or update old rules, as well as the ability to face challenges in the environmental field. The result is the preservation of biodiversity suffered disastrous consequences, such as the increase in the extraction of hardwoods, and the subsequent burning for the raising of cattle. With the end goal of protecting Brazil's fauna, the Federal Government took on the Convention on Biological Diversity, the commitment of adopting measures to prevent the extinction of endangered species. This commitment was carried out through Target 12 of Aichi, a report on the preservation of biodiversity that establishes goals for sustainable development. The goal is that the risk of extinction of threatened species will be decreased to zero. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Rio de Janeiro. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Brazil makes efforts to promote biodiversity )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488667

La Palma volcano eruption continues into second month

The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, Spain, has entered into the second month. Experts warn that it is likely to continue spewing lava in the "short and medium-term." Over 7,000 people from a total population of 85,000 have been evacuated from their homes since the start of the eruption on Sept. 19, after a "swarm" of earthquakes had affected the island in the Canary Island archipelago. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): VICENTE SOLER, Volcanologist, Spanish Council for Scientific Investigations "As you can see, it is a Strombolic eruption characterized by the intermittent expulsion of a column of ash, gases and incandescent pyroclastic material, along with a continued flow of lava, which has divided into 10 different flows on their way to the sea. They have covered over 800 hectares, destroying numerous agricultural land and houses." During its eruption, the volcano ejected 80 million cubic meters of lava covering over 800 hectares of land on the island that has a surface area of 708.32 square km. On its route to the coast, the lava has split into four different channels and has destroyed almost 300 hectares of agricultural land, including 52 hectares of vineyards and 128 dedicated to banana plantations -- the island's main crop. Almost 2,000 buildings have been destroyed. One of the flows has reached the sea and created around 40 hectares of new land while a second flow is expected to reach the ocean "in a matter of hours." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Madrid. (XHTV) ( Original Title: La Palma volcano eruption continues into second month )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488664

Majority of countries oppose interference in China's internal affairs in name of human rights

The United States, France and a few other countries on Thursday launched unfounded accusations against China at the Third Committee of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, resolutely refuted those accusations and expressed China's firm opposition and strong rejection. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ZHANG JUN, China's permanent representative to the United Nations "I must point out that the accusations by the U.S. and a few other countries are totally unfounded. The attempt by the U.S. and a few other countries to obstruct China's development is doomed to fail. China's development path is chosen by the Chinese people. Those countries are in no position to make choice for the Chinese people, let alone lecture China. China's progress is unstoppable. No one can deprive the Chinese people of their rights to live a happy life. The days when Western countries could bully and oppress developing countries are long gone." More than 80 countries echoed China's position, including Cuba on behalf of 62 countries, Kuwait on behalf of three Gulf states, and many other countries who spoke individually, forming a strong momentum in support of China. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): PEDRO LUIS PEDROSO CUESTA, Cuban permanent representative to the United Nations "We oppose the politicization of human rights and double standards. We also oppose unfounded allegations against China out of political motivation and based on disinformation, and interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN Headquarters. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Majority of countries oppose interference in China's internal affairs in name of human rights )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488662

Pfizer says its vaccine booster restores full protection against COVID-19

Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday that a large-scale trial of their COVID-19 vaccine booster showed it restored full protection against the disease. In Phase 3 randomized, controlled trial, a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose was administered to more than 10,000 individuals 16 years of age and older, who previously received the Pfizer-BioNTech primary two-dose series. It showed a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6 percent when compared to those who did not receive a booster. These are the first efficacy results from any randomized, controlled COVID-19 vaccine booster trial. "These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease," said Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the booster shots for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, allowing a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series to individuals 65 years of age and older, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Pfizer says its vaccine booster restores full protection against COVID-19 )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488668

World should avoid politicizing COVID-19 origins tracing: African youths

Dozens of youths from China and Africa have gathered in Beijing for the sixth China-Africa Youth Festival this week. The event is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Fatma, an Egyptian student from the North China University of Technology, said that virus origins tracing has been politicized. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FATMA, Youth representative from Egypt "I think this is just a war against China, like a political thing, but normal people, for example, I'm from Egypt, but no one told me like the epidemic is just from Chinese people or from this (country), no, it's just like this. People know the truth because now we see China is so safe, but the virus is still in other countries." Joseph Oliver Mendoo, a Cameroonian Ph.D. student in international politics at Peking University, has been in China for almost six years. He said that politicizing origins tracing is not the right thing to do, because people's safety should be the priority for the world. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "I think what's more importantly, for me, what I usually do is actually to avoid over politicizing everything, because now the people safety, people safety first, and especially I'm coming from Africa, people safety first, people development first. And then the rest will follow." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: World should avoid politicizing COVID-19 origins tracing: African youths )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488666

Sino-German Automobile Conference aims for win-win auto industry cooperation

The 2021 Sino-German Automobile Conference has just concluded in Changchun, the capital city of northeast China's Jilin Province. Hundreds of delegates from the Chinese government, as well as companies including Volkswagen, Bosch and Huawei took part in the conference from Tuesday to Wednesday. The event mainly focused on global industrial cooperation in electric vehicles, aiming for win-win auto industry cooperation between China and Germany. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI JIBAO, Chairman of Jilin Universal Machinery (Group) Co., Ltd. "In the new energy vehicle (NEV) field, China has taken a leading role and entered into a new stage. In terms of batteries, motors and electronic control systems, China's auto industry is booming. Germany is also changing rapidly from traditional to new energy auto industry. The advantages of the two countries can complement each other and this conference will promote greater cooperation between the two sides." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANDRE RUB, General Manager of Bertrandt Engineering Shanghai Co., Ltd. "Generally I think everyone knows what it means to switch from the normal engines to the EV (electric vehicle). Now, everyone needs to be part of it to save our environment. We want that our children grow healthily." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Changchun, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Sino-German Automobile Conference aims for win-win auto industry cooperation )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488663

Egypt launches 1st int'l art exhibition at Giza Pyramids

Egypt launched on Thursday the first international art exhibition at the Great Pyramids of Giza and their surrounding plateau with the participation of artists from Egypt and other countries. The event "Forever Is Now" is organized by Art D'Egypte company, an Egyptian platform for art and heritage, under the auspices of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "Today, we see a mix between the Egyptian civilization and contemporary art around the world. This is surely very important because it represents exchanges among cultures and dialogues between contemporary artists and our civilization," said Nadine Abdel-Ghaffar, founder of Art D'Egypte. The international gallery features the sculptures and artworks of the artists in an open space around the pyramids. Among the displayed works is a sculpture made of stainless steel rods entitled "Together" by Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn, which features two hands rising and touching each other by the tips of fingers to symbolize communication. The Great Pyramids of Giza can just be seen in a distance behind Quinn's work. "I am very lucky to have the three pyramids behind my sculpture. The position of the hands touching each other like this also looks like a pyramid shape, which is why I made the hands this way," the sculptor explained in front of his work. He noted that he used stainless steel wire mesh with 36,000 welding points and the work took him nine months. Another work was from Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr, which shows dozens of paddles of a solar boat crossed in an X shape to form a 14-meter-long boat-like structure, with a lower passage where visitors can walk in and face a kind of a bottleneck while going through. "The piece is entitled 'Barzakh,' which means a divide, or a spot between two different worlds like life and death, day and night or black and white, while a solar boat for ancient Egyptians was meant to take them from this world to the afterlife," the Egyptian artist explained. Meanwhile, opposite to one of the pyramids, two British artists Edward Shuster and Claudia Moseley teamed up to present their joint work "Plan of the Path of Light." It is a number of hand-bonded optical glass figures with steel bases, one of which looks like a glass pyramid. Behind the abstract simplicity of the forms is a matrix of symbolic angles, measures and orientations, inspired by the optico-geometric magic of the Great Pyramid, the two artists said. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Egypt launches 1st int'l art exhibition at Giza Pyramids )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172488669

Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University to commence maiden master's degree in Chinese language

Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University (AAU) has announced that it has finalized preparations to launch its first-ever Master of Arts (MA) program in the Chinese language in Ethiopia. The Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), also the first MA program in the Chinese language in the East African country, will be offered by the AAU with the help of the Confucius Institute at the AAU. Emebet Mulugeta, Academic Vice President of AAU, said that commencing the MTCSOL would inject much-needed momentum in promoting the Chinese language in Ethiopia and boost people-to-people ties between the two countries. SOUNDBITE 1 (English) Emebet Mulugeta, Academic Vice President of AAU "Chinese-Ethiopian relation, both diplomatically and economically, is growing. The Chinese language, it would definitely expand, and that expansion would support social interaction, economic exchange, and businesses and may also encourage Ethiopians to travel to China and Chinese to come to Ethiopia so that the relationship grows." According to the academic vice president, the program will help substitute the current trend of bringing Chinese teachers all the way from China due to the lack of qualified Chinese language teachers locally. Mulugeta stressed that the newly announced program also offers a rare opportunity for graduates from other higher education institutions in the country to further enhance their education. According to Mulugeta, the university and the Confucius Institute at the AAU should exert concerted efforts to bring about the desired outcome from the program. As part of its aspirations to promote the Chinese language, the AAU stressed that it would provide more space for Confucius Institute at the university to carry out its activities, while also availing more opportunities and initiatives such as cultural exchanges and exhibitions so as to promote the Chinese language across the country. The Confucius Institute in AAU, which started operation in Ethiopia back in 2012, has so far registered over 10,000 students who passed through various levels of Chinese language studies. Among them, more than 100 were able to get their bachelor's degrees in the Chinese language, according to figures from the institute. Amenuael Alemayehu, Dean of College of Humanities, Language Studies, Journalism and Communications at the AAU, on his part stressed that the newly announced MA program was initiated due to the strong demand among students in the country. SOUNDBITE 2 (English) Amenuael Alemayehu, Dean of College of Humanities, Language Studies, Journalism and Communications at the AAU "The Confucius Institute is one of the most vibrant institutes in our college. Because the way they teach the students, their relationship with the students, and the job market for students is another thing that initiated and forced us to start the MA program." Alemayehu further called on strong cooperation and partnership among the AAU and higher education institutes in China to bridge the gap in the shortage of skilled local manpower in Chinese language teaching. According to the Confucius Institute at the AAU, the MTCSOL is a two-year full-time program, in which students study core lessons based at the AAU in the first year, and qualified students will receive further education in Chinese language teaching at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in China. "This program aims to cultivate the high-level and versatile Ethiopian talents who can teach the Chinese language as a foreign language," Gao Lili, director of the Confucius Institute at the AUU, told Xinhua. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University to commence maiden master's degree in Chinese language )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172485841

Kenya, Malawi ink deals to boost bilateral ties

Kenya and Malawi on Thursday signed eight new agreements aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. The eight agreements, involving cooperation between Kenya and Malawi in politics, diplomacy, defense, fisheries, aquaculture, health, tourism and cooperatives development, were signed by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, who concluded his three-day state visit to Kenya on Thursday. Speaking at a joint press conference, President Kenyatta said collaboration and consolidation of ties between the two countries would guarantee socioeconomic growth of their citizens and the African continent as a whole, and called for effective implementation of the newly-signed agreements. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): UHURU KENYATTA, Kenyan President "Through the years, Kenya and Malawi have maintained a strong bond of friendship that has seen our two countries collaborate in initiatives aimed at securing the prosperity of our two peoples. Through these multilateral platforms, Kenya, Malawi and other African countries have an excellent opportunity to explore tangible approaches to build strong and resilient African economies, especially in the post-COVID era." President Kenyatta said that the founding fathers of the two countries were committed to and envisioned a truly free Africa, noting that subsequent generations were required to innovate and transform their societies through economic emancipation and genuine political independence. He stressed that a strong Kenya-Malawi partnership would enhance the two nations' competitiveness, saying Nairobi was committed to working with the Southern Africa nation to ensure that the East African Community (EAC)-Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Free Trade Areas and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) arrangements succeed, as Kenya believes that these arrangements, if well implemented, hold the answers to the continent's "African solutions to African problems" doctrine. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): LAZARUS CHAKWERA, Malawi President "Those best days include exchanges between the people of Malawi and Kenya at all levels. And I'm looking forward to really and genuinely sharing with Kenyan people, the things that will enhance our transformation and looking forward to a better Africa." While regretting that the strong historical ties between Nairobi and Lilongwe had been dormant for a long time, President Chakwera expressed confidence that the signing of the eight agreements would help reignite mutually beneficial relations. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kenya, Malawi ink deals to boost bilateral ties )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172485842

Sweden promotes sustainable transport solutions in multiple directions

Sweden is promoting and cooperating with local governments, enterprises and other associations to encourage sustainable transportation solutions at a higher level. In the field of road transport, since 2018, Sweden has allowed large-capacity trucks with a maximum total weight of 74 tonnes and a maximum length of 25.25 meters to drive on the road. To strengthen the competitiveness of railways and assist the transportation of goods from roads to railways, the government offers environmental compensation for railway freight transport. In the field of shipping, Sweden launched the Ecological Incentive Assistance Program in 2019 to support the transformation from road to shipping and inland river transportation mode. Sweden also introduced an air travel tax for commercial flights in 2018, which is paid by passengers who take domestic or international flights from Swedish airports.　 Sweden has promoted the need for energy-efficient vehicles and ships in all modes of transport. The purchase of light vehicles with low carbon emissions is eligible for incentives, while the purchase of vehicles with high emissions has a higher tax rate in the first three years. In addition, preferential tax treatment is given to purchase vehicles with advanced environmental protection technology. The government also provides subsidies for the purchase of electric buses, trucks and other electric vehicles. Sweden strives to promote the transition of all modes of transportation to sustainable and renewable fuels as soon as possible. In recent years, the Swedish government has taken a series of measures, including setting up an electrification committee, led by the Minister of Infrastructure, to vigorously promote the electrification of the transportation industry and the overall solution of connecting different modes of transportation. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Stockholm. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Sweden promotes sustainable transport solutions in multiple directions )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172485839

Upcoming FOCAC meeting to boost China-Africa ties: Ethiopian expert

The upcoming meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is poised to boost Sino-Africa ties across a range of socio-economic and political sectors, a development planning expert has said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Getachew Adem Tahir, former deputy commissioner of the National Planning Commission of Ethiopia, said African and Chinese leaders will cement existing development and political partnerships during the approaching FOCAC meeting, slated to be held in Senegal later this year. The veteran economist is undertaking a doctoral program at China's Peking University's Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development. He said that the forum will bring about tangible outcomes on rebuilding African economies from the brunt of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as strengthening Sino-Africa ties across diverse cooperation areas. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GETACHEW ADEM TAHIR, Former deputy commissioner of the National Planning Commission of Ethiopia "The (African and Chinese) leaders I think at that level, at this forum, how to deal with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic easily on the development aspect is very critical. How the developing countries can cope with the aftermath of the virus, the pandemic is also one important issue that the forum, the leaders would address, and how to support Africa and the rest of the developing world in addressing the problems in filling the gap in terms of resources." He also said that better access to COVID-19 vaccines in Africa will be an important issue among leaders at the FOCAC. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GETACHEW ADEM TAHIR, Former deputy commissioner of the National Planning Commission of Ethiopia "On the political dimension, countries have their own problems, conflicts, also security problems and terrorism. How countries can deal with these kinds of challenges and problems is also another dimension that the leaders would deal with." The expert stressed that China can help African countries in addressing the development problems that the continent is facing in reinstating COVID-19 affected economic sectors, mainly the hard-hit service sector. He emphasized that the FOCAC presents a conducive platform to augment China-Africa cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Upcoming FOCAC meeting to boost China-Africa ties: Ethiopian expert )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172485840

AUKUS threatens regional peace, stability: experts

The military pact among the United States, Britain and Britain, known as AUKUS, threatens regional peace and stability, experts have said. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SURASIT THANADTANG, Director of the Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Center under the National Research Council of Thailand "I'm quite sure that the AUKUS poses a risk of proliferation of nuclear material and technology. It will let Australia build a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time. Having had a technology provided by the U.S., it should be further work on the weapon technology that might (bring) more impact to the peace, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AZMI HASSAN, Malaysian political observer "I would say that not much of the ASEAN nations, the 10 ASEAN nations, will upgrade their defense capability, but other nations in the Indo-Pacific, India and also North Korea, have already put out their statement. They are worried about that. So I think AUKUS, even though only regarded to three nations, but the repercussion, the effects will be felt in the Indo-Pacific in terms of arms race situation." SOUNDBITE 3 (English): MUSHAHID HUSSAIN SYED, Chairman of Pakistani Senate's Defense Committee "Australia, the UK and the U.S. had a wrong deal at the wrong time, for a wrong reason. (The reason) why I'm saying (that) is because Asia needs peace, security, cooperation and prosperity, sharing and working together. What AUKUS is doing is (that) it's laying the seeds of a new Cold War. It's a recipe for a new conflict." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: AUKUS threatens regional peace, stability: experts )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172485838

Cotton output to hit 5.2 mln tonnes in 2021 in China's Xinjiang

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is the largest cotton-growing area in the country. Xinjiang's cotton output hit 5.16 million tonnes in 2020, accounting for 87.3 percent of the total in China. In 2021, the region's cotton output is expected to reach 5.2 million tonnes. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI CHANGPING, Cotton farmer "This year, I've grown 300 mu (20 hectares) of cotton. Every 1-mu cotton field can produce about 400 kilograms of cotton. The cotton's price is about 10 yuan (1.56 U.S. dollars) per kilogram." SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): MA XUEMING, Chairman of Hongji Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. "The current purchase price of the cotton is 10.5 yuan (1.64 U.S. dollars) per kilogram. Our daily purchase amount is about 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Cotton output to hit 5.2 mln tonnes in 2021 in China's Xinjiang )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172482726

People-centered policy key for China to lift poverty: Cameroonian expat

Dozens of youths from China and Africa have gathered in Beijing for the sixth China-Africa Youth Festival, which opened on Tuesday. The five-day event is hosted by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Joseph Oliver Mendoo, a Cameroonian Ph.D. student in international politics at Peking University, has been in China for almost six years. He said that the people-centered policy, the synchronization between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people are key for China to lift poverty. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "I think I've been to a couple of places. And the key thing that I mentioned is the proximity between the Party and the people. They're very synchronized, or whatever policy the Party decides, reaches immediately, even in the slightest counties. I think this proximity and the trust, those are the two keywords, the proximity between the Party and the people, and the trust between the people. Because the Party and the Chinese government, they put our problems in the center of their policy. For me, this is actually the main way how China achieved in a very high-efficiency poverty alleviation." He also mentioned that Chinese people have a strong will to achieve happiness. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "And I've been to so many places. Other than the Party, I also saw the Chinese people's ethics. They strive for happiness. I saw that in Shenshan village, it was in Jiangxi Province, a very small county. Actually, no resources and everything, but the people, they worked hand-in-hand to make the change." Mendoo said that he saw how local officials implemented targeted policies and coordinated everything when he visited a village in south China's Shenzhen. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "It's definitely a great achievement because poverty alleviation is not just a Chinese problem, an African problem, it is a global problem. And if for China's to reach that level, it's a great contribution for the world's poverty alleviation." He also stressed that what China has achieved is encouraging to Africa. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "So I think it's a great contribution for the whole world, but also me coming from Africa, it is also a great example that we can make it. Poverty can be alleviated." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: People-centered policy key for China to lift poverty: Cameroonian expat )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172482727

China contributes to world peace, development: Syrian political expert

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's lawful seat in the United Nations. A Syrian political expert says that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, and a provider of public goods. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMMAD AL-OMARI, Syrian political expert "During the Syrian crisis, China has used its veto in the Security Council eight times as part of its constant effort to push forward the political process and preserve the unity and sovereignty of Syria. All of this is part of China's fundamentals, which are based on adherence to international law and solving international crises in peaceful ways, unlike Western countries, which interfere in the internal affairs of countries by relying on military intervention instead of solving matters by peaceful means, which causes chaos and violence, and permanently rotate these crises and keep them ongoing." SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MOHAMMAD AL-OMARI, Syrian political expert "The assistance and support that China provides to countries and its partnerships with them help achieve development and stability in such countries in a way ensuring their sovereignty and immunity in all aspects, especially with regard to the internal aspect and maintaining independence. Therefore, we find that the Belt and Road Initiative is concerned with building infrastructure and support in all aspects for countries that are partners in this initiative. When development is achieved, the indicators of violence and chaos decrease, and this is what China seeks in its relations with these countries, as well as in highlighting the features of its international policy." SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMMAD AL-OMARI, Syrian political expert "China's call to build a community with a shared future for mankind is evidence of the right approach adopted by the Chinese leadership through calls to overcome all differences between countries and establish partnership within the international system that would strengthen international relations and maintain international peace and stability in all areas of life. We saw such evidence during the coronavirus crisis, how China provided aid and expertise to all countries of the world, including Western countries that are allies of the United States of America at a time when Washington abandoned them during this crisis." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China contributes to world peace, development: Syrian political expert )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172476710

Over 8,400 deaths prevented in Greece due to vaccines: epidemiologist

At least 8,413 coronavirus-related deaths and 5,561 admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) have been prevented in Greece in recent months through the vaccination program against COVID-19, according to a report released on Wednesday in Athens. The danger of death from COVID-19 decreased by 91 percent for fully vaccinated people of all ages, according to the analysis conducted by Greece's top epidemiologist Sotirios Tsiodras. SOUNDBITE 1 (Greek): SOTIRIOS TSIODRAS, President of Hellenic Society for Infectious Diseases "The vaccines are extremely effective when it comes to serious disease resulting in ICU, intubation and death for all ages. They are reducing the danger not only for older people but the young as well." Tsiodras, who is a member of the team of experts advising the government on the management of the pandemic, urged people to get vaccinated. SOUNDBITE 2 (Greek): SOTIRIOS TSIODRAS, President of Hellenic Society for Infectious Diseases "The truth is that the vaccines are highly effective and safe. More than 6.5 billion doses have been administered worldwide so far. The effectiveness is also clearly shown by Greek data." Since last December, Greece has administered some 12.4 million doses of vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. Over 6.3 million people have been fully vaccinated (about six out of ten residents in Greece). Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Athens. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Over 8,400 deaths prevented in Greece due to vaccines: epidemiologist )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172475305

U.S. House votes to hold Trump's former adviser in contempt of Congress

The U.S. House voted Thursday to refer Steve Bannon, the one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump, to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution, accusing him of contempt of Congress over his refusal to cooperate with the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The resolution was adopted in a largely party-line vote of 229-202, with only nine Republicans joining all Democrats in approving it. It came two days after the House special committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot unanimously voted to hold Bannon, who defied the committee's subpoena and refused to appear for a deposition, in contempt of Congress. In the report released Monday recommending that the House hold Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress, the special committee cited Bannon's remarks made on his radio show on Jan. 5 -- when he said "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow" -- as evidence that "he had some foreknowledge about extreme events that would occur the next day." House Republican leadership sent out a statement in the lead-up to Thursday's vote rallying against the contempt resolution, saying Congress has no authority to conduct the Jan. 6 investigation for a legislative purpose, nor does its oversight authority include law enforcement powers. In her remarks during the floor debate over the resolution, Liz Cheney, vice chairwoman of the special committee, criticized her fellow Republican members who opposed the measure for seeming to "have forgotten the danger of the moment, the assault on the Constitution, the assault on our Congress." The House vote will set up a referral to the Justice Department, which will have to decide whether Bannon, one of the central figures targeted by the special committee in its probe, should be prosecuted. With the passage of the recommendation, all eyes are now turning to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who testified Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department would review any referral. However, he refused to give any hint on the agency's decision on prosecution. "The Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances, we'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision, consistent with the principles of prosecution," Garland said when asked by lawmakers about referrals related to the Jan. 6 probe. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C. (XHTV) ( Original Title: U.S. House votes to hold Trump's former adviser in contempt of Congress )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172474162

Nigeria records significant progress in anti-drug war: official

Nigeria's anti-drug war and drug control initiatives have recorded significant progress following recent arrests of drug traffickers and confiscation of assorted illicit drugs across the country, an official said on Thursday. Mohammed Buba Marwa, head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), told reporters in Abuja that the anti-narcotics agency's key achievements this year had centered around clamping down on drug traffickers, paving the way for a drug-free Nigeria. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MOHAMMED BUBA MARWA, Head of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency "The agency has recorded over 9,000 arrested drug traffickers, including six drug barons. Over 5,000 drug-related cases have been tried in court, over 100 billion Naira worth of drugs and cash have been recovered, and more than 2.7 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were seized. 5,579 drug users were also counseled and rehabilitated by the NDLEA, a figure that gives a fair balance between our drug control and drug demand efforts." According to Marwa, in the past two weeks, the NDLEA had also seized over 100 tonnes of psychotic substances and 230 tonnes of cannabis in raids across the most populous African country. Last month, the agency seized 451,807 Captagon tablets, weighing 71,119 kilograms at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub. Marwa said that it was the first-ever recorded seizure of the drug in the West and Central African regions. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MOHAMMED BUBA MARWA, Head of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency "In the airports, we have recorded a series of interceptions and seizures of cocaine and heroin. The Muritala International Airport remains the epicenter of spectacular seizures, including what stands today as the biggest single seizure from an individual in 15 years, which was 27 kilograms of cocaine smuggled from Brazil." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Abuja. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Nigeria records significant progress in anti-drug war: official )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172471809

Turkish lira hits record low against U.S. dollar, raising public concerns

The Turkish currency dropped to a historic record low against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, prompting public concerns. At 2:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), one dollar was traded at 9.49 Turkish liras after Turkey's central bank surprisingly cut its policy rate by 200 basis points to 16 percent. The digital boards of foreign exchange offices at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, the heart of markets, were temporarily darkened with all the transactions halted. Live broadcasts from the area showed many shop owners and commissioners hitting the phones to get the latest news. Citizens, including business owners, who wanted to assess their savings, also flocked to exchange offices but saw closed doors. Turkey has long been struggling against high inflation. The annual inflation soared to 19.58 percent in September. The lira was fluctuating at 11.02 against the euro in the afternoon trading. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Turkey. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Turkish lira hits record low against U.S. dollar, raising public concerns )

日付：2021年10月22日

RM 172494353

Thailand to allow vaccinated visitors from 46 low-risk places to enter without quarantine

Thailand announced late Thursday that it will allow vaccinated visitors from 46 low-risk countries and regions to enter Thailand without quarantine from November. The list, which includes China, the United States, Britain and Malaysia, was released by Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Beginning Nov. 1, the eligible travelers will be allowed to travel freely in Thailand once they pass their post-arrival COVID-19 test, according to MFA spokesman Tanee Sangrat. The announcement came after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said last week that the country would initially allow vaccinated travelers from at least 10 low-risk countries and regions to enter by air without quarantine requirements from next month. Thailand is beefing up efforts to revive its economy as the tourism sector, the main growth engine that contributed roughly 20 percent of the country's GDP before COVID-19, has been hit hard by the pandemic. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Bangkok. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Thailand to allow vaccinated visitors from 46 low-risk places to enter without quarantine )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421839

Shipping containers should keep moving to avoid delay, says U.S. port official

Port operators should keep shipping containers moving in the logistics chain to avoid delays or congestion, an official with the largest port on the U.S. East Coast said Tuesday. "If the users, the importers are using the terminal to store containers, that's where you run into problems, because the terminals just aren't built to store containers. They are built and operated to move containers," Sam Ruda, director of the Port Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, told Xinhua in an interview. Ruda made the remarks as the United States is battling with congestion of shipping containers in some major ports. It is reported that dozens of ships remain at anchor outside the harbor of the West Coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with hundreds of thousands of containers on board. SOUNDIBTE 1 (English): SAM RUDA, Director of Port Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey "This is really about the efficiency of the hand-offs, ship to terminal, terminal to truck, truck to rail, as well as the return flow of empty containers. It's really important here that the import cargo when it's unloaded, that it goes out gate to the warehouse distribution facility as fast as possible. I think where ports are getting into problems with congestion is dwell time, dwell time at the terminal. And what happened is, if the terminal gets filled, then you have no space to unload cargo from the ships. We've been able to keep that cycle fairly fluid for the port. But our terminal operators are watching this very, very carefully." The Port of New York and New Jersey did not experience big backlog vessels despite some 24 percent of growth in cargo volume so far in 2021, said Ruda, adding he expects the volume to remain strong through the balance of this year. SOUNDIBTE 2 (English): SAM RUDA, Director of Port Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey "We've seen a huge volume increase in container cargo. It really goes back to the second half of last year, 2020. Actually, the first half of 2020, we actually saw a cargo decline, but the second half of 2020 was very strong and that really has continued into 2021. So far this year, year to date, we're up about 24 percent in terms of our cargo volume. And our import volume has been equally strong, also around 24 percent growth. Fortunately, we have not really been experiencing the big backlog vessels in port. I can share with you that, as of this morning, we had one vessel at Anchorage. So really, I think the story for the port of New York and New Jersey has been our ability to really flex and expand capacity during this unprecedented cargo growth period." The United States has been plagued by supply chain disruptions in recent months, and the White House has asked the Port of Los Angeles to become a 24-hour port, open seven days a week. However, with the approach of holidays, which will see surging demand across the country, the shipping-based supply chain remains under stress. With a record 100 ships waiting to enter and unload at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and 57 at berth as of Monday, the congestion in Southern California's San Pedro Bay has never been higher, according to data released by the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which provides vital statistics and information on ships calling at major ports in the region. The Port of New York and New Jersey completed capacity expansion on several fronts a few years ago, and labor supply held up well amid the COVID-19 pandemic with personal protective equipment supplied to workers, according to Ruda. SOUNDIBTE 3 (English): SAM RUDA, Director of Port Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey "Before the pandemic, we actually have a number of major infrastructure projects that were completed before the pandemic. And these have all helped reduce operational constraints and help us accommodate the growth. And maybe even going back into the start of the pandemic, we've been very focused on keeping waterfront labor supplied with PPE very early in the process, you know the terminal operators and employers establish temperature checks. We have been able to keep labor, the work force, healthy. And therefore, our labor supply has held up. And this is incredibly important just given the amount of cargo." Noting that the vessel side has been able to operate 24 hours daily, he said that some cargo has been shifted from the U.S. West Coast to the East Coast for a variety of reasons, and more vessels are using the Suez route, which links the Asia Pacific to the U.S. East Coast. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from New York, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Shipping containers should keep moving to avoid delay, says U.S. port official )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421846

Spain needs to produce its own energy amid rising costs: expert

Spain needs to produce its own energy in order to avoid the effects of the rising costs of fossil fuels and that means shifting further towards the production of renewable energy sources, according to an expert. The cost of electricity has risen from around 40 euros per megawatt at the start of the year to a historic maximum of 207 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh) at the start of the week, due mainly to the price of gas and the carbon markets. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JOSE MARIA GONZALEZ, Managing Director of Spanish Renewable Energy Association "We are seeing the volatility of the market and the high prices that are being registered, mainly for gas costs. The problem we have is that we depend on importing energy." One of Spain's big problems is that it doesn't produce either gas or oil and is almost totally dependent on the import of fossil fuels to generate much of its electricity. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JOSE MARIA GONZALEZ, Managing Director of Spanish Renewable Energy Association "In the case of Spain, we have sun, wind and water. We have material in renewable energy but not in fossil fuels." Although the Spanish government has tried to mitigate rising energy costs by cutting taxes, this is only a short-term solution, but the key is looking to a long-term plan based on renewables, which will allow Spain to be independent in terms of energy production, said the expert. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JOSE MARIA GONZALEZ, Managing Director of Spanish Renewable Energy Association "The key will be to increase investment in renewable energy, which will mean not having to depend on gas and also to think about the future. We need to complement the entry of renewables, such as sun and wind energy, along with other renewables that will give solidity to the market, such as biomass plants." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Madrid. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Spain needs to produce its own energy amid rising costs: expert )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421847

S.Korea launches 1st homegrown rocket

South Korea test-launched its first homegrown space launch vehicle Thursday, but the rocket failed to put a dummy satellite into the low-Earth orbit (600-800 km). The KSLV-II, also dubbed Nuri, blasted off from the Naro Space Center in the southern coastal village of Goheung at 5:00 p.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Thursday, live footage from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) showed. After the liftoff, the three-stage space rocket flew south to reach an altitude of 59 km in the first thrust section and an altitude of 600 km at about 5:08 p.m. The third-stage booster engine stopped at 5:12 p.m., and the satellite was separated from the booster at 5:15 p.m. However, the 1.5-ton dummy satellite failed to be put into the sun synchronous orbit as planned. South Korean President Moon Jae-in told a televised speech at the space center that the homegrown rocket finished all of its flight sequence, but he noted that putting the dummy satellite into orbit remained as an unfinished task to be tackled. Moon said it was something to brag about to send the rocket up at an altitude of 700 km in space, expecting that the next test-launch of Nuri, scheduled for May next year, could achieve a complete success. It was South Korea's first test-launch of its homegrown rocket that was entirely designed and built in the country. South Korea invested nearly 2 trillion won (1.7 billion U.S. dollars) for the past decade to indigenously develop the space launch vehicle, including the engine and propellant tank, as well as the launch pad and launch vehicle subsystem. About 300 local companies, including some 30 major companies comprising around 500 people, participated in the development of the space vehicle that can deploy a 1.5-ton practical satellite into the low-Earth orbit. The 200-ton Nuri space rocket, which measures 47.2 meters in length and 3.5 meters in maximum diameter, was clustered by four 75-ton-grade liquid engines in the first stage, a 75-ton-grade liquid engine in the second stage and a 7-ton-grade liquid engine in the third stage. The homegrown space rocket development project began in March 2010, and the country successfully test-launched its indigenous 75-ton-grade liquid engine, called KSLV-TLV, in November 2018. KARI plans to test-launch the Nuri space launch vehicle five more times by 2027 to secure reliability. In the long term, KARI plans to enhance the Nuri performance to carry a 2.8-ton satellite into the low orbit by developing a higher-performance main engine of 82-ton-grade thrust. It also aims to test-launch the enhanced space launch vehicle twice in 2029 and 2030, and secure an 830-kg moon probe launch performance by 2030. In January 2013, South Korea succeeded in test-launching its first-ever KSLV-I space launch vehicle, also known as Naro, but the first-stage booster engine of the two-stage vehicle was built in Russia. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Seoul. (XHTV) ( Original Title: S.Korea launches 1st homegrown rocket )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421840

Nigeria, Turkey sign 8 major agreements during presidents' meeting

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday oversaw the signing of eight bilateral agreements on such areas as energy, defense industry, mining and hydrocarbons during their meeting in the Nigerian capital. Erdogan arrived in Abuja on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Nigeria, the last leg of his Africa tour that also took him to Angola and Togo. Buhari told a joint press conference that during Erdogan's visit to Africa's most populous country, the two leaders had "useful discussions on a number of bilateral issues, aimed at strengthening this cordial relationship between Nigeria and Turkey." The key issues touched on included a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that had been finalized, the Nigerian leader said. "As a positive outcome, eight major agreements/MoUs on a number of the key sectors including energy, defense industry, mining, and hydrocarbons, among others were signed today," he said. Buhari said Nigeria has removed Turkey from its travel ban list, having reviewed the list based on revised COVID-19 protocols. "Turkey has indeed achieved remarkable success in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic," the Nigerian president said. In his remarks, Erdogan said Turkey is determined to push relations with Nigeria to "higher levels on all fields." He noted that trade between the countries reached 2 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, making Nigeria the biggest trading partner of Turkey in sub-Saharan Africa. "However, we still believe that this level of trade we have achieved is far from being adequate. We hope and pray that we will be expanding our trade volume up to 5 billion dollars immediately," Erdogan said. He expressed the hope that relations between the two nations will be "further developed on the basis of a win-win scenario and mutual respect." The Turkish president also pledged that Ankara would further cooperate with Nigeria on counter-terrorism, as well as in the fields of military, defense, and security. Erdogan said Turkey has expanded its diplomatic presence in Africa to 43 missions, and that the third round of the Turkish-African business forum will be held in Istanbul this October while the third Turkish-African partnership summit will follow in December. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Abuja. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Nigeria, Turkey sign 8 major agreements during presidents' meeting )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421843

Thadingyut lighting festival in Myanmar

Thadingyut, Myanmar's traditional Festival of Lights, is being celebrated across the country for three days from Oct. 19 to 21 this year. The festival falls in the seventh month of Myanmar's calendar year, marking the end of the rainy season. During the festival, Myanmar people light candles, and hang colorful light bulbs and paper lanterns in their houses to mark the day, welcoming the descent of Lord Buddha from heaven. Pagodas are bustling with pilgrims especially on the full moon day of Thadingyut, which is the middle day of the festival. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yangon. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Thadingyut lighting festival in Myanmar )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421842

Hygge life of Aoluguya Ewenki family in China's Inner Mongolia

In late autumn, the reindeer breeding area in Genhe City in China's Inner Mongolia turned into a snowy wonderland. Ethnic Aoluguya Ewenki herder Gu Musen set up a barbecue for his family. With deer milk bread, the family enjoyed traditional Ewenki delicacy. The dog and reindeer kept the son company as he played in the snow. The family had a snowball fight and the mountain echoed with laughter. The Aoluguya Ewenki people, known as "the last hunting tribe in China," are the only ethnic minority group in China that raise reindeer. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Inner Mongolia, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Hygge life of Aoluguya Ewenki family in China's Inner Mongolia )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421841

India to relax quarantine rules for foreign travellers

The Indian government has decided to relax the quarantine rules for international passengers arriving from certain countries. India's health ministry on Wednesday issued a new set of guidelines specifying quarantine norms for international travellers from countries which have agreement with India on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates of nationally recognized or World Health Organization (WHO)-recognized vaccines. As per the new norms, which will come into effect from Oct. 25, foreigners from the designated countries arriving in India shall be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival. "Fifteen days must have elapsed since completion of COVID-19 vaccination schedule," according to the guidelines. Such passengers will also have to submit a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test report, and the test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. India has signed agreements for mutual recognition of nationally or WHO-recognized COVID-19 vaccines with 11 countries, namely Britain, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia. According to the new guidelines, there are countries which presently do not have such an agreement with India, but they exempt Indian citizens fully vaccinated with nationally recognized or WHO-recognized vaccines. On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from all such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians are allowed certain relaxations on arrival. "If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, he/she shall be isolated as per protocol," the guidelines said. International travellers arriving through seaports or land ports will also undergo the same protocol. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from New Delhi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: India to relax quarantine rules for foreign travellers )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172421844

4 killed, 47 injured in explosion in northeast China

Four people were killed and 47 others injured in an explosion on Thursday in Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, according to local authorities. Three were seriously injured but are in stable condition, and 44 were slightly injured, the city's publicity department said. The blast took place at around 8:20 a.m. Thursday at a restaurant on Taiyuannan Street in Heping District. The injured have been sent for medical treatment and the cause of the accident is being investigated. The explosion caused power outages in some 15,000 nearby households. The local power supply company has restored electricity for most of the households and is working to restore power for the remaining 1,400 households. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shenyang, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: 4 killed, 47 injured in explosion in northeast China )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172414940

China plays leading role in tackling global development challenges: UN official

China has contributed in a significant way to tackling global development challenges such as poverty and climate change, a UN official has said. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations under-secretary-general and Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ARMIDA SALSIAH ALISJAHBANA, United Nations under-secretary-general and ESCAP executive secretary "China definitely has contributed in a positive way significantly. Just to name a few examples in the area of or related to poverty reduction, China has shown its leadership and has significantly reduced, especially the absolute poverty, chronic poverty in China. In the past decade, we've seen significant reduction in poverty, especially absolute poverty in China. That's one. And second, again, related to this urgency to tackle climate change, also, China has announced its commitment towards net-zero carbon emission by 2060. And China also has announced China will not or will stop financing new coal-powered plants abroad. So these are, of course, a good showing of leadership on the part of China. So we're very much looking forward to a stronger, a further leadership and commitment, contribution of China in all these global development challenges." Speaking ahead of the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's lawful seat in the United Nations, Alisjahbana highlighted that security and peace are fundamental for global development and that China's role as a permanent member of the Security Council is crucial to international cooperation in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ARMIDA SALSIAH ALISJAHBANA, United Nations under-secretary-general and ESCAP executive secretary "To be able to further the development agenda, whether global, regional and country level, you need to have peace and security, because peace, security will lead to good development. Vise versa, good development, successful development also will lead to peace and security. So it goes both ways. So I think that's why China's being one of the five permanent members of the Security Council is very significant and very crucial, whether to address the issues, as I mentioned earlier, climate change, or the SDGs with all the elements of SDGs here and so on." The Bangkok-based ESCAP, composed of 53 member states and nine associate members, is one of the five regional commissions of the UN, aiming to foster economic connectivity and deal with social development challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Bangkok. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China plays leading role in tackling global development challenges: UN official )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172410080

Kenya suspends night curfew as COVID-19 infections, deaths subside

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday ordered the lifting of the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew the government imposed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 amid a drastic slump in new infections and fatalities. Speaking during an event to mark National Heroes' Day in the central Kenyan county of Kirinyaga, Kenyatta said the night curfew had been vacated amid the subsiding threat of the pandemic to the economy and livelihoods. SOUNDBITE 1(English): UHURU KENYATTA, Kenyan President "By the authority vested in me as President, I hereby order and direct that the nationwide dusk to dawn curfew that has been in effect from March 27, 2020, be and is hereby vacated with immediate effect." The president also said that attendance to houses of worship had been raised from one-third of capacity to two-thirds, while stressing that adherence to coronavirus prevention measures including wearing masks and physical distancing will be maintained. SOUNDBITE 2(English): UHURU KENYATTA, Kenyan President "Given the progress in containing this disease, the committee jointly with the council has recommended a review of the existing containment measures, accordingly, the number of persons gathering for in-person worship, is now reviewed upwards from one-third of congregants to two thirds, provided they adhere to all the health's protocols." Kenyatta revealed that 5 million adults had been vaccinated against COVID-19 but warned that the country was yet to flatten the curve, hence the need for citizens to continue adhering to containment measures. He noted that the country had sustained a positivity rate of less than 5 percent over the last two weeks, thereby easing pressure on public health systems and hastening a return to normalcy. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kenya suspends night curfew as COVID-19 infections, deaths subside )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172410079

Airline Volaris El Salvador announces acceptance of bitcoin payment

The El Salvador branch of the Mexico-based airline Volaris will accept payment with bitcoin, the company announced on Tuesday at a ceremony to launch the subsidiary as a flag carrier airline in the Central American country. President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele attended the event. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): NAYIB BUKELE, President of El Salvador "I believe that (Volaris) will be the first airline in the world to accept bitcoin. I don't know if there will be another, but at least, I do not know of any other currently, but this one will accept bitcoin, and, of course, Chivo Wallet (the electronic currency) ." The company detailed in a report that it is working to enable bitcoin payment. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from San Salvador. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Airline Volaris El Salvador announces acceptance of bitcoin payment )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172410078

Canada's leading nutritional gummy manufacturer to attend CIIE for third time

Herbaland Naturals Inc., Canada's leading nutritional gummy manufacturer, will for the third time attend the fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai. CEO of the company said China is a market with very big potential. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MUSHARAF SYED, CEO of Herbaland Naturals Inc. "When we start (the) China market, and when we think about it, China is a very big potential market in the world. So we start first with a consultant or somebody from the marketing company. I realize that why not we have to open our own office and then work full time with the Chinese market. So, two years ago we opened an office there. This is the third year, actually. And for the first two years, it's OK, not bad. But now, it's much, much better. We have 12 employees in the sales and marketing, so they're doing very good." Syed said his company has confidence in the Chinese market and plans to open a Beijing office to cover more Chinese customers. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MUSHARAF SYED, CEO of Herbaland Naturals Inc. "In the coming every years, I'm sure I have confidence actually for the China market because we have a good team there, good plan. We start from 2,3,4 people, now we have 12 people who are working with China market for all. In Shanghai, we have already (an office). Maybe in the future, we have a Beijing office, so we can cover more (of the) China market." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Vancouver. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Canada's leading nutritional gummy manufacturer to attend CIIE for third time )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407867

China's unique process of modernization in eyes of African youth

Dozens of young people from China and Africa are gathering in Beijing for the sixth China-Africa Youth Festival, which opened on Tuesday. The five-day event is hosted by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Joseph Oliver Mendoo, a Cameroonian PhD student in international politics at Peking University, has been in China for almost six years. He said that China is developing its economy while protecting the environment and preserving its traditions. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "I've been to Xinjiang's Kashgar, Hotan and Urumqi. My biggest interest was actually, I told you, the development, achieving development, the win-win situation between development and protecting the nature. So I saw how, for example, a company that was producing mushrooms while creating jobs. They actually protect the environment. Even most of the companies, they have that ethic 'Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and so are ice and snow'. We went to Xinjiang and we saw the balance between the traditional culture and modernization. Of course they want to modernize. But they also want to keep the traditional culture in making it like an oasis. They're putting a very strong emphasis on protecting the environment as well." Maliya, a singer from Sierra Leone, has been in China for seven years. She said that China's rapid development is eye-opening for foreigners all over the world. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MALIYA, Youth representative from Sierra Leone "To be realistic, for me, I've been traveling (to) different countries all over the world. I think so far, it's the reality, I'm saying it not because I'm in China, I have to say the truth. What (did) I see? I never see this kind of rapid improvement, rapid commitment, rapid love, and rapid unity. So you see the development of the Chinese, because they have unity and commitment. It is one of the peaceful countries I find myself in the world. You'll find yourself here with your kids safe in the school, safe outside, safe in the shopping mall, and safe on the street." Fatma, an Egyptian student from North China University of Technology, said that China develops fast and it's very safe. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): FATMA, Youth representative from Egypt "China now, it's like, its improvement, I'll say its economy develops rapidly. And it's a very safe country. We saw that during the epidemic, right?" Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China's unique process of modernization in eyes of African youth )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407872

COVID-19 cases could hit 100,000 a day: British official

Another 49,139 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the largest daily rise since lockdown rules ended in England three months ago, according to official figures released Wednesday. For the eighth consecutive day, more than 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 8,589,737. COVID cases could hit 100,000 a day, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned - but he confirmed England will not yet move to the government's Plan B for dealing with pressures on hospitals this winter. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Wednesday, Javid cautioned that the coronavirus pandemic "is not over". SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SAJID JAVID, Health Secretary "Cases are arising. Yesterday, we reported 43,738 new cases across the UK up 16 percent from the previous week. And they could go yet as high as 100,000 a day. We're also seeing greater pressure on the NHS across the UK. We're now approaching 1,000 hospitalizations per day. The NHS performing with distinction. And I'd like to thank everyone who's working so hard to keep us safe, and we'll do what it takes to make sure that this pressure doesn't become unsustainable and that we don't allow the NHS to become overwhelmed. Deaths remain mercifully low, but they are still sadly over 100 a day. This pandemic is not over. Thanks to the vaccination program. Yes, the link between cases of hospitalizations and deaths has significantly weakened, but it's not broken. So we must all remember that this virus will be with us for the long term and that it remains a threat. A threat to our loved ones, and the threat to the progress that we've made in getting our nation closer to normal life. We're looking closely at the data, and we won't be implementing our plan B of contingency measures at this point." NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesperson said on Monday that Downing Street was keeping a "very close watch" on the latest statistics, but suggested case rates, hospitalisations and deaths were "still broadly in line with" government modelling as set out a few months back now. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SAJID JAVID, Health Secretary "But although vaccinations are our primary form of defense. There are many more things that we can all do to help contain the spread of this virus, like you are meeting outdoors where it's possible, and if you can only meet indoors, letting in fresh air, like wearing a face covering in crowded enclosed spaces, especially if you're coming into contact with people that you don't normally meet, and like making and taking rapid tests, as we're making them as part of your weekly routine. A quarter of the positive cases that we are now identified come from those lateral flow tests that people are taking without symptoms, but they're taking them as a precaution, especially if they're about to go meet a loved one perhaps a grandparent or another vulnerable person." More than 86 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and around 79 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London. (XHTV) ( Original Title: COVID-19 cases could hit 100,000 a day: British official )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407869

Israeli Muni Expo shows cities' key role in global issues

Israel's Muni Expo 2021 highlighted how cities deal with national and international issues and the importance of local government in solving big problems. Thousands of people participated in the two-day conference that started on Wednesday at Expo Tel Aviv International Convention Center. Israel's president, prime minister, ministers and mayors take part in the event, which includes an exhibition with hundreds of companies demonstrating innovation and technology that can make cities better places. Israel's Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said during his keynote speech in the opening session that "crises are global, but solutions are local." SOUNDBITE 1(HEBREW): YAIR LAPID, Israel's Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister "In the network and connected world, there is no such thing as local crises. In the 21st century, all the crises are global. They start in one place. Always at the beginning, there is a thought that they are local, but then it spreads to everywhere." Many Israeli mayors have found it frustrating when they are unable to make big decisions for their cities. Some have expressed publicly over the years their demand for transferring the governance power from central government to local government. They believe that municipalities have better knowledge of their residents and the uniqueness of their cities, which is an advantage when it comes to finding the best solutions that might not suit the rest of the country. Lapid noted that innovation, technology, fast reaction, up-to-date data, and good communication with residents are crucial to deal with future challenges. At the exhibition area, companies and startups from different fields showcased services and products that could benefit local authorities. One of the exhibitors was a company that produces autonomous patrol drones and anti-drone systems. Yossi Gofer, the company's CEO, said that the anti-drone system is very important for preventing threats against stadiums or big events of civilians. SOUNDBITE 2(ENGLISH): YOSSI GOFER, CEO of Orad "Here you can see an anti-drone system, as you all know the drone is one of the most dangerous threats now in the world. Because it's very easy to buy, it is very easy to operate. And the ability, the technical ability of the drones is so high, so they can actually be like a tactical bomb for very cheap. So the anti-drone system is one of the important systems that municipality or city can have in order to prevent threats on stadiums, on big events of civilians. So anti-drone for civilians, is one of the systems that every municipality need to be with." Another company attending the exhibition focuses on organizational effectiveness and efficiency by innovative computing technology. Lavi Miednik, the company's salesman, said that their software helps Israeli cities in many ways, such as dealing better with disasters or emergencies and even preventing them from happening in the first place. SOUNDBITE 3(ENGLISH): LAVI MIEDNIK, Salesman at Systematics "Our software is helping the cities to visualize their data, and to make better conclusions and better decisions about what to do, where to do and when to do it, especially during the coronavirus that we just have. And we simply help them to make the best decisions that they can." The expo has been one of the major conferences in Israel since the COVID-19 outbreak. Only the fully vaccinated participants could enter the event without PCR tests, by presenting proofs of vaccination or recovery in the past six months. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jerusalem. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Israeli Muni Expo shows cities' key role in global issues )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407868

Xinjiang, My Home: Agricultural machinery manager Muhtar Rohman

Muhtar Rohman, an agricultural machinery operator and manager in China's Xinjiang, is driving toward a brighter future. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese) : MUHTAE ROHMAN, Agricultural machinery manager "I'm Muhtar Rohman. I'm an agricultural machinery manager. These are my apprentices. They all have good skills. After finishing the training, they can earn money by themselves. It changes a lot in the cotton harvest. In the past, for 100 mu (6.7 hectares) of land, it took 10 people two months to pick the cotton manually. But now, it only takes one person one day by driving a cotton picker. The efficiency has been improved greatly. When I was young, my family only had just over 40 mu (2.7 hectares) of land. I couldn't speak Mandarin when I graduated from middle school. I didn't have any skills. I could only find odd jobs. My income was unstable. But gradually, I learnt through work. I can drive a cotton picker, tractor, and excavator now. I'm also capable of repairing and maintaining these machines. Now I work for a company. My father is an excavator driver. Together, we can earn about 200,000 yuan (31,280 U.S. dollars) a year. We renovated our house recently. I'm full of hope for my future." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Xinjiang, My Home: Agricultural machinery manager Muhtar Rohman )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407870

Chinese researchers develop "space toilet" for astronauts

China launched the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-13 on Oct. 16, sending three astronauts to its space station core module Tianhe for a six-month mission. To solve the problem of using the bathroom in outer space, a research team from Donghua University in eastern China's Shanghai has developed a "space toilet". Since the 1990s, the research team of Donghua University has been carrying out multi-disciplinary research using aerospace sanitary materials. They also designed a special toilet for female astronauts. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): YUAN QINHUA, Professor, Donghua University "There are seven or eight kinds of materials. It needs to be highly hygroscopic so the materials should be light, antibacterial and have deodorant properties. If you don't change it for a long time, there will be no smell. There is a urine collection device and an emergency stool collection device. If the astronauts want to use the toilet, the device can help them solve the problem immediately. Considering the Shenzhou-13 mission, we prepared the devices in advance, and the astronauts are already using them. When it comes to the menstrual period, a 'female space toilet' has been developed to solve the problem. The urine and blood are separated, and the urine can still be recycled." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shanghai, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Chinese researchers develop "space toilet" for astronauts )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407865

China's financial system to serve real economy more proactively

The financial system needs to be more proactive in serving the real economy, supporting green and low-carbon development, and promoting high-level opening-up, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said Wednesday. Liu made the remarks in a written speech at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum held in Beijing. At the forum, China's policymakers have expressed confidence in its economy despite noises of shorting Chinese economy due to slower GDP growth in the third quarter (Q3). To help the real economy tide over difficulties, financial resources have been channeled directly to the real economy, especially small and micro-sized enterprises, Liu said. The fact that the country has successfully coped with the COVID-19 shocks is ample evidence of its socialist market economic system being the most resilient one in the world, said Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank. According to the PBOC, efforts will be made to leverage a 1-trillion- yuan (156.2 billion U.S. dollars) re-lending and rediscount quota and the policy instruments introduced in June to directly channel funds into the real economy and extend support to as many virus-hit micro and small companies as possible. The bank governor said monetary and credit measures, along with fiscal policies, have directly supported millions of market entities, with over 40 million benefitting from inclusive small and micro-loans. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China's financial system to serve real economy more proactively )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407871

U.S. FDA approves Moderna, Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 boosters, "mix and match" booster dose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The FDA also authorized "mix and match" booster dose for currently available approved COVID-19 vaccines. A single booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines may be administered as a "mix and match" booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine, according to the FDA. The agency approved the use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after completion of the primary shots to people 65 years of age and older, 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. As for the Johnson & Johnson booster dose, the FDA authorized the use of a single booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older. The decision came after an FDA advisory committee voted last week to recommend authorizing Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 booster doses. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C. (XHTV) ( Original Title: U.S. FDA approves Moderna, Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 boosters, "mix and match" booster dose )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172407866

African youths hail China's COVID-19 pandemic control approach

Dozens of youths from China and Africa have gathered in Beijing for the sixth China-Africa Youth Festival this week. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Joseph Oliver Mendoo, a Cameroonian PhD student majoring in international politics at Peking University, has been in China for almost six years. He said he has learned a lot from the way the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government have been handling the pandemic. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "I was in China the whole time. During the COVID-19, I did learn a lot, how coordinated the Communist Party of China or the Chinese government handled the issue of the pandemic. China became famous because of building the two hospitals in 10 days. This was unprecedented. So, we shared our views. We shared the Chinese way of handling this back home, translating in local languages." Fatma, an Egyptian student from the North China University of Technology, said that China is much safer than many countries in the world and China has made the best efforts to protect its people. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): FATMA, Youth representative from Egypt "Now we see China is safe, right? But if we see other countries like, the whole world, they're still suffering from that. They still, a lot of people have so many cases of COVID-19, right? But now, China is safer. What do we need in life? We need a safe life, healthy life, and a good job. That's all. And that's what China is doing right now. All of that Chinese did was just to protect Chinese people." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: African youths hail China's COVID-19 pandemic control approach )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172404853

Who suffers from U.S.-China trade dispute?

During the just-concluded 130th Canton Fair in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, participants have shared their views on who the victims of the U.S.-China trade dispute are. #GLOBALink The United States has imposed tariffs on Chinese products exported to the country, initiating a trade war, meaning China has had to adopt countermeasures. Three years have passed since then, who is actually paying for the U.S. imposing tariffs on Chinese products? Attendees of the 130th Canton Fair in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou have given their views. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): YASIR, Pakistani, Canton Fair exhibitor "We have faced a crisis of IC chip shortage and material shortage. But since our relationship with our suppliers is very good, our R&D department has a group of highly-experienced and specialized engineers. Our business is not affected and it's improving day by day. That is just amazing." Many long-time overseas Canton Fair participants have also expressed that in recent years, business between China and the U.S. has remained mostly unchanged. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GIANLUCA, Buyer from Italy "We have been talking to a few suppliers here. They have been quite satisfied with the business." So who is actually paying for the heightened costs triggered by the trade war? SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ROSEMBERG, Buyer from Colombia "All of this commercial trade between the States and China is having a huge impact on the same product. And the one who is paying the bill for that is the end customer." SOUNDBITE 4 (English): THOMAS MUNRO, Buyer from UK "Nobody likes the recent trade disputes, and they have not been good for business." SOUNDBITE 5 (English): HOTAK, Buyer from Afghanistan "Volkswagen cars are designed in Germany, the parts are made in China, these parts are assembled in India, Bangladesh makes and stitches the seat covers and other interiors. Finally, these cars are sold in the U.S. market. These countries will also suffer from these high tariffs which is imposed by America." Palestinian businessperson Sharaf took the plunge into the foreign trade sector in Zhejiang Province of China in 2019. He says that the China-U.S. trade frictions have actually given him the perfect opportunity to enter the Chinese market. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): SHARAF, Buyer from Palestine "I have three foreign trade companies, one in China, one in Turkey, and one in my own country. My company in Turkey deals business with many customers, but they say they haven't earned much money there. Only in China can they make a fortune." During a recent interview, U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a remark, saying that the U.S. will seek alternative solutions to replace China. However, businesspeople from around the world at the Canton Fair have said that, unsurprisingly, they won't be going anywhere else. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): DIDIER DENAYER, Business Development and Technology Consul, Consulate General of Belgium Wallonia Agency "We are looking for collaboration with Chinese companies for a long-term collaboration, more than just buying products for once." Various products are on display at the Canton Fair. Since last year, the U.S. government has blocked imports of Xinjiang cotton products over the so-called "forced labor" claim. However, this has not cast the slightest shadow over the popularity of Chinese textile enterprises at the fair. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): LABRE, Buyer from Brazil "I don't care about the sanctions on Xinjiang cotton. The production is very good, and the price is really good, and we keep on doing. For me, the best place to buy and to sell is China, especially in imports and exports." SOUNDBITE 9 (English): IGOR PAN, Buyer from Russia "Sanction is not good for everyone. It's bad for economy. The U.S. is almost entirely dependent on low-cost solar cell modules provided by Chinese manufacturers. So the sanctions also do harm to their enterprises and their goal of 'carbon-free power generation' will be destroyed." SOUNDBITE 10 (English): RAED, Buyer from Australia "As the U.S. customers always have concerns about new sanctions between China and the USA, they're suffering over this trade sanctions because they rely dearly on the Chinese products." Over recent years, the U.S. administration has imposed various sanctions on Chinese hi-tech companies over national security concerns. However, it is commonly believed that such sanctions can only hinder technological advancement globally, and cannot stop the pace of innovation by Chinese enterprises. SOUNDBITE 11 (English): LABRE, Buyer from Brazil "Chinese technology is becoming better and better than a lot of countries, such as Huawei. I believe that America is never going to be like China in this kind of technology." SOUNDBITE 12 (English): THOMAS MUNRO, Buyer from Britain "At every fair, we are always impressed by the continued development in quality and variety of products on sale. You can clearly see this is driven by the hard work and innovation by highly skilled design engineers. Furthermore, you always see this push towards smart technology-based products, too. So it's very exciting for us." SOUNDBITE 13 (English): KLAUS ZENKAL, Vice president, European Chamber Chair "The Chinese companies are very innovative. If you look at our business confidence survey, participants of this survey say that Chinese companies are equal or even more innovative than European companies. Companies and buyers come here to see the new innovative products. Say, Canton Fair, Global Share." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guangzhou, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Who suffers from U.S.-China trade dispute? )

日付：2021年10月21日

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GLOBALink | Master plan for economic circle in SW. China issued

*** Highlights: China has issued a master plan to turn the southwestern Chengdu-Chongqing area into an economic circle, as well as a new driver, an important growth engine of the country's high-quality development. #GLOBALink *** Subtitles & Soundbites: Voiceover The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have issued a master plan for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in southwest China. Made public Wednesday, the plan aims to turn the Chengdu-Chongqing area into an economic circle with its own strengths and distinctive features, as well as a new driver and an important growth engine of the country's high-quality development, according to the document. The economic circle is expected to become an important economic center for scientific and technological innovation, and a new highland for reform and opening-up and a livable place with a high quality of life. By 2025, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will witness significant increases in economic strength, development vitality and international influence, and about 66 percent of its permanent residents are expected to be living in urban areas, said the plan. In five years, it will take only an hour to travel between Chongqing and Chengdu, it said. The area will enjoy a railway network of more than 9,000 km that covers all the cities with a population of over 200,000, while a shipping center and a logistics center for the upper Yangtze River will be basically established. All urban areas and key scenes will be covered by the 5G network, and the economic circle will see a marked improvement in new infrastructure and stronger capabilities in safeguarding energy security. A regional collaborative innovation system will be basically built in the area, which is expected to see spending on research and development reach around 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product, while the contribution rate of scientific and technological progress will hit 63 percent. Breakthroughs will be made in the construction of major opening-up platforms such as the pilot free trade zones in Chongqing and Sichuan by 2025, providing stronger support for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, according to the document. By 2035, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will become an active growth pole and a powerful driver with international influence, it said. Covering about 185,000 square kilometers, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle takes up 1.9 percent of the country's total land territory. In 2019, the area had a permanent population of around 96 million and saw regional GDP near 6.3 trillion yuan (about 983.3 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 6.9 percent and 6.3 percent of the national total, respectively. ( Original Title: GLOBALink | Master plan for economic circle in SW. China issued )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172404851

Master plan for economic circle in SW. China issued

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have issued a master plan for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in southwest China. The plan, made public Wednesday, aims to turn the Chengdu-Chongqing area into an economic circle with its own strengths and distinctive features, as well as a new driver and an important growth engine of the country's high-quality development. The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is expected to become an important economic center, a center for scientific and technological innovation, a new highland for reform and opening-up and a livable place with a high quality of life. By 2025, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will witness significant increases in economic strength, development vitality and international influence, and about 66 percent of its permanent residents are expected to be living in urban areas, said the plan. In five years, it will take only an hour to travel between Chongqing and Chengdu, it said. The area will enjoy a railway network of more than 9,000 km that covers all the cities with a population of over 200,000, while a shipping center and a logistics center for the upper Yangtze River will be basically established. All urban areas and key scenes will be covered by the 5G network, and the economic circle will see a marked improvement in new infrastructure and stronger capabilities in safeguarding energy security. A regional collaborative innovation system will be basically built in the area, which is expected to see spending on research and development reach around 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product, while the contribution rate of scientific and technological progress will hit 63 percent. Breakthroughs will be made in the construction of major opening-up platforms such as the pilot free trade zones in Chongqing and Sichuan by 2025, providing stronger support for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, according to the document. By 2035, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will become an active growth pole and a powerful driver with international influence, it said. The plan details measures such as building a destination for global consumers, an ecological barrier for the upper Yangtze River and a new highland for reform and opening-up in inland regions, as well as pushing for integrated urban-rural development. Covering about 185,000 square kms, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle takes up 1.9 percent of the country's total land territory. In 2019, the area had a permanent population of around 96 million and saw regional GDP near 6.3 trillion yuan (about 983.3 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 6.9 percent and 6.3 percent of the national total, respectively. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chongqing/Chengdu, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Master plan for economic circle in SW. China issued )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172404854

Tunisian president meets Arab League chief over political issues

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday met visiting Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit over political issues in the North African country, according to a statement released by the presidency. During the meeting, Saied reiterated Tunisia's rejection of all forms of interference in its internal affairs, according to the statement. The president also stressed his country's openness to consultation and cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries in the framework of mutual respect for national sovereignty. He reiterated his adherence to the principles of democracy, respect for freedom and the guarantee of human rights. For his part, Aboul-Gheit expressed his confidence in the democratic path in Tunisia, wishing the Tunisian leadership "success in building a strong national state that meets the will of the Tunisian people and achieves their aspirations for stability and development." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tunis. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Tunisian president meets Arab League chief over political issues )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172402251

Uganda receives second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China

STANDUP (English): RONALD SSEKANDI, Xinhua correspondent "Hundreds of people are queuing at centers like these to receive COVID vaccines as the country moves to save lives and fully open up the economy. Uganda on Tuesday received 700,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, the second batch donated by the Chinese government. The first batch was received in July." Margaret Muhanga, the minister of state for primary health care, received the vaccines at the National Medical Stores in Entebbe, 40 km south of the capital Kampala. She hailed the donation as her country is scaling up its vaccination campaign to save lives and open up the economy. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MARGARET MUHANGA, Uganda Minister Of State For Primary Health Care "Most importantly, thank people and the government of the People's Republic of China for this generous support to us in the fight against the pandemic. It is really an exciting day for us because we are receiving now 700,000 more doses of Sinovac, which will help us vaccinate a bigger population, so that we can open our economy fully." Zhang Lizhong, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, said the donation came at a time when the two countries marked the 59th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between them and is part of China's commitment to build a global community of health for all. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ZHANG LIZHONG, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda "These vaccines come at a very special time, also at a very good time. Yesterday, we celebrated the 59th anniversary of (the establishment of) the diplomatic relationship between China and Uganda." In addition to donating 100 million U.S. dollars to the global COVID-19 vaccine program COVAX, China has pledged to donate 100 million additional vaccine doses to other developing countries this year. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative to Uganda, also hailed the donation. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): YONAS TEGEGN WOLDEMARIAM, WHO Representative to Uganda "Thank the People's Republic of China, because every dose coming to Africa saves life, and if we save life and we vaccinate as many people as we can and ensure vaccine equity, we can defeat the pandemic." Uganda received the first batch of the Sinovac vaccines at the end of July this year. As of Sunday, about 2.6 million doses have been administered in the country, according to figures from the ministry of health. Since March last year, Uganda has reported a total of 125,283 COVID-19 cases with 96,397 recoveries and 3,187 deaths. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Entebbe, Uganda. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Uganda receives second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172402250

Cotton factories in China's Xinjiang go full steam ahead in production

Cotton factories in Manas county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are going full throttle processing cotton. Boasting 23 cotton factories, the county of Manas is expected to purchase 330,000 tonnes of cotton this year. The county's cotton harvesting is expected to finish by late October. Xinjiang is the largest cotton-growing area in China. The region's cotton output hit 5.16 million tonnes in 2020, accounting for 87.3 percent of the total in the country. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Cotton factories in China's Xinjiang go full steam ahead in production )

日付：2021年10月21日

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China's Huawei opens flagship store in Vienna

Chinese tech giant Huawei officially opened its flagship store on Wednesday in the city center of Vienna, Austria. It covers sales, service, and product experience. It is one of the largest Huawei flagship stores in Europe. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Vienna. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China's Huawei opens flagship store in Vienna )

日付：2021年10月21日

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Kenya's SGR passenger usage returns to pre-COVID-19 levels

Some 1.19 million people have used Kenya's standard gauge railway (SGR) train in the first eight months of this year, as passenger numbers returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on Monday. This was an increase of 139 percent from 498,444 in the same period in 2020. Most passengers of the train that shuttle between the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa traveled in July and August, according to KNBS. The surge in the number of passengers follows the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Kenya amid a high vaccination rate of citizens. With increased travel on the modern train, Kenya's tourism bedrock Mombasa has received a huge boom. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kenya's SGR passenger usage returns to pre-COVID-19 levels )

日付：2021年10月21日

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German, Austrian automakers eye more opportunities in China

The 2021 China-Germany Automobile Conference concluded on Wednesday in the northeastern city of Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province. Themed "Innovation leader, Green future," the three-day event brought together automakers from Germany and Austria. Participants said they want to seize cooperation opportunities with China as it has a vast automobile market. SOUNDBITE(English): MARKUS BERGER, STARLIM Silicone Products (Taicang) Co., Ltd. "This is the reason we are here, and we're going to introduce some new technologies and new systems. We really hope that we can get some new contacts, contacts to relevant personal especially from FAW, to get to discuss how can we cooperate. This is very important." Cooperation between China, Germany, and Austria in the automotive field has a long history. According to participants, against the backdrop of a shrinking global market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, China, Germany and Austria have continued to work together and achieved good results in maintaining the stability of the global supply chain and promoting economic recovery. SOUNDBITE(Chinese): YUAN WENBO, Partner of Roland Berger enterprise management (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. "German companies need to find local partners, and Chinese companies also need close cooperation in fields like control algorithms, so I think the opportunities for cooperation are huge." SOUNDBITE(English): MARKUS BERGER, STARLIM Silicone Products (Taicang) Co., Ltd. "Actually, the relationship between China and Austria is very important, since I'm here in China, I see a very close relationship between the Austrian government and China, this helps us a lot for building good business partnership." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Changchun, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: German, Austrian automakers eye more opportunities in China )

日付：2021年10月21日

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HK to enhance status as global shipping hub with national support: officials

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will strengthen its status as an international shipping center by leveraging advantages in services and development of the Greater Bay Area, officials said on Wednesday. "As an international shipping center with global influence, Hong Kong's shipping industry is highly developed, especially in the sectors of shipping finance, insurance and legal service," Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng said in a video speech at the first World Maritime Merchants Forum held in Hong Kong. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI XIAOPENG, Chinese Minister of Transport "As an international shipping center with global influence, Hong Kong's shipping industry is highly developed, especially in the sectors of shipping finance, insurance and legal service. The Ministry of Transport will support Hong Kong proactively in consolidating and upgrading its position as an international shipping center, and its integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area." Teresa Cheng, Secretary of Justice of the HKSAR government, said at the forum that there is a clear shift of maritime and trading activities to the East, meaning a larger demand for maritime-related financial and legal services. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TERESA CHENG, Secretary of Justice of the HKSAR government "There is a clear shift of maritime and trading activities to the East, meaning a larger demand for maritime-related financial and legal services. This trend is inevitable when, out of the world's top 10 container ports, China accounts for seven of them, and three of which are cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), namely Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong." Hong Kong prides itself as a center for the provision of services for the maritime industry, and more tax concessions will be introduced to attract maritime shipping firms to establish a business presence in Hong Kong, she said. She said the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Greater Bay Area development plan explicitly support Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific Region. The first World Maritime Merchants Forum was initiated by the China Merchants Group in association with the Baltic and International Maritime Council, the International Chamber of Shipping, and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. Guests from more than 100 enterprises and competent authorities in sectors such as global shipping, ports, logistics, trade, shipbuilding, finance, and maritime services were invited to attend the forum either onsite or online. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong. (XHTV) ( Original Title: HK to enhance status as global shipping hub with national support: officials )

日付：2021年10月21日

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National park helps with panda conservation | Pandaful Q&A

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): @Feifeinyvshi, Netizen Over the past decades, what stages did China go through in the protection of giant pandas? SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG QIAN, Researcher, Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Bureau From 1949 to 2016, the protection of giant pandas had mainly focused on improving the management of nature reserves, ameliorating conservation and management measures, preventing deforestation and poaching, as well as improving the living standards of the residents. Later came the period of national park building. We used new technologies and methods to protect wild animals and plants, such as the extensive use of infrared cameras. With the establishment of national parks, habitat fragmentation is reversed. Second, we started to explore new systems and models for the management of natural resources. Third, we are exploring new paths, methods and balances of regional development under the principle of protection. Fourth, law enforcement has been strengthened. Efforts are being made to promote national park legislation, and regulate the management of national parks with laws. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: National park helps with panda conservation | Pandaful Q&A )

日付：2021年10月21日

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Chile to operate airplanes fueled by green hydrogen in 2030

The Santiago airport in Chile will be the first in Latin America to receive and supply airplanes fueled by green hydrogen, starting in the year 2030. Chilean Minister of Energy and Mining Juan Carlos Jobet affirmed in a public event that "airlines that operate in Chile will be able to use green hydrogen," with which "cargo and passenger air travel will be more environmentally friendly." Jobet said that air travel is one of the major sources of pollution globally, along with maritime transit, both of which are primary focuses of the National Green Hydrogen Strategy of Chile. With this initiative, Jobet highlighted that the South American country is making progress in the development of the green hydrogen industry. Chile has started the construction of the largest synthetic gasoline plant in Latin America, as well as the production of the first green hydrogen molecule for the mining industry. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JUAN CARLOS JOBET, Chilean Minister of Energy and Mining "Air travel is responsible, worldwide, for more than 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, it is an essential link in the transport chain for people, whether as tourists, in their personal lives, or for the functioning of our businesses. The world could not function without air travel. Green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as ammonia, or synthetic fuels, are the best alternative to lower the emissions generated by air travel." The National Green Hydrogen Strategy in the South American country plans for maritime transit and air travel to become carbon-neutral through the use of fuels derived from hydrogen, both on domestic and international routes. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Santiago. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Chile to operate airplanes fueled by green hydrogen in 2030 )

日付：2021年10月21日

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Egypt, Qatar discuss cooperation in transportation

Egypt's Minister of Transportation Kamel al-Wazir on Wednesday met with his visiting Qatari counterpart Jassim bin Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti to discuss cooperation in the transport sector. The two ministers' meeting took place on the sidelines of the 34th meeting of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers in Cairo, Egypt's capital. The Egyptian minister said his country has made notable achievements in the transport sector, adding that Egypt is implementing a comprehensive plan to develop its maritime transport system, including the development of the ports. Al-Wazir said Egypt aspires to become a center for global trade. On his part, the Qatari minister stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries in transport, including the maritime transport sector. The two ministers also discussed means of enhancing cooperation in aviation. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Egypt, Qatar discuss cooperation in transportation )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172392258

1 dead, 33 injured in restaurant explosion in northeast China

One person was killed and another 33 injured after an explosion Thursday at a restaurant in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, according to the local publicity department. The blast took place at around 8:20 a.m. Thursday at the restaurant in Taiyuannan Street in Heping District, according to the district publicity department. The cause of the accident is being investigated. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shenyang, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: 1 dead, 33 injured in restaurant explosion in northeast China )

日付：2021年10月21日

RM 172390075

Putin approves paid leave across Russia to curb COVID-19 surge

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he supports a proposal to introduce paid non-working days across the country from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 to contain a hike in COVID-19 infections and related deaths. Local authorities can launch the days off earlier or extend them if necessary, Putin told a government meeting. The proposal was made by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova on Tuesday and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called it "a necessary measure." Russia is experiencing its toughest period since the pandemic began, with daily new infections and coronavirus-related deaths repeatedly hitting record highs. According to the country's official monitoring and response center, Russia confirmed 34,073 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 8,094,825, while the nationwide death toll grew by a record daily increase of 1,028 to 226,353. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Moscow. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Putin approves paid leave across Russia to curb COVID-19 surge )

日付：2021年10月21日

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Two wounded in explosion in Afghanistan's Kabul: official

At least two people were wounded in a bomb attack in the Afghan capital on Wednesday morning, the Ministry of Interior confirmed. A hand grenade was hurled from the Kabul Zoo towards Taliban security forces stationed in Dehmazang Square, Dehmazang locality in Police District 3 of Kabul, spokesperson Qari Saeed Khosty wrote on his social media account. He said a search operation was launched to nap the culprits behind the attack. However, local residents said the explosion was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast targeting a Taliban pickup truck that was passing by the traffic circle near the Kabul police headquarters. "The explosion occurred roughly at 7:50 a.m. local time (0320 GMT) with a big bang, causing panic among the people and sending a gray smoke to the sky," a witness told Xinhua. At least one person was killed and seven others, including three students, were wounded, he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. The security situation has remained generally calm but uncertain across Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover in mid-August. However, deadly bomb attacks have been staged by Islamic State-affiliated militants in several Afghan provinces in recent weeks. On Friday, at least 47 worshippers were killed and 90 others wounded after two IS militants launched suicide bomb attacks inside a mosque in Kandahar city, capital of southern Kandahar province. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Two wounded in explosion in Afghanistan's Kabul: official )

日付：2021年10月21日

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Palestinians celebrate the Prophet's birthday in Nablus

Lights, decorations and sounds of cheer -- this was the atmosphere in the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday as it marked the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, receiving visitors from various cities of the West Bank. Nablus is known for the way it celebrates the Prophet's birthday. Associated with Sufi customs and traditions, it attracts many visitors each year, who flock to local hotels to experience the festivities the city has to offer. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): KHALIL SALEM, Local resident "These beautiful scenes that you see here in the streets of the city are part of the life of the city's residents who went out spontaneously to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed." SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): KAMAL AL-JAABARI, Local resident "We always celebrate in the festive seasons, especially the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, in all Palestinian governorates, including Hebron and the Gaza Strip. Still, the city of Nablus has special celebrations, as it has its festive rituals on this day." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Palestine. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Palestinians celebrate the Prophet's birthday in Nablus )

日付：2021年10月20日

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Chinese enterprises record modest growth in EU but sentiment declines: report

Chinese enterprises recorded modest growth in the European Union (EU) in 2020, but sentiment continues to decline on ease of doing business there, according to an annual report released by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU). The report estimated that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese enterprises recorded a total turnover of 150.3 billion euros (175 billion U.S. dollars) in the 27 EU member states last year, up 1.4 percent year-on-year. "According to the overall evaluation by Chinese enterprises, the ease of doing business in the EU in 2021 declined for the second consecutive year with significantly lower scores for the political climate and the business environment in comparison to the past," it said. The report, entitled "Strengthening Mutually Beneficial Cooperation to Shape the Common Future," was launched jointly by the CCCEU and global consultancy Roland Berger on Monday. The CCCEU was inaugurated in Brussels in April 2019 and this was its third annual report. Xu Haifeng, chairman of the CCCEU, said at the launch event that China is now the EU's top trading partner in goods despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. "China-Europe freight train services surged by 50 percent in 2020," Xu said, adding that with the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement coming into effect, the two sides "have mutually recognized and protected 244 geographical indications" by July this year. China's economic rebound, strong demand in Europe and a resilient supply chain all played a role in the growth of bilateral trade, he said. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XU HAIFENG, Chairman of the CCCEU "You know, when the China economy recovered, China's domestic market required the goods from Europe. So I really see China and Europe are really complimentary. And for the supply chain, it's interdependent." According to Xu, the EU's significance as an overseas investment destination is rising and the Chinese business community stays confident in the long-term development of China-EU economic relations, ready to contribute to the bloc's ongoing twin green and digital transitions. However, according to the report's findings, Chinese enterprises are also concerned about the EU's several unilateral trade instruments, its increasing tendency of "inward-looking" and a rising trend of politicizing business in the bloc. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XU HAIFENG, Chairman of the CCCEU "To be clear that we are not against these policies. But In some way, it might provide obstacles or barriers for Chinese companies to access the European market. So actually, the Chinese business community wants to have a fair, open, non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in the EU." The report lists nearly 70 recommendations in ten areas for improving the EU's business environment, including to intensify policy dialogues in areas such as information disclosure and public procurement, strengthen strategic mutual trust and understanding, and properly handle differences under bilateral or global frameworks in a pragmatic manner. According to the statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and other authorities, by the end of 2020, Chinese investors had set up 2,800 enterprises in the EU, covering all its 27 member states, and employed some 250,000 foreign employees. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Brussels. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Chinese enterprises record modest growth in EU but sentiment declines: report )

日付：2021年10月20日

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Kuwait launches hair donation campaign for cancer patients

Kuwait launched on Tuesday a hair donation campaign in Hawalli Governorate for cancer patients who received chemotherapy. The campaign was organized by Kuwait's Sidra Association, a psychosocial support center for cancer patients. And more than 30 women participated in the campaign. The donated hair will be made into wigs for cancer patients who received chemotherapy to help them cope with their health condition. According to the association, through the campaign, the cancer patients and their relatives can feel a positive environment, which enables them to coexist with the disease and better deal with the outside world. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kuwait City. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kuwait launches hair donation campaign for cancer patients )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172344045

GLOBALink | African youth representatives refute "forced labor" claim in China's Xinjiang

Some African youth representatives, who have visited China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have refuted Western media's accusations of "forced labor" in the region. SOUNDBITE 1 (English):JOSEPH OLIVIER MENDOO, Youth representative from Cameroon "Well I've been to Urumqi and there is a huge, I would say, cotton field. I even experienced that. And we've been there for a couple of days, and we saw a lot of machines. Everything is already automatic. The machines are going back and forth, and they are doing the work. I even ask, they say, only one individual can handle more than 10 mu (0.67 hectares) of land. So I think it's a very already automatic. So I didn't see any forced labors, even in the cotton industry. Everything is already automatic. From my intakes, no forced labor. I don't know about the (Western media's) agenda, but I think we have to stick to what we see. We should make sure actually to have in-depth experience to learn from the field before taking any position." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MALIYA, Youth representative from Sierra Leone "I've been to Xinjiang more than 5 times or 6 times. For me, I never see that (forced labor) at all. Also, I have been with many Xinjiang friends who travel around the world. And I think if they have problem, they will not come back. And I think if they have a problem, they will speak it out. What's my own side, with all these years of experience, working with them, being with them, traveling with them, they love their country, China." 45 African youth representatives from 44 countries are attending the sixth China-Africa Youth Festival in Beijing. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | African youth representatives refute "forced labor" claim in China's Xinjiang )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172344044

W. Mongolian province imposes quarantine due to foot-and-mouth disease

The western Mongolian province of Govi-Altai has been quarantined for an indefinite period due to the outbreak of the deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in animals, local media reported on Wednesday. "Currently, the highly contagious FMD has been diagnosed in Sharga, Taishir and Esunbulag soums (administrative subdivisions) in our province, and the prevalence is increasing. Therefore, a quarantine regime has been imposed across the province for an indefinite period," local media quoted the provincial government as saying in a statement. So far this year, the highly contagious disease, which spreads among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs, has broken out in more than half of Mongolia's 21 provinces, according to the General Authority for Veterinary Services. Govi-Altai is one of the western provinces of Mongolia that are adjacent to China. The livestock sector is a main pillar of the Mongolian economy with around 70 million heads of livestock in the country with a population of around 3.4 million. The landlocked country is striving to develop its livestock sector by raising meat exports in a bid to diversify its mining-dependent economy, while frequent outbreaks of livestock diseases such as FMD and mad cow disease are impeding the process. The country's meat exports have been suspended since June due to infectious animal diseases, according to the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ulan Bator. (XHTV) ( Original Title: W. Mongolian province imposes quarantine due to foot-and-mouth disease )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340193

216 illegal migrants rescued off Libyan coast

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Tuesday that 216 illegal migrants were rescued off Libya's western coast. "Last two nights, 2 boats with a total of 216 persons aboard were returned to Zawiya and Tripoli," UNHCR tweeted. No missing persons were reported, and medical care, food and water were provided, it said. Almost 400 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya in the past week, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) also on Tuesday. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. So far in 2021, a total of 26,705 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 493 died and 686 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tripoli. (XHTV) ( Original Title: 216 illegal migrants rescued off Libyan coast )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340192

Over 7 bln USD pooled to support grassland restoration in N China's Inner Mongolia

Over 68 million hectares of grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been subsidized by the country to help with overgrazing in the past decade, said the regional agriculture and husbandry authorities. The central government has been funding the restoration of such grasslands nationwide since 2011. Inner Mongolia has handed out subsidies of more than 45.5 billion yuan (7.03 billion U.S. dollars) for local herders to support the captive breeding of animals and restrictions on herding since then. The practice has helped effectively avoid grassland productivity damage and pasture degradation. A total of 27 million hectares of desertified grassland has been benefited and 41 million hectares of grassland has been properly utilized based on a balanced ecosystem and local grazing. Thanks to the improving ecological environment of the grassland, the region recorded about 45 percent of its grassland vegetation coverage. Inner Mongolia spans the vast northern territory of China and is an important ecological barrier in the country. The region's grassland occupies about one-fifth of the country's total. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hohhot, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Over 7 bln USD pooled to support grassland restoration in N China's Inner Mongolia )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340194

Over 700,000 people affected by floods in South Sudan

More than 700,000 people across South Sudan have been affected by intense and unrelenting floods due to heavy rainfall over the past months. Affected communities continue to be isolated and cut off from aid as roads, bridges and airstrips have been submerged, hindering urgent delivery of assistance. UNHCR and partners and the local authorities are doing what they can to provide emergency support. But much more is needed. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dinka): AMER DIING, Victim "Our request to the government and organizations is that they should provide us with some plastic sheets because if the water does not enter our shelter, we could still make small channels around our homes. But if the rain continues, there is a need for plastic sheets to cover us. Our main fear is for the children falling sick because of coldness caused by the rain-water having nothing to cover them." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ARAFAT JAMAL, UNHCR Representative, South Sudan "We've seen houses submerged, people wading through water and infrastructure damaged. The floods are a reality. This is the twenty-first century and we have spoken to people who have said they have not seen flooding like this since 1962." SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ARAFAT JAMAL, UNHCR Representative, South Sudan "Climate change does not have to lead to despair because there are solutions, solutions include pumping, it includes canalization, and they include good planning. What we would like to do as an international community, what we must do is to support the efforts of the people and the government of South Sudan to combat climate change and to see how to make the lives of people better and more hopeful." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Juba. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Over 700,000 people affected by floods in South Sudan )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340191

Egypt celebrates birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad with candies

Commemorating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad has a special taste in Egypt as Muslims flock to buy special candies and sweets. The special sweets have been a major feature of Egyptian celebrations of the Prophet's birthday ever since the Fatimid dynasty launched the tradition in 973 of the Hijri calendar. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): SAMAH, Local resident "We are accustomed to buying sweets to celebrate the Prophet Mohamed's birthday. It is a long tradition." Prophet Muhammad's birthday is celebrated on the 12th of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal of the Islamic calendar. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Egypt celebrates birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad with candies )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340189

Turkey summons 10 foreign ambassadors over call for activist's release

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United States, over a joint statement calling for the release of jailed activist and businessman Osman Kavala. The ministry said the joint statement regarding an ongoing judiciary case is "contrary to diplomatic practices and was unacceptable." The ambassadors' move "attempts to politicize the legal processes, put pressure on the Turkish judiciary and violated the independence of the judiciary," the ministry officials told the envoys, according to a written statement by the Foreign Ministry. The Turkish officials told the ambassadors that they have an "insincere and double-standard approach," as "they focus only on the cases related to Turkey and especially try to keep the Kavala case on the agenda constantly while some other countries do not implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights." The ambassadors said in a joint statement on Monday that "the continuing delays in his trial, including by merging different cases and creating new ones after a previous acquittal, cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judiciary system." "Together, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkey's international obligations and domestic laws. Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release," they added. The Council of Europe stated in Sept. that it would start infringement proceedings against Turkey unless Kavala is released before its next committee of ministers meeting in November. Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to nationwide Gezi protests in 2013. But his ruling was overturned and was combined with a probe into a coup attempt in 2016 on the accusation of spying. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Turkey summons 10 foreign ambassadors over call for activist's release )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172340190

Kenya launches mass vaccination targeting tourists

Kenya's Mombasa County on Tuesday launched mass vaccination targeting travellers at the standard gauge railway (SGR) entry and exit points . SOUNDBITE (English): GODFREY NYONGESA NATO, Acting health County Executive Committee member "And the launch we are having here today, we are vaccinating the travellers who are using SGR as our first point here and then we are also vaccinating people who are from the vicinity of this SGR. After this, we are launching what we are calling a beyond zero caravan that will move to all corners of the county to make sure that the citizens of Mombasa are vaccinated at their convenience." Kenya's Mombasa city remains a major tourism destination for both foreign and domestic tourists. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Kenya launches mass vaccination targeting tourists )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172333896

GLOBALink | China continues to contribute to global economic security, sustainable development

The first Global Economic Development and Security Forum (GEDS) of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. STANDUP (English): LI ZIWEI, Xinhua correspondent "Over the past two years, COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on economies and societies. At the same time, issues like climate change, supply chain security and financial risks have become increasingly prominent, posing unprecedented challenges to the world economic recovery and sustainable development. And that's why this event is in itself a message of hope." SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ERIK BERGLOF, Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank "It's coming at the very important time. You know we are in the middle of a global pandemic. We have a lot of issues that we are not solving very well when it comes to vaccine distribution and so on. There is a lot of other issues that are coming in the wake of the pandemic, inequality within countries, inequality across countries. This forum comes at the very important time. What this panel brought was, I think, attention to the value of infrastructure investment and the infrastructure giving incentives to countries, to reform their economies, to improve the investment climate, to attract private investors into their development efforts. I think that was very much the focus here,also making sure that the emerging and developing countries are not left behind in the journey to the net zero carbon transition." SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARCOS TROYJO, President of the New Development Bank "I think the Boao forum has become one of the world's leading platforms for conversations on global challenges, climate change, the pandemic, economic development, infrastructure investment, new technologies. It's a very important opportunity for us to bring in new ideas and new light to problems and challenges that are affecting the entire population of the world." SOUNDBITE 3 (English): MICHELE GERACI, Former undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development "I think today we discussed the global governance, very important to solve many problems that are global problems, that are pandemic, climate. These are the two things that are really important. This is why we need cooperation. We need cooperation, multilateral cooperation." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Changsha, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | China continues to contribute to global economic security, sustainable development )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172333895

Continuous beams rotate into position on China's railway project

Continuous beams of a railway project connecting the Beijing Daxing International Airport and a railway station in northern China's Tianjin Municipality rotated into position on Tuesday. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): DUAN JINLONG, China Railway Sixth Group Co., Ltd. "The single beam weighs 4,000 tons. It was hauled by four 200-ton jacks and rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise into place." The Tianjin-Daxing Railway is part of the major projects in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. It connects the Tianjinxi Railway Station in Tianjin and the Beijing Daxing International Airport with a length of some 100 km. Upon completion, it will be the fourth high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Tianjin. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shijiazhuang, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Continuous beams rotate into position on China's railway project )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172333894

14 killed in Damascus army bus explosion

At least 14 people were killed and two others wounded in a bomb attack on an army bus in central Damascus on Wednesday, state news agency SANA reported. Citing a military statement, the report said three explosive devices were affixed to the bottom of the military bus, two of which were detonated at the President Bridge in the heart of Damascus while the third one fell down without exploding and was later dismantled by a bomb squad. Meanwhile, the state news agency posted photos of a charred passenger bus with military personnel around it checking the situation. The President Bridge is a very busy area in Damascus where the main transportation station, which connects the capital through dozens of buses, minibuses and minivans, is located. Since dislodging the rebels from its outskirts in 2018, the Syrian capital has remained largely secure with some explosions taking place every now and then. The Wednesday explosion is the second but the largest that took place in the capital this year, it said. In August, a military passenger bus was targeted in Damascus, causing fewer number of casualties. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus. (XHTV) ( Original Title: 14 killed in Damascus army bus explosion )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172331812

China calls for enhancing cooperation with Brazil under BRI: ambassador

Brazil, as the largest economy in Latin America, has a solid foundation and great potential for cooperation with China, and therefore has every reason to be an important player in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Ambassador to Brazil Yang Wanming said on Monday. Politicians, business leaders and diplomats from both countries took part in the virtual 4th Seminar Brazil-China Dialogue "Belt and Road & Brazil: Rules and Coordination," organized by the Center for Brazil-China Studies of the School of Law of the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, which aims to discuss a wide range of topics on Sino-Brazilian relations, such as 5G technology, and new investment and financing within the BRI framework. During the start of the seminar, Yang said China's robust economic recovery and opening of its market will open up new spaces for cooperation under the BRI. SOUNDBITE 1 (Portuguese): YANG WANMING, Chinese Ambassador to Brazil "It is open to all kinds of political systems and cultures, free from ideological bias or any political conditions, and does not restrict itself in closed and exclusive circles. It is committed to promoting political communication, infrastructure connectivity, trade flows, financial movements and interpersonal understanding, as well as fostering global economic integration, development synergy and the sharing of results based on equal consultation, mutual benefit, openness and inclusion." SOUNDBITE 2 (Portuguese): EDUARDO PAES, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro "It was an incredible experience not only to get closer to Chinese culture but mainly to get to know the enormous capacity for innovation of the Chinese people, the capacity for work and production of the Chinese people, so as soon as I took up my duties as mayor again from Rio de Janeiro, I have been seeking to further strengthen these ties with the People's Republic of China. We understand that Rio de Janeiro can be a gateway to this new Silk Road initiative, in this exchange, especially when we talk about infrastructure and environmental issues." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (XHTV) ( Original Title: China calls for enhancing cooperation with Brazil under BRI: ambassador )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172331815

UN Middle East envoy says no progress made towards two-state solution

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Security Council on Tuesday that no progress has been made towards the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wennesland briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East via video teleconference from Jerusalem. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process "We should have no illusions about the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) continues to deteriorate and we have seen no progress towards realizing a two-state solution. This political stagnation is fueling tensions, instability and a deepening sense of hopelessness." He painted a picture of a situation that is "increasingly desperate" defined by extremists and unilateral actions on all sides, which heightens risks for Palestinians, Israelis, and the region at large. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process "Israeli and Palestinian civilians are suffering and paying a steep price for the persistence of the conflict, including the protracted occupation." In the meantime, settlement activity, evictions, Palestinian property seizures, and movement restrictions are "further feeding the cycle of violence" as Israeli civilians are killed and injured in Palestinian attacks. In his report, the UN envoy described "nightly clashes" between Israelis and Palestinians, and stressed the importance of holding all perpetrators of violence accountable and swiftly bringing them to justice. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process "I'm concerned that Israeli authorities continue to consider plans for construction in E1. If constructed, these units would sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank, significantly undermining the chances for establishing a viable and contiguous Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution. I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and remain a substantial obstacle to peace." In "a welcome development," the special coordinator said that Israeli and Palestinian officials had announced that some 4,000 undocumented Palestinians in the West Bank would be registered in the Palestinian population registry and receive identity documents. Meanwhile, as expenditures exceed revenues and donor support, Palestine's economic decline continues, with bank loan options "exhausted." He voiced concern that "these negative trends are occurring simultaneously across the West Bank and Gaza" and should not be left unaddressed. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): TOR WENNESLAND, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process "We can no longer lurch from crisis to crisis. Our approach cannot be to address the current situation piecemeal -- incident by incident, on a short-term day-to-day basis as stand-alone issues. A broader package of parallel steps by the Government of Israel, the PA (Palestinian Authority) and the international community is needed. Such a framework should begin to address key political, security and economic challenges that are preventing progress." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from United Nations. (XHTV) ( Original Title: UN Middle East envoy says no progress made towards two-state solution )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172331813

Spanish researchers use microbes to recycle metals from electronic waste

Spanish researchers use microbes to recycle metals from electronic waste, such as mobile phones and batteries. For the past 10 years, a team of researchers from the Manresa Campus of the Polytechnic University of Catalunya (UPC), have been working on an innovative system that uses microbes to recycle up to 40 percent of the valuable metals in discarded electronic devices. Funded by Spain's State Research Agency, the project has already been patented in Spain. SOUNDBITE 1 (Catalan): TONI DORADO, Chief researcher & coordinator of the project "The patent shows that the technology we're using to try and solve this problem is not being done anywhere else in the world, and so it provides a guarantee and protection for all the knowledge we've attained during these years of research." The system works by feeding electronic waste to special bacteria that can separate out the most valuable metals and deposit them on plaques. SOUNDBITE 2 (Catalan): TONI DORADO, Chief researcher & coordinator of the project "This project is a good example of the circular economy, which is the direction we need to go. We're generating a lot of waste, and once these devices are no longer useful, we need to recycle as much as we can from them, reusing, recycling, and getting more life out of them. It's the only way to maintain a high level of technological development." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Barcelona, Spain. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Spanish researchers use microbes to recycle metals from electronic waste )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172331814

Frankfurt Book Fair opens its doors to public again

After last year's digital-only edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Frankfurt Book Fair will once again welcome visitors on site from Wednesday to Sunday, the organizers announced on Tuesday. "The desire for in-person interactions is once again bringing the international book and publishing industry together in Frankfurt," said Juergen Boos, director of the book fair, at a press conference opening the event. "Back to business, however, does not mean things are now back to normal," Boos said, adding that in addition to face-to-face events, the fair would also present a "compelling digital trade program." Under the slogan "Re:connect - Welcome back to Frankfurt," around 2,000 companies from 80 countries will exhibit their products, featuring more than 300 international authors. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Berlin. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Frankfurt Book Fair opens its doors to public again )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172328941

Xinjiang, My home: Life of twin brothers in Korla City

Adiljan and Amirjan are twin brothers from Korla City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They both do very well in school. Check out their warm family of four. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): Adiljan "Hi, I'm Adiljan." SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Amirjan "Hi, I'm Amirjan." SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): Adiljan "Who is the elder brother and who's the younger brother? Please guess." SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Adiljan and Amirjan "Hi everyone, I'm Adiljan. Are you curious about how do we spend our weekends? Let me show you what my brother, who is very good at studying, usually does on the weekend." "Hey." "Hello." "My brother and I are in the same class. If there's any recitation contest or speech contest, we will participate in and get good results." "Hey brother, show us something." "I'll read the poetry To the Oak Tree." "Okay." "Allow me to practice it for a while. If I love you, I will never be a clinging trumpet creeper, using your high boughs to show off my height. If I love you, I will never be a spoony bird, repeating a monotonous song for green shade." "I am tired. How about going to the bookshop?" "Let's go." "We are in a bookshop, not at home, be quiet." SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): Adiljan and his father "Dad." "Hi." "This is my dad. He is a surgeon. After work, he likes taking care of his fish." SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): Adiljan and his mother "Hi, this is my mom. She is preparing fruits for us." "Mom, would you please keep the dragon fruit for me?" "Don't be selfish! I will keep some for you and your brother, too. So you can enjoy it together." "Okay." SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): Amirjan and his father "Let's hold a family meeting to discuss the results of the latest exam." "I got the second place. He got the first place and I got the second place." "You can work harder and surpass your elder brother in the next exam." "Sure, I will." "Do you have any suggestions for me and your mom?" "Smile more." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Korla, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Xinjiang, My home: Life of twin brothers in Korla City )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172328942

What is animal migration corridor?| Pandaful Q&A

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): Netizen "What are animal migration corridors?" SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHANG QIAN, Researcher, Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Bureau "So what is an animal migration corridor? It is like building a corridor between two isolated habitat patches. The vegetation of the corridor is restored to the type that giant pandas like very much, and with limited human interference, giant pandas and other wild animals would feel that the corridor is safe and they will choose to use it. If it is really a good corridor, not only the giant pandas can use it, but other companion animals may also use it. For example, the vegetation restoration is based on the giant panda's favorite habitat. Apart from bamboo, the corridor must also have tall arbors, because giant panda's favorite environment is a primitive forest with proper bamboo and without steep slopes. We have also carried out monitoring of wildlife, mainly with infrared cameras. In 2020 and this year, some corridors have captured images of giant pandas, which is very encouraging to us and shows that some of our previous work has been effective." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chengdu, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: What is animal migration corridor?| Pandaful Q&A )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172328939

Ecuador begins to vaccinate children aged 6-11 with Chinese vaccine

Mimes and some people dressed as superheroes created a fun and playful atmosphere on Monday in Quito, capital of Ecuador, as the country began to vaccinate children aged 6-11 with a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. Also, several kids carried signs with messages in support of vaccination, including "Thanks to the vaccine, we will avoid catching the virus," "I want to get back to class already so I can meet my new classmates," and "In memory of those who dreamed of this opportunity, get vaccinated!" Ecuadorian Vice President Alfredo Borrero kicked off the vaccination drive at the Pichincha Provincial Council Educational Unit in Quito, as school children in the South American country are eager to return to school in person after months of sheltering indoors due to the pandemic. Wearing a white lab coat, Borrero, also a doctor by profession, personally vaccinated several of the kids at the vaccination site, which drew a large number of children accompanied by their parents. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): ALFREDO BORRERO, Vice President of Ecuador "Now, we are (initiating) another age group, children and teenagers, because we want to achieve collective immunity. We hope that in the coming days and months, we can get to that." Thanks to progress in vaccination, today "we see a totally different panorama," he said while urging the public to continue to practice social distancing measures. Also on Monday, Ecuadorian Public Health Minister Ximena Garzon said that the vaccination for school children was very important for the reopening of offline classes in Ecuador and can greatly reduce the risk of infections for children. Garzon also said that the vaccination data in both Chile and China have shown that the vaccine developed by Sinovac is safe and effective for children aged 6-11. SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): CRISTINA BETANCOURT, Mother of a family "I'm very content, because my son received the first dose, and in this way, he can be immune to the virus. So then, he will be able to return to classes and learn more." Ecuador has gradually reopened offline classes since July 6. Local media reported that currently, 32 percent of the schools in the country have reopened offline class education. Ecuador's COVID-19 caseload reached 513,026 and the death toll hit 32,899 on Monday, according to the country's health ministry. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Quito. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Ecuador begins to vaccinate children aged 6-11 with Chinese vaccine )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172322937

GLOBALink | Chinese martial arts flourish in Ethiopia

In a sports center located at the heart of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a burst of shouts come out from trainees practicing Chinese martial arts. The trainees, aged from 7 to 65, practice the Chinese martial arts, Kung Fu and kickboxing at the Dave Dan Wushu and Kickboxing Training Center. SOUNDBITE 1 (Amharic): DAWIT TEREFE, Martial arts coach "Impressed by unbelievable fighting techniques of the popular Chinese film actors such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, I started learning Chinese martial arts at the age of 12 in 1993. Chinese martial arts teach an excellent way of life." SOUNDBITE 2 (Amharic): DAWIT TEREFE, Martial arts coach "I was one of the four Ethiopians who were awarded a scholarship by Ethiopia's Culture and Sports Minister in 2013 and acquired a rank of Master in Chinese martial arts from the Shaolin Temple in China. I first learned Shaolin Kung Fu, and then started learning other forms of martial arts with special emphasis on Sanda or kickboxing." According to a recent report by the Ethiopian Martial Arts Federation, there are over 800 martial arts training centers across Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation. SOUNDBITE 3 (Amharic): HALELUYA DAWIT, Martial art trainees "I enjoy learning Kung Fu because it combines different techniques and gives me enlightenment. Since I began attending the martial arts training, I have built up my confidence and defensive capability." SOUNDBITE 4 (Amharic) MATIYAS BELETE, Martial art trainees "After I started attending the martial arts classes, I have enjoyed better strength, speed, power and flexibility." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | Chinese martial arts flourish in Ethiopia )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172322939

Chinese fishing boat capsizes off southwest S. Korea

A Chinese fishing boat has capsized in the waters off southwest South Korea, leaving six Chinese citizens missing, the Consulate General of China in Gwangju told Xinhua Wednesday. Nine Chinese citizens have been rescued, according to the consulate general. Zhang Chenggang, consul general of the Consulate General of China in Gwangju, said Chinese coast guard vessels have been dispatched to join the search and rescue operation at the scene, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. According to Yonhap news agency, the 239-ton Chinese vessel tipped over at about 00:05 a.m. local time (1505 GMT Tuesday). The South Korean coast guard sent four patrol boats and two aircraft to search for the missing people, said Yonhap. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Seoul. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Chinese fishing boat capsizes off southwest S. Korea )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172322938

Sculptures in Havana show history, culture of Cuba

Various sculptures in the streets of the Cuban capital Havana are not only landscapes of the city but also an expression of the city's history, culture and even politics in Cuba. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): TOMAS H. LARA, President of Advisory Council for the Development of Monumental and Environmental Sculptures "(Sculptures) has multiple levels of importance. On one hand, in places that are frequently visited, it makes the city environment and areas more appealing and attractive. Also, (these sculptures) are pages of cultural history, because in this way the architecture forms part of the history of distinctive architectural movements, as testimonials of the buildings in cities. In addition, sculptures form part of the aesthetic spectrum which comprises part of the distinct styles of each period." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Havana. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Sculptures in Havana show history, culture of Cuba )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172322940

Nearly 100 women sworn in as first female judges of Egyptian judicial body

Nearly 100 females took the constitutional oath on Tuesday and became the first female judges at Egypt's State Council, one of the country's main judicial bodies. In line with the country's plan to empower women in the judiciary sector, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi instructed in March the State Council and the Public Prosecution, the two judicial bodies once exclusive for male judges, to appoint females. The first batch of female members at the council included 48 judges as assistant counselors and 50 as vice-counselors. "The move is a dear gift for women in Egypt," said Taha Karsoua, vice president of the State Council. Karsoua said the decision is an implementation of Sisi's directives, adding that the new judges will have the same tasks as male judges in achieving justice and settling conflicts in all the council courts. The State Council, established in 1946, is an independent judicial body that is exclusively competent to adjudicate administrative disputes, disciplinary cases and appeals, and disputes pertaining to its decisions. "I'm so proud to be appointed as a judge in the State Council. It is an honor to be part of the administrative judiciary," said Reem Moussa, one of the newly sworn-in judges. Moussa said she had thought it was impossible for a woman to become a judge at the council because it was a group without female judges for 75 years. "Today is a victory for Egyptian females, and an implementation of the constitution articles that stipulate equality between males and females in jobs," she told Xinhua, reiterating that it is an incentive for all females to achieve better in all jobs. Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW) applauded the appointment of female judges in the State Council as a move showing the political will of the country's leadership to further empower women. "The dreams of earlier generations of women finally come true," said Maya Mursi, head of the NCW, adding that she was happy to witness such a historic moment that crowned the Egyptian women's course. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Nearly 100 women sworn in as first female judges of Egyptian judicial body )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172320581

Ghanaian inventors create handwashing facilities to combat COVID-19

Ghanaian inventors have created new hygiene devices to cater to people's needs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With a sensor and a motor installed into the sink, Yaw Adusi-Poku, a Ghanaian engineer, transformed the mobile handwashing facility into a type that allows people to wash their hands outdoors without touching the tap. Furthermore, the new device was designed with a pedal and a small water tank for local users, who frequently suffer power outages due to the unstable electricity supply. In fact, Adusi-Poku began his invention in 2015 when some of the Western African countries were severely hit by Ebola that raised many concerns about sanitation within the region. Five years later, the outbreak of the COVID-19 bolstered his determination to continue promoting his product. SOUNDBITE 1 (ENGLISH) YAW ADUSI-POKU, Ghanaian engineer "This machine you see here is based on physics ideas. It is electronic with a foot pedal. We use sensors and we use motors. So the advertising that you see here, there is a motor which is running it and there is another sensor. if you put your hand under it, the water will flow by itself and when there is no light there is a pedal down there. If you pedal it, the water will flow. Schools, churches and the companies, especially for churches where people and groups (are gathering)." Different from Adusi-Poku's high-end device, Emmanuel Buaben, a young Ghanaian inventor, turned his eyes on the simplicity of the handwashing facility by using abandoned plastic oil containers. He installed a tap on one side of the container which was used as a small "water tank". The container was fixed tightly on an iron shelf with a bar of soap and a bottle of sanitizer on both sides, and a bucket on the ground to contain the waste water. Later, Buaben upgraded the simple device into a foot-operated type, which was named "Adam Smart "by him and his partners. SOUNDBITE 2 (ENGLISH) EMMANUEL BUABEN, Ghanaian inventor "We are looking at the simplest one that we can use very economically, movable anywhere, that is our area. We are not targeting the industrial ones. So we are looking at the simplest one that anyone can use, so anywhere, we can wash our hands and go with it." The facility that cost only 300 Ghana cedis (50 USD) is also acceptable to many Ghanaian households whose budgets are limited, he added. While the majority of the products targeted able-bodied citizens, Smart Wash, a company based in Ghana, concentrated more on the benefits of the disabled by producing specially-designed handwashing facilities for them. The facility, with a lower height and a unique handle that could be switched on and off by users with their elbows, allowed disabled people to wash their hands in wheelchairs. Kwame James, a worker of the company, said after the COVID-19 arrived, the disabled people found it difficult to use the existing handwashing facilities in most cases, thus the company intends to use the new device to enable them to have more access to handwashing to stay safe amid the pandemic. SOUNDBITE 3 (ENGLISH) KWAME JAMES, Worker, Smart Wash "With Smart Wash, it is easy to wash your hands within a minute. And this type of Smart Wash we made purposely for the disabled. Sometimes they find it difficult to wash their hands with their legs, so when they are in a wheelchair they will find it easy to wash their hands." Despite the popularity of their creative products, many local inventors still urged the public to increase the frequency of handwashing as part of tightened efforts to reduce the infection. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Accra. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Ghanaian inventors create handwashing facilities to combat COVID-19 )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172320582

GLOBALink | Afghan mosque attacks victims receive assistance from Iran: officials

Local officials confirmed on Monday that scores of families affected by the latest terrorist attacks in two Afghan provinces have received humanitarian aid provided by Iran. At least 93 worshippers have been killed and more than 230 people wounded in suicide bomb attacks against two Shiite Muslim mosques during Friday prayers in northern Kunduz and southern Kandahar provinces earlier this month. Matiullah Rohani, director of provincial information and culture directorate, said that 240 families of victims were provided with food and non-food items in northern Kunduz province on Monday morning. The official said the assistance was dispatched to Kunduz airport a couple of days ago by planes. According to Hafiz Abdul Hai, head of provincial health directorate, two planes transported 35 tons of relief goods consignment, including 10 tons of medicines, from Iran to Kandahar International Airport earlier on Monday. The official noted that a total of 30 patients, who sustained serious wounds, will be shifted to Iran from a regional hospital in Kandahar city, capital of Kandahar. SOUNDBITE (DARI): MURTAZA, Relative of a victim "I want to thank the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They provide this chance for people who were seriously injured to be shifted to Iran for medical treatment." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | Afghan mosque attacks victims receive assistance from Iran: officials )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172318486

Turkey orders detention of 158 military personnel in probe of failed coup: broadcaster

Turkish authorities ordered the detention of 158 military personnel over their suspected links to a failed coup in 2016, the NTV broadcaster reported on Tuesday. Security forces launched wide-scale operations across 41 provinces simultaneously upon the order of the prosecutors in Turkey's western province of Izmir and detained 97 suspects, according to the report. Prosecutors concluded in their investigations that the suspects, including soldiers on active duty and former military school students, have alleged connections with the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Turkey. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Turkey orders detention of 158 military personnel in probe of failed coup: broadcaster )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172318484

GLOBALink | Xinjiang, My Home: Nang baker Abudujilili

SOUNDBITE 1 (Uygur): ABUDUJILILI, Nang baker in Xinjiang "My name is Abudujilili. I make the nang (a kind of flatbread) at a nang industrial park. I have been making this local specialty for 10 years. I didn't have anything to do at home in July last year. That was when this nang industrial park opened. So I came to work here through the recommendation of the village committee. The work environment here is much nicer than that of my previous job. I can make more than 500 pieces of nang a day. The more pieces of nang I make, the more money I earn. I feel very happy at work every day. This is my house, which is newly built. The township government gave me a subsidy for building the house. We are very happy about that. Now I get to be with my family every day with a good income. I'm grateful for all this and also my hard work." Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Urumqi, China. (XHTV) ( Original Title: GLOBALink | Xinjiang, My Home: Nang baker Abudujilili )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172314209

Jordanian family pioneers donkey milk soap business

Dating back to one year ago, Emad Attiyat, a 32-year-old Jordanian, didn't expect that his donkey milk soap could be sold overseas and attracted growing consumers. Although some countries around the Mediterranean produce cheese, soap, and other byproducts from donkey milk, it was still a fresh initiative in Jordan. "People mocked the idea at that time, rejecting any products made from donkeys," Attiyat said at his farm where he keeps 13 donkeys in the outskirt of Madaba, around 30 kilometers to the capital Amman, during a recent interview with Xinhua. Without any hesitation, Attiyat insistently carried out his business project named "Atan," which means a female donkey in the Arabic language. "We started the project with three donkeys, so we can produce natural donkey milk soap that is good for skin and hair," Attiyat said, adding that he gave the first batch of donkey milk soaps to his friends and relatives for free. The encouraging feedback arrived earlier than his expectation when people demanded more of the products and recommended them to others after the trial. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): EMAD ATTIYAT, Co-founder of Atan company "We started in Jordan. Then people started to reach to us from outside of Jordan because we are one of a few who produce it 100 percent organic throughout the whole process of production." "We are currently receiving orders from the European and Gulf countries through social media," he said, adding that around 4,500 bars of soap are produced each month to meet the demands. Salma Alzubi, a co-founder of the project and Attiyat's mother, demonstrated the soap-making procedure at their workshop in Amman, revealing that olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil as well as shea butter are involved in the mixture of the soap. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SALMA ALZUBI, Co-founder of Atan company "For this project, of course, at the beginning, it was a new idea, many people didn't accept this one. In this case, when you used to try this soap, then people accepted it, and they like it." As the one who came up with the idea, Alzubi expressed the satisfaction of establishing their business venture, with more job opportunities provided especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Attiyat is currently attempting to expand his donkey milk product line to face cream and body lotion, as well as considering cooperation with e-commerce platforms to reduce the cost of shipping abroad. One of the key challenges on expanding the business is the donkey shortage in the Arab kingdom, where the animal currently is "on the brink of extinction," he noted. The number of donkeys in Jordan recorded around 1,000 in 2018 compared with 14,117 in 1997, according to the Jordanian Agriculture Ministry. "Our secret of success is organic and natural, so we need to take action to maintain the biodiversity," he said, expecting to build a donkey's nursery and expand his donkeys to exceed 100 in the near future. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amman. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Jordanian family pioneers donkey milk soap business )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172314211

Lebanon aims to reach IMF deal by 2021 end: PM

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Tuesday that Lebanon has started preparing its reforms plan and it hopes to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of 2021, the National News Agency reported. "Lebanon relies heavily on support by the IMF to overcome its unprecedented economic and financial crisis," Mikati said during his meeting at the government headquarters with Mahmoud Mohieldin, executive director representing a bloc of Arab countries in the IMF Executive Board. Mikati explained that Lebanon's plan includes reforms in the electricity sector which has cost the state's treasury around half of its debt. "The government has also completed the required financial data to be a starting point for cooperation with the IMF," he said. SOUNDBITE (Arab): NAJIB MIKATI, Lebanese Prime Minister "We discussed topics related to financial public policies, the public debt management and its restructuring, and the preparation of a budget for the state, according to proper rules with the social component being a priority. The second topic is the reform of the financial sector and its improvement. This includes an overview of the data of all banks operating, each on its own, in addition to the central bank of Lebanon. There is special cooperation in this regard to present the required data on a regular basis and we are asking for more information. There is a lot of information that is required by experts at the IMF for them to do their work. The third topic is the management of the exchange rate issue, the unification of the exchange rate through a comprehensive and reliable system. And this is usually a consequence of important economic reforms adopted by the government in cooperation with the central bank. The fourth and last topic is a combination of measures and structural reforms that are required in some of the vital sectors, namely the electricity sector. We discussed this in detail. The prime minister explained all of these components in detail and in a comprehensive way. My role as the representative of Lebanon on the board of directors is to convey these views to experts in the fund who have started discussing the data. There are other demands including the approval of several draft laws including the capital control law." Lebanon is deep in a financial and economic crisis amid a shortage of foreign currency reserves and the collapse of its currency's value by over 90 percent. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut, Lebanon. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Lebanon aims to reach IMF deal by 2021 end: PM )

日付：2021年10月20日

RM 172314208

Myanmar remits sentences of 1,316 prisoners

The State Administration Council of Myanmar on Monday remitted sentences of 1,316 prisoners, an order of the council said. According to the order, 1,316 prisoners are remitted sentences on humanitarian grounds. The council also closed the cases against 4,320 people who are still being prosecuted in various courts in the country. Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said in his message to the public on Monday that implementation is being done with the aim of bringing prosperity to the country and establishing a democratic federal union. He also stressed that discussions are being made as the requests are changed, regarding the visit of the ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar. A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after then President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on Feb. 1. The state power was handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and the State Administration Council was formed later. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Naypyidaw. (XHTV) ( Original Title: Myanmar remits sentences of 1,316 prisoners )

日付：2021年10月20日