Philippines sends first business mission to Saudi Arabia since pandemic

Philippines sends first business mission to Saudi Arabia since pandemic
A Philippine business delegation organized by the Department of Trade and Industry meets with officials from the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in this photo shared on Feb. 13, 2024. (Philippine Embassy in Riyadh)
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Updated 14 February 2024
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Philippines sends first business mission to Saudi Arabia since pandemic

Philippines sends first business mission to Saudi Arabia since pandemic
  • Philippine trade delegation will continue their GCC trip to UAE
  • Mission follows President Marcos’ trip to Kingdom last October

MANILA: The Philippines promoted its export products in Saudi Arabia this week in the first business-matching mission to the Kingdom since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philippine delegation, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry and comprising food, beverage and personal care exporters, began their activities in Riyadh over the weekend and concluded their activities in Dammam on Wednesday, after which they will visit the UAE.

“The primary objective of the (mission) is to create greater opportunities for Philippine brands and products to expand their geographical reach in the GCC region,” Rommel Romato, charge d’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, told Arab News.

“The mission is a positive step towards increasing the global mindshare of Philippine brands through expansion and diversification of the country’s exports and their destinations.”

During its visit, the delegation met with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, as well as various Saudi companies.

Philippine officials are seeking to boost trade relations further following the rise of Philippine-Saudi trade volume from 2022 to 2023, which Romato said reflected “the complementarity of the two economies and the potential for further diversification.”

The Philippines is promoting one of its top exports, tropical fruits, in Saudi Arabia, as it hopes to tap into the Kingdom’s demand for the product.

“There is a huge demand for tropical fruits here in Saudi Arabia and these have the potential for more trade growth … Bananas could be a lucrative product for the Philippines to increase its market share in Saudi Arabia among other produce such as cacao, pineapples and mangoes,” Romato said.

The business-matching mission follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Riyadh in October, during which a $4.26 billion investment agreement was signed with Saudi business leaders.

Lionheart Farms, which produces coconut sap-based products and is part of the trade delegation, is optimistic about the outcome of the visit to the Kingdom.

“Saudi Arabia is opening up to the world and it is a fantastic privilege to present our organic, sustainable products to the KSA market,” Christian Eyde Moeller, president and CEO of Lionheart Farms, said in a statement.

“This mission will pave the way for further growth and success for Lionheart Farms and other Filipino brands in the region.”


Pope Francis’s commission against clerical child abuse to publish first report

Pope Francis’s commission against clerical child abuse to publish first report
Updated 28 sec ago
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Pope Francis’s commission against clerical child abuse to publish first report

Pope Francis’s commission against clerical child abuse to publish first report
  • Pontiff set up the independent panel of experts in December 2014 amid an avalanche of revelations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy across the world, and its cover-up
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican on Tuesday publishes its first annual report on protecting minors in the Catholic Church, a move requested by Pope Francis amid pressure for more action to tackle clerical child sex abuse.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said its report will be a “first step toward a process of data gathering and reporting,” and will document “where risks remain, and where advances can be found.”
Pope Francis set up the independent panel of experts in December 2014 amid an avalanche of revelations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy across the world, and its cover-up.
But the commission has faced strong criticism over its organization, funding and role, with several high-profile members quitting.
In 2022, Francis incorporated the commission into the Roman Curia — the government of the Holy See — and asked for an annual, “reliable account on what is presently being done and what needs to change.”
The first of these will be published on Tuesday, launched at the Vatican by the commission’s president, US Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the former archbishop of Boston who has spent decades listening to abuse survivors.
In a statement ahead of the launch, the commission described the report as a “new tool,” part of a process to set out clear standards on protecting children and vulnerable adults.
It will be divided into four areas — a review of safeguarding policies in 15 to 20 local churches each year, trends across continents, policies within the Vatican and the Church’s broader role in society.
“It collects resources and practices to be shared across the Universal Church, and makes specific recommendations to promote further progress in safeguarding,” it said.
Since becoming pope in March 2013, Francis has taken numerous measures to tackle abuse, from opening up internal Church documents to punishing high-ranking clergy, while making it compulsory to report suspicions of sexual assault to Church authorities.
But clergy are still not required to report abuse to civil authorities, unless the laws of that country require it, while any revelations made in confession remain private.
“The global church must implement true zero tolerance on sexual violence by clergy,” Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the US group Bishop Accountability, which documents abuse in the Church, said earlier this year.
She called for the Church to name convicted priests and insisted that “any priest found to have abused a child or vulnerable adult or credibly accused of abusing a child or adult must be permanently removed from public ministry.”
For all his efforts so far, she said “Pope Francis has shown an absolute aversion to transparency.”
Maud de Boer Buquicchio, a Dutch lawyer and former UN special rapporteur on the sexual exploitation of children who chaired the abuse commission report, said last week it would help promote a “change of mindset in the Church that embraces accountability and transparency.”
During its compilation, “we have been able to explore many of the concerns about the lack of available data,” she added.
Members of the abuse commission are directly appointed by the pope and are experts in fields related to safeguarding, from clinical psychology to law as well as human rights.
But two members representing abuse survivors resigned in 2017, while last year, influential German Jesuit priest Hans Zollner also quit, complaining about “structural and practical issues.”
Francesco Zanardi, founder of Italian survivors group Rete L’Abuso (The Abuse Network), said in 2023 that the commission was “absolutely useless.”

Ghana’s African American diaspora split as US election looms

Ghana’s African American diaspora split as US election looms
Updated 11 min 49 sec ago
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Ghana’s African American diaspora split as US election looms

Ghana’s African American diaspora split as US election looms

ACCRA: Sporting a scarf emblazoned with an image of Kamala Harris, shop owner Jimmie Thorne watched US election coverage on TV from his printing shop in Ghana’s capital Accra.
As US election day draws near, the 70-year-old is among a unique set of African American voters closely following the presidential race from the other side of the Atlantic.
In 2019, Ghana launched a program encouraging members of the African diaspora to relocate to the West African country and reconnect with their roots.
Since the so-called “Year of Return,” which commemorated 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia, many African Americans have moved to Ghana and found a sense of belonging.
Launched by Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, the program also attracted high-profile visitors such as television presenter Steve Harvey, actor Samuel L. Jackson and rapper Usher, boosting Ghana’s image as a global tourism destination.
But those who have made the move permanent often feel they have a dual identity. Many still vote in US elections despite the distance, with some even influencing their peers back home through advocacy and social media.
It is no secret that Thorne is one such voter.
He spoke to AFP wearing a stars-and-stripes shirt, surrounded by Democratic Party paraphernalia.
“I’m voting for Kamala Harris because democracy is at stake,” he said. “She is the better of the two choices for sure. I have absolutely no doubt.”
Thorne expressed concern about the consequences of a win for Republican Donald Trump, for the United States and Africa.
“If Donald Trump is elected, it’s not good for Africa — he’s called us ‘shithole countries’, and that’s how he sees us.”
Other African American voters in Ghana said they were throwing their weight behind Harris too.
Delia Gillis, an emeritus professor of Africana Studies who moved from the United States to Ghana in 2019, said she was thrilled by Harris’s candidacy, especially as a woman of color.
“It’s exciting to see someone who looks like me running for the highest office,” Gillis told AFP.
“African American women in particular... have been stalwarts in the election process,” she said. “Now we have an opportunity to elect someone presidential in demeanour.”
Not everyone supports Harris, of course.
“I believe Trump deserves another chance,” said Marcus Wright, an African American visitor to Ghana weighing up whether to make the move permanent.
“His economic policies during his administration helped create jobs and gave the US a much-needed economic boost. I think he could do it again.”
Some African Americans in Ghana think their attention is wasted on US politics.
“I don’t care about the US elections,” said Durah Davies, 65, who has lived in Ghana for 15 years.
“The United States has committed unspeakable atrocities, and its policies have historically oppressed Africans globally.
“My focus is on Africa and the well-being of our people here.”

Ghana’s political future
For Thorne and Gillis, Ghana’s political future is as important as the US polls.
Ghana is preparing for its own elections in December, and the contest between Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition leader John Mahama is intensifying.
Gillis believes whoever wins in Ghana must focus on youth empowerment.
“The continent’s future lies in the hands of its young people,” she said.
Having gained citizenship two years ago, Thorne will vote in Ghana for the first time in December.
“I feel like a real citizen now,” he said. “My voice counts, and I’m excited to contribute to the future of my new home.”


China confirms detention of South Korean citizen on suspicion of violating anti-espionage law

China confirms detention of South Korean citizen on suspicion of violating anti-espionage law
Updated 23 min 5 sec ago
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China confirms detention of South Korean citizen on suspicion of violating anti-espionage law

China confirms detention of South Korean citizen on suspicion of violating anti-espionage law

BEIJING: China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it confirms China has detained a South Korean citizen on suspicion of violating its anti-espionage law.


At least one policeman dies in Pakistan as gunmen attack polio vaccination teams, sources say

At least one policeman dies in Pakistan as gunmen attack polio vaccination teams, sources say
Updated 17 min 5 sec ago
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At least one policeman dies in Pakistan as gunmen attack polio vaccination teams, sources say

At least one policeman dies in Pakistan as gunmen attack polio vaccination teams, sources say
  • Militants shot dead a Pakistan policeman who was guarding a polio vaccination team

PESHAWAR: At least one policeman was killed in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday as unidentified gunmen attacked a health office where polio vaccination teams were gathered, two sources in the health department said.
Multiple polio vaccination teams were present in the Basic Health Unit in Upper Orakzai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one health official said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

“Two militants attacked a policeman guarding a polio vaccination team. The policeman died at the scene. A police team later chased down and killed two attackers and their local facilitator,” said Malik Sikandar Khan, a senior police official in Orakzai, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the attack happened.


Japan nuclear reactor near Fukushima to restart

Japan nuclear reactor near Fukushima to restart
Updated 16 min 28 sec ago
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Japan nuclear reactor near Fukushima to restart

Japan nuclear reactor near Fukushima to restart
  • Japan shut down all of its 54 reactors after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but has since brought 12 of 33 still operable units online
  • Japan has been turning back to nuclear power in order to cut emissions, reduce expensive imports of fossil fuels and meet energy demand

TOKYO: A Japanese nuclear reactor with an upgraded anti-tsunami wall was set to restart Tuesday in a region near the crippled Fukushima plant, according to its operator.

Japan shut down all of its 54 reactors after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but has since brought 12 of 33 still operable units online – although none in eastern and northern regions.

Unit number two at the Onagawa plant in the northeastern Miyagi region, next to Fukushima prefecture, was to become the 13th on Tuesday, according to Tohoku Electric Power Company.

Japan has been turning back to nuclear power in order to cut emissions, reduce expensive imports of fossil fuels and meet energy demand for data centers for artificial intelligence (AI).

“Nuclear power, along with renewable energy, is an important decarbonized power source, and our policy is to make maximum use of it on condition that safety is ensured,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Tuesday.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people cut power lines and flooded backup generators at Fukushima Daiichi, sending three reactors into meltdown.

Safety and regulatory standards have been tightened since, and the Onagawa plant – cleared in 2020 to re-start – has increased the height of its anti-tsunami wall to 29 meters (95 feet) above sea level, one of the highest in Japan.

The reboot also marks the first time a boiling water reactor (BWR) – the same model used at Fukushima – will be brought back online since the meltdown.

“The importance of restarting (nuclear reactors) is growing from the perspective of our nation’s economic growth driven by decarbonized power sources,” Hayashi said.

Under its current plan, Japan aims for nuclear power to account for 20-22 percent of its electricity by 2030, up from well under 10 percent now.

It wants to increase the share of renewables to 36-38 percent from around 20 percent and cut fossil fuels to 41 percent from around two-thirds now.

The E3G think-tank ranks Japan in last place – by some distance – among Group of Seven industrialized nations on decarbonizing their power systems.

This article also appears on Arab News Japan