French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded on Wednesday for European unity in the face of China's growing economic power as he wrapped up a visit to Beijing with several business deals. Macron, who has become the leading voice of the European Union, endorsed President Xi Jinping's massive $1 trillion programme to revive ancient Silk Road trading routes during his three-day trip. But the French leader also warned Europeans to stay on guard to protect strategic sectors as China makes inroads through the project, known in Beijing as One Belt One Road, which seeks to build rail, maritime and road links from Asia to Europe and Africa. "We must come up with a common position at the European level" regarding the Silk Road, Macron told a press conference. "We can't disregard this initiative. It would mean dealing with its consequences and would be a profound strategic mistake," he said, while noting that Europeans are divided about the Silk Road revival. "Some countries are much more open to … [Read more...] about Macron urges European unity to face rising China
Breakthrough energy coalition
Climate victims seek justice, on the street and in the courtroom
People around the world beset by the impacts of global warming like droughts, heat waves and storm surges are calling for "climate justice," and many are pleading their cases in court. The climate justice movement highlights the fact Globally, there are at least 1,000 active legal cases related to climate change, more than two-thirds of them in the United States, according to a recent tally from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, in London.A summit Tuesday in Paris -- with more than 50 heads of state attending -- on how to finance the transition to a low-carbon economy will be followed the next day by a climate justice forum.- Concept -The climate justice movement highlights the fact that rich nations are overwhelmingly to blame for causing climate change, but that poor ones have been the first to cope with its impacts.The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognised that inequality, declaring that developed countries bear … [Read more...] about Climate victims seek justice, on the street and in the courtroom
Merkel’s fate in balance as German coalition talks drag on
Merkel's liberal policy on refugees, which let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015, has come back to haunt her, with a motley crew of potential partners digging in their heels on diametrically opposed demands over immigration.After weeks of quarrelsome exploratory talks, Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the left-leaning Greens are hoping to find enough common ground to begin formal coalition negotiations.The awkward bedfellows have been pushed together by September's inconclusive election, which left Merkel badly weakened after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lured millions of voters angry over the refugee influx.Merkel had initially said she wanted to wind up the negotiations by Thursday, but marathon overnight talks failed to produce a breakthrough.Party leaders resumed their high-stakes haggling at midday Friday and are expecting talks to last through the weekend."Make up your minds," urged CSU leader Horst Seehofer, adding … [Read more...] about Merkel’s fate in balance as German coalition talks drag on
State funded research key to breakthrough innovation
When the United States invests in innovation, it creates companies and jobs at home, makes Americans healthier and safer, and saves lives and fights poverty in the world's poorest countries. It offers the next president a tremendous opportunity to help people in America and around the world. Of course, America's capacity for innovation is nothing new. We have been inventing for more than two centuries: think of Benjamin Franklin, Margaret Knight, Thomas Edison. By the end of World War II, the United States led the world in automobiles, aerospace, electronics, medicine, and other areas. Nor is the formula for success complicated: Government funding for our world-class research institutions produces the new technologies that American entrepreneurs take to market. What is new is that more countries than ever are competing for global leadership, and they know the value of innovation. Since 2000, South Korea's research and development spending (measured as a percentage of GDP) has gone up … [Read more...] about State funded research key to breakthrough innovation
APEC summit in Bali kicks off
President Truong Tan Sang meets with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bali, Indonesia yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang JAKARTA (VNS)— The 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit opened on the Indonesian resort island of Bali yesterday.The event, held in Indonesia for the second time – it took place on Bogor in 1994 - is the host's key foreign policy activity this year. Addressing the opening ceremony, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono highlighted the significance of the summit, which is themed "Resilient Asia-Pacific: Engine for Global Growth." He asserted that the 21-member APEC's efforts in the implementation of the Bogor goals on trade and investment liberalisation over the last 19 years have helped the forum become a driving force for its members' dynamism and prosperity. Amid globally unsustainable growth and plummeting trade, the forum is a venue for Asian-Pacific leaders to talk about solutions … [Read more...] about APEC summit in Bali kicks off