The Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit that was due to be held in Singapore next month has been canceled, the organisers said on Thursday, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the host country.
This year’s event, which is arranged by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), was scheduled to take place from June 4–5.
The forum has typically attracted top level military officials, diplomats and weapons makers from around the globe since its launch in 2002.
The global COVID-19 situation has recently deteriorated, with the rise of infectious new virus variants, IISS said.
“In Singapore there has been a rise in local cases, recently introduced new restrictions, and the prospect of further tightening cannot be ruled out – all of which creates uncertainty,” it said.
“Taken together these various factors mean that holding an in-person Shangri-La Dialogue this year has become unviable.”
A wide range of defence ministers, senior officials, corporate leaders and influential strategists from Asia, North America, the Middle East and Europe had confirmed their attendance.
Attendees of the 2019 event included China’s Defence Minister Wei Fenghe and then-acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was to attend the summit this year.
Singapore has in recent days imposed some of the tightest restrictions since it exited a lockdown last year to combat a spike in local infections.
The IISS move comes three days after the World Economic Forum canceled its annual meeting due to be held in Singapore this year.
IISS will plan the return of the full in-person Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in the middle of next year. The 2020 edition was also canceled due to the pandemic.
Singapore’s defence ministry said it supported the decision to cancel, calling it regretful but the responsible course.
“The cancellation of the SLD in no way reflects any reduced commitment to dialogue and engagement to ensure peace and stability in Asia and beyond,” the ministry said, adding it will “find alternative and safer avenues for these important goals”.
The chief of Myanmar’s air force and other military officials are visiting Moscow on Thursday to attend an exhibition displaying combat helicopters, reports said.
Two Myanmar embassy sources in Moscow, reported that Maung Maung Kyaw, the air force chief, was in the Russian capital to attend the HeliRussia exhibition, which showcases Russian military helicopters.
Maung Maung Kyaw is under U.S. sanctions over a Feb. 1 coup that seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
Russia said in March it wanted to strengthen military ties with Myanmar despite the coup, and Russia’s deputy defence minister, Alexander Fomin, met junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in the capital.
Citing unnamed sources in Myanmar, reports also revealed the delegation’s Moscow trip. It said it included tycoon Tay Za, whom it described as a prominent businessman and arms dealer.
Reports said the delegation would discuss “over 20 megaprojects” including procurement of arms and military hardware with Russian officials.
Myanmar’s military attache in Moscow and the embassy could not immediately be reached for comment and there was no immediate comment from the Russian defence ministry.
A representative for the HeliRussia exhibition said ’’Myanmar was not on its list of ambassador-led delegations’’. She said she could not confirm the attendance of a military or other delegation.
The Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma, has been in crisis since the military seized power, with near daily protests and a crackdown by the junta in which hundreds of people have been killed.
Defence ties between Russia and Myanmar have grown in recent years, with Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands of soldiers, as well as selling arms to a military blacklisted by several Western countries for alleged atrocities against civilians.
Premier League 2020/21 campaign concludes on Sunday, May 23 but who will seal top-four spots?, Liverpool will be facing Crystal Palace, Leicester vs Tottenham, and Aston Villa vs Chelsea.
Chelsea climbed up to third and dented Leicester’s prospects of Champions League football with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, and Liverpool took advantage on Wednesday, leapfrogging the Foxes with a 3-0 win over Burnley to take control of their fate.
Just one point and goal difference separate three sides heading into Sunday’s finale.
Anthony Joshua to Tyson Fury: “You lied to the fans and led them on”; Fury replies: “It was out of my hands!” AJ now 48 hours away from being ordered to fight Oleksandr Usyk
Anthony Joshua has called Tyson Fury “a fraud” with their undisputed title fight on the brink of collapsing after he was given a 48-hour deadline before being ordered to face Oleksandr Usyk.
The governing body’s stance on Wednesday evening is a further blow to the planned undisputed heavyweight championship fight between Joshua and Fury for August 14 in Saudi Arabia.
A court ruled on Monday that WBC champion Fury must take on Deontay Wilder again by September 15, meaning IBF, WBA and WBO titleholder Joshua may instead fight Usyk next.
“The world now sees you for the fraud you are,” Joshua posted on social media towards Fury.
“You’ve let boxing down! You lied to the fans and led them on. Used my name for clout not a fight.
“Bring me any championship fighter who can handle their business correctly.”
Fury replied: “You are more full of [rubbish] than [promoter Eddie Hearn]. Your full team knew there was an arbitration going on, it was out of my hands! If I’m a fraud let’s fight this weekend bare knuckles until one man quits.”
South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg, wants to meet 35% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and will seek proposals for privately supplied power by August.
With a population of over 5 million people, Johannesburg is looking for its own power suppliers after the government last year, said municipalities could buy electricity from companies other than state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.
The move would reduce reliance on Eskom, which has subjected the country to periodic power outages for over 13 years because of unreliable generation. It’s also an opportunity to combat climate change, as almost all of Eskom’s power is generated by burning coal.
Johannesburg wants to ensure “that there is sufficient energy security within the city, ensure that the energy is affordable, and ensure the access and reliability of that energy is maintained,”Thabo Mahlatsi, the city’s director of energy, said in an interview. Renewable energy would be procured by gaging interest from private producers and using municipal funds to pay for it.
In addition to renewable energy sources such as solar energy and biogas from landfills, the city is considering the use of hydrogen fuel-cells and natural gas, he said. Meetings have been held with Mitochondria Energy Co., which has installed a hydrogen fuel-cell unit for the Chamber of Mines in downtown Johannesburg, Mahlatsi said. The city is open to discussions with any company that thinks it will be able to supply power.
Talks over gas-fueled power have been held with potential suppliers including DNG Energy, a liquefied natural gas company. Kelvin Power Station, which already supplies coal-fired power to the municipality and is controlled by Harith General Partners, intends to switch to gas.
Spain’s defence minister accused Morocco of “blackmail” on Thursday over its passivity in the face of a surge in migrant arrivals in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta earlier this week.
The rush of migrants began on Monday when Morocco appeared to loosen border controls, a move widely interpreted, including by the Spanish opposition, as retaliation for Spain’s hosting of a Western Sahara independence leader. The Spanish government, however, has sought to keep the two issues separate.
Defence Minister, Margarita Robles said that by creating the conditions for thousands of migrants to swim into Ceuta or climb over fences into the enclave, Morocco had endangered lives “for a purpose I certainly don’t understand”.
“We will not accept any blackmail, no matter how small, or any questioning of our territorial integrity,” she said.
Robles did not spell out what she was accusing Morocco of trying to obtain from Spain.
Rabat has a territorial claim over Ceuta and Spain’s other north African enclave, Melilla.
The crisis in Ceuta comes after Morocco protested against Spain’s decision a month ago to allow Brahim Ghali, leader of the rebel Polisario Front fighting for Western Sahara to be independent from Morocco, into a Spanish hospital.
While there has been no official comment from the Moroccan government on this week’s events in Ceuta, Minister of State for Human Rights Mustafa Ramid suggested in a Facebook post that they were connected to Ghali’s case.
Ramid said Spain had committed a “reckless and totally unacceptable act” in hosting Ghali without consulting Rabat and that Morocco had “the right to lean back” in response.
Spain has said it allowed Ghali’s hospital admission for humanitarian reasons.
Spanish opposition parties have strongly criticised Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-leaning government over the Ghali and Ceuta situations.
Leader of the centre-right People’ Party, Pablo Casado, said that receiving Ghali in secret was a diplomatic blunder and that the government had shown weakness in protecting Spain’s borders.
“The chaos of this government is our major weakness,” he said.
After the initial surge of migrant arrivals in Ceuta on Monday, Spain deployed troops in the enclave. Over three days this week, Spanish police and soldiers detained as many as 8,000 migrants who swam into Ceuta or climbed over fences and sent a majority of them back to Morocco.
On Thursday morning, both sides of the border in Ceuta were quiet and the beach deserted after Moroccan police stepped in on their side to move away hundreds of youths from the border fence.
Ali Sleem graduated in accountancy; but the fishing skills keeping him employed in Lebanon were learned before he went to study and instead come from a hobby he picked up aged seven.
With Lebanon’s economy in deep crisis and swathes of the country plunged into poverty as the currency has collapsed, the 25-year-old has turned to his family’s business, which means heading out into the Mediterranean to make a catch.
That normally means motoring to sea in his boat at 4 a.m. each day and returning around 4 p.m. to sell the fish he has hauled in. But the crisis gripping the nation often disrupts this daily routine.
“Today we are working. But tomorrow, if there is no fuel, we will not work,” he said, speaking in the small harbour in the town of Sarafand, in southern Lebanon.
“Our working costs are increasing with the economic crisis. Our equipment is (priced) in dollars,” he said, with the price of fuel and equipment climbing as the value of the Lebanese pound crashes.
Sleem tried to find work abroad; seeking employment alongside many other Lebanese expatriates who run businesses in Africa or elsewhere. But when those efforts failed, he came back to Lebanon and turned to the sea.
“My ambition is to find a job on land,” he said, hoping that one day he will put his accountancy training to good use. “But, for sure, now there is no alternative.”
The Government of Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, has announced Friday, May 21, 2021, as public holiday.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, confirmed that the governor approved the holiday to enable the state conduct a hitch-free local government election, holding on Saturday, May 22, 2021.
The statement urged every resident of Oyo State to go about their duties peacefully, while coming out en-masse to their respective voting areas and participate in the elections.
The statement reads: “His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has authorised the declaration of Friday, May 21, 2021, as public holiday.
“The declaration of the holiday is to enable residents of the state participate freely in the council elections billed to hold on Saturday May 22, 2021.
“Every indigene and resident of the state is hereby enjoined to go about his or her business peacefully, while trooping out en-masse to their respective voting areas and perform the civic responsibility on Saturday.”
Cross River State Governor in south-south Nigeria, Professor Ben Ayade has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Governor Ayade defected to the APC alongside his executive council members and legislators after a closed door meeting with seven Governors of the APC led by Mai Bala Buni the Caretaker Committee Chairman.
Others on the entourage were Governors Hope Uzodima of Imo State, Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State and Simon Lalong of Plateau State.
Three serving members of the National Assembly, one from the Senate, Senator David Odey representing Cross River northern senatorial district and one from the House of Representatives, Legor Idagbor representing Bekwara/Obudu/Obanliku federal constituency and Mike Etaba representing Obubra/Etung federal constituency as well as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipriye Silver were amongst those present at the occasion.
Other political stakeholders at the event included former Senator representing Cross River southern senatorial district and Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Princess Florence Ita-Giwa; Chairman of Five Alive group, High Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong and former speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Gabriel Edi.
In a brief remark, Governor Ayade said that his defection to the APC was in support of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ayade noted that Cross River State, which is one of the State with the least allocation cannot afford to be far from the centre.
He stated, “obviously as society begins to grow and prosper, as the younger generation begins to show so much excitement and intention to take over, it is our responsibility as elders and those in government to find ways and means to reduce the tension.
“In the course of this, having seen and known the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari and his commitment to this country, his nationalistic disposition and all the efforts he has put to bring Nigeria to where we are today, it is obvious that at this point we need to join hands with him to build a Nigeria we would be proud of.
“It is important for every governor to recognize that it is character, it is integrity, it is honour, it is commitment to the vision of this great nation that we want to as a team work with the President to build a prosperous country.
“Having seen the sincerity and commitment of Mr. President, having seen the asserted tension occasioned by the increasing social media manipulation to create a level of hysteria, having recognized the challenges of our youths and the issues of unemployment and the associated challenges therefore, it is my responsibility as the leader of the party in Cross River State and people from the political perspective to do all I can to assist Mr. President succeed.
“It is this process and recognizing the role of Cross River State, a state that has been reduced to want in body, spirit and soul, a state whose revenue and resources have been taken, a state whose territorial boundaries are been interfered with, it is my responsibility to re-socket Cross River State to the centre.
“So, on behalf of the entire people of Cross River State to the extent that believe in the philosophy and idea of peace and unity that Cross River State is today formally declared as an APC State,”Ayade announced.
The gesture elicited cheers and chants of the ‘APC change’ slogan by the executive council, members of the Cross River Elders forum and leadership of the Cross River State legislature led by the Speaker, Eteng Jonas Williams in the executive council chambers.
Governor Ayade defection to the APC alongside his executive council members and legislators
Responding, the leader of the delegation and Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Governor Mai Bala Buni of Yobe State said he was in Calabar to formally welcome the governor alongside over six thousand appointees to the family.
Buni said, “I am here on behalf of the APC family to welcome the governor, Professor Ben Ayade formally into the APC. As from today, he is the leader of the party, APC in Cross River State.”
Cross River State party politics
Since the beginning of the political dispensation in 1999, PDP has been at the helm of affairs in Cross River State.
In fact, the governor’s action has taken many PDP stakeholders aback.
It is left to be seen the response of key political stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
A giant slab of ice has calved from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg afloat in the world, European Space Agency reported.
The iceberg, dubbed A-76, is about 4,320km square (1,668 sq miles) and is slightly larger than the Spanish island of Mallorca, ESA reports said. It is 175km (106 miles) long and 25km (15 miles) wide.
The world’s second-largest iceberg is also located in the Weddell Sea – the A-23A, which is approximately 3,880km square (1,305sq miles).
Scientists spotted the A-76 in recent satellite images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.
ESA said the iceberg had broken away from the western side of Antarctica’s Ronne Ice Shelf, which is near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Ronne is one of the largest floating ice sheets that connect to the continent’s landmass and extend out into surrounding seas.
’’Periodic calving of large chunks of those shelves is part of a natural cycle and the breaking off of A-76 is not linked to climate change.’’ A research glaciologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Ted Scambos said.
Scambos said that the Ronne and another vast ice shelf, the Ross, have “behaved in a stable, quasi-periodic fashion” over the past century or more.
Because the ice was already floating in the sea before dislodging from the coast, its break-away does not raise ocean levels, he said.
Some ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula, farther from the South Pole, have undergone rapid disintegration in recent years, a phenomenon scientists believe may be related to global warming, according to the US National Snow & Ice Data Center.
