Day: July 29, 2022

The United States and Japan launched a new high-level economic dialogue Friday aimed at pushing back against China and countering the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The two longtime allies agreed to establish a new joint research center for next-generation semiconductors during the so-called economic “two-plus-two” ministerial meeting in Washington, Japanese Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Hagiuda also discussed energy and food security, the officials said in a news briefing.

“As the world’s first- and third-largest economies, it is critical that we work together to defend the rules-based economic order, one in which all countries can participate, compete and prosper,” Blinken told the opening session.

Hagiuda said “Japan will quickly move to action” on next-generation semiconductor research and said Washington and Tokyo had agreed to launch a “new R&D organization” to establish a secure source of the vital components.

The research hub would be open for other “like-minded” countries to participate in, he said.

The two countries did not immediately release additional details of the plan, but Japan’s Nikkei Shimbun newspaper earlier said it would be set up in Japan by the end of this year to research 2-nanometer semiconductor chips. It will include a prototype production line and should begin producing semiconductors by 2025, the newspaper said.

“As we discussed today, semiconductors are the linchpin of our economic and national security,” said Raimondo, adding that the officials had discussed collaboration on semiconductors, “especially with respect to advanced semiconductors.”

Taiwan now makes the vast majority of semiconductors under 10 nanometers, which are used in products such as smart phones, and there is concern about the stability of supply should trouble arise involving Taiwan and China, which views the island as part of its territory.

The United States and Japan said in a joint statement they would work together “to foster supply chain resilience in strategic sectors, including, in particular, semiconductors, batteries, and critical minerals.” They vowed to “build a strong battery supply chain to lead collaboration between like-minded countries.”

On ties with Russia, Hagiuda said he gained U.S. understanding about Japan’s intention to keep its stake in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project despite sanctions against Moscow by Washington, Tokyo and others following the Ukraine invasion.

“There are voices calling for withdrawal. But it would mean our stake goes to a third country and Russia earns an enormous profit. We explained how keeping our stake is in line with sanctions, and I believe we gained U.S. understanding,” he said.

Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp hold a combined 22.5% stake in the project.

Source: Voice of America

U.S. regulators said Friday they are no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster shot for all adults under 50 this summer, focusing instead on revamped vaccines for the fall that will target the newest viral subvariants.

Pfizer and Moderna expect to have updated versions of their shots available as early as September, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. That would set the stage for a fall booster campaign to strengthen protection against the latest versions of omicron.

The announcement means the U.S. won’t pursue a summer round of boosters using the current vaccines for adults under 50, as some Biden administration officials and outside experts previously suggested. They had argued that another round of shots now could help head off rising cases and hospitalizations caused by the highly transmissible omicron strains.

Currently, all Americans ages 5 and over are eligible for a booster shot five months after their initial primary series. Fourth doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots — a second booster — are recommended for Americans 50 and older and for younger people with serious health issues that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

The FDA urged eligible adults who haven’t been boosted to get their extra shot now: “You can still benefit from existing booster options and leave time to receive an updated booster in the fall,” the agency said in a statement.

The White House has also emphasized that getting a fourth dose now won’t impact anyone’s ability to get omicron-targeted shots once they’re made available — although how long it’s been since their last dose will play a role in how soon they’re eligible.

Two omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are even more contagious than their predecessors and have pushed new daily cases above 125,000 and hospitalizations to 6,300. Those are the highest levels since February, though deaths have remained low at about 360 per day, thanks to widespread immunity and improved treatments against the virus.

The subvariants are offshoots of the strain responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. this year.

All the COVID-19 vaccines given in the U.S. until now have been based on the original version of the virus that began spreading across the country in early 2020.

In June, the FDA told the vaccine makers that any boosters for the fall would have to combine protection against omicron BA.4 and BA.5 and the original coronavirus strain. Both manufacturers have been speeding their production and data gathering to have those so-called bivalent vaccines ready for the fall.

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would have to sign off on revamped shots before their launch.

The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million doses of the Pfizer combination shots once they’re ready, and 66 million of Moderna’s version. But how soon large amounts would become available isn’t clear. The government contracts include options to purchase 300 million doses each but reaching that total will require more funding from Congress, the Biden administration said.

As for timing, getting a booster too soon after the previous dose means missing out on its full benefit — something policymakers will have to take into consideration when rolling out revamped shots.

The White House has at times been frustrated by the pace of decision-making at the FDA and CDC, most notably last summer, when the regulators took weeks to decide whether to authorize the first booster dose for U.S. adults. Privately, West Wing officials believe the delay cost lives, preventing optimum protection amid the delta and omicron surges, and also fed into doubts about vaccine and booster effectiveness that affected their uptake.

In recent weeks, some of those frustrations have bubbled up again, as regulators considered whether to recommend a fourth shot for all adults, not just those at highest risk from the virus. Some in the White House believe that the additional dose would have helped somewhat with the rapidly spreading BA.5 subvariant, and also lift the confidence of anyone worried that their protection had waned.

Still, officials across the government have acknowledged the risks of vaccine fatigue among Americans, including tens of millions who still haven’t received their first booster. Government figures show less than half of those eligible for a booster have gotten that third shot.

 

Source: Voice of America

Luanda – Seventeen localities in the south-east Cuando Cubango province will benefit from solar energy projects that will be carried out by a consortium of companies, MPLA leader João Lourenço announced Friday.

MPLA president made the announcement while electioneering, adding that the 17 projects will supply energy to 175,000 houses, should his party wins the August 24 general elections.

“There will be 17 independent projects that will benefit from clean energy, from the sun, that will be carried out by a consortium of companies, which includes the American company Sal África”, João Lourenço told a mass rally held in Menongue, Cuando Cubango.

He also announced the execution of two projects to increase significantly the capacity of energy supply to the population and the economy of Cuando Cubango.

This is the project that will connect the province of Cuando Cubango to the national energy network from the Gove dam in the neighbouring province of Huambo, he said.

Stressing the various socio-economic achievements, the politician noted that Cuando Cubango will receive the energy produced in Soyo, Laúca, Capanda and Caculo Cabaça, after the completion of the last project.

Drinking water

The MPLA party also proposed to increase the number of drinking water connections in the province by more than 4,400, with the expansion of the current system.

Apart from MPLA, seven political parties are running for the 2022 elections.

They are UNITA, PRS, FNLA, APN, PHA, P-NJANGO and the CASA-CE coalition.

For this year’s general elections, 14.3 million voters, of whom 22, 560 residing abroad, are eligible to cast their ballots. Overseas voting will take place in 25 cities of 12 countries.

 

Source: Angola Press News Agency

 

Menongue – MPLA candidate for President of the Republic João Lourenço Friday said his party will launch several projects in the fields of roads, energy and water to improve living quality of the population, if wins 24 August elections.

MPLA leader made the pledge during a mass political event held in Menongue, south-east Cuando Cubango province, ahead of the upcoming general elections on 24 August.

Delivering his speech, João Lourenço predicted a better province of Cuando, alluding to the multiplication of local investments, mainly in the industrial sector, in favour of socio-economic development and improvement of the conditions of the populations.

In his third visit to Cuando Cubango, in less than six months, João Lourenço announced plans for seeking more funding for the recovery and completion of roads, with stress to the Cuchi/Cutato, Konga/Cuito route, whose execution has already been underway.

For a second term, should MPLA wins the elections, the leader promised the rehabilitation of the Caundo / Balachau / Sabate, and Catuite roads. This last highway connects Angola to the Republic of Namibia,  whose funding has been secured.

The MPLA candidate for the President of the Republic also announced that the construction of the Cuito Cuanavale/Mavinga/Rivungo road will be included among the next planned socio-economic achievements.

He said that the works on the bridge over the Mpalei River were nearing completion, as well as the works to contain five ravines, which endangered the lives of the population and created other constraints on local infrastructure.

Recognising that Cuando Cubango province needs more infrastructure, such as educational establishments and industries, he warned that these projects will only be implemented with the ruling MPLA party.

Addressing militants, sympathizers and friends of the party, the MPLA leader appealed to his party to vote, so that it can carry on the various projects that aim to develop the country and the province of Cuando Cubango, in particular.

Electrical energy

He referred to the province’s connection to the national electricity distribution network, from the Ngove dam (Huambo), Lauca, Kapanda and Soyo.

The province only has 50 megawatts of energy at its power plant, whose capacity only benefits 50,000 homes.

João Lourenço also foresees, for Cuando Cubango, the implementation of 17 projects in the photovoltaic field to increase electrical power, in a partnership with the North American company, SonAfrica.

Drinking water

The head of the MPLA list also guaranteed an increase of more than 4,400 domestic connections, with the expansion of the current system.

MPLA, which ranks 8 in random drawing for general election ballot placement, is running along with UNITA, APN, PRS, FNLA, PHA and P-NJANGO, as well as the CASA-CE coalition.

In the 2017 general elections, the MPLA obtained 80,339 votes in Cuando Cubango province, representing 73.10 percent of the total, a figure that allowed it four MPs to be elected to the National Assembly. It will be the fifth time that Angolans go to the polls since 1992.

Roughly, 14.3 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on August 24.

 

 

Source: Angola Press News Agency