International

Thursday, March 11th 2021 - 09:40 UTC
IATA expects a return to personal and leisure travel from the second half of 2021

Personal and leisure travel will return from the second half of this year as borders reopen to tourists hungry to be free again and to reunite with families and friends, Alexandre de Juniac, director of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said in an interview with The Straits Times from Singapore.
Thursday, March 11th 2021 - 09:36 UTC
Spain expects to roll out vaccine “Digital Green Pass” by May 19 for FITUR tourism fair

Spain could be ready to start rolling out coronavirus vaccine ‘passports’ by the end of May, paving the way to welcome back holidaymakers, Minister of tourism, María Reyes Maroto, said on Wednesday.
Thursday, March 11th 2021 - 09:18 UTC
Pacific small islands fear rising seas will distort their claims to EEZs

Small island states in the Pacific are opening a new front in the fight against rising seas, to secure rights to an ocean area bigger than the moon that is home to billion-dollar fish stocks.
Thursday, March 11th 2021 - 09:07 UTC
Major fire at Europe's largest cloud services knocks out some 3,6 million websites

Some 3,6 million websites were knocked out because of a fire at a French cloud services firm in Strasbourg, including French government agencies' portals, banks, shops, news websites, and a chunk of the FR webspace, according to Internet monitors.
Thursday, March 11th 2021 - 05:24 UTC
China calls for de-escalation in Myanmar and “it's time for dialogue”

China called on Wednesday in the UN Security Council for a “de-escalation” in the crisis in Myanmar, where the junta has pursued a violent crackdown against peaceful anti-coup demonstrators.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Austrian coalition will block EU/Mercosur trade accord if it goes against the European Green Deal

Austria’s coalition government has confirmed it will block the landmark EU-Mercosur trade agreement – which should create the biggest free-trade area in the world – saying it goes against the EU’s environmental ambitions set out in the European Green Deal.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 09:30 UTC
UK/EU controversy over “vaccine nationalism” and exports bans

European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday rejected charges of “vaccine nationalism” leveled against the EU, saying that while Britain and the United States have outright bans on exports of COVID-19 shots, the EU had not stopped exporting.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 09:20 UTC
European Parliament votes to lift immunity to Catalan leaders, wanted by Spanish justice

The European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of lifting immunity from the former leader of Spain's Catalonia region, Carles Puigdemont. Lawmakers also waived immunity for Toni Comin, the former Catalan health minister, and former regional education minister Clara Ponsati.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 08:49 UTC
Chinese foreign trade booming in the first two months of 2021

China's total goods imports and exports expanded 32.2% year on year to 5.44 trillion Yuan (some US$ 838.16 billion) in the first two months of 2021, sustaining growth momentum in previous months, official data showed. Exports jumped 50.1% while imports rose 14.5% in Yuan terms, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 08:46 UTC
Global economy forecasted to grow 5,6% this year if vaccination rollout is effective

Global gross domestic product (GDP) will grow at 5.6% this year if vaccination rollout is fast and effective enough across the world, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Tuesday in its Interim Economic Outlook.