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Ukraines Greek Catholic Church has opened a coronavirus vaccination centre in one of its Kiev cathedrals the first religious institution to do so in a country where infections have spiked.

Ukraine recently reported record numbers of daily Covid deaths and cases, while only 25 percent of its population is fully vaccinated.

Religious institutions in the ex-Soviet country had been cautious to urge people to get vaccinated, let alone allow their premises to be used as vaccination points.

But clerics of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the third-largest in the country, on Sunday opened the doors of their main Kiev cathedral to those wanting a jab.

The church sees no reason to refuse the vaccine, Father Taras Zheblinsky, head of the Greek Catholic Churchs media department, told AFP.

Taking the vaccine is a way to save your life and health, he said, standing inside the large Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in eastern Kiev.

Ukraine reported 793 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday a record for the country, which has an under-resourced health care system.

New daily cases hit a pandemic record of 27,377 last week and were at more than 13,000 on Monday.

We are getting vaccinated so that if we get sick, then it will be a mild illness, Nazar Kozak, one of dozens waiting for a jab told AFP.

When trouble comes to a country, any community, including a religious one, should help people, said the 32-year-old lawyer.

Ukrainian authorities initially struggled to source vaccine doses and have since fought to convince vaccine-sceptic Ukrainians to get inoculated.

But new restrictions requiring vaccinations have seen people across the country flock to vaccine centres, with inoculations now running at about 250,000 people a day.

Since the start of the pandemic, Ukraine has recorded more than 3 million coronavirus cases and 72,000 deaths.

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Greek Catholic cathedral in Covid-hit Ukraine opens for vaccinations - Macau Business

Some 10,000 kilometres from his native Brazil, Kreta Kaingang plants an oak sapling in Kilfinan Community Forest as part of a project to reintroduce rainforests into the Highlands of Scotland.

Delicately, the chieftain packs earth around the base of the stem with his hands and caresses the budding branches.

Then, joined by fellow Latin American indigenous leaders taking part in the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, he breaks into a ritual chant.

I have lived my life planting trees on my soil and it has been marvellous to have done it here in the spirit of reforestation, he told AFP.

Although the trees may differ, our earth is the same as theirs in Scotland, says Levi Sucre, who is a leader of the Bribri people in his native Costa Rica.

Kretas kokar an immense headdress garlanded with black and white royal falcon and red macaw feathers looks especially striking next to Gordon Gray Stephens kilt.

The conservationist points out the similarities between trees found in South American rainforests and those in parts of Scotland: ivy and moss cover the trunks that are hung thick with creepers.

We really exploited them over the centuries so we have a very small number of special things left, says Stephens, former director of the Scottish Native Woods charity.

He laments how rich countries push developing nations to protect their forests while ignoring their own.

Here rhododendrons and industrial pine, introduced from overseas for their flowers and timber, are suffocating indigenous species like oak, ash, willow and birch.

Deer also eat young tree shoots, further stunting populations.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, locals were forced out as swathes of forests were felled to make way for sheep pastures.

Deforestation goes with depopulation, Stephens says.

Today, Scotland has one of the largest concentrations of land owned by private holders in the world: 67 percent of rural land is owned by just 0.025 percent of the population.

As the climate crisis deepens, more and more investors are eyeing Scottish land to dedicate to carbon capture schemes, according to Calum MacLeod, policy director of the Community Land charity.

Some 130 kilometres west of Glasgow, Kilfinan Community Forest pursues decarbonisation in a way that benefits everyone.

They buy land to rent as affordable housing for young families to move in and help reforestation efforts.

The dozen indigenous leaders, chilled by the breeze, are greeted by colourful banners and wide-eyed children from the local school, opened next to a post office, sports centre and artisan ice cream factory.

You want to have young trees in a forest but you also want to have young people in a community, Stephens says.

A similar initiative is unfurling across the world, in the rainforest of Borneo, where villagers saw their lands destroyed for oil extraction and the logging industry, says leader Mina Setra.

School closures during the pandemic prompted hundreds of young people who had been studying in cities to return.

They launched successful initiatives such as organic farming cooperatives and now plan to stay, Mina says.

Even if the climates and ecosystems are different, indigenous peoples share the same type of problems, said Mina, adding that she dreams of a united front of all rural and forest communities.

For Solange Bandiaky-Badji, president of the Rights and Resources Group, history is repeating itself.

The exodus from Scotland due to deforestation centuries ago is now taking place in Africa and Asia.

All the migrations that you see of young people going to Europe is because their land has been taken from them, she says.

A total of $19 billion pledged at COP26 this week to end deforestation globally by 2030 needs to go to the right people, adds the Senegalese campaigner.

$1.7 billion is earmarked to help indigenous communities.

But they are still speaking about us but not with us, says Anita Tzec, a Yucatan Maya from Belize.

We are key players to change this process and we have to be brought to the table as decision makers.

by Anna CUENCA

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From the Amazon to Scotland, forest leaders united in hope - Macau Business

The US government will streamline immigration procedures for recent Afghan arrivals to speed up their resettlement in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday.

Some 70,000 Afghans have landed in the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome, launched amid the August evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan, as the country fell to the Islamist Taliban following the withdrawal of US troops from the country.

Afghans who arrived in the United States on or after July 30 this year will be able to take advantage of simplified procedures to get a prized green card, or permanent resident status, as well as various work permits, the DHS said in a statement.

They will also not have to pay filing fees, which can run up to thousands of dollars.

By providing these evacuees with access to streamlined processing and fee exemptions, we will open doors of opportunity for our Afghan allies and help them begin to rebuild their lives in communities across our country more quickly,saidDHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas, according to the statement.

These actions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to Afghan nationals who provided valuable assistance to the United States over the past two decades, as well as other Afghans at risk, he added.

More than 120,000 people were evacuated from Kabul in August, including diplomats, foreign nationals and tens of thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban, with some fearing reprisals because they had collaborated with the forces of the international coalition in Afghanistan.

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US govt to streamline immigration rules for recent Afghan arrivals - Macau Business

The last two decades have changed the face of China and the international economy. Before the next two years are out, China will be the biggest economy in the world

MB October 2021 Special Report | China attheWTO

When it was admitted to the WTO in 2001, China was a $1 billion market. Today, thats $25 billion.

Whats more, China is now the largest trade partner of more than 100 countries and regions.

Chinas trade in goods grew eight-fold over the past 20 years, from $516.4 billion in 2001 to $4.1 trillion in 2017. In 1992, Chinas trade-weighted average tariff rate of 32.2 per cent far exceeded the global average of 7.2 per cent, but since then, Chinese tariffs have fallen even south of that mark to an average of 4.8 per cent between 2003 and 2017, according to data from the World Bank.

I think China has certainly benefited from being part of the WTO system, both in terms of access to foreign markets but also in terms of improved credibility with foreign investors and international institutions and generally cementing its role on the world stage as a major power, Dmitry Grozoubinski says.

The Executive Director of Geneva Trade Platform tellsMacau Business, On the other hand, I think in 2021 (and indeed, well before that) a WTO that did not include China as a member would simply not have been a credible organization. China is far too important, both narrowly in terms of trade and more generally as a country, to have a World Trade Organization that did not include it.

But who got more out of Chinas membership, the world or China itself?

Rostam J. Neuwirth, Faculty of Law, University of Macau, believes its misguided to speak of winners when discussing international trade. The global trading system will only work when all are benefitting and not merely a few members of the multilateral agreement. This kind of either/or thinking is one of the most fundamental misconceptions about international trade, especially when considering the challenges addressed by the Sustainable Development Goals.

In short, the Head of U.M. Laws Department of Global Legal Studies says, it is not a zero-sum game, and China has benefitted to a large extent from its membership in the WTO since 2001, as has the rest of the world (or the other WTO members).

In his interview withMacau Business, Professor Neuwirth states that overall, China has integrated itself well into the WTO system and performed a constructive role over the past twenty years.

His U.M. Law colleague Chao Wang is of the same opinion: We anticipate that Chinas continuing reform towards a more liberalized market economy is still going on, all the way. China is a strong supporter of the free trade system, because the free trade system is of interest to China.

Asked about the number of bilateral or multilateral disputes that China has been involved in over these 20 years within the scope of the WTO, Professor Wang has no doubt: It is very normal for a WTO member to be involved in disputes with other WTO members within the WTOs dispute settlement system. Even the close allies of the United States, such as Canada, Japan and the EU they all have many disputes with the US within the WTO.

Expressing Beijings point of view, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of the Peoples Republic of China Wang Yi said, In the last 20 years, after joining the WTO, China has fully honoured its commitments upon the accession and expanded its opening-up. China has contributed nearly 30 per cent of global growth on annual average.

At trying times such as the international financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, China never gives up solidarity and partnership with other countries. China is ready to work with all parties for the success of the Rome Summit and toward building a community with a shared future for mankind! Mr Wang added.

Echoing these sentiments, Long Yongtu, chief negotiator of Chinas accession to the WTO, said recently, [Chinese accession] benefits people around the world, especially people in developing countries. It is also hugely beneficial for developed countries including the US, which is one of its biggest beneficiaries.

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Special Report - 25-fold in 20 years - Macau Business

Former US president Barack Obama was due to campaign Saturday in a neck-and-neck state election touted as a bellwether of public opinion on Joe Bidens first year in the White House.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who is vying for a second term as Virginias governor, is battling Republican Glenn Youngkin ahead of the November 2 vote.

The McAuliffe camp fears turnout among supporters in an off-year election may be low and has brought in some of the partys heavy hitters in the final stretch, in a bid to rouse lethargic Democrats.

Obama, who was due to speak at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, follows First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and rising Democratic star Stacey Abrams into the state, with the president himself expected next week.

Biden won Virginia by 10 points in 2020 and the last time Republicans won a statewide race there was 2009.

But the McAulliffe-Youngkin battle has been tightening for weeks and the latest polling has the candidates well within the margin of error.

A McAuliffe win would boost Washington Democrats push for twin infrastructure and social welfare mega-bills that are the cornerstone of Bidens vision for remaking the economy.

But a loss could spook moderates already nervous over the high price tag on the legislation, which they are trying to chisel down from a combined total of almost $5 trillion to around $3 trillion.

Party chiefs hope Obama, still the most popular Democrat on the national stage five years after leaving office, will galvanize Black voters, a key constituency in Virginia.

I watched Terry stand strong on the values we all care about; protecting every citizens right to vote, fighting climate change and defending a womans right to choose, Obama in a televised appeal ahead of his arrival.

The first genuinely competitive election since Biden took office is expected to be a harbinger of the national political landscape ahead of next years midterm elections.

Both candidates have focused campaigning in the final stretch around Richmond and the rest of central Virginia, a longtime Republican bastion that went narrowly to Democratic Governor Ralph Northam in 2017.

Wedged between the Washington suburbs in northern Virginia, a Democratic stronghold, and the states conservative south and southwest, Richmond could go either way.

McAuliffe, 64, has tried to make the race a referendum on twice-impeached former President Donald Trump.

Youngkin, 10 years his junior, has focused on the fight over schools, with Republicans railing against mask mandates and running ads showing McAuliffe saying he doesnt want parents involved in education.

In a delicate high-wire act, Youngkin has been trying to conjure the spirit of Trump while not specifically endorsing his false claims accepted by the majority of Republicans that the 2020 election was stolen from him by Democrats.

The former president has not visited, although he called in to a pro-Youngkin Take Back Virginia Rally on October 13 featuring former White House advisor Steve Bannon and other prominent promoters of Trumps election fraud lies.

Look, theres a reason President Barack Obama is in Virginia right now. Theres a reason Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams were here last week. Theres a reason Joe Biden is coming next week, McAuliffe said in a mail-out to potential voters on Saturday.

This is 2021s most important election. And if Democrats turn out like they did in 2020, were going to win. But if they dont, well lose and at that point, we can kiss all of Virginias progress goodbye and say hello to the resurgence of Trumpism in our country.

Virginia bars governors from serving consecutive terms, meaning Democrat Ralph Northam has to step down this year, butMcAuliffe qualifies for the race because he left office in 2018.

by Frankie TAGGART

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Obama hits the stump in US battleground Virginia - Macau Business

China is set to expand pilot property tax reforms, state media reported, as the government battles real estate speculation in the worlds second-biggest economy.

Chinas housing market took off after key 1998 reforms sparked a building boom on the back of rapid urbanisation and wealth accumulation.

But as prices soared, so did worries about wealth disparity and the resulting potential for social instability.

Chinas top legislative body, the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, on Saturday approved the latest plan to promote rational housing consumption, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Under the five-year pilot scheme, Xinhua added, property tax will be levied on all types of real estate, excluding some rural homes.

Further details, such as its start date and target areas, are expected to be disclosed at a later date.

The announcement comes with President Xi Jinping pushing for more common prosperity in China aimed at spreading wealth more evenly.

In 2011, authorities started trials in Shanghai and Chongqing targeting high-end private residential properties for taxation.

There have been talks to expand such taxation, but localities have been reluctant, worried it will drag down property values and dampen demand for land, a key source of local government revenue, state-run tabloid Global Times said Saturday.

Chinas real estate sector is in troubled waters, with home sales slumping 16.9 percent on-year in September and deeply indebted property giant Evergrande battling a liquidity crisis.

Some analysts believe, however, the latest tax move is aimed at preventing prices from rebounding to earlier levels.

The chances of a national tax being implemented are much higher now, said Mark Williams of Capital Economics last week as reports emerged that a plan was being stalled.

Opposition to the tax from insiders was not new, he added, given that correlation between Communist Party membership and ownership of multiple properties is probably fairly high.

But demographics mean the 25-year property boom is ending, he said.

Land sales are not a sustainable source of government revenue anymore. A modest property tax could be.

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China to expand property tax trial to check speculation - Macau Business

Britain and the European Union held constructive technical discussions on the Northern Ireland Protocol, but substantial gaps remain on the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), according to a British government source.The talks this week were constructive and weve heard some things from the EU that we can work with but the reality is that we are still far apart on the big issues, especially governance, the source said on Saturday night.Theres been plenty of speculation about governance this week but our position remains unchanged: the role of the European Court of Justice in resolving disputes between the UK and EU must end, it said.British officials said solutions must be found quickly because disruption on the ground in Northern Ireland has not gone away and cannot be endured for much longer, citing reports that because of the protocol, supplies of Christmas crackers are being prevented from reaching Northern Ireland.British officials have made clear this is yet another practical example of why the Protocol isnt working and why we need common sense solutions that reduce disruption to peoples everyday lives.After their first round of technical talks in Brussels, an EU negotiating team will travel to London on Tuesday for several days of intensive discussions. British Brexit Minister David Frost and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic are due to meet in person in London for talks at the end of the week to take stock and assess progress so far.Britain and the EU are getting back around the table to find a long-term solution to their post-Brexit trade dispute with Northern Ireland at the center.They will aim to smooth trade through technical changes but also tackle the more challenging problem of the oversight role of the ECJ in Northern Ireland, on which both sides are far apart.

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Britain says talks with EU on Northern Ireland Protocol "constructive" - Macau Business

Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) has vaccinated almost 82% of team members after hosting a series of promotional activities and initiatives in support of the Macao SAR Governments vaccination program, the company has revealed.

The initiatives have included the establishment of vaccination points at Galaxy Macau, the organization of several Vaccine Information Seminars, the arrangement of various roadshows in its back-of-house areas and the offering of Special Vaccine Leave for its team members.

GEG has also held over 500 departmental sharing sessions where fully-vaccinated team members shared their vaccine experience with colleagues. By organizing these sharing sessions, GEG said it hoped to encourage more team members to join the governments call for vaccination and to help the community achieve herd immunity.

In support of the Social Welfare Bureaus call for assistance with the citys recent mass testing blitzes in August and October, GEG mobilized nearly 200 volunteers to help at the Olympic Sports Centre while also collaborating with other volunteers, including those from government departments and social service organizations, to provide around-the-clock assistance for residents and people in need at the related testing stations.

The companys Broadway Hotel was earlier this month designated as Macaus first self-health management hotel for Yellow Code holders who have been identified by the Health Bureau of the Macau SAR Government as being be good health condition.

GEG said it will continue to encourage more team members as well as the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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More than 80% of Galaxy team members now vaccinated against COVID-19 - IAG - Inside Asian Gaming

Accident NO.1 Vaccine, Sit Ka Kit

The Autumn Salon 2021, organized by the Art For All Society (AFA) and Fundao Oriente, will open at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Casa Garden.The exhibition will feature 84 art pieces by around 80 Macau artists, selected from an open competition by the organization, featuring applications from artists with differing art styles and age groups.The selected works come in a variety of media, including oil and acrylic painting, sketches, video, photography, sculpture, engraving and installation.This years participants include young and aspiring artists, as well as those who have already established themselves in Macaus contemporary art scene, including Alexandre Marreiros, Fan Sai Cheong, Francisco Ricarte, Kit Lee, Luna Cheong, Sit Ka Kit, Un Sio San, Yung Lai Jing and the exhibition curator, Alice Kok.Works have been selected for the Prmio Fundao Oriente para as Artes Plsticas (Visual Arts Prize), an award where the winner will have the chance to visit Portugal on a one-month artistic exchange program.The prize winner will be announced at the opening ceremony of the Autumn Salon.The AFA and Fundao Oriente have historically worked on creating platforms for artists, opening windows of opportunity for them to interact and learn from one another. By inviting collectors and visitors to the exhibition, young artists are given the chance to show their work to the public and develop their own art.The Autumn Salon 2021 will be at Casa Garden, Macau Delegation of Fundao Oriente. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 24 to November 28.The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Monday. Staff Reporter

In the Depths of the Sea, Ng Ka Ian

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The Autumn Salon 2021 | Leaves of art - Macau Daily Times

After almost a month of school suspensions caused by the Covid-19 outbreaks in late September and early October, students will return to school this coming Monday, Kong Chi Meng, vice-director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), announced yesterday.However, the DSEDJ official stressed that a precondition for the resumption of school is the city not seeing any new Covid-19 cases in the coming days.Due to the relatively long school suspension, Kong said that the education regulator has instructed schools to focus on students adaptability and consolidation of previously taught content, meaning that teaching staff are not encouraged to teach new material during the early phase of the return to school.Kong revealed that parents will have the discretion to decide whether their children return to school during the first week back. Those who do not return next week may be considered not officially absent, at the discretion of individual schools.Cross-border students may return to school from Monday. The usual dedicated border clearance channels for these students will resume operation as well.Should no new cases be detected by Monday, higher education institutions will also resume face-to-face lectures on the same day.Monday will also see the resumption of private extracurricular education facilities, such as tuition centers and life education providers.Teaching staff at all educational facilities are required to take a nucleic acid test every seven days or have received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.Without a representative at the regular health press conference yesterday, the Social Welfare Bureau announced separately that nurseries will also reopen on Monday.Aged care homes and daycare facilities will also resume normal operation. Visitors must hold a valid negative nucleic acid test result or have received at least one vaccine jab.A recent equipment malfunction at Kuok Kim, a third-party nucleic acid test provider, has delayed results for about 2,200 test takers.When questioned yesterday at the regular health press conference, public health doctor Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reported that the Health Bureau (SSM), as the supervising entity, has ordered Kuok Kim to submit a report within three days to explain the incident.The SSM has also required the service provider to put contingencies in place should similar situations arise in the future.According to Leong, once the SSM became aware of the situation on the day of the incident, it ordered Kuok Kim to contact those affected and make a public announcement about the issue.During the early stages of the incident, some social media users complained that they had received no notification whatsoever from Kuok Kim.With regard to compensation, Leong recommended that those affected file a complaint and request with Kuok Kim.Questioned on the price of the test in Macau, Leong said that the government has been in negotiations with third-party service providers about lowering the price.It was revealed by the press that tests in Zhuhai are charged differently according to the type of test grouped or individual with a grouped test being less expensive.According to some members of the press, some pregnant employees have been forced by their employers to take the Covid-19 vaccine, which is not required by the SSM.Leong explained that, although many pregnant individuals worldwide have been inoculated, considering the relatively low risk levels in Macau those who are pregnant can temporarily be exempted from receiving the jab.She added that if employees find it necessary, they can file a complaint with the SSM.Leong also reiterated that foreigners and non-Chinese-national Macau residents who want to enter mainland China from Macau should get the Sinopharm inactivated vaccine as part of their visa application requirements.

Third-party nucleic acid test provider Kuok Kim experienced a malfunction on Tuesday, resulting in a number of people not getting their test results shown on their health codes.Some of those affected said that Kuok Kim did not offer an explanation. Queues of test takers were seen Wednesday at the office of the company, urging it to provide an explanation.Kuok Kim apologized for the delay later that night, saying that it was caused by a malfunction in some of its laboratory equipment. An extra free-of-charge test was offered to those affected.

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Schools to resume on Monday - Macau Daily Times