Category: Uncategorized

TIANJIN, China, July 25, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in north China’s Tianjin Municipality has issued an action plan on carbon peaking and neutralization in the bilateral project’s latest move to boost green development, according to China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee.

With a focus on four key areas of industry, construction, energy and transportation, the action plan seeks to build a pioneering demonstration zone for carbon neutralization, and create a batch of low-carbon and zero-carbon demonstration carriers and carbon reduction landmark projects in a bid to set up models for the whole country and even the world.

By 2025, the per capita carbon emissions in the eco-city will be significantly lower than the average level of Tianjin. By 2030, carbon dioxide per unit of regional GDP and carbon emissions per capita will be among the lowest in China, according to the plan.

The science park in the eco-city’s south, the information park in the middle and the industrial park in the north will form major carriers for the region to build a green and low-carbon industrial cluster featuring a focus respectively on innovation, industrial transformation and manufacturing in different parts.

The southern part of China-Singapore cooperation zone and the Linhai New City area focus on developing technology-based and service-oriented low-carbon industries such as biomedicine, software and cultural tourism. The cooperation zone’s central area will highlight software and hardware integration to support the transformation and application of scientific research outcomes.

The northern part of the cooperation zone and the northern part of the Binhai Tourism Zone will develop solid low-carbon manufacturing industries like intelligent manufacturing, medical devices and intelligent connected vehicles. The central fishing port area will build a green industrial chain integrating warehousing, processing, trade and finance.

As the first national green development demonstration zone, the eco-city advocates ultra-low energy consumption, near-zero energy consumption and zero-energy buildings, seeking to construct low-carbon residential buildings and zero-carbon public buildings. The region will push for the implementation of ultra-low energy consumption standards for all new residential buildings and near-zero energy standards for new government-invested public buildings.

Besides, the eco-city will enhance the operation efficiency of the heating pipe network, cut the heating energy consumption per unit area, integrate building construction with photovoltaic development by supporting complete coverage of installation of solar energy facilities in residential buildings.

“The eco-city will accelerate the development of renewable energy, increase its integration with urban construction, explore the development and utilization of diversified clean energy, and increase the proportion of green electricity use, and make full use of the roofs of new buildings and existing buildings for distributed photovoltaic installation,” according to an official with the eco-city ecological environment bureau.

The plan also formulates specific tasks on green intelligent travel system, such as building a suitable and comfortable slow travel system, laying high-quality pedestrian lanes, and advocating green and low-carbon development through the whole process of transportation infrastructure planning, construction, operation and maintenance.

The China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City is a major cooperation project between the two countries. It is the world’s first eco-city jointly developed between countries and seeks to address global climate change, strengthen environmental protection, save resources and energy, and provide a model for sustainable urban development. It began construction on September 28, 2008.

Source: China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee

–BERNAMA

Basseterre, July 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — St Kitts and Nevis has yet again strengthened the administration of its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme, announcing that all main applicants are to partake in a mandatory interview as part of the application process to its investment migration programme.

The twin-island Federation becomes one of the first Caribbean nations to introduce the soon-to-be industry standard. Instituted by regulations published on July 19, 2023, the new policy applies to all applications, including those already received but not yet approved by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). The new regulations also provide that dependants may be asked to be interviewed.

This new step in St Kitts and Nevis’ CBI application process confirms that St Kitts and Nevis has now fully implemented the six principles agreed between the United States of America and governments of the five Caribbean nations with Citizenship by Investment Programmes in a roundtable meeting held on February 25, 2023. That meeting was convened to discuss and agree on common ways to deal with threats to international communities in the investment migration ecosystem.

The five Caribbean participating governments are Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia. Their Prime Ministers and other senior state officials met with a USA delegation led by Anna Morris, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the USA Department of Treasury.

The group collectively committed to six CBI principles proposed by the USA, several of which were already adopted by the five Caribbean participating governments of their own volition as part of their risk management framework to strengthen and safeguard the integrity of their CBI programmes.

The six principles agreed were:

1. Treatment of denials: Not to process applications from persons whose applications have been denied in another CBI jurisdiction, by proactively sharing information on denials.
2. Interviews: Conduct interviews with applicants, whether virtual or in-person.
3. Additional checks: Each jurisdiction will run checks on each application with the Financial Intelligence Unit of its respective country.
4. Audits: Audit the Programme annually or every two years in accordance with internationally accepted standards.
5. Retrieval of passports: Request law enforcement assistance to retrieve revoked/recalled passports.
6. Treatment of Russians and Belarusians: Suspend processing applications from Russians and Belarusians.

A delegation from St Kitts and Nevis, headed by the country’s Prime Minister, Terrance Drew, also attended this year’s annual European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Summit (EU-CELAC) Summit in Brussels.

During the Summit, St Kitts and Nevis, along with the other Caribbean CBI islands, met with the European Commission and agreed to establish a joint task group to engage the stakeholders and keep both regions abreast of ongoing developments and find a common ground to work from.

“We are very happy about how the meeting went in Brussels. There is definitely a spirit of cooperation between ourselves and the European Commission, and we will continue to make our efforts in mitigating international security risk very clear so all our international partners are confident of the integrity of our programme,” noted Prime Minister Drew.

The third edition of EU-CELAC was held from July 17 to July 18, 2023, and aims to discuss key matters of interest that impact the Caribbean and the European Union and effective resolutions. 

From July 19, 2023, main applicants, 16 years and older, for St Kitts and Nevis’ CBI programme will be required to be interviewed – virtually or in person – as part of the application process.

Head of St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Unit, Michael Martin, commented that “St Kitts and Nevis remains committed to cooperating with our international stakeholders and takes the safety and integrity of our Citizenship by Investment Programme extremely seriously.”

Due diligence and risk mitigation remain a very important aspect of how St Kitts and Nevis approaches its CBI programme.

The country has one of the best regulated programmes in the world. St Kitts and Nevis is the only country with a CBI Board of Governors responsible for providing general oversight of the operations their CBI Unit; developing and implementing policies and procedures; ensuring that application processing is completed within the timeframes advertised without compromising the integrity of the programme; and constantly monitoring the global investor immigration industry to ensure that the country’s CBI Regulations align with international market forces.

The country is the also the only one with a CBI Technical Committee charged with ensuring all due diligence background checks are comprehensive in keeping with the country’s multi-sectoral good governance transformation into a sustainable island-state.

Caribbean CBI nations remain at the pinnacle of due diligence excellence and St Kitts and Nevis continues as a trailblazer for many CBI nations across the world.

The due diligence for the St Kitts and Nevis CBI Programme is conducted by highly respected international due diligence agencies from the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom, and vetted by the CBI Unit, Financial Intelligence Unit and international policing authorities. These agencies work together to facilitate a multi-layer due diligence investigation online and on-the-ground.

St Kitts and Nevis boasts the oldest CBI programme in the Caribbean, established in 1984, and continues to be a firm favourite among international investors across the world.

Secretary of St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
Government of St. Kitts and Nevis
001 (868) 467 1474
info@sknciu.com

SOURCE : Government of St. Kitts and Nevis

LONDON, July 18 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Japan has been knocked off the top spot on the Henley Passport Index for the first time in five years and bumped into 3^rd place, according to the latest ranking, which is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Singapore is now officially the most powerful passport in the world, with its citizens able to visit 192 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free. Germany, Italy, and Spain all move up into 2^nd place with visa-free access to 190 destinations, and Japanese passport holders join those of six other nations — Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden — in 3^rd place with access to 189 destinations without a prior visa.

The UK appears to have finally turned the corner after a six-year decline, jumping up two places on the latest ranking to 4^th place — a position it last held in 2017. The US, on the other hand, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, plummeting a further two places to 8^th spot with access to just 184 destinations visa-free. Both the UK and the US jointly held 1^st place on the index nearly 10 years ago in 2014, but have been on a downward trajectory ever since. Afghanistan remains entrenched at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with a visa-free access score of just 27, followed by Iraq (score of 29), and Syria (score of 30) — the three weakest passports in the world.

The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access 165 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, says only eight countries worldwide have less visa-free access today than they did a decade ago, while others have been more successful in securing greater travel freedom for their citizens. “The UAE has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive leap of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56^th to 12^th position. Of the countries sitting in the Top 10, the US has seen the smallest increase in its score, securing just 12 additional destinations. Singapore, by comparison, has increased its score by 25, pushing it up five places over the past 10 years to number one.”

Commenting in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2023 Q3, released today alongside the latest index, Greg Lindsay from Cornell Tech’s Jacobs Institute, says that from a purely mechanical perspective, “the story is a simple one — by more or less standing still, the US has fallen behind. While its absolute score has in fact risen over the last decade, the US has been steadily overtaken by rivals such as South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. America’s relentless slide down the rankings is a warning to its neighbor Canada and the rest of the Anglosphere as well.”

The links between visa-free access and openness

Henley & Partners has conducted exclusive new research into the relationship between a country’s openness to foreigners — how many nations it allows to cross its borders visa-free — and its own citizens’ travel freedom. The new Henley Openness Index ranks all 199 countries worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without a prior visa.

The Top 20 ‘most open’ countries are all small island nations or African states, except for Cambodia. There are 12 countries that are completely open to all passports and four that don’t allow anyone in visa-free. While the correlation between a high openness score and high visa-free access score is not straightforward, it is notable that Singapore and South Korea — high climbers on the Henley Passport Index Top 10 over last decade, moving up from 6^th and 7^th respectively in 2013 to 1^st and 3^rd today — boast relatively high degrees of openness compared to the 5 countries with the biggest disparity between the travel freedom they enjoy, versus the visa-free access they provide to other nationalities. US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have all either slid down the ranking or remained in the same place as their openness stagnates.

Prof. Peter J. Spiro, who holds the Charles Weiner Chair in international law at Temple University, says America’s extension of visa-free access is low, even by the standard of developed economies. “EU states grant visa-free privileges to more than twice the number of states than does the US. Processing delays, high refusal rates, and a reputation for disagreeable customer service are tarnishing the attractiveness of the US as a destination. Add to that the growing reputation of the US as ridden with gun violence and one can project a long-term trajectory in which US global standing further erodes.”

Read the full Press Release

Media Contact

Sarah Nicklin

Group Head of PR

sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

Mobile: +27 72 464 8965

SOURCE : HENLEY & PARTNERS GROUP HOLDINGS LTD

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) — Bridge International Academies is drawing attention to the urgency of educating African girls this World Population Day (July 11), the first time Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest population of children on the planet.

According to a statement, this World Population Day focuses on the theme of ‘gender equality and women’s empowerment as a key factor in reducing poverty’.

Bridge Group Managing Director, Reuben Wambugu said by 2050, Africa and Asia will be home to 85 per cent of the world’s young people, with the larger proportion in Africa and currently, only 10 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are able to read a simple sentence by the age of 10.

“If these young people are not provided with an adequate education, there will be a global shortage of scientists, doctors and engineers. This could lead to a range of possible global catastrophes.

“While Bridge has seen fantastic improvements in learning outcomes for all those attending our schools, it is particularly heartening that Bridge’s methodology has succeeded in achieving gender parity in the classroom,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bridge Nigeria Managing Director Foyinsola Akinjayeju said: “Bridge’s model focuses on arming teachers with scientifically proven techniques to elevate the learning of girls.

“Through approaches, such as gender sensitive instruction in lesson and textbook materials, expecting equal participation through ‘cold calling’ of boys and girls in the classroom and the use of female school leaders as role models, girls are empowered to succeed.

“By pushing this approach and the importance of women’s empowerment, Bridge Nigeria alone has provided a life-changing education to tens of thousands of girls in underserved communities, helping them complete primary school, do well in secondary school and open up opportunities offering prosperity and success.”

The schools network, which includes Bridge Kenya, Bridge Nigeria and Bridge Uganda, supports children and parents in underserved communities by providing an excellent education.

— BERNAMA

JOHOR, Malaysia, July 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forest City, a real estate project developed by Country Garden, is dedicated to promoting a vibrant and inclusive community. Two recent events, namely the Shoreline Morning Run and the Forest City Cup Junior Golf Tournament, exemplify Forest City’s commitment to celebrating diversity.

The Shoreline Morning Run brings residents together from diverse cultural backgrounds with a shared passion for fitness and well-being. The event garnered a strong turnout, attracting participants from various countries along the scenic coastline. In addition, the Forest City Cup Junior Golf Tournament serves as proof of Forest City’s commitment to multiculturalism. The tournament offers a platform for young athletes to learn from one another, showcase their skills, and experience fun while promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding.

Forest City boasts two world-class golf courses and has consistently been ranked among the “Top 100 Golf Courses in Asia” for four consecutive years. Among them, the Classic Golf Course was expertly designed by Mr. Liang Guokun, a Chinese golf course design master with more than 30 years of experience in golf course and garden design management. On the other hand, the Legacy Golf Course is an 18-hole international championship-level course jointly designed by golf champions Jack Nicklaus and his son Jack Nicklaus II. These meticulously planned courses offer golf enthusiasts strategically placed fairways and breathtaking views.

Furthermore, visitors can enjoy the luxurious accommodations the two five-star hotels provide, namely the Marina Hotel and the Golf Hotel. These two five-star hotels feature luxurious rooms and amenities, surrounded by lush greenery that seamlessly blends with the natural environment. Visitors can indulge in leisure facilities within the hotels while also experiencing a range of captivating outdoor activities. These hotels serve as a haven for both residents and visitors, further enhancing the overall living experience in Forest City.

Forest City proactively cultivates a thriving community, hosting a variety of engaging activities and offering residents and visitors a vibrant and immersive lifestyle experience. With the enrichment of life service stores, Forest City has further enhanced convenience for shopping and entertainment, providing people with an enriched and enjoyable environment.

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