WORLD LEADERS RETURN TO UN WITH FOCUS ON PANDEMIC, CLIMATE

BY REPORTER 21

PUBLISHED 20/09/2021 AT GMT+3

Biden will host a virtual meeting from washington with leaders on Wednesday that aims to boost the distribution of vaccines globally

Biden will host a virtual meeting from washington with leaders on Wednesday that aims to boost the distribution of vaccines globally

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Biden will host a virtual meeting from washington with leaders on wednesday that aims to boost the distribution of vaccines globally

World leaders are returning to the United Nations in new york this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering.

As the coronavirus still rages amid an inequitable vaccine rollout, about a third of the 193 UN states are planning to again send videos, but presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers for the remainder are due to travel to the United States.

The United States tried to dissuade leaders from coming to New York in a bid to stop the UN General Assembly from becoming a "super-spreader event," although President Joe Biden will address the assembly in person, his first UN visit since taking office.

A so-called UN honour system means that anyone entering the assembly hall effectively declares they are vaccinated, but they do not have to show proof.

This system will be broken when the first country speaks - Brazil. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is a vaccine skeptic, who last week declared that he does not need the shot because he is already immune after being infected with Covid-19.

Should he change his mind, New York City has set up a van outside the United Nations for the week to supply free testing and free shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters that the discussions around how many traveling diplomats might have been immunized illustrated "how dramatic the inequality is today in relation to vaccination." He is pushing for a global plan to vaccinate 70% of the world by the first half of next year.

Out of 5.7 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines administered around the world, only 2% have been in Africa.

Biden will host a virtual meeting from Washington with leaders and chief executives on Wednesday that aims to boost the distribution of vaccines globally.

Demonstrating US Covid-19 concerns about the UN gathering, Biden will be in New York only for about 24 hours, meeting with Guterres on Monday and making his first UN address on Tuesday, directly after Bolsonaro.

His UN envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Biden would "speak to our top priorities: ending the Covid-19 pandemic; combating climate change ... and defending human rights, democracy, and the international rules-based order."

Due to the pandemic, UN delegations are restricted to much smaller numbers and most events on the sidelines will be virtual or a hybrid of virtual and in-person. Among other topics that ministers are expected to discuss during the week are Afghanistan and Iran.

But before the annual speeches begin, Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will start the week with a summit on Monday to try and save a UN summit - that kicks off in Glasgow, Scotland, on October 31 - from failure.

As scientists warn that global warming is dangerously close to spiraling out of control, the UN COP26 conference aims to wring much more ambitious climate action and the money to go with it from participants around the globe.

A PHOTO ON PHU SUB LEK VIEWPOINT AT SUNSET LOPBURI THAILAND

BY REPORTER 12

PUBLISHED 09/05/2023 AT GMT+3

Where better than a private island where pristine beaches and a string of spa treatments abound?

Angsana Spa Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba offers all of the above for a perfect getaway from the holiday hubbub where you can truly shut down and recuperate. Owned by Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, you can be sure there is no shortage of great spa facilities and Asian-inspired spa treatments.

The best part is, this is an adults-only resort, so you can truly rest your mind without worrying about any distractions.

Following his win (the jury ruled in favor of Depp’s claim of defamation across three counts), Depp has seemingly edged his way back into Hollywood's favor. His film Jeanne du Barry, in which he stars as Louis XV, has been selected as the opening film at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival. But what about Heard?

SPORTSWEAR BRANDS GO ALL OUT TO TARGET WOMEN CONSUMERS GLOBALLY

BY REPOTER 11

PUBLISHED 09/05/2023 AT GMT+3

There has been tremendous growth in the women’s sportswear market and global sportswear brands have been competing to lure women consumers.

A decade ago, the sportswear market was driven by the concept of ‘cool’ brands that had products that could be identified with the notion and reaped profits. Market leaders like NIKE, Adidas, Under Armour, and PUMA, each had their own set of loyalists, from celebrities, and sports persons to the sports-crazy common man. But of late, even as the sportswear segment continues to grow, it has a new and more demanding driver – ‘women’. According to findings by Allied Market Research, the sportswear category will grow at a CAGR of 4.3 percent to reach a total market revenue worth US $ 184.6 billion by the year 2020. And though the men’s sportswear segment today constitutes around 52 percent of the revenue and is the highest revenue-generating segment in the sports apparel market, every brand has realized the potential of the women’s segment that is expected to grow at a relatively higher CAGR of 5.7 percent during the forecast period, as the involvement of women in sporting and fitness activities increases across the globe.

Every sportswear brand has in the last year added lines targeted specifically at the woman consumer. The momentum has now become so strong that even high-street retailers including Next have gone ahead to introduce sportswear apparel sections that cater exclusively to women. Nike and JD Sports have opened up stores that are all-woman because of the trending size of the women's sportswear market. Significantly, the sports industry is encouraging collaborations between sports brands and the fashion industry in order to produce new styles to cover the needs of the young and women segment which is significantly growing over the past years.