Monday 21 March 2016

Obama visits Havana Cuba

U.S. President Barack Obama(R) arrives at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, capital of Cuba, March 20, 2016. Barack Obama arrived here on Sunday afternoon for a 3-day visit.
U.S. President Barack Obama arrived on Sunday in Cuba, in a historic visit that could mark the beginning of a new era in U.S. relations with its neighbor after more than 50 years of Cold War-era animosity.
The plane touched down at 4:19 p.m. local time at Jose Marti International Airport, where Obama was greeted by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez as well as other Cuban and U.S. officials.
Obama descended the plane accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, while holding an umbrella overhead due to a light rain coming down in Havana.
Havana Vieja, or Old Havana, the capital’s historic district, will be the first place Obama visited on Sunday on a walking tour of key sites, such as Havana’s Cathedral, Plaza Vieja and San Francisco Square, as well as the Museum of the City.
He will be accompanied by his wife and two daughters during the tour, which highlights the history, cultural significance, and beauty of the city, which is declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1982.
On Monday, Obama will lay a wreath at a memorial to Cuba’s national hero Jose Marti at Revolution Square before meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro.
The U.S. head of state will be welcomed by Castro at an official ceremony, before the two leaders hold a closed-door meeting, after which they are expected to hold a joint press conference.
Also on Monday, Obama will meet with Cuban and American entrepreneurs to hear about their experiences and explore opportunities to develop long-term relationships, despite the economic and trade embargo Washington continues to impose on Cuba.
Prior to his trip, the Cuban government ruled out the possibility of offering political concessions to Washington as a precondition to restoring full bilateral ties with the United States.
Havana stressed Washington’s economic and financial blockade of the island remains in force despite new measures announced last week by the White House to relax aspects of the embargo.
The visit which ends on Tuesday, the first by a U.S. president since 1928, marks the most important moment since Obama and Castro agreed in December 2014 to restore diplomatic ties and end half a century of hostility following Cuba’s revolution, which ousted a pro-American government in 1959.

China can grow 6.5-percent GDP growth

The Economic Summit of China Development Forum 2016 in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2016. The three-day China Development Forum 2016
China can achieve at least 6.5-percent growth in the next five years if everything goes as planned, said Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director of the World Bank on Sunday.
There will not be a sudden loss in the growth speed for the world’s second largest economy, said Indrawati at the two-day China Development Forum 2016 that opened in Beijing.
In the 13th Five-year Plan released this week, the Chinese government has recognized what need to be done, according to the managing director.
It’s important for China to change its growth model: relying more on domestic sources of growth, said Indrawati, adding that the process, however, will not be immediate.
The most important thing is where the growth comes from, rather than the speed, according to her.
She said the Chinese economy is increasingly powered by consumption and the service sector, an indication that the adjustment of growth model is happening.
“The government knows the new direction as was announced in the five-year plan,” said Indrawati, adding that policymakers should forget “the muscle memory” — the government’s old way of managing the economy.

World media leaders gather in Doha



(Xinhua) — World media organizations have pledged to enhance cooperation in an era when traditional media is facing great challenges.
At the World Media Summit (WMS) that opened Sunday, more than 350 delegates of media outlets from 100 countries gathered here to exchange their views on the theme of “The Future of News and News Organizations.”
CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES COEXIST
The two-day meeting, hosted by Qatar-based Al Jazeera, comes at a time when media is undergoing profound changes and audience demands are increasingly diversified. Traditional media is facing both major challenges and unprecedented opportunities.
“As executives of media organizations, we all feel the profound changes in the media ecosystem,” WMS Executive President Cai Mingzhao said in his speech titled “Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges, Facing Our Future” at the opening ceremony.
Cai, who is also president of Xinhua News Agency, said the rapid development of information networks and digital technology is catalyzing a revolution in mass communication and has brought about unprecedented challenges for traditional news organizations around the world.
“The Internet, while bringing challenges, has opened a new door,” he said, adding that the advantages of professional news organizations are “prominent” and “irreplaceable.”
“The situation of the media environment is becoming severe,” Masaki Fukuyama, president and editor-in-chief of Kyodo News told Xinhua, echoing Cai. “It is a very meaningful opportunity for each media organization to exchange opinions about this situation.”
Gary Pruitt, president and CEO of the Associated Press, also highlighted the importance of such a gathering of the world media in current circumstances.
“It’s an important gathering of the world media with the focus on the future of the news, and how we can meet the challenges of the market,” he said.
“The way of news distribution and the audience have changed today, which is the reality we have to deal with,” Pruitt told Xinhua, adding that he will also focus on the common challenges encountered by the world media in his speech.

N. Korea launches several short-range missile

North Korea has launched short-range projectiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, South Korean .
34m34 minutes ago
N. Korea launches several short-range missiles into East Sea
Yonhap — North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the East Sea on Monday in the latest of a series of provocations in reaction to the ongoing South Korea and U.S.’ joint military drills.
The missiles were launched from the northeastern city of Hamhung at around 3:19 p.m., and flew some 200 kilometers, according the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Our military is keeping close tabs on the situation and standing by with a heightened defense posture,” the JCS said.

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