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world news Diahuebs 10 september 2020

Zimbabwe government announces mining ban in national parks

(AP) — Zimbabwe's gov- mining, welcomed the gov- Mining in the wildlife-rich
ernment says it has banned ernment's statement but said southern African country's
mining in its national parks, it would continue with the national parks "is wide-
but an environmental group court process unless the gov- spread," said Mtisi of the en-
that had taken court action ernment takes legal steps to vironmental lawyers associa-
to stop the development of a enforce the announced ban. tion.
coal mine in an elephant-rich "The important thing for us "There is gold and diamond
park said on Wednesday that is to get an interdict which mining going on in sev-
it will insist on "more than is legally binding," Shamiso eral national parks across
just words." Mtisi, the association's depu- the country, it's not just in
Reports that a Chinese firm ty director, told The Associ- Hwange. That's a major
had started exploratory work ated Press Wednesday. threat to biodiversity and to
to mine coal within Hwange Local environmental groups tourism. It's an economic is-
National Park alarmed en- allege that mining in national sue, you cannot just rely on
vironmental and wildlife parks has been going on for mining, you need to leverage
groups, who took legal action a while. on other sectors such as tour-
to stop it. In an apparent re- "We pray that all these min- ism," said Mtisi.
sponse to the legal proceed- ing titles (in Hwange) and In its court application to stop and wildlife could increase. drought. Mining would pol-
ings, Information Minister others which are unknown to development of the coal mine More than 45,000 elephants lute remaining water sources
Monica Mutsvangwa an- the public will indeed be can- by a Chinese company, the are estimated to live in in the park 14,500 square ki-
nounced the government celled," the Center for Natu- association argued that min- Hwange park along with lometers (5,600 square miles)
will not allow mining in na- ral Resource Governance said ing in Hwange National Park more than 100 mammal and park, say the environmental
tional parks. in a statement Wednesday. It may cause a decline in tour- 400 bird species, including groups.
The Zimbabwe Environ- described the prioritization ism and decrease the incomes buffalos, leopards, and lions, The government also an-
mental Lawyers Association, of mining over "a more stable of local residents who rely on that are already struggling for nounced that it has banned
which applied to the High and eco-friendly" sector such it for income, while poaching food and water in the vast sa- alluvial mining along river-
Court to stop the planned as tourism as "self-defeating." and conflict between people vannah due to a prolonged banks.

Key EU leaders to hold videoconference with China's Xi

(AP) — Key European include trade issues. Many
Union leaders have a video EU member nations are
conference scheduled with seeking access to the Chinese
Chinese President Xi Jinping market for their companies.
next week to discuss issues In the past months, EU offi-
ranging from climate change cials have stressed the need to
to the coronavirus pandemic. maintain good ties to China,
The EU said in a statement a growing economic, political
Wednesday that Council and military power, as rela-
President Charles Michel will tions with the EU's old ally,
chair Monday's conference the United States, have been
with Xi, European Commis- strained during the Trump
sion President Ursula von presidency.
der Leyen and Chancellor Germany had planned to host
Angela Merkel of Germany, a summit in September with
which currently holds the all EU leaders and China, but
EU's rotating presidency. that event was recently post-
The video summit will also poned due to the pandemic.

North Korea's Kim urges quick recovery from typhoon damage

(AP) — North Korean lead- flooding that likely worsened aged in mining areas, the re- meetings and mobilizing of University in Seoul.
er Kim Jong Un called for the country's chronic food port said. the military and Pyongyang "The political risk to Kim of
urgent efforts to rebuild shortages. During Tuesday's meeting, elites are examples of Kim's failing to deliver promised
thousands of homes and Some experts say Kim by Kim described the recovery responsiveness but the dam- reconstruction may be lim-
other structures destroyed staging high-level political efforts at Komdok a national age is testing state capacity ited, but an accumulation of
by a typhoon that slammed conferences and visits to di- priority to revive "important and resources, said Leif-Eric economic failures will strain
the country's eastern region saster areas in recent weeks is arteries of the national econ- Easley, a professor at Ewha his regime," Easley said.
last week, state media said likely trying to project an im- omy," and ordered that the
Wednesday. age of a compassionate leader rebuilding of homes, roads
Kim during the Workers' Par- looking after his people as he and railways be completed
ty meeting Tuesday also said seeks to bolster internal unity by Oct. 10, when the ruling
the damage from Typhoon in face of economic setbacks party celebrates the 75th an-
Maysak has forced the coun- and external pressure. niversary of its founding.
try to reconsider unspeci- KCNA said Maysak left "se- During another political
fied year-end projects, the vere damage" in the eastern conference last month, Kim
North's official Korean Cen- town of Komdok, destroy- displayed unusual candor by
tral News Agency said. ing or flooding more than acknowledging that his plans
The storm has inflicted fur- 2,000 homes and dozens of to improve the country's dis-
ther pain on an economy rav- public buildings and para- mal economy aren't succeed-
aged by decades of policy fail- lyzing transport systems. ing. During that meeting, the
ures, U.S.-led sanctions over More than 60 kilometers (37 ruling party scheduled a rare
Kim's nuclear weapons pro- miles) of roads in the region congress in January to set de-
gram, border closures amid were "washed away," while velopment goals for the next
the coronavirus pandemic 59 bridges collapsed. Several five years.
and unusually heavy summer miles of railroads were dam- The high-profile government