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world news Dialuna 10 Mei 2021

EU, India try again to clinch trade deal, sidelining China

(AP) — The European ident Ursula von der Leyen more than 100 million euros
Union and India agreed called it "outstanding" and "a ($122 million) worth of pan-
Saturday to restart ne- landmark moment." Europe- demic aid to India, including
gotiations on a bilateral an Council President Charles oxygen generators, medicines
free trade deal, eight years Michel said Saturday's agree- and ventilators, and were
after their first attempt ment marked "a new, impor- ready to send more.
failed and as both sides tant chapter" in bilateral rela-
seek alternatives to China. tions. While trade talks proceed,
parallel negotiations will be
Indian Prime Minister Na- Modi was scheduled to be at held on investment protec-
rendra Modi spoke via vid- the online press conference tion and geographic indica-
eoconference to EU lead- after the meeting but didn't tors - a key interest for the
ers attending a summit in appear. EU, which places importance
Portugal. The two sides an- on protecting its distinctive
nounced what they called "a Plans for a face-to-face products - in order to speed
pivotal moment" in their re- EU-India summit in Porto, up the process, von der Ley- have an added attraction for India, meanwhile, fell out
lations by agreeing to resume in northern Portugal, fell en said. the EU, which is eager to with China in a border dis-
talks they gave up on in 2013 through after Modi canceled expand its influence in the pute last year.
and to collaborate on a wide his trip due to the devastating The two sides said in a six- Indo-Pacific region.
range of other issues. pandemic surge in his coun- page joint statement that they Clinching a free trade deal
try. His remote appearance also agreed to cooperate more The EU's ties with China won't be an easy task for EU
Speaking at a press confer- was the first time an Indian in areas such as supercom- have soured over Beijing's and Indian negotiators. Six
ence after the closed-door leader participated in a meet- puting for pandemic and cli- treatment of its Uighur Mus- years of talks produced no
talks, senior EU officials ing with all of the EU's lead- mate change modelling, arti- lim minority, leading to the agreement the last time they
were thrilled by the prospect ers. ficial intelligence and digital suspension of the bloc's rati- tried, with issues such as
of closer ties with India. and transport connectivity. fication of a bilateral invest- vehicle parts and duties on
Von der Leyen said 17 EU ment agreement. wine and spirits thwarting an
European Commission Pres- countries have provided Warm relations with India agreement.

Two Tokyo Olympics: Inside and outside the National Stadium

(AP) — Seated inside Tokyo's new overwhelmingly opposes holding the President Seiko Hashimoto, the mes- Several Japanese athletes competing
$1.4 billion National Stadium, Olympics during a pandemic. sage has been the same: the games can in the meet were asked if they would
Sebastian Coe again tried to reas- be held and will be "safe and secure," take the vaccine. Most said they
sure athletes and skeptical resi- Outside the stadium, the scene was usually citing World Health Organi- needed to think about it, but Japanese
dents of Japan that the postponed different with about one hundred zation guidance. 5,000-meter runner Hitomi Niiya
Olympics will be safe when they "anti-Olympic" protesters marching said she opposed putting athletes at
open in just under 11 weeks. around the venue in central Tokyo Hashimoto was forced to backped- the front of the line.
chanting and holding posters that al on Friday. She encouraged IOC
An IOC member and two-time read: "Olympics Kill The Poor" and President Thomas Bach not to make "I don't think athletes should be treat-
Olympic gold medalist, Coe heads "Olympics — Just Stop It." a pending visit to Japan this month ed specially," she said. "I think all lives
track and field's world governing with a state of emergency in Tokyo matter and I don't think it's a matter
body World Athletics, which ran a Opposition to the Olympics seems to and elsewhere extended until May 31 of priority. Athletes and the general
test event on Sunday with 420 ath- be rising in Japan, though the small because of the spreading virus. It was public are all the same and should be
letes — only nine of whom entered rally belied that. An online petition to end on Tuesday. treated fairly."
from outside Japan to compete. asking for the games to be canceled
attracted 300,000 signatures in just Japan has attributed almost 11,000 Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee said
The Olympics and Paralympics will three days and was still climbing Sun- deaths to COVID — good by world in a recent post that she had been
draw 15,000 athletes and tens of day. standards but poor compared to Asian asked by online followers to pull out
thousands of officials, judges, media neighbors like Taiwan and Vietnam. of the games.
and broadcasters. They will enter a Some medical officials in Japan have
country that has essentially had its also suggested the Olympics be American sprinter Justin Gatlin, who Ikee, who termed the messages "pain-
borders sealed for more than a year. canceled, as did the British Medi- is trying to reach his fourth Olym- ful," was diagnosed just over two
cal Journal in a editorial last month. pics, said he felt safe competing in years ago with leukemia, and has
"I recognize that nine athletes coming The virus and its spreading variants Tokyo. Gatlin won the 100m final in made a valiant comeback to land a
for a test event is very different from are taxing Japan's health-care system 10.24 seconds. place on Japan's Olympic squad. She
thousands of competitors coming to with only 2% of the population vac- "I felt beyond safe," he said. "I've been has been portrayed by organizers as a
this city over the course of the sum- cinated. tested every day." heroic symbol of the games.
mer months," Coe said.
Olympic organizers have asked for But he said these Olympics will not "I understand it is inevitable and nat-
He added that he was "very empa- 10,000 medical specialists to help please everyone. ural that many people are demand-
thetic" with the concerns of a Japa- during the games, but say their de- ing the Olympics be canceled," she
nese public that has shown in polls it ployment will not affect ordinary "I know a lot of athletes are not going wrote. "All the athletes, including
Japanese. to be happy with this, but these are myself, feel all we can do is to accept
the measures to keep us safe. I think what gets decided — if the Olympics
Despite public opposition, all signs it's worth it." go on or not — and do our best if
point to the Olympics opening on they are on."
July 23. Japan has officially spent The IOC announced a few days go
$15.4 billion on the Olympics — that vaccine developers Pfizer and Coe acknowledged these Olympics
some estimates suggest twice that BioNTech would donate doses to in- would not be "business as usual."
— and the International Olympic oculate athletes and officials prepar-
Committee relies on billions in tele- ing for Tokyo. The IOC has repeat- "Is it perfect? No," he said. "But the
vision broadcast income that has been edly said the Olympics were being vast majority of athletes I speak to are
stalled by the pandemic. organized as if the vaccines were not just wanting to get into the games,
available, but has pushed hard to get understanding that it will not be the
Starting with Prime Minister Yoshi- athletes vaccinated. type of games they have experienced
hide Suga, to organizing committee before."