Qingqiao Morning Post, December 23|From January next year, Kenya will be visa-free for tourists from all over the world

Indifferent to Mingzhi, quiet to far-reaching

Today in history: 246 years ago today, the tenth emperor of the Russian Empire, Alexander I Pavlovich, was born, he modeled on the Western European countries to carry out the reform of government institutions, established the Council of Ministers, and implemented the Speransky reforms, defeated Napoleon, established the Holy Alliance, known as the "savior of Europe", "the holy king", and some people called it the "Sphinx of the North".

politics

01Thailand's parliament will debate the legalization of same-sex marriage

According to Bangkok, on December 19, the Thai Cabinet approved the parliament to debate the legalization of same-sex marriage, so that Thailand can move towards marriage equality. Thai Prime Minister Saita pointed out that the legalization of same-sex marriage will strengthen the family structure and ensure social stability, but there are still several obstacles that need to be removed before the regulation can become law. If the bill is passed by Parliament, Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriage.

Thailand is known for its tolerance, but much of the Buddhist-majority country remains conservative, and the LGBTQ community stands out, facing barriers and discrimination. In 2022, Thai lawmakers initially approved two bills to allow same-sex marriage and two others to allow civil partnerships, but the legislation was repealed after Thailand's parliament was dissolved in March for general elections.

military

01The United States and Finland signed a defense agreement to strengthen military cooperation

According to comprehensive news from Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently signed a defense cooperation agreement with Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen and Finnish Defense Minister Hai Kaienen at the US State Department. The agreement stipulates that Finland will open 15 areas, including air bases, naval bases, training areas, and storage areas, for the use of the US side. In addition, the agreement covers the pre-deployment of defense equipment and materiel by the U.S. military on Finnish territory, ensuring the security of the U.S. military and the facilities and areas it uses, as well as criminal jurisdiction.

Finland said the agreement will enhance the ability of Finland and the United States to act in concert in the military, security and defense fields, and is a "milestone" in the bilateral relationship between Finland and the United States, and will "enhance security in the Nordic and Baltic regions." It is reported that the border between Finland and Russia is 1,340 kilometers long. The country joined NATO in April this year and is the 31st member of the alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he will establish a new military district in northwestern Russia in response.

02North Korea conducts the Hwasong-18 ICBM launch exercise Xi

According to local media reports Xi, the missile flew at an altitude of 6,518 kilometers and a flight distance of 1,002 kilometers, accurately landing in the target waters of the high seas in the east of North Korea, according to local media reports. The aim is to clearly demonstrate to the enemy the overwhelming will of North Korea's nuclear strategic forces to counter the growing hostility of the United States, which was test-fired in April and July of this year.

South Korean media noted that North Korea used the word "test launch" on the first two occasions, but this time it used the word "launch Xi exercise", implying that the development of ICBMs has been completed and is entering the actual combat stage. South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said North Korea is expected to hold a party plenary meeting on December 27. But this year, Kim Jong-un has not produced results, the economy has not been satisfactory, and military dominance seems to be at a disadvantage. Therefore, he may be able to salvage the situation by launching missile manufacturing results.

economy

01From January next year, Kenya will be visa-free for tourists from all over the world

Reuters News, recently, Kenyan President William Ruto said that the Kenyan government has developed a digital platform on which tourists from all over the world can obtain an electronic travel permit in advance and no longer need to apply for a visa, which will be operational from January next year.

Ctrip data shows that from January 1 to December 14, 2023, the travel orders of Chinese tourists to Kenya increased by 418% year-on-year. Especially this summer, Africa has become a dark horse in the summer outbound travel market, and Kenya, which is famous for its great animal migration, is the most important tourist destination. In the second half of 2023, the number of Chinese tourists to Kenya increased by 137% compared with the first half of the year, mainly among young people born in the 80s and 90s.

After the news was released, Ctrip, Mafengwo and other travel platforms had travel products about Kenya, and the search popularity skyrocketed. Some practitioners expressed their belief that the implementation of the visa-free policy will continue to promote the Kenyan tourism market next year, and enterprises will also develop more diverse tourism products for Kenya's characteristic resources to meet the needs of consumers.

safety

01The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar deepens

According to AFP, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a report pointing out that 18.6 million people in Myanmar are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, an increase of 1 million people from a year ago and 19 times that of 2020 before the coup. Children are known to be bearing the brunt of the crisis, facing displacement, disruption of health care and education, food insecurity and malnutrition, and poor protection, including forced conscription and psychological distress, with as many as 6 million children in Myanmar estimated to be in need of assistance.

The report also highlights the issue of mass displacement, which is of particular concern. As of December 11, nearly 2.6 million people in Myanmar had been forced to leave their homes, an increase of 1.1 million from the same period last year, a phenomenon exacerbated by clashes between local ethnic groups and the Myanmar military in northern Myanmar since late October. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is appealing to the international community to contribute US$994 million to assist the 5.3 million people identified as Myanmar's priority for assistance in 2024.

02 Illegal wildlife peddling in Singapore has surged

Lianhe Zaobao News, recently, the Singapore Caring for Animals Research Association joined six online chat groups, undercover investigation for 122 days, and found that the number of illegal wild animals peddled in the country has surged, and the number of sellers has increased from 66 two years ago to 387 this year, soaring nearly sixfold. The group's previous report, "Illegal Wildlife Trade Online," noted that while authorities have cracked down on related crimes through education and law enforcement actions, the problem of illegal wildlife trade on online platforms and through encrypted chat programs remains acute.

It is reported that in Singapore, anyone who wishes to keep wild animals must first obtain approval from the National Parks Department. Contraventions of the Wildlife Act are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both. Trafficking in endangered wild species is punishable by a fine of not more than $50,000 per species, or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

culture

01The world's first "Zootopia" park was unveiled in Shanghai

According to China News Network, on December 19, the world's first "Zootopia" park was unveiled at Shanghai Disneyland in China, which is also another world premiere park for the Disneyland and resort business sector in the Chinese market after Hong Kong Disneyland opened the world's first "Frozen" park in November. It is reported that the "Zootopia" park has restored the character image and scenery of the Walt Disney Company's animated film "Zootopia" to the greatest extent through mechanical animation puppet technology, new and upgraded building information model, and projection special effects technology, and the park has been fully opened.

According to Shanghai, China, the Shanghai Disneyland project is one of the landmark projects of China's reform and opening up, and it is also a practical model for cultural exchanges and integration between China and foreign countries. Disney is welcome to seize new opportunities, give full play to its brand advantages, further increase its investment in Shanghai, integrate more elements of traditional Chinese culture into attractions, performances and peripheral products, and work together to promote the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry, and create a model of China-US people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in the new era.

Financial Newsletters

According to Futures Daily, recently, affected by the situation in the Red Sea, the main EC2404 contract of European line futures of the container transportation index rose again, closing at 1168.4 points, with a cumulative increase of 29.9% since this week, and the contract has been limited for three consecutive trading days. The Shanghai International Energy Exchange issued two announcements in succession, adjusting the trading margin ratio of the container transportation index European line futures EC2404 and EC2406 contracts to 14%, and the price limit to 12%, so as to stabilize the stability of the financial market.