Day: June 3, 2024

“Cikamatana’s Olympic Journey Culminates”, Eileen Cikamatana, originally from Fiji, has faced numerous challenges on her journey to qualify for her first Olympics. However, she successfully secured her spot for the Paris Olympics over the weekend. Despite the obstacles, Cikamatana is resolute in her determination to compete at the highest level and aims to clinch a medal in the weightlifting competition.

As a teenage prodigy, Cikamatana made waves by winning a gold medal for Fiji at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. However, internal turmoil within Fiji’s weightlifting community prompted her to make the decision to switch allegiances and represent Australia. This significant move allowed her to continue pursuing her passion for weightlifting and ultimately led her on the path to competing at the Olympics.

Unfortunately, she made the decision too late to qualify for the Tokyo Games but she will now get her chance to become an Australian Olympian after being named in the 81kg class for Paris on Sunday.

“The Olympics is the biggest goal of any athlete,” the bubbly 24-year-old told Reuters earlier this year.
“It’s every athlete’s dream to be at the Olympics and to be a podium finisher is the greatest goal that anyone could look at. That’s what we’re going for.”

Cikamatana’s hometown of Levuka was for a long time the home of Fijian weightlifting but she was reluctant to take up the sport when first approached by coach Joe Vueti.
“Back in 2012 when I was first asked if I wanted to do weightlifting, I said ‘no, it’s a men’s sport’,” Cikamatana recalled.

“He said ‘no, my niece is competing at the 2012 Olympics in London’. So I stayed up in early morning just to watch her compete and that kind of changed my mind.

China’s position regarding the disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, namely Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb, remained unchanged on June 3rd, despite Tehran’s objections. The islands, under Iran’s control, have long been contested by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). China’s assertion that the matter should be resolved with the UAE rather than Iran has provoked anger from Tehran. This diplomatic friction underscores the complexities of regional disputes and highlights China’s strategic interests in the Middle East.

Last week, China voiced its support for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) endeavors to pursue a “peaceful solution” to the dispute over the islands in question—the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. This statement aligns China with the UAE’s diplomatic approach to resolving the longstanding territorial issue, further complicating its relationship with Iran, which currently controls the islands.

Iran showcased an uncommon display of frustration towards its primary trading ally as the Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest against China’s “repeated support” for what Iran perceives as the UAE’s “unfounded claims” regarding the disputed islands. This move highlights the strained relations between Iran and China over this contentious issue.

“Considering the strategic cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, it is expected that the Chinese government will revise its stance on this matter,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.

China’s foreign ministry on Monday repeated its call for Iran and the UAE to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation, describing China’s stance on the matter as “consistent”.

“DUBAI: “2024: Record-Breaking Airline Passengers and Revenues!”,The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Monday (Jun 3) a forecast for a remarkable resurgence in the aviation sector, anticipating nearly 5 billion passengers to take flight in 2024. With revenues projected to approach US$1 trillion, the industry is poised to reach unprecedented heights, marking a significant rebound from the challenges imposed by the pandemic. As global travel regains momentum, airlines are gearing up for a robust recovery, igniting optimism across the aviation landscape.”

The trade body also said it expected the world’s airlines to post US$30 billion in net earnings this year, up from its previous estimate of US$25.7 billion.

IATA, or the International Air Transport Association, is a global trade association representing around 290 airlines worldwide. At its annual general meeting in Dubai, IATA announced that total expenses in the aviation industry are expected to reach a record high this year, increasing by 9.4 percent to US$936 billion. This increase in expenses could be attributed to various factors such as rising fuel costs, infrastructure investments, and operational expenses.

Willie Walsh, the Director General of IATA, expressed that the expected US$30 billion profit is a significant achievement, particularly in light of the substantial losses that the aviation industry experienced during the recent pandemic. This statement underscores the resilience and recovery efforts within the industry despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Walsh emphasized the crucial role of aviation in both individual aspirations and economic prosperity. He highlighted the importance of enhancing airline profitability and bolstering financial resilience within the industry. This sentiment reflects the recognition of aviation’s indispensable contribution to global connectivity and economic growth, underscoring the need for sustainable growth and stability in the sector.

GENEVA: The return of the cooling La Nina weather phenomenon this year should help lower temperatures somewhat after months of global heat records, the United Nations’ weather agency said Monday (Jun 3).

The impact is likely to be felt in the next few months because the warming El Nino weather pattern – which has helped fuel a spike in global temperatures and extreme weather around the world since mid-2023 – “is showing signs of ending”, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said in its latest update

The WMO warned, however, that global temperatures would continue to rise in the long term due to human-induced climate change, which continues to make extreme weather worse and upend seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns.

La Nina refers to the cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in large swathes of the tropical Pacific Ocean, coupled with winds, rains and changes in atmospheric pressure

In many locations, especially in the tropics, La Nina produces the opposite climate impacts to El Nino, which heats up the surface of the oceans, leading to drought in some parts of the world and triggering heavy downpours elsewhere.

The WMO said there was a “60 per cent” chance of La Nina conditions in the period from July to September and a “70 per cent” likelihood during August-November

The WMO said there was a “60 per cent” chance of La Nina conditions in the period from July to September and a “70 per cent” likelihood during August-November.