Today’s News 21 August 2021 (Saturday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 All-time high: Pjl logs 17,231 new infections S Crisostomo P Star 1 Daily covid tally hits a new high as curbs are D Yap PDI A1 2 relaxed

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page DeL Rosario: Duterte chooses China over D Yap PDI A5 3 Filipinos

D. INDO-PACIFIC Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page 4 All fatalities in C-130 plane crash identified P Star 8 All 50 soldiers who died in C-130 crash in PDI A6 5 Sulu indentified 6 Navy shows capability in SEACAT D Tribune 9

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page 7 2 NPA rebels, soldier killed in Negros clash G Bayoran P Star 10 8 3 todas sa engkwentro sa Negros Occ D Franche Ngayon 9 9 2 pregnant NPA rebs among surrenderees D Tribune 3 Bicol cops to priorities rebel threats in P Tonight 1 10 Masbate A Dalizon 11 Reds condemned over banned landlines J Dela Torre P Journal 7 Rockie cop killed in clash with NPA rebels in M Martico Tempo 2 12 Samar

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS Miranda bombing: Beyond the scars https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/21/mira 13 nda-bombing-beyond-the-scars/ Further warming could worsen extreme https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/further- 14 weather events in PH, warns Filipino warming-could-worsen-extreme-weather- scientists events-in-ph-warns-filipino-scientists/ Japan disburses 4th and final tranche of https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/20/japa 15 post-disaster loan Phase 2 for PHL n-disburses-4th-and-final-tranche-of-post- disaster-loan-phase-2-for-phl/ 18 Filipinos from Afghanistan now in https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/18-filipinos- 16 UK, await flight home to from-afghanistan-now-in-uk-await-flight-home- to-manila/ PH thanks Indonesia for helping 5 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151145 17 Pinoys leave Afghanistan Tropical storm 'Isang' likely to exit PH https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/21/tropical-storm- 18 area of responsibility Sunday isang-likely-to-exit-ph-area-of-responsibility- sunday/ PAGASA: 'Fair' weather, isolated rain https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/pagasa-fair- 19 showers expected over the weekend weather-isolated-rain-showers-expected-over- the-weekend/ NAVY NEWS More ‘assertive’ China deploys flares at https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/08/20/mo 20 Phl planes over WPS –AFP re-assertive-china-deploys-flares-at-phl- planes-over-wps-afp/ PH Navy enhances maritime warfare https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/ph-navy- 21 capabilities in SEACAT 2021 drills enhances-maritime-warfare-capabilities-in- seacat-2021-drills/ Olympians Paalam, Magno take oath as https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/olympians- 22 PH Navy personnel paalam-magno-take-oath-as-ph-navy- personnel/ 'Duterte's shameful legacy is https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/dutertes- undermining arbitral award secured by shameful-legacy-is-undermining-arbitral- 23 PNoy on South China sea' — Del award-secured-by-pnoy-on-south-china-sea- Rosario del-rosario/ PCG conducts week-long maritime drills https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/pcg-conducts- 24 off Manila port week-long-maritime-drills-off-manila-port/ AFP RELATED Soldier, 2 NPA rebels killed in Negros https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/soldier-2-npa- 25 clash rebels-killed-in-negros-clash/ Año slams 'heartless' CPP-NPA after https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/ano-slams- 26 raid in bomb-making camp in E. Samar heartless-cpp-npa-after-raid-in-bomb-making- ( camp-in-e-samar/ All 50 soldiers who died in C-130 crash https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1476590/all-50- 27 in Sulu identified soldiers-who-died-in-c-130-crash-in-sulu- identified 4 troopers who died in C-130 crash https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/08/20/4- 28 back in CDO troopers-who-died-in-c-130-crash-back-in-cdo/

Army chief visits 10ID units in remote https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151098 29 locations New PSG chief named https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1476599/new-psg- 30 chief-named COA flags NCIP over P1M cost of NTF- https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/21/coa- 31 ELCAC 'workshop' flags-ncip-over-p1m-cost-of-ntf-elcac- workshop INDO-PACIFIC NEWS Eleazar orders Bicol PNP to prioritize https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/eleazar-orders- 32 fight vs Reds in Masbate bicol-pnp-to-prioritize-fight-vs-reds-in-masbate/ Rookie cop, village chair killed in N. https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/rookie-cop- 33 Samar village-chair-killed-in-n-samar/ QC court nullifies search warrants vs 2 https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/19/qc-court- 34 NDF members nullifies-search-warrants-vs-2-ndf-members/ Duterte to China: PH to 'stay neutral' in https://news.abs- 35 geopolitics cbn.com/news/08/20/21/duterte-to-china-ph-to- stay-neutral-in-geopolitics Washington can't stop playing the https://www.businessinsider.com/us- 36 blame game over the US's disastrous intelligence-agencies-congress-biden-blame- Afghanistan withdrawal game-afghanistan-2021-8 Harris’ Asia trip carries new urgency https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business- 37 after Afghan collapse health-asia-coronavirus-pandemic- b84037686dc2395266a1bfa333f8c06e US position on Taiwan unchanged https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united- 38 despite Biden comment on defending states-canada/article/3145701/us-position- island taiwan-unchanged-despite-joe-biden As the US scrambles out of https://www.businessinsider.com/warnings- Afghanistan, warnings grow about what about-chinese-plans-in-afghanistan-grow- 39 China plans to do there amid-us-withdrawal-2021-8

China: No more intl. pressure on https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 40 Afghanistan 0820_17/ China’s attempt to whitewash Taliban https://www.hindustantimes.com/world- sparks backlash at home news/chinas-attempt-to-whitewash-taliban- 41 sparks-backlash-at-home- 101629449041618.html US Sidelined by Chinese Influence https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/us- 42 Campaign in Africa sidelined-chinese-influence-campaign-africa China slams U.S. for using vaccines as http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021- 43 anti-China lures 08/20/c_1310139627.htm 44 Embrace Communist rule, China tells https://asiapost.live/embrace-communist-rule- Tibet on 70th anniversary of invasion china-tells-tibet-on-70th-anniversary-of- invasion-tibet/ China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Stumbles in https://asiapost.live/chinas-vaccine-diplomacy- 45 Southeast Asia stumbles-in-southeast-asia/ Chinese Internet companies should https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/c innovate, promote social values, says hinese-internet-companies-should-innovate- 46 state media promote-social-values-says-state-media- 2125291 China Postpones Decision on Foreign https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongko 47 Sanctions Law For Hong Kong ng-sanctions-08202021083825.html Hong Kong Activist Pleads Guilty to https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongko 48 Charges Under National Security Law ( ng-activist-08192021084820.html PRC in breach of treaty protecting Hong https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/08/prc-in- 49 Kong freedoms, U.K. says breach-of-treaty-protecting-hong-kong- freedoms-u-k-says/ China urges Japan to exercise http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021- 50 discretion on Taiwan question 08/20/c_1310139489.htm Taiwan president thanks Biden for 'rock https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4273 51 solid' support amid China threats 483 Taiwan foreign minister calls for https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4273 52 inclusion in UN system 759 Science labs are the new front line of https://the-japan- 53 competition with a rising China news.com/news/article/0007692894 IAEA, Japan to discuss Fukushima's https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 54 treated water 0820_11/ South Koreans Now Dislike China More https://asiapost.live/south-koreans-now-dislike- 55 Than They Dislike Japan china-more-than-they-dislike-japan/ S. Korea to talk N. Korea with US, http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=202 56 Russian envoys 10820000701 What Does Fall of Kabul Mean for North https://www.voanews.com/east-asia- 57 Korea? pacific/analysis-what-does-fall-kabul-mean- north-korea ASEAN not as effective as hoped in https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast- 58 Myanmar, Singapore minister says asia/article/3145775/-not-effective- hoped-myanmar-singapore-foreign ASEAN pledges humanitarian aid for https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 59 Myanmar 0820_06/ Myanmar shadow government launches https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myan 60 guerilla radio programme mar-national-unity-government-radio-nug- 2126341 Myanmar Junta Targets Mobile Banking https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/mo 61 in Bid to Cut Off Opposition Funding bile-08192021195158.html And Resistance In https://warontherocks.com/2021/08/totalitariani 62 Myanmar sm-and-resistance-in-myanmar/ Malaysia’s 9th prime minister Ismail https://www.channelnewasia.com/asia/malaysi 63 Sabri: An UMNO veteran who rose up a-9th-prime-minister-ismail-sabri-umno- the ranks veteran-2123236 Locked-up and fed-up: Australian voters https://www.bworldonline.com/locked-up-and- 64 put prime minister on notice fed-up-australian-voters-put-prime-minister-on- notice/ Tracking India s Act East Policy https://www.9dashline.com/article/tracking- 65 ’ indias-act-east-policy Does Pakistan stand to gain or lose https://www.scmp.com/week- from the Taliban s ascendancy? asia/explained/article/3145790/talibans- 66 ’ ascendancy-afghanistan-does-pakistan-stand- gain-or With Afghan collapse, Moscow takes https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/with-afghan- 67 charge in Central Asia collapse-moscow-takes-charge-in-central- asia/LMRQ7D2CK7HZYYWLURQZXN4VVA/ Putin Criticizes U.S., Others for https://www.newsweek.com/putin-criticizes-us- 68 'Irresponsible' Enforcement of 'Own others-irresponsible-enforcement-own-values- Values' on Afghanistan afghanistan-1621616 Resistance to Taliban is doomed, says https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de Russian envoy to Afghanistan fence/resistance-to-taliban-is-doomed-says- 69 russian-envoy-to- afghanistan/articleshow/85489391.cms Taliban appeals for international https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de recognition; says China has 'big role' to fence/taliban-appeals-for-international- 70 play recognition-says-china-has-big-role-to- play/articleshow/85489827.cms The Taliban's mask slips further after https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/20/asia/afghan 71 militants kill journalist's relative istan-taliban-rule-friday-intl/index.html The True Extent of Biden’s Lies about https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning- 72 Afghanistan jolt/the-true-extent-of-bidens-lies-about- afghanistan/ The Afghan Tragedy Is China s https://www.hudson.org/research/17202-the- 73 ’ Opportunity afghan-tragedy-is-china-s-opportunity What Comes Next? A Lesson from https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/w 74 Saigon hat-comes-next-lesson-saigon/184695/ Indifference to Ethnic and Tribal https://www.hudson.org/research/17204- 75 Realities indifference-to-ethnic-and-tribal-realities DEFENSE NEWS China fires flares at PH military planes https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198614/china- 76 patrolling West PH Sea fires-flares-at-ph-military-planes-patrolling-west- ph-sea ‘China fired flares at PH sea patrols in https://manilastandard.net/news/national/36292 77 June’ 9/-china-fired-flares-at-ph-sea-patrols-in-june- .html PH Navy enhances maritime warfare https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/ph-navy- 78 capabilities in SEACAT 2021 drills enhances-maritime-warfare-capabilities-in- seacat-2021-drills/ 20th annual SEACAT multilateral https://www.upi.com/Defense- 79 exercise concludes Friday News/2021/08/20/SEACAT- Singapore/2171629477118/ Taliban’s return ‘boosts morale’ of https://www.scmp.com/week- 80 militant groups in Southeast Asia asia/politics/article/3145856/talibans-return- afghanistan-boosts-morale-militant-groups 810 British Carrier Strike Group opens fire https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-carrier- at uninhabited island strike-group-opens-fire-at-uninhabited-island/ The five-domains update https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-five- 82 domains-update-138/ What the ‘Blue Arctic’ Means for the https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-the-blue- 83 US Pacific Military Presence arctic-means-for-the-us-pacific-military- presence/ Afghan Aftermath: Will Pacific States https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/afghan- 84 See Weakened US? aftermath-will-pacific-states-see-weakened-us/ T-Mobile says hackers accessed data https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/t- 85 of another 5.3 million subscribers mobile-says-hackers-accessed-data-another- 53-million-subscribers-2126396 Man surrenders after claiming to have https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/20/man- 86 bomb near US Capitol surrenders-after-claiming-to-have-bomb-near- us-capitol/ FBI finds scant evidence U.S. Capitol https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-fbi- 87 attack was coordinated finds-scant-evidence-us-capitol-attack-was- coordinated-sources-2021-08-20/ Official Says DOD Is Shifting to a http://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Ar 88 Strategic Readiness Posture ticle/2740322/official-says-dod-is-shifting-to-a- strategic-readiness-posture/ White House still can’t say how many https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/20/whit 89 Americans are in Afghanistan e-house-number-of-americans-in-afghanistan- 506355 Inside the mission to rescue 169 https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/flashpoints/ Americans from a hotel outside the afghanistan/2021/08/20/inside-the-mission-to- 90 Kabul airport rescue-169-americans-from-a-hotel-outside- the-kabul-airport/ US destroyed 7 CH-46E helicopters https://defenceview.in/us-destroyed-7-ch-46e- 91 before they leave Kabul helicopters-before-they-leave-kabul/ US Has Not Recognized Taliban https://www.airforcemag.com/us-not- 92 Government, No Decision on Aircraft recognized-taliban-government/ and Airmen that Fled Defense secretary contradicts Biden, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/a 93 says fleeing Americans have been ug/20/lloyd-austin-contradicts-joe-biden-says- beaten by the Taliban fleeing-am/ Pentagon Leaders: Not Enough https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/pentagon Capacity For Rescue Operations In -leaders-not-enough-capacity-for-rescue- 94 Kabul operations-in-kabul/

Pentagon: Al Qaeda, ISIS Presence https://www.newsweek.com/pentagon-al- 95 Unknown Amid U.S. Evacuations From qaeda-isis-presence-unknown-amid-us- Afghanistan evacuations-afghanistan-1621664 Biden says flights out of Afghanistan https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/20/afghanistan- 96 resume, pledges to get all Americans crisis-biden-to-address-kabul-evacuation- out efforts-.html Biden reaffirms commitment to S. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=2021 97 Korea’s defense amid Afghan 0820000612 withdrawal Biden pledges US will 'respond' if https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/42733 98 China invades Taiwan 49 The Pentagon Must Prep Now for the https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/pe 99 Next Pandemic ntagon-must-prep-now-next-pandemic/184697/ Pentagon Shifting Approach to Chem- https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articl 100 Bio Defense es/2021/8/19/pentagon-shifting-approach-to- chem-bio-defense Pentagon Poised To Unveil, https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/pentagon 101 Demonstrate Classified Space Weapon -posed-to-unveil-classified-space-weapon/ AI, Commercial Firms Key to Future of https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articl 102 GEOINT es/2021/8/20/ai-commercial-firms-key-to-future- of-geoint Army Special Forces want to integrate https://www.c4isrnet.com/smr/technet- more with other military units on info augusta/2021/08/19/army-special-forces-want- 103 warfare to-integrate-more-with-other-military-units-on- info-warfare/ Missile Defense Agency director wants https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show- less complex, more mobile Aegis dailies/smd/2021/08/20/missile-defense- 104 Ashore agency-director-wants-less-complex-more- mobile-aegis-ashore/ Trump’s F-15EX Legacy Lives On in https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articl 105 Biden Administration es/2021/8/20/trumps-f-15ex-legacy-lives-on-in- biden-administration Space Force standing up STARCOM https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield- 106 to train guardians tech/space/2021/08/20/space-force-standing- up-starcom-to-train-guardians/ US Navy breaks ground on $111 https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021- 107 million munitions wharf near Yokosuka 08-20/navy-yokosuka-munitions-wharf-build- Naval Base in Japan army-engineers-japan-2611438.html US Navy to christen USS Fort https://www.upi.com/Defense- 108 Lauderdale transport dock ship News/2021/08/20/USS-Fort- Lauderdale/7661629474344/ Automated systems helped speed https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 109 carrier Ford recovery after shock trials detail/automated-systems-helped-speed- carrier-ford-recovery-after-shock-trials Why The US Navy s Most Powerful https://defenceview.in/why-the-us-navys-most- 110 ’ Aircraft Carrier Has So Many Problems powerful-aircraft-carrier-has-so-many-problems/ Debut summer for US Navy’s Triton https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021- 112 drones flying from Japan 08-19/misawa-navy-triton-drones-jacksonville- japan-2609422.html US Navy tests wearable devices to https://www.upi.com/Defense- 113 monitor, manage fatigue News/2021/08/20/Navy-wearable-devices- sleep/4661629482130/ US Military Seeks Wing-in-Ground https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/20/us 114 Effect Vehicle for Naval Operations -military-wig-vehicle/

Viral Footage Of US Marine Aiding https://www.ibtimes.com/viral-footage-us- 115 Baby Captures Kabul Chaos marine-aiding-baby-captures-kabul-chaos- 3278066 2,000 Marines Now in Afghanistan https://news.usni.org/2021/08/19/2000-marines- 116 Assisting Evacuation as More Head to now-in-afghanistan-assisting-evacuation-as- Haiti more-head-to-haiti USMC fires two Naval Strike Missiles https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 117 with new mobile launcher detail/usmc-fires-two-naval-strike-missiles-with- new-mobile-launcher 118 USMC HIMARS Training https://sldinfo.com/2021/08/himars-training/ LISTEN: USMC Commandant General https://cimsec.org/sea-control-269-general- 119 David Berger On Force Design berger-usmc-commandant/ U.S. Laser Defenses vs. Chinese https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/us-laser- 120 Drone Swarms: Who Wins defenses-vs-chinese-drone-swarms-who-wins- 192065 A Warning To Biden? China Conducts https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/08/a-warning- 121 Live-Fire Exercises Near Taiwan to-biden-china-conducts-live-fire-exercises- near-taiwan/ As US ‘interferes with China’s affairs’, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/articl 122 Beijing pumps money into nuclear e/3145851/chinas-military-nuclear-orders-rise- orders fourfold-push-catch-us China military watch https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/china-military- 123 watch-10/ Chinese Missiles Could Spell Trouble https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/chinese- 124 for U.S. Military Bases on Guam missiles-could-spell-trouble-us-military-bases- guam-192060 China's Newest Destroyer is Capable https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/chinas- 125 of Launching Land-Attack Cruise newest-destroyer-capable-launching-land- Missiles attack-cruise-missiles-192111 Do separatists stand a chance in https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/12320 today's Tibet? – with urban life 'better 35.shtml 126 than many east regions' and strong military-civilian bond at borders Chinese envoy calls for comprehensive http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021- 127 approach to fighting terrorism 08/20/c_1310137585.htm Decoding the Latest China-India https://asiapost.live/decoding-the-latest-china- 128 Military Talks on the Border india-military-talks-on-the-border-the-diplomat/ Chinese espionage tool exploits https://gnews.org/1478719/ 129 vulnerabilities in 58 widely used websites Chinese H-6 bomber intrudes into https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/42734 130 Taiwan’s ADIZ 77 Taiwan invasion doesn’t hang in the https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/08/19/taiw 131 military balance an-invasion-doesnt-hang-in-the-military- balance/ Japan missile plan on Ishigaki island https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 132 helps boost Taiwan defense relations/Japan-missile-plan-on-Ishigaki-island- helps-boost-Taiwan-defense Chaotic Afghan exit compels Japan to https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 133 rethink reliance on US security relations/Afghanistan-turmoil/Chaotic-Afghan- exit-compels-Japan-to-rethink-reliance-on-US- security Japan increases military budget over https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/japan- 134 territorial threats increases-military-budget-over-territorial- threats-mkf2qsxw3 After Afghanistan, Should South Korea https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/after- 135 Worry About US Commitment afghanistan-should-south-korea-worry-about- us-commitment/ Ongoing S. Korea-U.S. exercise https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210820008600 136 optimal for war preparations: defense 325 chief South Korea to invest USD13.6 billion https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 137 to bolster defence capabilities in space detail/south-korea-to-invest-usd136-billion-to- bolster-defence-capabilities-in-space HHIC joins DSME in bid for RoKN's https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 138 aircraft carrier project detail/hhic-joins-dsme-in-bid-for-rokns-aircraft- carrier-project Royal Malaysian Navy Successfully https://www.navalnews.com/naval- Conducts Complex Anti-Ship Missile news/2021/08/royal-malaysian-navy- 139 Firings successfully-conducts-complex-anti-ship- missile-firings/ Terror group behind the 2002 Bali https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/bali- 140 bombings planned fresh Indonesia bombings-jemaah-islamiyah-planned-fresh- attack: Police indonesia-attack-2126561 The Launch of Australia s Defence https://sldinfo.com/2021/08/the-launch-of- 141 ’ Data Strategy australias-defence-data-strategy/ How Australian far-right extremists https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how- 142 fundraise online australian-far-right-extremists-fundraise-online/ Exercise Talisman Sabre 21: Allied https://defense.info/featured- 143 Maritime Collaboration story/2021/08/exercise-talisman-sabre-21- allied-maritime-collaboration/ New Zealand's multirole vessel begins https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 144 two-month maintenance at ST detail/new-zealands-multirole-vessel-begins- Engineering two-month-maintenance-at-st-engineering Colombo Security Conclave: A New https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/colombo- 145 Minilateral for the Indian Ocean? security-conclave-a-new-minilateral-for-the- indian-ocean/ Two killed in suicide bombing targeting https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/def Chinese nationals in southwest ence/two-killed-in-suicide-bombing-targeting- 146 Pakistan chinese-nationals-in-southwest- pakistan/articleshow/85495125.cms India, Vietnam navies demonstrate https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news- 147 interoperability in South China Sea detail/india-vietnam-navies-demonstrate- interoperability-in-south-china-sea Leadership in the Indian Armed Forces https://www.myind.net/Home/viewArticle/leader 148 ship-in-the-indian-armed-forces India inks deal with Russia to https://defenceview.in/india-inks-deal-with- 149 immediately procure 70,000 AK-203 russia-to-immediately-procure-70000-ak-203- rifles rifles/ 150 India steps up coordination with Russia https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/def on Afghan theatre as Deputy NSA ence/india-steps-up-coordination-with-russia- visits Moscow on-afghan-theatre-as-deputy-nsa-visits- moscow/articleshow/85477761.cms Russia's II-22PP is a Satellite Zapping https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/russias- 151 Powerhouse ii-22pp-satellite-zapping-powerhouse-192130 Russian Military to Use T-14 Armata https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/20/ru 152 Tanks to ‘Fine-Tune’ War Tactics ssia-t14-armata-war-tactics/ Taliban Triumph in Afghanistan Echoes https://jamestown.org/program/taliban-triumph- 153 in Russia’s North Caucasus in-afghanistan-echoes-in-russias-north- caucasus/ Where did 300,000 US-trained Afghan https://defenceview.in/where-did-300000-us- 154 soldiers go? trained-afghan-soldiers-go/ Afghanistan: Hardline Haqqani https://www.eurasiareview.com/20082021- 155 Network Put In Charge Of Kabul afghanistan-hardline-haqqani-network-put-in- Security charge-of-kabul-security/ Top Taliban leader Stanikzai trained by https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/def Indian Military Academy ence/indian-military-academy-trained-top- 156 taliban-leader-stanikzai-in- 1982/articleshow/85480484.cms Taliban revenge fears grow in https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/afghani 157 Afghanistan stan-taliban-revenge-fears-united-nations- report-protests-2125401 Reports of targeted Taliban killings fuel https://apnews.com/article/europe-race-and- 158 Afghans’ fears ethnicity-taliban- e51255ff3d954e8f95bea4dc1c209b32 Taliban captured more than 10,000 US https://defenceview.in/taliban-captured-more- 159 armored vehicles from Aghan Army than-10000-us-armored-vehicles-from-aghan- army/ What We Owe Them: Fulfilling Our https://mwi.usma.edu/what-we-owe-them- 160 Obligation To Our Afghan Partners fulfilling-our-obligation-to-our-afghan-partners/ What will the Terrorism Landscape https://www.fpri.org/article/2021/08/what-will- 161 look like in a Taliban-led Afghanistan the-terrorism-landscape-look-like-in-a-taliban- led-afghanistan/ From Forever Wars To Great-Power https://warontherocks.com/2021/08/from- 162 Wars: Lessons Learned From forever-wars-to-great-power-wars-lessons- Operation Inherent Resolve learned-from-operation-inherent-resolve/ A Vision for Better, Faster C2 Decision- https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/a-vision- 163 Making Across All Domains for-better-faster-c2-decision-making-across-all- domains/ Build A More Effective Cyber Force, https://warontheroks.com/2021/08/build-a- 164 Not More Bureaucracy more-effective-cyber-force-not-more- bureaucracy/ Lessons from the winds of war https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/lessons-from- 165 the-winds-of-war WATCH: The Deeper Consequences https://www.csis.org/events/deeper- 166 of the consequences-war-terror Irregular Warfare Is Great Power https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/iw- 167 Competition – Part 1 great-pwr-pt1 168 Irregular Warfare is Great Power https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/iw- Competition - Part 2 great-pwr-pt2/ COVID NEWS Cases hit new high: 17,231 https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 169 stories/362936/cases-hit-new-high-17-231.html to focus on buying US https://www.hilstar.com/headlines/2021/08/20/2 170 vaccines 121261/philippines-focus-buying-us-vaccines COVID-19 vaccines work vs Delta, https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/covid-19- 171 Lambda variant – PH Genome Center ( vaccines-work-vs-delta-lambda-variants-ph- genome-center/ China to deliver 10 M doses more of https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/china-to-deliver- 172 COVID-19 vaccine to PH this month – 10-m-doses-more-of-covid-19-vaccine-to-ph- Chinese envoy this-month-chinese-envoy/ Galvez, Abalos welcome AstraZeneca https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/look-galvez- 173 jabs abalos-welcome-astrazeneca-jabs/ AstraZeneca's antibody therapy https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/astraz 174 prevents COVID-19, study shows eneca-covid-19-antibody-therapy-trial-2125736 India gives emergency approval for https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare- 175 world's first COVID-19 DNA vaccine pharmaceuticals/india-approves-zydus-cadilas- covid-19-vaccine-emergency-use-2021-08-20/ US probing Moderna COVID-19 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us- 176 vaccine for higher heart inflammation probing-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-higher- risk heart-inflammation-risk-2125301 Epidemiological impact of COVID-19 https://asiapost.live/epidemiological-impact-of- 177 and TB to be researched covid-19-and-tb-to-be-researched-health-news- et-healthworld/ What you need to know about the https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare- 178 coronavirus right now pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about- coronavirus-right-now-2021-03-02/ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 179 Across the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus Covid map: Where are cases the https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 180 highest? 181 Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid- vaccine-tracker-global- distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 182 Looking Back to Build Forward: Lessons https://adrinstitute.org/2021/08/20/adri-vthd- from Aquino’s Reforms looking-back-to-build-forward-lessons-from- aquinos-reforms/ 183 Quarantines are not enough https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/po wer-point-by-elizabeth- angsioco/362896/quarantines-are-not- enough.html 184 The Afghan aftermath https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/ba ckbencher-by-rod-kapunan/362895/the- afghan-aftermath.html 185 Why US lost its 20-year war in https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/08/21/2 Afghanistan 121460/why-us-lost-its-20-year-war- afghanistan

186 Pakistan: The catalyst for the U.S. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/ washout in Afghanistan 20/commentary/world-commentary/pakistan-u- s-afghanistan-failure/ 187 Taliban less likely to back al-Qaida http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=202 10818000922 188 Al-Qaeda Is Not ‘Gone’ From https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2021/08/20/no- Afghanistan mr-president-al-qaeda-not-gone-from- afghanistan/ 189 For China, America’s messy https://www.scmp.com/week- Afghanistan exit is more than a laughing asia/opinion/article/3145755/china-americas- matter messy-afghanistan-exit-more-laughing-matter 190 Rare earth trillions lure China to https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Rare-earth- Afghanistan's new Great Game trillions-lure-China-to-Afghanistan-s-new- Great-Game 191 What the Olympic Medal Count Says https://www.chinausfocus.com/society- About China and America culture/what-the-olympic-medal-count-says- about-china-and-america 192 Can Malaysia’s new prime minister end https://www.scmp.com/week- political instability? asia/opinion/article/3145656/can-malaysias- new-prime-minister-end-political-instability

Miranda bombing: Beyond the scars The last among the notable survivors of the bombing 50 years ago ponders the wounds that have not healed: a nation struggling with violence and democratic damage BYLOURDES M. FERNANDEZ , 2021 7 MINUTE READ

In this August 21, 1971, file photo, Liberal Party top brass proclaims the LP senatorial and local candidates at Plaza Miranda just seconds before two grenades were hurled at them. At left is , the last among the notable politicians who survived.

FIFTY years ago, on the night of August 21, 1971, two grenades were lobbed at a Liberal Party rally at Manila’s iconic Plaza Miranda, killing nine people and nearly wiping out the then-opposition’s top guns.

Among the wounded: , who would become the post-Edsa’s first Senate president despite his serious injuries; LP president ; Senators Eddie Ilarde and . John Osmeña, who would also become senator after Edsa; then-Palawan congressman Ramon V. Mitra Jr., Councilor Ambrosio “King” Lorenzo Jr., and the LP candidates for mayor and vice mayor, Sr. and Martin B. Isidro.

Atienza: “Our pattern of political violence—and worse, inability to resolve many of the incidents—continues to hound our struggle for democratic restoration and political maturity.”

Beyond the carnage, however, it was the wound to the national soul and the damage to democracy that has taken the longest to heal, according to one of the survivors—the only survivor still alive today among the notable politicians on that ill-fated stage.

Now 80 years old, veteran public servant Lito Atienza, who was 30 and an aspiring councilor, shared with the BusinessMirror his recollection of the blast and, more tellingly, how it scarred Philippine politics. “Plaza Miranda bombing is one of the biggest crimes in our country that remains unresolved. [It is in the mold of] the Ninoy Aquino assassination, the , the many other bombings and killings, and even recently, that dastardly kidnapping and killing of the Korean businessman from Pampanga, who was killed right inside —established as done by cops—and his body cremated and flushed down the toilet,” Atienza said in an interview.

“Our pattern of political violence—and worse, inability to resolve many of the incidents— continues to hound our struggle for democratic restoration and political maturity,” he added.

Whatever the truth as to who was behind it—the two main theories putting the blame on then president and later, on communist leader , Atienza said, “Plaza Miranda placed the whole democratic system in jeopardy, because Marcos used it as an excuse for declaring a , suspending the writ of , and eventually declaring …. It introduced an avenue for grabbing power.”

It also, he added, paved the way for an authoritarian regime that enabled “corruption, caused institutional damage [that until now we have yet to completely rebuild or correct].”

Until now, 50 years later and 35 years after the Edsa revolt that ousted the Marcos dictatorship, Filipinos struggle at nation-building and at restoring damaged institutions, lamented Atienza, who recently turned 80 and is one of the few leaders who lived through the years of transition and whose public service straddled both the Executive and the Legislative, local and national offices.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/21/miranda-bombing-beyond-the-scars/

Further warming could worsen extreme weather events in PH, warns Filipino scientists

Published August 20, 2021, 3:07 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

A higher global temperature will bring about more frequent and more intense weather extremes in many regions of the world, including the Philippines, Filipino scientists, and co- authors of the latest climate report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warned on Friday, Aug. 20.

Manila Observatory scientists Faye Cruz and Laurice Jamero highlighted the IPCC 6th Assessment Report’s (AR6) findings that global temperature rise will cross 1.5℃ within the next 20 years–earlier than what has been assessed–and that human activity will be the main cause of climate change.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/further-warming-could-worsen-extreme-weather-events-in-ph-warns- filipino-scientists/

Japan disburses 4th and final tranche of post- disaster loan Phase 2 for PHL BYBUSINESSMIRROR AUGUST 20, 2021 2 MINUTE READ The Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), disbursed 10 billion yen to the Government of the Philippines on Friday that serves as the fourth and final tranche of the Post-Disaster Standby Loan Phase 2 (PDSL 2) to supplement Manila’s response measures in times of catastrophes and health emergencies.

With the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) from August 6 to 20, the need to support vulnerable sectors and enhance institutional health capacities also escalated.

On this basis, Japan received a disbursement request for the allocation of the remaining portion of the PDSL 2 for the Philippines’s pandemic response and recovery interventions such as the provision of emergency subsidies and strengthening of preventive mechanisms.

The loan accord for the PDSL 2 was signed between JICA and the Department of Finance (DOF) on September 15, 2020, establishing a contingency fund from which the Philippines could withdraw up to 50 billion yen.

The first tranche of the PDSL 2 worth 10 billion yen was released in October 2020 following the extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, a total of three disbursements under the PDSL 2 were made this year, including the 10 billion yen in January 2021 to aid rebuilding efforts after Typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses, the 20 billion yen in June 2021 to augment the Philippines’s Covid-19 war chest, and the latest 10 billion yen issued this month.

Japan, in a news statement, expressed high hopes that the PDSL 2 served its purpose as a quick-disbursing budgetary support that would open the way for the Philippines to fully recover from the impact of the current pandemic.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/20/japan-disburses-4th-and-final-tranche-of-post-disaster- loan-phas

18 Filipinos from Afghanistan now in UK, await flight home to Manila

Published August 20, 2021, 5:40 PM by Roy Mabasa

Thirteen more Filipinos were able to leave Afghanistan through the United Kingdom, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

There are now a total of 18 Filipinos in the UK who have safely exited Kabul with the help of a third country.

“The Philippine Embassy in London is facilitating their return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time,” the DFA said.

Possibly included among the 18 were the five Filipinos who were earlier reported to have sought refuge at the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul. They were later accommodated to board an Indonesian military flight out of the Afghan capital.

The DFA said it continues to exert all efforts to be able to repatriate the remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan as the situation has become fluid since the Taliban’s swift take over of the government last Sunday.

As of today, the DFA puts the number of remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan to 81.

Those remaining are again advised by the foreign affairs office to be prepared to depart with a moment’s notice.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/18-filipinos-from-afghanistan-now-in-uk-await-flight-home-to-manila/

PH thanks Indonesia for helping 5 Pinoys leave Afghanistan

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora August 20, 2021, 6:02 pm

MANILA – The Philippine government thanked Indonesia for assisting five Filipinos to leave Afghanistan safely by allowing them to take shelter at the Indonesian Embassy and evacuating them via its military flight.

In its latest bulletin, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the five took shelter at the southeast Asian nation's embassy in Kabul while waiting for a plane that would fly them out of the Afghan capital.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said the plane left the capital on Friday, but did not provide specific details about their flight home.

Apart from the five, 13 other Filipinos were able to exit Kabul for the United Kingdom, bringing the number of those in the UK to 18.

The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in London is now facilitating their return to the country "at the soonest possible time".

As of this posting, DFA said there are about 81 Filipinos remaining in Afghanistan.

"The Department continues to exert all efforts to be able to repatriate remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan. Those remaining are once again advised to be prepared to depart with a moment's notice," it said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151145

Tropical storm 'Isang' likely to exit PH area of responsibility Sunday

Published August 21, 2021, 6:47 AM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz Tropical storm “Isang” (international name “Omais”) is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Sunday afternoon or evening, Aug. 22, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday, Aug. 21.

In the PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin, tropical storm Isang has started to move north-northwest over the Philippine Sea east of extreme northern Luzon.

Its location was estimated at 790 kilometers (km) east-northeast of Calayan, Cagayan or 725 km east of Basco, Batanes at around 4 a.m.

PAGASA said Isang has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph while moving north-northwest at 15 kph.

Isang may continue to intensify until Saturday evening, Aug. 21, or Sunday morning, when it is likely to reach its peak intensity.

However, the tropical storm is still not expected to have a direct effect on the country’s weather until it leaves the PAR on Sunday.

“Isang will remain far from the Philippine landmass throughout the forecast period. The tropical storm is forecast to move generally northwestward or north-northwestward today (Saturday) through tomorrow (Sunday), turn north-northwestward on Monday (Aug. 23) over the East China Sea, then northward and north-northeastward on Monday (Aug. 24),” PAGASA said.

In the next 24 hours, the easterlies or the warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean will be the dominant weather system across the country.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with a high chance of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening. PAGASA warned the public against flash floods or landslides that may occur during severe thunderstorms, which are often associated with bursts of heavy rainfall, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/21/tropical-storm-isang-likely-to-exit-ph-area-of-responsibility-sunday/

PAGASA: 'Fair' weather, isolated rain showers expected over the weekend

Published August 20, 2021, 6:08 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The whole country may experience warm morning but with chances of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening this weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Friday afternoon, Aug. 20.

Weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said tropical depression “Isang” is still not expected to have a direct effect on the country until it leaves the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday, Aug. 22.

“Over the weekend, expect generally fair weather condition except for some isolated rain showers or thunderstorms over Metro Manila and the rest of the country,” Ordinario said.

PAGASA warned the public against flash floods or landslides that may occur during severe thunderstorms, which are often associated with short-lived heavy rain, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.

As of 4 p.m., Friday, the center of Isang was estimated 890 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon.

It has maintained its maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph while moving west-northwest at 15 kph.

PAGASA said Isang will likely intensify into a tropical storm on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 21.

However, it may weaken again into a tropical depression after crossing the Ryukyu Islands and the East China Sea by Monday, Aug. 23.

Ordinario said Isang will likely leave the PAR on Sunday morning or afternoon.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/pagasa-fair-weather-isolated-rain-showers-expected-over-the- weekend/

More ‘assertive’ China deploys flares at Phl planes over WPS –AFP Published 2 days ago on August 20, 2021 10:15 PM By John Roson China deployed flares at Philippine surveillance planes over the West Philippine Sea at least five times, this year alone, a military official said.

“China uses pyrotechnic signals or flare warnings to ward off our ISR (intelligence surveillance reconnaissance) teams. For 2021 alone, a total of five flare warning signals were reported by our ISR teams, fired from the main buildings [on Chinese-occupied artificial islands],” said Marine Lt. Col Bill Pasia, of the Armed Forces’ Western Command.

Pasia made the remark during an online “lecture” hosted by the Area Task Force West, the Palawan-based arm of the government’s National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea.

A presentation by Pasia showed that one flare was fired from Chigua Reef on June 16, followed by two from Calderon Reef, one from Gaven Reef, and one from Mabini Reef, all on June 22.

Aside from flares, patrolling Philippine assets “continue to receive radio challenges from the Chinese,” he said.

Pasia described the radio challenges and flare deployments under the “serious matter” of China’s “increasing assertiveness” in the WPS, which is close to the Philippine archipelago, and even the larger South China Sea.

That assertiveness has seen China turn at least seven reefs into artificial islands since 2014 and fortify them with military bases, he said.

Of those islands, three — Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef, Zamora (Subi) Reef, and Panganiban (Mischief) Reef — are of particular interest because they form a “strategic triangle” that can exert influence on neighboring sea features, said Pasia.

Zamora Reef, in particular, “poses the biggest challenge” to Philippine-occupied Pag- asa Island because it is only 14 nautical miles away and can easily deploy ships around the latter, he said.

“Everything that is happening in our territory, especially in the West Philippine Sea has an impact on our nationhood, from the present and beyond. The situation has implications that affect our national security, and our dignity as a nation,” Pasia said. The AFP, particularly its Western Command, “is in a tough, challenging, and complicated balancing act of protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country; and the management and prevention of an escalation of tension in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

“There is a need to address the matter, not through military means alone, but rather, through a holistic and asymmetric West Philippine Sea Maritime Security Strategy,” Pasia added.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/08/20/more-assertive-china-deploys-flares-at-phl-planes-over- wps-afp/

PH Navy enhances maritime warfare capabilities in SEACAT 2021 drills

Published August 20, 2021, 2:22 PM by Martin Sadongdong The Philippine Navy (PN) has significantly boosted its capabilities in terms of maritime warfare after it concluded its participation in the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) 2021, a Navy commander announced Friday, Aug. 20.

The Philippine Navy boosts its maritime warfare capabilities during the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) 2021 exercise which ends on August 20, 2021. (Photo by Philippine Navy)

The PN, through the Naval Forces West (NAVFORWEST), joined in exercise scenarios of the SEACAT 2021 from Aug 15 to 17, said Col. Antonio Mangoroban, NAVFORWEST commander.

The SEACAT is a multilateral exercise that involves the participation of Indo-Pacific partner nations including Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, the , Thailand, and Vietnam.

Joined in by ten ships and more than 400 personnel from participating countries, SEACAT aimed to improve regional cooperation to deal with mutual maritime security challenges, such as piracy, smuggling, and other illegal activities at sea.

It concluded on Friday in Singapore.

According to Mangoroban, the PN performed various drills beginning in the northern seas of Palawan down to the east coast of Puerto Princesa in the Sulu sea. The NAVFORWEST is responsible for maritime military operations in Palawan, including in some areas in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

During the drills, the PN utilized several naval vessels and aircraft including the patrol craft BRP Nestor Reinoso (PC-380), Agusta Westland (AW) 109 multi- purpose helicopter, Islander aircraft, and the new missile-capable frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151).

Among the drills performed by the PN included air, surface, and ground communication capabilities.

It also developed its interoperability with foreign surveillance aircraft such as the P-8 Poseidon of the United States Navy.

The PN also established new concepts and framework in a combined or inter- agency Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) operations.

It also enhanced its maritime domain awareness through the integration of Navy and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) capabilities on surface tracking, aerial surveillance, coastal radar, and automatic identification system (AIS) “to detect and intercept vessels of interest.”

“The Philippine Navy achieved its mission to test and enhance its capability and related doctrines on maritime information exchange and convey our commitment to maintaining good rapport and cooperation among regional navies,” said Mangoroban.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/ph-navy-enhances-maritime-warfare-capabilities-in-seacat-2021-drills/

Olympians Paalam, Magno take oath as PH Navy personnel

Published August 20, 2021, 9:35 PM by Martin Sadongdong Fresh from their successful stint at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, national athletes Carlo Paalam and Irish Magno made another milestone in their boxing careers as enlisted personnel of the Philippine Navy (PN).

Olympian boxers Carlo Paalam (left) and Irish Magno take oath as enlisted personnel of the Philippine Navy on Aug. 20, 2021 at Naval Station Jose Andrada in Manila. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

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Paalam, who bagged a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and Magno, the first Filipina boxer to qualify for the Olympics, are the latest addition to the PN force after their application for special enlistment as national athletes have been approved by Navy chief Rear Admiral Adeluis Bordado, it was bared Friday, Aug. 20.

Paalam and Magno, who now both carry the rank apprentice seaman (ASN), paid a courtesy call at the Navy headquarters at the Naval Station Jose Andrada in Manila where they took oath.

They were met by Maj. Gen. Nestor Herico, PN vice commander, who represented Bordado.

Paalam said that it was a “dream come true” for him to join the Navy.

Olympian boxer Carlo Paalam (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

“Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat kasi pangarap ko talagang maging sundalo (I am filled with gratitude because it is my dream to be a soldier),” he said.

Meanwhile, Magno vowed to “reciprocate the trust and confidence” that the Navy has given her. Olympian boxer Irish Magno (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

The two athletes were lauded by Herico “for giving a glimmer of hope” to Filipinos amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic through their laudable performance at the Olympics.

“In the all-too-familiar sullen mood because of the pandemic, you inspired the Filipino nation and gave the hope that all of us direly need,” Herico said.

Paalam and Magno joined their fellow accomplished athletes weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and boxer Eumir Marcial in the military reserve force.

Diaz, who gave the country its first Olympic gold medal, and Marcial, who had a bronze medal, are both enlisted personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/olympians-paalam-magno-take-oath-as-ph-navy-personnel/

'Duterte's shameful legacy is undermining arbitral award secured by PNoy on South China sea' — Del Rosario

Published August 20, 2021, 2:27 PM by Roy Mabasa Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Friday said President Duterte will leave a “shameful legacy” for squandering the 2016 Arbitral Award in favor of Chinese loans and investments which have “barely materialized to this day”.

Del Rosario raised this point in his opening remarks at the virtual forum “The South China Sea Arbitration As President Aquino’s Greatest Legacy” organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute.

“If securing the Award became the centerpiece of the foreign policy of the Aquino administration, the Award is the hallmark of shame for the Duterte administration given President Duterte’s efforts to undermine it since the start of his term to the prejudice of his countrymen,” the former DFA chief said.

Del Rosario recalled that when the Award was rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the start of President Duterte’s term in 2016, “there was already an order from Malacañang to ‘downplay’ the Award for fear of displeasing China”.

“We can see, in retrospect, how this event portended a treasonous policy of the Duterte administration of setting aside the Award,” he said.

He lamented that Duterte has chosen China over Filipinos “because he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping is protecting his Presidency in the Philippines.”

“This national treachery would require serious evidence were it not for President Duterte’s own admission in 2018 that he ‘loves Xi Jinping’ and his public declaration of Xi Jinping’s promise that Xi Jinping will not allow [President Duterte] to be taken out from…office…,” Del Rosario added.

In view of the forthcoming 2022 presidential elections, the former top Filipino diplomat said it is incumbent for Filipinos to “protect what is ours for the sake of our children and our country” by voting for leaders who will put Filipinos first before China, money and power. The Arbitral Award, Del Rosario pointed out, will remain as one of the greatest legacies of President Aquino to the nation.

During the Aquino administration, he said the Philippines pursued a rules-based approach in the South China Sea dispute to convince China to respect the country’s rights and for China to comply with its obligations under international law.

As the centerpiece of the Aquino administration, the former DFA secretary who once served as the country’s envoy to the United States said the Award will continue to be a centerpiece of Philippine foreign and security policy for the next administrations.

“The South China Sea Dispute is an intergenerational challenge that will affect the lives of Filipinos and our Southeast Asian neighbors for decades to come,” he said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/dutertes-shameful-legacy-is-undermining-arbitral-award-secured-by- pnoy-on-south-china-sea-del-rosario/

PCG conducts week-long maritime drills off Manila port

Published August 20, 2021, 12:59 PM by Richa Noriega To strengthen maritime law enforcement in the country’s vast waters, personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) underwent a week-long maritime drills in the waters off Port Area in Manila recently.

PCG personnel manning Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels and BRP Lapu-Lapu (MMOV-5001) conducted practical exercises on arresting techniques, tactical procedures, control bleeding techniques, and “shoot-don’t shoot” scenario among others

The PCG’s boarding procedure workshop was held at the Coast Guard Surface Support Force (CGSSF) at Pier 13 from Aug. 11 to 18.

The training also covered a series of lectures on international law, boarding procedures, use of force, tactical concepts, and procedures.

The PCG’s boarding procedure workshop was held at the Coast Guard Surface Support Force (CGSSF) in Pier 13, Port Area, Manila from Aug. 11 to 18, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the PCG)

The PCG said the drills were facilitated by Lt. Junior Grade (LTJG) Mike De Torres, Seaman First Class (SN1) Harold Millanar, and Seaman Second Class (SN2) Jose Tolomia, all of the Coast Guard K9 Force. “They ensured the efficient sharing of knowledge and skills to fellow PCG personnel in preparation for their mandated law enforcement missions within the Philippine maritime jurisdiction,” the PCG stated.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/pcg-conducts-week-long-maritime-drills-off-manila-port/

Soldier, 2 NPA rebels killed in Negros clash

Published August 20, 2021, 3:19 PM by Glazyl Masculino BACOLOD CITY — A soldier and two alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter in Hacienda Remunda, Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, Negros Occidental Friday, Aug. 20.

Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the soldier, whose name was withheld, passed away in a hospital, while the two rebels have yet to be identified.

Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) responded to the area around 6 a.m. to confirm reported sightings of the NPA.

While the troops were conducting strike operations, they figured in a 35-minute firefight with about 10 unidentified armed men, Pancito added.

These armed men were believed to be remnants of the Northern Negros Front.

Pancito said that these remnants were said to have shifted into political works like recruitment and extortion, but they are not anymore capable to do tactical offensives, considering that the NNF has been dismantled.

Pancito said that no evacuation was made, as the clash happened far from the residential area, although there were about three houses near the encounter site.

Pancito said that one of the two NPA casualties — a young woman, was found abandoned in a house.

Military recovered an M16 with bandolier, a backpack, cellular phones, and hammock. Neighboring police stations were alerted following the clash. Clearing operation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Pancito said the family of the slain soldier has yet to be informed about the incident.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/soldier-2-npa-rebels-killed-in-negros-clash/

Año slams 'heartless' CPP-NPA after raid in bomb- making camp in E. Samar

Published August 20, 2021, 10:31 AM by Chito Chavez The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denounced the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) on Friday, August 20, after government troops stormed its bomb-making facility in Dolores, Eastern Samar earlier this week.

Calling the communsit group as heartless, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año pointed out that the CPP-NPA’s continued manufacture of anti-personnel mines (APM) “is against the law.”

“Wala talaga silang konsiyensya at walang pakialam kung sino ang mapinsala, sundalo, pulis man o sibilyan, basta makapaghasik ng lagim at maagaw ang kapangyarihan mula sa gobyerno (They have no conscience and unmindful if soldiers, policemen, or civilians get hurt as long as they sow terror and grab power from the government),’’ Año said.

Año noted that the CPP-NPA “seems to have a short memory as they have conveniently forgotten” the murder of Far Eastern University football player Keith Absalon and his cousin who died in June due to an anti-personnel mine explosion in Masbate.

The use of landmines is a violation of the Ottawa Convention or the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty signed by 133 states and practiced in 164 state parties including the Philippines.

It prohibits the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of APMs which cause serious destruction and indiscriminately harm civilians, including children. The use of landmines is also a violation of Republic Act 9851 which penalizes crimes against International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Based on the reports of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 8 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Año said the Joint Task Force Storm of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) based in Catbalogan City launched ground, air and sea raids in Barangay Osmeña on July 16 after getting a tip from locals on an explosives manufacturing site and NPA camp in the area.

Nineteen NPA members died in the day-long encounter with no casualties from government forces while 29 high-powered firearms were seized from the communist terrorist groups (CTGs). “The DILG congratulates the 8th Infantry Division for its successful operation against Communist Terrorists. This operation is a big blow to the terrorism-capacity of the CPP- NPA-NDF in Samar,” he added.

According to the AFP, at least 29 villages in Eastern Samar are still NPA strongholds while at least 45 new villages in the same province have already been cleared of CTGs.

“The CPP-NPA is fighting a losing battle. Habang may panahon pa ay sumuko na kayo at magbagong-buhay dahil kalian man ay hindi nagwawagi ang karahasan at kasamaan (While there is still time just surrender and turn a new leaf in life as violence and evil deeds would not prevail),’’ said Año.

He also urged the NPA to grab the chance to reform and lead new lives through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), a complete package of assistance to former rebels (FRs).

So far, a total of 6,418 former rebels (FRs) and rebel sympathizers have laid down their arms and availed of ECLIP.

Of this number, 6,164 FRs have each received P15,000 immediate assistance; 3,744 were given P50,000 livelihood assistance; 1,430 have availed of firearms remuneration and 5,198 have each been granted with P21,000 reintegration through the DILG’s ECLIP.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/ano-slams-heartless-cpp-npa-after-raid-in-bomb-making-camp-in-e- samar/

All 50 soldiers who died in C-130 crash in Sulu identified

By: Dexter Cabalza - Reporter / @dexcabalzaINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:40 AM August 21, 2021

TRAGEDY SITE Military officers inspect the site in Patikul, Sulu province, where a Philippine Air Force Lockheed C-130 plane carrying troops crashed. —REUTERS FILE PHOTO

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has finally identified all the cadavers of the 50 military personnel who died when a C-130 aircraft crashed in Sulu province on July 4.

In a statement on Friday, the AFP said the last 10 bodies identified were of Corporals Dexter Estrada, Reynel Matundin and Gulam Ismael; Private First Class Bengie Malanog; and Privates Ian Azuelo, Erwin Canton, Mansueto Lingatong III, Mar Jhun Capagngan and Michael Dalore, all of the Philippine Army; and Airman Second Class Glen Mar Biscocho of the Philippine Air Force.

The AFP said it had already transported the remains of the military personnel to their respective hometowns so they could be reunited with their families. The C-130 Hercules plane, which crashed as it was landing in Patikul, Sulu, was carrying 96 personnel, mostly new recruits to be deployed in the Army’s 11th Infantry Division.

The AFP tapped experts from Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operation as the military had a hard time identifying the bodies because they were burned beyond recognition.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1476590/all-50-soldiers-who-died-in-c-130-crash-in- sulu-identified#ixzz74Ev2liIX

4 troopers who died in C-130 crash back in CDO Published 2 days ago on August 20, 2021 10:58 PM

ByJohn Roson The remains of four more fatalities of last month’s C-130 plane crash in Sulu have been brought back to Cagayan de Oro City on Friday afternoon, after being properly identified by authorities.

Troops of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division provided arrival honors to the remains of Pvt. Erwin Canton, Pvt. Jhun Capagngan, Pvt. Mansueto Linagtong, and Pvt. Michael Dalore as soon as these arrived at the Lumbia Airport.

It was also in Lumbia where the ill-fated C-130 no. 5125 took off on July 4 to bring fresh troops to Sulu, before it crashed.

Canton, Capagngan, Linagtong, and Dalore’s remains were first brought to the St. Ignatius de Loyola Chapel in Camp Evangelista. A mass was offered for them and full military honors were rendered.

The four, who are residents of Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, and Surigao del Norte, are among 19 other crash fatalities who lived within the 4th ID’s area of responsibility. Fifteen were identified earlier, and have since been brought back to their hometowns.

Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., 4th ID commander, assured the families of the fallen soldiers that the division will continue to help them process benefits and claims.

He thanked the families for their patience and understanding, as well as different stakeholders who have extended support.

“As we get past this tragic chapter of our organization, we assure everyone that we are more motivated and committed in our quest for peace and development,” Brawner said.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/08/20/4-troopers-who-died-in-c-130-crash- back-in-cdo/

Army chief visits 10ID units in remote locations

By Priam Nepomuceno August 20, 2021, 2:46 pm

(Photo courtesy of Philippine Army Public Affairs Office)

MANILA – Philippine Army (PA) commander Maj. Gen. Andres Centino visited units of the 10th Infantry Division assigned to remote positions last August 16 and 17 as part of his efforts to raise troop morale.

“The Army is not limited in the confines of its headquarters. The Army is out there in the field. They are in the forward operating bases and patrol bases in the far-flung and conflict-affected areas,” Centino said in a statement Friday.

Since assuming command of the PA, Centino has been visiting troops in remote locations to boost the morale of soldiers, deliver support and reiterate the Army’s thrusts to maximize current operational success.

Centino visited the Gatongon Patrol Base, 89th Infantry Battalion in Davao City; Patong CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA), 67th Infantry Battalion in Davao Oriental; Sambulongan CAA Detachment, 56th Infantry Battalion in Davao del Norte; White Kulaman Patrol Base, 72nd Infantry Battalion in Bukidnon; Advance Command Post of 1002nd Infantry Brigade on North Cotabato; and 701st Brigade in Davao Oriental.

He also reminded the troops to be ahead of the game, learn how to anticipate, act decisively, adjust quickly and maintain focus while keeping in mind that the Army headquarters has their full support.

The 10th Infantry Division has been ensuring peace and progress in the whole Davao Region and various parts of Soccsksargen and Caraga by helping the government in addressing terrorism, insurgency, calamities, and the current pandemic.

“As the country currently faces hurdles in our pursuit of lasting peace and progress, I urge you to sustain excellence amidst these challenges,” Centino said. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151098

New PSG chief named

By: Leila B. Salaverria - Reporter / @LeilasINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM August 21, 2021

Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander, Col. Randolph Cabangbang (Photo Courtesy of PSG)

The new Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander, Col. Randolph Cabangbang, assumed his post on Friday, replacing Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III.

Prior to being chosen to head the President’s guards, Cabangbang served as the chief of the staff of the Philippine Army’s Second Infantry Division.

ADVERTISEMENT He also served as PSG chief of staff from September 2019 to August 2020 and was deputy commander of Task Force Davao of the 10th Infantry Division from October 2017 to September 2019.

Cabangbang, who hails from Los Baños, Laguna, is a decorated officer. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Medal, Distinguished Service Star, Gold Cross Medal, Military Achievement Medal, Gawad Sa Kaunlaran, Bronze Cross Medal, Silver Wing Medal, Wounded Personnel Medal, and other merit and commendation medals.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1476599/new-psg-chief-named#ixzz74Evl2r8c

COA questions NCIP over P1 million cost of NTF- ELCAC 'workshop' Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Aug 21 2021 03:37 AM MANILA — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) over its regional office's transactions related to an anti-insurgency "workshop" that cost over P1 million, saying the lack of documents casts doubts on its "propriety."

"[M]eals and accommodations of NCIP RO XIII (Caraga) amounting to P1,064,219.06 for NTF- ELCAC Regional Action Planning Workshop were not duly supported with sufficient and complete documentations... casting doubts on the propriety and regularity of the transaction... Moreover, the procurement was not done through a competitive public bidding," COA said in its annual audit report on NCIP.

NCIP is the lead government agency responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies, plans, and programs to protect the rights the indigenous peoples (IPs).

State auditors flagged NCIP-Caraga for overpaying on food and accommodations when it overestimated the number of participants in the workshop.

"The number of accommodations should have been equal to the number of participants indicated per meal or lower but not higher."

COA also said it discovered revisions in the attendance sheet of the NTF-ELCAC event.

"Further scrutiny of the attendance sheet disclosed that there are alterations made with the date, and there are names listed that did not bear signatures of the participants," COA said.

The NTF-ELCAC workshop in question was held at Amontay Beach Resort in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte last Nov. 2020—prior to the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine—and was attended by 300 to 500 people.

NCIP commissioners, bureau directors, and other personnel from the central office in Manila were flown to Butuan City for the said NTF-ELCAC workshop, COA noted.

Justifying the cost, NCIP said the Agusan del Norte event was a combination of 3 activities, all related to NTF-ELCAC.

They added it was a last minute decision of the central office to combine the 3 events, forcing the regional office to do away with public bidding in order to immediately find a supplier that could provide what they needed.

However, COA said this could have been avoided had there been proper preparation for the activity.

Uncollected financial assistance Meanwhile, COA also called out the same regional office for its failure to collect, for the past 7 years, financial assistance from Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation as mandated under their memorandum of agreement, depriving IPs of benefits intended for them.

The demandable amount has now ballooned to P14 million, COA said.

"With the non-receipt of an estimated amount of P14 million as financial assistances from THPAL reckoned from calendar years 2014 to 2020, the ICCs/IPs in the region were deprived of the benefits intended to them," government auditors said.

NCIP said they would comply to COA's recommended that they follow up on Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation regarding the status of the release of the financial assistance. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/21/coa-flags-ncip-over-p1m-cost-of-ntf- elcac-workshop

Eleazar orders Bicol PNP to prioritize fight vs Reds in Masbate

Published August 20, 2021, 3:18 PM by Joseph Pedrajas Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Friday, Aug. 20, ordered officers of the Bicol Police Regional Office (PRO-5) to prioritize and “give special attention” to the campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in Masbate.

Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of Philippine National Police (File photo courtesy of PNP)

Among Eleazar’s directives is to strengthen the police’s relations with the communities in the province to deny “the CPP-NPA-NDF [of] its mass support base and eventually clear the entire province of its influence.”

The national police chief issued the order to Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, regional director of PRO-5, following attacks allegedly perpetrated by communist groups against civilians in the previous months.

These included the recent ambush of a barangay captain and his companions in Placer town and the killing of three street vendors in Palanas town. Both incidents were bled by the police on the NPA.

In June, Keith Absalon, a Far Eastern University (FEU) football star, and his cousin also died in an ambush allegedly perpetrated by the NPA in Masbate. “Hindi sapat ang pagkondena sa kanilang mga pag-atake dahil hindi na tinatablan ng maanghang na salita at kahihiyan ang grupong ito,” said Eleazar, who is currently in the Bicol region for an official visit.

“Hindi katanggap-tanggap ito at kailangan nang putulin ang karahasang ito laban sa mga kababayan natin sa Masbate,” he added.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/eleazar-orders-bicol-pnp-to-prioritize-fight-vs-reds- in-masbate/

Rookie cop, village chair killed in N. Samar

Published August 20, 2021, 11:01 AM by Marie Tonette Marticio TACLOBAN CITY – The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) mourns the death of a rookie cop Thursday (August 19) in an encounter against suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar.

Patrolman Mario Beter Caramol of the 805th Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 (RMFB 8) was killed in a 10-minute clash between more or less ten armed rebels.

“This PRO strongly denounces the brutal encounter that resulted in the death of one of our comrades in the PNP service who gallantly and indomitably faced the ferocity of this inhumane and ruthless member of NPA. We will not stop hunting down the perpetrators. They are indeed considered as a major burden in the society continuously lurking in the community,” was part of the statement released by PRO8.

The suspects were identified as Jasper Jarito, Rio Alvino, Acer Turcido, and several John Does.

Initial investigation disclosed that while the operating troops of 805th MC were conducting a combat operation under ‘Oplan Stinger Charlie’ (unified combat operation) within the vicinity of Brgy. Geparayan De Turag, encountered the NPAs led by the suspects.

The enemy withdrew towards the southeast direction after the firefight. Authorities have yet to identify the number of casualties on the enemy side.

Meanwhile, a village chair was shot to death by still unidentified assailants in Las Navas town.

The victim was identified as Nilo Loyugoy, 53, Brgy. chair of Brgy. Victory. The victim’s daughter said her father was shot to death by unidentified suspects using long firearms hitting different parts of his body.

After the incident, the suspects fled while the victim was brought to Las Navas Rural Health Unit for post mortem examination. Last July 9, a soldier and a village chair were also killed in separate shooting incidents against suspected NPAs.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/rookie-cop-village-chair-killed-in-n-samar/

QC court nullifies search warrants vs 2 NDF members

Published August 19, 2021, 11:08 PM by Joseph Pedrajas A Quezon City (QC) court has quashed the search warrants issued by another city court against two National Democratic Front (NDF) peace talks staff due to inconsistencies in a witness’ statements.

QC Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 177 Judge Ferdinand Baylon issued a resolution dated August 13 quashing the search warrants issued in July 2019 by a QC RTC Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert against Alexander Birondo and Winona Birondo.

Baylon also resolved to suppress all evidence gathered during the service of the search warrants against the Birondos.

The Birondos were arrested and jailed for a now-dismissed obstruction of justice case, and then later, for supposed possession of firearms.

“The questions left unanswered and the inconsistencies not clarified belies the existence of probable cause which justify the issuance of the search warrants. For this reason, the warrants should be quashed,” Baylon said in his resolution.

Inconsistencies and Questions

In quashing the search warrants, Baylon found inconsistencies in the statements of the witness who identified himself as a garbage collector of the apartment the Birondos were staying in.

The witness claimed he saw an apparent gun and grenade inside the room of the Birondos when he looked through their window while he was cleaning. However, he did not mention the grenade in the latter part of his affidavit, which the court noticed he might have “forgotten about the existence of any grenade.”

The witness was only able to recall the supposed existence of a grenade when he was reminded of it during his court testimony, which for Baylon, “appears to have been spoon fed to him.” “Essentially, what was relied upon was only the witness’ sworn statement, and no attempt to ask searching and probing questions was made insofar as the discovery of the grenade is concerned,” Baylon said, referring to Villavert’s issuance of search warrant.

“This lack of sufficient questioning regarding the grenade juxtaposed with the witness’ sworn statement and his testimony in court, leads this court to conclude that there is no basis for the issuance of SW No. 5898 (19),” he added, referring to one of the two search warrants.

Meanwhile, the other warrant was also quashed as Baylon stated the witness failed to describe the firearm he saw and to be seized—even by a simple description.

Further, Baylon said there was lack of evidence to establish probable cause that the firearm belonged to the Birondos as the witness stated he did not see the two in possession of it. In fact, he thought it “was a police officer” who was cleaning the gun when he once peeked into the Birondos’ unit.

The court also questioned the “sudden appearance” of the witness, who only started the job in the same month of the issuance of arrest warrants against the Birondos.

In 2015, the Birondos were arrested, together with another peace consultant, but they were eventually released during the peace talks process in 2016.

In 2019, they were arrested again for obstruction of justice for supposedly intervening during a police operation against a wanted criminal. They were already detained at Camp Karingal for the said case when two search warrants were also served against them that led to their current detention, the Public Interest Law Center said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/19/qc-court-nullifies-search-warrants-vs-2-ndf- members/

Duterte thanks China for COVID-19 vaccines, says Philippines to 'stay neutral' in geopolitics ABS-CBN News

Posted at Aug 20 2021 08:15 PM | Updated as of Aug 20 2021 11:56 PM MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday thanked China for its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donation and promised that the Philippines will “stay neutral” when it came to geopolitics.

At a program for the arrival of 739,200 donated Sinopharm coronavirus jabs, Duterte asked ambassador Huang Xilian to “convey to President Xi Jinping my deepest gratitude and many, many thanks for China’s attitude to us.”

“In these challenging times of geopolitics, Philippines will stay neutral and remain true to what we have guaranteed China at least during my term,” he continued, addressing Huang via video link.

Beijing this month rejected the World Health Organization's calls for a renewed probe into the origins of COVID-19, which emerged from in the central China in late 2019.

China's foreign ministry also accused the US of an obsession with "political manipulation" over the origins of the pandemic, following a report that it was working through a vast catalogue of genetic data obtained from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. China's Huang, in the program with Duterte, said “all nations should stick together and promote unity and strengthen cooperation,” as COVID-19 continued to ravage the world.

“Solidarity should prevail over attempts to politicize the issue such as origins tracing and shift the blame to others,” he said. The Chinese official said “this difficult time highlights the friendship and partnership” between Manila and Beijing.

“We are committed to continuing this cooperation with the Philippines and providing more vaccines to help defeat the virus and revitalize the economy,” he said.

Duterte said his “deepest gratitude goes to China” for its various pandemic assistance, including its technical support and donation of medical supplies and equipment.

“These initiatives are indeed a testament to the goodwill of the Chinese government and the deep, strong relations between the Philippines and China,” he said. Jabs developed by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech make up around half of the Philippines' coronavirus vaccine supply.

However, Beijing has snubbed a United Nations-backed court's 2016 ruling that junked its historical claims to the South China Sea, within which is the smaller West Philippine Sea.

Duterte has refused to press China to follow the ruling, an arbitral award to a Philippine filing, as he pursued investments and loans from the economic superpower. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/20/21/duterte-to-china-ph-to-stay-neutral-in- geopolitics

Washington can't stop playing the blame game over the US's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawalAug 21, 2021, 4:47 AM

A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Rahmat Gul/AP Images

 Washington can't stop pointing fingers as it scrambles to figure out who's responsible for the disaster unfolding in Afghanistan.  Biden blamed Trump and Afghan forces, intelligence officials say it's a policy failure, and policymakers blame an intelligence failure.  "The fast collapse was not a surprise to the intel community. It is the policymakers who were surprised," a former NSA general counsel said.

In April, nearly 70% of Americans supported withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan following a 20-year conflict. This week, that number plummeted to 49% as the American public watched with horror as the Taliban marched into Kabul and desperate Afghans tried to flee the country.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the finger-pointing began over who was most responsible for the collapse of the US-backed government, a catastrophe some have described as President Joe Biden's "Saigon moment."

Biden and his advisors blamed former President Donald Trump for making a deal with the Taliban to pull troops, and accused the Afghan government and military of not having the "will" to continue a fight that the US started. Trump said Biden was correct to withdraw troops from Afghanistan but blamed him for the chaotic nature of the withdrawal.

Over on the intelligence side, current and former officials painted the botched withdrawal as a policy failure. And on the policy side, lawmakers, diplomats, and some defense officials blamed an intelligence failure.

But to anyone who had closely observed the war since its conception, this week's events were entirely predictable.

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-intelligence-agencies-congress-biden-blame- game-afghanistan-2021-8

Harris’ Asia trip carries new urgency after Afghan collapse By ALEXANDRA JAFFEyesterday

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has given new urgency to Vice President Kamala Harris’ tour of Southeast Asia, where she will attempt to reassure allies of American resolve following the chaotic end of a two-decade war.

The trip, which began Friday and has stops in Singapore and Vietnam, will provide a forum for Harris to assert herself more directly in foreign affairs. She will have opportunities to affirm what she and President Joe Biden view as core American values, like human rights. That’s especially important given concerns about the future for women and girls in Afghanistan with the Taliban back in power.

“A particular high priority is making sure that we evacuate American citizens, Afghans who worked with us, Afghans at risk, including women and children,” Harris told reporters before her departure.

But there are also substantial risks. A longtime district attorney and former senator, Harris is largely untested in diplomacy and foreign policy. Her swing through Vietnam could draw unwanted comparisons between the humiliating withdrawal of U.S. troops there in 1975 and the tumultuous effort this week to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan. And it’s all happening in the shadow of China, whose growing influence worries some U.S. policymakers.

“She’s walking into a hornet’s nest, both with what’s taking place in Afghanistan, but also the challenge of China that looms particularly large in Vietnam,” said Brett Bruen, who was global engagement director during the Obama administration and a longtime diplomat. “On a good day, it’s walking a tightrope. On a not so good day, it’s walking a tightrope while leading an elephant across. There’s just an enormous set of issues that she will run into from the moment that Air Force Two touches down.”

Harris said Friday that the nations she will visit “are the seat of the Indo- Pacific region. We have interests there that relate to both security interests, economic interests and, more recently, global health interests.”

Harris struggled at points in June when her first major trip abroad took her to Guatemala and Mexico. Her unequivocal warning to migrants not to come to the U.S. angered some liberal Democrats while doing little to mollify Republican critics who said the administration wasn’t doing enough to address a growth of crossings at the southern border.

She’ll have a fresh chance to make a global impression when she arrives in Singapore, anchor of the U.S. naval presence in Southeast Asia.

On Monday, Harris will speak with Singapore President Halimah Yacob over the phone, participate in a bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and deliver remarks on a U.S. combat ship visiting Singapore.

On Tuesday, she plans to deliver a speech outlining the U.S. vision for engagement in the region, and participate in an event with business leaders focused on supply chain issues.

Harris then heads to Vietnam, a country that holds both strategic and symbolic significance for the U.S. Leaders there have echoed U.S. concerns about the rise of neighboring China and the threat that could pose to global security. But it’s also a nation etched into American history as the site of another bloody, costly war with an ignominious end.

The vice president will almost certainly address that parallel when she takes questions in Singapore during a joint press conference with the prime minister Monday. It’s a potentially awkward position for Harris because Biden expressly rejected comparisons between Afghanistan and Vietnam in July, insisting there would be “no circumstance” where the world would see people being lifted off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, a reference to historic images of a helicopter evacuating the U.S. Embassy in Saigon in 1975.

The harried effort to get Americans to the airport in Kabul this week defied that prediction.

While the disorderly conclusion of the Afghan war dominated Washington in recent days, China may be a bigger priority for Harris’ trip. Biden has made countering Chinese influence globally a central focus of his foreign policy. Relations between the U.S. and China deteriorated sharply under Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, and the two sides remain at odds over a host of issues including technology, cybersecurity and human rights. And with Beijing’s incursions in the disputed South China Sea, engagement with Vietnam and Singapore is key to the Biden administration’s diplomatic and military goals in the region.

David Shear, a former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, said Harris must be careful to offer a “positive” message to the nations, and avoid focusing entirely on China during her trip.

“Our relationships with these countries are important in themselves, and they don’t want to be thought of solely as a pawn in a U.S-China chess game,” he said. “They want to be thought of on their own terms, and they want their interests to be considered on their own terms,.”

Instead, analysts say they hope Harris will focus in particular on trade issues. The White House has been considering a new digital trade deal with countries in the region, which would allow for the free flow of data and open opportunities for U.S. companies for greater cooperation on emerging technologies in a fast-growing region of the world.

And COVID-19 is certain to be top of mind in two countries facing starkly divergent virus trends. Singapore has experienced just a few dozen pandemic- related deaths and has a relatively high vaccination rate. It’s getting ready to ease travel and economic restrictions this fall. Vietnam, meanwhile, is facing record-high coronavirus infections driven by the delta variant and low vaccination rates.

The U.S. has provided more than 23 million vaccine doses to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and tens of millions of dollars in personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment and other supplies to fight the virus.

During her visit to Vietnam, Harris is planning to hold a virtual meeting with ASEAN health ministers and cite the launch of a regional office of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gregory Poling, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said showing a commitment to the region on the pandemic is key for Harris’ trip.

“I think on COVID, the administration realizes that this is the singular issue,” he said. “If they’re not seen as leading vaccine distribution in the region, then nothing else they do in Asia matters, or at least nothing else they do is going to find a willing audience.” ___

This story has been corrected to reflect the name of an Obama administration official. He is Brett Bruen, not Bruin. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-asia-coronavirus-pandemic- b84037686dc2395266a1bfa333f8c06e

US position on Taiwan unchanged despite Joe Biden comment on defending the island, officials say

 In an interview about Afghanistan, the president appeared to lump Taiwan with Japan, South Korea and Nato, saying the US would respond to an invasion  Washington has long followed a policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack

Owen Churchill Published: 3:21am, 20 Aug, 2021 Why you can trust SCMP

US officials stressed on Thursday that Washington’s policy towards Taiwan had not changed, after President Joe Biden said in an interview that his administration would “respond” if the island were invaded.

Biden’s comment, in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about Afghanistan, seemed a departure from Washington’s long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity”, though analysts considered it a misstatement.

The US has long refrained from explicitly stating whether it would intervene militarily if China sought to take Taiwan by force – a policy of deliberate ambiguity that proponents say deters military action by Beijing while preserving Washington’s relations on both sides of the strait.

But under questioning from Stephanopoulos about whether Taiwan could count on the US after its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden’s response appeared unambiguous.

“We made a sacred commitment to Article Five that if in fact anyone were to invade or take action against our Nato allies, we would respond,” he said in the interview, which was broadcast on Thursday. “Same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with Taiwan.”

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Article Five dictates that each member nation should consider an attack against any other alliance member as an attack against themselves.

The US ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 when it transferred recognition to mainland China and no such formal US-Taiwan military pact exists. The US, however, is required by law to ensure that Taiwan is able to defend itself.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3145701/us- position-taiwan-unchanged-despite-joe-biden

As the US scrambles out of Afghanistan, warnings grow about what China plans to do there

Christopher Woody

Aug 21, 2021, 4:21 AM

US soldiers stand guard as Afghans wait to board a US military aircraft in Kabul, August 19, 2021. Photo by SHAKIB RAHMANI/AFP via Getty Images

 The turmoil of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has prompted new criticism of the exit.  Critics argue the US leaving Afghanistan benefits China, which will use the US absence to pursue its interests.  Experts say the US loses little by withdrawing and leaving China to deal with an unstable neighbor.

The Taliban's rapid return to power in Afghanistan has drawn more criticism for the US withdrawal, including that the US is ceding strategically valuable ground to China.

That warning has come from current and former US officials and other observers, but experts told Insider that the US exit likely presents China with new concerns about its neighbor and costs the US little in terms of strategic positioning.

In a mid-June interview, Gen Frank McKenzie, who oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said he suspected China would pursue economic interests in Afghanistan after the US departure.

"I think they would like to get in for the mass mineral deposits that exist on the ground in Afghanistan and in other places," McKenzie told Military Times.

https://www.businessinsider.com/warnings-about-chinese-plans-in-afghanistan- grow-amid-us-withdrawal-2021-8

China’s attempt to whitewash Taliban sparks backlash at home China has long linked the Taliban with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which it has blamed for terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.

Bloomberg |

PUBLISHED ON AUG 20, 2021 03:24 PM IST

China is struggling at home to sell the Taliban as a suitable partner for a country waging a war on alleged Islamic extremism, as it prepares to embrace an Afghanistan led by the militant group. State media and diplomatic attempts to paper over the group’s past and present it as the “people’s choice” have met sharp criticism at home from those familiar with militant organization’s history of violence and repression of women. Beijing has long linked the Taliban with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which it has blamed for terrorist attacks in Xinjiang. Now, in the wake of the chaotic exit of U.S. troops, China is embracing the group’s return to rule, a strategic U-turn that has left many at home feeling whiplashed. Further instability in Afghanistan could impact neighboring Pakistan, where China has $50 billion in Belt and Road investments, and send extremism over its border. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying appeared to moderate the official messaging at a news briefing Thursday, pointing to foreign commentary characterizing the Taliban as “more clear-headed and rational” than during its first period in power 20 years ago. “Some people stress their distrust for the Afghan Taliban. We want to say that nothing is unchanged forever,” Hua said. “We need to see the past and present. We need to listen to words and watch actions.” Later Friday, she attempted to refocus the conversation on the failure of America to impose democracy on Afghans. “As facts have shown, democracy has no set model, just like cold milk doesn’t agree with the Chinese people’s stomach, and Americans are not used to using chopsticks,” she said. The People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, posted a brief video history of the Taliban on Monday without mentioning its links to terrorism. The 60-second clip said the group was formed during Afghanistan’s civil war by “students in refugee camps” and expanded with the “support from the poor,” adding that it “has been in a war with the U.S. for 20 years since the Sept. 11 event.” https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/chinas-attempt-to-whitewash- taliban-sparks-backlash-at-home-101629449041618.html

US Sidelined by Chinese Influence Campaign in Africa

By Natalie Liu August 20, 2021 10:28 AM

China's global ambitions may have taken a hit in the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan and India, but in Africa, its sustained power and influence are forcing Washington to recalibrate its strategy toward the continent, home to 54 nations.

The United States recently committed $217 million to finance a power plant in Sierra Leone through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. When finished, this America-financed power plant will stand alongside eight key government structures China has built for Sierra Leone, including parliamentary offices, army and police headquarters, and the building that houses the West African country's ministry of foreign affairs.

Report: Chinese Construction Projects Create Opportunity to Spy on African Leaders New Heritage Foundation report examines Chinese projects in Africa as possible ‘vector’ for espionage

"It's overstating to say that the continent has largely been taken over by China, though my assessment is that Beijing is the most influential foreign actor on the continent," says Joshua Meservey, senior analyst for Africa and the Middle East at the Heritage Foundation.

"China does dominate certain important sectors," Meservey told VOA, listing construction and telecoms among those sectors. But, he said, "the U.S. is still influential." In a study published in December 2020, Meservey presented a list of 186 government buildings that Chinese companies have built in Africa in recent years, many of which house parliamentary offices, presidential palaces, ministries of foreign affairs and military facilities. Beijing has also built more than a dozen intra-governmental telecommunication networks on the continent, Meservey noted.

While Washington has persuaded some allies to keep Chinese telecom giant Huawei out of their 5G networks, the company is working on 25 projects in Africa, having already carved out 70% of the continent's 4G network and primed itself for the next step.

In June, the president of Senegal instructed his government to "rapidly repatriate all national data hosted out of the country" to a state data center built by Huawei.

"If you look at the Belt and Road, 50 African countries have signed up. That makes Africa the biggest bloc within China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," said Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the U.S. National Defense University's Africa Studies Center, in a phone interview with VOA.

"The question then becomes, how does United States compete with China [on the African continent]?"

According to studies done by the China Africa Research Initiative based at Johns Hopkins University, Chinese foreign direct investment to Africa has been increasing steadily since 2003 and surpassed that of the U.S. in 2014. U.S. FDI to Africa has been declining since 2010, according to data collected by the group.

https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/us-sidelined-chinese-influence- campaign-africa

China slams U.S. for using vaccines as anti-China lures

Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-20 23:42:57|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday said it hopes the United States will stop political manipulation on the issue of COVID-19 origins tracing and stop poisoning international cooperation against the pandemic.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to reports that the U.S. government is using vaccine aid as a bait to coerce China's neighboring countries to participate in its campaign to smear China as the "source of the coronavirus" and drive a wedge between China and its neighbors.

The spokesperson said when China was overcoming difficulties to produce and provide anti-pandemic materials to countries in need, the United States was busy buying out and hoarding anti-pandemic materials all over the world.

"When China first announced and is taking a lead in implementing the pledge of making vaccines a global public good and has up to date provided more than 800 million doses of vaccines to the world, the United States has been practicing "America First" and "vaccine ," she said.

"Now, the United States is offering vaccines, but with a price tag, as media reports said, in exchange for support on the origins tracing issue, making vaccines a tool to coerce other countries into joining its anti-China alliance. If this is true, such behavior is immoral and irresponsible, which should be condemned," said Hua.

The world is still facing severe challenges from the pandemic and urgently needs unity and cooperation, she said, adding vaccines are a powerful weapon against the virus and bring the hope of saving lives, which should not be used as a tool for political manipulation.

"We hope the United States will stop politicizing origins tracing, poisoning international cooperation and return to the right track of international anti-epidemic collaboration and origins tracing cooperation," the spokesperson said. Enditem

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/20/c_1310139627.htm

Embrace Communist rule, China tells Tibet on 70th anniversary of invasion | Tibet August 20, 2021

All Tibetans should embrace Communist party rule and share the “cultural symbols and images of the Chinese nation”, a senior Chinese official has said at an event celebrating 70 years since the People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet.

Wang Yang, a member of the politburo standing committee, China’s most powerful political body, made the remarks during a lavish ceremony in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the sacred home of Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leaders.

It comes amid a crackdown on border regions home to ethnic minorities, such as Tibet, and the practice of non-Han cultures and religions.

According to the official state media outlet, the Xinhua news agency, Wang called for increased efforts to ensure all religions in China were “Chinese in orientation”, and said Tibetan Buddhism needed guidance in adapting to socialist society. He said Chinese culture was a bond that fostered togetherness.

“Only by following the [Chinese Communist party] leadership and pursuing the path of , can Tibet achieve development and prosperity,” said Wang, according to Xinhua.

Wang’s comments mirror those he made in 2018 and align with ongoing Chinese government policies of assimilation in ethnic minority regions including Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, where punitive measures have sought to reduce the presence of local languages and cultures often dovetailing with crackdowns on alleged separatist activity.

In Tibet, authorities have jailed and allegedly beaten monks and nuns, subjected villages to political education sessions, jailed people who promoted local languages, enacted mass surveillance, restrictions on daily life and education, and labour programmes. Authorities have promoted Mandarin in Tibet in what critics say is an attempt to erase culture. Mandarin is used in most Tibetan schools while the Tibetan language is taught as a subject. Similar efforts are under way in Inner Mongolia.

Thursday’s ceremony involved a reported 10,000 selected attendees, and marked 70 years since the invasion and subsequent establishment of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The CCP maintains the invasion was a peaceful liberation of Tibetans from an oppressive theocracy. In 1959 the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, and his supporters have continued to document human rights abuses.

The region hosted close to 160 million tourists last year, according to Xinhua. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, China limited entrance to Tibet by foreigners.

Yaqiu Wang, a researcher for Human Rights Watch China, said there was no “70 years of peaceful liberation” in Tibet, only “ever-increasing brutal repression”.

“Seventy years after so-called ‘liberation’, the seemingly all-powerful Chinese Communist party still sees the beliefs and attitudes of ordinary Tibetans as a threat to its rule,” Yaqiu Wang told the Guardian.

“The Chinese government should understand that forced assimilation is no solution to the governance of ethnic minority regions. The denial of the right to free speech and assembly, and the denial of religious, language, cultural rights are in violation of the Chinese government’s international legal obligations.”

The event was heavily choreographed and replete with Communist party imagery including a four-storey portrait of Xi Jinping – a propagandistic practice that went out of fashion after the rule of Mao Zedong but which has begun to return under Xi’s rule.

The ceremony was extensively covered by state media, including nationwide broadcast and an international livestream, where hosts lauded the economic and infrastructure development of the region and the “seven decades of miraculous progress”. In his speech Wang Yang said all officials and members of ethnic groups were to be mobilised “to forge an ironclad defence against separatist activities”.

“No one outside China has the right to point fingers at us when it comes to Tibetan affairs,” Wang said. “Any attempt or manoeuvre designed to separate Tibet from China is doomed to fail.”

https://asiapost.live/embrace-communist-rule-china-tells-tibet-on-70th-anniversary- of-invasion-tibet/

China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Stumbles in Southeast Asia August 20, 2021

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China, eager to build good will, stepped in, promising to provide more than 255 million doses, according to Bridge Consulting, a Beijing-based research company. Half a year in, however, that campaign has lost some of its luster. Officials in several countries have raised doubts about the efficacy of Chinese vaccines, especially against the more transmissible Delta variant. Indonesia, which was early to accept Chinese shots, was recently the epicenter of the virus. Others have complained about the conditions that accompanied Chinese donations or sales.

The setback to China’s vaccine campaign has created a diplomatic opening for the United States when relations between the two countries are increasingly fraught, in part because of the coronavirus. China has criticized the American handling of the crisis at home and even claimed, with no evidence, that the pandemic originated in a military lab at Fort Detrick, Md., not in Wuhan, where the first cases emerged in late 2019. As more countries turn away from Chinese shots, vaccine aid from the United States offers an opportunity to restore relations in a region that American officials have mostly ignored for years while China extended its influence. The Biden administration has dispatched a crowd of senior officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who is scheduled to arrive on Sunday to visit Singapore and Vietnam. It has also, at last, made its own vaccine pledges to Southeast Asia, emphasizing that the American contribution of roughly 23 million shots as of this week comes with “no strings attached,” an implicit reference to China.

Several countries in the region have been eager to receive the more effective, Western doses. Although they remain far outnumbered by Chinese shots, they present an attractive alternative. China’s “early head-start advantage has lost its magic already,” said Hoang Thi Ha, a researcher with the Asean Studies center of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

For most of the year, many developing countries in Southeast Asia did not have much of a choice when it came to vaccines. They struggled to acquire doses, many of which were being made by richer nations that have been accused of hoarding them.

China sought to fill those needs. The country’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, traveled through the region in January, promising to help fight the pandemic. In April, he declared that Southeast Asia was a priority for Beijing. About a third of the 33 million doses that China has distributed free worldwide were sent to the region, according to the figures provided by Bridge Consulting.

Much of Beijing’s focus has been directed at the more populous countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and its longstanding allies like Cambodia and Laos.

Indonesia was China’s biggest customer in the region, buying 125 million doses from Sinovac. The Philippines obtained 25 million Sinovac shots after the president, Rodrigo Duterte, said he had turned to Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, for help. Cambodia received more than 2.2 million of China’s Sinopharm doses. It has inoculated roughly 41 percent of its population, achieving the second-highest vaccination rate in the region, after Singapore.

https://asiapost.live/chinas-vaccine-diplomacy-stumbles-in-southeast-asia/

Chinese Internet companies should innovate, promote social values, says state media

SHANGHAI: Internet technology companies should seek new development and innovation methods, despite tougher supervision, and are encouraged to assume social responsibilities and promote social values, a state media outlet said on Friday (Aug 20).

"In enhancing Internet supervision, 'labour pains' are inevitable but it brings opportunities," said Wang Yichen in a commentary in the Economic Daily, which is run by China's State Council. "Enterprises that are truly competitive, have good corporate culture and constantly create economic and social values will continue to prosper."

The comments come amid tightening regulatory control by Beijing over an array of industries including Internet platforms in the tech sector, citing the risk of market power abuse, misuse of consumer's information and violation of consumer rights.

China has so far issued fines to players such as e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and social media company Tencent Holdings as part of recent regulatory crackdowns.

"China's confidence in supporting a sound capital market, promoting entrepreneurship and adhering to opening to the outside world will not waver," said Wang. "Strengthening the supervision of the platform economy shows China's determination to vigorously develop the digital economy."

On Tuesday, China's State Administration for Market Regulation published a set of draft rules aimed at improving fair competition, banning practices such as fake reviews and inflated public metrics.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/chinese-internet-companies-should- innovate-promote-social-values-says-state-media-2125291

Hong Kong Activist Pleads Guilty to Charges Under National Security Law The case is heard as a fund providing legal assistance and bail money to people charged with protest-related crimes says it will cease operations.

By Cheng Yut Yiu, Man Hoi Yan and Emily Chan 2021-08-19 A prominent activist who tried to flee Hong Kong for democratic Taiwan and a legal worker have pleaded guilty to charges under a national security law, connected to jailed pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai.

Activist Andy Li, 30, and paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, also 30, are charged with "collusion with foreign forces" alongside Lai.

Li told the court: "I agree to the facts and I would like to say sorry."

Li and Chan allegedly "conspired" with Lai's aide Mark Simon and activist Finn Lau, now in exile, to ask foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong.

The charge carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, and has also been used to target Lai and senior editorial staff at the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper.

The case was adjourned until Jan. 3, 2022.

Meanwhile, a relief fund set up to pay bail for those arrested in the 2019 protest movement has announced it will shut down amid a city-wide crackdown on public dissent and political opposition under a national security law imposed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund said in a statement on its Facebook page that it would cease operations despite strong public donations.

But its banking arrangements were conducted through another group, the Alliance for True Democracy, which is the latest of several civil organizations to wind down since the national security law took effect on July 1, 2020.

"We have been notified by the directors of the Alliance that they intend to wind up in the near future. This means the Fund will no longer have a bank account it can use, and therefore cannot continue to operate," it said.

"We thank the members of the public who have been giving us their unfailing support by their donations and encouragement [as well as] those who have come to us for help in their predicament and their families for the trust they placed in us," it said. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hongkong-activist-08192021084820.html

PRC in breach of treaty protecting Hong Kong freedoms, U.K. says IPDForum August 19, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

FORUM Staff

The People s Republic of China (PRC) has breached a treaty that guarantees wide-ranging freedoms to Hong Kong outlined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, according to’ United Kingdom officials. A sweeping national security law imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), an overhaul of Hong Kong s electoral system, and other CCP influence that further hinders citizens rights violate the declaration signed in 1984, U.K. officials said. ’ ’ The Chinese authorities continued action means I must now report that the U.K. considers Beijing to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Joint Declaration a demonstration“ of the growing’ gulf between Beijing s promises and its actions, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, according to The Associated Press. — ’ ” The stroke of midnight on July 1, 1997, ushered in a power shift on mainland China as the PRC assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, which had been under U.K. rule for more than 150 years. Negotiations to broker the deal began in 1982, lasting 22 rounds over two years before the Chinese and U.K. governments signed the declaration. The deal established Hong Kong as a special administrative region with its own chief executive, executive authorities, legislature and judiciary operating its own legal system. Registered with the United Nations, the declaration stipulated that Hong Kong s high degree of autonomy would remain unchanged for 50 years, or at least until 2047. ’ It remains as valid today as it did when it was signed, the U.K. government has repeatedly said, according to Sky News. “ ” In recent years, however, the PRC has argued that the legally binding declaration no longer applies to how it controls Hong Kong, despite CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping once touting the deal as a one country, two systems formula recognized by the whole world, according to Reuters. The PRC s reversal on this position underscores its inability to uphold international“ commitments and agreements,” according to Raab“ and others. ” ’ The ripple effect of the PRC s crackdowns has prompted an exodus of Hong Kong residents, with as many as 5,000 applying to live and work in the U.K. on a path to citizenship there, Reuters reported in early 2021.’ The U.K. government changed its visa rules to make it easier for Hong Kong residents to settle in the U.K. as the PRC continues to violate the declaration, according to Reuters.

U.S. President Joe Biden recently cited CCP oppression in Hong Kong as the basis of his decision to allow Hong Kong residents whose visas are expiring to remain in the United States for 18 months, giving them a temporary safe haven, CNBC reported. (Pictured: Hong Kong police arrest a protester holding a United Kingdom flag in July 2021 at an “ ” annual rally marking the special administrative region s return to Chinese control after more than 150 years of U.K. rule.) ’ Given the politically motivated arrests and trials, the silencing of the media, the diminishing space for elections and democratic opposition, we will continue to take steps in“ support of people in Hong Kong, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. ” President Biden in early August 2021 signed a memorandum that says the PRC has undermined the enjoyment of rights and freedoms, including ones protected by the Sino- British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, according CNBC. “ ” The United States supports the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Hong Kong. Recognizing the significant erosion of those rights and freedoms in Hong Kong“ by the People s Republic of China, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Hong Kong residents who are present in the United States, President Biden s memorandum read.’ The United States is committed to a foreign policy that unites our democratic values with our foreign policy goals, which is centered” on the defense’ of democracy and the promotion“ of human rights around the world. Offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents who have been deprived of their guaranteed freedoms in Hong Kong furthers [the] United States interests in the region. The United States will not waver in our support of people in Hong Kong. ’ https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/08/prc-” in-breach-of-treaty-protecting-hong- kong-freedoms-u-k-says/

China urges Japan to exercise discretion on Taiwan question

Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-20 21:43:26|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan must exercise discretion and refrain from any wrong words or deeds on the Taiwan question, said a mainland spokesperson Friday. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when commenting on the recent attempt of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party to hold "security talks" with Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority. China is resolutely opposed to the series of wrong statements concerning Taiwan made recently by the Japanese government and relevant persons, said Ma. "Japan should reflect on its history, immediately correct its mistakes, and abide by the one-China principle and the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan with concrete actions," said Ma. The spokesperson added that the DPP authority's attempt to collude with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" is doomed to fail. Enditem

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/20/c_1310139489.htm

Taiwan president thanks Biden for 'rock solid' support amid China threats Presidential Office thanks US president for vowing to 'respond' if China attacks

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By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/08/20 14:23

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) administration on Friday (Aug. 20) thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for demonstrating a "rock solid" commitment to Taiwan following his pledge to "respond" if Taiwan was attacked by China.

During an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News on Wednesday, the host pointed out that China has exploited the situation to make comparisons between Afghanistan and Taiwan. "You can already see China telling Taiwan, 'See? You can't count on the Americans.'"

Biden reacted by saying the U.S. has made a "sacred commitment to Article Five" that if any country attacks NATO allies, "we would respond" and added that it would be the "same with Taiwan."

Presidential Office Spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) on Friday (Aug. 20) expressed the country's gratitude to Biden for the recent announcement of the first arms sale to Taiwan under his administration, which fulfills the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances, demonstrating the U.S. "commitment to Taiwan is rock solid."

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4273483

Myanmar Junta Targets Mobile Banking in Bid to Cut Off Opposition Funding New restrictions are announced after Myanmar’s shadow government launches a lottery campaign.

2021-08-19 Myanmar’s military regime is working to block the flow of funding to the country’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) and other anti-junta organizations by shutting down mobile banking accounts and forcing private lenders to submit daily reports on account activity, according to sources. Public confidence in the government and banking sector was shattered on Feb. 1, when Myanmar’s military seized control of the country in a coup d’état and began a campaign of violent repression that has led to at least 1,007 civilian deaths and 5,747 arrests. Lines now form daily for A.T.M. withdrawals, which have been capped at around U.S. $120 to help prevent a run on the banks, and fewer than 100 A.T.M.s carry cash on any given day, according to a recent report by the New York Times. Amid the political chaos, account holders have increasingly turned to mobile banking services to bypass the country’s cash shortage, including the NUG the various People’s Defense Force (PDF) militias formed to protect the public from the military, and the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). The shift has drawn greater scrutiny and restrictions from the junta.

On Aug. 17, the junta’s Central Bank vice-chairman Win Thaw announced on the official MRTV that financial services, and particularly mobile payment and mobile banking services such as Wave Money’s WavePay and Kanbawza Bank Ltd.’s KBZPay, will be “closely monitored” by the government. He said that the NUG and parliament’s Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Committee of Representatives (CRPH) are “illegal organizations” and specifically warned of “legal action” against banks whose mobile services are used to facilitate a NUG-led CDM campaign known as the Aung Lan Lwint Chi Spring Lottery organized to raise money for the shadow government.

“The CRPH and NUG are actually illegal organizations, and the Central Bank needs to report this to the Ministry of Planning and Finance, as illegal cash transactions have to be stopped,” he said. “If financial institutions fail to report remittances, legal action will be taken against them under the Financial Institutions Act.” The vice-chairman also said that authorities are monitoring transactions related to the NUG’s lottery sale, which began on Aug. 15 and offers a payout of up to 1.5 million kyats (U.S. $910) on monthly drawings for winning tickets that can be purchased through mobile banking platforms. He warned that individuals purchasing tickets could be charged under anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering laws.

Win Thaw’s comments came days after the Aug. 13 leak of a Central Bank letter instructing all banks and financial service providers to restrict almost all transactions related to the lottery, under orders from the Ministry of Planning and Revenue.

NUG Finance and Investment Minister Tin Tun Naing told RFA’s Myanmar Service that the lottery had been planned with the public’s safety in mind and said the junta’s threats are empty. “They said they are going to monitor all these accounts, but in reality, there are hundreds of thousands of monetary transfers each day,” he said. “How are they going to find out which are meant for our lottery, and which are not? I don’t think they can do anything to actually trouble the people other than issuing threats.” Tin Tun Naing also said that the junta is unlikely to shut down mobile banking entirely because it would impact its own administration system and suggested that a more secure payment system is “in the pipeline.” A young woman named Htet Myat Thaw told RFA that despite the threats posed by the junta, she would not hesitate to support the CDM.

“I'm one of those people who is waiting for the Spring Revolution lottery—it’s not only me, but people all over the country are waiting,” she said. “We are concerned about our security but we also need to support our CDM movement and so we’ve got to participate in this lottery, setting aside our fears. The CDM is a major part of the fight against junta rule.” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/mobile-08192021195158.html

AUTHORITARIANISM AND RESISTANCE IN MYANMAR ZACHARY ABUZA AUGUST 20, 2021

Since it staged a coup d’etat in February, Myanmar’s military has waged war against the country’s democracy and its own people. It has killed nearly 1,000 civilians and has bombed civilian populations in border areas. It has arrested nearly 8,000 people, including children and family members of dissidents it cannot find. And it has already put Aung San Suu Kyi and the other aging leaders of the National League for Democracy, which routed the army’s party for a second straight election in November 2020, on trial. A poet who wrote that the “revolution dwells in the heart” was arrested and tortured to death. His body returned to his family without his heart.

Some in Myanmar are fighting back. Various armed ethnic insurgencies have stepped up their attacks on government forces. Though it has over 350,000 men under arms, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, is spread thin across multiple fronts. A nationwide civil disobedience movement has confronted the military, bringing the economy, health, and education systems to the brink of collapse. The World Bank is expecting at least an 18 percent contraction of Myanmar’s gross domestic product in 2021.

https://warontherocks.com/2021/08/totalitarianism-and-resistance-in-myanmar/

Malaysia’s 9th prime minister Ismail Sabri: An UMNO veteran who rose up the ranks

Ismail Sabri Yaakob waves to members of the media before departing for a meeting with the king in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 19, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Lim Huey Teng) 20 Aug 2021 05:44PM(Updated: 20 Aug 2021 06:51PM) Bookmark WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn KUALA LUMPUR: Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has been appointed as Malaysia s ninth prime minister. ’ The veteran politician, 61, has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bera, Pahang, since 2004.

He was a lawyer by profession and had served as director of several government boards, including the Southeast Pahang Development Authority (DARA) and the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board.

Beginning as an UMNO division committee member in Temerloh, Pahang, in 1987, Mr Ismail Sabri rose through the ranks gradually to become an UMNO supreme council member in 2008.

The father of four children first joined the Malaysian cabinet in 2008 as youth and sports minister during the prime ministership of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Since then, he had a few changes of portfolios including domestic trade and consumer affairs, agriculture and agro-based industry as well as rural and regional development. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-9th-prime-minister-ismail-sabri- umno-veteran-2123236

Locked-up and fed-up: Australian voters put prime minister on notice August 20, 2021 | 3:40 pm

REUTERS

SYDNEY — Kathy Chalker, a Sydney art studio owner, is just the sort of voter Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison needs to win the country’s next election — a long-time conservative party supporter with a small business in a swing seat.

But Ms. Chalker has already decided to vote Mr. Morrison out.

With her business closed indefinitely under a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) lockdown in Australia’s biggest city, Ms. Chalker blames Mr. Morrison’s government for what she sees as the blundering management of a vaccine rollout that is behind almost every other developed nation.

“Why weren’t they prepared? We were all watching this happening around the world — it’s pure incompetence,” Ms. Chalker told Reuters from her home in Sydney’s western suburbs, the epicenter of a COVID-19 outbreak that is the country’s worst since the pandemic began.

Ms. Chalker is not alone in her sentiments. On current polling, Mr. Morrison’s Liberal Party-led Coalition would likely lose its thin majority in the country’s 151-seat parliament at an election that must be held by the middle of next year.

Australia’s exposure to the coronavirus pandemic remains small compared to many other developed nations, with a total of just over 41,400 cases and 971 deaths, and for several months it appeared to be emerging from the crisis. But the fast-moving Delta variant has exposed a major weakness; the country’s slow-moving vaccine program.

“The problem is Morrison set expectations so high,” said John Hewson, a former Liberal Party leader. “Australia was riding high with few if any cases, and now he has to manage these lows.”

The country recorded 754 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day increase, since the previous peak a year ago. The bulk of those were in Sydney’s west, which includes the federal electorate of Lindsay, where Ms. Chalker lives and works.

Sydney’s west is home to around 2.5 million people and represents the country’s third largest economy after Sydney’s central business district and the city of Melbourne.

Anger is growing in the region that a two-month lockdown does not appear to have curbed the Delta outbreak, but has severely impacted local businesses. Ms. Chalker voted for the Liberal Party at the 2019 election but believes they have overlooked small businesses during the current lockdown.

“My whole family feel the same way. I have adult sons and they are saying, ‘Yep, we’ll vote for what you need mum.’”

With more than half Australia’s population of 25 million living under some form of lockdown, economists say the national economy is now at risk of falling into its second recession in as many years.

Residents in Lindsay and surrounding electorates are subject to the most stringent measures in the country, with most confined to their homes except for exercise and buying essential supplies.

“The people here are the engine of Australia; they need to be working, many live hand- to-mouth,” said Jody Reeves, another Lindsay resident, who describes herself as a swing voter.

“Morrison is going to need a strong advertising campaign to make us forget, but I’ll be here to remind everyone what went wrong.”

https://www.bworldonline.com/locked-up-and-fed-up-australian-voters-put-prime- minister-on-notice/

With the Taliban’s ascendancy in Afghanistan, does Pakistan stand to gain or lose?

 Islamabad has long had a paradoxical role in Afghanistan – accused of providing covert support to the Taliban, while playing a major supporting role in the US war on terror  Experts say it is likely Pakistan will recognise a Taliban regime, though the expectations of Washington and Beijing will shape its decision

Tom Hussain Published: 5:30pm, 20 Aug, 2021 Why you can trust SCMP

Pakistan’s decision makers have their fingers crossed ahead of an eagerly anticipated speech by Taliban chief Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada that will cast the die for Afghanistan’s political future.

Islamabad hopes Akhundzada’s policy-defining address, expected to be delivered by Sunday, will reassure the international community that the Taliban has evolved from a globally reviled terrorist group into a palatably responsible state actor, according to journalists who this week attended a briefing conducted by Pakistan’s powerful military.

However, Islamabad is also concerned that Akhundzada’s speech could trigger an international backlash against Pakistan because of its long-standing support for the Taliban – particularly from the

United States and other Nato members humiliated by the sudden capitulation of the Afghan government last Sunday.

Since then, widespread shock at the ease of the Taliban takeover and heart-rending scenes of Afghans desperately trying to board evacuation flights out of Kabul have focused the world’s attention on the abandonment of Afghanistan by deposed president Ashraf Ghani’s administration, and the handling of the US military withdrawal by President Joe Biden.

At the same time, Pakistan has lobbied the international community – close allies China and Russia in particular – to garner support for collective diplomatic engagement with the Taliban as a means of ensuring that the group keeps its promises to form an inclusive administration, prevent terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, and allow women access to education and employment. Apart from Afghanistan, “Pakistan has the most to gain from peace in its neighbour and the most to lose from strife and instability”, said Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to Britain, the United Nations and the US. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3145790/talibans-ascendancy- afghanistan-does-pakistan-stand-gain-or

Putin Criticizes U.S., Others for 'Irresponsible' Enforcement of 'Own Values' on Afghanistan

BY MARY ELLEN CAGNASSOLA ON 8/20/21 AT 1:52 PM EDT In a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply called out Western nations for the Taliban's near-immediate takeover of Afghanistan, denouncing what he said was the futility of occupying forces imposing their own standards of democracy.

"It's necessary to stop the irresponsible policy of enforcing its own values on others and attempts to build democracy in other countries based on outside models without taking into account historic, ethnic and religious issues and fully ignoring other people's traditions," Putin said.

Merkel responded that Russia should use its Taliban contacts to negotiate rescue for Afghan citizens who assisted Germany's military mission. The two leaders stood starkly divided on issues ranging from Russia's imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to democratic values.

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-criticizes-us-others-irresponsible-enforcement- own-values-afghanistan-1621616

The Taliban's mask slips further after militants kill journalist's relative By Rob Picheta, Nadine Schmidt and Tim Lister, CNN Updated 0018 GMT (0818 HKT) August 21, 2021

Watch chaos unfold at Kabul airport's north gate 02:11

(CNN)Afghans are witnessing early glimpses of the true nature of Taliban rule, after the brutal repression of several protests and the murder of a journalist's relative betrayed the militant group's promises to lead an "inclusive" and restrained regime.

The German news organization Deutsche Welle (DW) said in an article on Thursday that Taliban fighters had been searching for one of its journalists in Afghanistan, confirming that a relative of the journalist was shot dead by the Taliban on Wednesday and one other person was seriously injured. Other relatives were able to escape at the last minute and are on the run, the DW article said. "The killing of a close relative of one of our editors by the Taliban yesterday is inconceivably tragic, and testifies to the acute danger in which all our employees and their families in Afghanistan find themselves," DW Director General Peter Limbourg said in the article. "It is evident that the Taliban are already carrying out organized searches for journalists, both in Kabul and in the provinces. We are running out of time!" Limburg added. The news comes after a threat assessment, prepared for the United Nations by a Norwegian organization, warned the "Taliban are intensifying the hunt-down of all individuals and collaborators with the former regime, and if unsuccessful, target and arrest the families and punish them according to their own interpretation of Sharia law." "Particularly at risk are individuals in central positions in military, police and investigative units," the report went on to say. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/20/asia/afghanistan-taliban-rule-friday- intl/index.html

The True Extent of Biden’s Lies about Afghanistan

By JIM GERAGHTY

August 20, 2021 9:27 AM

President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a speech in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., August 18, 2021. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

On the menu today: New revelations reveal how many things President Biden said in recent days that were the precise opposite of the truth; Biden returns to his Delaware home today; the Columbia Journalism Review realizes that conservative media were the only ones who didn’t buy into the Andrew Cuomo hype; and a note of thanks.

Almost Everything Biden Said about Afghanistan Was False

President Joe Biden, August 10, 2021: “I’ll insist we continue to keep the commitments we made of providing close air support, making sure that their air force functions and is operable, re- — resupplying their forces with food and equipment, and paying all their salaries. But they’ve got to want to fight. They have outnumbered the Taliban. And I’m getting daily briefings. I think there’s still a possibility — you have a significant new Secretary of Defense — our equivalent of a Secretary of Defense in Afghanistan, Bismillah Khan, who is a serious fighter (emphasis added).”

The Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2021: “In the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal decision, the U.S. pulled its air support, intelligence and contractors servicing Afghanistan’s planes and helicopters. That meant the Afghan military simply couldn’t operate anymore.”

President Biden, in his interview with George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday: “The idea that the Taliban would take over was premised on the notion that the — that somehow, the 300,000 troops we had trained and equipped was gonna just collapse, they were gonna give up. I don’t think anybody anticipated that (emphasis added).”

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-true-extent-of-bidens-lies- about-afghanistan/

The Afghan Tragedy Is China’s Opportunity

Arthur Herman Images of the collapse of the Afghan government in Kabul bring back painful memories of a similar collapse in the wake of a similar U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975. The comparisons with Vietnam, however, go beyond American humiliation and defeat and the abandonment of those whom American power was supposed to protect. If history is any guide, we can expect America s retreat also to boost the opportunities for our — superpower rival. In 1975 that was the ; today it s Communist China. ’ ’ The United States withdrawal from Vietnam allowed the Soviet Union to expand its influence around the world, not only in Southeast Asia but in Africa and the Middle East including, ironically,’ Afghanistan. Those who worry rightly about a resurgence of al-Qaeda and terrorist groups in a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan should have an additional worry:— that Washington s influence will be replaced by that of Beijing, which will rock the balance of power in Central and South Asia but also across the Middle East. ’ The Chinese government has already made advances to the Taliban, and the Taliban s response has been cautiously encouraging to it. On July 28, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held a high-level meeting with nine Taliban representatives, including the group s’ co- founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. This wasn t the terrorist group s first visit to Beijing, but the seniority of Chinese attendees was unprecedented, as was the publicity attending’ the meeting. Foreign Minister Wang publicly recognized’ the Taliban as’ a legitimate political force in Afghanistan, China is a friendly country, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said, and we welcome it for reconstruction and developing Afghanistan. . . . If [the Chinese] have investments, of course we will“ ensure their safety.” The Taliban had already said they were not“ going to raise difficulties over China s brutal treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. ” ’ The overriding issue for the new Taliban government won t be whether to stand up for fellow Muslims. It will be whether the Taliban gain Chinese investment as a way to secure their power. As for Beijing, China s interest in Afghanistan ’fits nicely in the One Belt One Road Initiative, its broader strategic plan for Central and South Asia. Beijing s construction projects have already made Pakistan’ virtually a Chinese colony; the next logical step will be to make Kabul a hub in China s massive $250 billion global infrastructure and’ investment plan. Beijing has been offering its help with construction of the Peshawar Kabul motorway, which would connect Pakistan’ to Afghanistan. Beijing is also building a major road through the Wakhan Corridor, which connects China s westernmost province of Xinjiang– to Afghanistan. These new thoroughfares should enable Beijing to pursue its goals of increased trade with the region but also of getting’ hold of Afghanistan s strategic natural

’ resources. According to a United States Geological Survey report from 2010, Afghanistan may possess nearly a trillion dollars worth of extractable rare-earth metals all waiting for Chinese engineers and companies to exploit. ’ — But the real Afghan prize for Beijing will be Bagram Air Base. Just as the Communist victory in Vietnam opened the door to Soviet takeover of the huge naval base the U.S. had built at Cam Ranh Bay it soon became the Soviet navy s largest base outside the so Bagram represents a strategic opportunity that Beijing will find hard to resist. — ’ — Forty miles north of Kabul, the Bagram installation covers 30 square miles. It has a 12,000- foot runway that can accommodate any aircraft in the Chinese military arsenal. Bagram is, however, far more than an air base: For two decades, it s been the headquarters of the U.S. NATO war effort, including intelligence-gathering. Only 283 miles from Islamabad and 437 miles from Kashmir, Bagram is a watchtower and a platform’ for projecting power against – India and across the region. Baghdad (1,919 miles), Tehran (1,006 miles), and Dubai (1,046 miles) will be only an hour or two away for China s most advanced stealth aircraft, the J-20, operating at cruising speed. Bagram s complex of airfields could also become a major hub in Beijing s plans for an airborne version of its One’ Belt One Road Initiative, linking airports around the region even as U.S. influence’ shrivels. ’ — If we are going to make sure that future history books don t cite the fall of Kabul in 2021 as the landmark date in China s rise as the dominant superpower in Central and South Asia, policy-makers need to develop a bold plan to rebuild U.S. influence’ and power and to reassure allies such as India,’ Saudi Arabia, and Israel that we aren t handing the keys to the region to Beijing. ’ https://www.hudson.org/research/17202-the-afghan-tragedy-is-china-s-opportunity

What Comes Next? A Lesson from Saigon

Rather than marking the eclipse of American power, withdrawal from Vietnam coincided with its spectacular increase. BY MICHAEL DESCH

PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

AUGUST 20, 2021

COMMENTARY

AFGHANISTAN

STRATEGY

An iconic photograph from the waning days of the now seems likely to be recreated in Kabul. In it, an Air America helicopter lands on the roof of a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency building across town from the U.S. Embassy. A CIA officer guides a long line of Vietnamese up a ladder and into the chopper, their last hope of escape from the North Vietnamese and their Viet Cong allies as they tighten their grip on what will soon be rechristened Ho Chi Minh City.

For many, this image epitomizes the United States’ ignominious defeat after almost a decade of deep political and military engagement in Southeast Asia. Not only did Americans and a few of their local allies escape at the eleventh hour, literally hanging from the skids of Hueys, but our precipitous exit supposedly undermined our credibility with our other allies and emboldened our Communist adversaries to turn up the heat on the around the world.

Rather than marking the eclipse of American power, withdrawal from Vietnam in fact coincided with its spectacular increase. Within another decade of the fall of Saigon the United States was on the verge of winning the Cold War without firing a shot and would go on to assume such a preponderant position in global politics that comparisons to the Pax Britannica of the 19th century or even the Roman Empire at its height seemed reasonable. Defeat in Vietnam did not end the American Century but further extended it into the new millennium.

What explains this? The Cold War was not won or lost in the rice paddies of Vietnam or the jungles of Africa; rather the key to victory was the successful defense of the most developed areas of the world. During the Cold War, the global balance of power between the Communist East and the capitalist West hinged upon three vital areas of the world. These included the economic powerhouses of Western Europe and Northeast Asia along with the , home to one of the largest global reserves of oil which fueled and lubricated those economies.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/what-comes-next-lesson- saigon/184695/ Indifference to Ethnic and Tribal Realities

Husain Haqqani The American failure in Afghanistan was primarily political. There was never a strategy, just a series of tactical moves: 20 annual plans for 20 years instead of one plan that might have brought a clearly defined mission to an end more quickly and successfully.

The U.S. went in after the 9/11 attacks to force out the brutal Taliban regime because it had protected al Qaeda. But the Bush administration assumed the Taliban would not pose a threat once al Qaeda was degraded and did little to prevent the regrouping of Taliban leaders across the border in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, a highly centralized government structure was written into the Afghan constitution, forcing ethnicities and tribes to vie for a share of power in Kabul. The result: The legitimacy of tribal strongmen, who retained influence in their respective areas, was diluted as they were forced to express allegiance to the central authorities, who remained weak.

Pakistan s military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, helped to arrest many al Qaeda figures, but as he later admitted, he also continued to support the Taliban, to hedge against Indian influence’ in Afghanistan after an eventual U.S. withdrawal. Musharraf expected the U.S. to leave within a couple of years and was instrumental in helping the Taliban attack foreign forces in Afghanistan to expedite their departure. By 2006, American officials started speaking of a Pakistani double game and tried using aid and diplomatic bullying to end it, but they never recognized that Pakistan s policy was shaped by its insecurities about India, and thus was unmoved “by those strategies.” ’ During the Obama administration, U.S. diplomats tried to micromanage Afghanistan s internal politics, preferring Western-educated technocrats like Ashraf Ghani, while locally influential politicians were denigrated as warlords and deemed redundant, which ’did not help build a government that reflected or responded to Afghanistan s ethnic and tribal realities. Meanwhile, U.S. officials with degrees“ in development” economics and conflict resolution, but lacking understanding of Afghan dynamics, wielded immense’ influence over where and how to deploy U.S. resources devoted to stabilization.

Even the Afghan army that the U.S. tried to train was cast in America s image, too high-tech for a low-tech country, and dependent on U.S. contractors for technical advice and maintenance. And though it takes decades to rise to the rank of general’ in the U.S. Army, the U.S. focus on leaving meant Afghan officers were promoted in too much of a hurry to provide mature leadership. Instead of addressing any of these problems, discussion about Afghanistan was ultimately reduced to its being America s longest war. When Presidents Trump and Biden decided to talk directly to the Taliban about U.S. withdrawal, it further undermined the Afghan government and boosted Taliban’ morale. After worrying for so long about staying too long, the U.S. eventually left Afghanistan back in the hands of the same extremists it went in to fight.

https://www.hudson.org/research/17204-indifference-to-ethnic-and-tribal-realities

China fires flares at PH military planes patrolling West PH Sea

By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:13 PM August 20, 2021 MANILA, Philippines—China recently fired flares at Philippine military planes conducting security patrols in the West Philippine Sea.

These were recorded at least five times near Chinese outposts in the West Philippine Sea, according to Lt. Col. Bill Pasia, of the Palawan-based Western Command, at an online forum on Friday (Aug. 20).

ADVERTISEMENT “China uses pyrotechnic signals or flare warnings to ward off our ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) team,” he said.

The flares were fired from buildings on these Chinese outposts last June:

Pasia also said that Philippine aircraft received Chinese radio warnings at least 218 times while patrolling the West Philippine Sea.

“As part of China’s assertiveness, while we are patrolling the West Philippine Sea, our ISR team are consistently receiving radio challenges from Chinese navy or reefs during routine flight patrols,” he said.

China, using its fictitious nine-dash line, had laid claim to nearly the entire South China Sea but this had already been rejected by an international court in 2016. Some Southeast Asian countries have overlapping claims in the South China Sea but none as brazenly fraudulent as China’s.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198614/china-fires-flares-at-ph-military-planes-patrolling-west-ph-sea

‘China fired flares at PH sea patrols in June’

China has fired flares to repel Philippine patrol ships in the West Philippine Sea on at least five instances in June, the military’s Western Mindanao Command said Friday.

WestMinCom’s Lt. Col. Bill Pasia, in an online briefing, said the Philippine vessels were conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) patrols.

“China uses pyrotechnic signals or flare warnings to ward off our ISR teams. In 2021 alone, a total of five flare warning signals were reported by our ISR teams,” Pasia said.

The flares, he said, were fired from buildings in Chinese-occupied reefs in the area.

The first incident recorded was on June 16 from Chigua Reef. On June 22, two incidents were recorded from Calderon Reef, one from Gaven Reef, and one from Mabini Reef.

“While we are patrolling the West Philippine Sea, our ISR teams are consistently receiving radio challenges from Chinese Navy or reefs during routine flight patrols,” Pasia said.

“The situation has implications as it affects our national security and our dignity as a nation,” he added.

In 2013, the Philippines challenged China’s legal basis for its expansive claim in the South China Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.

Manila won the case in a landmark award in 2016 after the tribunal invalidated Beijing’s assertions.

China, however, has repeatedly ignored the PCA ruling, while the Philippines has sought to resolve the sea dispute through a diplomatic approach.

https://manilastandard.net/news/national/362929/-china-fired-flares-at-ph-sea-patrols-in-june-.html

20th annual SEACAT multilateral exercise concludes Friday

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The 20th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercise ended Friday after 10 days of engagements with 21 Indo-Pacific partner nations in Singapore and virtually.

Led by the U.S. Navy, the exercise included international organizations and non-governmental organizations working to enhance collaboration on shared maritime security in the region.

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Participants used standardized tactics, techniques and procedures to address crises, contingencies and illegal activities.

"Integrating U.S. Navy personnel and liaison officers from across the region and beyond, the multilateral collaboration required during SEACAT continues to build on well-established relationships in the maritime domain," Capt. Tim LaBenz, deputy commander of Destroyer Squadron 7, said in a news release. "Exercises like these showcase the daily strides and highlight our shared focus to promote maritime security, all in support of a free and open Indo- Pacific."

LaBenz served as the officer in tactical command, overseeing the operations in Singapore.

Changi Naval Base in Singapore served as a centralized hub for the exercises, which included tracking merchant vessels contracted to simulate suspicious vessels of interest.

Participating countries used maritime domain awareness tools, maritime patrol, reconnaissance aircraft and surface assets to track, find and simulate boarding suspicious vessels in the seas throughout Southeast Asia.

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"As the U.S. Department of Defense lead agency for counter-narcotics in the Indo-Pacific, Joint Interagency Task Force West remains honored to participate in SEACAT year after year," Rear Adm. Charles Fosse, director of JIATF West said in the news release.

"SEACAT 2021 strengthened our intelligence-sharing partnerships with other military and law enforcement operational centers, enabling a unified effort to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific."

RELATEDNavy deploys USS Arlington to Haiti to aid hurricane relief

This year's exercise was the largest since SEACAT began in 2002, with 10 ships and more than 400 personnel. Participants from the U.S. Navy included USS Tulsa, staff of DESRON 7, P- 8A Poseidon aircraft assigned to Task Force 72, and personnel from Task Forces 73, 76, U.S. 7th Fleet, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and JIATF West.

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean and Global Fishing Watch also were involved. Women, Peace and Security principles were applied.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/08/20/SEACAT-Singapore/2171629477118/

Afghanistan: Taliban’s return ‘boosts morale’ of militant groups in Southeast Asia

 Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Philippines are seen as being most affected by the Taliban’s victory, according to an analyst  A security source said seven Indonesian Isis fighters were recently among 5,000 prisoners freed by the Taliban from a former US airbase in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has boosted the morale of militant groups in Southeast Asia , inspiring some to make plans to go to the country and undertake military and other training there, according to analysts and a former militant.

The Taliban’s success has been widely celebrated by Islamist and extremist groups, which are also expected to have been reinvigorated in their fight to replace secular governments in the region with an Islamic state.

“

Indonesia , Malaysia and the southern Philippines will be most impacted by the Taliban’s victory as the three countries have real or perceived local grievances [involving such groups],” said Huda Ismail, visiting fellow at the S. Rajaratnam Institute of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3145856/talibans-return-afghanistan-boosts-morale- militant-groups

T-Mobile breach hits 53 million customers as probe finds wider impact

FILE PHOTO: A T-Mobile logo is seen on the storefront door of a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., April 30, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 20 Aug 2021 07:24PM (Updated: 21 Aug 2021 01:18AM)

BookmarkShare (Corrects paragraph 7 to say the 2018 breach affected 3per cent of 77 million customers, not 77 million customers)

By Akanksha Rana

:T-Mobile US Inc said on Friday an ongoing investigation into a data breach revealed that hackers accessed personal information of an additional 5.3 million customers, bringing the total number of people affected to more than 53 million.

The third largest U.S. wireless carrier had earlier this week said that personal data of more than 40 million former and prospective customers was stolen along with data from 7.8 million existing T-Mobile wireless customers.

In its latest update, which comes days after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened an investigation into the breach, T-Mobile revealed it had identified 5.3 million additional wireless subscribers who were impacted by the breach as well as 667,000 more accounts of former customers.

The data includes addresses, dates of birth and phone numbers of customers, the company said, adding that it had no indication that the accessed data contained financial information such as credit card or other payment data.

Some T-Mobile customers sued the company for damages late Thursday night in Seattle federal court, saying in a proposed class action that the cyberattack violated their privacy and exposed them to a higher risk of fraud and identity theft.

The wireless carrier is the latest victim of cyberattacks on large corporations in the United States as hackers exploit weakened user system privacy and security due to work-from-home policies instituted since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2018, the company had informed https://www.reuters.com/article/us-t-mobile- data-idUSKCN1L90NA about a potential security breach that could have affected about 3per cent of its 77 million customers.

"T-mobile has had 6 other data breaches in the past 4 years," said Doug Schmidt, a professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University.

"It appears that their IT system is particularly vulnerable since they haven't been able to rectify their known security issues during this time period, which should be concerning to customers."

T-Mobile said in a regulatory filing https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1283699/00011931252125197 4/d362750d8k.htm on Friday that while the investigation was ongoing, it was confident that it had "closed off the access."

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/t-mobile-breach-hits-53-million-customers-probe-finds- wider-impact-2126396

Exclusive: FBI finds scant evidence U.S. Capitol attack was coordinated - sources By Mark Hosenball and Sarah N. Lynch

Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during clashes with police, during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Read More

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials.

Reporting By Mark Hosenball; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Kieran Murray and Daniel Wallis

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-fbi-finds-scant-evidence-us-capitol-attack-was- coordinated-sources-2021-08-20/

Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near US Capitol BYTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUGUST 20, 2021 4 MINUTE READ

In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. Right-wing extremism has previously mostly played out in isolated pockets of America or in smaller cities. In contrast, the deadly attack by rioters on the U.S. Capitol targeted the very heart of government. It brought together members of disparate groups, creating the opportunity for extremists to establish links with each other. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) WASHINGTON—A North Carolina man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the US Capitol surrendered to law enforcement after an hours-long standoff Thursday that prompted a massive police response and the evacuations of government buildings in the area.

Authorities were investigating what led the suspect, identified as 49- year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry, to drive onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress, make bomb threats to officers and profess a litany of anti-government grievances as part of a bizarre episode that he live-streamed for a Facebook audience. Police later searched the vehicle and said they did not find a bomb but did collect possible bomb-making materials. The standoff was resolved peacefully after roughly five hours of negotiations, ending when Roseberry crawled out of the truck and was taken into police custody. But even in a city with a long history of dramatic law enforcement encounters outside federal landmarks, this episode was notable for its timing—Washington remains on edge eight months after the insurrection at the US Capitol—and for the way the suspect harnessed social media to draw attention to his actions in the hours before his arrest.

Authorities who spent hours negotiating with Roseberry—he held up handwritten signs through his driver-side window—were continuing to dig into his background Thursday evening. They did not reveal any details about a motive, and no charges were immediately announced.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/20/man-surrenders-after-claiming-to-have-bomb-near-us- capitol/

Afghan Aftermath: Will Pacific States See Weakened US?

India is the one country Sarang Shidore, an expert on South Asia and the Pacific, thinks will be truly worried about the Afghan collapse. "The US," he says, "will have to manage the Indian perceptions once the (Afghan) evacuations are finished."

By COLIN CLARK and AARON MEHTAon August 20, 2021 at 9:41 AM

Evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport (CREDIT: Marine 1st Lt. Mark Andries) WASHINGTON: “The world has witnessed how the US evacuated its diplomats by helicopter while Taliban soldiers crowded into the presidential palace in Kabul,” the official and hawkish Chinese English-language Global Times editorial page wrote within hours of the Taliban taking the capital. “This has dealt a heavy blow to the credibility and reliability of the US.”

But is it that obvious? More importantly, is it true? And how will America’s allies, partners and adversaries judge the strategic implications?

A trio of Indo-Pacific analysts told Breaking Defense that any discussion of Chinese messaging needs to acknowledge the Chinese are fast and brilliant at shaping a clear and intriguing message. It’s no surprise the Global Times editorial went up in less than 24 hours after the Taliban entered Kabul.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/afghan-aftermath-will-pacific-states-see-weakened-us/

Official Says DOD Is Shifting to a Strategic Readiness Posture

AUG. 20, 2021 | BY DAVID VERGUN , D O D N E W S Strategic readiness is vital to mission success and should be woven into everything the Defense Department does, said the assistant secretary of defense for readiness.

Shawn Skelly told the Professional Services Council's Defense Services Conference earlier this week that the traditional operational readiness model which she said means being ready to fight tonight needs to be broadened to include a strategic readiness model. — — "While operational readiness is a key component of strategic readiness, viewing readiness through a 'fight tonight' lens does not provide the comprehensive view of readiness that the department needs to maintain a strategic advantage," she said.

To refocus the Department on strategic readiness, Skelly said:

 Model-informed predictive analytics assessments of strategic readiness must be incorporated into the department's existing strategy, planning and resourcing processes.  Decision makers must have access to objective analysis that captures the full range of the risks and tradeoffs of their choices to current readiness, future readiness, and modernization.  Professional military education, leadership development, and training must be paired with talent management so service members are strategically-minded, technologically-savvy, joint warfighters who think critically and can creatively apply military power based on national objectives, such as understanding China as a strategic competitor.  The health and safety of the workforce is vital. Data- driven, predictive approaches are necessary to address mishaps and workplace injuries and their causes to prevent future occurrences and readiness degradation they cause.

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2740322/official-says-dod-is-shifting-to-a- strategic-readiness-posture/

‘We’re making the same commitment’: Biden vows to evacuate all Afghan allies seeking safety from the Taliban

The president’s pledge came after a week of international outrage over his administration’s execution of the American military withdrawal.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the U.S. military’s ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan as he is joined by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Joe Biden on Friday vowed to evacuate all Afghan allies of the United States seeking to flee Afghanistan, extending the same commitment he made earlier this week to Americans still stranded in the Taliban-controlled country.

“There’s no one more important than bringing American citizens out, I acknowledge that. But they’re equally important, almost,” Biden told reporters following an address at the White House, referring to the thousands of interpreters and other Afghan personnel who aided the two-decade U.S. war effort.

Previously, Biden told ABC News in an interview Wednesday he would maintain the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 — his self-imposed pullout deadline — if evacuation operations were not yet completed. But until Friday, that assurance appeared limited only to American citizens still on the ground.

Biden also indicated in his address that he may be willing to broaden the U.S. military presence in the capital city of Kabul beyond the international airport where all evacuations are taking place. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/20/white-house-number-of-americans-in-afghanistan-506355

Inside the mission to rescue 169 Americans from a hotel outside the Kabul airport

Afghans swarming the walls and gates of the Kabul airport met with tear gas, gunfire and other obstacles as they continued to try to gain access to the flights. A group of 169 Americans were airlifted from a hotel outside the Kabul airporton Thursday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed to reporters Friday, one of a very limited number of actions that U.S. troops have undertaken outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport walls since a contingent of 6,000 began deploying last week.

President Joe Biden first spoke of the mission during an address on Friday, in which he described “military assets” bringing Americans “over the wall” of the airport.

“... the original plan was for the Americans to gather themselves up at the Baron [Hotel] and walk through the Abbey gate. The gate is right here. So you can see from the hotel to the gate,” Kirby said. “... but there was a large crowd established outside the Abbey gate ― a crowd, that, that not everybody had confidence in, in terms of their ability to walk through it. And so, local commanders on the scene took the initiative and flew these helicopters out there to pick them up.”

Three Army CH-47 Chinooks fetched the Americans from a landing zone at the hotel, Kirby said, then dropped them at the airport for processing. He could not confirm whether they had since been flown out of Afghanistan.

The extraction was the first time U.S. officials have confirmed that troops have been operating outside the walls of the airport.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/flashpoints/afghanistan/2021/08/20/inside-the-mission-to-rescue- 169-americans-from-a-hotel-outside-the-kabul-airport/

US Has Not Recognized Taliban Government, No Decision on Aircraft and Airmen that Fled

Aug. 20, 2021 | By Abraham Mahshie

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The State Department has not recognized the Taliban government, and despite the presence of dozens of U.S.-provided aircraft and hundreds of Afghan service members in neighboring countries, the U.S. is focusing its attention on evacuating the thousands of Afghans and Americans still in Afghanistan.

In the days before the fall of Kabul, 585 Afghan airmen and soldiers fled in 46 aircraft to neighboring Uzbekistan. Another 158 Afghans crossed on foot, an Uzbek government official confirmed. At least 100 Afghan soldiers also reportedly fled in an unknown number of aircraft to Tajikistan, according to Reuters.

The State Department said the aircraft were secure and the service members were safely in the care of the respective governments, but it’s not clear what efforts are being made to prevent repatriation and possible retaliation by the Taliban.

“The Afghan personnel and aircraft are secure and being housed by the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Due to the critical situation in Afghanistan, we are focused on the humanitarian effort, which is currently affecting Afghanistan and its neighbors.”

The spokesperson said the department is “confident” the governments are also committed to the welfare of those who fled Afghanistan and referred further questions to the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Embassy of Tajikistan in Washington, D.C., could not be reached.

An Uzbek government official told Air Force Magazine on Aug. 20 that no decision had been made regarding the platforms and Afghan personnel in Uzbekistan, but the government of Uzbekistan had offered the United States use of its airports for flights carrying Afghans wanting to leave the country.

The official also said that 115 of the Afghans who had fled to Uzbekistan returned to Afghanistan of their own accord, though he did not say why or how they returned or whether they were military or civilians.

The State Department and Pentagon revealed that negotiations were underway with a variety of countries to host Afghan special immigrant visa applicants while they are in processing.

The Uzbek official, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said his country was among those in the negotiation, along with Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan.

The Afghan Taliban has been considered a specially designated global terrorist entity since 2002, according to the State Department. The classification is used to impose sanctions, prevent Americans from transacting with them, and blocking all Afghan Taliban property and interests.

The State Department has not yet recognized the new Taliban government. “We are assessing what has transpired given the leadership vacuum created by President [Ashraf] Ghani’s departure,” the spokesperson said. Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban approached Kabul and is seeking refuge in the United Arab Emirates.

“It is premature to address the issue of recognition,” the spokesperson said, noting the focus is on the Defense Department’s evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

“We support the ongoing dialogue among Afghan leaders to reach a political solution and continue to press for the principles of inclusivity and protection of rights in any future government formation,” the spokesperson added, noting coordination with Afghanistan’s neighbors and other countries in the region and the international community.

Peace talks between the Taliban and the former government of Afghanistan had been stalled for months as the Taliban made battlefield gains. While frequently attacking Afghan forces amid rising violence across the country, the Taliban were careful not to attack U.S. and coalition forces in accordance with a peace agreement signed with the U.S. on Feb. 29, 2020, in Doha.

“Any future relationship between the Taliban and the international community will depend on the Taliban’s actions. The world is watching closely,” the spokesperson said. “A future Afghan government that upholds the basic rights of its people and that doesn’t harbor terrorists is a government we can work with.”

https://www.airforcemag.com/us-not-recognized-taliban-government/

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Pentagon Leaders: Not Enough Capacity For Rescue Operations In Kabul

"We cannot afford to either not defend that airfield, or not have an airfield that secure, where we have hundreds or thousands of civilians that can access the airfield at will and put our forces at risk,” SecDef Austin said.

By AARON MEHTAon August 18, 2021 at 5:24 PM

Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit fly to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 17. (Marines/1st Lt. Mark Andries) WASHINGTON: The Pentagon does not currently have the capacity to both defend Hamid Karzai International Airport and send forces out to collect Americans struggling to reach the last bastion of American presence in Afghanistan, according to the US defense secretary.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since Afghanistan began to collapse 11 days ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the focus has to be on keeping Kabul’s airport secure in order to facilitate getting as many Americans and accepted Afghans out of the country.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/pentagon-leaders-not-enough-capacity-for-rescue-operations-in- kabul/ Biden reaffirms commitment to S. Korea’s defense amid Afghan withdrawal

By Choi Si-young Published : Aug 20, 2021 - 15:03 Updated : Aug 20, 2021 - 15:05  US President Joe Biden said Thursday in the US that his country is committed to the mutual defense treaty with South Korea, noting the situation in South Korea is different from Afghanistan, where the Taliban swiftly took over the government after the withdrawal of US troops.

The US, whose military still has wartime operational control of South Korea’s armed forces, has been pressed over its commitment to collective security as chaos grips Afghanistan.

“We are in a situation where they are in -- entities we’ve made agreements with based on not a civil war they’re having on that island or in South Korea, but on an agreement where they have a unity government that, in fact, is trying to keep bad guys from doing bad things to them,” Biden said in an ABC interview, referring to Taiwan alongside Korea.

And the US will respond to any attack on its Asian allies including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, Biden said, referring to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mutual defense doctrine. NATO is a 30-nation military alliance that includes the US, Canada and 28 European countries.

Earlier this week, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration is not seeking to reduce American troops in South Korea, describing its commitment to the alliance as sacrosanct.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210820000612

The Pentagon Must Prep Now for the Next Pandemic

We must take stock of the myriad ways the U.S. military has helped fight COVID-19—and learn to do even better. LT. COL. ADAM SCHER |

 The COVID-19 pandemic is a national-security threat that requires both a domestic and global effort to confront: it has disrupted military operations at all levels and left more than 621,000 people dead in America alone. The U.S. military has proved invaluable in the fight, which is far from over. But it is not too early to begin thinking about how we can better prepare the military to handle a next pandemic.

This effort should start with a proper cataloguing of the unprecedented use of America’s modern military apparatus to battle an unseen enemy on American soil. Our country went on a war footing to combat a disease with the March 13, 2020, declaration of a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak. In March and April of that first pandemic year, National Guard and Reserve personnel were mobilized to meet the COVID mission.

Almost immediately, DoD faced unanticipated second- and third-order effects. Both components are disproportionately composed of first responders and frontline healthcare workers who regularly serve local communities. In some instances, Guard and Reserve members were pulled from local communities where they were needed in their civilian capacity in order to serve as first responders elsewhere within the same state.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/pentagon-must-prep-now-next-pandemic/184697/

Exclusive: Pentagon Poised To Unveil, Demonstrate Classified Space Weapon

The push to declassify an existing space weapon is being spearheaded by Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

By THERESA HITCHENSon August 20, 2021 at 1:44 PM

Directed energy anti-satellite weapons for the future. (Lockheed Martin) WASHINGTON: For months, top officials at the Defense Department have been working toward declassifying the existence of a secret space weapon program and providing a real-world demonstration of its capabilities, Breaking Defense has learned.

The effort — which sources say is being championed by Gen. John Hyten, the vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff — is close enough to completion that there was a belief the anti-satellite technology might have been revealed at this year’s National Space Symposium, which kicks off next week.

However, the crisis in Afghanistan appears to have put that on hold for now. Pulling the trigger on declassifying such a sensitive technology requires concurrence of the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, and a thumbs up from President Joe Biden, sources explain; with all arms of the national security apparatus pointed towards Kabul, that is almost certainly not going to happen next week. And until POTUS says yes, nothing is for certain, of course.

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/pentagon-posed-to-unveil-classified-space-weapon/

NDIA Policy Points: AI, Commercial Firms Key to Future of GEOINT 8/20/2021 By Nicholas Lapinski

iStock photo

The United States relies on its constellations of spy satellites to provide decisionmakers with critical information and data. But why should taxpayers fund advances in collection capabilities if the United States cannot process, exploit and disseminate all of the raw data it already has?

Most of the raw data collected by the intelligence community is not processed, which arguably defeats the entire purpose of having extensive technical collection systems. Geospatial intelligence processing involves the conversion of “data into a useable form or formats suitable for analysis, production and application by end users,” according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Joint Publication 2-03, “Geospatial Intelligence in Joint Operations.”

The value of time sensitive data collection is limited if the material is not processed quickly. However, providing more efficient GEOINT processing can be achieved through commercial partnerships and the use of artificial intelligence.

In an interview, Mark Lowenthal, former assistant director of central intelligence for analysis and production from 2002 to 2005 and author of Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy, noted that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has been using a variety of techniques to help process increasing amounts of imagery.

Bolstering GEOINT commercial partnerships can help to process most — or perhaps all — of the raw geospatial data collected by the intelligence community. NGA and the National Reconnaissance Office have already partnered with some commercial organizations, and these efforts are likely to expand in the future. While there are no plans by the NGA or NRO to list all their potential partners, larger contracts are anticipated to be negotiated within the next few years.

The NRO is sponsoring studies to determine the extent of companies’ respective capabilities and determine which firms can provide reliable support to the agency’s mission. The next step will be establishing procurement contracts that provide a clearer picture of the future partners for the spy organization.

Lowenthal noted that the NGA created a project called GEOINT Pathfinder, which sought to answer key intelligence questions from unclassified sources only. One result has been NGA Tearline, which involves NGA partnering “with expert private groups to create public-facing and authoritative open-source intelligence on various strategic, economic and humanitarian intelligence topics that tend to be underreported within in- depth or long-form formats.’”

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/8/20/ai-commercial-firms-key-to-future-of- geoint

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Army Special Forces want to integrate more with other military units on info warfare By Mark Pomerleau

Thursday, Aug 19

U.S. Army Special Forces are learning the power of a new Information Warfare Center to combat adversaries below the threshold of armed conflict. (Ken Kassens/U.S. Army via AP) (AP)

AUGUSTA, Ga. — U.S. Army Special Forces have worked to develop top tier information warfare capabilities and want to mix their skills more often with conventional military units.

For example, a Special Operations Joint Task Force participated in July in the Army Defender Pacific exercise — a division-sized war game for joint multidomain operations in support of Indo-Pacific Command — to test its ability to win against a peer adversary, Col. Joshe Raetz, chief of staff 1st Special Forces Command, said in an Aug. 17 talk at TechNet Augusta.

“We integrated with I Corps as the joint force line component command and the Multidomain Task Force to converge capabilities to impose costs and introduce multiple dilemmas for our adversaries,” he said. “In this scenario, it was a war that we hope not to fight and through our approach to information warfare, we deterred our adversaries and not only survived, but thrived in competition short of armed conflict. Information warfare played a vital role in shaping the environment, deterring this adversary and preserving freedom of maneuver in both the operational and information environments. This vital contribution allowed the joint force and Army to seize the initiative and dominate the information environment.”

Army Special Forces are deployed to over 70 countries daily and engaging hostile actors while still being able to effectively message portions of a population, meaning they have been at the tip of the spear when it comes to developing and maturing information warfare capabilities.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/smr/technet-augusta/2021/08/19/army-special-forces-want-to-integrate- more-with-other-military-units-on-info-warfare/

JUST IN: Pentagon Shifting Approach to Chem- Bio Defense 8/19/2021 By Yasmin Tadjdeh

Navy photo

BALTIMORE, Md. — The Defense Department is rethinking chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense as officials face new and emerging threats, according to a Pentagon official.

“The department is changing our approach to CBRN,” said Brandi Vann, deputy assistant secretary of defense for chemical and biological defense programs. “The administration has directed us to do a number of things, including relooking at our legacy processes, our legacy systems and really reinvesting our focus and our funding into capabilities for the future.”

Much of the traditional thinking within the Pentagon in regard to CBRN is shifting, she said Aug. 18 during the National Defense Industrial Association’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Conference and Exhibition in Baltimore. There are new opportunities to take advantage of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, she noted.

“These are buzzwords we’ve heard before, but as we start enveloping these into the CBRN community, … this begins to transform how we think about CBRN defense,” Vann said.

Dr. Jason Roos, joint program executive officer for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense, said as the Pentagon works on modernization within his portfolio, it is seeking to leverage autonomy, AI and machine learning, and robotics for integrated early warning. “That’s sort of the sexy term for everyone, but I believe there is space in our industry where we can apply AI and ML,” he said.

However, transforming CBRN technology will be limited if the Defense Department doesn’t transition away from its traditional methods of requirements development, R&D investment and acquisition, Vann said.

“Bluntly, we need to not only embrace industry, but we need to start thinking like you,” she told conference attendees.

The office must leverage commercial technology so the Pentagon remains more competitive against the nation’s adversaries, Vann said.

Roos agreed that the Pentagon must approach acquisition differently and added that his office is embracing new contracting methods.

“There is certainly a better way for us to be able to work with you and engage with you,” he told members of industry.

For example, Roos touted a new contracting tool called commercial solutions opening, which allows for the advanced development of commercial-off-the-shelf technology.

“You can rapidly go out and get COTS capability or modify COTS capability,” he said. “We’ve been leveraging that tool very much in the context of COVID.” https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/8/19/pentagon-shifting-approach-to-chem- bio-defense

Trump’s F-15EX Legacy Lives On in Biden Administration 8/20/2021 By Jon HarperF-15EX rendering

Boeing illustration

Democratic President Joe Biden came into office vowing to reverse many decisions of his predecessor, but one controversial Pentagon program initiated under former Republican President Donald Trump’s watch is moving ahead at full speed — the F- 15EX fighter jet.

However, it remains to be seen how many platforms the Air Force will ultimately buy as it modernizes its tactical aircraft inventory.

The aircraft is the newest and most advanced platform in Boeing’s F-15 product line, which also includes F-15C/D Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles. The F-15EX, dubbed Eagle II, is intended to replace aging F-15Cs.

Last year, the Air Force awarded Boeing $1.2 billion for Lot 1. The deal includes an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $22.9 billion. The service could purchase as many as 200 planes under the IDIQ contract, according to Boeing.

“That was arguably the one real mark on tac-air that the Trump crowd left — the return of F-15 procurement,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group.

The new version will feature fly-by-wire flight controls, advanced cockpit systems and BAE Systems’ AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System for electronic warfare, among other capabilities.

Boeing has touted the plane’s large weapons payload capacity, including the ability to carry hypersonic missiles up to 22 feet long and weighing more than 7,000 pounds.

The jet will be able to fly at Mach 2 at altitudes over 50,000 feet, according to Kevin Sutterfield, Boeing’s vice president for U.S. Air Force fighter programs.

The program is expected to serve as a pathfinder for the Pentagon’s DevSecOps initiative, which is aimed at developing more secure and agile software. That, combined with an open mission system architecture and digital engineering, will enable the aircraft to be upgraded more easily and quickly, Boeing officials say.

“We know that we have to build that capacity for change into the platform, in ways that nobody’s thinking about even using it today,” Sutterfield said in an interview.

The Air Force is exploring the concept of robotic wingmen with its Skyborg program.

“We have a weekly meeting with the Skyborg office, and they’ve asked us to prepare some … short-term demos and that kind of thing,” Sutterfield said. “If there’s manned-unmanned teaming going on in the U.S. Air Force, F-15EX will be a part of it.”

The Trump administration requested funding for the fourth-generation aircraft in the fiscal year 2020 budget even though Air Force leaders at the time preferred to focus on buying stealthy fifth-generation planes such as Lockheed Martin’s F-35A joint strike fighter. The service later changed its tune and voiced support for acquiring Eagle IIs.

Congress approved procuring eight of the jets in 2020 and 12 in 2021. Biden’s 2022 budget request included an additional 12 aircraft.

Boeing officials said they weren’t shocked that the new administration embraced the program.

“We were a little surprised by the characterization originally that it was some kind of Trump project. It certainly wasn’t that from our perspective,” Sutterfield said. “It wasn’t a political animal in any way. It was a requirements-based conversation … with the DoD” that led to the Pentagon’s decision to pursue the plane.

“They came to us and said, … ‘We want to go replace those [aging F-15Cs], we want to do it in a way that is quick and allows those [Air National] Guard units that fly that airplane to convert without losing their mission capability. … We have an immediate need, and how quickly can the Boeing Co. fill it and do that affordably?’” Sutterfield said.

Boeing “made a gamble by not proposing a forward-leaning new design that would holistically advance the full spectrum of required capabilities,” analysts Heather Penney and Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula wrote in a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies report, “Building an Agile Force: The Imperative for Speed and Adaptation in the U.S. Aerospace Industrial Base.”

The study criticized the decision to buy the F-15EX, arguing that the platform wouldn’t be survivable in a high-end fight because it isn’t stealthy. However, Boeing won its “gamble.”

“We leaned in and invested as a company a significant amount of money on this,” Prat Kumar, vice president and general manager for Boeing F-15 programs, said in an interview. “We wouldn’t have done so if we were not confident in the product and thought this was hostage to some political flavor of the day.”

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/8/20/trumps-f-15ex-legacy-lives-on-in-biden- administration

Navy breaks ground on $111 million munitions wharf near Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan

BUY PHOTO Navy Capt. Rich Jarrett, commander of Yokosuka Naval Base, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new combat loading wharf in Yokosuka, Japan, on Aug. 18, 2021. (Daniel Betancourt/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOSUKA, Japan The Navy and Army Corps of Engineers has begun construction of a $111 million loading dock to drastically reduce the time needed and streamline the process — of loading munitions aboard its warships at nearby Yokosuka Naval Base.

When complete, the new combat loading wharf at the Navy s Urago Storage Area will enable the Navy to load its destroyers and cruisers with munitions faster and despite ’ inclement weather.

The project site, in an industrial area about a mile from base and directly adjacent to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force naval base, is officially called the Urago Wharf. The facility served as a munitions storage area for nearly a century, including for the armed forces of Imperial Japan.

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021-08-20/navy-yokosuka-munitions-wharf-build-army- engineers-japan-2611438.html

Navy to christen USS Fort Lauderdale transport dock ship

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The Navy will christen its newest amphibious transport dock ship, the future USS Fort Lauderdale, at 10 a.m. CDT Saturday in Pascagoula, Miss.

"Tomorrow, we christen the future USS Fort Lauderdale, recognizing a city with a proud naval history," Secretary of the Navy Carlose Del Toro said in a Department of Defense news release.

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"This momentous occasions brings us one step closer to 'manning the rails' with the men and women who will carry on the naval tradition of defending our nation and working towards a more peaceful world."

The ship is the 12th San Antonio-class ship, designed to support Marines with a variety of amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions. It includes a flight deck and hangar to operate CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

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https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/08/20/USS-Fort-Lauderdale/7661629474344/

Automated systems helped speed carrier Ford recovery after shock trials by Michael Fabey

The design of aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), with the inclusion of greater autonomous systems compared with previous carrier classes, led to quicker overall recovery of ship systems during the ship's recent shock trials, according to US Navy (USN) officials and personnel involved with the testing.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/automated-systems-helped-speed-carrier-ford- recovery-after-shock-trials

Why The US Navy’s Most Powerful Aircraft Carrier Has So Many Problems

This month, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, successfully completed its shock trials. The third and final 40,000-pound explosive detonated near the Ford’s hull and caused no major injuries, flooding, or fires.

“We had zero catastrophic failures on the ship, zero situations where we had flooding or anything, and zero fires. All that is pretty significant,” Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, the Ford’s commanding officer, told reporters.

The shock trials are the latest milestone for a carrier that has struggled through years of delays and cost overruns — setbacks caused at least in part by the many brand-new systems the Navy chose to put on its newest class of carrier, the service’s top officer said in July.

In an interview at a Navy League event, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said the

Navy had been too ambitious with the Ford’s new technologies.

“We had 23 new technologies on that ship, which quite frankly increased the risk … of delivery on time and cost right from the get-go.” Gilday said.

“We really shouldn’t introduce more than maybe one or two new technologies on any complex platform like that in order to make sure that we keep risk at a manageable level,” Gilday added.

https://defenceview.in/why-the-us-navys-most-powerful-aircraft-carrier-has-so-many-problems/

Navy tests wearable devices to monitor, manage fatigue

By

Jonna Lorenz

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is deploying wearable devices, such as smart watches and smart rings, to monitor and manage fatigue among sailors, the Naval Health Research Center said.

Rachel Markwald, a sleep and human performance research physiologist at the research center, told Stars & Stripes that the devices are part of an effort to develop digital capability to optimize scheduling and staffing decisions based on fatigue risk.

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Adequate rest for service members became a pressing issue in 2017, after fatigue was found to be a factor in two deadly ship collisions, leading to the Navy issuing an instruction directing leaders to ensure sailors get a minimum of seven hours of restful sleep a day.

A Government Accountability Office report released in Mayfound that only 14% of Navy officers get adequate sleep. Another study, led by researchers at the University of Texas and released in March, reported a 45-fold increase in insomnia from 2005 to 2019 among those who serve in the U.S. military.

RELATED20th annual SEACAT multilateral exercise concludes Friday

"You can't manage what you're not monitoring," Markwald said. "So, if you imagine a department head who's looking at a dashboard with their crew and you can see who's well rested versus who's not, then you can basically pull out from that if someone has a high fatigue level because of sleep deprivation."

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About 250 sailors and 50 Marines wore smart bracelets and rings aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex as part of a study to track sleep patterns, heart and breathing rates, and other measures, Military.com reported. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/08/20/Navy-wearable-devices-sleep/4661629482130/

Viral Footage Of US Marine Aiding Baby video showing a US Marine lifting a baby over a razor wire-topped wall at Kabul's airport caught global attention Friday, amid the chaos of thousands trying to flee Afghanistan newly controlled by the Taliban.

US Central Command Public Affairs issued photos of troops caring for Afghan children amid evacuation efforts at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Photo: US Central Command Public Affairs / Isaiah CAMPBELL

The video, which shows the infant, its diaper slipping off, being pulled up by one arm high above a crowd of Afghans seeking to enter the airport, took over social media nearly one week into the airlift to evacuate foreigners and Afghans from the war-torn country.

It put a tender edge on the tense evacuation, in which nearly 6,000 heavily armed US troops have taken control of the airport, while their long-time foe the Taliban patrol the streets outside and begin to exercise what many fear will be a harsh and anti-American rule.

https://www.ibtimes.com/viral-footage-us-marine-aiding-baby-captures-kabul-chaos-3278066

USMC fires two Naval Strike Missiles with new mobile launcher by Ashley Roque

The US Marine Corps (USMC) is inching closer to fielding a mobile, anti-ship weapon system ideal for the Indo-Pacific region and recently test-fired two missiles that hit a sea-based target, the service announced on 17 August.

As part of the Large-Scale Exercise 21 scenario, the service used its new Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) on 15 August to validate some of its operating concepts including deploying it from a C-130 Hercules and a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC).

“During the exercise, forward-deployed forces on expeditionary advanced bases detected and, after joint command-and-control collaboration with other US forces, responded to a ship-based adversary,” the USMC wrote. “Simultaneous impacts from multiple, dispersed weapons systems and platforms across different US services, including NMESIS, engaged the threat.”

Since NMESIS is still under development, the service said that engineers managed the weapon's fire-control system during the event but noted that marines were able to practice manoeuvring the system.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/usmc-fires-two-naval-strike-missiles-with-new- mobile-launcher

SEA CONTROL 269 – USMC COMMANDANT GENERAL DAVID BERGER ON FORCE DESIGN

AUGUST 20, 2021 JARED SAMUELSON 2 COMMENTS By Jared Samuelson While busy dramatically reshaping his service, Marine Corps Commandant General Berger managed to stop by the Sea Control virtual studio (the first podcast program to make it on his Commandant’s reading list.) In a wide-ranging interview, we discussed force design, expeditionary logistics, the Light Amphibious Warship, anti-submarine warfare, Navy- Marine Corps command and control arrangements and more.

https://cimsec.org/sea-control-269-general-berger-usmc-commandant/

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A Warning To Biden? China Conducts Live- Fire Exercises Near Taiwan

By Ryan Pickrell Published 22 seconds ago

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (April 28, 2014) A small vessel transits in front of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) as it transits the Strait of Hormuz as seen from the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58). The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Abe McNatt/Released) 140428-N-PJ969-027

The Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises near Taiwan on Tuesday, responding to what it called “provocations” by US and separatist forces on the island. The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that warships, anti-submarine aircraft, and fighter jets carried out air and sea drills to the southwest and southeast of Taiwan.

Senior Col. Shi Yi, the spokesman for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, accused the US of colluding with Taiwan’s ruling political party, making provocations, sending problematic signals, violating Chinese sovereignty, and undermining the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The spokesman characterized these threats as the greatest security risk in the strait, according to a Chinese Ministry of National Defense press release. It is not clear what specific provocations the Chinese military was referring to in its statement.

China has expressed frustration with the Taiwan Strait transits regularly conducted by the US Navy, the most recent passage of which was at the end of July.

China has also criticized US-Taiwan bilateral cooperation and arms sales. The Biden administration recently proposed a $750 million arms sale to the autonomous island. The sale would provide Taiwan with 40 M109A6 Medium Self- Propelled Howitzer Systems, as well as related equipment. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “firmly opposed” to the proposed sale, emphasising, as usual, that “China will resolutely take proper and necessary countermeasures in accordance with the development of the situation.”

China has been steadily increasing its military activities around Taiwan. It frequently sends military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, into the islands air defense identification zone, and exercises nearby are not uncommon.

The Chinese military said in a statement Tuesday that drills “are a necessary action to further safeguard China’s sovereignty under the current security situation in the Taiwan Straits.”

The exercises also send a message, the military suggested, that Chinese forces can upend any effort by Taiwan to pursue independence. The military exercises Tuesday, though planned in advance, come as Chinese state- affiliated media outlet Global Times, pointing to the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan, warned Taiwan that if “war breaks out in the Straits, the island’s defense will collapse in hours and the US military won’t come to help.” “Once a cross-Straits war breaks out while the mainland seizes the island with forces, the US would have to have a much greater determination than it had for Afghanistan,” the nationalist outlet said. Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang said Tuesday that Taiwan would not collapse like Afghanistan did, warning that “foreign forces who want to invade and grab Taiwan” should not be “deluded.”

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https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/08/a-warning-to-biden-china-conducts-live-fire-exercises-near- taiwan/

China military watch 20 Aug 2021|Malcolm Davis

The arms control community has been gripped by the discovery that China appears to be building hundreds of new missile silos. The development raises the prospect that China may be breaking out of its traditional minimum deterrent capability. And it raises the question of whether China is edging away from a no first use nuclear posture. ‘ ’ It s important to understand exactly what is happening‘ and consider’ the broader context of China s nuclear force development. The discovery by researchers at the James Martin Center’ for Nonproliferation Studies in California that 119 missile silos were being built in the desert’ near the city of Yumen in the Gansu region suggested a rapid expansion of China s nuclear weapons capabilities. A second field of 120 silos under construction was discovered near the city of Hami, 380 kilometres northwest of the Yumen field. The two silo fields ’closely match those established in a People s Liberation Army Rocket Force training area in Jilantai in Inner Mongolia. The discovery of a third potential site was revealed last week by the US Air Force s China Aerospace Studies’ Institute. The new location is near Hanggin Banner, also in Inner Mongolia. ’ Together, the three fields of new silos, once finished, will represent a truly unprecedented potential expansion of China s nuclear forces, if each silo holds an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. ’ China s nuclear modernisation program for ICBMs is focused on the DF-41, which will replace the PLA s ageing DF-4 and DF-5A missiles. The DF-41 is a road-mobile, solid-fuelled ICBM ’that can carry several nuclear warheads as multiple independent re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). But analysis’ last year suggested that a silo-launched mode is available for the DF- 41.

Deploying the road-mobile DF-41 in silos in Yumen, Hami and Hanggin Banner, and expanding the DF-41 ICBM force significantly in the process, would achieve several objectives. An expanded force of silo-based weapons would demand that Washington consider the prospect of a devastating second strike in retaliation for any US precision strike even if the US used non-nuclear weapons on Chinese nuclear forces, such as mobile missile launchers on transporter erector launcher, or TEL, vehicles. — —

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/china-military-watch-10/

Chinese envoy calls for comprehensive approach to fighting terrorism

Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-20 07:09:44|Editor: huaxia

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for a comprehensive approach to fighting terrorism. Although important progress has been made in international counter-terrorism cooperation, the current world situation on this front remains complex and severe with terrorism and violent extremism intertwined, said Dai Bing, the charge d'affaires at the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations. In the first half of this year, the Islamic State has regrouped in places such as Iraq and Syria and has further infiltrated the African region. COVID-19 has posed economic and social challenges, which may bring a new wave of terrorism, he told the Security Council. "The international community needs to attach great importance to this matter and adopt comprehensive measures to jointly respond to the threat of terrorism," said Dai. Terrorism is a common enemy of human societies and combating terrorism is a common responsibility of the international community. Countries should strengthen cooperation at national, regional and global levels by stepping up counter-terrorism efforts in early warning, counter-terrorism financing, travel restrictions, border supervision and intelligence exchanges, he said. In fighting terrorism, emphasis should be placed on the prevention and elimination of its root causes. Counter-terrorism measures should focus on long-term solutions by addressing both symptoms and root causes, he said. It is important to adopt comprehensive political, economic, judicial, and social means and stick to peaceful solutions to hot-spot issues through political means. It is important to assist member states in eradicating poverty, strengthening capacity-building, promoting sustainable economic and social development, and advocating mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, religions, and ethnic groups, he said. Young people are susceptible to extreme ideologies. Therefore, special attention should be paid to strengthen youth education and employment in order to provide a favorable environment for their growth. Countries should carry out exchanges and cooperation on terrorism prevention and de- radicalization, such as vocational training and community correctional measures so as to help vulnerable countries strengthen their counter- terrorism capacity-building, he noted.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/20/c_1310137585.htm

Do separatists stand a chance in today's Tibet? with urban life 'better than many east regions' and strong military- civilian bond at borders –

By Yang Sheng in LhasaPublished: Aug 20, 2021 03:58 PM Updated: Aug 20, 2021 08:45 PM

A grand gathering is held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet at the Potala Palace square in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 19, 2021. More than 20,000 people from various ethnic groups attended the event held in Lhasa.Photo:Xinhua

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, and through travelling the border regions and several major Tibetan cities interviewing local residents, military personnel, scholars and officials, the Global Times has learned that the Communist Party of China's (CPC) successful governance in Tibet over the past 70 years means separatists and antagonistic forces have no chance of destabilizing the peace, order and development in "the roof of the world."

Development brings confidence

Tibet today has entered a stage of rapid economic development, and if there were no COVID-19 pandemic, the trend would have been even faster, according to locals in Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region. In today's Lhasa, numerous modern residential buildings, shopping malls, trendy bars, Tibetan-style night clubs, restaurants of specialties, theaters, museums, and art galleries have emerged or are under construction across the city.

The old town where landmarks like the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple are located remain almost unchanged, but the new town in the east and some districts in the south are showcasing aspects of the new Tibet. Many tourists who came to Lhasa and Shigatse, the second biggest city in Tibet, during summer vacation said they found the quality of life and range of entertainment here are even better than many cities in the more developed eastern regions of China.

According to data provided by the local government in January, during the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), the fixed-asset investment in Tibet saw an annual average increase of 11.6 percent, and the GDP has grown by more than 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) each year. In 2020, the GDP in Tibet soared past 190 billion yuan, which has seen a 53.7 percent growth from 2015. The GDP annual average increase was 9 percent, which is not only faster than many other regions in China, but also significantly above that of bordering countries.

Chinese H-6 bomber intrudes into Taiwan’s ADIZ Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, deployed air defense missiles systems to track PLAAF bomber

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By Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/08/20 13:26

Chinese H-6 bomber. (MND photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese bomber entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 20), marking the seventh intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Xian H-6 strategic bomber flew into the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ from the south, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the PLAAF bomber.

Chinese planes have been spotted in Taiwan’s identification zone so far this month on Aug. 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 19. While last month all the planes sent into the zone were slow-flying Y-8 turboprops, this month has seen a mix of spotter planes and warplanes.

On Aug. 12, three Y-8s consisting of different variants, along with four Shenyang J-16 fighter jets were tracked in Taiwan’s ADIZ. Meanwhile, on Aug. 17, two Y-8s and a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control planes were seen in the zone along with six J-16 fighter planes and two H-6 bombers. Since September last year, Beijing has stepped up gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner of the zone. Compared to previous months, June and July saw fewer incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ.

An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s air space where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves. Gray zone tactics are defined “as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”

According to MND data, Chinese aircraft were tracked in Taiwan’s ADIZ 14 times in July, 10 times in June, 18 times in May, 22 times in April, 18 times in March, 17 times in February, and 27 times in January. Last year, they were observed 19 times in December, 22 times in November, and 22 times in October.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4273477

Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Taiwan invasion doesn’t hang in the military balance 19 August 2021 Author: Andrei Lungu, RISAP

There is growing speculation and alarm about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan after Beijing sharpened its rhetoric towards the Taiwanese government and increased its military manoeuvres around the territory. The Biden administration is worried that if Chinese leaders are overconfident in China’s growing power and assume Washington’s decline, they might decide to invade Taiwan.

The US government has taken numerous actions to clearly signal its capacity and commitment to defend Taiwan. Growing diplomatic engagement with Taiwan, increased military manoeuvres, joint statements alongside Japan, South Korea and the G7, as well as developing a common response to a war over Taiwan with Japan and Australia are all part of this new framework.

Although these actions intend to decrease the risk of military conflict by strengthening military deterrence, they are unlikely to achieve it. This is because Beijing’s Taiwan calculus — which has always been more complex than simply focussing on the conventional military balance — involves three distinct factors that have dissuaded a Chinese invasion. The first is military power. Chinese leaders still doubt whether China could defeat and then conquer Taiwan, let alone successfully fight the United States.

Secondly, there is an understanding that war over Taiwan would portend disastrous consequences for China’s economy, foreign relations and global image. Worse still, a conflict could pose an existential risk to the Chinese Communist Party: a war would mean fighting and killing ‘brothers and sisters’, while defeat would bring echos of 1895. A war would also undermine economic development — a pressing goal that is closely linked to the ‘great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’. The third factor is time. Chinese leaders wait based on the hope that ‘peaceful reunification’ is still possible and that time is on their side, as China’s power is growing. Their historical goal has been to prevent independence or a change of the status quo. Waiting still makes sense, as China is pursuing its decades-long military modernisation process.

By ignoring these last two factors, Washington risks focussing too much on the assumption that Chinese leaders have become overconfident about the erosion of military deterrence. Fear of the United States was never the sole factor preventing a Chinese invasion in the first place.

Hong Kong illustrates this thinking well. Without having to contend with the possibility of an opposing military, Beijing remained acutely aware of the economic and diplomatic consequences of sending military or paramilitary troops to directly suppress protests. It instead adopted a slower strategy of tightening control to reduce the political costs of its actions.

Beijing only imposed national security legislation on Hong Kong when the problem had gotten ‘out of hand’ — not as a proactive measure. The Chinese leadership tried to gradually build control over the territory for years, believing time was on its side. It only implemented radical measures when it believed the status quo was changing to its detriment.

Chinese leaders haven’t yet decided that an invasion of Taiwan is unavoidable because they still hope that ‘peaceful reunification’ is achievable, but they worry about Taiwan’s steady drift towards the United States. Beijing sees Washington’s growing ties with Taiwan as undermining the status quo and diminishing the prospects for ‘peaceful reunification’. This fear makes it more likely that Beijing will reassess the possible use of force. Like Washington, Beijing has tried to clearly convey its position. But its actions have only increased the fear of invasion, raising doubts about US military deterrence. Thus, there are growing calls for Washington to abandon its policy of strategic ambiguity in favour of an explicit defence commitment to Taiwan.

But the question in Beijing isn’t whether the United States will intervene, or about the strength of the US military. Chinese leaders are asking themselves how committed the United States will be to a war over Taiwan. How many casualties or how long will it take before the US public opposes a faraway war in East Asia? Chinese leaders are, by contrast, perfectly aware of how strong their own commitment to Taiwan is.

The US government can change its policy of strategic ambiguity, but that will not dispel Chinese doubts over how long Washington would keep up a fight over Taiwan. This dilemma isn’t new for Chinese policymakers — it has been on their minds for decades.

But now, as the cliché of ending Washington’s ‘forever wars’ and opposition to foreign military entanglements grow in popularity, Beijing’s doubts are likely to amplify. The Biden administration’s decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, against the advice of military officials, could raise doubts in Beijing about US staying power. As Washington abandons Afghanistan today, Chinese leaders could believe that it might be Taiwan tomorrow. Beijing’s dilemma isn’t about whether decision-makers in Washington will send troops to defend Taiwan, but how long before the national mood sours and US politicians have to listen to voters.

https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/08/19/taiwan-invasion-doesnt-hang-in-the-military-balance/

Chaotic Afghan exit compels Japan to rethink reliance on US security Scrubbed SDF evacuation mission underscores Tokyo's limited options

A Taliban member inspects an area outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. © Reuters

JUNNOSUKE KOBARA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 20, 2021 04:23 JST

TOKYO -- The U.S., the U.K., Germany and other nations dispatched military planes to Kabul's international airport on Monday in a mad rush to evacuate their nationals following the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan, but Japan never sent its own aircraft -- the only Group of Seven nation not to do so.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Afghanistan-turmoil/Chaotic-Afghan-exit- compels-Japan-to-rethink-reliance-on-US-security

Japan increases military budget over territorial threats

The increase will pay for fighters including the US-made F-35A

EPA Gavin Blair, Tokyo Friday August 20 2021, 12.00pm BST, The Times Japan is planning to spend a record £36 billion on its military next year as it seeks to defend its territory against threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Increased funds will help to buy the US-made F-35A and F-35B stealth fighters. The F- 35B is capable of short take-off and vertical landing, indispensable on the Nansei island chain that stretches from Okinawa towards Taiwan, where there are few full-length runways.

Funds will also be requested to equip new destroyers with the Aegis missile interceptor system to counter potential threats from North Korea. Japan announced last year that it was scrapping a planned order of Lockheed Martin’s land-based Aegis Ashore, though is still considering its introduction, according to military sources. There are also expected

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/japan-increases-military-budget-over-territorial-threats-mkf2qsxw3

Ongoing S. Korea-U.S. exercise optimal for war preparations: defense chief All News 18:11 August 20, 2021

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FONT SIZE SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The ongoing combined military exercise between South Korea and the United States is "optimal" for preparing for contingencies, Seoul's defense chief said Friday, dismissing concerns that the scaled-down drills would not be enough to maintain a readiness posture. Seoul and Washington are staging the joint summertime exercise from Monday through next Thursday. The computer-simulated exercise does not include outdoor drills and involves a smaller number of service members than previous ones amid the COVID-19 pandemic and peace efforts involving North Korea. "The exercise under way by the Combined Forces Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and component commands may be seen as troops doing computer games, but it is being taken under the scenarios very close to real war situations," Minister Suh Wook said during a parliamentary session. "Despite unfavorable conditions due to COVID-19, we organized this exercise by making utmost efforts in coordination with the health authorities," Suh said. "What we are doing is the optimum way of being prepared for a war." Critics and some opposition lawmakers have claimed that such scaled-back exercises without outdoor drills will badly affect the combined defense posture, criticizing the government for caring about North Korea too much. Pyongyang has long bristled at the South Korea-U.S. combined exercises, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. Last week, it lambasted the two nations and warned of a "serious security crisis." Since 2019, their major combined exercises, which usually take place twice a year, have not included outdoor drills. The defense ministry has said that outdoor maneuvers have been carried out throughout the year rather than being done intensively at a specific period of time.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210820008600325

South Korea to invest USD13.6 billion to bolster defence capabilities in space by Gabriel Dominguez & Matteo Scarano South Korea plans to invest KRW16 trillion (USD13.6 billion) over the next 10 years to accelerate the development of defence-related space technologies following the termination of range restrictions for the country's ballistic missiles under the US-South Korea missile guidelines agreement.

The Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) in Seoul announced on 19 August that it had set up a task force in charge of drawing up a comprehensive roadmap for the programme, which is aimed at fostering the country's space defence industry in a number of areas, including systems, technologies, facilities, and infrastructure.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/south-korea-to-invest-usd136-billion-to-bolster- defence-capabilities-in-space

Home»News»Royal Malaysian Navy Successfully Conducts Complex Anti-Ship Missile Firings

Lekiu-class frigate firing Exocet MM40 during Taming Sari exercise. Royal Malaysian Navy picture. Royal Malaysian Navy Successfully Conducts Complex Anti-Ship Missile Firings

The Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM or RMN) recently conducted a complex live firing exercise. It consisted in the coordinated launch of surface-launched Exocet MM40 and sub- surface Exocet SM39 missiles.

Martin Manaranche 20 Aug 2021 Royal Malaysian Navy press release The successful firing of all these missiles on targets clearly demonstrates the professionalism, capability and readiness of the MNR personnel in handling the country’s defense assets. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense of YAB witnessed the successful firing together with the senior officials of the Ministry of Defense.

The exercise this time involved 1,080 TLDM (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia – Royal Malaysian Navy), TUDM (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia – Royal Malaysian Air Force) and WMPA personnel. The Taming Sari 2021 exercise involved 9 ships, 5 fast combat boats, 1 submarine, 2 TLDM Super Lynx, 4 TUDM aircrafts and 2 MMEA (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency – Coast Guards) assets.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/royal-malaysian-navy-successfully-conducts- complex-anti-ship-missile-firings/

Terror group behind the 2002 Bali bombings planned fresh Indonesia attack: Police

A man cleans a pool of the Bali bombing monument in Kuta, near Denpasar on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali, on Jan 6, 2021. (File photo: AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka) 20 Aug 2021 08:46PM (Updated: 20 Aug 2021 08:46PM) BookmarkShare JAKARTA: The extremist group behind the Bali bombings was planning a fresh attack during Indonesia's independence day celebrations this week, police said on Friday (Aug 20), citing militants arrested in a crackdown that netted dozens of suspects.

Indonesia's counterterror squad rounded up 53 suspected extremists in nearly a dozen provinces across the world's biggest Muslim majority nation over the past week, authorities said.

ADVERTISEMENT Some suspects admitted that their organisation Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) - the terror outfit behind the 2002 Bali bombings - had been planning an attack during the nation's independence day holiday earlier this week, they said.

"JI was planning a terror attack on independence day, according to some suspects," national police spokesman Argo Yuwono told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

Yuwono did not elaborate on the alleged plot, but said that police seized weapons and ammunition from the suspects, who were initially arrested on charges linked to fundraising for the group.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/bali-bombings-jemaah-islamiyah-planned-fresh-indonesia- attack-2126561

How Australian far-right extremists fundraise online 20 Aug 2021|Ariel Bogle

As the Australian parliament continues its inquiry into extremist movements and radicalism, it s vital that attention be paid to the ways online funding mechanisms can be exploited by individuals and groups promoting right-wing extremist (RWE) ideologies in Australia. ’

In a new report from ASPI s International Cyber Policy Centre, Buying and selling extremism, I provide a preliminary map of the local RWE online funding ecosystem. The report examines nine Australian’ Telegram channels that share RWE content and finds they are linked to more than 20 different potential funding mechanisms. These include microdonation websites, merchandise sales and cryptocurrencies, as well as new live- streaming platforms such as DLive.

In general, these platforms weren t built for RWE content. But while mainstream fundraising services such as PayPal and Patreon were found in the sample, the increased scrutiny paid to RWE content by mainstream’ social media companies appears to have encouraged these groups to move to a range of alternative online platforms that provide additional ways to earn money. In fact, even if accounts have been stripped of their ability to earn money on DLive and YouTube, for example, new services such as Entropy encourage users to port a livestream from those sites and continue to receive paid chats .

While some funding requests were for specific purposes, such as paying legal fees, others‘ ’ seemed framed largely as a means of supporting the production of content, such as livestream shows in which RWE content is discussed and promoted. This may mirror a social media influencer model, in which individuals are rewarded for the entertainment value and perceived credibility of the material they create online or for ostensibly living the ideology they‘ propagate,’ much like wellness influencers who use online platforms such as Instagram to embody their health approach and build audiences— off the appeal‘ of ’ intimacy, authenticity and integrity . ‘ ’ ‘ Of course, the online funding ecosystem’ could also lead people to make RWE content simply to court money and attention rather than to demonstrate an ideological commitment. However, distinguishing between the social harms caused by those who are dedicated to right-wing extremism and those who are only exploiting a fundraising or profile-raising opportunity is complex. This influencer model also demonstrates a potential impact of more leaderless or decentralised strategies on fundraising approaches. ‘ ’ The fundraising facilitated by these alternative platforms has the potential not only to increase the resources of groups and individuals linked to right-wing extremism, but also to be a means of building the RWE community both in Australia and with overseas groups, and to be a vector for spreading RWE propaganda through the engagement inherent in fundraising efforts. The funding platforms being used in Australia mirror those used by RWE figures overseas, and funding requests being made here are being boosted online by foreign actors.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-australian-far-right-extremists-fundraise-online/

New Zealand's multirole vessel begins two- month maintenance at ST Engineering by Ridzwan Rahmat

The Royal New Zealand Navy's (RNZN's) multirole vessel (MRV), HMNZS Canterbury, has begun an approximately two-month maintenance period at ST Engineering's marine division in Benoi, Singapore.

HMNZS Canterbury , seen here during its deployment to Tonga and Samoa for HADR operations. (New Zealand Defence Force)

In response to questions from Janes, a spokesperson from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) described the maintenance works as one that would support the ship's 15-year survey requirements.

“A range of refurbishment activities will be undertaken, some of which can only be conducted while the ship is in dry dock. There are no dry dock facilities in New Zealand that can accommodate a ship of Canterbury's size,” the spokesperson said in an email reply to Janes on 19 August.

Canterbury is a 131 m modified roll-on/roll-off (RORO) passenger ferry design from Dutch shipbuilder Merwede Shipyard. It was built in the Netherlands, fitted out in Australia, and commissioned by the RNZN in June 2007. The vessel is ice-strengthened for polar operations, and it can transport a company of 250 troops plus equipment and stores.

The RNZN first announced on its official Facebook page on 12 August that Canterbury has arrived at Sembawang after a two-week transit. After having its crew screened for Covid-19, the ship made its way towards ST Engineering's facilities in the western part of the island. From the images released by the RNZN, Janes can confirm that the ship was docked at the British Defence Singapore Support Unit (BDSSU) while it was in Sembawang.

“As our go-to amphibious military sealift vessel tasked with everything from disaster response in the Pacific to joint operations in the Southern Ocean, the refurbishment will ensure Canterbury

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/new-zealands-multirole-vessel-begins-two-month- maintenance-at-st-engineering

Leadership in the Indian Armed Forces

The collapse of the ANA, the hasty withdrawal of USA and the rapid gains of Taliban in Afghanistan have major lessons for military and political leadership. ANA lost it completely due to poor motivation and training. Its leadership was too political, corrupt, and unprofessional. Lesson: Nations cannot afford poorly trained and unprofessional Armed Forces dabbling in politics even if well equipped.

The USA is facing yet another major international embarrassment. Its political and military leadership were on the same page at combat level but on vastly different pages at political level. USA is facing a political defeat rather than a military one. The criss- crossed lines between successive White House administrations, State Department, Pentagon, and CIA, led to gross inaccurate assessment about the enemy and ground situation.

USA has been consistently blind to the fact that Pakistan was its real enemy while it was fighting the Taliban. Lesson: lack of realistic and balanced politico military equations and assessments will lead to defeat. The lightening takeover by the Taliban will stoke belief that ideologically motivated and politically driven forces can achieve victory by feeding off the enemy through guerilla tactics. This is especially important.

Our adversaries – Pakistan, China and separatists’ forces are ideologically driven. The undermining ideological influence and information warfare of radical Islam and hard- core revisionist makes one believe about their invincibility. More importantly both are aggressive and well equipped and trained to undertake full spectrum operations. Lesson: to defeat such formidable adversaries we need military leadership of the highest caliber to lead a professional armed force. A well trained professional Armed Force, with the correct political orientation and guidance can contend with any form of hybrid or conventional warfare. https://www.myind.net/Home/viewArticle/leadership-in-the-indian-armed-forces

India inks deal with Russia to immediately procure 70,000 AK-203 rifles

The assault rifles will replace the 5.56×45 mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles in use with the armed forces currently.

India and Russia Thursday signed a deal for the immediate off-the-shelf procurement of 70,000 latest AK series of assault rifles, ThePrint has learnt.

The development comes even as both countries work on a bigger project to jointly manufacture 6 lakh AK-203 rifles in India, a deal which has been pending since 2018.

According to sources in the defence and security establishment, while the initial plan was to directly import 20,000 of the 7.62×39mm AK 203 rifle and jointly manufacture 6.5 lakh of them in India, the delay in joint production meant that more of them had to be bought off the shelf.

AK-203 The off-the-shelf equipment could include multiple variants of the AK series since the basic difference is the accessories that are fitted to the rifle.

Defence sources said that the procurement is being done through an emergency contract by one of the three services.

The contract was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Russian representatives, in the presence of officials from Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd — a rifle-manufacturing firm that will lead the indigenous production of AKs in India, sources told ThePrint. These rifles are expected to begin arriving in the country from November this year.

Eventually, the AK 203 will replace the 5.56×45mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles that are currently in use with the Army, Navy and the Air Force besides other security forces and will become the mainstay of the armed forces for years to come.

https://defenceview.in/india-inks-deal-with-russia-to-immediately-procure-70000-ak-203-rifles/

Russia's II-22PP is a Satellite Zapping Powerhouse

by Michael Peck

Here's What You Need to Know: If Russia can in fact disable the electronics on American satellites, and the NPR does reflect U.S. policy, then turning off a satellite could be construed as an act of war sufficient to justify a nuclear response. Whether a U.S. president would in fact risk thermonuclear war over a disabled satellite is another matter. Nonetheless, Russia’s new toy could have dangerous implications.

Russia says it is developing a new aircraft that can disable the electronics on U.S. satellites.

Could this new development trigger a nuclear war?

The electronic warfare aircraft “will be capable of turning off the electronics installed on military satellites,” according to Russia’s Sputnik News. The conceptual work has been completed and design and development will begin soon.

“The work is currently underway to develop an aircraft equipped with jamming systems that will replace Il-22PP Porubshchik [electronic warfare aircraft], which are currently being delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces,” an unnamed Russian defense industry source told Sputnik News. “This machine will receive a fundamentally new on- board equipment, which will allow to conduct electronic suppression of any targets—ground, air, sea—and disable enemy satellites that provide navigahttps://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/russias-ii-22pp-satellite-zapping-powerhouse-192130

Russian Military to Use T-14 Armata Tanks to ‘Fine-Tune’ War Tactics

HERCULES REYES AUGUST 20, 2021 1 MINUTE READ

The Russian military will use its next-generation tank series, the T-14 Armata, as the basis for the practice and improvement of warfare tactics, the country announced. Mikhail Osyko, a member of Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission which is tasked with implementing state policy on military-industrial issues, told TASS that the Armata tanks will be used to “practice and improve combat employment tactics.” The tanks “cover all of the Russian Army’s needs for this hardware,” he said, including for units stationed in the Arctic region. “For example, the T-80 tank is to a great extent used in northern latitudes,” he added. Aside from utilizing new generations of tanks for improving warcraft tactics, the commission member also said the Russian tank-building industry has worked on the “technology for repairing and upgrading all basic combat vehicles in service.”

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/20/russia-t14-armata-war-tactics/

Taliban killings fuel fear, drive more chaos outside airport By AHMAD SEIR, TAMEEM AKHGAR and REBECCA SANTANAAugust 21, 2021

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Reports of targeted killings in areas overrun by the Taliban mounted Friday, fueling fears that they will return Afghanistan to the repressive rule they imposed when they were last in power, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at weekly prayers.

Terrified that the new rulers would commit such abuses and despairing for their country’s future, thousands have raced to Kabul’s airport, where chaotic scenes continued unabated. People seeking to escape struggled to get past crushing crowds, Taliban airport checkpoints and U.S. bureaucracy. Video images showed crowds gathered in the dark outside the barbed-wire topped walls. Occasionally someone shot a stream of gunfire into the air.

What appeared to be American troops stood in the distance. In one dramatic image, a U.S. Marine reached over the razor wire atop a barrier and plucked a baby by the arm from the crowd and pulled it up over the wall.

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Reports of planes leaving at least partly empty underscored how difficult it still is for people to get into the airport. In an indication of the extent of the chaos, the Belgian foreign affairs ministry confirmed that one of its aircraft took off from Kabul without a single passenger because the people who were supposed to be on board got stuck outside the airport.

Also Friday, American officials confirmed to The Associated Press that U.S. military helicopters flew into Taliban-held Kabul to scoop up would-be evacuees, and President Joe Biden pledged to bring all Americans back from Afghanistan — and Afghans who aided the war effort, too.

“We will get you home,” Biden said from the White House.

The Taliban say they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a U.S.-led invasion toppled them from power. tion and radio communication on the ground.”

https://apnews.com/article/europe-race-and-ethnicity-taliban-e51255ff3d954e8f95bea4dc1c209b32

The Taliban’s recent capture of Kabul has the group poised to take back control over Afghanistan. Without question, a Taliban-led Afghanistan is going to be a hospitable operating environment for terrorists, insurgents, and militias of various stripes. But not all terrorist groups are created equal, in terms of capabilities, intent, or relationship to the Taliban. Counter-terrorism officials are alarmed that, capitalizing on the momentum from the Taliban’s frenetic storming of Kabul, Afghanistan may once again become a magnet or hub for foreign terrorist fighters. This fear includes foreign fighters from the West, but more immediately, battle-hardened jihadists from Pakistan, Xinjiang, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Caucasus, to name just a few places.

Besides the Taliban themselves, the most significant beneficiary of recent events is al Qaeda. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States, the jihadist group is in a position to regenerate its networks throughout South Asia. In particular, al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) will benefit from the Taliban’s ascendance. Over the past several years, al Qaeda has sought to recruit Indian and other South Asian Muslims who have grown disaffected from growing sectarianism in the region, including in India where Hindu nationalists have repeatedly targeted Indian Muslims.

One of the byproducts of a Taliban-led Afghanistan could be an upsurge in new recruits for al Qaeda. With the center of gravity in the global jihadist movement pivoting from the Middle East back to South Asia, the result could change the demographic makeup of al Qaeda, transforming it from a predominantly Arab organization to one dominated by Afghans, Pakistanis, and other South Asians. While this development would help with local political legitimacy, it could also cause a rift with al Qaeda franchises elsewhere, depending on how al Qaeda in Afghanistan balances local, regional, and global priorities of the organization writ large. Historically, the Taliban has maintained ties to a number of South Asian jihadist groups, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Sipah-e-Sahaba-e-Paksitan (SSP), Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-jihad-e-Islami (HuJI), and Harkat-ul- Mujahideen (HuM).

Many counter-terrorism experts believe it is inevitable that al Qaeda will not only rebound under the Taliban’s protection, but also that the group will once again look to plan and conduct spectacular attacks against Western targets. It should be noted, however, that the Taliban has few incentives to lend support to groups plotting attacks against the West. The Taliban will be seeking international legitimacy, and even countries like Russia and China that typically eschew commenting on issues related to “sovereignty” will struggle to support a government that is providing sanctuary to terrorist groups actively planning attacks. Even still, the question is whether the Taliban will be able to effectively constrain al Qaeda if the latter decides to rebuild its external operations planning capabilities. For its part, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) will look to take advantage of the situation to recruit new fighters and mount its own comeback in Afghanistan. As a dedicated foe of the Taliban, ISKP could find itself under siege from a coalition of Taliban and jihadist allies. As they did in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State fighters could look to attack sectarian targets—especially Afghan Shia Hazaras—to generate support and push Afghanistan closer toward civil war.

https://www.fpri.org/article/2021/08/what-will-the-terrorism-landscape-look-like-in-a-taliban-led- afghanistan/

A Vision for Better, Faster C2 Decision- Making Across All Domains

For the future fighting concept, "we must shift from domain-centric to mission- centric effects, planning and execution. And that has to start with rethinking our C2 from the ground up," writes Scott Lee of MITRE.

By SCOTT LEEon August 19, 2021 at 11:27 AM

Getting to All Domain means getting C2 right at every level. (US Army) OPINION: At this point, it’s trite to say that the US spent the last 15 years focused on counterterrorism in the Middle East while China and Russia built up capabilities to counter the Pentagon — but being trite doesn’t mean it’s not true. As a result, we’ve become focused on exquisite platform and system-of-systems designs for individual domain supremacy, but not on improving our command and control (C2) capability.

If the US wants to keep ahead of Beijing and Moscow, we must eliminate the fixation on static plans, with their long decision timelines and approval processes and access to endless supplies. Dynamic operations must be the new normal, with the ability to operate when disrupted, distributed, and disaggregated when required.

To do this successfully, we must shift from domain-centric to mission-centric effects, planning and execution. And that has to start with rethinking our C2 from the ground up. https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/a-vision-for-better-faster-c2-decision-making-across-all- domains/ LESSONS FROM THE WINDS OF WAR?

Bruce Wolpe

Non-Resident Senior Fellow, United States Studies Centre

Peace, if it ever exists, will not be based on the fear of war, but on the love of peace. It will not be the abstaining from an act, but the coming of a state of mind” Herman Wouk, The Winds of War The US war in Afghanistan has failed. Vietnam failed. is the biggest winner out of the Iraq war. What are the lessons here? Why does the United States have such an agonizing time learning them?

A town hall has erupted across the American commentariat. The faultline is an understanding of the strategic difference, and moral consequences, between wars of nation-building versus wars that punish aggression and promote security and peace.

WHEN WAR MOVES BEYOND THE REDRESS OF THE INITIAL AGGRESSION, AND INVASION BECOMES THE BRIDGEHEAD FOR BUILDING A DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA’S IMAGE, THE TERRAIN CAN TURN FATALLY HOSTILE, AND DEFEAT CAN FOLLOW. The verdict on Afghanistan is in. As Jon Soppel of the BBC said, America s attempt to export to Afghanistan is well and truly over. America s effort to build a civil society in Kabul and beyond also in tatters. “ ’ When war moves beyond the redress of the initial aggression, and invasion’ becomes the bridgehead for building a democracy— in America s image,” the terrain can turn fatally hostile, and defeat can follow. ’ This was the lesson of Vietnam with the South s collapse in 1975. This was popularized in the famous Powell Doctrine, named for its author, General Colin Powell, who would later become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under President’ George H.W. Bush, and then Secretary of State under“ President George” W. Bush.

The Powell Doctrine consists of 8 key questions, which all required answers in the affirmative for a clear decision to wage war. Is a vital national security interest threatened? Do we have a clear attainable objective? Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed? Have all other nonviolent policy means“ been fully exhausted? Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement? Have the consequences of our action been fully considered? Is the action supported by the American people? Do we have genuine broad international support?

” Vietnam failed the test. But the lessons of Vietnam were learned and stuck for the next war, the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, which coincided with the George HW Bush-Powell command. The world was affronted by Iraq s naked aggression, in violation of international law. Bush mobilized a global coalition to reverse it successfully. Most critically, Bush and Powell rejected the option of taking the battle’ back to its source and removing Saddam. – But by 9/11, the lessons were forgotten. It was absolutely right to avenge the terrorist attacks from Bin Laden and Al Qaida against the United States. Nearly 3000 people from across the globe were killed. The world stood with the United States. The calling card had an incontrovertible return address.

The Taliban were overthrown, and Al Qaida was taken down, but neither were eviscerated. Bin Laden ultimately faced justice 10 years later.

But the George W Bush-Dick Cheney-Donald Rumsfeld entente was obsessed with Iraq and their belief that Saddam was directly tied to 9/11 and armed with weapons of mass destruction. (Historians may well judge that decision to go to war against Iraq as marking the moment of American imperial over-reach and the trigger of America s permanent decline.) ’

https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/lessons-from-the-winds-of-war

Breaking the Stigma Former U.S. National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster cautions against the return of “Vietnam syndrome” in his new book Battlegrounds. The fear of sleepwalking into another Iraq or Afghanistan, he submits, could have adverse effects that shy the U.S. government away from integrating comprehensive peacetime security cooperation strategies. Far from a tertiary capability, short of the DoD simply being “ready” for competition to escalate into war, and thereby trusting that such readiness will serve as a sufficient deterrent to escalation itself, IW is the DoD’s tool of record for competing proactively against what David Maxwell describes as the dominant threat in GPC: Political warfare supported by hybrid military approaches. Political warfare is the naturally occurring competitive exchange between states in the absence of armed conflict, so defined in a 1948 memorandum drafted by diplomat George Kennan: “Political warfare is the logical application of Clausewitz’s doctrine in time of peace…[It is] the employment of all means at a nation’s command, short of war, to achieve its national objectives.” Paradoxically, a global retraction of U.S. forces in the interest of avoiding war would create a proportional reduction of sensors and human networks crafted with the very intention of mitigating in their infancy the conditions that precipitate armed conflict. Irregular Warfare in GPC could, and should, seek less to remake the world in America’s own image and more to prevent parts of the globe from deteriorating into an image from which none would benefit, save those revisionist powers eager to fill ensuing vacuums with malign influence. Skills cultivated through IW operations, such as regional expertise, familiarity with foreign languages, and joint, interagency, and multinational experience thereby become essential to realizing the DoD’s broader objectives in GPC. Published in 2016, DoD Instruction 3000.11 recognized these needs by directing the department to refine its practices related to personnel who possess foreign military advising experience and capabilities. The document labeled such service members a “critical element of the DoD’s ability to conduct the full range of military operations in support of U.S. policy.” As the preferred tools of America’s competitors push the world further into a realm of interstate competition below the threshold of armed conflict, IW and its functions are likely to become critical strategic tools that both push and pull U.S. foreign policy. The IW Annex stated as much by declaring an end to the era of ad hoc reactions to situations short of war and commanding the DoD to “embrace IW as an enduring and fundamental form of warfare.” Special Operations Forces, or SOF, have and will continue to bear the brunt of this burden, but the Army’s new Security Force Assistance Brigades, if properly trained and employed, present unique opportunities to connect tactical actions to strategic effects in the competitive arena.

. https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/iw-great-pwr-pt2/

COVID-19 vaccines work vs Delta, Lambda variants – PH Genome Center

Published August 20, 2021, 1:38 PM by Jhon Aldrin Casinas Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) flock at the Matina Town Square in Davao City during the vaccination rollout for OFWs. (Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN) The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has stressed that the vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) work against the Lambda and the Delta variants of coronavirus.

PGC Executive Director Dr. Cynthia Saloma emphasized that COVID-19 vaccines are effective against preventing severe illness and hospitalization of patients infected with the dreaded disease.

“I would like to emphasize that vaccines work both for the Delta as well as the Lambda variant,” Saloma said in a webinar Friday, Aug. 20. “[The vaccines] are very good at preventing severe cases as well as hospitalization.”

The Philippines has already detected its first case of the Lambda variant, which was first detected in Peru.

“In our country, we have only detected one [Lambda case] out of more than 11,000 whole genome sequences we have analyzed at the UP PGC,” Saloma said.

The PGC chief explained that in vitro data in Japan showed that the mutations in the Lambda variant suggest that it has the potential for “immune evasion.”

But she noted that more data is needed to determine the clinical and epidemiological implications of the Lambda variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the Lambda variant as a “variant of interest” (VOI), but she noted that the United States Center for Disease and Control (US CDC) does not considers the variant as a VOI.

Citing data from various studies, Saloma pointed out that there has been a decrease in the number of Lambda variants detected worldwide.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/covid-19-vaccines-work-vs-delta-lambda-variants-ph-genome-center/

LOOK: Galvez, Abalos welcome AstraZeneca jabs

Published August 20, 2021, 1:48 PM by Ariel Fernandez National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos led those who welcomed the arrival of the 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday morning, Aug. 20.

MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos (2nd from left) and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. (center) were present during the arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccines at NAIA on Aug. 20, 2021.(Photo from MIAA). The latest batch of the life-saving jabs landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 9:30 a.m. via China Air flight CI701.

Representatives from the Department of Health (DOH) were also on hand to witness the offloading of the shipment from the plane.

(Photo from MIAA)

The vaccines were immediately taken to the to the Pharmaserv Express cold-chain facility in Marikina City for temporary storage before, pending their distribution to various parts of the country.

The photos here were provided by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which operates NAIA.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/20/look-galvez-abalos-welcome-astrazeneca-jabs/

AstraZeneca's antibody therapy prevents COVID-19, study shows

FILE PHOTO: The logo for AstraZeneca is seen outside its North America headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., March 22, 2021. REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski/File Photo 20 Aug 2021 08:11PM (Updated: 20 Aug 2021 08:11PM) BookmarkShare AstraZeneca's new antibody therapy reduced the risk of people developing COVID- 19 symptoms by 77 per cent in a late-stage trial, putting the drugmaker on track to offer protection to those who respond poorly to vaccines.

The company said on Friday (Aug 20) that 75 per cent of the participants in the trial for the therapy - two types of antibodies discovered by Vanderbilt University Medical Center - had chronic conditions including some with a lower immune response to vaccinations.

ADVERTISEMENT Similar therapies made with a drug class called monoclonal antibodies, which mimic naturally occurring immune system proteins, are being developed by Regeneron, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline with partner Vir.

But AstraZeneca is the first to publish positive COVID-19 prevention data from an antibody trial.

The good news on the therapy was tempered, however, by a separate AstraZeneca statement on Friday.

It said a trial of a treatment for the rare neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), developed by AstraZeneca's newly acquired Alexion, had been stopped early due to a lack of efficacy. AstraZeneca executive Mene Pangalos said the therapy trial results were taken three months after the antibodies were injected and investigators would follow up as far out as 15 months in the hope the company can tout the shot as a year-long shield.

ADVERTISEMENT Pangalos signalled that the prospects of a new COVID-19 product in AstraZeneca's medicine cabinet could also enhance the strategic value of its existing vaccine Vaxzevria, which it developed in collaboration with Oxford University.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/astrazeneca-covid-19-antibody-therapy-trial-2125736

US probing Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for higher heart inflammation risk

FILE PHOTO: An employee shows the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital in New York, U.S., December 21, 2020. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/ 20 Aug 2021 12:01PM (Updated: 20 Aug 2021 12:01PM) BookmarkShare US health officials are investigating reports that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine may be linked to a higher risk of a rare heart condition in younger adults than previously thought, reported late on Thursday (Aug 19), citing people familiar with the review.

The report quoted a source saying it was too early for the regulators to reach a conclusion, and that additional work was needed before any recommendation was made.

ADVERTISEMENT Health regulators in June had added a warning to the literature that accompanies the mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer to flag the rare risk of heart inflammation seen primarily in young males. However, they said the benefit of the shots in preventing COVID-19 continued to outweigh the risks.

There might be a 2.5 times higher incidence of myocarditis in those who get the Moderna vaccine compared with Pfizer's vaccine, the Post quoted a source as saying. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-probing-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-higher-heart- inflammation-risk-2125301

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Reuters Read More

Aug 20 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Israeli doctors find severe COVID-19 breakthrough cases mostly in older, sicker patients

- In Israel's COVID-19 wards, doctors are learning which vaccinated patients are most vulnerable to severe illness, amid growing concerns about instances in which the shots provide less protection against the worst forms of the disease.

Around half of the country's 600 patients presently hospitalized with severe illness have received two doses of the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) shot, a rare occurrence out of 5.4 million fully vaccinated people.

The majority of these patients received two vaccine doses at least five months ago, are over the age of 60 and also have chronic illnesses known to exacerbate a coronavirus infection. They range from diabetes to heart disease and lung ailments, as well as cancers and inflammatory diseases that are treated with immune-system suppressing drugs, according to Reuters interviews with 11 doctors, health specialists and officials. read more

Asia extends lockdowns, adds curbs to fight surge in Delta infections https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about- coronavirus-right-now-2021-03-02/

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

Published 2 days ago Share Related Topics

 Coronavirus pandemic

IMAGE SOURCEGETTY IMAGES image captionA young Thai-boy gives the pro-democracy three-finger salute during protests in Bangkok about a slow vaccine rollout and record high Covid cases - 19 August 2021 Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more than 210 million confirmed cases and 4.4 million deaths across nearly 200 countries.

The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by Russia, France, the UK and Turkey. Very few places have been left untouched. mapped

Zoom to

Show 210,006,573cases4,403,645deaths 37,100,000 Circles show number of confirmed coronavirus cases per country.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies Figures last updated 20 August 2021, 09:16 BST

In the table below, countries can be reordered by deaths, death rate and total cases. In the coloured bars on the right-hand side, countries in which cases have risen to more than 10,000 per day are those with black bars on the relevant date. data in detail

Scroll table to see more data

*Deaths per 100,000 people

Filter:

New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** US 622,263 190.2 37,118,456 JAN 2020 AUG 2021 572,641 273.4 20,494,212 Brazil 433,589 32.1 32,358,829 India 251,305 199.1 3,175,374 Mexico 197,716 618.1 2,138,666 Peru 170,716 117.1 6,592,705 Russia 131,373 195.7 6,392,160 UK 128,634 212.2 4,464,005 Italy 123,901 249.5 4,880,516 Colombia 122,633 45.8 3,930,300 Indonesia 113,083 174.0 6,557,356 France 109,841 247.6 5,116,803 Argentina 100,255 122.6 4,587,683 Iran 91,963 110.6 3,854,529 Germany 83,004 177.8 4,758,003 Spain 78,694 136.2 2,652,652 South Africa 75,311 198.6 2,886,079 Poland 56,378 127.4 2,363,652 Ukraine 53,891 65.4 6,157,742 Turkey 36,524 195.0 1,631,689 Chile 34,379 176.2 1,089,189 Romania 31,985 187.2 495,115 Ecuador New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 30,881 29.0 1,791,003 Philippines 30,384 284.9 1,677,204 Czech Republic 30,046 309.5 810,781 Hungary 26,743 72.1 1,470,803 Canada 25,312 220.4 1,161,558 Belgium 24,878 15.4 1,447,210 Bangladesh 24,783 11.7 1,116,886 Pakistan 22,304 192.9 632,328 Tunisia 19,958 51.9 1,809,376 Iraq 18,438 261.5 438,698 Bulgaria 18,236 160.6 484,446 Bolivia 17,950 105.2 1,913,464 Netherlands 17,613 171.7 1,012,125 Portugal 16,647 16.9 285,831 Egypt 15,553 12.2 1,232,940 Japan 15,508 222.9 457,349 Paraguay 14,664 147.1 1,115,566 Sweden 13,945 26.0 365,759 Myanmar 13,480 42.8 1,489,460 Malaysia 13,265 126.1 550,459 Greece 12,547 230.1 393,799 Slovakia 11,725 64.0 790,205 Kazakhstan 11,472 31.8 791,559 Morocco 11,339 65.7 428,096 Guatemala 10,934 128.2 750,186 Switzerland 10,760 121.0 672,819 Austria 10,429 37.1 742,228 Nepal 10,264 103.0 787,367 Jordan Bosnia and 9,721 292.5 208,644 Herzegovina New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 8,586 12.4 989,859 Thailand 8,527 88.9 323,625 Honduras 8,439 25.0 540,244 Saudi Arabia 8,294 199.5 368,419 Croatia 7,999 116.6 588,578 Lebanon 7,188 102.9 737,969 Serbia 7,150 7.5 312,611 Vietnam 7,047 19.0 152,411 Afghanistan 6,990 167.4 450,624 Panama 6,790 32.0 373,165 Sri Lanka 6,752 80.6 970,606 Israel 6,590 164.6 501,297 Georgia 6,338 156.4 263,500 Moldova 6,013 174.3 383,758 Uruguay 5,608 269.2 165,684 North Macedonia 5,296 105.9 438,587 Costa Rica 5,231 52.6 380,918 Azerbaijan 5,074 105.3 331,206 Ireland 4,929 11.7 190,078 Algeria 4,848 0.3 106,689 China 4,727 160.1 236,234 Armenia 4,518 4.1 292,731 Ethiopia 4,471 159.6 292,552 Lithuania 4,438 213.6 262,571 Slovenia 4,404 8.6 225,663 Kenya 4,319 38.1 554,247 Cuba 4,198 29.1 121,902 Zimbabwe 4,020 83.2 300,914 Oman 4,001 59.9 291,168 Libya 3,989 37.5 346,997 Dominican New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** Republic 3,859 13.4 322,757 Venezuela 3,649 38.6 465,210 Belarus Palestinian 3,628 74.6 323,582 Territories 3,564 20.5 203,553 Zambia 3,316 135.4 123,082 Namibia 2,931 6.9 97,453 Uganda 2,824 44.0 92,416 El Salvador 2,820 6.7 37,616 Sudan 2,567 133.1 140,651 Latvia 2,562 44.5 334,799 Denmark 2,473 39.2 173,428 Kyrgyzstan 2,473 85.8 137,597 Albania 2,399 58.0 407,652 Kuwait 2,303 124.8 123,098 Kosovo 2,244 1.1 185,267 Nigeria 2,197 4.3 232,859 South Korea 2,081 92.3 146,461 Botswana 2,028 11.2 59,048 Malawi United Arab 2,012 20.9 706,166 Emirates 1,953 11.5 26,634 Syria 1,773 6.0 141,383 Mozambique 1,762 10.8 88,242 Cambodia 1,662 264.7 108,108 Montenegro 1,641 10.4 71,441 Senegal 1,414 5.0 7,407 Yemen 1,385 88.2 271,353 Bahrain 1,342 45.7 59,932 Jamaica New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 1,338 5.3 82,454 Cameroon 1,281 96.8 138,157 Estonia Trinidad and 1,208 86.9 42,582 Tobago 1,133 3.7 45,325 Angola 1,053 1.3 53,757 DR Congo 1,010 18.3 120,186 Finland 1,008 3.1 147,322 Uzbekistan 996 8.1 81,835 Rwanda 976 3.9 42,229 Australia 973 85.6 38,739 Eswatini 954 3.6 42,836 Madagascar 945 3.2 112,928 Ghana 897 6.0 16,535 Somalia 892 28.1 190,253 Mongolia 830 137.4 74,918 Luxembourg 826 3.5 15,897 Taiwan 811 15.2 147,058 Norway 696 120.8 27,070 Suriname 661 15.0 31,174 Mauritania 601 21.6 230,221 Qatar 587 75.4 23,795 Guyana 582 5.2 20,689 Haiti 535 2.8 14,735 Mali 470 54.4 110,518 Cyprus 435 99.0 35,602 Malta 421 47.7 42,611 Fiji 400 19.0 14,370 Lesotho 373 1.5 53,089 Ivory Coast 350 91.4 15,334 Belize New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 346 86.5 35,283 Guadeloupe 316 81.9 16,848 Bahamas 310 35.1 46,754 Réunion 302 2.4 28,428 Guinea 300 55.2 34,598 Cape Verde 277 12.1 9,318 Gambia 245 88.2 35,743 French Polynesia 243 64.7 32,002 Martinique 222 43.0 79,659 Maldives 201 71.0 32,426 French Guiana 198 3.1 10,672 Nicaragua 196 0.9 5,750 Niger Papua New 192 2.2 17,832 Guinea 179 3.4 13,398 Congo 175 67.4 19,648 Mayotte 174 1.1 4,984 Chad 172 2.2 18,605 Togo 171 0.9 13,692 Burkina Faso 165 7.8 25,626 Gabon 156 16.3 11,689 Djibouti 148 3.1 5,459 Liberia 147 17.7 4,044 Comoros 136 83.6 14,802 Curaçao 129 167.5 14,981 Andorra 124 1.4 16,326 Tajikistan 124 117.2 13,719 Aruba 123 9.4 9,010 Equatorial Guinea 121 1.6 6,347 Sierra Leone 120 1.1 11,227 South Sudan New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 119 1.0 10,183 Benin 101 104.0 19,390 Seychelles Central African 99 2.1 11,251 Republic 97 53.3 6,857 Saint Lucia 96 5.1 5,366 Guinea-Bissau 96 284.7 5,261 Gibraltar 93 54.5 10,153 Channel Islands 90 266.4 5,231 San Marino 59 155.6 3,198 Liechtenstein 50 0.1 1,367 Tanzania 48 16.7 4,609 Barbados 46 0.8 66,366 Singapore Antigua and 43 44.7 1,421 Barbuda 42 112.7 3,366 Saint Martin 41 3.2 13,433 Timor-Leste 38 0.3 10,198 Burundi 37 1.1 6,618 Eritrea 37 44.0 6,167 Isle of Man British Virgin 37 124.2 2,568 Islands Sao Tome and 37 17.5 2,502 Principe 33 85.3 3,105 Monaco 33 52.6 2,715 Bermuda 30 8.9 9,916 Iceland 26 0.5 2,969 New Zealand 22 1.7 6,758 Mauritius 19 50.4 2,601 Turks and Caicos New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** Islands Diamond Princess 13 712 cruise ship St Vincent and the 12 10.9 2,320 Grenadines 9 0.1 11,313 Laos 3 0.4 2,580 Bhutan 3 0.7 946 Brunei Saint Kitts and 3 5.7 742 Nevis 2 20.4 1,336 Saint Barthelemy 2 4.1 995 Faroe Islands 2 3.1 656 Cayman Islands MS Zaandam 2 9 cruise ship 1 0.9 196 Grenada 1 20.0 23 Montserrat 1 0.3 4 Vanuatu 0 0.0 953 Dominica 0 0.0 285 Greenland 0 0.0 154 Anguilla 0 0.0 134 New Caledonia 0 0.0 66 Falkland Islands Saint Pierre and 0 0.0 30 Miquelon 0 0.0 27 Vatican 0 0.0 20 Solomon Islands 0 0.0 4 Marshall Islands 0 0.0 3 Samoa 0 0.0 2 Kiribati New Cases 0 10 100 1k 10k Country Deaths Death rate*Total Cases ** 0 0.0 1 Micronesia 0 0.0 0 Palau Show more

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.

** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies and UN population data Figures last updated: 20 August 2021, 09:16 BST Note: The map, table and animated bar chart in this page use a different source for figures for France and the UK from that used by Johns Hopkins University. US figures do not include Puerto Rico, Guam or the US Virgin Islands.

Confirmed cases have been rising steeply since the middle of last year, but the true extent of the first outbreak in 2020 is unclear because testing was not then widely available. The 100 millionth Covid case was recorded at the end of January - about a year after the first officially diagnosed case of the virus.

Deaths have also been rising, however official figures may not fully reflect the true number in many countries. Data on excess deaths, a measure of how many more people are dying than would be expected based on the previous few years, may give a better indication of the actual numbers in many cases.

Who has vaccinated the most? Of the 197 countries and territories administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 67 are high-income nations, 103 are middle-income and 26 low-income. The map below, using figures collated by Our World in Data - a collaboration between Oxford University and an educational charity - shows the total number of doses given per 100 people, mostly first doses.

Global vaccine rollout

Click or tap the map Reset

Total doses per 100 people No data 0 10 20 30 40 50+ Scroll table Filter table:

Location Doses per 100 people Total doses World 62.6 4,876,753,483 China 132.6 1,919,868,961 India 41.1 566,595,708 US 107.5 359,623,380 Brazil 81.7 173,650,317 Japan 91.5 115,739,998 Germany 118.2 99,042,466 UK 132.7 88,617,595 Turkey 103.4 87,195,574 Indonesia 31.6 86,414,456 France 121.9 82,393,710 Mexico 61.6 79,399,398 Russia 51.4 75,043,301 Italy 123.7 74,804,729 Spain 134.0 62,665,513 Canada 138.0 52,074,770 Pakistan 20.3 44,736,977 Argentina 83.4 37,689,167 Poland 94.3 35,690,920 South Korea 67.9 34,788,642 Saudi Arabia 95.6 33,271,819 Colombia 63.8 32,463,196 Malaysia 92.3 29,886,548 Morocco 80.9 29,856,013 Philippines 26.6 29,127,240 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Chile 144.5 27,626,715 Thailand 36.1 25,167,060 Bangladesh 13.5 22,166,720 Netherlands 126.8 21,731,346 Iran 23.7 19,894,523 United Arab Emirates 177.6 17,566,410 Sri Lanka 79.0 16,920,027 Peru 50.1 16,518,355 Cambodia 98.8 16,514,969 Australia 63.5 16,201,270 Vietnam 16.4 15,922,537 Belgium 135.8 15,733,985 Ecuador 87.9 15,516,237 Portugal 136.0 13,870,686 Israel 145.4 12,584,839 Cuba 108.5 12,287,005 Uzbekistan 36.2 12,103,334 Sweden 115.5 11,666,296 Czech Republic 104.0 11,136,725 Greece 106.5 11,101,460 Kazakhstan 59.1 11,096,951 Dominican Republic 99.0 10,743,683 Hungary 109.3 10,555,046 Austria 114.1 10,275,681 South Africa 17.1 10,167,749 Taiwan 42.0 10,014,566 Romania 50.0 9,627,879 Switzerland 107.8 9,329,591 Singapore 146.1 8,547,113 Nepal 29.3 8,526,673 Denmark 142.4 8,248,309 Ukraine 18.2 7,952,028 Ireland 131.6 6,499,009 Egypt 6.3 6,477,535 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Finland 114.7 6,354,388 Norway 114.1 6,187,398 Jordan 58.8 5,999,613 Azerbaijan 59.1 5,991,016 Serbia 83.1 5,656,592 El Salvador 84.9 5,509,567 Uruguay 150.5 5,228,992 Bolivia 44.7 5,215,804 Tunisia 40.5 4,782,139 Venezuela 16.5 4,678,086 Slovakia 81.6 4,455,343 Mongolia 130.0 4,261,009 Qatar 145.9 4,202,478 Algeria 9.5 4,146,091 Nigeria 1.9 3,967,013 Costa Rica 75.5 3,848,155 Zimbabwe 24.4 3,620,937 Panama 83.0 3,583,003 Guatemala 19.7 3,528,413 Myanmar 6.4 3,500,000 Laos 46.3 3,371,785 Honduras 33.2 3,292,889 Paraguay 46.0 3,278,382 Croatia 77.7 3,191,520 Lithuania 109.8 2,989,653 Oman 57.8 2,951,658 Belarus 28.4 2,684,863 New Zealand 54.1 2,610,013 Bahrain 143.3 2,438,316 Kuwait 55.6 2,375,455 Ethiopia 2.0 2,326,531 Lebanon 33.3 2,272,173 Kenya 4.1 2,221,704 Bulgaria 31.7 2,201,084 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Iraq 5.2 2,102,550 Tajikistan 20.6 1,967,958 Slovenia 88.3 1,835,638 Afghanistan 4.6 1,809,517 Angola 5.3 1,727,488 Mozambique 4.8 1,487,560 Senegal 8.7 1,451,106 Latvia 76.7 1,447,307 Rwanda 10.4 1,344,627 Albania 46.6 1,340,339 Mauritius 102.0 1,297,090 Ghana 4.1 1,271,393 Ivory Coast 4.7 1,246,309 Uganda 2.7 1,235,052 Estonia 92.7 1,230,051 Moldova 29.8 1,200,189 North Macedonia 53.6 1,115,988 Palestinian Territories 21.1 1,078,213 Cyprus 119.4 1,060,680 Bhutan 134.2 1,035,510 Guinea 7.3 962,565 Kyrgyzstan 14.8 962,420 Libya 13.0 889,957 Georgia 22.1 883,570 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.4 865,306 Sudan 1.9 823,881 Trinidad and Tobago 58.1 813,470 Malta 178.5 788,292 Malawi 4.0 768,280 Luxembourg 119.8 749,999 Fiji 83.1 745,201 Maldives 121.0 653,886 Kosovo 31.1 601,701 Nicaragua 8.8 580,127 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Zambia 2.9 536,479 Timor-Leste 37.3 491,569 Niger 2.0 485,954 Iceland 139.8 477,205 Togo 5.7 474,776 Guyana 55.3 434,965 Botswana 17.4 408,023 Cameroon 1.5 395,212 Jamaica 13.2 391,076 Montenegro 58.5 367,434 Syria 2.0 355,000 Equatorial Guinea 23.5 329,229 Gambia 13.1 316,363 Yemen 1.0 311,483 Suriname 49.1 288,230 Somalia 1.8 279,869 Congo 5.0 273,790 Namibia 10.6 268,556 Mali 1.3 259,719 Mauritania 5.4 253,336 Cape Verde 42.6 236,976 Brunei 52.6 230,324 Sierra Leone 2.8 225,380 Armenia 7.4 220,236 Tanzania 0.4 218,621 Comoros 24.9 216,123 Belize 53.4 212,380 Madagascar 0.7 197,001 Barbados 65.5 188,324 Eswatini 15.6 181,290 Jersey 144.9 146,439 Seychelles 145.9 143,490 Isle of Man 147.7 125,632 Gabon 5.4 120,627 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses Papua New Guinea 1.3 113,052 Samoa 56.1 111,250 Bahamas 28.1 110,443 Liberia 2.0 101,071 Cayman Islands 151.6 99,635 Guernsey 145.6 97,600 Central African Republic 2.0 95,862 Andorra 118.6 91,660 DR Congo 0.096 86,244 Bermuda 133.8 83,297 Gibraltar 233.2 78,570 Benin 0.6 72,999 Lesotho 3.4 72,948 Burkina Faso 0.3 71,510 Antigua and Barbuda 72.9 71,434 Faroe Islands 143.1 69,950 Greenland 122.6 69,605 Solomon Islands 9.2 63,320 Saint Lucia 33.2 61,015 South Sudan 0.5 56,989 Djibouti 5.5 54,229 Turks and Caicos Islands 126.8 49,107 Tonga 45.0 47,553 San Marino 135.8 46,073 Chad 0.3 45,390 Saint Kitts and Nevis 83.0 44,124 Monaco 112.3 44,060 Sao Tome and Principe 20.1 43,987 Turkmenistan 0.7 41,993 Liechtenstein 109.5 41,741 Dominica 57.6 41,435 Grenada 34.8 39,121 Vanuatu 10.1 31,042 Guinea-Bissau 1.5 30,471 Location Doses per 100 people Total doses British Virgin Islands 96.5 29,172 St Vincent and the Grenadines 23.3 25,833 Cook Islands 116.8 20,509 Haiti 0.2 20,281 Anguilla 123.0 18,457 Nauru 136.5 14,784 Kiribati 11.7 13,970 Saint Helena 130.0 7,892 Tuvalu 40.5 4,772 Falkland Islands 126.5 4,407 Montserrat 56.6 2,828 Niue 148.7 2,406 Tokelau 71.7 968 Pitcairn 176.6 83 British Indian Ocean Territory 0 0 Burundi 0 0 Eritrea 0 0 North Korea 0 0 South Georgia and the South Sandwich 0 0 Islands Vatican 0 0 Show more

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country. Total vaccinations refers to the number of doses given, not the number of people vaccinated. It is possible to have more than 100 doses per 100 population as some vaccines require two doses per person.

Source: Our World in Data, ONS, gov.uk dashboard

Last updated: 20 August 2021, 11:16 BST

Overall, China and India have administered the highest number of doses, with more than 1.9 billion and 560 million respectively. The US ranks third, with more than 350 million. But when breaking the figures down by doses per 100 people in countries with a population of at least one million, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Singapore top the list.

Most countries are prioritising the over-60s, health workers and people who are clinically vulnerable. Some countries have secured more vaccine doses than their populations need, while other lower-income countries are relying on a global plan known as Covax, which is seeking to ensure everyone in the world has access to a vaccine.  How fast is vaccination progress around the world?

Where are cases still high? The number of daily cases is rising again in several regions.

Asia Asia, which was the centre of the initial outbreak that spread from Wuhan in China in early 2020, has seen another recent rise in cases. That has been driven by a spike in infections in several countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. In Thailand, total cases topped one million on Friday, with 97% of those recorded since March this year. There have been protests in Bangkok about the government's handling of the recent outbreak and a slow vaccine rollout. In India, where the number of new daily cases has fallen recently, the official death toll is 433,000 and it has recorded 32 million cases - second only to the US.

Latin America In Latin America, Brazil has recorded more than 20 million cases and more than 570,000 deaths - the world's second highest official death toll. Mexico has seen the fourth highest number of deaths in the world, with more than 250,000, and is currently seeing another surge in cases. Peru now has the fifth highest toll with nearly 200,000 deaths, but the highest number of deaths by population size - more than 600 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Europe Although the UK, Russia and Spain all saw a rise in cases recently, driven by the Delta variant of the virus, numbers have started to fall. Other European countries, such as France, Italy and Greece, are still seeing case numbers climb. New cases in the UK are similar to the level seen in the Spring, though the high level of vaccination has greatly reduced the number of deaths.  How is Europe lifting lockdown restrictions?

North America The US has recorded more than 37 million cases and about 625,000 deaths - the highest figures in the world. Daily case numbers in the US fell in May and June but are rising again as Delta becomes the main variant in circulation. The death rate in Canada is far lower than its neighbour's and it is currently seeing a relatively low number of daily cases.

Middle East Several countries in the Middle East have had severe outbreaks of the virus, with Iran and Iraq seeing the highest numbers of deaths. Iran has the highest official death toll in the region and the country is currently seeing its biggest rise in daily cases since the pandemic began. Israel has rolled out a highly successful vaccination programme, but has seen a surge in cases and has started offering a third dose of vaccine to people aged over 60.

Africa Africa has seen more than seven million cases and 180,000 deaths - but the true extent of the pandemic in many African countries is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with more than 2.6 million cases and 78,000 deaths, is the worst affected country on the continent, according to official figures. Morocco has recorded 790,000 cases and Tunisia is not far behind with just over 630,000. Ethiopia, Libya and Egypt are approaching 300,000 cases.  Coronavirus in Africa tracker

Oceania Australia and New Zealand have been praised for their response to the pandemic, with both countries having seen comparatively few deaths. But there is new concern in Australia where record cases of the Delta variant have prompted major cities, including Sydney, to go into lockdown. New Zealand has also gone back into full lockdown after a number of cases - still very low by other countries' standards - were discovered first in Auckland and later the capital, Wellington. Elsewhere, in French Polynesia, a sprawling network of islands in the Pacific Ocean, cases are currently surging.

How did coronavirus spread? Covid-19 was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in late 2019 but the outbreak spread quickly across the globe in the first months of 2020. It was declared a global pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020. A pandemic is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 More Than 4.93 Billion Shots Given: Covid-19 Tracker In the U.S., 362 million doses have been administered Updated: August 22, 2021, 3:39 AM GMT+8

Vaccine Tracker  Global  U.S.  U.S. Vaccine Demographics  FAQ  Covid-19 Tracker

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. More than 4.93 billion doses have been administered across 183 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 35.9 million doses a day.

In the U.S., 362 million doses have been given so far. In the last week, an average of 845,106 doses per day were administered.

World Map of Vaccinations More than 4.93 billion doses have been administered—enough to fully vaccinate 32.1% of the global population

 no data05153060%of population covered Note: “Population covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Data gathered from government agencies, public statements, Bloomberg interviews and the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University. A Change to Our Data Sources  Behind the data: After more than 240 straight data shifts, we’re taking the next step and will now be relying on a combination of automated scrapers and third- party data sources. . .

Enough doses have now been administered to fully vaccinate 32.1% of the global population—but the distribution has been lopsided. Countries and regions with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated more than 20 times faster than those with the lowest.

Uneven Access to Vaccines Least wealthy

       Most wealthy

The least wealthy 52 places have 2.7% of the vaccinations… Vaccines India Mainland China U.S.

 Hover for more comparisons Population India Mainland China

…but 20.5% of the world's population Note: Vaccine access calculations account for the number of doses needed for full protection; some vaccines require a two-dose regimen while others require just a single dose. Countries and regions are ordered by GDP per capita (PPP). When will life return to normal?

While the best vaccines are highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic. Infectious-disease experts say that vaccinating 70% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to normalcy.

On a global scale, that’s a daunting level of vaccination. At the current pace of 35.9 million a day, the goal of high levels of global immunity remains a long way off. Manufacturing capacity, however, is steadily increasing, and new vaccines by additional manufacturers are coming to market.

The Path to Immunity Around the World Globally, the latest vaccination rate is 35,924,171 doses per day, on average. At this pace, it will take another 6 months to cover 75% of the population.

↑↓

 Average daily rate estimate Jan. 5 March 3 April 29 June 25 Aug. 21 Doses administered: 80M 60 40 20 0 Note: Immunity calculations take into account the number of doses required and the current rate of administration for each vaccine type. The “daily rate estimate” is a seven-day trailing average; interpolation is used for jurisdictions with infrequent updates. *Coverage may exceed 100% in some places, as shots may be administered to non-residents. Data are from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker. ‘Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’

Israel was first to show that vaccines were bending the curve of Covid infections. The country led the world in early vaccinations, and by February more than 84% of people ages 70 and older had received two doses. Covid cases declined rapidly, and a similar pattern of vaccination and recovery repeated across dozens of other countries. This progress is under threat. New strains, led by the highly transmissible delta variant, have caused renewed outbreaks. It’s now a life-and-death contest between vaccine and virus. Unvaccinated people are more at risk than ever, leading U.S. health officials to dub it a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Even among those who are vaccinated, the delta variant may lead to mild cases, and those who get sick are able to spread the disease to others, according to the latest data. The vaccines remain effective at preventing hospitalization and death.

Vaccinations vs. Cases Vaccines have helped reduce case numbers in the places where they’ve been deployed most widely. Currently, 27 places have administered enough shots to cover at least 60% of the population.

United States (56.5% covered)

↑↓ Jan. 21 March 15 May 7 June 29 Aug. 21 People covered: 75% 50 25 0

 Seven-day average Jan. 21 March 15 May 7 June 29 Aug. 21 New cases per million: 1,000 800 600 400 200 0

Note: “People covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Vaccine data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Tracker. Cases data: Johns Hopkins University.

Since the start of the global vaccination campaign, countries have experienced unequal access to vaccines and varying degrees of efficiency in getting shots into people’s arms. Before March, few African nations had received a single shipment of shots. In the U.S., 108.9 doses have been administered for every 100 people.

Delivering billions of vaccines to stop the spread of Covid-19 worldwide is one of the greatest logistical challenges ever undertaken.

Race to End the Pandemic Greenland leads the world, with enough vaccinations to cover 89.0% of its population

↑↓ UAE UAE Greenland Greenland U.K. U.K. U.S. U.S. Aruba Aruba Afgh. Afgh. Angola Angola Alb. Alb. Andorra Andorra Argen. Argen. Armenia Armenia Antigua Antigua Aus. Aus. Austria Austria Azer. Azer. Belgium Belgium Benin Benin B. Faso B. Faso Bang. Bang. Bulg. Bulg. Bahrain Bahrain Baha. Baha. Bosnia Bosnia Belarus Belarus Belize Belize Bermuda Bermuda Bol. Bol. Brazil Brazil Barb. Barb. Brunei Brunei Bhutan Bhutan Bots. Bots. C.A.R. C.A.R. Switz. Switz. Chile Chile Mainland China Mainland China Iv. Coast Iv. Coast Camer. Camer. DR Congo DR Congo Rep. Congo Rep. Congo Col. Col. Comoros Comoros C. Verde C. Verde Co. Rica Co. Rica Cuba Cuba Curaçao Curaçao Cayman Cayman Cyprus Cyprus Cz. Rep. Cz. Rep. Germany Germany Dji. Dji. Domca. Domca. Den. Den. Dom. Rep. Dom. Rep. Alg. Alg. Ecuador Ecuador Egypt Egypt Spain Spain Est. Est. Ethio. Ethio. Finland Finland Fiji Fiji France France Micronesia Micronesia Gabon Gabon Georgia Georgia Ghana Ghana Guinea Guinea Gambia Gambia Guinea-Bis. Guinea-Bis. Eq. Guinea Eq. Guinea Greece Greece Grenada Grenada Guat. Guat. Guyana Guyana H.K. H.K. Honduras Honduras Croatia Croatia Haiti Haiti Hungary Hungary Indon. Indon. Is. Man Is. Man India India Ireland Ireland Iran Iran Iraq Iraq Iceland Iceland Israel Israel Italy Italy Jamaica Jamaica Jordan Jordan Japan Japan Kazak. Kazak. Kenya Kenya Kyrg. Kyrg. Camb. Camb. St. Kitts St. Kitts S. Korea S. Korea Kuwait Kuwait Laos Laos Leb. Leb. Liberia Liberia Libya Libya St. Lucia St. Lucia S. Lanka S. Lanka Lesotho Lesotho Lithu. Lithu. Lux. Lux. Latvia Latvia Macau Macau Mor. Mor. Monaco Monaco Moldova Moldova Mada. Mada. Mald. Mald. Mex. Mex. N. Mace. N. Mace. Mali Mali Malta Malta Myan. Myan. Monte. Monte. Mong. Mong. Moz. Moz. Mauritan. Mauritan. Mauritius Mauritius Malawi Malawi Malay. Malay. Nam. Nam. Niger Niger Nigeria Nigeria Nicar. Nicar. Netherl. Netherl. Norway Norway Nepal Nepal Nauru Nauru N.Z. N.Z. Oman Oman Pakistan Pakistan Panama Panama Peru Peru Phil. Phil. P. N. Guinea P. N. Guinea Poland Poland Portugal Portugal Par. Par. Qatar Qatar Rom. Rom. Russia Russia Rwanda Rwanda S. Arabia S. Arabia Sudan Sudan Senegal Senegal Sing. Sing. Solomon Solomon S. Leone S. Leone El Salv. El Salv. San Marino San Marino Somalia Somalia Serbia Serbia S. Sudan S. Sudan Sao Tome Sao Tome Surinm. Surinm. Slvk. Slvk. Slvn. Slvn. Sweden Sweden Eswatini Eswatini Seych. Seych. Chad Chad Togo Togo Thailand Thailand Tajik. Tajik. Timor-L. Timor-L. Tonga Tonga Tr. Tobago Tr. Tobago Tunisia Tunisia Turkey Turkey Taiwan Taiwan Tanzania Tanzania Uganda Uganda Ukraine Ukraine Uruguay Uruguay Kosovo Kosovo Uzbek. Uzbek. St. Vincent St. Vincent Venez. Venez. Vietnam Vietnam Samoa Samoa Yemen Yemen S. Africa S. Africa Zambia Zambia Zimb. Zimb. EU EU Canada Canada Jan. 13 March 9 May 3 June 27 Aug. 21 People covered: 100% 80 60 40 20 0

Note: “People covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker Global Vaccination Campaign

% of population

Enough for % given Daily rate of Doses of 1+ fully doses administered people dose vaccinated administered Countries and regions % of population

Enough for % given Daily rate of Doses of 1+ fully doses administered people dose vaccinated administered Countries and regions

Global Total 4,930,096,830 – – – 35,924,171

1,924,390,000 68.7 55.5 11,429,714 Mainland China –

India 576,117,350 21.1 32.6 9.3 5,703,921

EU 515,586,761 58.0 63.4 56.7 1,787,206

U.S. 361,684,564 56.5 60.5 51.3 845,106

Brazil 176,616,552 43.0 59.4 25.3 2,123,113

Japan 115,739,998 45.9 51.7 40.0 1,151,240

Germany 99,340,944 59.8 64.0 58.8 296,723

U.K. 89,070,370 66.7 71.2 62.1 206,141

Indonesia 88,849,572 16.6 21.2 11.5 1,153,952

Turkey 88,395,234 53.2 55.1 42.1 733,868

France 83,122,178 64.1 72.6 62.5 419,368

Mexico 79,933,762 31.3 43.8 23.9 478,049

Russia 76,768,092 26.2 28.5 23.1 514,849

Italy 75,127,479 62.2 68.5 60.1 204,488

Spain 63,090,941 67.9 76.2 66.9 347,194

Canada 52,249,906 69.6 72.9 64.7 121,090 % of population

Enough for % given Daily rate of Doses of 1+ fully doses administered people dose vaccinated administered Countries and regions

Pakistan 45,540,221 11.1 17.8 6.4 480,971

Argentina 38,683,170 43.0 60.4 25.7 291,639

South Korea 36,941,083 35.7 49.3 22.1 737,434

Show more  Note: Population coverage accounts for the number of doses required for each vaccine administered. The daily rate is a 7-day average; for places that don’t report daily, the last-known average rate is used. U.S. Vaccinations: State by State

Roughly half of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated, and states are flush with supply. The vaccination campaign, however, has slowed. Once the envy of the world for its swift rollout, the U.S. has since been overtaken by dozens of countries. There are still wide gaps between the most and least vaccinated counties in the U.S., leaving many communities vulnerable to continued outbreaks.

Distribution in the U.S. is directed by the federal government. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as Moderna’s shot both require two doses taken several weeks apart. J&J’s inoculation requires just a single dose. Additional booster shots may be used to enhance protections over time.

So far, 201 million Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine—77.9%of the adult population. At least 170 million people have completed a vaccination regimen. The U.S. is sending some of its excess supply to other hard-hit regions of the world.

Vaccines Across America Enough doses have been administered to cover 56.5% of the total population

Popul ati on Cover ed% of Suppl y Used

 045505560% ASCT

RI CT DE DC GU MP AS VI Note: “Population covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Data added after Feb. 20 is from the CDC and includes doses administered by federal entities in state totals. Prior data from the Bloomberg Covid-19 Tracker. It can take several days for counts to be reported through the CDC database. A new beginning

It takes about two weeks after a final vaccine dose for immunity to fully develop. While the CDC has offered guidance on mask-wearing after vaccination, many local governments and businesses have set their own rules.

Unvaccinated people, including children, should still wear masks indoors, according to the CDC’s latest guidance.

U.S. Vaccinations vs. Cases Vaccines have helped reduce case numbers in the places where they’ve been deployed most widely. Currently, 21 places have administered enough shots to cover at least 60% of the population.

United States (56.5% covered)

↑↓ Jan. 21 March 15 May 7 June 29 Aug. 21 People covered: 75% 50 25 0

 Seven-day average Jan. 21 March 15 May 7 June 29 Aug. 21 New cases per million: 1,000 800 600 400 200 0

Note: “People covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Vaccine data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Tracker. Cases data: Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. health officials are now focused on how to vaccinate people who have been reluctant to get a shot. Younger, unvaccinated populations are increasingly viewed as key to getting the pandemic under control.

How State Vaccinations Stack Up Vermont leads all states, with enough vaccinations to cover 72.5% of its populations

↑↓ U.S. U.S. Miss. Miss. Vt. Vt. Alaska Alaska Ala. Ala. Ark. Ark. Ariz. Ariz. Calif. Calif. Colo. Colo. Conn. Conn. D.C. D.C. Del. Del. Fla. Fla. Ga. Ga. Hawaii Iowa Iowa Idaho Idaho Ill. Ill. Ind. Ind. Kan. Kan. Ky. Ky. La. La. Mass. Mass. Md. Md. Maine Maine Mich. Mich. Minn. Minn. Mo. Mo. Mont. Mont. N.C. N.C. N.D. N.D. Neb. Neb. N.H. N.H. N.J. N.J. N.M. N.M. Nev. Nev. N.Y. N.Y. Ohio Ohio Okla. Okla. Ore. Ore. Pa. Pa. R.I. R.I. S.C. S.C. S.D. S.D. Tenn. Tenn. Texas Texas Utah Utah Va. Va. Wash. Wash. Wis. Wis. W.Va. W.Va. Wyo. Wyo. Jan. 13 March 9 May 3 June 27 Aug. 21 People covered: 80% 60 40 20 0 Note: Two doses are needed for full protection with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, while the J&J shot requires a single dose. Data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker

After focusing first on hospitals and other institutional health-care settings, states expanded the number of places that offer the shots. Mass vaccination centers were created from sport stadiums, theme parks, convention halls and race tracks. Now the campaign has moved to more traditional health-care settings: pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.

The Path to Immunity in the U.S. In the U.S., the latest vaccination rate is 845,106 doses per day, on average. At this pace, it will take another 5 months to cover 75% of the population.

↑↓

 Average daily rate estimate Jan. 5 March 3 April 29 June 25 Aug. 21 Doses administered: 5M 4 3 2 1 0 Note: Immunity calculations take into account the number of doses required and the current rate of administration for each vaccine type. Data are from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker. U.S. Vaccination Campaign

% of population

Enough for % given Daily rate of Doses of 1+ fully doses Supply administered people dose vaccinated administered used Jurisdiction

U.S. Totals 361,684,564 56.5 60.5 51.3 845,106 84.5%

California 47,039,961 61.7 67.7 54.8 94,540 87.6%

Texas 29,200,537 52.3 55.6 46.0 88,968 79.5%

Florida 24,077,133 58.7 62.3 51.2 79,327 82.3%

New York 23,885,954 64.0 66.1 59.0 46,393 89.7%

Pennsylvania 15,121,080 61.4 68.2 54.2 27,306 87.0%

Illinois 14,290,439 58.4 64.9 50.3 35,796 87.1%

11,946,096 17,660 93.5% Federal Entities* – – –

Ohio 11,440,958 50.9 51.7 47.7 18,467 83.7%

New Jersey 10,786,503 63.1 68.7 60.3 22,258 84.4%

North Carolina 10,182,160 50.3 54.2 45.3 23,858 78.8%

Virginia 10,053,168 61.0 64.3 56.2 18,686 87.6% % of population

Enough for % given Daily rate of Doses of 1+ fully doses Supply administered people dose vaccinated administered used Jurisdiction

Michigan 10,046,612 52.1 54.6 49.9 12,437 79.7%

Georgia 9,517,382 46.0 49.9 40.4 43,935 74.7%

Massachusetts 9,354,657 70.2 74.5 65.2 10,966 90.6%

Washington 9,311,797 63.7 66.5 59.3 16,623 90.8%

Maryland 7,462,345 64.0 67.1 60.5 12,502 81.5%

Arizona 7,414,066 52.7 55.6 46.9 15,031 81.2%

Colorado 6,697,497 60.3 62.5 56.0 11,178 88.3%

6,350,892 56.7 57.7 53.0 Wisconsin

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

ADRi vTHD: “Looking Back to Build Forward: Lessons from Aquino’s Reforms”

After honoring the July 2016 Arbitral Ruling victory, the Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRi) hosted a commemorative virtual town hall discussion (vTHD) to highlight the achievements and legacy of the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Entitled “Looking Back to Build Forward: Lessons from Aquino’s Reforms”, the vTHD set sail on the discussion of the economic, good governance, and foreign policy accomplishments of the Aquino Administration.

In terms of the economy, there is no doubt that the Philippines had resurgent economy under the Aquino Administration, where an enabling business environment flourished together with the garnering of commendable investment rating upgrades from international organizations and institutions. Further, the PNoy Administration laid the groundwork for the development of the country’s physical infrastructure to boost job creation and attract more foreign investments, as evidenced by a steady inflow of foreign direct investments during his term and the many PPP projects that are only now being completed.

PNoy’s initiatives against corruption was also felt. The corruption perception index, for instance saw the Philippines rise 45 spots during his term. His contribution the Peace Process and AFP Modernization were also part of his achievements that cannot be overlooked, e.g., the acquisition of military equipment and weapons and the forging of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Last but not the least, his principled leadership has brought governance closer and direct to the public in his effort of promoting transparency and accountability, and in combating corruption. https://adrinstitute.org/2021/08/20/adri-vthd-looking-back-to-build-forward-lessons-from- aquinos-reforms/

The Afghan aftermath posted August 21, 2021 at 12:15 am by Rod Kapunan 

It is not the fall of Kabul that surprised many but the pace by which the Taliban overran the country. The Taliban’s arrival came so swiftly that the US-installed government headed by President Ashraf Ghani scampered fast to leave the country. Many political analysts are wondering why the installed government tumbled like the proverbial house of cards, with President Ghani fleeing the country to an unknown destination. US President Joe Biden could not believe it. According to him, the US has trained around 300,000 soldiers to fight against insurgents estimated to number around 75,000. They were trained to fight for their proxy in the guise of rooting out terrorism. This is the reason they invaded that country in September 2003 only to cost the American taxpayers more than $2 trillion dollars, the lives of 2,446 servicemen, and nearly 4,000 civilian contractors of which more than 66,000 Afghan military and police officers killed in fighting the 20-year war. Civilian costs are even higher at 47,245 deaths. The number of Taliban and other opposition fighters killed stands at 51,191. The war includes direct funding, costing about $800 billion and $83 billion to train the Afghan army—only to melt like ice upon hearing the arrival of the Taliban forces. Biden admitted that it was the US that paid the salaries of the Afghan soldiers, equipped them with sophisticated arms, supplied them with tanks, armored personnel carriers, Humvee combat vehicles, fighter jets, Blackhawk helicopters, and reconnaissance aircraft only to hand them over to the Taliban who descended from the hills. The fiasco has, all of a sudden, shifted to the US Congress. Many could not reckon why the war that cost the US $2 trillion to fight what many observed as ragtag fighters fell. The US miserably lost that war and paradoxically caused poverty in the US to multiply. It mushroomed the number of unemployed and homeless persons, mired students in unpayable loans, and increased the gap between the rich and the poor thus fueling social unrest. It gained nothing but the hatred of the Afghan people. Strangely, what we thought as extremely fanatical and brutal was dispelled by their liberation of the country. Their militia that patrolled the streets maintained the peace and order of the city and no looting similar to the rallies in the major cities of the US. The head of the Taliban announced there will be no revenge, and would allow women to practice their profession. As one observed, the general amnesty put many in a bind, fearing they would be meted out harsh punishment by their liberating victors. To the surprise of many, the interim president who is also chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, announced a general amnesty to all. Many were surprised by the announcement. The only unusual incident is that those who feel guilty about betraying their country have to get out. In the stampede that ensued at the airport, many among the unruly crowd were injured and some were killed as security personal desperately tried to put order to people wanting to board the aircraft. One even tried to cling to an aircraft—that person fell when the plane took off. Noticeably, it seems that only Russia and China did not evacuate their embassy personnel in Kabul. Barely two weeks before the fall, an official delegation from the Taliban visited Russia and China and gave assurances of a peaceful takeover by the Taliban government. In a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and later with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, the two countries promised to offer economic assistance for the rehabilitation of the country after giving assurance that the new Islamic Republic of Afghanistan would not export or support extremism, separatism and fundamentalism to other countries. Even before the dust could settle, the US is already sowing intrigue in a frantic bid to divide the Afghan people. President Biden froze about $9.5 billion of the Afghan government’s reserves in US banks. According to reports, the US State Department was consulted before the action, adding that the Biden administration needs no new authority to freeze the reserves because the Taliban was already under sanctions from an executive order approved after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. China has all the reasons to economically develop that country. Afghanistan’s stability is key to protecting the more than $50 billion worth of Belt-and-Road projects that principally passes through Pakistan, exiting to the Indian Ocean. Cutting through Afghanistan to reach Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran, it could make the land route much faster, accelerate trade and promote progress in the Trans-Asian republics and ease the choking by India of the BRI to the Indian Ocean using the Port of Gwadar in Pakistan. China is likely to benefit from the possible open policy exhibited by the new Afghan government. It could offer to its neighbors its precious rare earth minerals to mutually boost their economies. Today, China stands as the leading user of the product for the manufacture of electric cars and in the application of computer gadgets. Afghanistan has an estimated one to three trillion dollars’ worth of mineral deposit. The mineral is an important component in China’s production of electric cars which it now leads. The demand could intensify as soon as the use of electricity surpasses the need for oil and natural gas. This now tells us just how we can rely on the Americans to fight for our freedom and democracy when it gave an excuse to invade Afghanistan only to end up economically bankrupt. Fighting for American neoliberalism has now raised questions on how it will deal in future relations with other countries like the Philippines, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, and Iran where there exists a budding war with the US, so to speak. This is asked because the US is likely to intervene and involve itself again in another war. Besides, there remain today many unanswered questions in the aftermath of the Afghan war. What will the US do to the remaining Afghan prisoners still detained in Guantanamo now that the war against terrorism is over? To political analysts, it is no longer a question of the US proving the case against the suspects who have been detained since 2003 but the justification why they remain locked to date without charges.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/backbencher-by-rod-kapunan/362895/the-afghan- aftermath.html

Fawaz A. Gerges] Taliban less likely to back al-Qaida

By Korea Herald Published : Aug 20, 2021 - 05:31 Updated : Aug 20, 2021 - 05:31  More article by this Writer

By hastily withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden has made a grave mistake, or so many argue. US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, has called the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country an “even worse sequel to the humiliating fall of Saigon in 1975.” That sequel, top US generals, conservatives and even some liberals predict, will be characterized by the resurgence of transnational terrorism.

The prediction is straightforward. As an Islamist militant group, the Taliban will inevitably provide al-Qaida -- and potentially other extremist groups, such as the Islamic State group -- with a sanctuary to recruit, train and plan attacks against the West.

But there is a flaw in this assessment: It assumes that there is not much daylight between the Taliban and al-Qaida. In reality, while the two groups do share a similar religious ideology and worldview, they have very different objectives.

The Taliban aims to establish a theocracy, or Islamic emirate, in Afghanistan, but has indicated no ambition to expand beyond that country’s borders. By contrast, al-Qaida has no national identity, nor does it recognize borders. It is a borderless movement, with branches in scores of countries worldwide.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210818000922

For China, America’s messy Afghanistan exit is more than a laughing matter

 The catastrophic failure of American might against a ragtag opponent relying on Mao Zedong-style tactics has given Beijing a propaganda coup and Chinese media a field day  But beyond the scorn lie serious questions over US influence and its willingness to defend Taiwan. What s more, America has freed itself to focus on China and left a vacuum in which terror can breed ’ + FOLLOW Published: 9:30am, 21 Aug, 2021 Why you can trust SCMP Advertisement

Of all the jokes trending on Chinese social media mocking America’s messy withdrawal from

Afghanistan , this one stands out: “If you ever feel useless … Just remember that the United States took four presidents, thousands of lives, trillions of dollars and 20 years … To replace Taliban with Taliban.”

America’s longest war has ended in a catastrophic failure, further polarising domestic politics, sapping its international standing, dismaying its allies, and emboldening its enemies.

And it has given Beijing a propaganda coup at a time when the adversarial nature of

Among educated and internationally savvy Chinese, no current topic is more despised than the bickering over Chinese and American medal counts at the Tokyo Olympics. Narrow- minded nationalism holds scant interest for them, just as it does for most educated Americans and, generally, for me. But, as an economist, I am not so dismissive toward the medal-count discussion. – In fact, a country s Olympic medal count can be very telling. First, it can reflect a country s resources how much physical and social capital it has accumulated. The larger and more ’ ’ prosperous a country s economy, the more likely its citizens are to have the leisure time – and material resources to invest in supporting their national teams preparation for the ’ Games. ’ Second, medals can be an indicator of a country s social stability. A country ravaged by war or disease such as, this year, COVID-19 is unlikely to have the luxury of directing much ’ attention, let alone funds, to its athletes. Viewed through this lens, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic – – Games provides a wealth of information for analysts of the great-power competition in which China and the United States are now engaged, and offers three crucial lessons.

Before laying out those lessons, we should set the stage. From day one of this year s Games, China led the gold-medal count. As the Games unfolded, China and the US were neck and ’ neck, in the closest race for golds the two countries had ever had. Then, on the final day of the Games, the American women s volleyball team beat Brazil to win gold, and the US pulled ahead by one. ’ In the overall medal count, America s dominance was more pronounced. The US led throughout the Games, and ended up ahead by more than two dozen. With this, the first ’ lesson comes into view: the US remains the world s strongest superpower by a large margin. The world and, more importantly, the US should take this as a fact. ’ America s dominance– in sports reflects its status as –the world s most powerful economy and its richest society, a place where people have abundant leisure time, access to a solid ’ ’ education, and the means for high consumption. Many people in the US forget this, and become paranoid about China catching up.

When policymakers think this “way exaggerating” the so-called China threat they often support policies that are irrational, unnecessarily aggressive, and short-sighted. It is – – therefore imperative that the US keep in mind the first lesson from the Tokyo Olympics, remaining self-confident, rather than treating China as a grave threat.

The second lesson from the China-US medal competition is that both countries should focus on addressing their own weaknesses and performing to their best ability, rather than trying to trip up the other. China did relatively well in this year s Olympics especially in light of the country s widely perceived disappointing performance at the 2016 Games in ’ – Rio de Janeiro as a result of intense training and hard work. ’ – By contrast, the US generally underperformed in Tokyo, winning significantly fewer medals than expected in areas where it is traditionally dominant, such as swimming and track and field. A defining moment was the men s 4x100-meter relay, when the US team lost a significant lead and a spot in the finals after failing to pass the baton smoothly. ’ The US team s disappointing– performance– might partly reflect the domestic tumult of the last couple of years, particularly the disruptions to practice caused by the COVID-19 ’ pandemic. And perhaps the social protests involving African Americans, who usually form the foundation of great US Olympic teams, played some role as well.

The third lesson is perhaps the most important: learning and opening up are key to the success of all countries. Neither China nor the US is perfect. Both have flawed social, economic, and political institutions, and much to learn from each other s best practices.

China s larger-than-life hero of the Tokyo Olympics was Su Bingtian. Although’ Su did not win any medals, he broke the Asian record for the men s 100-meter dash during the semi- ’ finals, becoming the first Chinese athlete and the only Asian since 1932 to make it to the ’ event s finals (where he placed sixth).

A major’ factor in Su s success is that, unlike many of his Chinese peers, Su was trained by a renowned coach from the US a world leader in track and field, especially in short-distance ’ sprint events. Su s coach introduced new ideas and applied a new framework to his – training, helping him to become a more effective runner. ’ In the China-US competition, both countries should follow Su s example. China can keep learning from American best practices in a variety of areas. Likewise, the US should not ’ brush aside China s economic and social successes as pure luck or cheating. An openness to exchange and a genuine desire to learn would help both countries to perform better. And ’ by defusing bilateral tensions, it would make the race less cutthroat.

https://www.chinausfocus.com/society-culture/what-the-olympic-medal-count-says-about-china-and- america

Can Malaysia’s new prime minister end political instability?

 Ismail Sabri Yaakob looks set to succeed Muhyiddin Yassin, but he has a slim majority and was part of the government criticised over its pandemic response  The Covid-19 vaccination rate may help him, but he faces the challenges of intra- Malay competition and broadening the political base of policymaking

Wong Chin-Huat + FOLLOW Published: 7:30pm, 19 Aug, 2021 Why you can trust SCMP Advertisement

With near lightning speed,

Malaysia ’s game of thrones is settled for now, just days after the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin . His deputy Ismail Sabri Yaakob has won the support of 114 of the coalition government’s 115 MPs, constituting a 51.8 per cent bare majority in the 220-member parliament, and he is expected to be sworn in this weekend.

However, can Malaysia’s third prime minister since May 2018 end political instability and turn around the government’s failed struggle on the pandemic and economic fronts? As parliamentarians informed the National Palace of their premier candidate on Wednesday, the country reported a record number of new Covid-19 cases, despite a full lockdown being in place since June. On Thursday, a fresh high of 22,948 cases was reported.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3145656/can-malaysias-new-prime-minister-end- political-instability