Today’s News 18 July 2021 (Sunday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS Title Writer Newspaper Page 1 Navy rescues 17 boat as boat capsizes N Lacson D Tribune B14

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES Title Writer Newspaper Page 2 Pacquiao ‘ousted’ as PDP-Laban head C Mendez P Star 1 Local Delta cases prompt calls to restore P Chiu PDI A1 3 curbs

C. NATIONAL SECURITY Title Writer Newspaper Page NIL NIL NIL NIL

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

E. AFP RELATED Title Writer Newspaper Page 4 2 dead as boat capsizes off Sulu R Pareño P Star 9 5 C-130 plane crash death toll rises to 53 R Pareño P Star 9 - J Aurelio PDI A6 6 ‘Thick skinned’ lawmaker says of the proposed P40-B anti-red budget 7 Speedboat lumubog: 2 patay, 17 nasagip J Cantos Ngayon 9 Eleazar: Unused NTF-ELCAC fund intact, to A Dalizon P Tonight 6 8 be spent wisely

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM Title Writer Newspaper Page 9 Lider ng NPA, 1 dedo sa Tarlac V Martin Ngayon 9 NPA umatake: P12M heavy equipments J Cantos Ngayon 9 10 sinunog 11 2 bebot na lider ng CPP-NPA, timbog M Layson Ngayon 9 12 2 wanted NPA members nabbed in QC A Dalizon P Journal 12

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG Title Writer Newspaper Page 13 3 BIFF members sumuko J Cantos Ngayon 9

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL Title Writer Newspaper Page 14 Maraming biyaya ang West Philippine Sea M Gunigundo P Tonight 4 15 Kubeta ng China ang West Philippine Sea? PM 3 Moral governance as the key ingredient to Dr. L Jimenez M Times A6 16 BARMM’s success

I. ONLINE NEWS Title Link NATIONAL NEWS OCTA: Enforce more restrictions to https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460821/octa- 17 prevent Delta variant outbreak enforce-more-restrictions-to-prevent-delta- variant-outbreak Oil prices up this week https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/18 18 /2113311/oil-prices-week New Clark airport terminal to decongest https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/duterte-new- 19 NAIA, provide better flying experience clark-airport-terminal-to-decongest-naia- for travelers provide-better-flying-experience-for-travelers/ Is PH ready for another year of distance https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/is-ph-ready-for- 20 learning? another-year-of-distance-learning/ DepEd exec: In-person classes https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/natio 21 attendance will remain optional n/795743/deped-exec-in-person-classes- attendance-will-remain-optional/story/ DOH bats review of policy allowing https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/doh-bats- 22 children outdoors amid Delta variant review-on-policy-allowing-children-outdoors- threat amid-delta-variant-threat/ PH internet speeds upward trend https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/ph-internet- 23 continue for June – DICT speeds-upward-trend-continue-for-june-dict/ Misinformation is a dominant problem in https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/busin YouTube's AI Mozilla study ess/sunday-business-it/misinformation-is-a- 24 – dominant-problem-in-youtubes-ai-mozilla- study/1807386 Phivolcs: 99 volcanic quakes at Taal in https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/phivolcs-99- 25 last 24 hours volcanic-quakes-at-taal-in-last-24-hours/ 'Fabian', LPA enhancing 'habagat', https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/fabian-lpa- monsoon rains expected over Palawan, enhancing-habagat-monsoon-rains-expected- 26 Occidental Mindoro, W. Visayas — over-palawan-occidental-mindoro-w-visayas- PAGASA pagasa/ NAVY NEWS 17 passengers rescued from capsized https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/17-passengers- 27 vessel in Sulu rescued-from-capsized-vessel-in-sulu/ 17 rescued, 2 dead in Sulu sea mishaps https://manilastandard.net/news/top- 28 stories/360002/17-rescued-2-dead-in-sulu- sea-mishaps.html De Lima pushes Senate probe on https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/de-lima-pushes- 29 dumping of human waste in WPS senate-probe-on-dumping-of-human-waste-in- wps/ West PH Sea dispute with China an https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/west-ph-sea- 30 issue in 2022 polls — Stratbase dispute-with-china-an-issue-in-2022-polls- stratbase/ DTI, DA to craft regulations to address https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/dti- 31 overfishing da-to-craft-regulations-to-address-overfishing/ AFP RELATED AFP's 'longest-serving spokesperson' https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/afps-longest- 32 retires serving-spokesperson-retires/ https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/18/farm 33 Farms for arms’ s-for-arms/ C-130 plane crash death toll rises to 53 https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/07/18/21 34 13242/c-130-plane-crash-death-toll-rises-53 Remains of lady military nurse killed in https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/remains-of-lady- 35 C-130 plane crash laid to rest in Davao military-nurse-killed-in-c-130-plane-crash-laid- City to-rest-in-davao-city/ Makabayan solons to block ₱40-B add'l https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/makabayan- 36 NTF-ELCAC Fund solons-to-block-%e2%82%b140-b-addl-ntf- elcac-fund/ Thick-skinned,’ lawmaker says of https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460900/thick- 37 proposed P40-B budget for anti-red skinned-lawmaker-says-of-the-proposed-p-40- program b-anti-red-budget 3 BIFF members yield in Maguindanao https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/3- 38 biff-members-yield-in-maguindanao/ Police busted 3 gun and bomb https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/pol 39 components suppliers of ASG ice-busted-3-gun-and-bomb-components- suppliers-of-asg/ INDO-PACIFIC NEWS South China Sea code of conduct talks https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 40 ‘may end in stalemate’ as tensions rise article/3141484/south-china-sea-code- conduct-talks-may-end-stalemate-tensions PH, Singapore agree to work together for https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/ph-singapore- 41 post-pandemic recovery agree-to-work-together-for-post-pandemic- recovery/ Pacific Rim leaders discuss economic https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/17/pacif 42 way out of pandemic ic-rim-leaders-discuss-economic-way-out-of- pandemic/ APEC agrees on fair vaccine access https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 43 0717_07/ Biden reaffirms commitment to Indo- https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 44 Pacific 0717_05/ Biden administration mulling ‘red phone’ https://www.news10.com/news/biden- 45 emergency hotline with China administration-mulling-red-phone-emergency- hotline-with-china/ Religious summit in US addresses https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4250 46 China's threat to Taiwan 683 U.S. open to China talks as State https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17 47 Department No. 2 visits Asia /asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia- pacific/wendy-sherman-china-visit/ China Is Worried About a Post-U.S. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/16/china-us- 48 Afghanistan afghanistan-withdrawal/ China official in Hong Kong says US https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/ 49 sanctions, business advisory have us-china-sanctions-hong-kong-despicable- 'despicable intention' intention-15238302 U.S. sanctions 'piece of waste paper': https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-17/U-S- 50 HK liaison office sanctions-piece-of-waste-paper-HK-liaison- office--11XWIusk4wg/index.html China threatens ‘head-on blow’ to US https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ 51 after latest Hong Kong sanctions article/3141505/china-us-relations-beijing- threatens-deal-head-blow-after China-proposed regional connectivity a https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228 52 'specific and concrete step' to work on 880.shtml Afghan peace: analysts Chinese firm halts work on dam, fires https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south- 53 Pakistani workers after bus blast asia/article/3141527/pakistan-bus-blast- chinese-firm-halts-work-dam-fires-local Purge of Mosque Clergy in Xinjiang’s https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/tahtiy 54 Ghulja Leaves Nobody Left to Conduct un-mosque-07162021171129.html Ceremonies Chinese Censors Shut Down Popular https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/media- 55 Science Social Media Accounts 07162021091643.html China, Taiwan, ROK limber up for https://the-japan- 56 Olympic diplomacy in Tokyo news.com/news/article/0007590234 Japan's ambassador to South Korea https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17 57 reprimands deputy for improper remark /national/politics-diplomacy/japan-korea- ambassador-remark/ South Korea summons Japan envoy https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/s 58 over 'undiplomatic', 'highly inappropriate' outh-korea-summons-japan-undiplomatic- remarks inappropriate-remarks-15239336 South Koreans Now See Nation as https://www.newsweek.com/south-koreans- 59 Stronger Than North, But More Want to now-see-nation-stronger-north-more-want- Reunite: Poll reunite-poll-1610645 North Korea slams Japan's Tokyo https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17 60 Olympic map showing disputed islands /national/north-korea-disputed-islands- olympics/ North Korea to Hold Local Officials https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/farm- 61 Responsible for Rainy Season Crop 07162021201141.html Losses This Year All gaps in Indian borders will be plugged https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/in by this year end dia/pm-modi-got-india-its-first-independent- 62 security-policy-amit- shah/articleshow/84499788.cms Jaishankar, Wang Differ On Way https://asiapost.live/jaishankar-wang-differ-on- 63 Forward For India-China Ties way-forward-for-india-china-ties/ US, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de to form quad group to enhance regional fence/us-afghanistan-pakistan-uzbekistan-to- 64 connectivity form-quad-group-to-enhance-regional- connectivity/articleshow/84493840.cms Ashraf Ghani, Imran Khan in public spat https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de over Taliban surge in Afghanistan fence/ghani-imran-in-public-spat-over-taliban- 65 surge-in- afghanistan/articleshow/84485223.cms Daughter of Afghan envoy to Pakistan https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/de briefly kidnapped, says Afghanistan fence/daughter-of-afghan-envoy-to-pakistan- 66 government briefly-kidnapped-says-afghanistan- government/articleshow/84502949.cms Afghan politicians, Taliban meet in Doha https://www.reuters.com/world/asia- 67 as fighting continues pacific/afghan-politicians-taliban-meet-doha- fighting-continues-2021-07-17/ Central Asia Braces for Fallout of U.S. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/16/central- 68 Pullout From Afghanistan asia-us-afghanistan-withdrawal-impact/ Central Asian nations discuss Taliban's https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/2021 69 advances 0717_06/ From Singapore to Hong Kong and https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health- -19 reopening is environment/article/3141453/singapore-hong- 70 Australia, Asia’s Covid as much about politics as it is about kong-and-australia-asias-covid-19 science How Personalist Politics is Changing https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary 71 Democracies /how-personalist-politics-is-changing- democracies DEFENSE NEWS PH, Singapore agree to tighten defense, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147415 72 economic, health ties US lawmakers worry about weapons of https://www.news10.com/news/us-lawmakers- 73 mass destruction worry-about-weapons-of-mass-destruction/ US Middle East influence in https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/07/17/us 74 Afghanistan’s shadow -middle-east-influence-in-afghanistans- shadow/ Expeditionary Strike Group 7 arrives for https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/ 75 Talisman Sabre 21 Article/2698158/expeditionary-strike-group-7- arrives-for-talisman-sabre-21/ Task Force 72 Participates in Talisman https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/ 76 Sabre Article/2698155/task-force-72-participates-in- talisman-sabre/ US ground forces test long-range rocket https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 77 launcher in drill with Japan cle/3141075/us-ground-forces-test-himars- long-range-rocket-launcher-drill The U.S. Navy's Leadership Crisis https://www.newsweek.com/us-navys- 78 leadership-crisis-opinion-1609785 The Navy’s EA-18G Growler Electronic https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/the- 79 Attack Aircraft Is Built For One Thing navys-ea-18g-growler-electronic-attack- aircraft-is-built-for-one-thing/ US Marines are testing drones that fly https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your- 80 from grenade launchers marine-corps/2021/07/16/marines-are-testing- drones-that-fly-from-grenade-launchers/ The Rifle Setup US Force Recon https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/the-rifle-setup- 81 Marines Carry Into The Fight force-recon-marines-carry-into-the-fight/ U.S. concerned about report on PRC https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/07/u-s- 82 expanding missile silos concerned-about-report-on-prc-expanding- missile-silos/ Danger from China ‘clear and present https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/07/dan 83 already,’ INDOPACOM’s top intel officer ger-from-china-clear-and-present-already- warns indopacoms-top-intel-officer-warns/ Is China Killing The South China Sea? https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/is-china- 84 killing-the-south-china-sea/ China Has Been Practicing for an https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china- 85 Invasion Under the Guise of a Military has-been-practicing-invasion-under-guise- Exercise military-exercise-189910 https://defenceview.in/can-chinas-stealth- 86 Can China’s stealth fighter be able to challenge the US? fighter-be-able-to-challenge-the-us/ Is China military trying out new combat https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/arti 87 tactics with J-16 sorties? cle/3141509/china-military-trying-out-new- combat-tactics-j-16-sorties China sends team to Pakistan bus blast https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/China- 88 site where 13 were killed sends-team-to-Pakistan-bus-blast-site-where- 13-were-killed Chinese Media: Forces from ‘Third https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30047/For 89 Country’ Behind Pakistan Bus Blast ces_from____Third_Country____Behind_Paki stan_Bus_Blast__Chinese_Media Test flight helps China take a step https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/arti 90 towards developing space plane cle/3141498/china-takes-step-towards- developing-space-plane-test-flight Taiwan eyes aerospace, focus on LEO https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archi 91 satellites ves/2021/07/18/2003761049 Japan’s Latest And Future Naval https://www.navalnews.com/naval- 92 Defense Equipment news/2021/07/video-japans-latest-and-future- naval-defense-equipment/ Japan's ground force chief is Tokyo https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International- 93 University grad relations/Indo-Pacific/Scholar-general-Japan- s-ground-force-chief-is-Tokyo-University-grad Japanese expert says American bases https://the-japan- 94 in Okinawa serve to deter Sino-U.S. news.com/news/article/0007538784 struggle Surveillance balloon patrols for Tokyo https://the-japan- 95 Games news.com/news/article/0007592318 A North Korea Collapse Means One https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/a-north- 96 Thing: Find The Nuclear Weapons, Fast korea-collapse-means-one-thing-find-the- nuclear-weapons-fast/ Royal Thai Navy defends its proposal to https://www.nationthailand.com/in- 97 buy two more submarines focus/40003371 Indian Navy Receives First Two MH-60R https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30046/Indi 98 Utility Helicopters an_Navy_Receives_First_Two_MH_60R_Utilit y_Helicopters Russia offered U.S. use of Central Asia https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-offered- 99 bases for Afghan intel us-use-central-asia-bases-afghan-intel-paper- 2021-07-17/ Russia to unveil new fighter jet at https://www.news10.com/news/international/ru 100 Moscow’s air show ssia-to-unveil-new-fighter-jet-at-moscows-air- show/ Russia Developed ‘Aggressor https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/russia- 101 Squadrons’ To Practice Dog Fighting F- developed-aggressor-squadrons-to-practice- 15 Fighters dog-fighting-f-15-fighters/ Back to Militias, the Chaotic Afghan Way https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/world/asi 102 of War a/afghanistan-militias-taliban.html The dangerous East Asian triangle: US- https://aspeniaonline.it/the-dangerous-east- 103 China-Japan asian-triangle-us-china-japan/ Taking a Bite out of the Elephant: How to https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/taking- 104 Improve Security Cooperation bite-out-elephant-how-improve-security- cooperation Mine Warfare and Surface Combatants: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2 105 Practice Now or Pay Later 021/july/mine-warfare-and-surface- combatants-practice-now-or-pay-later COVID NEWS Studies show vaccines used in PH offer https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460894/doh- 106 protection – DOH studies-show-vaccines-used-in-ph-work Stay vigilant’: PH Red Cross alerts public https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/stay-vigilant-ph- 107 on new Delta variant cases red-cross-alerts-public-on-new-delta-variant- cases/ No more active case among detected https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147389 108 Delta variant patients: DOH DOH records 2 confirmed deaths among https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/doh-records-2- 109 COVID-19 patients with Delta variant in confirmed-deaths-among-covid-19-patients- PH with-delta-variant-in-ph/ Locsin joins US Embassy’s Law at arrival https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/17/locsi 110 of US-donated vaccines n-joins-us-embassys-law-at-arrival-of-us- donated-vaccines/ US completes 3.2M vaccine donations to https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/us-completes-3- 111 PH 2-million-vaccine-donations-to-ph/ C hina's Sinovac delivers 1.5M doses of https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/chinas-sinovac- 112 COVID-19 vaccines delivers-1-5m-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines/ Sinovac to complete vaccine delivery to https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/sinovac-to- 113 PH by Sept complete-vaccine-delivery-to-ph-by-sept/ Three doses better than two? Debate https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/three-doses- 114 over third shot better-than-two-debate-over-third-shot/ WHO eyes China lab audits next in https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/who-eyes- 115 COVID origin probe china-lab-audits-next-in-covid-origin-probe/ China Zhifei's COVID-19 vaccine shot https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/z 116 largely retains effect against Delta hifei-covid-19-vaccine-shot-delta-variant-lab- variant: Lab study study-15238548 First COVID-19 case hits Tokyo https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/ 117 Olympics Village first-covid-19-case-athlete-village-tokyo- olympics-15238534 Sydney tightens lockdown as Australia's https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world 118 COVID-19 cases rise /covid-19-australia-sydney-tightens-lockdown- 15237658) Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020- 119 Across the World coronavirus-cases-world- map/?srnd=coronavirus Covid map: Where are cases the https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105 120 highest? Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid- 121 vaccine-tracker-global- distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Title Link 122 Central banks of China, EU, US moves https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/opinio on crypto, post-pandemic n/columns/central-banks-of-china-eu-us- moves-on-crypto-post-pandemic/1807424 123 Indonesia is Asia's new COVID-19 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/com epicentre mentary/covid-19-coronavirus-indonesia-case- death-malaysia-mco-thailand-15232976 124 What the White House Doesn't Get https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/ About Disinformation 07/17/vaccine-misinfo-tucker-carlson-jen- psaki-facebook-joe-biden-499895 125 China Knows the Power of 5G. Why https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/17/china-5g- Doesn’t the U.S. us-g7-b3w-technology-infrastructure/ 126 What Can Biden Do About Russian https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/20 Hackers? Not Much 21-07-17/what-can-biden-do-about-russian- hackers-not-much?srnd=premium-asia 127 If China weaponises capital, it will shoot https://www.scmp.com/week- itself in the foot asia/opinion/article/3141125/if-china- weaponises-capital-it-will-shoot-itself-foot 128 How Biden's America really sees Taiwan https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-17/How- Biden-s-America-really-sees-Taiwan- 11Y8B0nwLeM/index.html 129 Fort Detrick mystery resurrects https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/opinio n/columns/fort-detrick-mystery- resurrects/1807423

OCTA: Enforce more restrictions to prevent Delta variant outbreak

By: Bong Lozada - Reporter / @BLozadaINQ

INQUIRER.net / 07:07 PM July 17, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The OCTA Research Group on Saturday suggested that the government should consider imposing tighter restrictions in areas where the COVID-19 Delta variant has been detected.

Professor Ranjit Rye, a member of OCTA Research Group, said it is imperative that minimum public health standards (MPHS) should be strictly monitored and previously allowed outdoor activities to be prohibited again.

Rye added that the government could implement more restrictions in the NCR Plus area.

“The key is to strictly monitor MPHS as well as to roll back, as soon as possible, initiatives such as children going out,” said Rye in a message to reporters. “We should also reduce indoor and outdoor social gatherings.”

“OCTA’s basic position is that the national government and local government units should implement timely and appropriate responses to the real threat of Delta. There is a need for an urgent and proactive response from the government.”

The Department of Health on Friday announced that it has detected the first local case of the Delta variant.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460821/octa-enforce-more-restrictions-to-prevent-delta-variant- outbreak

Oil prices up this week Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star ) - July 18, 2021 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Oil prices are expected to increase for the eighth straight week this week.

“Diesel will increase by P0.30 to P0.40 per liter. Gasoline will increase by P0.10 to P0.20 per liter,” Unioil Philippines said in its forecast.

Last Tuesday, global oil prices rose steeply after the International Energy Agency said the impasse among major oil producers would translate to tighter oil supply and volatile prices, Reuters reported.

However, global oil prices closed the past trading week lower as the rising number of COVID cases is seen to spur lockdown restrictions and depress demand.

Last week, gasoline prices were increased by P1.15 per liter, diesel prices by P0.60 per liter and kerosene prices by P0.65 per liter.

Based on data from the Department of Energy, this pushed year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net increase of P13.50 per liter for gasoline, P10.60 per liter for diesel and P9.00 per liter for kerosene. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/18/2113311/oil-prices-week

Duterte: New Clark airport terminal to decongest NAIA, provide better flying experience for travelers

Published July 17, 2021, 10:53 PM by Genalyn Kabiling The newly built passenger terminal of the Clark International Airport will help ease air traffic congestion in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), promote more convenient travel, and boost economic growth in Luzon, President Duterte declared Saturday.

President Rodrigo Duterte is accompanied by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Bases Conversion and Development Authority Secretary Vivencio Dizon in trying the self check-in counter during an inspection of the new passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport on July 17, 2021. With them is Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation CEO Bi Yong Chungunco. (Malacañang)

The President visited the new airport terminal building located in Clark, Pampanga, Saturday and lauded the “massive achievement” that would benefit the people. The new passenger terminal will have a capacity of eight million passengers a year, double the existing capacity of the Clark airport.

“I just hope that the local economy can absorb the number of people coming to visit the Philippines,” the President said in his speech.

“It will surely help decongest traffic at the busy Ninoy [Aquino] International Airport and provide a better flying experience for locals and tourists alike,” he said.

The President has commended the Department of Transportation, Bases Conversion and Development Authority as well as partners from the private sector for the completion of the new passenger terminal in Clark airport. It is considered a major project of the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

“The structure before us reflects the administration’s unyielding commitment to improve the quality of life of every Filipino by providing big ticket infrastructure projects such as this that will improve connectivity, mobility, create jobs, and disperse economic activity to the regions,” the President said. “This development will also certainly boost economic growth in North and Central Luzon and provide these regions their own gateway to the rest of the Philippines and the world,” he added.

As the nation recovers from the pandemic and adapt to a new normal, the President also said people could “look forward to a safer, easier, and more comfortable travel experience here at the Clark International Airport.”

Among the officials present were former President and now Presidential Adviser on Clark Programs and Projects Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/duterte-new-clark-airport-terminal-to-decongest-naia-provide-better- flying-experience-for-travelers/

Is PH ready for another year of distance learning?

Published July 17, 2021, 8:47 PM by Merlina Hernando-Malipot Despite a very challenging year under distance learning, a multi-stakeholder survey showed that a majority of students and parents said that they are “well-prepared or very well- prepared” should the remote learning set-up continue in the upcoming school year.

Based on the survey conducted by the Movement for Safe, Equitable, Quality and Relevant Education (SEQuRe Education Movement) released this week, 60 to 75 percent of student- respondents and 69 to 76 percent of parent-respondents said that they are “well-prepared or very well-prepared” if the education delivery will continue under a remote set-up.

“A higher level of self-evaluated preparedness was noted among students of online learning and modular learning, and is less among students under blended learning modalities,” the survey noted. “Among parent-respondents, self-evaluated preparedness level is lowest among those with children under modular learning modality,” it added.

To assess the one-year implementation of the distance learning program in public basic education in the country, SEQuRe Education Movement conducted the survey from June 25 to July 2, 2021 with 1,278 teachers; 1,299 Grades 4 to 12 students; and 3,172 parents as respondents. Most of the respondents were from the National Capital Region (NCR). https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/is-ph-ready-for-another-year-of-distance-learning/

DepEd exec: In-person classes attendance will remain optional By HANA BORDEY, GMA News Published July 17, 2021 3:02pm

An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Saturday that physical attendance will not be mandatory for students in public schools that are allowed to conduct face-to-face classes.

Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said in an interview on Dobol B TV, “Paano kung napili ang school namin [pero] ayaw ko ang anak kong papasukin?" (What if the parent won't allow the child to go to class?)

"Hindi po siya pipilitin. Siya po ay mag-online or distance learning pa rin” (A student will not be forced to attend classroom instructions, but allowed to choose online or distance learning instead), he added.

He pointed out that in-person learning has always been a part of the blended learning set-up, but this is only allowed in low-risk areas for COVID-19.

Moreover, San Antonio said that the Department of Health has recommended that face-to-face classes should be held in areas with no reported COVID-19 cases in the last four weeks. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/795743/deped-exec-in-person-classes-attendance- will-remain-optional/story/

DOH bats review of policy allowing children outdoors amid Delta variant threat

Published July 17, 2021, 2:45 PM by Analou de Vera

KIDS swim at the famous beach front in Boracay Island when the country’s most famous beach destination reopened to local tourists last October. (Tara Yap) The Department of Health (DOH) said a review should be conducted with regards to the government’s policy on allowing children outdoors in select areas amid the detection of 11 local cases of Delta variant in the country.

“Kailangan po natin pag-aralan of course, because there is another factor that has to be considered kung saan nakadetect tayo ng Delta variant (We need to study that of course, because there is another factor that has to be considered following the detection of Delta variant cases),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday, July 17.

Vergeire, meanwhile, underscored that the said policy has “safeguards.”

“Katulad ng lagi nating sinasabi, kapag tayo ay nagkakaroon ng easing of restrictions, there are safeguards in place. So, kailangan lang talaga —-let us all follow safety protocols so that we can be protected (As we always say, when we have easing of restrictions, there are safeguards in place. So, we just really need —- to follow safety protocols so that we can be protected),” she noted.

“Itong mga restrictions na ito, pag-uusapan po iyan lahat and we will be monitoring closely and continuously assess para makakapagrekomenda tayo sa IATF [Interagency Task Force] (These restrictions, we will discuss them all and we will monitor closely and continuously assess so that we can make a recommendation to the IATF),” she added.

Last July 9, the government’s pandemic task force allowed children aged five and above to go outdoors in areas under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) and GCQ. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/doh-bats-review-on-policy-allowing-children-outdoors-amid-delta- variant-threat/

PH internet speeds upward trend continue for June – DICT

Published July 17, 2021, 2:27 PM by Jhon Aldrin Casinas The Philippines’ internet speed rankings for both fixed broadband and mobile continued to improve last June, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)

Latest figures from global speed monitoring firm Speedtest by Ookla showed that the country further moved up in the global rankings in internet speeds for mobile and fixed broadband.

The Philippines climbed to rank 62 in June from rank 65 in May for fixed broadband out of 181 countries, while the country moved up to rank 75 from rank 77 for mobile out of 137 countries.

“The continuous upward trend in Philippine internet speeds is a welcome development in our efforts to prepare for full participation in the global digital economy,” DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II said in a statement.

Ookla figures for June indicate that the country’s average download speeds for fixed broadband was at 66.55 megabits per second (Mbps), compared to the 58.76 Mbps speed recorded in May.

For mobile Internet, the download speed reached 32.84 Mbps last June, an increase from the recorded 32.03 Mbps in May.

The country’s upload speed for fixed broadband averaged at 66.86 Mbps, while an upload speed of 8.92 Mbps was measured in June.

“For the rest of 2021 and in the succeeding years, your DICT shall continue to support the industries for telecommunications and information services to ensure that our internet speed rankings will continue its upward climb,” Honasan said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/ph-internet-speeds-upward-trend-continue-for-june-dict/

Misinformation is a dominant problem in YouTube's AI– Mozilla study By Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

July 18, 2021

YouTube is the most-used social media platform in the Philippines. Based on the 2021 "We Are Social" report, 97.2 percent of internet users aged 16 to 64 used YouTube, followed by Facebook and Facebook Messenger. As the second-most visited website in the world, its algorithm drives 70 percent of watch time on the platform. About 700 million hours are watched every single day. According to YouTube, it implements four Rs to make it safer. YouTube claims it "[r]emove[s] content violating policies, [cutting] down spread of harmful misinformation and borderline material; raise[s] up authoritative sources for advice and information; reward[s] trusted creators; and reduce[s] spread of content against their policy line."

But how effective is their commitment to the community?

In my column, "How Google fights disinformation" (Nov. 10, 2019), I wrote about YouTube's artificial intelligence recommendation engine. This algorithm directs what you see next based on your previous viewing habits and searches, but this could promote false and useless content in the pursuit of engagement. Beyond removal of content violating their community guidelines, one of three explicit tactics used by YouTube to support responsible content consumption is to reduce recommendations of low- quality content. They use people as evaluators to provide input on what makes up disinformation or borderline content under their policies, which in turn, informs their ranking systems.

Findings from a Mozilla study "YouTube Regrets, a crowdsourced investigation into YouTube's recommendation algorithm" confirmed there are significant harms associated with YouTube's algorithms. After calling for YouTube to make its recommendation algorithms more transparent, Mozilla researchers took matters into their own hands in 2020 and launched RegretsReporter. The browser extension, available for Firefox and Chrome, allows users to crowdsource "regrettable experiences" on YouTube. Regrets is where users report bad experiences on YouTube. Volunteers flagged 3,362 regrettable videos coming from 91 countries between July 2020 and May 2021. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/business/sunday-business-it/misinformation-is-a-dominant- problem-in-youtubes-ai-mozilla-study/1807386

Phivolcs: 99 volcanic quakes at Taal in last 24 hours

Published July 17, 2021, 8:54 AM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday, July 17, said Taal Volcano had a total of 99 volcanic earthquakes in the last 24 hours.

It said that 90 were volcanic tremor events having durations of one to 11 minutes and nine were low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, including a low-level background tremor that has persisted since July 7.

The 99 volcanic earthquakes reported at Taal Volcano on Saturday, were more than four times higher than the 22 quakes reported on Friday, July 16.

Phivolcs also continued to record “high” levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emissions that generated steam-rich plumes, rising 1,200 meters above the Taal’s main crater.

As of July 16, the average SO2 emission of Taal Volcano was measured at 6,574 tonnes. Its record-high sulfur dioxide emission was 22,628 tonnes on July 4.

Phivolcs said that Taal Volcano remains at Alert Level 3 due to continuous “magmatic unrest.” It has been under this status since July 1.

“At Alert Level 3, magma extruding from the main crater could drive explosive eruption,” Phivolcs said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/phivolcs-99-volcanic-quakes-at-taal-in-last-24-hours/

'Fabian', LPA enhancing 'habagat', monsoon rains expected over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, W. Visayas — PAGASA

Published July 17, 2021, 11:38 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

Tropical depression “Fabian” and a low pressure area (LPA) are expected to further enhance the effect of the southwest monsoon or “habagat” over the country in the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 p.m. bulletin on Saturday, July 17.

Moderate to at times heavy monsoon rains may affect Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

PAGASA warned against possible flash floods or rain-induced landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall, particularly in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazards.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country may also experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with rain showers or thunderstorms.

As of 10 p.m., Saturday, the center of Fabian was estimated at 1,110 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, while it maintained its maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

PAGASA said the cyclone may intensify into a tropical storm within six to 12 hours, and into a typhoon by Tuesday, July 20.

Aside from Fabian, the State weather bureau pointed out that an LPA outside the country’s area of responsibility, or at 595 km west of Calayan, Cagayan, was also enhancing the impact of the southwest monsoon. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/fabian-lpa-enhancing-habagat-monsoon-rains-expected-over-palawan- occidental-mindoro-w-visayas-pagasa/

17 passengers rescued from capsized vessel in Sulu

Published July 17, 2021, 5:38 PM by Liza Abubakar-Jocson

Two persons perished while 17 others, including a one-year-old child, were rescued when their vessel capsized in waters off Bakungan Island, Patikul, Sulu last Thursday.

A Philippine Navy multi-purpose attack craft (MPAC-BA 485) was on the way to respond to another distressed commercial vessel when it sighted a capsized boat bearing the marking “Friendly.”

Navy personnel immediately rescued three individuals floating in rough seas. They were identified as Amasher Abirin, 38; Wahid Isa, 40; and Alkramier Unding, a one-year-old child.

Navy men also recovered the bodies of two passengers: 70-year-old Hja Suhula Radjuli and 33-year-old Sitti Kalasahan Radjuli.

The following day, 14 other survivors from the same vessel were sighted by fishermen and rescued by Navy personnel off the shores of Luuk, Sulu.

They were identified as Kalma Hassan, 42; Rosalyn Marajan Unding, 27; Jomar Said, 27; Nadzrin Morajan, 16; Marsida Sarahan, 36; Shermalyn Hamsanain, 36; Pirusa Basri, 39; Adilina Cuadra, 41; Gloria Jumaadil, 15; Jidy Sangkula, 56; Misha Radjuli, 29; and Nadjara Aramin, 7; Nijar Aribin, 34; and Jaime Lopez, 45.

The survivors were brought to the Naval Task Group Sulu and 4th Marine Brigade headquarters for medical attention.

The boat Friendly originated from Maluso, Basilan and was on its way to Jolo, Sulu when it encountered bad weather near Bakungan Island.

Meanwhile, the other distressed vessel, the M/L Putli Dahiran, was several meters off the port of Jolo when it encountered engine trouble due to bad weather.

It was able to revive its engine while drifting at sea and was towed by local fishermen to the pier of Bangas Island in Panglima Tahil.

Col. Hernanie Songano, NTG-Sulu commander, commended the sailors and all those who participated in the rescue operation. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/17-passengers-rescued-from-capsized-vessel-in-sulu/

17 rescued, 2 dead in Sulu sea mishaps posted July 18, 2021 at 12:30 am by Frencie L. Carreon

Zamboanga City—A one-year-old baby and sixteen others survived a sea mishap off Patikul and Luuk shores as the Naval Task Group-Sulu rescued passengers of two wooden-hulled boats that sailed through raging waters Thursday late afternoon and Friday morning.

Fishermen from Luuk town in Sulu and personnel of the Philippine Navy‘s Naval Task Group-Sulu rescued 17 passengers of M/L Putli Dahiran and M/L Friendly and recovered the bodies of two fatalities, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) acting spokesman Lt. Chester Ross Cabaltera said.

The fatalities were identified as Hja Suhula Radjuli, 70, and Sitti Radjuli, 33. M/L Friendly came from Maluso, Basilan, and was on its way to Sulu while M/L Puti Dahiran was several meters away from the port of Jolo when it lost engine power. The survivors were brought to the Naval Task Group-Sulu and 4th Marine Brigade headquarters for medical attention. https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/360002/17-rescued-2-dead-in-sulu-sea-mishaps.html

De Lima pushes Senate probe on dumping of human waste in WPS

Published July 17, 2021, 8:36 PM by Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Leila de Lima is seeking a legislative inquiry on the reported disposal of human waste in the West Philippines Sea.

De Lima disclosed on Saturday, July 17, that she filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 778 which calls on the Senate to determine the extent of the damage caused by the alleged waste-dumping in the Philippines’ territory and the actions available to the government “to protect our marine resources within our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.”

“Uncontrolled waste-dumping not only will damage our marine resources, but will also endanger our food security by destroying the breeding grounds of aquatic species in the areas affected” she said in the resolution.

“This unregulated dumping of waste in our waters constitutes a direct affront to our sovereignty and an attack on our territory. If our government fails or refuses to act, it will prejudice the interests of our country, now and for future generations,” she added.

In the resolution she filed last July 15, De Lima cited the report of United States-based technology Simularity about the vessels that have been dumping raw sewage and wastewater in the South China Sea, including the Kalayaan Group of Islands, which is part of the WPS.

The firm, showing satellite images, warned about the damaged caused by the activity to the reefs.

After reports attributed the ships to China, Simularity clarified that it was not pertaining to a certain nation, welcoming a separate investigation by the Philippine government as some officials called the report untrue.

“Imbes na magkaroon ng mabilisang imbestigasyon, mas kinilingan pa ng gobyernong ito ang pagsasabing peke ang balitang ito (Instead of immediately launching an investigation, this government even took side and called this report fake),” the opposition senator said in her statement.

“Kung sabagay, mahirap talagang mapaniwala ang matagal nang nagbubulag-bulagan o nangungunsinte pa sa pang-aabuso’t pambabalasubas ng Tsina sa ating sariling karagatan (In all fairness, it’s hard to convince those who have been blind or those who have been tolerating China’s abuse and disrespect of our territory),” she added. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/de-lima-pushes-senate-probe-on-dumping-of-human-waste-in-wps/

West PH Sea dispute with China an issue in 2022 polls — Stratbase

Published July 17, 2021, 3:37 PM by Raymund Antonio Think-tank group Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) said on Saturday, July 17, that the maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea should be “an issue” that will help shape the outcome of the May 2022 elections.

Dr. Renato De Castro, a professor in international studies at the De La Salle University and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Stratbase ADRi, said during a webinar that the WPS issue should be “very close to the stomach” because it’s about food security.

Stratbase ADRi President Victor Manhit and DLSU Professor Renato De Castro (Archer Talks Screenshot)

“The starting point there is very close to the stomach: fish. The starting point there is food security,” he said during a webinar entitled “Mapping the 2022 Political Landscape: Who’s Ahead? Do Foreign Policy Issues Matter?”

Victor “Dindo” Manhit, president of the policy think-tank, stressed the need to use the right language when alternative candidates talk about the maritime issues.

“When you talk about nawawala, inaagaw, ninanakawan ng isda at nahihirapan ang mangingisda (missing, taking away, stealing the fish and the fishermen are having a difficult time)… that’s the language we need to use and there is following already,” he said.

Manhit added that the public is aware of the disputes, so the issue with China can’t be talked about from the foreign policy perspective only.

“I think this would be an issue. If this is not an issue, we (Stratbase ADRi) will make this an issue in the 2022 elections,” he said.

The group noted there has been a growth in the public’s perception and understanding of the maritime issues with China. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/west-ph-sea-dispute-with-china-an-issue-in-2022-polls-stratbase/

DTI, DA to craft regulations to address overfishing

Published 21 hours ago on July 17, 2021 01:26 PM By Maria Romero @tribunephl_mbr The Departments of Agriculture (DA) and Trade and Industries (DTI) are crafting new disciplines to eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and overcapacity and overfishing.

“The Philippines stands together with other WTO member-countries who are committed to delivering an outcome in the fisheries subsidy negotiations ahead of the 12th World Trade Organization (WTO) (MC12) in December this year,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

“This will only be possible if there is solid political will and diplomatic flexibility in the negotiations,” he added.

For his part, DA Secretary Wiliam Dar noted that “the current draft text of the agreement contains a carve-out that if a prohibited subsidy occurs in disputed waters, it will not be addressed by a WTO panel, as this will provide a loophole for countries involved in maritime disputes to be exempted from the disciplines.”

He thus urged the WTO members to reconsider the current language.

“Issues of territorial claims or delimitation of maritime boundaries or zones are of the highest concern for the Philippines, but nothing must prohibit a duly constituted panel from hearing a case,” Dar said.

Citing the latest data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), declining fish stocks threaten to worsen poverty and endanger coastal communities that rely on fishing.

It added that fish stocks are at risk of collapsing in many parts of the world due to overexploitation, where an estimated 34 percent of global stocks are overfished compared to 10 percent in 1974.

The WTO said the number reflected the pace of exploitation and indicating that the fish population could not replenish as fast as it should. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/dti-da-to-craft-regulations-to-address- overfishing/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_81340092f35500b217734866467c98f1881a3961-1626576105-0- gqNtZGzNAiKjcnBszQ1i AFP's 'longest-serving spokesperson' retires

Published July 17, 2021, 1:29 PM by Martin Sadongdong Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo formally relinquished his posts as spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and commander of the Education, Training, and Doctrine Command (ETDC) as he bowed out of military service Friday, July 16.

Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo (second from left) retires as spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and commander of the Education, Training, and Doctrine Command (ETDC) on July 16, 2021 in a ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

Arevalo will turn 56 years old on Sunday, July 18, the mandatory retirement age for uniformed personnel.

A graduate of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Bigkis Lahi” Class of 1990, Arevalo proved his mettle as an AFP spokesperson as he served under eight Chiefs of Staff spanning around five years since 2016.

He described himself as “the longest-serving spokesperson” of the AFP.

He served under former military chiefs Eduardo Año, who is now the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Rey Leonardo Guerrero, now the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC); Carlito Galvez Jr., a key figure in the national government’s COVID-19 pandemic response and the current Presidential Peace Adviser; Benjamin Madrigal Jr., now the Administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA); Noel Clement; Felimon Santos Jr.; Gilbert Gapay; and current AFP Chief Cirilito Sobejana.

Arevalo played a crucial role in serving as the mouthpiece of the AFP during various critical moments in the military including the Marawi City siege; President Duterte’s intensified campaign against insurgency and terrorism; and humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) operations during tragedies and calamities, as well as the unprecedented COVID- 19 pandemic. Arevalo was replaced by Brig. Gen. Francisco Ariel Felicidario III as the commander of the AFP ETDC in a joint retirement and change of command ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, the AFP has yet to announce a new spokesperson. Among the frontrunners to take the spot is Capt. Jonathan Zata, chief of the AFP public affairs office (PAO). https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/afps-longest-serving-spokesperson-retires/

‘Farms for arms’ Government starts the rehabilitation of banana plantations in volatile Maguindanao, provides jobs for ex-Moro combatants

BYMANUEL CAYON JULY 18, 2021

DAVAO CITY—Rehabilitating the banana farms in the south central Mindanao province of Maguindanao is like resuscitating the fragile peace on the island, or buoying up hopes for a better alternative to war and conflict.

This could be the impetus for government intervention, to bring back to productive life one of the most productive banana plantations in central Mindanao, a place where the major banana export industry players are salivating to expand or transfer their operations to because of its fertile lands.

In the last two years, banana production has stopped at the La Fruttera, already a globally known plantation brand of the Paglas family, due to financial difficulty, and any flickering hope to revive soon was further dampened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The standstill of plantation work since 2019 also brought to an abrupt halt the only means of livelihood of former Moro guerrilla combatants who have already adapted to civilian productive life and have imbibed the plantation, and Paglas family’s motto of “Bawal ang Tamad.” The motto has been painted and printed on tarpaulin banners in conspicuous places in the sprawling 1,500-hectare plantation, and across town named after the family’s forebear, Datu Paglas. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/18/farms-for-arms/

C-130 plane crash death toll rises to 53 Roel Pareño (The Philippine Star ) - July 18, 2021 - 12:00am ZAMBOANGA CITY– The death toll in the C-130 plane crash last week rose to 53 on Friday after another injured soldier died while being treated in a hospital.

Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr. confirmed yesterday that Pvt. Jesfel Mequiabas died at the Ciudad Medical Zamboanga.

“We are deeply saddened by the demise of one of the 47 survivors of the air mishap in Sulu,” Vinluan said.

“Let us pray for his eternal repose and strength for his bereaved family. His remains will be transported to his hometown in Misamis Oriental anytime soon,” he added.

Fifty soldiers and three civilians died in the plane crash in Sitio Amman, Barangay Bangkal in Patikul, Sulu on July 4.

Forty-six other soldiers and three civilians who were injured remain confined in various hospitals in this city and in Davao.

“Let us also continue to pray for the speedy recovery of the 49 victims who are recuperating at different private and public hospitals,” Vinluan said.

Meanwhile, Vinluan led the distribution of hygiene kits, fruits, biscuits and other items to soldiers and civilians confined at the Camp Navarro General Hospital, Zamboanga City Medical Center, West Metro Medical Center, Zamboanga Doctor’s Hospital and Ciudad Medical Zamboanga.

The goodies were donated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Officers’ Ladies Club. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/07/18/2113242/c-130-plane-crash-death-toll-rises-53

Remains of lady military nurse killed in C-130 plane crash laid to rest in Davao City

Published July 17, 2021, 5:00 PM by Zea Capistrano

THE family of 1st Lt. Sheena Alexandrea Tato bids an emotional farewell as she was laid to rest in Davao City Saturday. Tato was one of the 50 soldiers who perished in the C-130 plane crash in Sulu last July 4. (Keith Bacongco)

DAVAO CITY – 1st Lt. Sheena Alexandrea Tato, the 30-year-old female military nurse of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) who was killed in the C-130 crash in Patikul, Sulu early this month, was laid to rest in a cemetery here Saturday, July 17.

Several mourners attended the funeral mass at the family’s residence in Ecoland here. Some wore black shirts with Tato’s face and the words “We Love You Day Rea” and “Fair Winds and Fair Skies 1Lt Sheena Alexandrea Tato NC C130 Fallen Hero” printed on them. The military performed a 21-gun salute in her honor.

“Inday Rea,” as she is fondly called by her family, was among the fatalities when the C- 130H plane with tail No. 5125 carrying 96 military personnel crash landed last July 4. Her remains arrived here last Friday, July 9.

“Day, pahinga ka na, ako na bahala sa mama mo ha? (Day, rest now, I will take care of your mama, okay?)” said her father, retired Army Col. Wilfredo Tato, as he tapped the casket being lowered into the ground. Her father then rendered a hand salute to honor their youngest child and only daughter.

Rea was born in Ozamiz City, the hometown of her mother, Marietta, on Oct. 10, 1990. She and her brother, Sheen Alexander, spent their childhood in a military camp in Zamboanga del Sur where their father was assigned.

She was appointed as probationary 2nd Lieutenant (P2LT) in June 2014. She took her pre- officer training course at the Philippine Army Officer Candidate School. In December 2015, she became a second lieutenant and three years later, a first lieutenant.

She was assigned as duty nurse in charge in the Air Evacuation Section at the Air Force General Hospital, 520th Air Base Wing, Col. Jesus Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. Her 32-year-old brother, Sheen, said based on her statement of service, Rea served for “seven years, one month, and three days” in the military.

As of July 16, the death toll stands at 53, after a critically wounded soldier succumbed to injuries. Of those who died, 50 were military troops, while three were civilians. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/remains-of-lady-military-nurse-killed-in-c-130-plane-crash-laid-to-rest- in-davao-city/

Makabayan solons to block ₱40-B add'l NTF-ELCAC Fund

Published July 17, 2021, 3:18 PM by Mario Casayuran House deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate on Saturday, July 17, vowed that the Bayan Muna and the rest of the Makabayan bloc would oppose and block the additional P40 billion Barangay Development fund (BDF) that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) would request for 2022.

Rep. Carlos Zarate informal blue

“Aside from the possibility of being used as a huge campaign fund for the administration bets in 2022, these will only further enable the already bloody human rights record of the Duterte administration,’’ Zarate said, calling the funds as “general’s pork”.

‘’Recall that the regions where there are concentrations of generals’ pork show that these are also marked by increase in the number of extrajudicial killings (EJKs), illegal arrests and other human rights violations as the human rights groups noted,” he added.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año listed Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and Caraga as the “top five regions which received the biggest allocation,’’ he pointed out.

“Based on the Karapatan data however, since President Duterte took office until June, 2021, 206 of the 409 cases of extrajudicial killings transpired in the five regions while 221 of the 487 political prisoners arrested under the Duterte administration were arrested in the same regions,” the progressive legislator said.

Zarate further said that the speed of how P16.24-billion BDF funds in 2020 have been released to supposed insurgency-cleared villages need to be scrutinized thoroughly.

He shared fears that the fund might be used as sources for election funds, saying since some generals of the NTF-ELCAC are said to be running for office.

As stated by the DILG, P11.611 billion was earmarked for 926 farm-to-market roads; P2.38 billion for 516 water and sanitation projects; P491 million for 156 health stations; and P569 million for 135 school buildings were programmed among others.

“This agency should be made to account how it squandered public funds in the midst of a severe crisis our country is facing now,’’ Zarate said.

‘’We know that it is already election time and these funds are prone to be used to campaign for the candidates of the NTF-ELCAC,’’ he stressed. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/makabayan-solons-to-block-%e2%82%b140-b-addl-ntf-elcac-fund/

‘Thick-skinned,’ lawmaker says of proposed P40-B budget for anti-red program

By: Julie M. Aurelio - Reporter / @JMAurelioINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:52 AM July 18, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is shameless in asking Congress for more money for an unproven anti- insurgency program when it has not even accounted for unspent funds.

Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año was “thick- skinned” to even think he could ask for another P40 billion for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), which was allotted P19 billion for 2021.

“Secretary Año is so thick-skinned to even ask for an additional P40-billion funds despite the P16 billion that they wasted,” Cullamat said.

“Before Año dreams of a new, massive allocation, he might want to submit a report on how they used the NTF-Elcac’s allocation, and he should explain the COA’s (Commission on Audit) findings that there are many unobligated and unspent [Philippine National Police] funds for counterinsurgency,” said Cullamat’s Bayan Muna colleague, Rep. Ferdinand Gaite.

Both Cullamat and Gaite are members of the so-called Makabayan bloc, which vowed to oppose the DILG bid to increase the NTF-Elcac’s budget despite the uproar it caused for repeatedly tagging its critics as communist sympathizers.

House deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate warned that the P40 billion being sought might be used to benefit the administration candidates running in the 2022 polls.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460900/thick-skinned-lawmaker-says-of-the-proposed-p-40-b-anti-red- budget

3 BIFF members yield in Maguindanao Published 18 hours ago on July 17, 2021 04:33 PM By John Roson Three members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) surrendered to government forces in Maguindanao, bringing along firearms and ammunition, the military reported.

The three surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion around 3:30 p.m. Friday, and handed over an M1 Garand rifle, a Carbine rifle, caliber-.45 pistol, magazines, and 28 rounds of ammunition, according to a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Mindanao Command.

Col. Eduardo Gubat, 603rd Brigade commander, declined to reveal the surrenderors’ identities for their safety but said all three belong to the BIFF’s so-called Bungos faction.

“The three revealed that they are not satisfied with their leaders’ method of administration,” he said.

Troops have brought the three to the 603rd Brigade’s tactical command post in Barangay Romongaob, South Upi town, for custodial debriefing.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Wesmincom chief, called on remaining BIFF members to come out and assured them that the military will help them in their reintegration into society. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/3-biff-members-yield-in-maguindanao/

Police busted 3 gun and bomb components suppliers of ASG Published 23 hours ago on July 17, 2021 11:36 AM By Nonoy Lacson ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police arrested three suspected members of a gun-running syndicate operating in this city and tagged as the suppliers of high powered firearms, ammunition and bomb-making components to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) .

Police Regional Office (PRO-9) Director Police Brig-Gen Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan on Saturday said policemen raided two suspected hideouts of the syndicate located in Sitio Bactus, Barangay Talabaan and Sta Barbara in this city.

Ylagan said the group was suspected of supplying high powered firearms, ammunitions and bomb making components to the ASG operating in Basilan and Sulu.

According to Ylagan, the policemen first raided the suspected hideout of the syndicate in Barangay Sta. Barbara about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a similar raid in Barangay Talabaan about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, 16 July.

Arrested were Asidol Susukan Ahalul and Julhari Sahara alias Brando, both residents of Barangay. Sta Barbara in this city.

Police confiscated five units of brand new M4 carbines.

On the second raid, police found and confiscated components of improvised Explosive Device (IED) being supplied to the ASG.

Authorities collared Maji Juhuri, of Sitio Bactus, Barangay Talabaan, Zamboanga City who was at the site that time.

Confiscated during the operation were two non-electric blasting cap, two litters bottle of suspected ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), 37 centimeters long commercial red time fuse, 1.7 meters commercial red time fuse.

Ylagan said the police raided their hideout after receiving information from a concerned local resident of this city.

The three suspects are now detained at a police detention cell pending the filling of appropriate charges against them in court. https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/17/police-busted-3-gun-and-bomb-components-suppliers- of-asg/

South China Sea code of conduct talks ‘may end in stalemate’ as tensions rise

• Beijing is pushing to get negotiations wrapped up in what some see as a bid to block the United States from getting involved in disputes in the waterway • But unease over China’s assertiveness has made rival claimants ‘less willing’ and situation may be complicated by US military activity, observer says

Negotiations between Beijing and its neighbours for a code of conduct on activities in the South China Sea are facing more uncertainty as tensions rise over the contested waterway, with one observer saying the process “could even end in a stalemate”.

Beijing’s push to get the code of conduct agreed to, repeatedly calling for the process to be sped up, is seen by some as an effort to block the United States from getting involved in disputes over the resource-rich waters, most of which China claims as its own.Diplomats from China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations completed a first reading of the “draft negotiating text” of the code in July 2019, but no significant progress has been made since then – mostly because of the pandemic making it harder to hold face-to-face talks. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3141484/south-china-sea-code-conduct-talks- may-end-stalemate-tensions

PH, Singapore agree to work together for post-pandemic recovery

Published July 17, 2021, 6:44 PM by Raymund Antonio The Philippines and Singapore are committed to strengthen its post-pandemic recovery through economic cooperation such as trade and investment, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday, July 17.

In a statement, the DFA stated that both sides discussed the various initiatives “to further enhance economic ties and to hasten post-pandemic recovery.”

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This was done during the virtual 5th Informal Consultations on the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan (ICPSAP), co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial and Singaporean Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary Ng Teck Hean, on Wednesday, July 14.

One of the key projects both sides agree will enhance the economic cooperation after the COVID-19 pandemic is the “facilitation of the entry of Philippine agricultural products such as egg, poultry, and vegetables to Singapore.”

“This, in turn, will aid Singapore’s bid to diversify its food import sources,” the statement said.

“Both sides committed to continue joint efforts to address the effects of the pandemic by sustaining the close cooperation between Philippine and Singaporean health ministries, share expertise in contact tracing and treatment strategies, and begin discussions on the recognition of health certificates for inbound travelers in anticipation of the resumption of travel after the pandemic,” the DFA said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/ph-singapore-agree-to-work-together-for-post-pandemic-recovery/

Pacific Rim leaders discuss economic way out of pandemic US President Joe Biden, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among Pacific Rim leaders gathering virtually to discuss strategies to help economies rebound from a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic.

CANBERRA, Australia — US President Joe Biden, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among Pacific Rim leaders gathering virtually to discuss strategies to help economies rebound from a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will chair the special leaders’ meeting Friday of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

But the pandemic and vaccine diplomacy have proved to be divisive issues among members of a forum that says its primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Biden spoke by phone with Ardern on Friday ahead of the leaders’ retreat and discussed US interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, a White House statement said.

“They also discussed our cooperation on and engagement with Pacific Island nations,” the statement said.

The Biden administration has put a premium on tending to relations with allies in the Pacific early in his administration. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/17/pacific-rim-leaders-discuss-economic-way-out-of- pandemic/

APEC agrees on fair vaccine access

Saturday, July 17, 7:15

The leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum say they will do more to realize fair access to coronavirus vaccines. The agreement came Friday at an online summit about the pandemic and global economic recovery.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping all took part.

In a statement, the APEC leaders stressed the need to accelerate equitable access to safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

Suga called on the international community to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism as the world recovers from the pandemic. He also vowed to promote the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Suga vowed to realize a safe and secure Tokyo Olympics and use the event, which starts next week, to inspire children through the power of sports. Japanese government officials say multiple countries expressed support.

Xi pointed out that China has provided more than 500 million coronavirus vaccine doses to developing countries. He also pledged 3 billion dollars' worth of aid over the next three years to help restore damaged economies.

Xi appeared to take a swipe at the US for attempting to isolate China from new high- tech industry supply chains.

A White House statement issued after the talks says the US is donating more than half a billion vaccines to over 100 countries. Biden also appeared to take a thinly veiled dig at Beijing, by warning vaccines should come without political or economic conditions. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210717_07/

Biden reaffirms commitment to Indo- Pacific #World #US #China #Coronavirus

Satur day , July 17, 7:04

US President Joe Biden has stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation and reiterated his commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The White House released a statement after he participated in an online summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

It says Biden put forward an affirmative, values-based and transparent vision for the region.

It also says the United States is donating more than half a billion "safe and effective" vaccines to more than 100 countries.

Biden also appeared to take a thinly veiled dig at Beijing, by warning vaccines should come without political or economic conditions. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210717_05/

U.S. open to China talks as State Department No. 2 visits Asia • AFP-JIJI • SHARE • Jul 17, 2021 WASHINGTON – The United States is open to high-level talks with China on their tense relationship, a State Department official said Friday, as Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman prepared for a tour of Asia. The State Department announced that Sherman will travel starting Sunday to U.S. allies Japan and South Korea as well as Mongolia, which has developed warm ties with the United States.

The statement issued Thursday did not mention travel to China despite earlier speculation that Sherman would go.

A State Department official, asked about a potential stop in China, said that the United States was ready to engage in a “practical, substantive and direct manner.”

“We have been and will continue to explore opportunities to engage PRC officials, including at senior levels, as part of our effort to advance U.S. interests and responsibly manage the relationship,” the official said on condition of anonymity, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

“As in all travel abroad, we make announcements only once — and if — we determine that a visit has the potential to be substantive and constructive for our purposes,” the official said.

In recent days, the United States has again upset China by issuing an advisory warning of business risks in Hong Kong due to Beijing’s clampdown and with the Senate voting to ban products from Xinjiang over concerns on forced labor.

If she visits, Sherman would be the highest-ranking official to travel to China in the administration of President Joe Biden, which has identified the rising Asian power as the pre- eminent challenge for the United States.

John Kerry, the former secretary of state turned U.S. climate envoy, visited Shanghai in April as he looked to cooperate on the global challenge despite friction on multiple other fronts.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, met in March in Alaska with top officials Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi in a visibly tense meeting in which the Chinese leaders berated the United States in front of the cameras.

Biden has largely backed the tough line on China of former President Donald Trump but has vowed to put a new priority on working with allie https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/wendy- sherman-china-visit/

U.S. sanctions 'piece of waste paper': HK liaison office Updated 22:46, 17-Jul-2021 CGTN

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday said the sanctions imposed by the U.S. on the seven deputy directors of its officers are "nothing more than a piece of waste paper."

Condemning the U.S. government's unwarranted smearing of HKSAR's business environment and the sanctions, the liaison office in a statement pointed out that the U.S. move seriously undermined international law and the basic norms of international relations and blatantly provoked the Chinese government and the Chinese people safeguarding national interests.

The statement called the sanctions "a boring political performance," and said the U.S. hegemonic actions are doomed to be futile.

The U.S. government on Friday issued an "advisory" to U.S. businesses and individuals operating in Hong Kong and imposed sanctions on a number of officials of the liaison office.

In the aftermath of the turbulence over the proposed amendment bill, and in light of the gravest situation since Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, the Central Authorities adhere to rule of law in running Hong Kong affairs and took the decisive steps to promote "One Country, Two Systems" practice back on track, the statement read.

Highlighting Hong Kong's shift from chaos to stability, the statement said the HKSAR is now ushering in a bright future of stability and prosperity.

While the statement pointed out some U.S. politicians have long played a disgraceful role in Hong Kong affairs, colluding with "anti-China" forces inside and outside Hong Kong, wilfully attacking the red line of "One Country, Two Systems" and attempting to trigger a "color revolution" plot of the Hong Kong version. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-17/U-S-sanctions-piece-of-waste-paper-HK-liaison-office-- 11XWIusk4wg/index.html China-proposed regional connectivity a 'specific and concrete step' to work on Afghan peace: analysts By Global TimesPublished: Jul 17, 2021 12:48 PM

China urges Central and South Asian countries to forge a closer regional connectivity partnership through high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed on Friday. Analysts say the move is a concrete plan to glue regional countries together on working on a solution for Afghan peace.

Wang made the remarks while attending a high-level international conference themed "Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities."

The minister said China is ready to work with all parties to align their infrastructure development strategies, push forward "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity" in parallel, and build an all-dimensional, multi-faceted and sustainable connectivity network.

China will continue to work with the international community, especially Afghanistan's neighboring countries, to facilitate peace talks through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other mechanisms, Wang said.

According to media reports, leaders of countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan, foreign ministers of countries from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey, the United Nations secretary-general, and the European Union high- level representative for foreign affairs and security policy attended the conference in person or via video link.

A better regional connectivity in this region relies heavily on the situation in Afghanistan, thus making such a proposal a concrete plan from China to glue regional powers together in finding solution for the Afghanistan situation, said Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University. Qian added that since a grand peace solution will take time to frame, such smaller steps can serve as kick start. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228880.shtml

Pakistan bus blast: Chinese firm halts work on dam, fires local workers

• The China Gezhouba Group Company suspended work on the Dasu hydro project in Kohistan • Beijing has sent experts to Pakistan to probe the attack that killed nine Chinese workers

A Chinese construction firm announced the suspension of work on a hydropower project in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, days after a deadly attack on a bus in which 12 people, including nine Chinese workers were killed.

The China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) suspended work on the Dasu hydro project and laid off all Pakistani workers, according to a statement.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that security measures for Chinese nationals in the country were being ramped up. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3141527/pakistan-bus-blast-chinese-firm-halts- work-dam-fires-local

Purge of Mosque Clergy in Xinjiang’s Ghulja Leaves Nobody Left to Conduct Ceremonies Chinese authorities took into custody seven religious leaders from the Tahtiyun Mosque in 2018.

2021-07-16

Nearly all Uyghur clergymen from a mosque in a city in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have been imprisoned, leaving no one in the community who is able to conduct religious ceremonies, said two sources familiar with the current situation in a corner of Xinjiang near Kazakhstan.

Chinese authorities have taken into custody all seven religious leaders from the Tahtiyun Mosque in the Chinese bazaar district of Ghulja (in Chinese, Yining) in the Ili Kazakh (Yili Hasake) Autonomous Prefecture, said a source from outside the area who requested anonymity to speak freely.

Among the seven detained in early 2018 were a khatib (a man who delivers a sermon) Kudrat Qarim (an honorific used for people who can recite the Koran), a muezzin (a man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque) Ahmatjan, and imam Saydahmat, the source said. They all were sentenced to prison not long afterwards, the person added.

The Tahtiyun Mosque had been under surveillance for nearly two years by an “excessively active” police officer, who even turned the lower floor of the building into a dedicated interrogation room, the source said.

In light of growing international pressure on China over severe rights abuses of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the XUAR, deemed by the United States as constituting genocide, authorities in Xinjiang reportedly have loosened restrictions on religious and cultural practices since the beginning of the year, including opening some mosques for public display.

However, because almost all religious leaders have been imprisoned in all places in the XUAR, this policy change has had no real effect on people’s ability to practice their religion, according to sources in the region.

Authorities also have taken away religious leaders from other mosques in Ghulja, home to more than 540,000 people, the sources said.

There are now no religious leaders capable of officiating at weddings or funerals, or of overseeing ceremonies in Ghulja, and substitutes who have stepped in to conduct the ceremonies are often not trained to do so, said the source. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/tahtiyun-mosque-07162021171129.html

Chinese Censors Shut Down Popular Science Social Media Accounts PaperClip and Elephant Magazine have been shut down for 'smearing the efforts of the Chinese government.'

By Yitong Wu and Xue Xiaoshan 2021-07-16 Government censors in China have shut down the accounts of several popular science blogs -- including Elephant Magazine and PaperClip -- across major social media platforms, state media reported. "Multiple social media accounts featuring science videos and news comments, including PaperClip, were banned or suspended on various Chinese platforms on Wednesday, under suspicion of spreading unverified information and smearing efforts of the Chinese government," the state-run Global Times reported. They included PaperClip, Elephant Magazine, and the personal account of their founder Huang Zhangjin, the paper said. Huang told RFA that he had been expecting the move. "I thought this would happen sooner or later," he said. "Just when we thought there was a way through ... we have been shown that it was actually a dead end." "They are making sure that there's no way for any media to keep going now ... So let them; I'll go do something else now," Huang said. Former Weibo censor and current China Digital Times journalist Liu Lipeng said the move was part of a culture of online "witch-hunts" under the CCP's censorship regime. "This is tantamount to carrying on a Cultural Revolution online," Liu said." "This isn't just about a few popular science accounts: it's going to have a direct impact on ordinary people," he said, adding that there is now a culture of informing and retaliatory complaints among online accounts in China. The Global Times said PaperClip had drawn the ire of nationalist Little Pink commentators in 2018 for posting a video that didn't include the democratic island of Taiwan -- which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), nor formed part of the People's Republic of China -- as part of Chinese territory. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/media-07162021091643.html China, Taiwan, ROK limber up for Olympic diplomacy in Tokyo

By Hiroyuki Sugiyama and Kiyota Higa / Yomiuri Shimbun CorrespondentsTAIPEI/BEIJING — As the curtain rises on the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, Taiwan digital minister Audrey Tang will be among those in attendance. The decision by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen to dispatch a minister not directly involved in the Games comes as an unusual one for Taiwan and all eyes will be on China’s reaction to the choice.

Despite being drastically scaled down due to the coronavirus crisis, this year’s ceremony is already shaping up to be another arena for “Olympic diplomacy,” the diplomatic maneuvers that play out on the sidelines of the Games by participating countries and regions.

Tsai took to social media to trumpet Tang as “the best choice” to represent Taiwan at the Games.

The Olympics are a rare opportunity for Taiwan to send its ministers to countries with which it has no official diplomatic relations, as China has taken a position that denies any such official exchange between Taiwan and other countries.

Although Tang is a cabinet minister, she is not among those China has branded as being a “Taiwan independence element.” Taiwan’s administration expects Tang will receive a favorable reception — preceded by her reputation as the “IT genius minister” for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic — leading to a further strengthening of Japan-Taiwan relations.

China has yet to officially respond to Tang’s selection. The silence ostensibly speaks in part to Beijing’s avowed stance of separating sports and politics, amid international calls for a boycott of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

According to sources in the Chinese Communist Party, the administration of President Xi Jinping is leaning toward sending vice premier Sun Chunlan, an official in charge of sports, as its own senior official at the Games. In 2016, then vice premier Liu Yandong, Sun’s hierarchical equal, was dispatched to attend the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was attended by Han Zheng, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, which constitutes the party’s highest leadership echelon.

Some Japanese government officials have speculated that China may forgo sending any high-ranking officials to Japan altogether, as a show of Beijing’s thoughts on the heightened cooperation between Japan and the United States over issues related to Taiwan. https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007590234

Japan's ambassador to South Korea reprimands deputy for improper remark

SEOUL Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Aiboshi has reprimanded his deputy for making an "extremely inappropriate remark" during a conversation with a local reporter,– the Japanese Embassy in Seoul said Saturday. The announcement came after South Korean broadcaster JTBC reported the previous day that Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, told one of its reporters that South Korean President Moon Jae-in is in a tug-of-war only with himself over frayed ties between Japan and South Korea.

The embassy said Soma immediately retracted his remark.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jung-kun called in Aiboshi on Saturday to protest his deputy's remark, and asked that the Japanese government take steps to prevent a similar incident. The South Korean government said the ambassador conveyed his regret to the minister.

The incident came as Moon is considering visiting Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics next Friday and hold talks with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the global sporting event.

Japan and South Korea leaders have not held summit talks since December 2019, when Suga's predecessor, Shinzo Abe, and Moon met. Suga and Moon merely exchanged greetings at the Group of Seven leaders summit in Britain in June.

Japan-South Korea relations remain strained due largely to a feud over wartime compensation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-korea-ambassador- remark/

South Korea summons Japan envoy over 'undiplomatic', 'highly inappropriate' remarks

South Korea's Vice-Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun (right) summoned Japanese Ambassador Koichi Aiboshi (left) over a diplomat's crude remarks. (Photo: AFP/Handout)

17 Jul 2021 07:40PM SEOUL: South Korea summoned the Japanese ambassador on Saturday (Jul 17) over "undiplomatic" remarks about President Moon Jae-in and the possibility of a summit during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

A senior Japanese diplomat had reportedly ridiculed Moon's desire to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, describing the South Korean leader as "masturbating with himself".

The diplomat, who was not identified, added in the same interview with South Korean cable network JTBC that Moon was in a "tug of war only with himself" since Japan has "no space to pay attention to Seoul-Tokyo relations" at the moment.

The comments come as the two countries have reportedly been in talks over staging a top-level encounter during the Games to improve ties that have plunged to their worst level in years over historical disputes.

Following JTBC's report, the Japanese ambassador said it was his deputy Hirohisa Soma who had spoken the "highly inappropriate" words, though he did not confirm exactly what was said.

"While it is true that such terms were used during the conversation it was not directed at President Moon," Ambassador Koichi Aiboshi said in a statement.

"I have sternly warned Deputy Chief Soma," he added. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/south-korea-summons-japan-undiplomatic- inappropriate-remarks-15239336

North Korea slams Japan's Tokyo Olympic map showing disputed islands

BEIJING North Korea on Saturday criticized a map on the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee’s website that shows a group of islands controlled by South Korea– as being part of Japan. Tokyo regards the islets in the Sea of Japan as being part of Shimane Prefecture, but Seoul has had effective control of them since the 1950s. The islands are called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, a spokesman for North Korea’s Olympic Committee said the marking on the map was aimed at realizing Japan’s “territorial ambition” and “intolerable provocation violating the sovereignty of the Korean nation.”

The statement referred to the outcroppings as the “Tok Island” in English. North Korea urged Japan to correct the map, which shows the route of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay. In April, Pyongyang pledged not to send the country’s team to this summer’s Olympics, scheduled to start Friday amid the pandemic. South Korea has also called on Japan to correct the map, but Tokyo, which views the islets as an inherent part of its territory, has indicated it will not respond to Seoul’s protest over the map.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17/national/north-korea-disputed-islands-olympics/

Afghan politicians, Taliban meet in Doha as fighting continues Reuters This video will resume in 1 seconds

KABUL, July 17 (Reuters) - Afghan politicians met with representatives of the Taliban insurgents in Qatar on Saturday with each side calling for peace even as fighting escalates and uproots thousands of people. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-politicians-taliban-meet-doha-fighting-continues- 2021-07-17/

Central Asia Braces for Fallout of U.S. Pullout From Afghanistan Since the war began, America has had one lens for Central Asia. What happens now?

By Amy Mackinnon, a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy.

NEW: EMAIL ALERTS: FP subscribers can now receive alerts when new stories written by this author are published. Subscribe now | Sign in

border with Afghanistan on July 16. NAKIB MURODZODA/TAJIKISTAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/TASS Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon (center) visits Tajikistan’s troops in Khatlon Region near the JULY 16, 2021, 4:35 PM

In 1991, when the Soviet Union shattered, 15 countries emerged from the wreckage. Amid a slew of global crises that preoccupied Washington in 1990s, from Rwanda to the Balkans, the newly independent states of Central Asia never rose high up the list of U.S. foreign-policy concerns and continued to be largely viewed through the wider context of relations with Russia. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/16/central-asia-us-afghanistan-withdrawal-impact/

Central Asian nations discuss Taliban's advances #World #US #Asia #Security

Satur day , July 17, 6:59

Afghanistan's neighbors are voicing concern about the Taliban's advances amid the US military's withdrawal from the country.

Uzbekistan hosted a meeting of foreign ministers and other officials from Central Asian nations on Friday. Russia also took part.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he will work to restore security by seeking dialogue with the Taliban.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is keen to stabilize the situation by facilitating dialogue.

Tajikistan has seen an influx of refugees, Afghan government forces and other soldiers fleeing the Taliban's offensive.

The country's transport minister attended the talks. He told NHK that people are worried. He also said his government will take necessary measures to protect security.

US President Joe Biden recently announced that the withdrawal of US forces will be completed by the end of August. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210717_06/

From Singapore to Hong Kong and Australia, Asia’s Covid-19 reopening is as much about politics as it is about science

• As highly-vaccinated Singapore switches from fighting a pandemic to treating the coronavirus as endemic, a semblance of normal life beckons • The decision is likely to please a ‘battle weary’ public and puts the pressure on other ‘zero-Covid’ economies like Hong Kong and Australia to follow suit. Not all are in a position to do so

At the start of last week it seemed as if Singapore could finally see the light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel.While the city state has one of the world’s lowest fatality rates from the coronavirus pandemic, over the past 18 months its 5.7 million people have not been spared the roller- coaster ride of on-again, off-again social gathering restrictions every time an outbreak occurs. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3141453/singapore-hong-kong-and- australia-asias-covid-19

How Personalist Politics is Changing Democracies

By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Carisa Nietsche, Erica Frantz and Joseph Wright

Personalist leaders, such as Russian president Vladimir Putin, Rwandan president Paul Kagame, and former Libyan president Muammar alQadhafi, dominate their country's political systems to such a degree that they become virtually indistinguishable from the regimes they rule. In the case of Russia, Putin has tightened his grip on power since his election in 2000 by systematically eliminating checks on his authority, including from the legislature, judiciary, regional governments, and civil society. He has also demolished any perception of a viable alternative to his leadership, even from individuals within his regime, and instead installed loyalists in key positions of power.

Personalism refers to the domination of the political realm by a single individual. The leader's personality has an outsized impact on policies and outcomes, often trumping institutions and rules. In contemporary politics, we typically associate this sort of rule with authoritarian regimes. In such a personalist autocracy, the leader governs absent the constraints of other actors: Not even the leader's political party (should it exist) or the security apparatus exert independent control. Policy choices, in turn, reflect the whims of the ruler.

This rapid increase is alarming: Personalist rule brings with it a host of negative outcomes compared to other types of authoritarian systems.

Personalist rule is not a new phenomenon: For the bulk of political history, from the pharaohs of Egypt and the emperors of Rome to the czars of Russia, it was commonplace. The late twentieth century marked a departure from that norm as representative democracies emerged in substantial numbers during the "third wave." As the twentieth century unfolded, not only did democracy spread but autocracies grew more diverse, and in many cases were less likely to be dominated by a single individual, as reflected in the collective- leadership structures of communist regimes in post-Mao China, Laos, and Vietnam as well as in those of the former military juntas in Argentina, Brazil, and Nigeria. https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/how-personalist-politics-is-changing-democracies

PH, Singapore agree to tighten defense, economic, health ties

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora July 17, 2021, 5:15 pm

STRENGTHENING TIES. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial (left) and Singapore Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary Ng Teck Hean (right) lead their respective delegations to the 5th Informal Consultations on the Philippines Singapore Action Plan via a virtual platform. The action plan is a framework that identifies areas of mutually-beneficial cooperation the two Southeast Asian nations could partner on. (Photo courtesy of DFA Philippines)

MANILA – The Philippines and Singapore agreed to bolster ties in the areas of defense, trade and investment, labor, and health, specifically on pandemic response as the region continue to battle the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) worsened by the emergence of the more infectious Delta variant.

In a July 16 statement posted on its website, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the two neighbors had productive discussions on the overall development of their bilateral relations during the virtual 5th Informal Consultations on the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan (ICPSAP) on Wednesday.

"Both sides had productive discussions on the developments in Philippines-Singapore bilateral relations, updates on joint cooperation initiatives, and prospective ways to further advance the engagement and collaboration of the two countries," the DFA said.

Trade and investment relations remain robust between the two countries despite the pandemic, with two-way trade amounting to USD9 billion in 2020 and Singapore becoming the Philippines’ top investor in 2019.

This said both sides agreed to explore various initiatives to further enhance these economic ties and to hasten post-pandemic recovery.

According to DFA, one key project discussed was the facilitation of the entry of Philippine agricultural products such as eggs, poultry, and vegetables to Singapore, which in turn, will aid Singapore’s bid to diversify its food import sources.

The Philippines also invited Singapore to invest in the development of green and smart cities, particularly in New Clark City; industrial parks and economic zones; clean and renewable energy sources; and waste and water management systems. Acknowledging the global changes with the advent of Industry 4.0 and increasingly digital economies, the Philippines and Singapore likewise agreed to leverage each other’s strengths to promote innovation, support startups and MSMEs, enhance creative industries, improve ICT infrastructure, and cooperate in cybersecurity and data protection.

Singapore, meanwhile, recognized the contribution of the more than 200,000 Filipinos to its socio- economic development and highlighted the key role of Filipino healthcare workers in its pandemic response.

The Philippines, in turn, floated its proposal for a bilateral labor agreement to further protect and ensure the welfare of Filipino workers in Singapore.

On the health aspect, the two nations sought to combine efforts in combatting the coronavirus by sustaining close cooperation between Philippine and Singaporean health ministries.

The two sides agreed to share expertise in contact tracing and treatment strategies, including starting the discussions on the recognition of health certificates for inbound travelers in anticipation of the resumption of travel after the pandemic.

Among others, both sides discussed ways to intensify engagements in the areas of maritime domain awareness, counterterrorism, defense industry development, intelligence exchange, joint military training, and law enforcement.

"Both sides also tackled pressing regional issues of mutual concern, and committed to closely coordinate and work together to respond to the same," the DFA said.

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial and Singaporean Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary Ng Teck Hean.

Held annually at the assistant secretary-level, the ICPSAP is the primary bilateral mechanism by which the Philippines and Singapore review the implementation of its action plan.

The said action plan is a consolidated framework identifying priority areas where the two nations could collaborate bilaterally and multilaterally.

The ICPSAP was last held in Manila in December 2018, with Manila set to host the next meeting in 2022. (PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147415

US Middle East influence in Afghanistan’s shadow

Will the departure of some 3,000 American troops from Afghanistan be a harbinger of a more fundamental realignment of U.S. Middle East security policy?

JULY 17, 2021

Will the departure of some 3,000 American troops from Afghanistan be a harbinger of a more fundamental realignment of US Middle East security policy? Presently, the United States has some 40,000 troops in the region, the lion’s share of which are stationed in the Gulf. The prevailing wisdom among many security experts is that while a major reduction in US troop levels will not take place in the short- or medium-term, the Biden Administration’s preeminent focus on China favors a difficult if inexorable “exit” from the region. Moreover, beyond the China challenge, many experts now argue that the United States’ basic security and economic and energy interests are no longer at play in the region. The White House’s recent decision to withdraw Patriot anti-missile systems from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Jordan—not to mention the pulling of 2,500 out of 5,000 US troops from Iraq—echoes these realpolitik considerations and the related conviction that to succeed, it must make the US economic and political arena its number one priority.

But even as the conditions and logic favoring a US exit remain strong, with the growing political uncertainty generated by the real prospect that the Taliban will now seize full control of Afghanistan, the Biden Administration is unlikely to pursue major Middle East force reductions. That said, the American troop departure from Afghanistan will generate security challenges for all the key players in the region. Indeed, US friends and foes alike now face the complicated task of reassessing the balance between diplomacy and confrontation that will best serve their security interests. As they wrestle with these calculations, the impetus to advance diplomacy may in fact grow in both Washington and Tehran as they negotiate the future of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

“Exiting the Middle East” vs. U.S. strategic investments

Over the last two years, the US policy arena has generated assessments of the role of US troop deployments in the Middle East. Most of these reports make a strong case for a dramatic reduction of US forces over the next five years, thus echoing the argument that the United States will “do more with less.” https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/07/17/us-middle-east-influence-in-afghanistans-shadow/

Task Force 72 Participates in Talisman Sabre By Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas Higgins QUEENSLAND, Australia - The U.S. Navy and maritime partners kicked off operations for exercise Talisman Sabre, Jul 14, an event designed to strengthen relationships and interoperability with allies and partners as well as enhance the U.S. military’s ability to address the full range of potential security concerns in the Indo-Pacific.

Maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from Commander Task Force (CTF) 72 will train with units from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), and other U.S. forces as well as forces from Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Talisman Sabre is a large-scale, bilateral military exercise between Australia and the U.S. involving more than 17,000 participants from seven nations. The month-long multi-domain exercise consists of a series of training events that reinforce the strong U.S./Australian alliance and demonstrate the U.S. military’s unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"My Sailors and I are very excited to work hand-in-hand with our Australian partners once again in Talisman Saber-21,” said Lieutenant Commander Michael Hofheins, the officer in charge for VP-45 during the exercise. “Exercising our tactics, techniques, and procedures in such a dynamic battle space with allied forces is an excellent opportunity to continue our ongoing relationships and shared commitment to maritime domain superiority.”

Hofheins continued saying, “We fully expect to be tested through many challenging elements of the exercise and its global participants, furthering our interoperability and future success."

A P-8A Poseidon aircraft from VP-45’s “World Famous Pelicans” is participating from CTF 72. In its ninth iteration, Talisman Sabre is Australia’s largest military exercise with the United States and is a demonstration of our strong alliance that is underpinned by deep levels of cooperation and trust built over decades operating and training together. The exercise will focus on logistic activities, amphibious landings, ground force maneuvers, urban operations, air combat and maritime operations.

VP-45, based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, is currently operating from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as theater outreach operations as part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/2698155/task-force-72-participates-in-talisman- sabre/

US ground forces test HIMARS long-range rocket launcher in drill with Japan

• Advanced weapons system may be part of new tactics to break any PLA blockade if conflict arises in Taiwan Strait, analyst says • Test coincides with Japan’s stated ‘sense of crisis’ over Beijing’s intensified military activities in the strait

US ground forces conducted their first test of an advanced mobile rocket launcher during a recent large-scale joint exercise with their Japanese counterparts, indicating it could be deployed in the region as part of preparations for a potential conflict in the

Taiwan Strait, according to military analysts.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was fired on the Japanese island of Hokkaido as part of the two countries’ annual Orient Shield joint live-fire drill which ended last Wednesday, US military newspaper Stars and Stripesreported.

The large-scale joint exercise coincided with Japan’s defence and foreign ministries both raising concerns over Tokyo’s “ sense of crisis” in relation to the Taiwan Strait, where Beijing has intensified its military activities in recent years. Some

380 PLA warplanes entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defence zone in 2020. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3141075/us-ground-forces-test-himars-long-range- rocket-launcher-drill

The U.S. Navy's Leadership Crisis | Opinion

REBECCAH HEINRICHS , SENIOR FELLOW, HUDSON INSTITUTE ON 7/15/21 AT 6:30 AM EDT

The Chinese Communist Party is determined to supplant the United States—and building a navy to do it. America's next major war will likely play out in the Pacific Ocean, and our Navy will win or lose the day. But recent events like warships colliding in the Pacific and U.S. sailors surrendering to Iranian terrorists do not instill great confidence in the competency of our Navy. The Navy's problems begin with its leadership. A recent nonpartisan and seriously researched report jarringly concluded that, rather than focusing on training our sailors to fight and win, the Navy's most senior officials are, as a group, adrift.

The report was conducted by Marine Corps Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert E. Schmidle and Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery at the direction of Senator Tom Cotton and Congressmen Jim Banks, Dan Crenshaw and Mike Gallagher. The study was informed by long- form interviews with 77 unique current and recently retired Navy personnel. The results are staggering:

When asked whether incidents such as the two destroyer collisions in the Pacific, the surrender of a small craft to the IRGC in the Arabian Gulf, the burning of the Bonhomme Richard and other incidents were part of a broader cultural or leadership problem in the Navy, 94% of interviewees responded "yes."... This sentiment, that the Navy is dangerously off course, was overwhelming.

The Navy's leadership problems are myriad. It kneecaps effective leaders and is paralyzed by risk aversion. It is overly focused on identity politics at the expense of lethality and survivability. Rather than instilling a warrior ethos, Navy leadership is overly sensitive to media-driven trivialities, and overly sensitive, generally.

https://www.newsweek.com/us-navys-leadership-crisis-opinion-1609785

Marines are testing drones that fly from grenade launchers Todd South 1 day agoU.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Kyle Heutmaker, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, retrieves a Drone-40 during a training exercise at Camp Lejeune, N.C., July 7, 2021. (Pfc. Sarah Pysher/Marine Corps)

Marines in an experimental infantry battalion in North Carolina recently tested 7-inch-long drones that can be fired from a grenade launcher that can do surveillance or run suicide missions with precision strike accuracy at close range.

Photos and video of the Marines of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, showing them testing the Drone 40 and the Switchblade drone at a Lejeune range in early July were released by the Corps.

Earlier in 2021, British soldiers were using a surveillance variant of Drone 40, made by Defendtex, an Australian company, in Mali, Africa, on missions, The Drivereported. Though the British military were using them via hand-launched versions rather than in their grenade launchers, at the time.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/07/16/marines-are-testing-drones- that-fly-from-grenade-launchers/

U.S. concerned about report on PRC expanding missile silos IPDForum July 16, 2021 Top Stories 0 Comment

Voice of America News

United States researchers using commercial satellite imagery said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) appears to be significantly expanding the number of launch silos for its arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), raising fears that nuclear weapons will become a new issue of contention between Washington and Beijing.

Using images provided by the satellite imaging company Planet, two researchers from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, found that the PRC is building 119 silos in the desert of the northwestern province of Gansu.

Jeffrey Lewis, one of the researchers, said that development is likely for China’s DF-41 ICBM. With an estimated range of nearly 7,000 kilometers and possible capability to carry up to 10 warheads, the missiles can reach targets in the continental U.S., researchers believe.

“We believe China is expanding its nuclear forces in part to maintain a deterrent that can survive a U.S. first strike and retaliate in sufficient numbers to defeat U.S. missile defenses,” Lewis said in a summary of findings.

In response to the findings, the U.S. State Department expressed concern about the PRC’s rapid expansion of its nuclear capabilities.

“These reports and other developments suggest that the PRC’s nuclear arsenal will grow more quickly and to a higher level than perhaps previously anticipated,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a July 2021 briefing.

“It raises questions about the PRC’s intent. And for us, it reinforces the importance of pursuing practical measures to reduce nuclear risks,” he said. “We encourage Beijing to engage with us on practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilizing arms races — potentially destabilizing tensions.”

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense estimated that China had about 100 ICBMs and will double that number in the coming years. The researchers said the 119 new silos are spread across approximately 1,800 square kilometers near Yumen, a city in Gansu province, with each spaced approximately 3 kilometers apart. Images show that construction began in March 2020, but most building was done since February 2021, “suggesting an extremely rapid pace of construction over the past few months,” the summary said.

Timothy Heath, a senior international and defense researcher for the policy research group the Rand Corp., said that the silos raise the credibility of China’s nuclear force.

“It shows China intends to expand its inventory of nuclear weapons,” he said. “This means China is raising the potential risk and cost of escalation in any conflict along China’s periphery.” https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/07/u-s-concerned-about-report-on-prc-expanding-missile-silos/

Danger from China ‘clear and present already,’ INDOPACOM’s top intel officer warns China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sailors stand before the first Type 075 class of amphibious assault ship, Sept. 25, 2019. (China's People's Liberation Army Navy/Released)

JULY 17, 2021 CAITLIN M. KENNEY - DEFENSE ONE

Rear Adm. Mike Studeman has an urgent message from the middle of the Pacific Ocean: The threat from China is more pressing than leaders in America’s capital seem to realize.

“I’m wondering in Washington how many folks are truly persuaded by the warning which the intelligence community has already provided, regarding the dangers that exist within this decade, soon, now, with regard to the nature of the Chinese threat, and how it manifests, and what to do about it,” said Studeman, the U.S. military’s top intelligence officer for the Asia-Pacific region. “We would say the danger is clear and present already.” https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/07/danger-from-china-clear-and-present-already-indopacoms- top-intel-officer-warns/

Is China military trying out new combat tactics with J-16 sorties?

• Observers point to increased presence of early warning and electronic warfare aircraft in combination with the fighter bomber • Strategy inspired by the US military connects and shares information between the latest combat platforms and older warplanes

Recent air force sorties by the People’s Liberation Army near Taiwan indicate the Chinese military

may be training its pilots in new combat tactics, with a key role for the J-16 fighter bomber helped by early warning and electronic warfare aircraft, analysts said.

Military observers have noted an increased presence of the KJ-500 airborne early warning and control system (Awacs) and different generations of fighter jets, along with the multi-role J-16, during the PLA’s numerous approaches towards the self-ruled island in recent months.

The Y-8 series of anti-submarine and electronic warfare planes have also been involved in the intensified fly- by combinations, as well as J-11, J-10 and J-7 fighters and H-6 bombers, reaching a record 28 aircraft that entered Taiwan’s air defence zone on June 14

. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3141509/china-military-trying-out-new-combat- tactics-j-16-sorties

China sends team to Pakistan bus blast site where 13 were killed

Nine Chinese who died were working on Belt and Road project

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -- Chinese investigators, accompanied by Pakistani counterparts, on

Saturday visited the site of a bus explosion in which 13 people, including nine Chinese workers, were killed this week, multiple sources said.

The blast in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday sent the bus hurtling over a ravine. Pakistan initially blamed a mechanical failure but later said traces of explosives had been found and terrorism could not be ruled out.

The Chinese investigators were expected to spend up to four hours at the site to study it closely, one senior

Pakistani administration official told Reuters, asking to remain anonymous as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Two other senior government officials confirmed the visit. Pakistan's foreign ministry and its military's public relations wing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Beijing had initially called it a bomb attack but backed away from the assertion after Pakistan stated it was an accident. Later Beijing said it would send a team to help investigate the matter jointly with Pakistan.

Authorities in China have expressed alarm at the incident.

A Chinese tabloid run by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily called it the most serious attack on Chinese nationals in recent years.

China is a close ally and major investor in Pakistan, and various militants opposed to the Pakistani government have in the past attacked Chinese projects and citizens. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/China-sends-team-to-Pakistan-bus-blast-site-where-13-were- killed

China a step closer to developing space plane with test flight hailed as symbol of country’s rise as a ‘space superpower’

• Friday’s test of an experimental vessel is a step towards the development of a hypersonic vehicle that could reach any corner of the Earth within an hour • One day the country hopes to develop a network of reusable transport vessels that would cruise at high speeds at a suborbital level

China has successfully tested an experimental spacecraft that state media has hailed “an important symbol of China’s rise from a space power to a space superpower”.The vessel was described by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) as laying “a solid foundation for the development of China’s reusable space transport technology between Earth and space” – in other words, laying a foundation for the development of a reusable hypersonic space plane.

The CASC announced its plans to build a reusable space transport system last year. The project would involve building a series of spacecraft that take off and land like regular planes, but can reach any corner of the Earth within an hour by flying at least five times the speed of sound at a suborbital altitude. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3141498/china-takes-step-towards-developing- space-plane-test-flight

Taiwan eyes aerospace, focus on LEO satellites IOT SECTOR: Minister Wu Tsung-tsong said there is a high-demand sector that no longer relies on highly advanced technology only affordable to superpowers

• Staff writer, with CNA

Taiwan is stepping up its efforts to tap into the global aerospace market, with a focus on developing a specific kind of satellite, Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung- tsong (吳政忠) said on July 6.

The development of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are particularly worth pursuing for Taiwan, Wu said in an interview with the Central News Agency, referring to orbits with a maximum altitude of 2,000km.

“It is an opportunity Taiwan definitely cannot afford to miss,” Wu said.

Such satellites, which are often deployed in constellations, have a relatively short life cycle of two to four years compared with larger ones and therefore offer more of an opportunity for Taiwanese businesses, he said.

LEO satellites are crucial to the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), which has been pursued by global technology and communications heavyweights such as SpaceX, Amazon and OneWeb, he said. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/07/18/2003761049

American bases in Okinawa serve to deter Sino-U.S. struggle, expert says

The Yomiuri ShimbunThe Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed Tomohide Murai, an expert on East Asia security, about Okinawa’s importance in national security, on the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan.

The Yomiuri Shimbun: What significance does Okinawa have geographically from the viewpoint of national security?

Tomohide Murai: Okinawa sits on the First Island Chain that stretches from the Nansei Islands down to the Philippines. The First Island Chain is what China considers as its defensive line against the United States, and is the frontline of the Sino-U.S. rivalry.

In the event of a Sino-U.S. contingency, China would likely try to send a fleet into the Western Pacific.

Realistically, it would have to go through either the Miyako Strait between the main island of Okinawa and Miyakojima island, or the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.

There is also the Tsugaru Strait among other places, but it is too narrow for a large aircraft carrier or a submarine to pass through, and the water is too shallow.

Straits can be sealed off using mines. And with monitoring by submarines of both the U.S. Navy and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, the Chinese fleet would find it difficult to pass.

Should a war break out, China would surely try to seize Okinawa to secure access to the Pacific.

This is because of Okinawa’s geography, and has nothing to do with the U.S. bases located there. Accordingly, the logic that Okinawa “will be attacked because of the U.S. bases” is flawed.

Rather, the thinking should be, which would be easier for China to seize, an Okinawa with American bases or one without them? https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007538784

Surveillance balloon patrols for Tokyo Games

The Yomiuri ShimbunA balloon equipped with a high-performance surveillance camera has been hovering over the waterfront area in Koto Ward, Tokyo, where many of the competition venues for the Tokyo Games are located.

Measuring 6 meters in diameter, the balloon has been deployed as a watchful eye in the sky, monitoring for suspicious activity from its vantage point 100 meters above Tokyo Bay.

The Metropolitan Police Department began operating the balloon on July 6 as a lookout for accidents, traffic jams and terrorist activity.

Although similar balloons were used at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, this is the first time that the Israel-made balloon has appeared on Japan’s skyline.

Areas to be intensively monitored by the balloon include skateboarding venue Ariake Urban Sports Park, triathlon venue Odaiba Marine Park, and the Ariake Tennis Park.

Footage captured by the camera is being transmitted to MPD headquarters, where officials will work around the clock checking for irregularities until Sept. 6, the day after the Paralympic closing ceremony.Speech https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007592318

Navy defends its proposal to buy two more submarines

Reacting to opposition criticism, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has defended its move to submit a proposal for the purchase of two submarines, saying it had a duty to do so.

The Navy submitted the proposal for buying the second and third submarines to Parliament’s special committee considering the fiscal budget for 2022.

Opposition parties had earlier commented that the Navy’s purchase of submarines would be an inappropriate expenditure amid the worsening pandemic situation.

“We realise that the country is combating the Covid-19 outbreak, but it is our duty to submit the proposal following the Navy's improvement plan to maintain our level of preparedness,” RTN spokesman Admiral Chettha Jaipiam said on Saturday.

“The buying of additional submarines is a package deal, as we have already purchased the first one, which means we will need the second and third ones for use in rotation in case of repair and maintenance.

“We have negotiated with China to reduce the payment in the first year by one-third, while the budget for this project will all come from the fiscal 2022 budget,” he added.

“RTN is doing its duty in submitting a proposal to use the budget as do other ministries and departments. It is up to the special committee to approve the purchase of the submarines,” said

Chettha. “However, in the past two years, the government has cut RTN’s budget and used it to help people who have been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.” https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003371

Indian Navy Receives First Two MH- 60R Utility Helicopters

The United States handed over first two MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ utility maritime helicopters to the Indian Navy on Saturday. A ceremony to hand over the aircraft to the Navy was held at the Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego. The two helicopters are part of a 24 chopper deal with Lockheed Martin under foreign military sales from the U.S. government at an estimated cost of $2.4 billion. The deal was concluded in February 2020 during President Donald Trump’s visit to India. In May, Lockheed Martin was awarded $905 million to deliver 21 MH- 60Rs to India. It also won $375.5 million the following month to design and develop unique hardware and software for Indian MH-60Rs.

In July, the company won an additional $18 million to modify three Lot 14 MH- 60R helicopters to the initial India configuration. The Indian Navy was to receive three new (undelivered) MH-60R helicopters formerly meant for the U.S. Navy by the end of 2020. The first batch of the Indian crew is presently undergoing training in the U.S. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30046/Indian_Navy_Receives_First_Two_MH_60R_Utility_Helico pters

TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE ELEPHANT: HOW TO IMPROVE SECURITY COOPERATION

Demonstrating the effectiveness of security cooperation initiatives is an elusive challenge. Recently, an article written by Maj Rose Croshier, an Air Force Foreign Area Officer who served as the Regional Director for the Lake Chad Region, Gulf of Guinea and Central Africa in the Intelligence Security Cooperation and Engagements Branch for USAFRICOM, illustrated in detail some of the main challenges affecting the implementation of security cooperation initiatives within the continent.[i] As I read the article, I came to the realization that security cooperation stakeholders in the Western Hemisphere were experiencing many of the same challenges. This led me to believe that perhaps these challenges have much less to do with cultural and geographical variables and more to do with the current training and organizational structure implemented throughout the security cooperation environment.

For context, the aforementioned security cooperation challenges mentioned by Maj Croshier, and found throughout many parts of the world, tend to follow a similar pattern. A partner nation is experiencing internal security challenges that preclude it from achieving a desired security objective. The security objective is of interest to both the partner nation and the United States. In view of this, the Department of Defense (DoD) conducts security cooperation activities with the partner nation in the form of visits, conferences, equipping, or some other type of aid, to help them address the security shortfall. According to JP-3 “SC [security cooperation] requires a commitment of USG [United States Government] resources and funds to execute security cooperation activities that benefit PNs [Partner Nations] and the US [United States] in their achievement of mutual foreign and defense policy objectives.”[ii] This is the main intent of security cooperation and it is a fairly straightforward concept. Regrettably, it is in the application of this upfront mandate that we stumble across our global challenge.

It is difficult to ascertain if a security cooperation initiative is effective or not.[iii] This could be in part because most of the indicators of success used by security cooperation stakeholders may not be focused on measures of effectiveness, but of performance, i.e., quantity of equipment delivered and number of units trained. As one begins to peel back the layers of an initiative, it becomes apparent that the necessary in-depth analysis which forecasts secondary and tertiary orders of effect may have been overlooked, along with critical, measurable metrics that explain how an initiative would specifically elicit a proposed reaction. The example utilized by Maj Croshier described the unanticipated difficulties of providing a C-208 fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft and Command and Control (C2) equipment to Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The focus of this initiative was placed mainly on the equipment, without fully accounting for the significant personnel, doctrinal, and maintenance challenges that would ensue.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/taking-bite-out-elephant-how-improve-security-cooperation Mine Warfare and Surface Combatants: Practice Now or Pay Later

The Navy must train for the potential mine threat in the Strait of Hormuz.

By Lieutenant (junior grade) W. Kirk Wolff and Lieutenant John Zatkovich, U.S. Navy A single mine laid in the Strait of Hormuz could shut down 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, decimate the global economy, and upend the stability of the Middle East at large.1 In addition, more U.S. vessels have been mission-killed by mines in the past three decades than by any other method. With an estimated 6,500 mines in Iran’s inventory, this threat is as present today as it was when the USS Tripoli (LPH-10), Princeton (CG-59), and Samuel B. Roberts (FFG- 58) were taken out of the fight during the Tanker and Gulf wars.2

This asymmetric capability allows adversaries, namely, Iran, to define the battlefield and the terms of the fight. Nevertheless, the threat remains largely unmitigated and is notably missing from the surface warfare officer training and planning continuum. This is an advantage they do not enjoy on any other front. Only four rapidly aging minesweepers are stationed in the Fifth Fleet area of operations, and they are vulnerable to attacks from both small fast inshore attack craft and Iran’s advanced coastal-defense cruise missiles. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/july/mine-warfare-and-surface-combatants- practice-now-or-pay-later

Studies show vaccines used in PH offer protection – DOH

By: Leila B. Salaverria - Reporter / @LeilasINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:48 AM July 18, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday gave assurance to the public once more that all COVID-19 vaccines used in the Philippines, including Sinovac, offer protection against severe infections and deaths.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at the Laging Handa briefing that studies already showed the real-world effectiveness of the vaccines used in the Philippines, including Sinovac.

“These have shown that the vaccines used in the country, the most commonly used, have really shown effectiveness against severe infection and hospitalization and death.

So with this kind of evidence, we maintain that the vaccines we are using now would protect us, especially now that there are variants,” she said.

Vergeire made the assurance after she was asked about Malaysia’s decision to stop using Sinovac after supplies ran out because it already had enough supply of other vaccines.

“There is no issue over Sinovac’s efficacy,” said Malaysia’s science minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who clarified that Sinovac and another China-made vaccine, Sinopharm, have been allowed to be sold commercially in Malaysia.

In the Philippines, Vergeire said four other vaccines—those made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and the Russian Gamaleya Institute—were being used for the government’s immunization drive.

Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of Sinovac against the more infectious variants of COVID-19 after a surge of infections in Indonesia, which had relied heavily on the Chinese-made vaccine.

Thailand, which is also facing a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases, has announced that it would use AstraZeneca as a booster shot for those given the Sinovac vaccine. Vergeire said the country’s vaccine expert panel had been reviewing the data coming out and, up to now, there was no complete evidence yet to support the provision of booster shots.

The experts recommend waiting for full evidence before the country considers giving booster shots, she said. INQ

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1460894/doh-studies-show-vaccines-used-in-ph-work

‘Stay vigilant’: PH Red Cross alerts public on new Delta variant cases

Published July 17, 2021, 4:56 PM by Merlina Hernando-Malipot

While the new Delta coronavirus variant should not stir up panic, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) urged the public to stay alert and be more vigilant amidst the threat of the said variant, which – according to experts – is highly contagious.

“The new Delta Variant should not cause panic but to alert our fellow Filipinos that there is still a threat of the new variant,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a statement issued Saturday, July 17.

Gordon called for vigilance with the rise of the COVID0-19 Delta variant based on the report of the Department of Health (DOH) which confirmed 16 new cases in the Philippines as of July 16.

The PRC noted that there is a need for the public to be alerted since country’s COVID-19 pandemic response task force, Gordon said, recently allowed children aged five and above to go outdoors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ – as long as the areas are not under heightened restrictions.

Support for frontliners

Meanwhile, Gordon also called for support to the frontliners – particularly in Cagayan De Oro and Misamis Oriental.

As Philippine authorities are “scrambling on tightening restrictions on social movement” in response to locally acquired cases of the Delta coronavirus variant, Gordon called for massive mobilization of resources to protect frontliners in the affected regions. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/stay-vigilant-ph-red-cross-alerts-public-on-new-delta-variant-cases/

No more active case among detected Delta variant patients: DOH

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora July 17, 2021, 2:47 pm

MANILA – There is no longer any active case among the 35 patients detected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) after two died and the rest recovered, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Saturday.

"Wala na pong aktibong kaso. Lahat po ng 33 naka-recover, dalawa po 'yong namatay. As to the vaccination status, ang nakuha lang naming detalye would be one case (We no longer have any active case. The 33 recovered while two died. As to their vaccination status, we were able to get information that one has been inoculated)," she said in a Laging Handa briefing.

One of the confirmed fatalities was from MV Athens while the other is from Manila.

Vergeire, however, bared that another person from Antique died although the Department of Health (DOH) is still verifying the report.

"'Yong isa vine-verify pa natin, iyong sa Antique na apparently namatay din. We are getting the complete information so that we can inform the public. So 'yong isang namatay hindi pa verified kaya dalawa pa rin ang nasa talaan natin (We're verifying the death of a patient in Antique. We are getting the complete information so that we can inform the public. Because that one has not been verified, the death toll from the Delta variant remains at two)," she said.

The DOH is also conducting "intensive contact tracing" among all individuals who tested positive for the variant to determine if the cases are linked or if the transmission is ongoing.

"Kung sinasabing contained, kailangan pa rin naming makita kung ano 'yong kalalabasan ng resulta nitong isinasagawang contact tracing. We are also looking at doing genome sequencing in those areas with surges para makita natin ang kabuuangpicture (To see if this has been contained, we still need to know the results of the contact tracing. We are also looking at doing genome sequencing in those areas with surges to get the whole picture)," she said.

Vergeire said the country currently uses purposive sampling, where regions select samples from those with a "high index of suspicion" for genome sequencing.

As to the expansion of the entry ban for other countries, she said the DOH would still have to consult the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF- EID).

Based on their last discussion, she said the agreement was to impose "stricter border control" so as not to isolate the country from the rest of the world.

On the other hand, she advised local government units to strengthen their Prevent-Detect-Isolate- Treat-Reintegrate response when tracing active cases. She also underscored the need to improve the health system capacity by expanding the number of beds in hospitals and by preparing more drugs and other medical supplies facilities might need in case of a surge caused by the more transmissible variant.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, called on the public to take extra precautions to prevent a surge in Covid-19 infections after some areas in the country reverted to the most stringent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The entire Iloilo province and the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Gingoog have been placed under the strictest quarantine classification until July 31.

Eleazar also tasked police personnel manning quarantine control points to be more vigilant and intensify security measures to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and its variants. (with report from Lloyd Caliwan/PNA) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147389

DOH records 2 confirmed deaths among COVID-19 patients with Delta variant in PH

Published July 17, 2021, 1:49 PM by Analou de Vera The Department of Health (DOH) recorded two deaths among the 35 people who tested positive for the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

“Dito sa Pilipinas, we have a total of 35 individuals detected with the Delta variant. Dalawa sa kanila ay namatay. Yung isa at tiga-MV Athens at yung isa ay tiga-Maynila (In the Philippines, we have a total of 35 individuals detected with the Delta variant. Two of them died. One was from MV Athens, while the other was from Manila),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a televised briefing on Saturday, July 17.

Meanwhile, the DOH is still verifying the health status of the COVID-19 patient in Antique who had the said variant.

“Yung isa, vine-verify pa natin, yung tiga-Antique na apparently namatay din. We are getting the complete information so that we can inform the public. Yung isang namatay, hindi pa verified kaya dalawa pa rin po ang nasa talaan natin (We are still verifying the case in Antique who apparently had died. We are getting the complete information so that we can inform the public. We have yet to verify this, so there are still two deaths on our list),” said Vergeire.

In the same briefing, an official of the Western Visayas Center for Health Development said that a COVID-19 patient in Antique with the Delta variant died last May.

“Based sa pinadala na event-based report ng Provincial Health Office ng Antique, itong case number 34 ay namatay last May 31 (Based on the event-based report sent by the Provincial Health Office of Antique, this case number 34 died last May 31),” said Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, Chief of the Western Visayas’ Local Health Support Division.

On Friday, July 16, the DOH confirmed the detection of 16 new cases of Delta variant, including 11 local cases. Of the local cases, two were from Antique.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said that the 32 other cases have already recovered from COVID-19.

“Sa ngayon, we are doing intensive contact tracing among all of these individuals who were positive for the Delta variant. Dito natin makikita kung meron tayong mga link sa bawat kaso at kung saan nag-originate itong mga pagkakasakit na ito (Right now, we are doing intensive contact tracing among all of these individuals who were positive for the Delta variant. With this, we can determine if these cases have links and where did these originate),” she said. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/doh-records-2-confirmed-deaths-among-covid-19-patients-with-delta- variant-in-ph/ Locsin joins US Embassy’s Law at arrival of US-donated vaccines BYRECTO MERCENE JULY 17, 2021 Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and US Embassy Charge d’ Affaires John Law OVER 3 million doses of vaccines arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Saturday (July 17), including 1.6 million doses of Johnson and Johnson and 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and US Embassy Charge d’ Affaires John Law were at the airport to welcome the J&J shipment.

CDA Law thanked Locsin “for joining us in welcoming the arrival of 1.63 million more US-donated Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines today (Saturday). Together with yesterday’s (Friday) delivery, these more than 3.2 million J&J vaccines will help protect millions of Filipinos.”

The airport Customs bureau cleared more than 5.89 million doses of various Covid-19 vaccines which arrived in different batches from July 16 to 17, 2021.

Of this, some 3.24 million are Johnson and Johnson (J&J) doses, 1.5 million are Sinovac doses, and 1.15 million are AstraZeneca.

A separate batch of more than 3 million doses arrived on Saturday, consisting of the 1,634,250 doses of Sputnik and 1.5 million doses of Sinovac. The shipments were pre-cleared on July 15 at the BOC-Naia Covid-19 One-Stop-Shop upon submission by the Department of Health of all pertinent documents as the consignee.

Currently, the BOC has cleared six vaccine brands: Sinovac from China, AstraZeneca from the UK, Sputnik V from Russia’s Gamaleya, Pfizer and Moderna from the US, and Johnson and Johnson from Europe.

More than 27 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been cleared and released by the Bureau of Customs since February of this year.

Of this, 14.5 million are Sinovac, 6.8 million are AstraZeneca, 350,000 are Sputnik V, 2.48 million are Pfizer, 500,000 are Moderna, and 3.24 million are Johnson & Johnson. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/17/locsin-joins-us-embassys-law-at-arrival-of-us-donated- vaccines/

US completes 3.2M vaccine donations to PH

Published July 17, 2021, 5:05 PM by Martin Sadongdong An additional 1,606,600 doses of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were delivered in the country on Saturday afternoon, July 17, which came from the donations of the United States government.

The delivery of the single-dose jab was the second tranche of vaccine donations from the US. This completed the commitment of American Pres. Joe Biden to distribute 80 million vaccines for free around the world this month, including 3.2 million doses to the Philippines.

The first tranche consisted of 1,606,600 doses arrived last Friday. Both deliveries were coursed through the Covax facility, a World Health Organization (WHO)-led global inititative which seeks to provide countries with an equal access to the life-saving jabs.

An Emirates Airlines plane carrying the shipment landed on Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City at 4:21 p.m. via flight EK 0332.

Top government officials led by Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr., Economic Sec. Karl Chua, US Embassy Charges d’Affaires John Law, UNICEF Nutrition Manager Alice Nkoroi, representatives from the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 and Department of Health (DOH) among others witnessed the arrival of the vaccines.

“I believe that in the very near future, we will see a very large donation to the Philippines from the United States,” said Law.

He said the US will purchase and distribute an additional 200 million Pfizer vaccines around the world by the end of 2021, and another 300 million doses of Pfizer in the first half of 2022.

Meanwhile, the J&J vaccines will be equitably distributed in all 17 regions around the country.

However, an additional supply will be allotted in regions where the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is detected. These areas include the National Capital Region (NCR), Western Visayas (Region 6), and Northern Mindanao (Region 10).

The three regions will receive around 100,000 doses of the single-dose vaccine.

Other regions such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4A), Bicol (Region 5), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) will aslo get additional supplies due to an observed spike in their cases. This means that these regions will be able to fully vaccinate 100,000 individuals at most since the vaccine only requires one dose to achieve its maximum efficiency, unlike other brands that need two doses. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/us-completes-3-2-million-vaccine-donations-to-ph/

China's Sinovac delivers 1.5M doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Published July 17, 2021, 12:15 PM by Martin Sadongdong The country received an additional 1.5 million doses of vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from Chinese manufacturer Sinovac Biotech on Saturday morning, July 17.

The plane carrying the government-procured CoronaVac vaccines landed on Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City around 8 a.m. via Cebu Pacific flight 5J 671.

The arrival ceremony was witnessed by top officials of the Department of Health (DOH) led by Dr. Ariel Valencia, DOH director for supply chain management.

According to Valencia, the vaccines have yet to be distributed to the local government units (LGUs) since the latest delivery has no certificate of analysis during the arrival. The certificate of analysis proves that all the vaccines are of good quality and ready to be used. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/chinas-sinovac-delivers-1-5m-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines/

Sinovac to complete vaccine delivery to PH by Sept

Published July 17, 2021, 2:15 PM by Genalyn Kabiling

The government is counting on the full delivery of the coronavirus vaccines it procured from China’s Sinovac Biotech earlier than expected.

According to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Sinovac has agreed to advance the delivery date of the remaining vaccine supplies bought by the Philippines by September.

Nograles, co-chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), welcomed the planned early delivery of the Sinovac jabs, saying this would help accelerate the vaccination of more Filipinos leading up the “ber” months to enhance protection against the coronavirus.

“We’re still on track in terms of our timelines for vaccination, in terms of population protection, in terms of herd immunity, maganda naman ang rollout,” Nograles said during an online media briefing Friday, July 17.

“In fact, mas ma-advance pa (In fact, it will be advanced). It will be faster in fact with the indication by Sinovac that they will be frontloading or advancing already their supply deliveries to the Philippines na so much so na by September lahat ng in-order natin na Sinovac ay darating na or dumating na sa bansang Pilipinas (that by September, all Sinovac doses we ordered ill arrive in the Philippines),” he added.

“So, good news iyan sa atin because ang per month arrivals ng vaccine natin eh lalaki na (So that’s good news because our monthly arrivals of vaccines will increase),” he said.

Back in January, the government secured 25 million doses of Sinovac jabs, which are supposed to be delivered from March until December 2021. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/sinovac-to-complete-vaccine-delivery-to-ph-by-sept/

Three doses better than two? Debate over third shot

Published July 17, 2021, 10:15 AM by Agence-France-Presse PARIS, France – As the Delta variant spreads rapidly throughout the world, the prospect of a third “booster” shot is gaining interest even in nations where a large proportion of people are vaccinated.

Experts say it is too soon to know for sure if countries will need to organise a third vaccine round later in the year. Some suggest that priority should be given to hundreds of millions in the global south who have not even gotten their first jab yet.

Earlier this month, manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech said they would ask US and European authorities for permission to provide a third dose of their vaccine.

They said this was aimed at ensuring stronger immunity in individuals than that bestowed by two doses.

The developers said that two doses of their vaccine protected against severe Covid-19 for at least six months.

But faced with emerging variants, they said they anticipated some decline in efficacy over time.

The White House’s chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, speaking on CNBC on Tuesday, said Pfizer/BioNTech’s third-dose application was “an appropriate preparation (for) the eventuality that you might need a booster”.

“But when you translate that into, ‘We will need a booster, everyone’s going to get a booster,’ that is not appropriate,” Fauci said.

He added that there were still too many people who are not fully vaccinated with two doses, let alone three.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/three-doses-better-than-two-debate-over-third-shot/

WHO eyes China lab audits next in COVID origin probe

Published July 17, 2021, 10:06 AM by Agence-France-Presse GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The World Health Organization said on Friday that the second stage of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 should include further studies in China and lab audits.

In a closed-door briefing to member states, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus proposed five priorities for the next phase of the investigation.

They included “audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions operating in the area of the initial human cases identified in December 2019”, according to a copy of his opening statement provided by the WHO.

He also suggested investigators should focus on “studies prioritising geographic areas with the earliest indication of circulation of SARS CoV-2”, the virus that causes COVID-19.

And he called for more studies of animal markets in and around the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the disease was first detected.

The UN health agency has been under intensifying pressure for a new, more in-depth investigation of how the disease that has killed over four million people around the world first emerged.

The WHO was only able to send a team of independent, international experts to Wuhan in January, more than a year after COVID-19 first surfaced there in late 2019, to help Chinese counterparts probe the pandemic origins.

– ‘Extremely unlikely’ –

They published a report in late March, but drew no firm conclusions about how the virus first jumped to humans.

Instead they ranked several hypotheses according to how likely they believed they were, finding that it was most likely the virus jumped from bats to humans via an intermediate animal. An alternative theory involving the virus leaking from a laboratory was deemed “extremely unlikely”.

The investigation faced criticism for lacking transparency and access, and for not evaluating the lab-leak theory more deeply.

Long derided as a right-wing conspiracy theory, and vehemently rejected by Beijing, the idea that Covid-19 may have emerged from a lab leak has been gaining momentum.

According to information obtained by AFP, the WHO has now developed a protocol for evaluating laboratory safety and biological security to help ascertain whether the virus may have emerged due to a lab accident.

The protocol, which the agency aims to use to investigate the Covid-19 origin as well as possible future outbreaks, provides measures for evaluating, among other things, the storage of virus samples and handling of waste. https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/17/who-eyes-china-lab-audits-next-in-covid-origin-probe/

China Zhifei's COVID-19 vaccine shot largely retains effect against Delta variant: Lab study Asia China Zhifei's COVID-19 vaccine shot largely retains effect against Delta variant: Lab study

FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks walk at a main shopping area, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China January 27, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo/File Photo

17 Jul 2021 02:15PM(Updated: 17 Jul 2021 02:17PM) BEIJING: A COVID-19 vaccine developed by a unit of China's Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products largely retained its neutralising effect against the Delta variant but there was a slight reduction, Chinese researchers found in a laboratory study.

Scientists and regulators are watching closely to see whether the Delta variant, which is significantly more contagious than the original variant of the coronavirus, will render available vaccines and treatments insufficient.

Tested against particles mimicking the real Delta variant, serum samples from people vaccinated with Zhifei's three-dose regimen showed a 1.2-fold reduction in neutralising effect compared with against particles mimicking an older variant, researchers said in a paper published on Friday (Jul 16) without peer review.

However, researchers cautioned that data from clinical trials or real-world use were still necessary to determine how well the shot can prevent people from getting sick by the variants.

Efficacy results from the Phase 3 clinical trial are yet to be published for the vaccine. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/zhifei-covid-19-vaccine-shot-delta-variant-lab-study- 15238548

First COVID-19 case hits Tokyo Olympics Village

A man rides his bike near the athlete's village on Jul 15, 2021, in Tokyo. The pandemic-delayed games open on July 23 without spectators at most venues. (Photo: AP/Jae C Hong)

17 Jul 2021 12:50PM(Updated: 17 Jul 2021 12:50PM) TOKYO: Tokyo Olympics organisers revealed the first COVID-19 case in the Games Village on Saturday (Jul 17) as they sought to reassure competitors that the pandemic-delayed event would be safe.

Six days before the opening ceremony, organisers said an unnamed person had tested positive for coronavirus in the Village, where thousands of athletes and officials will stay during the Games.

"There was one person in the Village. That was the very first case in the Village that was reported during the screening test," Masa Takaya, spokesman for the Tokyo organising committee, told a press conference.

"Right now this person is confined to a hotel," Takaya said.

Japanese media reported that the person who had tested positive was a foreign national. The Games are facing opposition from the Japanese public, who fear a fresh wave of infections. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/first-covid-19-case-athlete-village-tokyo-olympics- 15238534

Sydney tightens lockdown as Australia's COVID-19 cases rise

Sydney's 5 million residents are currently in lockdown. (Photo: AFP/Saeed Khan)

17 Jul 2021 11:06AM SYDNEY: The Australian city of Sydney on Saturday (Jul 17) ordered a shutdown of building sites, banned non-essential retail and threatened fines for employers who make staff come into the office as new COVID-19 cases kept rising three weeks into a citywide lockdown.

Authorities in New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, also banned hundreds of thousands of people in the city's western suburbs – the worst affected area – from leaving their immediate neighbourhoods for work, as they recorded 111 new cases in the prior 24 hours, up from 97 the day before.

The state also recorded an additional death from the coronavirus, taking the total to three since the start of the year and the national total to 913 since the pandemic began.

"I can't remember a time when our state has been challenged to such an extent," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a televised news conference.

The city of 5 million people, Australia's largest, has been under lockdown since Jun 26, with a planned end date of Jul 30, after an airport transit driver brought the virus into the community and sparked an outbreak of the highly infectious variant, according to the authorities. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/covid-19-australia-sydney-tightens-lockdown- 15237658

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World Updated: July 18, 2021, 12:22 PM GMT+8

Brazil 2,574 91,975 N/A N/A

U.K. 1,971 82,636 3,434.9 2.5

U.S. 1,844 103,151 1,440.3 2.8

France 1,651 87,521 N/A 6.0

Germany 1,138 46,708 819.0 8.0

Russia 1,023 41,284 1,082.3 8.1

India 315 23,685 335.5 0.5

Japan 119 6,666 131.3 13.1

Mainland China 3 66 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of July 16, 2021, 6:13 PM GMT+8 Sources: OECD for number of hospital beds (2016 for the U.S., 2017 for other countries), government agencies and the COVID Tracking Project via Our World in Data for testing data (various recent dates) (reported in the past 45 days) and the U.S. Census Bureau for population figures (2019).

The world is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 infections, as the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 185 million people and killed more than 4.0 millionglobally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

01002003004005001 yrDays since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,00010,000,00030,000,000CasesMainland ChinaFranceU.K.Hong KongU.S.AustraliaBrazilIndiaRussiaTaiwanNew Zealand Note: JHU CSSE reporting began on January 22, 2020, when mainland China had already surpassed 500 cases. Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering 189,956,362 Confirmed cases worldwide 4,081,815 Deaths worldwide Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of July 18, 2021, 12:22 PM GMT+8 1–99

100–999

1,000–9,999

10,000–99,999

100,000–999,999

1,000,000–9,999,999 10 million or more Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases U.S. 608,882 34,067,669 Brazil 541,266 19,342,448 India 413,091 31,064,908 Mexico 236,240 2,654,699 Peru 195,047 2,092,125 Russia 145,222 5,860,113 U.K. 128,960 5,407,428 Italy 127,864 4,284,332 Colombia 115,831 4,621,260 France 111,657 5,917,397 Argentina 101,434 4,749,443 Germany 91,369 3,751,253 Iran 86,966 3,501,079 Where deaths have occurred Deaths Cases Spain 81,096 4,100,222 Poland 75,212 2,881,355 Show more Note: Totals for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. include overseas territories and other dependencies. Cases and deaths for cruise ships have been separated in accordance with JHU CSSE data.

The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined.

Global Cases Added Per Day New cases: 599,949 Jan 21, 2020 Jul 16, 2021 U.S. New cases: 79,310 Jan 21, 2020 Jul 16, 2021 U.K. 51,949 Brazil 45,591 India 38,079 Russia 25,188 Iran 21,885 France 10,995 Germany 1,565 Mainland China 30 Note: On February 14, 2020, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases.

Countries took drastic measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on their homefront— with varying degrees of success. More than 140 governments placed blanket bans on incoming travelers, closed schools and restricted gatherings and public events, according to data compiled by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Bloomberg reporting. As countries loosen lockdowns in an effort to reboot their economies, many have seen a resurgence of infections. The number of new daily cases in the U.S. rose to record highs after some states relaxed social distancing requirements. Even places that successfully contained infections earlier in the year, like China and South Korea, have seen cases bubble back up. Theories that warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere would bring relief appear to be unfounded. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with about 190 million confirmed cases and more than four million deaths across nearly 200 countries.

The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by France, Russia, Turkey and the UK. Very few places have been left untouched.

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.

Confirmed cases have been rising steeply since the middle of last year, but the true extent of the first outbreaks 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.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105

Central banks of China, EU, US moves on crypto, post-pandemic By New Worlds

July 18, 2021 200

The past few years before the Covid-19 pandemic saw the rise of contactless payment systems getting popular in China and other countries. The announced figure showed that Alipay had 1.2 billion users and

WeChat Pay had 900 million at the end of 2020. For Alipay, overseas users counted 300 million.

The rise of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, based on blockchain, in the second half of the 2010s threatened the seigniorage power of governments around the world. Its private promoters dangle privacy to convince people to use the cryptocurrency in transactions and usurping the role of traditional fiat money issued by governments. At the cryptocurrency frenzy peak in April 2021, there were more than

6000 cryptocurrencies and stable coins in the market with a value of over $2 trillion.

The ascendancy of the handphone-based contactless payment system and cryptocurrency alerted central banks worldwide on the danger of the government losing control over monetary policy and seigniorage.

At the end of 2020, a Bank of International Settlement (BIS) survey showed more than 60 central banks worldwide were actively studying the central bank digital currency (CBDC) issuance to reassert control on payment and money issuance.

The pandemic highlights the importance of digital transformation to improve a country's economic resiliency and accelerated the development of the CBDCs worldwide. The People's Bank of China

(PBoC) started a field test of its digital money, e-CNY, last October and has since successfully conducted nine rounds of the test. The PBoC is expected to launch the e-CNY in next February's Winter Olympics officially. The impending launch of e-CNY prompted the BIS to issue a joint report with the International Monetary

Fund and the World Bank on July 9 on the implication of digital money to the global financial system.

The report urged all developing countries to carefully study their CBDC project and look at the possibility that their home currency might face replacement threats from major countries' CBDCs once digital euro, digital dollar and e-CNY become the dominant form of international payment. The efficiency of digital money in cutting down transaction costs, particularly in small denomination cross-border usage, will make it an attractive alternative to existing national currencies.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched the investigation phase of a digital euro project that will run for 24 months. The study focuses on four areas - digital ledger, privacy and anti-money laundering, limits on digital euro in circulation, end-user access while not connected to the internet and facilitating inclusiveness with the appropriate device. The recommendation will be the basis of any digital euro design and launching, which the ECB thinks will take another two years. The ECB, however, said no technical obstacles were identified during the earlier nine-month preliminary experimentation study. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/opinion/columns/central-banks-of-china-eu-us-moves-on- crypto-post-pandemic/1807424

Commentary: Indonesia is Asia's new COVID-19 epicentre The resumption of economic activity and domestic travel contributed to the regional surge in COVID-19 cases, says a researcher.

A patient rests on the floor at a temporary tent outside the emergency ward of a government hospital, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jun 25, 2021. (File photo: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan) By Teguh Haryo Sasongko

17 Jul 2021 06:00AM(Updated: 17 Jul 2021 06:00AM) KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian countries have recorded unprecedented spikes in daily case numbers and deaths during the last several weeks.

In April, Thailand recorded an eight-fold increase in seven-day average daily new cases. The trend in the last few weeks have been worse.

Malaysia’s seven-day average daily new cases per million population more than doubled between May 1 (94.2 per million population) and Jul 11 (254 per million).

With a population nearly ten times that of Malaysia, Indonesia has recorded an almost seven-fold increase for the same parameter from May 1 (18.9 new cases per million) to Jul 11 (127 new cases per million).

Indonesia’ daily case numbers for the last few days is breaking records, without a significant increase in test numbers. On Jul 14, Indonesia broke another record of 54,517 new COVID-19 cases. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/covid-19-coronavirus-indonesia-case-death- malaysia-mco-thailand-15232976

Opinion | What the White House Doesn't Get About Disinformation

Hammering Tucker Carlson and other lie spreaders won’t keep people from sharing their conspiracies. Direct appeals to the public might.

The Biden administration recently escalated its campaign against the death-bringing Covid misinformation that’s propagated on social media and on cable news and advanced by Republican scaremongers.

Abandoning its previous, more passive strategy, the administration has wrapped its critics in a clinch and commenced counterpunching. White House press secretary Jen Psaki lectured Facebook this week for allowing false claims about Covid and vaccines to run wild on the service and announced that the White House was “flagging problematic posts” for the company’s attention. Last Sunday, chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci hat-tricked the misinformation topic by appearing on ABC’s This Week, CNN’s State of the Union, and CBS’s Face the Nation to mute the conspiracy theory popular at Fox News and on Twitter that Biden intends to send federal agents door-to-door to forcibly dose Americans. Psaki did some of the same by lighting into Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Covid fantasies while the White House Covid coordinator grappled with the Missouri governor on the other side of the ring and the surgeon general described Covid misinformation as “a serious threat to public health.”

But Biden outdid his aides with this Friday statement about Facebook. “They're killing people,” the president said.

It’s despair-making that misinformation about Covid and other topics takes root so easily and demands constant monitoring and refutation. Misinformation—false and fake stories—has always been with us, but it didn’t really begin to flood our political debates until the 2016 presidential campaign, as Donald Trump used it on social media and TV appearances as his prime political strategy. Trump’s exile from Facebook and Twitter has tempered but not tamed the production and consumption of misinformation as his inheritors have taken up some of his slack to subvert and confuse.

The new White House strategy of directing Facebook to put a crimp on misinformers might prompt a few spectacular headlines. It might persuade Facebook to throttle Covid misinformation. It might earn a few attaboys from public health types. But so far, the effort seems to be backfiring, especially among conservatives and social media users who have criticized the government for censoring Covid- and vaccine-related information it opposes. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/17/vaccine-misinfo-tucker-carlson-jen-psaki- facebook-joe-biden-499895

China Knows the Power of 5G. Why Doesn’t the U.S.? New infrastructure technology will tip the scales in favor of authoritarianism or democracy worldwide.

By Rumana Ahmed, a consultant on democracy and technology for the National Democratic Institute and a Truman National Security Fellow, and Moira Whelan, the director of democracy and technology at the National Democratic Institute.

A man looks at a mobile phone during an event to officially announce the achievement of full 5G coverage in Monaco on July 9, 2019. VALERY HACHE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

JULY 17, 2021, 6:00 AM

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden gave the G-7 what has been referred to as a “wake- up call” to defend human rights in the face of China’s rising global influence. At the group’s summit in England, he introduced the Build Back Better World (B3W) Partnership, a global infrastructure plan that seeks to mobilize investments for low- and middle-income countries in four major areas: climate, health and health security, digital technology, and gender equity and equality. The plan is a more equitable and sustainable alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s foreign development strategy that has already reached more than 70 countries. As the plan indicates, G-7 member countries can no longer ignore the risks that China’s infrastructure technology poses to human rights, individual security, and democracy worldwide.

Biden’s plan is an important step to combating China’s rising influence. But it needs to prioritize technology more, especially 5G, which is carrying the world into the next era of the internet. The B3W plan doesn’t explicitly mention 5G, even though that technology is beginning to transform how we communicate and live by expanding information access, automating everyday services, and advancing smart cities and policing. Essentially, 5G has the power to affect all four areas of the B3W plan, and how it is built, used, and governed can tip the scales in favor of authoritarianism or democracy in any given country. The G-7 should recognize 5G’s power—and the risks it poses in the wrong hands—by making 5G a central thread that ties its infrastructure plan togeth https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/17/china-5g-us-g7-b3w-technology-infrastructure/

If China weaponises capital, it will shoot itself in the foot

• British opposition to a takeover of the Welsh microchip factory Newport Wafer Fab by the Chinese-backed company Nexperia shows need for consistent, long-term strategy • If Britain blocks off all Chinese deals on the grounds of national security its economy will take a hit; if China responds in anger it will damage its own long-term interests

The word maodun, or contradiction, has a long history in Chinese Marxist thought, but its origins go back long before communism. It refers to the “contradiction” between a spear that penetrates anything, and a shield that can never be pierced: irresistible force meets immovable object.

I was reminded of that fable last week during the attempted purchase of a failing chip factory (computer, not potato) in Wales by a Chinese-backed company, Nexperia.

The British government initially refused to intervene, but a political outcry led to Prime Minister

Boris Johnson ordering a review under Britain’s still-new National Security and Investment Act. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3141125/if-china-weaponises-capital-it-will-shoot- itself-foot

How Biden's America really sees Taiwan Zhou Minxi

For every U.S. administration, the Taiwan question is critical to which direction its relationship with China is headed: Does it adhere to the one-China policy and oppose Taiwan independence?

This question has been fundamental to bilateral ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1979, with a status quo maintained through the best and the worst.

Last week, in its first public statement clarifying the U.S. stance on the island region, the Biden administration drew the line once again, saying that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. Previously, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and State Department spokesman Ned Price also said that there was no change in the one-China policy.

Signaling a continuation of Washington's decades-old official position, the White House's coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell said on July 6 that the U.S. supported a "strong unofficial relationship" with Taiwan, but not independence, despite recent actions from the country suggesting the contrary. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-17/How-Biden-s-America-really-sees-Taiwan- 11Y8B0nwLeM/index.html

Fort Detrick mystery resurrects By Mauro Gia Samonte

July 18, 2021

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The Covid-19 pandemic, until now, continues to be a baffler as to its actual roots, and mankind, to this day, is not quite sure how to really get rid of it. Certainly, a number of vaccines have been developed, but people can hardly be comfortable with this fact. Which of these vaccines are well-meaning, that is, for defeating the pathogen for the pure purpose of saving humanity, and which are commercial-meaning, that is, for making money out of man's tragedy?

Of the number of vaccines that have come the way of the Philippines, only one, China's Sinovac, has reached the country's shores as pure donation, programmed to reach a total of 2.5 million doses. And it is comforting to note that such donation is true also in other parts of the world, for instance, the Middle East, Africa and certain sections of Europe. Still in all, man gets no assurance that vaccines have grown to be a cure-all for the coronavirus attack.

Just recently, the morning dailies reported a so-called slipping into the country of a new variant of the pathogen. One shudders in remembering that months ago, such a similar variant hit India and instantly made it the top country for coronavirus infection and morbidity; for a moment, social and mainstream media were replete with scenes of cadavers burned on firewood right on the streets.

When is this ever going to end?

It's been more than a year since the first coronavirus fatality was reported in the Philippines, and well toward the end of the second year of the lockdown enforced as a result, no end to the contagion is in sight.

A retrospect in this discussion is prompted by a surprising shift in focus by President Joe Biden in addressing the pandemic. To date, accounts bear out that the United States stands as the number one country with the most number of infections and fatalities. Under such circumstances, the normal thing to do is hastening the cure for the disease, yet Biden now sings the same tune Trump sang during the US presidential campaign: that coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. Expert analysts see this as a ploy to divert attention of the Americans from the fact that their leaders until then failed to correctly address the situation. That Biden is mouthing Trump's "Wuhan virus line" now must betray his own utter incapacity to stop the virus where it could have actually originated. What Biden, like Trump, cannot solve on the ground, he politicizes by shifting to China for the umpteenth time the blame for the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/18/opinion/columns/fort-detrick-mystery-resurrects/1807423