21 January 2021 (Friday) Today’s News

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS

Title Writer Newspaper Page

1 COVID-19 Tally of Phl cases as of January 20

P Star 1

2 Gov’t to expand ‘Resbakuna sa Botika’ outside Metro

M Jaymalin P Star 1

3 DepEd: Mandatory vaccination for teachers not discriminatory

R Cabrera P Star 1

B. NATIONAL HEADLINES5

Title Writer Newspaper Page

4 New NCR infections on downward trend J Mateo P Star 1

5 DILG presses local gov’ts to restrict unvaxxed folk

D Cabalza PDI A1

6 Bonus for DepEd teachers, personnel M Malipot M Bulletin 1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY

Title Writer Newspaper Page

7 Hand in hand for a stronger and reinforced China-Philippines Friendship

P Star 6

8 China claims confronting US warship in South China Sea

PDI A14

D. INDO-PACIFIC

Title Writer Newspaper Page

NIL NIL NIL NIL

D. AFP RELATED

Title Writer Newspaper Page

9 Sara wants mandatory military service for 18-year-olds

E Elago P Star 5

10 Mandatory military service proposed N Corrales PDI A7

11 Sara wants military service for 18-year-olds P Journal 2

12 Military strength ranking worldwide: PH is 51st

V Reyes Malaya B1

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM

Title Writer Newspaper Page

13 Slain bomber linked to previous attacks F Sumangil D Tribune A7

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG

Title Writer Newspaper Page

NIL NIL NIL NIL

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL

Title Writer Newspaper Page

14 No debate, No win S Romero PDI A11

I. ONLINE NEWS

Title Link

NATIONAL NEWS

15

Philippines’ population growth slowed due to Covid-19

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3164126/coronavirus-philippines-population-growth-lowest-70-years

16

Philippines suffers South-East Asia region’s worst Omicron-driven surge

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/20/philippines-suffers-south-east-asia-regions-worst-omicron-driven-surge

17

3 Cordillera provinces, Northern Samar placed under AL4, more areas under AL3

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/3-cordillera-provinces-northern-samar-placed-under-al-4-more-areas-under-al3/

18

Metro Manila remains at ‘critical risk’ despite decrease of COVID-19 infections – OCTA

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/metro-manila-remains-at-critical-risk-despite-decrease-of-covid-19-infections-octa/

19

DOJ indicts 9 cops for alleged complicity in ambush-slay of Calbayog mayor, 4 others

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/doj-indicts-9-cops-for-alleged-complicity-in-ambush-slay-of-calbayog-mayor-4-others/

20

Alert Level 2 prevails over Taal Volcano

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/01/20/22/alert-level-2-prevails-over-taal-volcano

21

Shear line to bring rains, thunderstorms in southern Luzon; generally fair weather to prevail over rest of Luzon, VisMin– PAGASA

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/shear-line-to-bring-rains-thunderstorms-in-southern-luzon-generally-fair-weather-to-prevail-over-rest-of-luzon-vismin-pagasa/

22 PAGASA monitors LPA off Pacific Ocean

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/21/pagasa-monitors-lpa-off-pacific-ocean/

NAVY NEWS

23 BRP Tarlac in Cebu for 4th typhoon relief mission

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165915

24 Completion of 'vital' road project in Taguig in Q2 on track

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165993

AFP RELATED

25

Mandatory military service? DND admits 'huge hurdles'

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/20/22/mandatory-military-service-dnd-admits-huge-hurdles

26

Mandatory military service proposal faces 'huge hurdles'

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1543031/lorenzana-mandatory-military-service-proposal-faces-huge-hurdles

27 DND favors ROTC for youth’s military training

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/dnd-favors-rotc-for-youths-military-training/

28 Mandatory military service to help build strong PH: AFP

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165938

29

Military strength ranking worldwide: PH is 51st

https://malayaph.com/news_news/military-strength-ranking-worldwide-ph-is-51st/

30 Philippine, South Korea armies see ‘ironclad defense’ with military

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/818932/philippine-south-korea-armies-

cooperation see-ironclad-defense-with-military-cooperation/story/

31 Army chief vows to further upgrade aviation regiment

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165910

32

Slain bomber linked to previous attacks https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/21/news/regions/slain-bomber-linked-to-previous-attacks/1830047

33 HR Defenders bill ‘dangerous’: NTF-ELCAC

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165975

INDO-PACIFIC NEWS

34

US lawmakers demand IOC reaffirm athletes’ speech rights during Winter Olympics

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3164161/us-lawmakers-demand-ioc-reaffirm-athletes-free-speech-rights-during

35

US’ Xinjiang law puts Chinese businesses in crosshairs, forcing them to take sides in political maelstrom

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/20/us-xinjiang-law-puts-chinese-businesses-in-crosshairs-forcing-them-to-take-sides-in-political-maelstrom

36

US drops charges against Gang Chen, MIT professor accused of lying about China ties

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3164157/us-drops-charges-against-gang-chen-mit-professor-accused-lying-about

37

Security cooperation, China to dominate Biden's talks with Japan's Kishida

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/us-biden-japan-kishida-talks-china-2448926

38

Rights group raises alarm as Beijing's threats to muzzle athletes ahead of Winter Olympics

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/rights-group-raises-alarm-as-beijings-threats-to-muzzle-athletes-ahead-of-winter-olympics20220121012603/

39

China warns foreign Olympic athletes against speaking out on politics at Winter Olympics Games

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/china-warns-foreign-olympic-athletes-against-speaking-out-on-politics-at-winter-olympics-games20220120205032/

40

With U.S. focused on defense, China's trade and infrastructure sweep Southeast Asia

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/20/1073764647/us-china-southeast-asia-trade-defense

41

China, Russia block US bid to sanction North Koreans at UN

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/china-stalls-us-bid-to-sanction-north-koreans-at-united-nations

42

China’s Foreign Ministry Says Not Aware of Missing Indian Teenager From Arunachal Pradesh

https://thewire.in/security/chinas-pla-has-abducted-indian-teenager-from-arunachal-mp-tapir-gao

43 Arab nations move against Uighurs for sake of China ties

https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0008189544

44

Taiwan VP to stop in Los Angeles and San Francisco during trip abroad

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/US-China-tensions/Taiwan-VP-to-stop-in-Los-Angeles-and-San-Francisco-during-trip-abroad

45 ‘We are Taiwanese’: China’s growing menace hardens island’s identity

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/01/20/asia-pacific/china-threats-taiwan-identity/

46

Japan’s Kishida to discuss ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific with Biden

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164090/japanese-prime-minister-fumio-kishida-discuss-free-and-open-indo

47 Myanmar military arrests more journalists in media crackdown

https://www.metro.us/myanmar-military-arrests-more-2/

48

Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat to be held in Bintan on Jan 25

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/singapore-indonesia-leaders-retreat-bintan-january-25-2022-2447661

49

Malaysian foreign minister sees shift in Beijing's justification of South China Sea claims

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/malaysian-foreign-minister-sees-shift-in-beijings-justification-of-south-china-sea-claims20220120200005/

50

Better communication, teamwork between agencies crucial in managing future natural disasters, says Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-flood-ismail-sabri-communication-teamwork-2447871

51

Indonesia passes law paving way for capital's move to Borneo

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/20/indonesia-passes-law-paving-way-for-capital039s-move-to-borneo

52

Indonesia to push for new global health agency, president says

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/21/indonesia-to-push-for-new-global-health-agency-president-says/

53

Australia and New Zealand compete with China for Tonga influence

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Australia-and-New-Zealand-compete-with-China-for-Tonga-influence

54

Tonga faces 'unprecedented disaster', New Zealand warns

https://www.9news.com.au/world/tonga-volcano-unprecedented-disaster-of-more-eruptions-tsunamis-new-zealand-warns/1ace2901-b6ca-4e0f-b4e3-1b7ebc77cccb

55 Tonga: First foreign aid planes arrive bearing crucial supplies

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60063732

56

French Parliament pans China's pogrom of Uyghur Muslims

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/europe/french-parliament-pans-chinas-pogrom-of-uyghur-muslims20220120223600/

57

Prominent Sri Lankan MP Wijeydasa Rajapakshe flays China over debt-trap diplomacy

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/prominent-sri-lankan-mp-wijeydasa-rajapakshe-flays-china-over-debt-trap-diplomacy20220120164246/

58

Sri Lanka Raises Rates to Fight One of Asia’s Fastest Inflation

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/sri-lanka-raises-rates-to-fight-one-of-asia-s-fastest-inflation-1.1710265

59 A New China Strategy https://creativedestructionmedia.com/analysis/2

022/01/19/a-new-china-strategy/

DEFENSE NEWS

60

The Strategic Logic Behind India’s Sale of BrahMos Missiles to the Philippines

https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/the-strategic-logic-behind-indias-sale-of-brahmos-missiles-to-the-philippines/

61 Philippines Purchase of India’s Supersonic Missile Breaks

https://www.theepochtimes.com/philippines-purchase-of-indias-supersonic-missile-breaks-

‘Psychological Barriers,’ Expert Says psychological-barriers-expert-says_4217965.html

62

China says it warned off US warship in Paracel Islands. American navy differs

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164125/china-says-it-warned-us-warship-paracel-islands-american-navy

63

7th Fleet Destroyer conducts Freedom of Navigation Operation in South China Sea

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2904862/7th-fleet-destroyer-conducts-freedom-of-navigation-operation-in-south-china-sea/

64

US warships sails thru SCS, snubs China warning

https://manilastandard.net/news/314121270/us-warships-sails-thru-scs-snubs-china-warning.html

65

China freaks out over US Navy warship sailing legally in South China Sea

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/01/china-freaks-out-over-us-navy-warship-sailing-legally-in-south-china-sea/

66

U.S. Navy Denies Chinese Claims of Expelling Destroyer From Waters Near Paracel Islands

https://news.usni.org/2022/01/20/navy-denies-chinese-claims-of-expelling-u-s-destroyer-from-territorial-waters-near-paracel-islands

67

Chinese military buildup 'cause of instability' in Asia, ex-U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief says

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/01/20/national/philip-davidson-asia-instability/

68

US Navy warship challenges Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/20/asia/us-navy-destroyer-china-paracel-islands-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

69

US nuclear sub could threaten China's area-denial strategy for Taiwan invasion

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4416600

70

USS Jackson conducts bilateral exercise with Royal Brunei Navy

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11288-uss-jackson-conducts-bilateral-exercise-with-royal-brunei-navy.html

71 Can The U.S. Navy Finally Deliver a New Frigate to the Fleet?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a38817770/new-navy-frigate/

72

Improving the Shipbuilding Industrial Base

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/1/21/improving-the-shipbuilding-industrial-base

73

PROTEUS Provides Global Maritime Domain Awareness

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2905233/proteus-provides-global-maritime-domain-awareness/

74

USN NMCB-5 Concludes Indo-Pacific Deployment, NMCB-3 Assumes Authority of Naval Construction Force Tasking in the Indo-Pacific

http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2904847/nmcb-5-concludes-indo-pacific-deployment-nmcb-3-assumes-authority-of-naval-cons/

75

The US Navy Must Decentralize Information Warfare

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/january/navy-must-decentralize-information-warfare

76 Marine Corps, Navy veteran sentenced for role in U.S. Capitol riot

https://www.navytimes.com/veterans/2022/01/20/marine-corps-navy-veteran-sentenced-for-

role-in-us-capitol-riot/

77 Mojave: The US Military’s Next Super Drone

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/mojave-the-us-militarys-next-super-drone/

78

Pentagon Still Doesn’t Understand 5G Impact on Military Aircraft

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/01/as-5g-rollout-begins-pentagon-still-doesnt-understand-impact-on-military-aircraft/

79

Retired Gen. on CNN Says Military Has ‘Threat Within’ for 2024, Warns ‘Stop Listening to the Pillow Guy and Start Learning’

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/retired-gen-on-cnn-says-military-has-threat-within-for-2024-warns-stop-listening-to-the-pillow-guy-and-start-learning/

80

Lawmakers ask Biden for changes to US counterterror policy

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/01/20/lawmakers-ask-biden-for-changes-to-us-counterterror-policy/

81

U.S. Power Grids Need Stronger Cybersecurity, Top Regulator Says

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/u-s-power-grids-need-stronger-cybersecurity-top-regulator-says-1.1710787

82

CIA says most 'Havana syndrome' cases were not caused by Russian attacks

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/cia-most-havana-syndrome-cases-not-linked-to-foreign-powers/100771802

83

US President launches attack on Russia, predicting Moscow will invade Ukraine

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/world/us-president-launches-attack-on-russia-predicting-moscow-will-invade-ukraine/ckymnalgs002o0jmgddlp2f4c

84

Russia spreading disinformation to present Ukraine as aggressor, alleges US

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/russia-spreading-disinformation-to-present-ukraine-as-aggressor-alleges-us20220121021551/

85 US to view any Russian military move towards Ukraine as ‘renewed invasion’

https://tass.com/world/1390671

86

Controversial CIA-sponsored 'stay behinds' are sent to Ukraine, but what is their mission?

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2491129530575/controversial-cia-sponsored-stay-behinds-are-sent-to-ukraine-but-what-is-their-mission

87

Biden must show that the U.S. stands ready to support Ukraine, militarily if necessary

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/20/biden-must-show-that-us-stands-ready-support-ukraine-militarily-if-necessary/

88

Pentagon releases footage of deadly Kabul drone strike

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/pentagon-releases-footage-of-deadly-kabul-drone-strike

89

U.S.,Japan reaffirm commitment to complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220121000400325?section=news

90 US forces in Japan were a ‘Trojan tank’ for Covid

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/us-forces-in-japan-were-a-trojan-tank-for-covid/

91

US Companies Are Supercharging the Chinese Communist Party

https://www.ntd.com/us-companies-are-supercharging-the-chinese-communist-party_730072.html

92

U.S. seeks way to speed delivery of new fighter jets to Taiwan

https://gazette.com/news/us-world/exclusive-u-s-seeks-way-to-speed-delivery-of-new-fighter-jets-to-taiwan/article_95bdc1fd-bdee-5844-96d4-97586f9aac26.html

93

Risk of war over Taiwan seen to be highest in past 25 years

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164139/taiwan-war-risk-highest-past-25-years-us-tensions-rise

94

Chinese PLA Navy soldiers on aircraft carrier Liaoning conduct training exercises

https://www.scmp.com/video/china/3164133/chinese-pla-navy-soldiers-aircraft-carrier-liaoning-conduct-training-exercises

95

China’s PLA accused of abducting Indian teen in Arunachal Pradesh

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/china-pla-accused-abducting-india-teenager-arunachal-pradesh

96

New Chinese Base in Tajikistan will Allow Dushanbe to Avoid Having to Rely on the Aga Khan, Prokhvatilov Says

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-chinese-base-in-tajikistan-will.html

97

China to start building 5G satellite network to take on Starlink

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3164140/china-start-building-5g-satellite-network-challenge-elon-musks

98 5 Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan’s ADIZ

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4416066

99 Taiwan’s F-16V jets up in the air again after fatal crash

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4416371

100 Japan, France agree to boost security cooperation

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220121_05/

101 New security strategy must underline threat posed by Beijing

https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0008169295

102

Japan’s government should stop training Myanmar’s military

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/19/japans-government-should-stop-training-myanmars-military

103

Moon, Egyptian President Agree to Make Joint Efforts to Complete K-9 Deal

http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=167118

104

N.Korea suggests it may resume nuclear, missile tests; slams ‘hostile’ U.S

https://www.metro.us/n-korea-suggests-it-may/

105

Why North Korea’s Threat To Test ICBMs And Nuclear Weapons Is Serious

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/why-north-koreas-threat-to-test-icbms-and-nuclear-weapons-is-serious/

106

Cambodia, Vietnam defense cooperation seen as way to curtail Chinese influence, military expansion

https://ipdefenseforum.com/2022/01/cambodia-vietnam-defense-cooperation-seen-as-way-to-curtail-chinese-influence-military-expansion/

107

Indonesia increases the naval budget to counter China's naval expansion

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/indonesia-increases-the-naval-budget-to-counter-chinas-naval-expansion20220120213834/

108

The Military and Strategic Implications of Indonesia’s New Capital

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2022/01/20/the_military_and_strategic_implications_of_indonesias_new_capital_812832.html

109

Indonesia jails prominent former JI member over Bali bombings

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/indonesia-jails-prominent-former-ji-member-over-bali-bombings

110

Australia, U.K. Work on Security Ties as China’s Clout Expands

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/australia-u-k-work-on-security-ties-as-china-s-clout-expands-1.1710804

111

Australia vows to ‘fight back’ against cyberattacks from China

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3164062/australia-vows-fight-back-against-cyberattacks-china-russia

112 Getting the most out of AUKUS could require Plan B-21

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/getting-the-most-out-of-aukus-could-require-plan-b-21/

113

Nuclear-powered submarines for Australia: what are the options?

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/nuclear-powered-submarines-for-australia-what-are-the-options/

114

Indian, German Navy Chiefs discuss ways to boost cooperation

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/indian-german-navy-chiefs-discuss-ways-to-boost-cooperation20220120170234/

115

Indian Navy's P8I aircraft participates in multinational exercise Sea Dragon at Guam, USA

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/indian-navys-p8i-aircraft-participates-in-multinational-exercise-sea-dragon-at-guam-usa20220120201927/

116

India Successfully Test-Fires New Advanced Version of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

https://asiapost.live/india-successfully-test-fires-new-advanced-version-of-brahmos-supersonic-cruise-missile/

117

Explosion Aboard Indian Navy Destroyer: 3 Sailors Killed, 11 Wounded

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/01/explosion-aboard-indian-navy-destroyer-3-sailors-killed-11-wounded/

118

Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant successfully completes third sea trials

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11289-indian-aircraft-carrier-ins-vikrant-successfully-completes-third-sea-trials.html

119

Pakistan’s National Security Policy 2022 In Context Of US-China-India Triangular Relation

https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-pakistans-national-security-policy-2022-in-context-of-us-china-india-triangular-relations-analysis/

120

Prevention, cooperation, mutual assistance essential to counter connected nature of terrorists in South Asia: Sri Lankan CDS

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/prevention-cooperation-mutual-assistance-essential-to-counter-connected-nature-of-terrorists-in-south-asia-sri-lankan-cds20220120205229/

121 Rights groups want UN to ban Bangladesh’s RAB from peacekeeping

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/un-must-ban-bangladeshs-rab-from-peacekeeping

122

Russian Navy launches Kalibr cruise missile from Kilo-class submarine Volkhov

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11292-russian-navy-launches-kalibr-cruise-missile-from-kilo-class-submarine-volkhov.html

123 Russian Navy gets three advanced submarines — top brass

https://tass.com/defense/1391039

124

Russia Working on First Ever Robotic Torpedo-Carrying Submarine Hunter

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/31213/Russia_Working_on_First_Ever_Robotic_Torpedo_Carrying_Submarine_Hunter

125 Russia to hold navy drills involving all its fleets

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-russia-to-hold-navy-drills-involving-all-its-fleets/

126 Troops to live-fire Iskander-M missile systems in southern Russia drills

https://tass.com/defense/1390755

127

Deliveries Begin of Su-30SM2 "Super Sukhoi" to the Russian Armed Forces

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/31216/Deliveries_Begin_of_Su_30SM2__Super_Sukhoi__to_the_Russian_Armed_Forces

128

Satellite images show more Russian troops, equipment near Ukraine

https://www.navytimes.com/flashpoints/2022/01/20/satellite-images-show-more-russian-troops-equipment-near-ukraine/

129

Kiev’s interests can serve as compromise for US and Russia in terms of security — expert

https://tass.com/world/1390673

130

Ukraine asks Australia for more 'technical assistance' to combat increasing Russian cyber attacks

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/ukraine-asks-aus-for-more-technical-assistance-to-combat-russia/100771618

131

Afghanistan: 6 people, including Taliban commander and his son killed in Kunar

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/afghanistan-6-people-including-taliban-commander-and-his-son-killed-in-kunar20220120060554/

132

Iran, China, Russia to kick off joint naval drills in Indian Ocean on January 21 — media

https://tass.com/defense/1390761

133 What is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard doing in Myanmar?

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/what-is-irans-revolutionary-guard-doing-in-myanmar/

134 Drone wars: Race is on for unmanned aerial supremacy

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/drone-wars-race-is-on-for-unmanned-aerial-supremacy/

135 The Rise of A.I. Fighter Pilots https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/

24/the-rise-of-ai-fighter-pilots

136

Operation Barbarossa and Mission Command: A Historical Reaffirmation of the Merits of Auftragstaktik

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/operation-barbarossa-and-mission-command-historical-reaffirmation-merits-auftragstaktik

137

U.S. Fishing for Defense Tech to Protect International Waters

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/1/20/us-fishing-for-defense-tech-to-protect-international-waters

138

Four common types of scams and how to recognise them

https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2022/01/20/four-common-types-of-scams-and-how-to-recognise-them

139

Tokyo, Beijing, And New Tensions Over Taiwan

https://www.eurasiareview.com/21012022-tokyo-beijing-and-new-tensions-over-taiwan-analysis/

140 The Seabase Piece of Mobile Basing https://defense.info/featured-story/2022/01/the-

seabase-piece-of-mobile-basing/

141 Clarifying Maritime Strategy: “Non-Traditional Security” Is Just “Security”

https://cimsec.org/non-traditional-security-is-just-security/

COVID NEWS

142 PH logs 31,173 new Covid infections on Thursday

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/ph-logs-31173-new-covid-infections-on-thursday/

143 PH Red Cross says saliva RT-PCR test 'game changer' for PH

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/ph-red-cross-says-saliva-rt-pcr-test-game-changer-for-ph/

144

Lagundi, VCO ‘natural remedy’ against mild COVID-19 symptoms – DOST

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/lagundi-vco-natural-remedy-against-mild-covid-19-symptoms-dost/

145

Omicron Evades mRNA Booster Protection, South African Study Shows

https://www.ntd.com/omicron-evades-mrna-booster-protection-south-african-study-shows_729910.html

146

Merck’s Covid-19 pill to be made for developing nations in new deal

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3164148/mercks-covid-19-pill-be-made-11-countries-developing-nations-un

147

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus-right-now-2021-03-02/

148

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

149 Covid map: Where are cases the highest?

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

150

Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

Title Link

151 Media must purge itself of Red reporters https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/21/opinion/columns/media-must-purge-itself-of-red-reporters/1830101

152 Stonewall Jackson: The great general of the American Civil War

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/21/stonewall-jackson-the-great-general-of-the-american-civil-war/

153 How To Support A Globally Connected Counter-Disinformation Network

https://warontherocks.com/2022/01/how-to-support-a-globally-connected-counter-disinformation-network/

154 Is Cambodia up to the task of chairing ASEAN?

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/cambodia-asean-hun-sen-myanmar-crisis-foreign-engagement-2444641

155 Moscow’s Compellence Strategy https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-moscows-compellence-strategy-analysis/

156 No (Nuclear) War Over Ukraine, Please https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-no-nuclear-war-over-ukraine-please-oped/

157 Dangers of a New Reality: How China Could Weaponize the Metaverse

https://www.ntd.com/dangers-of-a-new-reality-how-china-could-weaponize-the-metaverse_729675.html

158 India Faces Jointmanship From China and Pakistan, Not Two Fronts

https://thewire.in/south-asia/debate-india-faces-jointmanship-from-china-and-pakistan-not-two-fronts

159 Russia Lacks Ships, Bases, Personnel And The Need For A New Arctic Fleet

https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-russia-lacks-ships-bases-personnel-and-the-need-for-a-new-arctic-fleet-oped/

160 Rebuilding The World Order https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-rebuilding-the-world-order-analysis/

161 Social media manipulation on the rise in India

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/social-media-manipulation-on-the-rise-in-india/

Coronavirus: Philippines’ population growth lowest in

70 years due to Covid-19

A newborn baby in Manila. Photo: Reuters

Population growth in the Philippines is projected to have slowed down to just 0.3 per cent in 2021, the slowest in over 70 years, as Filipinos delayed having children amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a government agency said Thursday.

An estimated 324,000 babies were born last year, the lowest number since the period between 1946 and 1947, when the country’s population grew by 254,000 babies, the Commission on Population and Development said.

At the end of 2021, the country’s total population was estimated at 109,991,095, 2 million lower than earlier projections based on a 1.63 per cent population growth rate, the commission said.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3164126/coronavirus-philippines-population-

growth-lowest-70-years

Philippines suffers South-East Asia

region’s worst Omicron-driven surge

PHILIPPINES

Thursday, 20 Jan 2022

7:15 PM MYTA health worker inoculates a boy with a Pfizer coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

vaccine, at Manila Zoo, in Manila, Philippines, January 19, 2022. - Reuters

MANILA, Jan 20 (Bloomberg): The Philippines again tops South-East Asia in daily

Covid-19 infections, with record cases last week prompting tighter restrictions,

disrupting businesses and filling up hospitals.

While the highly contagious omicron variant was detected in most of the region, only the

Philippines suffered an exponential rise in infections.

The government blamed the spike on complacency in mask-wearing and distancing

during the Christmas holidays, when looser curbs to support a fragile economic

recovery allowed families and friends in the Catholic-majority nation to gather, even as

the vaccine rate is among the region’s lowest.

The Philippines reported 22,958 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday evening (Jan

19), raising the number of confirmed cases in the South-East Asian country to

3,293,625.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases or patients sick of the

disease dipped to 270,728 from Tuesday's 284,458. The country's positivity rate slightly

rose to 43.5 percent, from 43.4 percent the previous day.

The DOH reported the highest single-day tally on Saturday with 39,004 new cases.

According to the DOH, 82 more people died from Covid-19 complications, pushing the

country's death toll to 53,044, with six laboratories failing to submit data. Of the 82

deaths, 56 died this month while the rest died in previous months.

The Philippines continues to detect more Omicron and Delta variants in communities

and returning overseas Filipinos.

The DOH confirmed 492 more Omicron cases and 115 Delta cases in the latest batch of

714 samples sequenced on Jan. 13-14, indicating that the Omicron is infecting more

people. At least two Omicron-infected patients have died.

The government has put in place new measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus

and keep the hospitalisation rate low.

To mitigate the risks of the Omicron variant, the DOH shortened the intervals for booster

shots, childhood vaccination and quarantine periods for fully vaccinated health care

workers without symptoms, as well as targeted testing. - Bloomberg

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/20/philippines-suffers-south-east-

asia-regions-worst-omicron-driven-surge

3 Cordillera provinces, Northern Samar placed under AL4, more areas under AL3

BYSAMUEL MEDENILLA JANUARY 20, 2022

1 MINUTE READ

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) Resolution on Thursday decided to hoist Alert Level 4 in four areas due to rising infections and crowded health care facilities.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles said Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), as well as the province of Northern Samar will be placed under Alert Level 4.Under the IATF guidelines, an Alert Level 4 is imposed in an area, where cses counts are higher and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care utilization rate is at high utilization.This is the second highest classification, next to Alert Level 5, which is equivalent to the imposition of a total lockdown in an area.

Nograles said the IATF also decided to place the following areas under Alert Level 3: Apayao, Puerto Princesa City, Masbate, Siquijor, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, and Basilan.An area is placed under Alert Level 3 if its Covid-19 cases are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive case unit utilization rate at increasing utilization.

“These Alert Levels shall take effect beginning January 21, 2022 until January 31, 2022,” Nograles said.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/3-cordillera-provinces-northern-samar-placed-under-al-4-more-areas-under-al3/

Metro Manila remains at ‘critical risk’ despite decrease of

COVID-19 infections – OCTA

Published January 20, 2022, 7:54 PM by Charie Mae F. Abarca

Metro Manila’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) growth rate has further dipped to -20 percent, but an OCTA research fellow reiterated that despite the decrease of infections, the region remains at critical risk.

“The one-week growth rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) decreased to -20 percent, while the reproduction number decreased to 1.58. The NCR is still averaging over 13,000 new cases per day, which puts us at critical risk,” said OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David in a tweet on Thursday evening, Jan. 20.

David also reiterated that the public should not “let their guards down” amid the decrease of COVID-19 cases in the NCR.

“We cannot let our guards down and must continue to follow health protocols to sustain the downward trajectory of new cases in the NCR,” David added.

He likewise stated that amid the decrease of infections in NCR, cases outside the region increase.

As of Jan. 19, David said that among the provinces and regions with the most number of new infections were NCR, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Cebu, Pampanga, Bulacan, Benguet, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Davao del Sur, Quezon, Negros Occidental, Isabela, Misamis Oriental, Camarines Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, and Leyte.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/metro-manila-remains-at-critical-risk-despite-decrease-of-covid-19-infections-octa/

Taal Volcano emits steam plumes as it remains under Alert Level 2 Val Cuenca, ABS-CBN News Posted at Jan 20 2022 09:50 AM

Taal Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 2, emits steam plumes in this photo taken from Banadero Baywalk in Tanuan, Batangas on Thursday. Upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake generated plumes 1,200 meters tall that drifted southwest, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs).

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/01/20/22/alert-level-2-prevails-over-taal-volcano

DOJ indicts 9 cops for alleged complicity in ambush-slay of Calbayog mayor, 4 others

BYJOEL R. SAN JUAN

JANUARY 20, 2022

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of four counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder charges against nine police officers in connection with the death Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and four others in an ambush in Barangay Lonou, Tinambacan District, Calbayog early last year.

The filing of the charges was recommended by a panel of prosecutors who found probable cause in the preliminary investigation of the case to indict the policemen before the trial court.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/doj-indicts-9-cops-for-alleged-complicity-in-ambush-slay-of-

calbayog-mayor-4-others/

Shear line to bring rains, thunderstorms in southern Luzon;

generally fair weather to prevail over rest of Luzon, VisMin–

PAGASA

Published January 20, 2022, 6:51 PM by Charie Mae F. Abarca

The shear line or the convergence of warm and cold winds continues to affect the eastern section of southern Luzon, while the northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan”, may bring generally fair weather with chances of isolated rains in the rest of Luzon, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Thursday, Jan. 20.

“[Dito] sa satellite image ay makikita pa rin ang mga kaulapan sa silangang bahagi ng Luzon [dulot ng shear line]. Over the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila ay generally fair weather na mayroon tayong inaasahan na mga isolated light rains. Over the Visayas and Mindanao ay inaasahan pa rin natin ang generally fair weather condition, maliban na lamang sa mga isolated rains o thunderstorms (Here in the satellite image, we can see clouds over the eastern section of Luzon due to the shear line. Over the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, we may expect a generally fair weather condition. Over the Visayas and Mindanao, a generally fair weather may prevail with slight chances of isolated rains and thunderstorms),” said PAGASA weather specialist Raymond Ordinario in a public weather forecast.

Odrinario also disclosed that a cloud cluster or low pressure area (LPA) was spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), but it is less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone.

Meanwhile, due to the shear line, residents of Bicol region, CALABARZON, Marinduque, and Oriental Mindoro were warned against possible flash floods and landslides during moderate to at times heavy rains.

The State weather bureau likewise said that the northeast monsoon may bring cloudy skies with rains in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Aurora in the next 24 hours.

Moreover, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the northeast monsoon, while localized thunderstorms may prevail and bring partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers over Visayas and Mindanao.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/shear-line-to-bring-rains-thunderstorms-in-southern-luzon-generally-

fair-weather-to-prevail-over-rest-of-luzon-vismin-pagasa/

National, News

PAGASA monitors LPA coming from Pacific Ocean

Published January 21, 2022, 5:59 PM by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is monitoring a new low pressure area (LPA) that is still outside the country’s area of responsibility on Friday morning, Jan. 21.

PAGASA weather specialist Samuel Duran said the LPA was at 1,855 kilometers east-southeast of Mindanao as of 3 a.m.

The LPA so far has a slim chance of intensifying into a tropical cyclone but may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Saturday evening, Jan. 22, or Sunday morning, Jan. 23, he said.

Duran added that the weather disturbance has no direct effect yet on the country instead the shear line will be the prevailing weather system that may affect Bicol region and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).

In the next 24 hours, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms may persist in areas affected by the shear line.

However, PAGASA warned that the shear line may bring moderate to, at times, heavy rains that could trigger flash floods or landslides.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan,” will continue to affect the rest of Luzon.

Aurora, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region will have cloudy skies and rains, while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies and isolated light rains.

PAGASA said Visayas and Mindanao may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/21/pagasa-monitors-lpa-off-pacific-ocean/

BRP Tarlac in Cebu for 4th typhoon

relief mission By Priam Nepomuceno January 20, 2022, 10:42 am

RELIEF MISSION. Philippine Navy personnel haul boxes of relief goods from the BRP Tarlac upon its arrival in Cebu for another relief mission on Tuesday (Jan. 18, 2022). The Navy said Wednesday (Jan. 19, 2022) these relief items would be distributed to typhoon-affected families in Cebu, Bohol, Surigao provinces, and Leyte. (Photo courtesy of Naval Forces Central)

MANILA – The landing dock BRP Tarlac (LD-601), one of the largest ships of the Philippine Navy (PN), arrived in Cebu on January 18 for its fourth relief sortie for communities affected by Typhoon Odette last month.

In a statement Wednesday night, the PN said the ship successfully docked at Pier 4, Cebu City, carrying 450 tons of relief goods and essential items from various government agencies, PN units, and stakeholders to be distributed to families affected by the typhoon in Cebu, Bohol, Surigao provinces, and Leyte.

The assorted relief goods and cargoes will be sorted out by personnel of the central office of the Civil-Military Operations and the headquarters of the Naval Forces Central in Cebu, and distributed to different areas using all available surface assets.

The BRP Tarlac is part of the 27-ship flotilla deployed by the Navy to help communities battered by “Odette”.

Commander Benjo Negranza, PN spokesperson, earlier said they have been using their resources to assist disaster-stricken areas to ensure the timely delivery of relief goods to typhoon victims.

The BRP Tarlac left Pier 15, South Harbor in Manila for Cebu on January 16.

During its third relief sortie on January 8, the ship transported its biggest haul of relief goods and essential rolling cargoes to the calamity-stricken areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The BRP Tarlac was loaded with 542,206 kg. of relief goods and 50 tons of rolling cargo when it arrived in Cebu. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165915

Completion of 'vital' road project in

Taguig in Q2 on track By Ferdinand Patinio January 20, 2022, 9:54 pm

MANILA – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger Mercado on Thursday said the construction of the Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Field Road or Lawton Avenue in Taguig City is being hastened to meet its target completion by the second quarter this year.

“As the government increases mobility in Metro Manila amid the pandemic, this project is vital in addressing traffic woes experienced by motorists,” he said.

The road widening has three phases with the 1.34-meter Phase 1 traversing from 5th Avenue to Bayani Road completed and opened to the public on Nov. 17, 2020.

“We are keen on expediting the completion of the remaining two phases of the project with Phase 2 covering 1,100 lineal meters from Bayani Road to Philippine Navy and Phase 3 covering 240 lineal meters from Philippine Navy to Pasong Tamo Extension,” Mercado said as he led the inspection of the project on Thursday.

Once fully completed, the 3.1-kilometer, four-lane Lawton Avenue will be converted into a six-lane thoroughfare.

It can accommodate influx of vehicles traversing the area and will help decongest traffic in nearby Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), South Superhighway, and C-5 Road.

The road will also complement the 961.427-lineal meter Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project which has improved access to and from the cities of Taguig, Pasig, Makati and Mandaluyong.

The project is part of the Edsa Decongestion Program, one of the flagship projects of the Duterte administration under the Build, Build, Build Program.

Also present during the inspection were Senior Undersecretary Rafael Yabut, Assistant Secretary Wilfredo Mallari and National Capital Region Director Nomer Abel Canlas. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165993

DND admits challenges in proposed mandatory military service Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News Posted at Jan 20 2022 04:46 PM

Akbayan says proposal 'absurd, irrelevant' as pandemic rages

MANILA — While the defense department on Thursday supports Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's proposal for mandatory military service for all Filipinos after turning 18 years old, it admitted there are "huge" challenges in making it a reality.

Duterte-Carpio to push for mandatory military service for Filipinos if she wins as VP

"There are huge hurdles in implementing this" even as "there are several advantages" in the proposal, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

He said that while it will provide a "steady" pool of reservists and the inculcation of patriotism among Filipinos, funding and resources could be difficult.

"Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18 every year," Lorenzana said.

WATCH: Mandatory ROTC to instill patriotism among youth?

"Second, are the anticipated objections of those who are not inclined to serve in the military. Third, we are not on war footing and there will be little need of a general mobilization," he added.

The mandatory implementation of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in private and public schools "is a better alternative," the defense chief said.

"This program, which targets the K11-K12 levels, will produce a huge number of youths who will form part of our reservists. We feel that the product of the ROTC program is more than sufficient to meet our requirements for warm bodies in case of conflict and in times of calamities and disasters," he said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), for its part, described Duterte-Carpio's proposal as "attuned to the times."

Bato dela Rosa advocates mandatory military service for youth

"We welcome the proposal... while government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to contribute to nation building," said AFP Spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/20/22/mandatory-military-service-dnd-admits-huge-hurdles

Lorenzana: Mandatory military service proposal

faces ‘huge hurdles’

By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ

INQUIRER.net / 07:46 PM January 20, 2022

MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday (Jan. 20)

said while he supported the mandatory military service proposed by Davao City mayor

and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte, there will be “huge hurdles” against its

implementation.

“There are huge hurdles in implementing this,” Lorenzana said in a statement. The

Philippines, he said, is “not on war footing” and there will be “little need of a general

mobilization.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The proposal will also require additional funds and resources.

“Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and

funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18

every year,” Lorenzana said.

There are also “anticipated objections of those who are not inclined to serve in the

military.”

Duterte said on Wednesday said that if she won, she would push for mandatory military

service for all Filipinos after they turn 18 years old, a practice in some countries like

Israel and South Korea.

Lorenzana said the implementation of mandatory entry into the Reserve Officers

Training Corps (ROTC) in private and public schools is the “better alternative.”

“We feel that the product of the ROTC program is more than sufficient to meet our

requirements for warm bodies in case of conflict and in times of calamities and

disasters,” he said.

The ROTC was made optional in the early 2000s after the death of Mark Chua, a

University of Santo Tomas student who was murdered after he exposed alleged

corruption in the ROTC program.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines welcomed Sara’s proposal and described it as

“attuned to the times.”

“We welcome the proposal as this is attuned to the times while government is faced

with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to

contribute to nation building,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1543031/lorenzana-mandatory-military-service-proposal-faces-huge-

hurdles

Mandatory military service to help build

strong PH: AFP By Priam Nepomuceno January 20, 2022, 2:51 pm (File photo)

MANILA – The implementation of mandatory military service for Filipinos will help instill patriotism among citizens and help them contribute to nation-building efforts, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Thursday.

"We welcome the proposal as this is attuned to the times while the government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations for the citizenry to contribute to nation-building," AFP spokesperson, Col. Ramon Zagala, said in a message to reporters.

This is in support of the call of vice presidential bet, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, for mandatory military service for all Filipinos upon turning 18.

Zagala said having mandatory military service would enable the AFP to create a strong manpower base.

"Rendering mandatory military service will only help us to establish a base for strong armed forces, and therefore a strong nation," he said.

The Department of National Defense (DND) also expressed support for the measure.

"We in the DND support the mandatory military service of 18-year-old Filipinos. There are several advantages: First, the military will have a ready and steady trained pool of reservists to defend the country and do HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) work; second, the training and discipline that they will acquire will make them better citizens; third, service to the country will be inculcated in them," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

Lorenzana, however, noted that the implementation of the measure might encounter a lot of challenges.

"First are the funds and resources. Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18 every year. Second are the anticipated objections of those who are not inclined to serve in the military. Third, we are not on a war footing and there will be little need of a general mobilization," he said.

Lorenzana said the implementation of a mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) in private and public schools is the better alternative.

"We are already starting to implement this in the State Universities and Colleges. This program, which targets the (Grade 11 to 12) levels, will produce a huge number of youths who will form part of our reservists. We feel that the product of the ROTC program is more than sufficient to meet our requirements for warm bodies in case of conflict and in times of calamities and disasters," he added.

During the UniTeam Alliance's virtual caravan on Wednesday, Duterte said she would ask Congress to pass a measure on the imposition of mandatory military service for all 18-year-old citizens, both male and female. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165938

Military strength ranking worldwide: PH is 51st Victor Reyes

-The Philippines ranked 51st overall among 140 nations in terms of military strength, the

Global Firepower (GFP) said.

In its 2022 Military Strength Ranking, the group said the Philippines received a power index of 0.8076, below the 0.7453 power index earned by Peru that was ranked 50th.

The top five nations are the United States (0.0453 power index), Russia (0.0501 power index), China (0.0511 power index), India (0.0979 power index) and Japan (0.1195 power index).

“For 2022, Philippines is ranked 51 of 140 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.8076 (a score of 0.0000 is considered ‘perfect’),” the group said in its website.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines was ranked seventh. Indonesia ranked first (0.2251 power index), followed by Vietnam (0.4521 power index), Thailand (0.4581 power index), Myanmar (0.5972 power index), Singapore (0.6253 power index, and Malaysia (0.7091 power index).

The Global Firepower ranking uses some 50 factors “to determine a given nation’s Power Index score with categories ranging from military might and financials to logistical capability and geography.”

“Our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller, more technologically-advanced, nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed ones and special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the annual list. Color arrows indicate year-over-year trend comparison,” it said in its website.

It said each nation is assessed on “individual and collective values processed through our in-house formula to general its power index score.”

The Philippines ranked 11th in merchant marine fleet factor, 12th in military age, 13th in population, 14th in manpower fit, and 15th in the factors of manpower, corvettes, frigates, and labor force.

https://malayaph.com/news_news/military-strength-ranking-worldwide-ph-is-51st/

Philippine, South Korea armies see ‘ironclad

defense’ with military cooperation Published January 21, 2022 1:07am

The Philippine Army (PA) and the Republic of Korea Army vowed stronger ties on military education and training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and other areas of cooperation amid security and defense challenges in the region and beyond.

advertisement

PA Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. and ROKA Chief of Staff Gen. Nam Yeongshi signed on January 20 the Terms of Reference (TOR) that sealed the military cooperation between the two countries.

”I have this hope that through this TOR, the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea will have an ironclad alliance that is ready to face security and defense challenges not only in our respective countries but as well as in the Indo-Pacific Region,” Brawner said in a news release following the virtual signing ceremony.

The TOR establishes an Army-to-Army level collaboration in accordance with the June 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and South Korea’s Ministry of Defense.

The TOR covers the following areas of cooperation: Reciprocal Visits, Mutual Exchange of Army Related Insights and Information, Military Education and Training, Logistics and Maintenance, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Military Medicine and Medical Support, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Military Technology Cooperation, Research and Development, Military Sports and Cultural Activities, and other areas of mutual interest.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/818932/philippine-south-korea-armies-see-

ironclad-defense-with-military-cooperation/story/

Army chief vows to further upgrade

aviation regiment By Priam Nepomuceno January 20, 2022, 9:14 am COURTESY CALL. Philippine Army chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (2nd from right) meets with Army Aviation Regiment commander Col. Andre Santos (2nd from left) and two rotary-wing pilots of the unit at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Tuesday morning (Jan. 18, 2022). Brawner pledged to support the upgrade of the unit to ensure that it is capable of supporting ground units in dealing with various security threats. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

MANILA – The Philippine Army (PA) is committed to upgrading its Aviation Regiment to ensure that it is capable of supporting ground units in dealing with various security threats.

"The PA leadership will push down mission-essential equipment to Army units nationwide. Rest assured, the command is committed to upgrading the Aviation Regiment into a modern and capable unit that will assist our ground forces in dealing with a multitude of threats,” Army commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a statement Wednesday night.

He made this commitment after Aviation Regiment commander Col. Andre Santos and two rotary-wing pilots of the unit paid him a courtesy call at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Tuesday morning.

The pilots are R-44 pilot-in-command, Capt. Pearl Esher Taladro, and co-pilot, 1st Lt. Tynnel Jonden Bañas.

They made the visit during their first long-range flight aboard their R-44 Raven training helicopter, which took off from Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, and landed at the PA headquarters.

After their courtesy call, the officials and pilots flew from the Army headquarters to Fort Magsaysay for another training flight.

On Tuesday afternoon, Army aviators conducted a separate flight mission from Nueva Ecija to Taguig.

These flights are part of the continuing skills enhancement of PA rotary-wing aviators.

As this developed, Brawner also inspected the Army Aviation Regiment’s two helicopters that flew in a round-trip proficiency flight mission from Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija to Fort Bonifacio on Wednesday.

Santos led the Army aviators in a long-range proficiency training flight using the Robinson R-44 Clipper II and the Bolkow BO-105M multi-purpose helicopters in a round-trip flight mission.

Brawner lauded the Aviation Regiment for its modernization efforts, particularly in training additional aviators, rotary-wing pilots, and multi-engine rating personnel.

He also commended the regiment’s efforts in upgrading its array of standardized doctrine towards its aviators to further capacitate them in a fast-changing operational environment.

“As you push yourselves in giving your best on your training, I commend all men and women manning the Army Aviation Regiment. Despite the challenging time and situation, you commit to capacitating yourselves for the development and transformation of our modernized Army aviation. You have all the support of the Philippine Army leadership as you evolve into a modern and capable Army Aviation Regiment that is a source of national pride,” Brawner said. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165910

Omicron survives longer on plastic, skin than prior

variants; nose swabbing found best for rapid tests

Reuters / 04:09 AM January 25, 2022

FILE PHOTO: Test tube labelled “COVID-19 Omicron variant test positive” is seen in

this illustration picture taken January 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include

research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be

certified by peer review.

ADVERTISEMENT

Omicron survives longer on plastic and skin

The Omicron variant can survive longer than earlier versions of the coronavirus on

plastic surfaces and human skin, Japanese researchers found in laboratory tests.

Its high “environmental stability” – its ability to remain infectious – might have helped

Omicron replace Delta as the dominant variant and spread rapidly, they said. On plastic

surfaces, average survival times of the original strain and the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and

Delta variants were 56 hours, 191.3 hours, 156.6 hours, 59.3 hours, and 114.0 hours,

respectively. That compared to 193.5 hours for Omicron, the researchers reported on

bioRxiv ahead of peer review. On skin samples from cadavers, average virus survival

times were 8.6 hours for the original version, 19.6 hours for Alpha, 19.1 hours for Beta,

11.0 hours Gamma, 16.8 hours for Delta and 21.1 hours for Omicron.

On skin, all of the variants were completely inactivated by 15 seconds of exposure to

alcohol-based hand sanitizers. “Therefore,” the researchers conclude, “it is highly

recommended that current infection control (hand hygiene) practices use

disinfectants… as proposed by the World Health Organization.”

Nose swabbing best for rapid antigen tests

Users of rapid antigen tests to detect COVID-19 should swab their nostrils as directed

by the manufacturer and not swab the throat or cheek instead, new research shows.

Earlier this month, with Omicron accounting for nearly all coronavirus infections in San

Francisco, researchers there performed both PCR and Abbott Laboratories’ BinaxNOW

rapid antigen test on 731 people requesting COVID-19 tests. Nasal swabbing “detected

over 95% of persons with the highest levels of virus who are most likely contagious,”

said Dr. Diane Havlir of the University of California, San Francisco. In 115 volunteers

with positive PCR tests, her team compared BinaxNOW results using swab samples

from the nose and the throat obtained by trained professionals. Throat swabs detected

nearly 40% fewer cases than nose swabs, they reported on medRxiv ahead of peer

review. A separate study from Spain, also posted on medRxiv, found that swabbing the

inside of the cheek also is far less reliable than nostril swabbing for detecting infectious

virus. Recent studies had suggested that Omicron is detectable earlier in the throat than

in the nose, leading some experts to advise users to swab the throat, although the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration maintained the tests should be used as directed.

“These data support using BinaxNOW from nasal swabs as directed on the package,”

Havlir said. “Repeat rapid testing is recommended for those with negative BinaxNOW

rapid tests and symptoms or an exposure” to an infected person.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1544656/omicron-survives-longer-on-plastic-skin-than-prior-variants-

nose-swabbing-found-best-for-rapid-tests

Slain bomber linked to previous attacks By Franz R. Sumangil January 21, 2022

110

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato: The slain primary suspect in the

recent Mindanao Star Bus bombing in Aleosan, North Cotabato, was

involved in previous bomb attacks in Region 12, the military said on

Tuesday.

According to Lt. Col. John Pal Baldomar, the Army's 6th Infantry Division

spokesman, Norodin Hassan, who was killed in a Philippine Army law-

enforcement operation in Tonganon village, Carmen, North Cotabato, on

January 15, was linked to the twin bombings in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, in

2018 and the bombing of a mall in Cotabato Cityin 2019.

Baldomar said Hassan was also involved in the burning of a Yellow Bus

Line unit in M'lang, North Cotabato, and the YBL bombing in Tulunan,

also in North Cotabato, which both took place last year.

"He had warrants of arrest for murder, multiple murder, multiple

frustrated murder, arson and bombings, and anti-terrorism law," he

added.

Baldomar said Hassan's group was also involved in extortion activities

against bus firms and multinational companies.

Hassan and three others were killed four days after the military launched

pursuit operations against them in Carmen, North Cotabato, and also

after the bombing of the Mindanao Star bus in Barangay San Mateo,

Aleosan, North Cotabato, on January 11.

A five-year-old boy died while six others were injured in the incident.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/21/news/regions/slain-bomber-linked-to-previous-

attacks/1830047

US lawmakers demand IOC reaffirm athletes’ free-

speech rights during Beijing Winter Olympics

US lawmakers have called on the International Olympic Committee to reaffirm the free-speech rights of athletes in the Winter Games, after a Beijing official warned that speech that violated Chinese regulations would be punished.

“The International Olympic Committee – and its president Thomas Bach – must immediately clarify that free speech by athletes is absolutely guaranteed at the Olympics,” a bipartisan group of eight congressional representatives wrote on Thursday.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3164161/us-lawmakers-demand-ioc-reaffirm-athletes-free-

speech-rights-during

.

US’ Xinjiang law puts Chinese businesses in

crosshairs, forcing them to take sides in political

maelstrom Ever since US President Joe Biden signed the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act into

law last month, the apparel industry in China’s manufacturing hub of Guangdong

province has been engulfed in a haze of uncertainty and, for some, panic.

Even though they are located about 3,300km (2,000 miles) away from Xinjiang – the far-

west region of China that has become embroiled in international controversies in recent

years – exporters and factory owners in the southern coastal province are already

bearing the brunt of the new law, which looks to have sweeping implications on global

trade.

The ban is an outlier among US import restrictions, which typically limit goods based on

specific product types or individual suppliers, rather than entire regions.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get

the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with

explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning

team.

Apparel exporters told the South China Morning Post they have received, or were at

least expecting, requirements from their foreign customers to provide a paper trail

documenting the entire supply chain of their goods – from the origin of the cotton at the

bale level to the final production of the finished product.

The requirements also include showing proof that the supply chain does not involve

forced labour in Xinjiang, which the US government will require the American importers

to disclose after the ban on Xinjiang imports takes effect in June. If we don’t request such certification, we will face great uncertainties on the US side too E-commerce company manager

“If we ask the upstream suppliers for such proof, it would seem like that we are

endorsing the law, and we would face great public pressure in China if we were to be

reported or exposed, so no one wants to do it,” a cross-border e-commerce company

manager based in Guangdong said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity

of the matter.

“But if we don’t request such certification, we will face great uncertainties on the US side

too.”

Large multinational companies will not be the only ones caught up in the political

maelstrom resulting from the new law, according to industry insiders. An increasing

number of small exporters in China – most of them with little to no resources to cope

with the political risks – are finding themselves in the crossfire, forced to take sides.

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/01/20/us-xinjiang-law-puts-chinese-

businesses-in-crosshairs-forcing-them-to-take-sides-in-political-maelstrom

US drops charges against Gang Chen, MIT professor

accused of lying about China ties

Gang Chen, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had pleaded not guilty

to all of the charges. MIT/Handout via Reuters

In a blow to the US Justice Department’s China Initiative policy, prosecutors on Thursday dropped all charges against a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor accused of misrepresenting his relationship to China on funding documents.

Gang Chen, a Chinese-born mechanical engineer and nanotechnology expert at MIT, was arrested a year ago for allegedly failing to disclose links to the Chinese government. The indictment also accused his research group of receiving US$19 million from Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.

Chen, who is a naturalised US citizen, had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3164157/us-drops-charges-against-gang-chen-mit-

professor-accused-lying-about

With U.S. focused on defense, China's trade and infrastructure sweep Southeast Asia

January 20, 20227:43 AM ET

Phoonsab Thevongsa/Reuters

As the United States' strategic rivalry with China intensifies, one part of the world, Southeast Asia —

where the U.S. has ceded much influence over the past two decades to China — is witnessing renewed

U.S. interest under President Biden.

Biden administration officials have made repeated trips to the region in the past year and the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, is looking with both hope and trepidation as Washington

deepens competition with China over technology, investment, infrastructure and security.

In fact, Secretary of State Antony Blinken closed out 2021 with his first trip to the region as

Washington's top diplomat, visiting Indonesia and Malaysia, where he asserted that "much of the

planet's future will be written in the Indo-Pacific." If you combine the populations of Southeast Asian

economies — estimated at 650 million — they make up the world's third largest labor force, behind only

China and India. The region's middle class is expected to double by 2030.

Blinken sparingly referenced China in his public appearances, all the while signaling that the United

States is better aligned with Southeast Asia's aspirations than China is.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/20/1073764647/us-china-southeast-asia-trade-defense

China, Russia block US bid to sanction North Koreans at UN The US is seeking a UN travel ban and asset freeze on individuals it says are involved in North Korea’s missile programme. The move by Russia and China came ahead of a closed-door UN Security Council meeting on North Korea

- the second in two weeks - after Pyongyang fired tactical guided missiles this week [File: Jung Yeon-

je/AFP]

Published On 20 Jan 202220 Jan 2022

China and Russia have delayed a US effort at the United Nations to impose sanctions on five North Koreans in response to recent missile launches by Pyongyang, diplomats said.

The move by Beijing and Moscow came before a closed-door UN Security Council meeting on North Korea on Thursday – the second in two weeks – after Pyongyang fired tactical guided missiles this week.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/china-stalls-us-bid-to-sanction-north-koreans-at-united-

nations

China’s Foreign Ministry Says Not Aware of Missing Indian Teenager From Arunachal Pradesh

New Delhi: China’s foreign ministry on Thursday said that it was not aware of the incident in which the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly abducted a 17-year-old boy from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district but said the PLA controls the borders and cracks down on “illegal entry and exit activities.”

Member of parliament from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao said on Wednesday that a 17-year-old boy was abducted by the PLA from inside Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district.

Gao said the teenager, identified as Miram Taron, was abducted by the PLA from Lungta Jor area under Siyungla area on Tuesday.

Taron’s friend Johny Yaiying, who managed to escape, informed the authorities about the kidnapping by the PLA, Gao told PTI over phone from Ziro, the district headquarters of Lower Subansiri district.

Both are local hunters and belong to Zido village.

https://thewire.in/security/chinas-pla-has-abducted-indian-teenager-from-arunachal-mp-tapir-gao

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to

discuss ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific with US

President Joe Biden

Chinese and Japanese vessels near the East China Sea islands known as the Diaoyus in

China and the Senkakus in Japan. Photo: Kyodo

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is due to hold talks via video link with US President Joe Biden on Friday, with security issues, trade, the fight against the coronavirus pandemicand climate change all high on the agenda – although analysts suggest the biggest positive from Japan’s perspective is that talks between the two leaders are finally taking place.

Speaking in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the discussions were expected to underline the importance of the Japan-US alliance and the two nations’ commitment to ensuring a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region.

“We hope the first virtual meeting in 2022 between the two leaders will serve as an occasion to show the world the unwavering bond under the Japan-US alliance and take it to a higher level,” Matsuno said.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164090/japanese-prime-minister-fumio-kishida-

discuss-free-and-open-indo

Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat to be held in Bintan on Jan 25

BookmarkShare

SINGAPORE: The next Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat will be held on Jan 25,

the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Thursday (Jan 20).

"In response to media queries, the Press Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien

Loong confirmed that Mr Lee will be visiting Bintan, Indonesia, on Jan 25 for the

Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat, hosted by Indonesian President Joko

Widodo," said the PMO.

"The leaders will take stock of progress made on bilateral cooperation and explore

ways to further deepen engagement in key areas of mutual interest.” President Joko Widodo last met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on October 8, 2019

for the annual retreat traditionally held to foster bilateral relations. They have not

had a retreat since due to COVID-19.

When interviewed by CNA in November last year, Mr Widodo said that he will

discuss with Mr Lee how and when the two countries can reopen borders.

"We will discuss a travel corridor arrangement which we hope can be opened, but

not everywhere in Indonesia,” he said. “Maybe, (between) Bintan and Singapore, or Bali and Singapore, Jakarta and

Singapore, for example. But again, all these have to be gradual," said Mr Widodo at

that time.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/singapore-indonesia-leaders-retreat-bintan-january-25-2022-

2447661

Better communication, teamwork between agencies crucial in managing future natural disasters, says Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri 20 Jan 2022 05:13PM (Updated: 20 Jan 2022 05:57PM)

BookmarkShare

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has stressed that

better communication and teamwork between agencies are crucial for the country to

manage future natural disasters.

Mr Ismail Sabri was speaking during a special parliamentary session on Thursday

(Jan 20) for MPs to discuss the flood crisis that hit many states across the country

over the last few months. “I view the disaster from the point of view of not just the

destruction it brings about, but also the positive aspects such as how it presents an

opportunity for us to learn so that we are prepared and resilient to disasters in the

future,” he said.

He outlined that four “episodes” of heavy rain took place from Nov 10, 2021 to Jan 4

led to widespread floods in Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Johor,

Melaka, Terengganu, Sabah as well as Kuala Lumpur.

He said that in total, 136,030 people were displaced from their homes and 55 people

had died, quoting reports from the police.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-flood-ismail-sabri-communication-teamwork-

2447871

Indonesia to push for new global health agency, president

says

Published January 21, 2022, 8:13 AM by Agence-France-Presse

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia will push for the creation of a new global health agency while the country holds the presidency of the G20, President Joko Widodo said Thursday at the virtual Davos forum.

Widodo said the agency would strengthen the world’s “health resilience” and help make the global health system more inclusive and more responsive to crises.

“The Indonesian presidency will fight to strengthen the world’s health resilience architecture, which will be run by a global agency,” he said in a speech to the World Economic Forum’s online meeting.

“(Its) task is to mobilize world health resources, including for financing health emergencies, purchasing vaccines, medicines, and medical devices.”

The Indonesian leader said the World Health Organization had showed limited capacity to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many current global health collaborations including on vaccines were only temporary programs, he added.

“The WHO’s role has yet to cover many strategic aspects for the world,” Widodo said.

Comparing the new agency to the International Monetary Fund, the president said it would help formulate standardized protocols for activities such as cross-border travel and would work on boosting manufacturing capacity for medicines and medical equipment.

He called on the world’s major economies to co-finance the initiative and reach an agreement during Indonesia’s presidency of the G20 this year.

“The costs are clearly much smaller than the world’s losses due to the fragility of the global health system,” Widodo said.

Indonesia holds the G20 presidency for the first time this year and has specified recovery from the pandemic as its core objective.

Its official G20 presidency slogan is “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” and its focus will be on global health architecture, the transition to sustainable energy, and digital transformation, the president said.

The Southeast Asian country was severely impacted by the pandemic last year, with hospitals running out of beds and medical oxygen during the peak of its outbreak in July.

Indonesia has reported more than 144,000 deaths from COVID-19.

It has struggled to procure enough vaccines for its large population, with just 45 percent of its 270 million people currently fully vaccinated.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/21/indonesia-to-push-for-new-global-health-agency-president-says/

.

Sri Lanka Raises Rates to Fight One of Asia’s Fastest Inflation Anusha Ondaatjie, Bloomberg News Traffic travels alongside rail tracks along Marine drive in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Sri Lanka's gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted last quarter, adding a new layer of challenge to the economy facing default risks. Photographer: Tashiya de Mel/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s central bank raised borrowing costs for the first time in three meetings as policy makers sought to arrest price pressures in an economy pushed back into contraction territory by the pandemic. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka increased the standing lending facility rate to 6.5% from 6%. Only two of seven economists surveyed by Bloomberg predicted the move, with two others seeing a hike of 25 basis points to 200 basis points and the rest expecting no change. The monetary authority also raised the standing deposit facility rate to 5.5% from 5%, while holding the statutory reserve ratio at 4%.

https://creativedestructionmedia.com/analysis/2022/01/19/a-new-china-strategy/

A New China Strategy by Brent RamseyJanuary 19, 202223217

SHARE2

Please Follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, Gab TV, GETTR Introduction: The time to reassess the US-China relationship is long overdue. The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s lies and obfuscation regarding the pandemic wreaking havoc on millions of lives and economies all over the globe for the past two years is proof that we cannot trust the CPC to conduct itself in a civilized manner. When the West was opened toChina, everyone expected aiding China and admitting them to the West’s institutions would change them for the better, that they would reform and become civilized. That has not happened. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains a totalitarian state hostile to the United States and the West, an aggressor against nations in the region and around the world,and an oppressor and murderer of its own citizens. It uses its economic power to intimidate and dominate other states all around the world. It uses mercantilist practices, currency manipulation, and state subsidized Chinese companies to unfairly compete with United States and other western economies to dominate many segments of the world economy. It uses espionage and widespread intellectual property theft to gain unfair advantage over other nations. To acknowledge the threat the PRC represents and their ambitions to supplant the United States as the world’s preeminent power, it is essential to alter radically the economic/cultural relationship between the United States and the PRC and to push back against their military. To pretend the relationship between the United States and the PRC is friendly and sustainable is folly. A despotic regime does not have friends, it has victims. It’s time to cut the cord with the PRC and confront theirevil actions that caused the global pandemic now unfolding around the world with untold thousands dead, lives ruined,and economies gutted.

https://creativedestructionmedia.com/analysis/2022/01/19/a-new-china-strategy/

The Strategic Logic Behind India’s Sale of BrahMos

Missiles to the Philippines

The strategic aspects of the BrahMos sale and India’s

assistance to Southeast Asian countries should not be

minimized. By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

Credit: Wikimedia CommonsADVERTISEMENT

In a first, India has entered into agreement with the Philippines for the sale of

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin

Lorenzana, in a notice of awardon December 31 to BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd,

detailed the Philippines’ acceptance of the deal for $374 million. If it works out, it

will be the first major Indian defense sale of indigenously produced equipment.

Although India has a large domestic defense manufacturing base as well as a large

defense research entity, the Defense Research and Development Organization

(DRDO), New Delhi has been unsuccessful in breaking into the global defense market

as a supplier. Indeed, India’s domestic defense industry is not even able to supply its

own forces. It remains heavily dependent on imported weapons and for decades has

been one of the world’s largest arms importers. This is despite India manufacturing

Asia’s first indigenous jet fighter in the 1960s, and despite political commitment to

domestic defense research and development since the 1950s.

India’s defense industry itself is large but it caters mostly to India’s massive armed

forces. Much of the equipment it produces is manufactured under license from foreign

firms. Over the last few years, the Indian government has once again emphasized

domestic defense research and manufacturing as well as exports. As a consequence,

India’s defense exports have risen and the Indian government has set an ambitious

target of $5 billion in exports by 2025. India has also begun to emphasize private

sector participation in the defense industry.

The BrahMos itself was developed in cooperation with Russia and is based on the

Russian P800 Onyx/Yakhont cruise missile. The current versions have a range of

about 500 km but the export variant of the missile has a range of 290 km in order to

keep it under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions of 300 km.

After first being tested in 2004, the missile was inducted into the Indian services,

beginning in 2007. Different versions of the missile are in service with the Indian

Army, Air Force, and Navy.

https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/the-strategic-logic-behind-indias-sale-of-brahmos-missiles-to-the-

philippines/

INDIA

Philippines Purchase of India’s Supersonic

Missile Breaks ‘Psychological Barriers,’

Expert Says

By Venus Upadhayaya

January 19, 2022 Updated: January 19, 2022

biggersmaller

Print

NEW DELHI—In its first-ever major military export, India is set to supply

supersonic cruise missiles valued at over $350 million to the Philippines.

The move is likely to help the two countries overcome Cold War-era psychological

barriers due to their respective affinities to the United States and the Soviet

Union, according to Richard Heydarian, associate professor at the Polytechnic

University of the Philippines.

“In a lot of ways, this is about breaking psychological barriers. I think for a long

time, the Philippines and India, two of the oldest democracies in the world, very

similar countries on so many levels, for some reason were mutually estranged … with India closer to Russia and the Philippines closer to the United States,”

Heydarian told The Epoch Times.

Philippines’ decision to import the Indian Brahmos missile, a shore-based anti-

ship missile, was announced on January 14. Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of

National Defence of the Philippines, said that the Philippine Marines will be the

primary user of the new weapons system. India will train the operators and

maintainers and provide logistics support, Lorenzana said.

Heydarian said that in the past decade the two countries have moved closer to

each other—both have “strong and populist” national leaders who shared a “lot of

rapport” during their meeting in New Delhi in 2018. He was referring to the

meeting between Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and Indian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit.

A year earlier, Modi had visited Manila and a year later, Indian President Ram

Nath Kovind visited the Philippines to commemorate 70 years of bilateral

relations between the two countries.

“That may have also facilitated this bourgeoning defense cooperation between the

U.S. treaty ally, one of the key claimants in the South China Sea on one hand and,

of course, India, the other major rising power of Asia, on the other,” said

Heydarian.

Pathikrit Payne, a New Delhi-based research consultant on geopolitical affairs,

with a specialization in the management of defense technology, told The Epoch

Times that the “strategic imperatives” may further help in strengthening relations

between India and the Philippines.

“Defence sales itself help in building a different level of trust. It may, later on,

grow in other spheres of business,” said Payne.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hands with President of

Philippines Rodrigo Duterte ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-

INDIA Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on January 24, 2018.(Prakash

Singh/AFP via Getty Images)

New Equations in South East Asia

Dr. Satoru Nagao, a non-resident fellow at the Washington D.C.-based Hudson

Institute, told The Epoch Times that, until today, India’s military imports to

southeast Asian countries have been in the form of training, maintenance, and

logistics support for the Russian imports, or training for the militaries at large.

“For example, in Malaysia, India has trained pilots and ground crews of Russian-

made MIG-29 and SU-30 fighter jets. In Indonesia, maintenance of SU-30 fighter

jets is implemented by India. In the case of Vietnam, India trained pilots and

ground crew of SU-30 and MIG-21 fighter jets and crews of Russian-made Kilo-

class submarines,” said Nagao, adding that India has leased its training fields to

Singaporeans that use American weaponry.

“When Thailand bought an aircraft carrier, India trained their crew in the 1990s.

These ‘software’ supports are the main contribution of India in South East Asia,”

said Nagao.

The Philippines and Singapore traditionally depend upon the United States for

weapons, while Vietnam depends upon Russia. Indonesia and Malaysia are

importing weapons from both the United States and Russia, while Thailand,

Myanmar, and Cambodia rely on China. Laos is dependent on Vietnam, but the

Chinese influence is developing, he said.

“That is why Southeast Asia could be an arena for U.S.-China competition.

ASEAN is a group of 10 independent countries. China is exerting pressure from

the land side of the ASEAN while the U.S. is keeping the sea side of the ASEAN.

Vietnam is located between the land side and the sea side. India is not in

southeast Asia but India is on the U.S. side. India is also quite independent. India

is a great power,” said Nagao. By “great power” Nagao meant an influencer in the

region.

As the Cold War equations change, India’s strategic role is evolving in the region

because, though the U.S. weapons are high quality, they are expensive for the

Southeast Asia nations.

“(The) Russian weapon is not expensive but it demands a high cost of

maintenance. That’s why Southeast Asian countries ask India for maintenance

and training of Russian weapons with cheap cost,” said Nagao.

For a long time, the Philippines’ military power was limited and its defense

imports were limited to the United States. But because of increasing threats from

China, the current Philippine government has started to diversify its weapons

acquisition and is now importing weapons from India, Japan, South Korea, and

Russia.

“It’s just not only that the Philippines has territorial disputes with China, similar

to India. There’s also the element of the Philippines actually being a very NATO

American weaponry-equipped country. And we know that Brahmos was a joint

venture with Russia. So I think this definitely paves the way for the Philippines to

have a much more diversified pool of suppliers, including Russian great

weaponry and Indian weaponry, which use a lot of Russian inputs and

technology,” said Heydarian.

Filipinos march as they mark Independence Day with a protest against continued

Chinese intrusions in Philippine waters, outside the Chinese Embassy in Makati,

Metro Manila, Philippines, on June 12, 2021. (Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

Indian Defense Exports

Heydarian described it as a “big win” for India, one of the world’s largest arms

importers. With a share of 9.5 percent of the total global arms imports, India

emerged as the second-largest importer of arms between 2016-2020 and the

country has been increasingly trying to change this by promoting indigenous

defense manufacturing and exports.

Payne said India is trying to create a niche for itself in the global defense

industry. The Indian Ministry of Defense came out with a notification on

December 27 declaring a ban on the import of 2,851 items because they have

been indigenized and said that the country will save over $402 million annually.

Payne said that India would target those countries for defense exports that

traditionally don’t buy strategic weapon systems from China.

“Of course, the larger objective is to wean many of these countries away from

China, and thus a certain level of competition can’t be ruled out,” he said.

Heydarian said that India can now credibly claim to become an emerging

exporter, especially to other frontline states in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, which is

also growing fast economically.

“We are looking also at Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Singapore and other

countries are also acquiring advanced weaponry from India in the future. So I

think this is definitely a kind of turning point for India’s defense industry,”

said Heydarian.

A Brahmos supersonic cruise missile is on display at the International Maritime

Defense Show in Saint Petersburg on June 28, 2017. (Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty

Images)

Anti-Access and Area Denial

Nagao said the importance of the Brahmos acquisition by the Philippines lies in

the “anti-access, area denial (A2AD) capabilities” with which the missile system

equips the Philippines.

“China is trying to use the South China Sea as a route; Philippines’ effort to stop

China’s access to the South China Sea is anti-access. China is also trying to deny

the Philippines access to the South China Sea and the Philippines’ effort to

maintain their access is area-denial,” he said. To fight the strong Chinese naval

power, the weaker Philippines need A2AD capabilities by possessing missiles, he

added.

“This is asymmetric defense. Symmetrical defense is naval ship versus naval ship.

Asymmetrical defense is naval ship versus missile. Now to deal with China, the

Philippines are seeking A2AD by using asymmetric defense by Brahmos missile,”

said Nagao.

Heydarian said that the Brahmos will help the Philippines to develop minimum

deterrence capability. No country in the region is in a position to match the

Chinese head-to-head and they need to use A2AD against China, the way China is

using A2AD to overcome its quantitative and qualitative disadvantage with the

United States.

“Smaller countries, from South Korea to Vietnam, and the Philippines are also

trying to mix and match different sorts of cutting-edge technology in order to

develop their own asymmetric A2AD defense deterrence capability against China.

So, definitely that’s where the Brahmos comes into the picture,” said Heydarian.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/philippines-purchase-of-indias-supersonic-missile-breaks-

psychological-barriers-expert-says_4217965.html

China says it warned off US warship in

Paracel Islands. American navy differs

The USS Benfold said it was asserting international navigational rights around the

Paracel Islands. Photo: US Navy

The Chinese and US militaries have exchanged sharp words after an American warship sailed through

the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said that its air and naval forces had warned off the Arleigh

Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold after it entered the chain, known in China as the

Xisha Islands and claimed by Beijing, Taipei and Hanoi. However, the US Navy denied that it had been

warned off.

The PLA said that the American ship had entered China’s territorial waters, without providing a

precise track of its passage.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164125/china-says-it-warned-us-warship-

paracel-islands-american-navy

7th Fleet Destroyer conducts Freedom of

Navigation Operation in South China Sea

20 January 2022

From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs On Jan. 20, USS Benfold (DDG 65) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the

Paracel Islands, consistent with international law. At the conclusion of the operation, USS Benfold exited

the excessive claim and continued operations in the South China Sea.

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 20, 2022) Logistics Specialist Joshua Green, from New Orleans, stands

lookout watch on the bridgewing as Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold

(DDG 65) conducts routine underway operations. Benfold is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th

Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass

Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arthur Rosen)

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 20, 2022) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold

(DDG 65) conducts routine underway operations. Benfold is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th

Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass

Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arthur Rosen)

Download Image Image Details

4 of 4

Next

20JAN22 1645 JST UPDATE: The PRC's statement about this mission is false. USS

Benfold conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then

continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters. The operation

reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea

as a principle. The United States is defending every nation’s right to fly, sail, and

operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did this week. Nothing

PRC says otherwise will deter us.

The PLA(N) Southern Theater’s statement is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to

misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate

maritime claims at the expense of its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea. The

PRC's behavior stands in contrast to the United States' adherence to international law and

our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. All nations, large and small, should be

secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth

consistent with accepted international rules and norms. To this end, the United States works

with a broad range of allies and partners across the region to promote and enable

cooperative approaches to regional security challenges.

//

On Jan. 20, USS Benfold (DDG 65) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the

vicinity of the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law. At the conclusion of

the operation, USS Benfold exited the excessive claim and continued operations in

the South China Sea. This freedom of navigation operation ("FONOP") upheld the

rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by

challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by the People's Republic of

China (PRC), Taiwan, and Vietnam and also by challenging the PRC’s claim to

straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands.

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2904862/7th-fleet-destroyer-conducts-

freedom-of-navigation-operation-in-south-china-sea/

China freaks out over US Navy warship sailing legally in South China Sea Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65), in South China Sea on Jan. 12, 2022.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin A. Lewis)

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims it warned away a United States

warship that had “illegally” entered Chinese territorial waters, but the U.S. Navy

denied receiving any warning from the Chinese military and added that the U.S.

didn’t break any international laws.

According to Reuters, the Southern Theatre Command of the People’s

Liberation Army (PLA) said USS Benfold violated China’s sovereignty after it

sailed into Chinese territorial waters near the Paracel Islands.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/01/china-freaks-out-over-us-navy-warship-sailing-legally-in-

south-china-sea/

US nuclear sub could threaten China's area-

denial strategy for Taiwan invasion

Each sub could launch Desert Storm-esque payload at Chinese coast within 6 minutes 5638

By Liam Gibson, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2022/01/20 18:14

A Trident II missile blasts skyward after being launched from an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine. (Twitter, Lucas Tomlinson photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nevada, docked at the U.S. naval base in Guam on Saturday (Jan. 15), making an extremely rare public appearance that has piqued the attention of analysts.

The ballistic missile sub, colloquially called a “boomer,” is one of the U.S. Navy’s most powerful assets and is loaded with 20 Trident ballistic missiles and dozens of nuclear warheads, according to CNN. "The port visit strengthens cooperation between the United States and allies in the region, demonstrating US capability, flexibility, readiness, and continuing commitment to Indo-Pacific regional security and stability," a US Navy statement said.

Since boomers are nuclear-powered, they can reportedly stay submerged for months at a time and very rarely surface in such a public way. They are said to have been photographed very rarely outside the continental U.S., per a Eurasian Times report.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4416600

Can The U.S. Navy Finally Deliver a New Frigate to the Fleet?

This year, the U.S. Navy will finally begin construction on a new class of heavily armed warships designed to bolster its existing fleet of small warships. The Constellation-class guided-missile frigates will arrive after nearly 15 years of expensive mistakes that left the service with a brand-new aircraft carrier unable to deploy, poorly equipped littoral combat ships, and a class of stealthy destroyers orphaned after just three ships. The Navy desperately needs the new ships to be on time, affordable, and capable of slugging it out with peer-level adversaries—particularly China—if it wants to maintain its credibility.

The Navy first announced the new class of frigates in 2020. The lead ship, Constellation, will be followed by a second ship, USS Congress. The names are drawn from the first six frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794. Frigates are small, fast surface combatants a step below destroyers. These relatively inexpensive vessels are primarily tasked with anti-submarine warfare and assigned low-end missions such as showing the flag and anti-piracy. The service plans to build 20 frigates initially and may build more in the future.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a38817770/new-navy-frigate/

Improving the Shipbuilding Industrial Base

1/21/2022

By Heberto Limas-Villers

Navy photo

In the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress authorized $4.9 billion in funding for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and an additional $4.7 billion for shipbuilding to include two destroyers, two expeditionary transports and a fleet oiler.

The increased attention to U.S. naval capabilities comes after increasing competition with China, as well as discussions around changes to the current force structure. Currently, the Navy is required by law to have at least 355 ships, though plans are in place for expanding the fleet to between 398 and 512 vessels, which includes both manned and unmanned platforms.

This objective is largely aspirational as the number of both private and public shipyards has significantly declined with gaps in experienced personnel, rising costs and a boom-bust cycle in naval acquisitions.

The United States became a global power through its power-projection capabilities, including its naval prowess. To maintain its edge, it must build those capabilities once again.

Since 1993, the number of public shipyards the Navy used fell from eight to four — two on the West Coast and two on the East Coast — due to the “peace dividend” of the 1990s. However, these four shipyards have limited functional dry docks, old equipment, and regularly delay maintenance for the submarine and aircraft carrier fleets.

The U.S. shipbuilding industry is bolstered by 22 private shipyards. Three shipbuilders have left the industry and only one shipyard has opened since the 1960s. Both Huntington Ingalls Industries and General Dynamics, the two largest U.S. shipbuilders, reported a record new construction backlog for 2020 competing for drydock space with essential ship maintenance.

What is left is a diminished industrial base incapable of even maintaining the Navy’s current presence. Worse, U.S. shipbuilding is significantly behind China, which has dozens of shipyards capable of building and maintaining a fleet that can project naval power beyond the First Island Chain. Because of the nation’s investments, the Chinese

navy grew to approximately 350 ships by 2020, and Beijing now has the largest navy in the world by ship numbers albeit not by tonnage.

Efforts are being made by the U.S. Navy to renovate its public shipyards through a 20-year, $21 billion Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan. However, more attention needs to be given to the private shipyards that already construct and maintain most of the fleet from fleet oilers to destroyers.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/1/21/improving-the-shipbuilding-industrial-

base

NMCB-5 Concludes Indo-Pacific Deployment, NMCB-

3 Assumes Authority of Naval Construction Force

Tasking in the Indo-Pacific

19 January 2022

From Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stephane Belcher, Naval Mobile Construction

Battalion 5 Public Affairs OKINAWA, Japan - U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 transferred authority of Naval

Construction Force tasking in the Indo-Pacific region to NMCB-3 during a relief in place/transfer of

authority (RIP/TOA) ceremony onboard Camp Shields in Okinawa, Jan. 18.

The Seabees with NMCB-5 executed missions from 13 detail sites across the Indo-

Pacific and participated in several joint exercises, such as Exercise Amphitrite

Galvanic and Exercise Neptune's Forager.

"We arrived here in Okinawa and throughout the Pacific with highly motivated and

well-trained Sailors ready to accomplish our mission by 'Succeeding Together," said

Cmdr. Andrew Olsen, NMCB-5's commanding officer. "The men and women of

[NMCB-5] continued to bridge the gap between sea and shore by supporting

construction at the littorals for warfighter readiness. You have remained dedicated

to being a paramount stand-in naval construction force for the Indo-Pacific region."

In the Marshall Islands, they built a police substation checkpoint to help the

Marshallese support the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government — taking the

opportunity to teach construction skills to recent high school graduates working at

the Republic of Marshall Island's National Training Council.

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2904847/nmcb-5-concludes-indo-pacific-

deployment-nmcb-3-assumes-authority-of-naval-cons/

Marine Corps, Navy veteran sentenced for role in U.S.

Capitol riot By The Associated Press

Friday, Jan 21

The steps in front of the Capitol building occupied by pro-Trump groups on Jan. 6,

2021. (Kyle Rempfer/Staff)

A Kansas City man who participated in 2021′s riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Wednesday to home detention and probation.

Carey Jon Walden was sentenced to 30 days of home detention, three years’ probation, 60 hours of community service and a $500 fine after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor, The Kansas City Star reported.

“I didn’t see a lot (of) what I saw on TV when I was there,” Walden told the judge just before his sentencing. “It was a terrible day, and I’m really ashamed of myself that I was a part of that.”

U.S District Judge Dabney Friedrich noted the Walden did not injure anyone, damage property, carry weapons or help plan the events on Jan. 6, 2021.

But she said that “he was a willing participant in a riot, or an insurrection, that undermined our democratic electoral process and values.”

Walden, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in any of the Capitol buildings.

https://www.navytimes.com/veterans/2022/01/20/marine-corps-navy-veteran-sentenced-for-role-in-

us-capitol-riot/

SMART BOMBS: MILITARY, DEFENSE, NATIONAL SECURITY AND MORE

Mojave: The US Military’s Next Super Drone? Hellfire missiles, miniguns capable of firing thousands of rounds per minute, advanced sensors, and short take-off capabilities are some of the “goodies” the Mojave drone promises to bring.

General Atomics, the manufacturer, first revealed the unmanned aerial system in December. Now, a few weeks later, the defense company came out with a set of new pictures that better show the capabilities of the Mojave. Sponsored Content

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/mojave-the-us-militarys-next-super-drone/

As 5G rollout begins, Pentagon still doesn’t understand impact on military aircraft

Military flight operations over the US will largely be business as usual — even

though the Pentagon won’t understand the impact 5G interference could have on

military aircraft until this summer at earliest.

By VALERIE INSINNAon January 19, 2022 at 4:39 PM

The KC-46 could be safe from any 5G concerns, but it’s not clear about other aircraft. (Airman

1st Class Alexi Myrick/US Air Force)

WASHINGTON: Today, after multiple delays and months of negotiations with the airline

industry, Verizon and AT&T will begin rolling out 5G nationwide, in a move the commercial

aviation community says will have dire safety implications.

Airline executives warned in a Jan. 18 letter that, without safeguards in place around airports and

runways, the rollout could cause “catastrophic disruption” and “economic calamity.” Despite an

agreement by Verizon and AT&T on late Tuesday to limit 5G services around major airports to

prevent interference, some international airlines such as Emirates and Lufthansa canceled flights

to the United States due to concerns about potential effects on the Boeing 777.

But for a controversy that’s dominated headlines and reached the desk of the president, the

Pentagon — the largest aircraft fleet owner in the world — has remained largely silent. That’s

because right now, it doesn’t know how 5G will affect military aircraft.

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/01/as-5g-rollout-begins-pentagon-still-doesnt-understand-impact-

on-military-aircraft/

Retired Gen. on CNN Says Military Has ‘Threat Within’ for 2024, Warns ‘Stop Listening to the Pillow Guy and Start Learning’ By Caleb HoweJan 1st, 2022, 2:06 pm

Want to avoid video ads? Subscribe to

Retired Gen. Steven M. Anderson spoke to CNN’s Pamela

Brown about 2024 and blasted Donald Trump supporters in the military as a threat from within, and advised they stop listening to “the pillow guy” and get educated on civics. Anderson, along with fellow retired Gens. Paul Eaton and Antonio

Taguba, authored an oped earlier this month warning of the potential for a “Trumpian” coup attempt in 2024. On CNN, he talked about the subject, saying the big problem is where allegiances lie, and the potential for a “cult-like” figure to sway even military members into insurrection. And he mentioned MyPillow CEO Mike Lindellas a major source of misinformation. “There’s a threat within,” said the retired general. “We’ve got some people that just haven’t been educated. They haven’t been found out, and they’ve grown in power, through perhaps inaction on the parts of some of our key leaders.”

“What we can do now, identify those people, get them out of our ranks, and train the rest of the force on civics 101, about how our country is supposed to work, how elections work,” he said. “Stop listening to the pillow guy and start learning about our country and how it’s actually supposed to run.”

“Really quickly, just walk us through your concern about this partisan divide and how it could impact the chain of command, and why that is so concerning to you in terms of preventing another coup attempt potentially in 2024,” said Pamela Brown.

“Well, the big problem here is allegiance to the Constitution, versus allegiance to a leader. Or in this case, a cult-like figure like Trump,” said Anderson. “There’s a lot of people in uniform that are confused about that. They think the president is something like a king, and it’s not.”

“You know, we swore an oath to the Constitution. That’s how our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines need to act. And you know we’re concerned that there’s so much activity within the military that shows that people are ignorant of what our Constitution is really all about,

and they have responded to people like Trump, and when he tells them to jump, they’re probably willing to do that.”

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/retired-gen-on-cnn-says-military-has-threat-within-for-2024-warns-stop-

listening-to-the-pillow-guy-and-start-learning/

U.S. Power Grids Need Stronger Cybersecurity, Top Regulator Says Naureen S. Malik, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. power grids need to boost their cyber defenses to find hackers faster to keep them from gaining control over operations, according to the country’s top energy regulator. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to develop standards to monitor devices or equipment on bulk power systems, according to a notice issued Thursday. The proposed standards would seek to find hackers lurking within networks as opposed to current efforts that use a perimeter defense that focuses on trying to keep attackers out of sensitive networks. A massive breach using software from Texas-based SolarWinds Corp. in 2020 is one example of how attackers can bypass such defenses through trusted vendors, FERC said. “We can’t let our guard down on cybersecurity at all and we need to continually monitor whether the standards are appropriate,” FERC Chairman Richard Glick told reporters in a Thursday briefing. Companies need to be vigilant against hackers trying to get in and “if they do get into the system, it’s important to know it as quickly as possible, to have knowledge of it and to be able to take action on it.” There is a 60-day comment period for the proposal. After that, the commission is expected to order the North American Electric Reliability Corp., the international body charged with reducing risks to energy grids, to revise or submit new rules to address the gap.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/u-s-power-grids-need-stronger-cybersecurity-top-regulator-says-

1.1710787

'Havana syndrome' unlikely to be caused by Russian attacks, CIA finds

Posted Fri 21 Jan 2022 at 4:32amFriday 21 Jan 2022 at 4:32am

The first cases of Havana syndrome were reported in 2016 by diplomats and their relatives stationed in

Cuba.(Reuters: Alexandre Meneghini)

Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article

abc.net.au/news/cia-most-havana-syndrome-cases-not-linked-to-foreign-powers/100771802

COPYSHARE

The CIA believes it is unlikely Russia or another foreign adversary used microwaves or

other forms of directed energy to attack the hundreds of American officials who claim to

have been affected by "Havana syndrome".

Key points:

The report attributed most investigated cases of Havana syndrome to various

environmental or medical factors

A lawyer representing employees said the CIA is facing a revolt against overseas

assignments in the wake of the illnesses

Investigations into the source of "Havana syndrome" continue

The agency's findings, according to one official familiar with the matter who spoke on

condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence, drew immediate criticism from those

who have reported cases and from advocates who accuse the government of long

dismissing the array of ailments.

Investigators have studied hundreds of reported cases reported globally by

US intelligence officers, diplomats and military personnel and whether the injuries are

caused by exposure to forms of directed energy.

People affected have reported headaches, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms

consistent with brain injuries.

Most cases under review by intelligence officers have been linked to other known

medical conditions or to environmental factors, the official said, adding that in some

cases, medical exams have revealed undiagnosed brain tumours or bacterial infections.

A few dozen cases are unresolved and remain under active investigation, the official

said. The involvement of a foreign adversary has not been ruled out in those cases.

In a statement, CIA Director William Burns said the agency's commitment to its officers'

health was "unwavering."

"While we have reached some significant interim findings, we are not done," Burns said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/cia-most-havana-syndrome-cases-not-linked-to-foreign-

powers/100771802

Controversial CIA-sponsored 'stay behinds' are sent to Ukraine, but what is their mission?

By Jack Murphy

Connecting Vets

As tensions mount in Ukraine with the Russian military massing their forces,

some 127,000 troops, on its western border in a manner that would facilitate, and

signal, an imminent invasion, the United States has signaled to Moscow that they

could be facing a costly insurgency should they invade.

This international brinksmanship has led to a larger confrontation with the U.S.

which has supported Ukrainian independence and opposed Russia's illegal

territory annexation of Crimea. Through official and unofficial channels , the U.S.

has signaled that if Russia invades they will "pay a serious and dear price for it,”

as President Biden stated.

Biden said in a press conference this week that he doesn't believe Putin wants a

large-scale war but is rather seeking to test the United States. A war conducted

beneath the nuclear threshold, or a conflict that may not involve large military

formations, results in the belligerents resorting to cyber warfare, unconventional

warfare, and covert action.

This week it was reported that the CIA's Ground Branch paramilitary component

has been training Ukrainian Special Forces at a secret location within America and

then deploying them back to Ukraine. This program was initiated not long after

Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, continued through the Trump

administration, and to today, according to a half dozen officials cited by Yahoo

News .

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2491129530575/controversial-cia-sponsored-stay-behinds-are-

sent-to-ukraine-but-what-is-their-mission

Opinion: Biden must show that the U.S. stands ready

to support Ukraine, militarily if necessary A demonstrator holds a sign during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 9. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

By Michael Vickers

January 20, 2022 at 2:25 p.m. EST

Michael G. Vickers, a former Special Forces officer and CIA operations officer, served as assistant secretary of defense for special operations, low-intensity conflict and interdependent capabilities (2007-2011) and undersecretary of defense for intelligence (2011-2015). Opinions to start the day, in your inbox. Sign up.

Deterrence and escalation dominance — two core ideas in strategic theory — explain why Vladimir Putin will likely soon launch a large-scale invasion of Ukraine aimed at toppling the democratic government in Kyiv. Deterrence — convincing an adversary that he cannot achieve his objectives through military action — works through two processes: denial and punishment. The likelihood that an adversary will be denied his objectives can prevent an attack. The likelihood that aggression’s costs will become prohibitive also strengthens deterrence. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/20/biden-must-show-that-us-stands-ready-

support-ukraine-militarily-if-necessary/

U.S.,Japan reaffirm commitment to

complete denuclearization of Korean

Peninsula All News 06:31 January 21, 2022

SHARE LIKE SAVE PRINT FONT SIZE

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- The United States and Japan reaffirmed their

commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula Thursday,

urging North Korea to quickly return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The countries also urged all U.N. member countries to fully implement U.N.

Security Council sanctions on North Korea.

"We are strongly committed to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible

dismantlement of all of North Korea's nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass

destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges, as well as related programs and

facilities, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs),"

the countries said in a joint statement.

"We urge North Korea to abide by all relevant UNSCRs and return at an early

date to and fully comply with the NPT and IAEA safeguards. We call on the entire

international community to fully implement these relevant UNSCRs," they added.

The U.S.-Japan joint statement comes after North Korea hinted at the resumption

of its nuclear and long-range ballistic missile testing.

Pyongyang said on Thursday (Seoul time) that it will consider resuming

"temporarily-suspended activities" that it said were suspended as part of efforts

to build trust with the U.S.

The North has maintained a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range

missile testing since November 2017. However, the country has staged more

than 10 rounds of short-range missiles launches since Joe Biden took office a

year earlier, including four missile tests since the start of this year.

The U.N. Security Council was Thursday set to discuss additional sanctions on

North Korea proposed by the U.S. for its latest missile tests, but reports said the

move has been delayed by China, one of the five veto-power wielding permanent

members of the Security Council.

The reports also said the delay can last up to six months and that it can also be

extended by another three months, which could permanently remove the U.S.

proposal for additional sanctions from the U.N. Security Council.

The U.S. and Japan reiterated the importance of the international nuclear non-

proliferation regime, from which North Korea withdrew in 2003.

"Japan and the United States wholly reaffirm their commitment to the NPT,

which has been the cornerstone of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament

for 51 years since coming into force," the countries said, adding the 1945 atomic

bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki serve as "stark reminders that the 76-year

record of non-use of nuclear weapons must be maintained."

The joint statement also comes one day before Biden and Japanese Prime

Minister Fumio Kishida will hold a virtual summit, the first of its kind since

Kishida took office in October.

North Korea remains unresponsive to U.S. overtures since Biden took office. It

has also stayed away from denuclearization talks with the U.S. since late 2019.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220121000400325?section=news

US forces in Japan were a ‘Trojan tank’ for Covid

As Omicron spreads, anger mounts over lax measures taken by US troops – especially on flashpoint

Okinawa

By JAKE ADELSTEINJANUARY 20, 2022

Print

US and Japanese troops during a joint military exercise. Photo:

Facebook

TOKYO – As the number of daily Covid-19 infections across Japan soars from less than 100 per day at the end of last year to more than 30,000 per day at present, increasing anger is being aimed at … the US military.

While Japan and the United States may be linked at the hip when it comes to big-picture defense issues, lax measures taken at US military bases in Japan are being blamed for contributing to Japan’s sixth Covid wave.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has bragged that Japan has “the most stringent border controls in the G7” – but those controls have not managed to keep Omicron out of the country. And the US military presence in the country – approximately 55,000 strong – has not helped.

US troops have acted as a “Trojan Tank” for the virus due to their command’s failure to observe the same quarantine guidelines enforced in the rest of Japan – or even the protocols that US troops agreed to in nearby South Korea.

Given the heavy reliance Japan places upon its alliance with the United States, the situation is politically ticklish for Kishida. Making it doubly so, the epicenter of the outbreak is Okinawa.

The southern island – the scene of a murderous and destructive battle between Imperial Japanese and US forces at the end of World War II – is where a lopsided large number of the US troops in Japan are based.

Anti-US base sentiment constantly simmers on the island, where a movement protests against issues ranging from the environmental degradation caused by bases to the noise pollution caused by US aircraft to violent crimes committed by resident GIs.

One of the most prominent members of that movement is the island’s governor Denny Tamaki. Tamaki has been warning Tokyo against the lax Covid protocols on the bases since December – to no avail.

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/us-forces-in-japan-were-a-trojan-tank-for-covid/

US Companies Are Supercharging the Chinese

Communist Party

CHINAAndrew Thornebrooke Jan 20, 2022Share

FacebookTwitterCopy Link

Comments

An employee makes chips at a factory of Jiejie Semiconductor Company in Nantong, in

eastern China's Jiangsu province on March 17, 2021. (Str/AFP/China OUT/AFP via Getty

Images)

News Analysis

In the skies, a Chinese fighter pilot swipes his hand across a touch screen, and the

automated target-recognition software detects his target in seconds. In China’s

Xinjiang region, giant servers that power an immense array of repressive surveillance

technologies come to life. In Shanghai, smart city technology connects residents as

never before, even as authorities tighten their control over every action of the city’s

residents.

All these technologies and more were made possible through the continued

involvement of U.S. companies with entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party

(CCP).

Technologies developed by U.S. companies are supercharging the

Chinese regime and its military development even as the CCP directs and facilitates

the systematic investment in and acquisition of U.S. companies and their assets to

generate a large-scale technology transfer.

https://www.ntd.com/us-companies-are-supercharging-the-chinese-communist-party_730072.html

Exclusive-U.S. seeks way to speed delivery of new fighter jets to Taiwan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is looking for ways to

potentially accelerate delivery of Taiwan's next generation of new-

build F-16 fighter jets, U.S. officials said, bolstering the Taiwanese

air force's ability to respond to what Washington and Taipei see as

increasing intimidation by China's military.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have not

yet come up with a solution on how to speed delivery of Block 70 F-

16s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and equipped with new

capabilities. The aircraft are currently slated to be delivered by the

end of 2026.

https://gazette.com/news/us-world/exclusive-u-s-seeks-way-to-speed-delivery-of-new-fighter-jets-to-

taiwan/article_95bdc1fd-bdee-5844-96d4-97586f9aac26.html

Taiwan war risk highest in past 25 years as US

tensions rise, mainland expert warns

US Navy and coastguard ships conduct Taiwan Strait transits. Photo: Handout via Reuters

The risk of war over Taiwan is at its highest since the 1996 cross-strait missile crisis, a mainland foreign relations expert has warned.

Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing’s Renmin University, noted how tensions in the

Taiwan Strait have steadily escalated amid growing US support for Taiwan. Beijing sees the self-ruled island as a breakaway province and has made reunification a much more pressing goal in recent years.

This goal – which Beijing aims to achieve within a decade – could mean a massive use of force, or the threat of a massive use of force, Shi told an international relations forum in Beijing on Thursday.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164139/taiwan-war-risk-highest-past-25-years-

us-tensions-rise

China’s PLA accused of abducting Indian teen in Arunachal Pradesh Ruling BJP party’s parliamentarian says Chinese forces ‘abducted’ a 17-year-old boy in the disputed border areas. Indian soldiers walk along the India-China border in Bumla, Arunachal Pradesh [File: Anupam

Nath/AP]

By Bilal Kuchay and Sadiq Naqvi

Published On 20 Jan 202220 Jan 2022

A parliamentarian from India’s ruling party has accused China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of abducting a teenager from the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tapir Gao, a member of parliament belonging to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Wednesday told reporters that Miram Taron, 17, a resident of Zido village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district had been “abducted” on Tuesday.

Gao said the incident happened in the Siyungla area of Bishing, the last Indian village on the India-China border along the left bank of Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh.

“Chinese #PLA has abducted Miram Taron, 17 years of Zido vill. yesterday 18th Jan 2022 from inside Indian territory, Lungta Jor area (China built 3-4 kms road inside India in 2018) under Siyungla area (Bishing village) of Upper Siang dist, Arunachal Pradesh,” Gao tweeted on Wednesday.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/20/china-pla-accused-abducting-india-teenager-arunachal-

pradesh

New Chinese Base in Tajikistan will Allow Dushanbe to Avoid

Having to Rely on the Aga Khan, Prokhvatilov Says

Paul Goble

Staunton, Dec. 1 – A second Chinese base in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast of

Tajikistan will allow Dushanbe to keep the situation there under control without having to rely on the

Aga Khan, the leader of the Ismailis who has close ties with the British, Vladimir Prokhvatilov says.

The Pamiris who are predominantly Ismaili in religion have been in near open revolt against

Dushanbe for the last month, the head of Moscow’s Academy of Real Politics says. But the Tajik

authorities have been unwilling to ask the Aga Khan to help pacify things as they have done in the past

(vz.ru/opinions/2021/12/1/1131865.html).

According to Prokhvatilov, by allowing China to build a second base in the troubled region,

Dushanbe has rejected calls for the Aga Khan to mediate the current crisis, thus effectively sidelining

with Chinese help the British and ending more than a century and a half of the behind-the-scene conflict

known as “the Great Game” in the Pamirs.

“Officially,” the second Chinese military facility in Tajikistan is assigned to the Tajikistan interior

ministry. (The first is a radio monitoring side the Chinese have directed against Western forces who had

been in Afghanistan.) But there is little question that both are Chinese facilities and that Tajikistan wants

to take full advantage of their presence.

Tajik analyst Abdumalik Kodirov says that China is pursuing its own interests in the region. It

wants to block Uyghurs from moving from Afghanistan into Xinjiang and to shut down the drug trade

along that route as well. But China has become a force in Tajik politics nevertheless, and the recent

quieting of Khorog suggests the protesters know that.

In some respects, the presence of two Chinese bases in Tajikistan puts Russia on the defensive,

and “a number of Russian military analysts consider that another Russian military base is needed in the

republic and specifically in the Gorno-Badakhshan,” Prokhvatilov continues.

But he suggests that “a more effective means of stabilizing the troubled region could be the

participation of Russian diplomacy in the resolution of the continuing conflicts between Dushanbe and

‘the informal leaders’ of Gorno-Badakhshan” rather than assuming Moscow must match China base for

base in that Central Asian republic.

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-chinese-base-in-tajikistan-will.html

China to start building 5G satellite network to

challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink

China will start building a network of a thousand satellites to provide 5G coverage within the next three months, according to state media reports.

The first batch of six low-cost, high-performance communication satellites have been produced, tested and arrived at an undisclosed launch site, according to a report by the state news agency Xinhua on Tuesday.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3164140/china-start-building-5g-satellite-network-

challenge-elon-musks

5 Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan’s ADIZ Taiwan sent aircraft, broadcast radio warnings, deployed missile systems to track PLAAF

planes 1049

By Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Five Chinese military planes entered Taiwan ’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday (Jan. 19), marking the 16th intrusion this month.

Four People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 fighter jets and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the PLAAF planes.

China has sent its aircraft into Taiwan ’s identification zone every day this month except for on Jan. 3, 9, and 16. A total of 68 Chinese planes have been spotted there so far in January, including 45 fighter jets and 23 spotter planes.

Since September 2020, China has increased gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner. In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan ’s ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days, according to the MND.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4416066

Japan, France agree to boost security cooperation

The foreign affairs and defense ministers of Japan and France have agreed to bolster bilateral security cooperation, and also apparently opposed China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas.

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo held an online meeting with their French counterparts, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly, on Thursday. The ministers compiled a joint statement on their agreements.

Hayashi said at the beginning of the "two-plus-two" talks that he hoped to elevate Japan-France cooperation to a higher level to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The ministers strongly opposed coercion and unilateral attempts by force to change the status quo that undermine international order in the East and South China seas. China has been increasingly asserting its presence in the areas.

They also shared recognition of the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The ministers agreed to promote discussions on a possible deal that would establish arrangements for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the French military to hold joint exercises.

The two sides shared strong concerns over progress in North Korea's nuclear and missile development. They concurred that they will urge Pyongyang to act to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The ministers also agreed to call on Russia to avoid escalating tensions over Ukraine in any form.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220121_05/

Moon, Egyptian President Agree to Make Joint Efforts to Complete K-9 Deal Written: 2022-01-21 08:46:37/Updated: 2022-01-21 10:29:30

Photo : YONHAP News

President Moon Jae-in held a summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-

Sisi on Thursday for talks on cooperation between the two nations in defense and

transportation.

Moon's trip marks the second visit to the African country by a South Korean

president and the first since 2006.

In the summit, the two leaders discussed negotiations for South Korea's export of

K-9 self-propelled howitzers to Egypt.

In a joint statement following the summit, President Moon said that the two

leaders agreed that the ongoing negotiations for the K-9 deal will contribute

greatly to strengthening the Egyptian military’s capabilities. Additionally, the

technology cooperation and local production of the howitzer will be a model case

of mutual cooperation.

Moon added that the two leaders agreed to jointly work to complete the deal.

The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct joint

research into the feasibility of a potential bilateral free trade agreement.

http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=167118

N.Korea suggests it may resume nuclear, missile tests; slams ‘hostile’ U.S North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting of the politburo of the ruling Workers' Party

in Pyongyang

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea will bolster its defences against the United States and consider resuming “all temporally-suspended activities”, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday, an apparent reference to a self-imposed moratorium on tests of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

Tension has been rising over a recent series of North Korean missile tests. A U.S. push for fresh sanctions was followed by heated reaction from Pyongyang, raising the spectre of a return to the period of so-called “fire and fury” threats of 2017.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a meeting of the powerful politburo of the ruling Workers’ Party on Wednesday to discuss “important policy issues,” including countermeasures over “hostile” U.S. policy, the official KCNA news agency said.

The politburo ordered a reconsideration of trust-building measures and “promptly examining the issue of restarting all temporally-suspended activities,” while calling for “immediately bolstering more powerful physical means,” KCNA said.

The decision appears to be a step beyond Kim’s previous remarks at the end of 2019 that he would no longer be bound by the moratorium on testing nuclear warheads and long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), after the United States did not respond to calls for concessions to reopen negotiations.

Washington’s hostility and threats had “reached a danger line,” the report said, citing joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, the deployment of cutting-edge U.S. strategic weapons in the region, and the implementation of independent and U.N. sanctions.

“We should make more thorough preparation for a long-term confrontation with the U.S. imperialists,” the politburo concluded.

https://www.metro.us/n-korea-suggests-it-may/

Why North Korea’s Threat To Test ICBMs

And Nuclear Weapons Is Serious By

Ankit Panda

Published

4 days ago

Why We Should Take North Korea’s Latest Threat Seriously: In October 2021, standing beside his new, untested Hwasong-17 intercontinental-range

ballistic missile at a defense expo in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was explicit about why he hadn’t shown much interest in the Biden administration’s overtures.

Since the conclusion of their North Korea policy review in May 2021, Biden administration officials had, at least in principle, been saying many of the right things. Sung Kim, Biden’s special representative for North Korea, had, for example, repeatedly emphasized that the United States was ready to meet North Korea anywhere and anytime—to discuss any issues of interest.

Other officials have pushed back on North Korea’s perennial claims that the U.S. harbors a “hostile policy” by emphasizing that the U.S. has no intention to change North Korea’s regime. But, in October, Kim said he didn’t care much for words. “The United States has frequently sent signals that it is not hostile to our state, but its behaviors provide us with no reason why we should believe in them.”

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/why-north-koreas-threat-to-test-icbms-and-nuclear-weapons-is-

serious/

Cambodia, Vietnam defense cooperation seen as way to curtail Chinese influence, military expansion IPDForum January 20, 2022 Top Stories 0 Comment

FORUM Staff

Cambodia and Vietnam have recommitted to security and defense cooperation, an

agreement that experts view as a response to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s)

growing military presence and influence.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed

the agreement in late December 2021, vowing to prohibit hostile forces from using their

territories to harm the other, according to Voice of America (VOA). The cooperation is an

attempt by Vietnam to counter China’s regional expansion. Defense analysts from Vietnam

and the United States have accused Cambodia and the PRC of not being transparent about

PRC involvement in construction activities at Ream Naval Base, which overlooks the Gulf of

Thailand in southern Cambodia. (Pictured: Sailors stand near patrol boats at Ream Naval

Base, Cambodia.) “The government of Cambodia has not been fully transparent about the intent, nature and

scope of this project or the role of the PRC military, which raises concerns about intended

use of the naval facility,” Chad Roedemeier, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia,

told VOA in October 2021, adding that any foreign military presence at Ream would run

counter to Cambodia’s constitution and undermine regional security. “The Cambodian

people deserve to know more about the project at Ream and to have a say in this type of

military agreement, which has long-term implications for their country.”

https://ipdefenseforum.com/2022/01/cambodia-vietnam-defense-cooperation-seen-as-way-to-curtail-

chinese-influence-military-expansion/

The Military and Strategic Implications of Indonesia’s

New Capital By Evan Laksmana

January 20, 2022Editors’ note: This piece was originally published in November 2019; we are

republishing it in light of the Indonesian parliament’s passing of key legislation for the creation of the

new capital and President Joko Widodo’s choosing of the name Nusantara for the city.

Since it was announced in August, Indonesia’s plan to relocate its capital to East Kalimantan in

Borneo has engendered much debate, but few have examined the potential military and strategic

implications of the move.

The Indonesian military (TNI) will significantly increase its presence across Kalimantan—

effectively ‘militarising’ Borneo. The map below shows the current deployment of most major

TNI assets and bases across Kalimantan.

The deployment suggests the clustering of current TNI forces—roughly around 20,000

personnel—in the eastern, western and northern parts of Kalimantan. It is also army-heavy at the

moment. The few naval and air force bases are relatively small and underdeveloped for major

platform deployments; the air force has only one major base, while the navy has two.

This posture will change significantly as major leadership and force elements move to

Kalimantan with the new capital. The TNI General Headquarters will move, along with its

supporting staff and units, from intelligence groups and military police to special forces and

press officers.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2022/01/20/the_military_and_strategic_implications_of_in

donesias_new_capital_812832.html

Australia, U.K. Work on Security Ties as China’s Clout Expands Ben Westcott, Bloomberg New Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Sheean arrives for a logistics port visit in Hobart, Australia in April 2021. , Photographer: LSIS Leo Baumgartner/Australian Defence Force/Getty Images

(Bloomberg) -- Britain’s top foreign and defense officials will meet their Australian counterparts in Sydney on Friday to advance a security pact involving nuclear-powered submarines and share notes on countering China’s growing clout. U.K. Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss and Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace are meeting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Minister for Defense Peter Dutton for the first time since Canberra signed the deal in September.

Under the so-called AUKUS partnership, which cover a range of new security agreements, Australia would be able to build and operate nuclear-powered submarines for the first time with the help of the U.K. and U.S. The deal immediately prompted China and its neighbors to warn of an escalating arms race in the region. For Britain and America it was an opportunity to grow their presence in the Indo-Pacific while Australia strengthened its ties with old allies as it grappled with rising aggression from Beijing and high Chinese tariffs on some exports. In an interview with The Australian published before the talks, Truss said the security pact was a “fantastic agreement to be taking forward” and the intention was to foster closer industrial collaboration. “It is also about much closer technological collaboration because this is where a lot of the battle for the future will be fought,” she told the newspaper. “It won’t just be fought in traditional defense. It will be in cyber space, the use of quantum technology, and of artificial intelligence. These are the areas where we do want AUKUS to go very deep,” she added. Local media said a plan to deploy British nuclear submarines to Australia may be announced after the talks on Friday.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/australia-u-k-work-on-security-ties-as-china-s-clout-expands-1.1710804

Australia vows to ‘fight back’ against cyberattacks

from China, Russia

Australia and Britain will “fight back” against cyberattacks from China, Russia, and Iran, defence minister Peter Dutton said ahead of consultations with London in Sydney.

Australia’s defence and foreign affairs ministers will meet their British counterparts Ben Wallace and Liz Truss on Friday for the annual Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN).

Australia and Britain would coordinate cyber sanction regimes to increase deterrence, raising the costs for hostile state activity in cyberspace, said foreign affairs minister Marise Payne, after signing an agreement on Thursday with Truss.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3164062/australia-vows-fight-back-against-

cyberattacks-china-russia

Nuclear-powered submarines for Australia: what are

the options?

20 Jan 2022|Pete Sandeman

The political and strategic ramifications of the AUKUS pact involving the US, UK and

Australia continue to reverberate, but the details of how Australia will acquire nuclear-

powered submarines (SSNs) have often been overlooked. There are daunting technical,

industrial and financial challenges on the long road to joining that club.

Even the acquisition of conventional submarines isn’t easy and projects completed on time

and budget are rare. Nuclear propulsion adds another layer of complexity and cost, and the

engineering challenge has been described as more demanding than building the space

shuttle. There are good reasons why SSN ownership is limited to a small group of elite

nations—the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and India. (With considerable French

assistance, Brazil is on track to have its first nuclear boat in the late 2020s.)

The Royal Australian Navy’s conclusion that it needs SSNs makes complete sense. The

distance from its bases to the likely areas of operation are considerable and even the best

conventionally powered boat will take many more days to get into theatre. It’s around

5,500 kilometres from the RAN base near Perth to the South China Sea. The RAN will need

to compete with China’s SSNs, which may not currently be of the quality of Western

equivalents but progress with the surface fleet indicates that they’re likely to grow rapidly

in quality and numbers over the next decade.

Some commentators suggest that Australia’s first boats at least could be bought off UK or

US production lines. Alternatively, old or ‘surplus’ submarines could be leased until new

vessels are available. These assumptions are at odds with the US Navy’s and Royal Navy’s

struggles with bringing new boats into service and maintaining ageing vessels.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/nuclear-powered-submarines-for-australia-what-are-the-options/

India Successfully Test-Fires New Advanced Version of

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile January 20, 2022

Bhubaneswar: India on Thursday successfully test-fired a new version of the BrahMos

supersonic cruise missile off the coast of Odisha in Balasore, according to defence sources.

The missile was equipped with new technological developments which were successfully

proven, the sources said as quoted by news agency ANI.

https://asiapost.live/india-successfully-test-fires-new-advanced-version-of-brahmos-supersonic-cruise-

missile/

Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant successfully completes third sea trials

Naval News January 2022 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry

POSTED ON THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 2022 13:37

(860 ft) long and 62 meters (203 ft) wide and displaces about 45,000 metric tons (44,000 long tons). It features a STOBAR configuration with a ski jump. The deck is designed to enable aircraft such as the MiG-29K to operate from the carrier.

Vikrant is powered by four General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines on two shafts, generating over 80 megawatts (110,000 hp) of power. The gearboxes for the carriers were designed and supplied by Elecon Engineering.

The shipborne weapons of the INS Vikrant include 2x32 cells VLS for a total of 64 Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles, four AK-630 30 mm rotary cannon, and four Otobreda 76 mm naval guns.

The ship is equipped with MF-STAR multifunction active electronically scanned array naval radar, RAN-40Lnaval 3D L band search radar, and Shakti EW (Electronic Warfare) Suite.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11289-

indian-aircraft-carrier-ins-vikrant-successfully-completes-third-sea-trials.html

Russian Navy launches Kalibr cruise missile from Kilo-class submarine Volkhov

Naval News January 2022 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry

POSTED ON THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 2022 16:22

Project 636.3 submarines (Kilo-class) are the third generation of diesel-electric submarines which are the most noiseless in the world. They develop an underwater speed of 18 knots, submerge to 300 meters and have a cruising capacity of 45 days.

The crew comprises 52 men, the underwater displacement is close to four thousand tons. They carry Kalibr missiles to strike at the surface (3M-54 and 3M-541) and ground targets (cruise missiles 3M-14) and have new electronic equipment.

The Kalibr is a family of Russian-made surface to ship, submarine-launched and airborne anti-ship and coastal anti-ship (AShM), land-attack cruise missiles (LACM), and anti-submarine missiles developed by the Novator Design Bureau. According to Russian military sources, the missile has an estimated range of around 1,500 to 2,500 km.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11292-

russian-navy-launches-kalibr-cruise-missile-from-kilo-class-submarine-volkhov.html

Russia Working on First Ever Robotic Torpedo-

Carrying Submarine Hunter

Russia is developing an unmanned torpedo-carrying ship capable of autonomously detecting and eliminating enemy submarines in distant waters and Arctic latitudes.

"Work is currently underway at the design firm’s own initiative to develop an unmanned craft designated to hunt down and eliminate adversary submarines in autonomous mode. After spotting an enemy submarine, the robotic system will on its own identify the target and make a decision on launching a torpedo," a source in the domestic defense industry was quoted as saying by TASS on Wednesday.

The Russian defense ministry is yet to confirm the development of such a boat.

The source added that the robotic torpedo boat will be capable of both operating autonomously and being controlled by a small crew and also being remotely controlled by operators from a costal center or from aboard a carrier ship of these drones, he said.

"The Arctic version of the robotic torpedo craft with a reinforced hull for navigating through broken ice is also envisaged," the source said.

"Several robotic torpedo-carrying vessels will make it possible to promptly deploy a temporary anti-submarine frontier in the area of combat patrols by a naval task force without engaging basic anti-submarine forces or to reinforce defense at the fleet’s naval bases," he said.

The 14m-long robotic boat will be capable of accelerating to over 35 knots, sailing in rough seas of up to six points and operating for as long as three days without refueling. The robotic submarine killer will have an ammunition load of two 533mm multi-purpose electric torpedoes, the source stated further.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/31213/Russia_Working_on_First_Ever_Robotic_Torpedo_Carryin

g_Submarine_Hunter#.YfE1GegzbIU

Deliveries Begin of Su-30SM2 "Super Sukhoi" to

the Russian Armed Forces

Russian Aircraft manufacturer, UAC began deliveries of the latest multifunctional Su-30SM2 fighters to the Russian Armed Forces as part of the state defense order.

Dubbed "Super Sukhoi," the Su-30SM2 is a modernized version of the Su-30SM. The first aircraft of the new modification in the naval livery have already departed from the Irkutsk aviation plant to the place of its deployment, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s TV channel, tvzvezda.ru reported today.

The Su-30SM2’s main areas of improvement over the Su-30SM is an advanced engine and a new phased array radar, which dramatically expands its combat capabilities, according to the report. At the same time, the fighter retained all the advantages of the basic version: supermanoeuvrability, long flight range and a wide arsenal of weapons.

The Su-30SM fighter was tested with the AL-41F-1S only a couple of months ago. It is part a Russian MoD’s plan of achieving as much commonality with the Su-35 as possible.

The new engine for the Su-30SM2 is the AL-41F-1S TVC engine derived from the top-of-the-line Su-35 jet. The new engine will provide an increased thrust-to-weight ratio, lower fuel consumption and longer time between overhauls when compared with the outgoing Al-31FP engine.

Also new in the Su-30SM2 is PESA radar, the N011M Bars-R derivative with increased detection and tracking performance (compared to the radar on the Su-30SM). The SM2 upgrade includes the OSNOD multi-channel communication and information distribution system which enables the aircraft’s integration in Russia’s new-generation command-and-control network.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/31216/Deliveries_Begin_of_Su_30SM2__Super_Sukhoi__to_the_

Russian_Armed_Forces#.YfE1bugzbIU

Satellite images show more Russian troops, equipment

near Ukraine By Jessica Edwards

Friday, Jan 21

Satellite image provides an overview of deployed units in Yelnya, Russia, Jan. 19,

2022. (Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies)

New satellite images released Wednesday show additional Russian troops and equipment near the country’s border with Ukraine.

The images, released by satellite imagery company Maxar Technologies, show equipment and troops as close as eight miles to Ukraine in Klimovo and about 18 miles from the border in Klintsy.

Maxar says the images show key locations where additional troops and forces have recently been deployed. The Pogonovo training area, located near Voronezh, is about 102 miles near the Ukraine border. ExpandAutoplay

Image1 of 13

Russian military activity has been increasing in recent weeks, with officials announcing Tuesday that it would send troops to Belarus for war games.

https://www.navytimes.com/flashpoints/2022/01/20/satellite-images-show-more-russian-troops-

equipment-near-ukraine/

Ukraine asks Australia for more 'technical assistance' to combat increasing Russian cyber attacks

By foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic

Posted Fri 21 Jan 2022 at 2:59amFriday 21 Jan 2022 at 2:59am, updated Fri 21 Jan 2022 at 7:04amFriday

21 Jan 2022 at 7:04am

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has reiterated that Australia backed US and EU efforts to deter Russian

aggression.(ABC News: Tamara Penniket)

Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article

abc.net.au/news/ukraine-asks-aus-for-more-technical-assistance-to-combat-russia/100771618

COPYSHARE

Ukraine is pressing Australia to provide expanded technical assistance to help repel

devastating Russian cyber attacks as fears mount that Russian President Vladimir Putin is

on the brink of launching a fresh military invasion.

Key points:

Senator Payne reaffirmed Australia's support for Ukraine during a phone call with her

counterpart Dmytro Kuleba

Mr Kuleba says they discussed strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities and practical

support for the development of cyber defence systems

Australia has not mentioned cyber cooperation with Ukraine in any of its public

statements

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she "reaffirmed Australia's steadfast support for

Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" during a phone call with Ukraine's Foreign

Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday.

She reiterated that Australia backed US and European Union efforts to deter Russian

aggression

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-21/ukraine-asks-aus-for-more-technical-assistance-to-combat-

russia/100771618

What is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

doing in Myanmar? Diplomats suspect sanctioned Iranian airline’s recent landings in Myanmar may have delivered weapons

including guided missiles

By DAVID HUTTJANUARY 20, 2022

Print

Iran's Revolutionary Guard in formation in a file photo. Image: Getty

via AFP

Iranian planes landing in Myanmar have raised speculation of secretive military-to-military cooperation, including possible sensitive Iranian weapons sales amid rising international calls to impose an arms embargo on the rights-abusing junta.

Diplomatic sources based in Southeast Asia who requested anonymity said that an Iranian delegation that landed in Myanmar on January 13 was either the second or third to visit since the military seized power and suspended democracy in a February 1, 2021, coup.

Iran is accused of providing military equipment and weapons to several repressive regimes, as well as to Tehran-aligned belligerents in the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars. But Iran is not known to have military ties to Myanmar, which relies mostly on Russia and China as well as India for its armaments.

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/what-is-irans-revolutionary-guard-doing-in-myanmar/

Drone wars: Race is on for unmanned

aerial supremacy US, China, India, Russia and Australia are all fast testing and fielding their respective loyal wingman

drone designs

By GABRIEL HONRADAJANUARY 20, 2022

Print

A Kratos Defense XQ-58A Valkyrie loyal wingman drone (left)

alongside an F-35 and F-22. Photo: US Air Force

Major military powers are increasingly fielding loyal wingman drones, deployments that promise to revolutionize aerial warfare while simultaneously posing stark operational, moral and political challenges.

Loyal wingman drones are designed to fly alongside manned aircraft, acting as a force multiplier and enhancing the capabilities of the latter. Australia, China, India, Russia and the US have all fielded their respective designs to complement their existing inventories of manned combat aircraft.

Last year, Australia tested the Loyal Wingman drone, which introduced crewed–autonomous teaming technologies between itself and other aircraft in the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) inventory, such as the F-35A Lightning II, F/A-18F Super Hornet and E-7A Wedgetail.

https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/drone-wars-race-is-on-for-unmanned-aerial-supremacy/

The Rise of A.I. Fighter Pilots Artificial intelligence is being taught to fly warplanes. Can the technology be trusted?

By Sue Halpern

January 17,

Implementing new technology will mean convincing humans to cede control.Illustration by

Karolis Strautniekas

Listen to this storyOn a cloudless morning last May, a pilot took off from the Niagara Falls

International Airport, heading for restricted military airspace over Lake Ontario. The plane,

which bore the insignia of the United States Air Force, was a repurposed Czechoslovak jet, an L-

39 Albatros, purchased by a private defense contractor. The bay in front of the cockpit was

filled with sensors and computer processors that recorded the aircraft’s performance. For two

hours, the pilot flew counterclockwise around the lake. Engineers on the ground, under

contract with DARPA, the Defense Department’s research agency, had choreographed every

turn, every pitch and roll, in an attempt to do something unprecedented: design a plane that

can fly and engage in aerial combat—dogfighting—without a human pilot operating it.

The exercise was an early step in the agency’s Air Combat Evolution program, known as ACE,

one of more than six hundred Department of Defense projects that are incorporating artificial

intelligence into war-fighting. This year, the Pentagon plans to spend close to a billion dollars on

A.I.-related technology. The Navy is building unmanned vessels that can stay at sea for months;

the Army is developing a fleet of robotic combat vehicles. Artificial intelligence is being

designed to improve supply logistics, intelligence gathering, and a category of wearable

technology, sensors, and auxiliary robots that the military calls the Internet of Battlefield Things.

Algorithms are already good at flying planes. The first autopilot system, which involved

connecting a gyroscope to the wings and tail of a plane, débuted in 1914, about a decade after the

Wright brothers took flight. And a number of current military technologies, such as underwater

mine detectors and laser-guided bombs, are autonomous once they are launched by humans. But

few aspects of warfare are as complex as aerial combat. Paul Schifferle, the vice-president of

flight research at Calspan, the company that’s modifying the L-39 for DARPA, said, “The dogfight

is probably the most dynamic flight profile in aviation, period.”

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/24/the-rise-of-ai-fighter-pilots

Tokyo, Beijing, And New Tensions Over Taiwan – Analysis January 21, 2022 Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute 0 Comments

By Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute By June Teufel Dreyer*

(FPRI) — Taiwan, a perennially sensitive issue between Japan and China, gained increased salience in the run-up to Japanese elections in fall 2021. In separate incidents in late August and early September, a Chinese flotilla sailed through the waters between Taiwan and Japan’s island of Yonaguni and on through the Miyako Strait for what the Chinese media described as a warning to right-wing Japanese and Taiwan secessionists whom they see as colluding to sabotage peace of security in the region. Beijing’s nationalistic Global Times, responding to Deputy Defense Minister Yasuhide Nakayama’s comments that Japan considered Taiwan’s peace and security as its own business, editorialized that Japan is in its worst geopolitical environment since the Meiji Restoration (1868-1889) and termed its posture toward China “morally dirty.” Previously, the paper continued, Japanese officials had steered clear of Taiwan matters, especially those related to national security, but were now openly discussing Taiwan in increasingly provocative rhetoric. What were once high-level Chinese comments on the importance of

peace and security became hypotheticals about how Japan might react if the PRC used force against Taiwan. Such statements, explicitly described as deterrence, had the opposite effect: the conservative Sankei Shimbun praised outgoing prime minister Suga’s statement that a Taiwan crisis could have ripple effects on Japan. This would, said Sankei, send a message to China on the possibility of a joint U.S.-Japan military intervention to counter a PRC attack on Taiwan. Candidates to succeed Suga were supportive as well. Sanae Takaichi even conferred directly, albeit virtually, with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. It is extremely rare for a Japanese politician, let alone a possible prime minister, to hold a meeting with any senior Taiwanese officials, much less its president. Beijing was particularly annoyed by video footage of Takaichi hanging the Taiwan and Japanese flags side by side, implying Taiwan maintained equal sovereign status to that of Japan. Chinese media complained that such acts undermined the foundations of China-Japan relations. While campaigning, the ultimately victorious candidate for the prime ministership and former foreign minister Fumio Kishida said that Japan should cooperate with Taiwan and other countries that share its values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, and expressed his support for Taiwan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) pact if it “can meet the necessary high standards.” Chinese analysts dismissed such statements as campaign rhetoric, incorrectly as it turned out. Other influential officials, past and present, expressed support for Taiwan. Calling in to a conference on Japan-Taiwan relations in September, then-Deputy Defense Minister Yasuhide Nakayama declared that Japan and Taiwan were not friends but family members. Beijing has long harbored concerns that Japan aspires to re-annex the island—which was in Japan’s possession from 1895 to the end of World War II—so Nakayama’s use of the word ‘family’ likely struck a chord. Perhaps as worrisome as the statement was the lineage of the speaker: Yasuhide Nakayama’s father, Masaaki Nakayama, was one of five Diet members who stood resolutely against Japan formalizing relations with the PRC in 1972. As if carrying the family baton, Yasuhide Nakayama now asked whether this half century old diplomatic arrangement still served Japan’s interests considering China’s aggressive behavior.

https://www.eurasiareview.com/21012022-tokyo-beijing-and-new-tensions-over-taiwan-analysis/

OPERATION BARBAROSSA AND MISSION COMMAND: A HISTORICAL REAFFIRMATION OF THE MERITS OF AUFTRAGSTAKTIK

Thu, 01/20/2022 - 4:52pm

Operation Barbarossa and Mission Command:

A Historical Reaffirmation of the Merits of Auftragstaktik

Daniel J. O’Connor, Major, US Army

The topic of mission command has become a common topic in American military thought recently. Due to the generally increasing velocity of modern combat and the constant need to evolve methods, it is a fitting time to reexamine historical examples in an effort to better plan future doctrine. During the early days of the Eastern Front in World War II, the Nazi Army made a bold push for Moscow aiming for the complete destruction of the Soviet military. The Soviets, through a series of serious blows and defeats nearly witnessed a complete collapse before the Nazi aggression. While the Red Army[1] eventually was able to go on the offensive and the war was won by the Allies, this view of the period as an unequivocal Soviet victory is problematic. Arguably the Soviets survived due to, among other things, actions outside their control. Even more perplexingly, they survived, in large part, due to their ability to sacrifice huge tracts of territory and quantities of manpower to buy time. However, this does not diminish the fact that the Soviet Union had to “make extraordinary, inordinate efforts to stop the victorious advance of the Wehrmacht.”[2]

Several ways of understanding Operation Barbarossa, the German codename of the operation, exist. This period covers the invasion on 22 June 1941, to the end of the Battle of Moscow on 5 December 1941. It was at this point that the Soviet Union was at its low point of the war, but also the moment that they turned to the counteroffensive. Historians generally point

out a few specific reasons for the eventual failure of Operation Barbarossa, and the eventual success of the Soviet Union in pushing the Wehrmacht out of Soviet territory and eventually claiming victory in World War II. These reasons are generally the delay in the beginning of the invasion, poor logistical lines, and a German failure to properly assess their enemy prior to beginning the operation. While these reasons are all important, this paper argues that there is another way of viewing the campaign; one that falls within the human dimension. And this cause is paramount to the others, going to the very core of military training in both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/operation-barbarossa-and-mission-command-historical-

reaffirmation-merits-auftragstaktik

Four common types of scams and

how to recognise them

By REI KUROHI

TECH

Thursday, 20 Jan 2022

10:25 PM MYT

SINGAPORE: Scams are on the rise. Nearly 470 OCBC Bank customers lost at least

S$8.5mil (RM26.50mil) to a spate of SMS phishing scams last month, and other banks

such as DBS and UOB recently warned of similar scams impersonating bank

employees.

Here are some of the most common types of scams going around.

1. SMS phishing scams

In the recent scams involving OCBC Bank, fraudsters sent SMS messages claiming to

be from the bank to trick its customers.

Some scammers have made use of the same sender identification labels used by the

legitimate banks when sending fake SMS messages.

For example, some of the SMS messages sent to OCBC customers seemed to have

been sent by “OCBC” and appeared in the same message thread as previous genuine

messages.

The messages often claim there is a problem with the recipient’s bank account that

needs to be resolved urgently, and include a link to a fake website that resembles the

real one.

Victims who enter their log-in information and one-time passwords (OTP) on the fake

website can quickly have their accounts breached and their savings stolen.

2. Impersonation scams

Another type of phishing scam involves crooks posing as authority figures such as the

police, job recruiters or government officials.

Using SMS messages, e-mails or phone calls, they try to convince potential victims to

part with money or give up sensitive information such as banking log-in details or

personal data such as NRIC numbers.

A variant involves fake bank hotline numbers being listed on Google search

results. Victims who call these numbers will be connected to scammers pretending to be

bank staff.

Common tactics involve claiming the recipient has got into legal trouble, or offering

simple yet well-paid part-time jobs and investment schemes with high interest rates.

Victims who respond are asked to pay fees or provide personal information.

The police, the Supreme Court and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board recently

warned the public of such scams.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many scammers also pretended to be calling from the

Health Ministryand claimed they were requesting information for contact tracing

purposes.

They often mask the caller ID number to appear as a local number starting with the

Singapore country code “+65”, even though they may be calling from overseas.

Scammers may also pose as one’s contacts. E-mail addresses, for example, can be

spoofed to appear as if the message was sent by a colleague or friend requesting

money for urgent personal needs.

https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2022/01/20/four-common-types-of-scams-and-how-to-

recognise-them

Tokyo, Beijing, And New Tensions Over Taiwan – Analysis January 21, 2022 Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute 0 Comments

By Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute By June Teufel Dreyer*

(FPRI) — Taiwan, a perennially sensitive issue between Japan and China, gained increased salience in the run-up to Japanese elections in fall 2021. In separate incidents in late August and early September, a Chinese flotilla sailed through the waters between Taiwan and Japan’s island of Yonaguni and on through the Miyako Strait for what the Chinese media described as a warning to right-wing Japanese and Taiwan secessionists whom they see as colluding to sabotage peace of security in the region. Beijing’s nationalistic Global Times, responding to Deputy Defense Minister Yasuhide Nakayama’s comments that Japan considered Taiwan’s peace and security as its own business, editorialized that Japan is in its worst geopolitical environment since the Meiji Restoration (1868-1889) and termed its posture toward China “morally dirty.” Previously, the paper continued, Japanese officials had steered clear of Taiwan matters, especially those related to national security, but were now openly discussing Taiwan in increasingly provocative rhetoric. What were once high-level Chinese comments on the importance of peace and security became hypotheticals about how Japan might react if the PRC used force against Taiwan. https://www.eurasiareview.com/21012022-tokyo-beijing-and-new-tensions-over-taiwan-analysis/

CLARIFYING MARITIME STRATEGY: “NON-

TRADITIONAL SECURITY” IS JUST “SECURITY” JANUARY 20, 2022 GUEST AUTHOR 2 COMMENTS

By James Goldrick and Blake Herzinger

“Non-traditional security” is poorly defined and

ahistorical…

It is high time that we remove the term “non-traditional security” from our consideration of maritime affairs, and either abandon it outright or confine it to the debates of sea-blind international relations pundits. A phrase that crept into the strategic lexicon in the long, calm lee of the last Cold War, “non-traditional security” is little more than a dismissive hand-wave relegating human-centric security issues to a nebulous category with no real meaning. As a term, non-traditional security at best adds no value in either the operational realm or in the analytic sphere. At worst, particularly in the maritime domain, it skews thinking and undermines a balanced approach to dealing with the challenges we face. The idea that history ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union plays a part in both the origin of and the muddled thinking around “non-traditional security.” In a supposedly post-modern world, it was argued that the possibility of nation-state conflict had disappeared, or at least diminished to the point at which navies could instead focus totally on achieving good order at sea. Nation-state rivalries, of course, never did disappear, and great power competition has returned to occupy a large part of the strategic agenda. But it can never occupy the whole, just as, apart

from the world wars, it did not occupy it entirely in the past — however heavily armed the time of peace concerned.

https://cimsec.org/non-traditional-security-is-just-security/

PH logs 31,173 new Covid infections on Thursday

BYCLAUDETH MOCON-CIRIACO

JANUARY 20, 2022

1 MINUTE READ

A man sells washable cloth face masks in Antipolo City. (Junpinzon |

Dreamstime.com

The Philippines now has 3,324,478 Covid-19 cases after a total of 31,173 additional infections were logged on Thursday.

There were also 26,298 recoveries and 110 deaths.

Of the 31,173 reported cases, 29,708 (95 percent) occurred within the recent

14 days (January 7 – January 20, 2022).

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region with 8,883 or 30 percent, Region 4A (6,471 or 22 percent), and

Region 3 (2,783 or 9 percent).

Of the 110 deaths, 67 occurred in January 2022 (61 percent), 3 in December

2021 (3 percent), 8 in November 2021 (7 percent), 13 in October 2021 (12 percent), 8 in September 2021 (7 percent), 5 in August 2021 (5 percent), 4 in

July 2021 (4 percent)), 1 in June 2021 (1 percent), and 1 in April 2021 (1 percent) due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya.

This issue, the DOH said, is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date.

Of the total number of cases, 8.3 percent (275,364) are active, 90.1 percent

(2,995,961) have recovered, and 1.60 percent (53,153) have died.

There were 132 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 87 are recoveries and 1 is a death.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/20/ph-logs-31173-new-covid-infections-on-thursday/

PH Red Cross says saliva RT-PCR test 'game changer' for

PH

Published January 20, 2022, 4:12 PM by Dhel Nazario

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sen. Richard Gordon said on Thursday, Jan. 20 that the saliva RT-PCR test for detecting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a “game-changer” for the country.

Aside from swab testing, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) also offers saliva RT-PCR test which is

considered a first in the country. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)

“The saliva RT-PCR test is a game-changer for our country. The reduced cost of testing gives way to test more people such as students, employees, factory workers, healthcare workers, and other essential workers,” he said.

“With the saliva RT-PCR test, they can be tested weekly because it is faster, accurate, affordable, and non-invasive. Rest assured that PRC remains committed to its duty of finding ways to test more and keep Filipinos out of harm’s way,” he added.

Gordon urged the public to get tested regularly for early detection amidst the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country. PRC said that scientists began investigating saliva testing in the early months of the pandemic.

“They were eager to find a testing method that would be non-invasive for people preferring comfort rather than the traditional nasopharyngeal swabs that were the standard at the time. With saliva, people could simply expectorate into a tube and hand it over for processing,” PRC said.

The organization said that according to Anne Wyllie, a microbiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, who is one of the developers of SalivaDirect, a noncommercial polymerase

chain reaction (or PCR) testing protocol, “There’s been a growing body of evidence that at the very least, saliva performs well — it’s as good as, if not better, when it’s collected properly and when it’s processed properly,” On Jan. 23, 2021, PRC Chairman Dick Gordon, introduced the country’s first and only saliva RT-PCR test in the country to provide a more cost-effective, faster, and non-invasive way of testing for COVID-19.

According to Dr. Diana Ranoa, one of the scientists behind the development of the saliva RT-PCR test, said that in the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (UIUC), students are tested twice a week to ensure the safety of its students.

Dr. Ranoa said that this mandatory protocol paved the way for a more adjustable academic practice in the so-called “new normal.” With the saliva test, UIUC students are tested regularly as the saliva RT-PCR is more affordable and non-invasive.

“We can test as many as 48,000 people a day so that students can go back to school and people can start working. The reduced cost and non-invasive process of the saliva test make it more possible for students and workers to be tested regularly,” Gordon said.

The saliva RT-PCR test is priced at P1,500 and is available in SM, Robinsons, Ayala Malls, and through Angkas to provide access to more people who want to get tested for COVID-19.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/01/20/ph-red-cross-says-saliva-rt-pcr-test-game-changer-for-ph/

Merck’s Covid-19 pill to be made by 11 countries for

developing nations in UN deal

Merck & Co’s antiviral medication molnupiravir. Photo: AP

A United Nations-backed organisation announced Thursday that it has signed agreements with more than two dozen generic drug makers to produce versions of Merck’s Covid-19 pill to supply 105 developing countries.

The Medicines Patent Pool said the deals would allow drug companies to make both the raw ingredients for molnupiravir and the finished product itself.

Molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics, has been reported to cut the hospitalisation rate in half among patients with early signs of Covid-19. Britain, the European Union and the US authorised its use in recent months.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3155103/pfizer-eyes-deal-90-

nations-its-covid-19-pill-merck?module=perpetual_scroll_1&pgtype=article&campaign=3155103

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Reuters

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

South Korea to extend curbs amid Omicron surge

South Korea said on Friday it would extend stricter social distancing rules for two weeks amid a persistent surge in serious coronavirus infections and concerns over the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The government reinstated the curbs on Dec. 18, six weeks after easing them under a "living with COVID-19" scheme, as record-breaking numbers of new infections and serious cases put a huge strain on the country's medical system. read more

Chinese cities on alert as New Year holiday looms

China is on high alert against COVID-19 as the New Year holiday looms, with the city of Xian under lockdown while several New Year's Eve events in other cities have been cancelled and some provinces urged restraint in travel during the festive season.

China reported 166 locally transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Thursday, according to the National Health Commission, with 161 from Xian, which is fighting the worst outbreak for a Chinese city this year. read more

Hong Kong's health officials said on Friday the Omicron variant has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID-19 restrictions, with the city reporting its first cases outside its strict quarantine system. read more

Philippines limits mobility, business in capital area

The Philippines will impose tighter curbs in the capital region for the next two weeks, the acting presidential spokesperson said on Friday, to try to limit Omicron infections.

The health ministry on Friday recorded 2,961 new coronavirus infections, a two-month high, and reported a positivity rate of 10.3%. read more

Israel extends second booster to elderly in care facilities

Israel is extending its offer of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to elderly people in care facilities, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Friday, citing their high exposure and vulnerability to infections.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about-

coronavirus-right-now-2021-03-02/

Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

Updated: January 26, 2022, 7:21 PM GMT+8

Brazil 2,968 115,749 316.7 N/A

U.S. 2,641 218,543 2,310.1 2.8

U.K. 2,367 246,932 6,548.8 2.5

Russia 2,267 78,406 1,718.1 8.1

France 1,930 257,655 3,320.9 6.0

Germany 1,458 113,166 1,207.3 8.0

India 374 30,563 546.7 0.5

Japan 148 18,139 241.5 13.1

Mainland China 3 76 N/A 4.3

Testing data as of January 25, 2022, 4:58 AM 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).

Entering the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 358 million people have been infected and the virus has killed more than 5.6 million globally. 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. New variants of the virus have led to new waves of cases, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

Getting to a Flatter Curve 👆

The first 740 days with more than 100 confirmed cases

Asia

Other

Show deaths 👆

01002003004005006007001 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

358,961,858

Confirmed cases worldwide

5,617,765

Deaths worldwide

Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of January 26, 2022, 7:21 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. 872,126 72,178,003

Brazil 624,129 24,342,322

India 491,127 40,085,116

Russia 321,843 11,129,318

Mexico 303,776 4,730,669

Peru 204,587 3,020,756

U.K. 154,875 16,158,518

Italy 144,344 10,216,395

Indonesia 144,254 4,301,193

Colombia 132,737 5,780,910

Iran 132,274 6,267,559

France 130,481 17,420,283

Argentina 119,703 8,041,520

Germany 117,131 9,088,675

Ukraine 106,211 4,100,292

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.

More Coverage From Bloomberg

disease have come and gone through every continent. Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia have all faced cycles of outbreaks, driven in part by new variants of the virus that have proven more transmissible.

Vaccines have protected recipients from the worst consequences of illness, but access to the shots remains inequitable around the globe, even as many wealthier nations begin giving booster doses to their citizens.

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

Published

2 days ago

Share

Related Topics

Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more than 350 million

confirmed cases and more than five million deaths reported across almost 200

countries.

The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by the UK, France and Russia. Very few places have been left untouched. 351,752,346cases5,597,569deaths

70,200,000

Circles show number of confirmed coronavirus cases per country.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, national public health agencies

Figures last updated 24 January 2022, 11:14 GMT

The latest available data for the total number of cases in France since the start of the

pandemic is from 16 January. ADVERTISEMENT

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. Scroll table to see more data

*Deaths per 100,000 people

Filter:

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

US 862,472 262.8 70,216,915 JAN 2020

JAN 2022

Brazil 623,370 295.4 24,054,405

India 489,848 35.8 39,543,328

Russia 320,178 221.8 10,988,027

Mexico 303,183 237.6 4,667,829

Peru 204,323 628.5 2,946,151

UK 153,862 230.2 15,859,288

Indonesia 144,220 53.3 4,286,378

Italy 143,523 238.0 9,923,678

Colombia 132,240 262.7 5,740,179

Iran 132,230 159.5 6,250,490

France 128,629 191.8 14,172,384

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Argentina 119,168 265.2 7,862,536

Germany 116,751 140.4 8,773,032

Ukraine 105,871 238.5 4,055,643

Poland 103,846 273.5 4,547,315

South Africa 94,177 160.8 3,581,359

Spain 91,741 194.9 8,975,458

Turkey 85,969 103.0 10,947,129

Romania 59,547 307.6 2,017,129

Philippines 53,472 49.5 3,417,216

Hungary 40,944 419.1 1,441,385

Chile 39,512 208.5 1,965,393

Czech Republic 37,050 347.2 2,763,800

Vietnam 36,719 38.1 2,141,422

Ecuador 34,279 197.3 658,045

Bulgaria 32,664 468.2 880,228

Canada 32,294 85.9 2,885,629

Malaysia 31,892 99.8 2,832,945

Pakistan 29,105 13.4 1,374,800

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Belgium 28,780 250.6 2,697,239

Bangladesh 28,223 17.3 1,685,136

Tunisia 25,954 221.9 846,761

Iraq 24,287 61.8 2,154,237

Greece 22,635 211.2 1,793,311

Egypt 22,368 22.3 410,098

Thailand 22,045 31.7 2,384,639

Netherlands 21,211 122.4 3,889,669

Bolivia 20,630 179.2 813,609

Portugal 19,569 190.6 2,221,825

Myanmar 19,310 35.7 534,071

Japan 18,507 14.7 2,175,714

Kazakhstan 18,357 99.2 1,243,220

Slovakia 17,643 323.5 1,462,998

Paraguay 16,887 239.7 516,555

Guatemala 16,268 98.0 669,830

Sweden 15,674 152.4 1,784,005

Sri Lanka 15,299 70.2 601,886

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Morocco 15,132 41.5 1,098,413

Georgia 14,732 396.0 1,059,392

Austria 13,991 157.6 1,600,041

Bosnia and

Herzegovina 13,984 423.6 329,569

Croatia 13,407 329.6 877,060

Serbia 13,271 191.1 1,544,900

Jordan 13,073 129.4 1,141,048

Switzerland 12,588 146.8 1,879,319

Nepal 11,655 40.7 910,394

Moldova 10,522 395.9 409,397

Honduras 10,468 107.4 387,515

Lebanon 9,487 138.4 865,229

Saudi Arabia 8,922 26.0 657,192

Azerbaijan 8,610 85.9 633,731

Israel 8,447 93.3 2,369,976

Cuba 8,363 73.8 1,022,112

North Macedonia 8,218 394.4 256,281

Armenia 8,028 271.4 352,399

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Lithuania 7,762 278.5 612,500

Panama 7,598 178.9 644,683

Costa Rica 7,451 147.6 643,496

Afghanistan 7,393 19.4 159,896

Ethiopia 7,244 6.5 462,107

South Korea 6,565 12.7 741,413

Algeria 6,495 15.1 236,670

Uruguay 6,308 182.2 588,995

Ireland 6,087 123.2 1,145,968

Libya 5,936 87.6 407,758

Belarus 5,933 62.7 726,860

Slovenia 5,786 277.1 611,737

Kenya 5,554 10.6 320,229

Venezuela 5,405 19.0 469,566

Zimbabwe 5,294 36.1 228,254

Palestinian Territories 5,042 107.6 480,583

China 4,849 0.3 118,774

Latvia 4,795 250.7 335,541

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Dominican Republic 4,287 39.9 539,580

Oman 4,129 83.0 324,085

Namibia 3,914 156.9 155,255

Zambia 3,895 21.8 301,630

El Salvador 3,855 59.7 127,012

Denmark 3,608 62.0 1,397,833

Uganda 3,474 7.8 160,352

Sudan 3,393 7.9 53,959

Albania 3,305 115.8 248,070

Trinidad and Tobago 3,302 236.7 106,417

Australia 3,161 12.5 2,239,310

Nigeria 3,124 1.6 252,187

Cambodia 3,015 18.3 121,066

Kosovo 2,998 167.1 181,446

Syria 2,968 17.4 50,985

Kyrgyzstan 2,851 44.2 195,820

Jamaica 2,594 88.0 119,565

Botswana 2,544 110.4 243,946

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Malawi 2,523 13.5 83,823

Montenegro 2,513 403.9 213,140

Kuwait 2,486 59.1 497,454

United Arab Emirates 2,214 22.7 825,699

Mozambique 2,157 7.1 222,596

Mongolia 2,094 64.9 428,350

Estonia 2,008 151.4 296,466

Yemen 1,995 6.8 10,585

Senegal 1,925 11.8 84,295

Angola 1,888 5.9 96,582

Cameroon 1,867 7.2 114,113

Finland 1,724 31.2 371,135

Uzbekistan 1,542 4.6 215,063

Rwanda 1,432 11.3 128,009

Norway 1,414 26.4 622,596

Bahrain 1,399 85.2 330,621

Eswatini 1,369 119.2 68,081

Ghana 1,367 4.5 155,496

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Somalia 1,335 8.6 24,322

DR Congo 1,278 1.5 84,283

Suriname 1,239 213.1 70,074

Madagascar 1,223 4.5 57,375

Guyana 1,134 144.9 57,227

Luxembourg 943 152.1 137,570

Mauritania 927 20.5 57,384

Taiwan 851 3.6 18,325

Singapore 848 14.9 313,772

Guadeloupe 835 208.7 73,660

Martinique 816 217.3 73,355

Haiti 783 7.0 28,471

Ivory Coast 779 3.0 80,176

Fiji 768 86.3 60,931

Tanzania 753 1.3 32,393

Bahamas 729 187.2 32,068

Cyprus 712 59.4 239,073

Mali 705 3.6 29,677

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Lesotho 690 32.5 32,049

French Polynesia 636 227.7 47,470

Qatar 634 22.4 323,345

Belize 616 157.8 45,753

Papua New Guinea 596 6.8 36,446

Malta 532 105.8 65,869

Laos 526 7.3 129,953

Réunion 462 52.0 133,617

Guinea 414 3.2 35,857

Cape Verde 389 70.7 55,306

Congo 371 6.9 23,485

French Guiana 357 122.8 72,188

Burkina Faso 353 1.7 20,514

Gambia 347 14.8 11,572

Saint Lucia 316 172.9 19,680

Gabon 300 13.8 45,909

Niger 295 1.3 8,542

Liberia 288 5.8 7,208

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

New Caledonia 282 98.0 16,000

Barbados 275 95.8 39,212

Maldives 270 50.9 117,461

Togo 266 3.3 36,313

Mauritius 240 19.0 25,159

Nicaragua 219 3.3 17,604

Curaçao 216 137.1 36,013

Grenada 205 183.0 11,344

Aruba 191 179.7 32,322

Djibouti 189 19.4 15,311

Mayotte 187 70.3 35,691

Chad 185 1.2 6,889

Equatorial Guinea 179 13.2 15,690

Benin 163 1.4 26,309

Comoros 159 18.7 7,812

Guinea-Bissau 154 8.0 7,284

Andorra 144 186.7 33,025

Seychelles 143 146.5 34,367

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

South Sudan 137 1.2 16,673

Channel Islands 126 73.1 38,232

Tajikistan 125 1.3 17,493

Sierra Leone 125 1.6 7,590

Timor-Leste 122 9.4 19,868

Antigua and Barbuda 122 125.6 5,931

Bermuda 112 175.2 9,766

Central African

Republic 109 2.3 13,611

San Marino 107 316.0 11,466

Gibraltar 100 296.7 11,835

Brunei 98 22.6 16,148

Eritrea 93 2.7 9,297

St Vincent and the

Grenadines 90 81.4 6,615

Sint Maarten 78 191.5 9,076

Liechtenstein 73 192.0 7,838

Isle of Man 70 82.8 20,425

Sao Tome and Principe 69 32.1 5,832

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Saint Martin 60 157.9 9,143

New Zealand 52 1.1 15,625

Dominica 49 68.2 8,517

British Virgin Islands 47 156.5 5,602

Monaco 45 115.5 7,583

Iceland 44 12.2 54,579

Burundi 38 0.3 36,868

Turks and Caicos

Islands 34 89.0 5,524

Saint Kitts and Nevis 28 53.0 5,254

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius

and Saba 27 103.9 6,419

Faroe Islands 17 34.9 14,340

Cayman Islands 15 23.1 13,734

Diamond Princess

cruise ship 13

712

Anguilla 7 47.1 2,187

Wallis and Futuna

Islands 7 61.2 454

Saint Barthelemy 6 60.9 3,282

Country Deaths Death rate* Total Cases

New Cases

0

10

100

1k

10k

**

Greenland 4 7.1 9,485

Bhutan 3 0.4 3,649

MS Zaandam cruise

ship 2

9

Montserrat 1 20.0 155

Vanuatu 1 0.3 7

Saint Pierre and

Miquelon 0 0.0 696

Palau 0 0.0 502

Solomon Islands 0 0.0 289

Falkland Islands 0 0.0 86

Vatican 0 0.0 29

Samoa 0 0.0 18

Marshall Islands 0 0.0 7

Saint Helena 0 0.0 4

Kiribati 0 0.0 2

Cook Islands 0 0.0 2

Tonga 0 0.0 1

Micronesia 0 0.0 1

Show more

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.

** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.

Source: Johns Hopkins University and national public health agencies Figures last updated: 24 January 2022, 11:14 GMT

The true extent of the first outbreak in 2020 is unclear because testing was not then widely available.

Deaths are rising in some areas, however official figures may not fully reflect the true number in many countries. Data on excess deaths, a measure of how many more people are dying than would be expected based on the previous few years, may give a better indication of the actual numbers in many cases.

Who has vaccinated the most? Nearly every nation in the world is now administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, while at least 96 countries and territories have moved on to booster jabs. The map below, using figures collated by Our World in Data - a collaboration between Oxford University and an educational charity - shows the total number of doses given per 100 people, mostly first doses. According to that data, around 60% of people have been fully vaccinated on every continent apart from Africa, where the figure is less than 10%.

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

More Than 10 Billion Shots Given: Covid-19 Tracker

In the U.S., 536 million doses have been administered

Updated: January 27, 2022, 4:30 AM GMT+8

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. More than 10 billiondoses have been administered across 184 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 30.8 million doses a day.

In the U.S., 536 million doses have been given so far. An average 512,878 doses per day were administered over the last week.

World Map of Vaccinations

More than 10 billion doses have been administered—127 shots for every 100 people worldwide

no data01050100150doses per 100 people Note: Data gathered from government agencies, public statements, Bloomberg interviews, the

World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data.

In total, 127 doses have been given for every 100 people around the world—but the distribution has been lopsided. Countries and regions with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated more than 10 times faster than those with the lowest.

…but 20.6% of the world's population

Note: Countries and regions are ordered by GDP per capita (PPP).

When will life return to normal?

While the best vaccines are highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic. Infectious-disease experts have said that vaccinating 70% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to normalcy, but boosters may be required to keep the disease in check.

On a global scale, that’s a daunting level of vaccination. At the current pace of 7.69 million people getting their first shots each day, the goal of halting the pandemic

remains elusive. Manufacturing capacity, however, is increasing, thanks to new vaccines and added capacity from existing drugmakers.

The Path to Immunity Around the World

Globally, the latest vaccination rate is 30,849,925 doses per day, which includes 7,686,024

people people getting their first shot. At this pace, it will take another 5 months until 75% of the

population has received at least one dose.

Global Total (5 months to 75% coverage)

↑↓

Jan.

April

July

Oct.

Jan.

0

50

Doses administered: 100M

Note: *Coverage may exceed 100% in some places, as shots may be administered to non-

residents. The “daily rate estimate” is a seven-day trailing average; interpolation is used for

jurisdictions with infrequent updates. Data are from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker.

‘Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’

Israel was first to show that vaccines were bending the curve of Covid infections. The country led the world in early vaccinations, and by February more than 84% of people ages 70 and older had received two doses. Covid cases declined rapidly, and a similar pattern of vaccination and recovery repeated across dozens of other countries.

This progress is under threat. New strains, led by the highly transmissible delta and omicron variants, caused renewed outbreaks. Israel saw another surge of cases, which it brought under control by offering boosters to all vaccinated people. Worldwide, unvaccinated people are more at risk than ever, leading U.S. health officials to dub it a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Even among the vaccinated new variants may lead to mild cases, and those who get sick are able to spread the disease to others, according to the latest data. The vaccines remain effective at reducing hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccinations vs. Cases

Vaccines have helped reduce case numbers in the places where they’ve been deployed most

widely. Currently, 44 places have given at least one dose to 75% of the population.

Global Total (127 doses per 100 people)

↑↓

Jan.

April

July

Oct.

Jan.

0

50

100

Doses per 100 people: 150

Jan.

April

July

Oct.

Jan.

0

500

New cases per million: 1,000

Note: Vaccine data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Tracker. Cases data: Johns Hopkins University.

Since the start of the global vaccination campaign, countries have experienced unequal access to vaccines and varying degrees of efficiency in getting shots into people’s arms. Before March, few African nations had received a single shipment of shots. By contrast, 160 doses have been administered for every 100 people in the U.S.

Delivering billions of vaccines to stop the spread of Covid-19 worldwide is one of the greatest logistical challenges ever undertaken.

Race to End the Pandemic

Cuba leads the world with 298 doses administered per 100 people

↑↓

Global Vaccination Campaign

% of population

Countries and regions Doses administered

Doses

per 100

people

given

1+

dose

fully

vaccinated

booster

dose

Da

admi

Global Total 10,003,413,282 – – – – 30,849,925

Mainland China 2,978,646,000 210.6 89.5 86.6 – 4,501,429

India 1,671,981,625 121.3 67.6 50.0 0.6 6,494,976

EU 811,409,204 182.6 74.9 72.0 42.5 2,126,986

U.S. 536,347,783 160.0 75.0 62.8 25.3

Brazil 355,987,219 168.1 79.6 70.4 20.4 1,117,509

Indonesia 307,705,118 113.9 67.4 44.8 – 1,224,005

Japan 203,935,306 162.0 80.5 79.9 2.3

Vietnam 176,429,307 181.1 81.0 73.9 – 1,090,513

Pakistan 172,836,036 82.9 49.8 38.4 –

Germany 162,539,147 195.5 75.5 73.5 50.8

Mexico 161,466,948 126.4 65.2 60.0 –

Bangladesh 155,002,117 94.1 57.5 35.9 0.7

Russia 152,683,402 104.5 51.9 47.5 6.3

Turkey 141,098,118 168.7 68.6 62.5 37.6

% of population

Countries and regions Doses administered

Doses

per 100

people

given

1+

dose

fully

vaccinated

booster

dose

Da

admi

U.K. 137,474,493 204.9 77.9 71.9 55.2

France 135,254,020 207.7 82.4 80.6 52.8

Iran 129,022,276 153.3 71.9 63.8 17.7

Italy 125,248,622 210.0 83.6 76.7 52.2

Philippines 123,365,808 113.4 58.2 52.6 5.8

Show more 👆

Note: The daily rate is a 7-day average; for places that don’t report daily, the last-known average

rate is used. Population data were last updated on January 14, 2022.

U.S. Vaccinations: State by State

More than half of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated, and supply of shots is plentiful. The vaccination campaign, however, has slowed. Once the envy of the world for its swift rollout, the U.S. has since been overtaken by dozens of countries. There are still wide gaps between the most and least vaccinated counties in the U.S., leaving many communities vulnerable to continued outbreaks.

Distribution in the U.S. early on was directed by the federal government, and vaccines are now easily accessible almost everywhere. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as Moderna’s shot both require two doses taken several weeks apart. J&J’s inoculation requires just a single dose. As protection from the first round of vaccines has diminished, the U.S. government has encouraged people to get booster shots.

So far, 251 million Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine—75.0% of the population. At least 211 million people have completed a vaccination regimen. The U.S. is sending some of its excess supply to other hard-hit regions of the world.

Vaccines Across America

More than 536 million doses have been administered in the U.S.—160 shots for every 100

people Doses Per 100% of Suppl y Used

0110120130140

ASCT

RI CT DE DC GU MP AS VI

Note: Data added after Feb. 20 is from the CDC and includes doses administered by federal

entities in state totals. Prior data from the Bloomberg Covid-19 Tracker. It can take several days

for counts to be reported through the CDC database. In December 2021, Bloomberg

reported that the CDC’s data substantially overcounts the number of people with a first dose and

undercounts the number of fully vaccinated people and the number of people with boosters.

A new beginning

It takes about two weeks after a final vaccine dose for immunity to fully develop. While the CDC has offered guidance on mask-wearing after vaccination, many local governments and businesses have set their own rules.

Unvaccinated people, including children, should still wear masks indoors, according to the CDC’s latest guidance.

U.S. Vaccinations vs. Cases

Vaccines have helped reduce case numbers in the places where they’ve been deployed most

widely. Currently, 21 places have given at least one dose to 75% of the population.

Vaccine data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Tracker. Cases data: Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. health officials are now focused on how to vaccinate people who have been reluctant to get a shot. While many parts of the country have high levels of vaccination, the number of new people getting shots has slowed to a trickle in some places with lower rates.

Note: Two doses are needed for full protection with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, while the

J&J shot requires a single dose. Data from Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker

After focusing first on hospitals and other institutional health-care settings, states expanded the number of places that offer the shots. Mass vaccination centers were created from sport stadiums, theme parks, convention halls and race tracks. Now the campaign has moved to more traditional health-care settings: pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.

The Path to Immunity in the U.S.

In the U.S., the latest vaccination rate is about 995,550 doses per day, which includes 275,956

people people getting their first shot. At this pace, it will take less than a week until 75% of the

population has received at least one dose.

Jurisdiction

Doses

administered

per

100

people

given

1+

dose

fully

vaccinated

booster

dose

Daily rate o

dose

administere

U.S. Totals 536,347,783 160.0 75.0 62.8 25.3 995,550

California 70,217,759 177.6 86.2 68.4 28.1 157,496

Texas 42,726,217 146.6 69.0 58.2 19.5 63,733

New York 36,353,689 180.0 83.9 71.0 28.2 64,730

Florida 35,158,277 163.2 76.7 64.7 23.6 47,554

Pennsylvania 21,388,811 164.5 80.3 64.4 25.1 55,911

Illinois 21,039,836 164.2 74.2 65.1 30.0 40,452

Ohio 16,791,835 142.3 61.5 56.0 27.1 22,447

Federal Entities* 16,564,694 – – – – 15,280

New Jersey 15,870,851 170.9 83.1 69.1 28.4 31,052

North Carolina 15,619,768 149.6 80.8 58.4 13.7 18,598

Virginia 15,201,746 176.1 82.0 69.6 29.5 16,752

Michigan 14,616,141 145.0 64.4 57.4 27.3 17,831

Georgia 13,943,859 130.2 62.9 52.2 17.2 23,279

Massachusetts 13,803,926 196.4 92.5 74.6 34.8 33,152

Washington 13,280,689 172.4 77.4 68.9 31.5 33,323

Maryland 11,071,429 179.2 81.5 70.7 31.9 20,040

Arizona 11,067,589 154.8 71.0 59.6 21.6 18,384

Jurisdiction

Doses

administered

per

100

people

given

1+

dose

fully

vaccinated

booster

dose

Daily rate o

dose

administere

Colorado 9,979,697 172.8 76.9 67.8 31.8 17,741

Minnesota 9,595,827 168.2 72.4 66.0 34.9 13,373

Show more 👆

Note: The category entry for Federal Entities isn’t counted in the country total because those

vaccinations are already included in relevant state totals. The “Unassigned” entry refers to

vaccinations from CDC’s U.S. totals that the agency didn’t assign to a specific state or territory.

“Supply used” shows the proportion of administered vaccines compared with the total doses

received by a state. Population data were last updated on January 14, 2022.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

Stonewall Jackson: The great general of the American Civil War

BYMANNY F. DOOC

JANUARY 21, 2022

I’M an incurable romantic when it comes to the heroic exploits of the famous

American generals who figured prominently in the US Civil War in 1861 to

1865. When I was in high school, I would spend my Saturdays at the public library reading about the military campaigns waged by the two sides

distinguished by the color of their uniforms—blue for the Union soldiers and gray for the Confederates. I never missed every movie featuring the

memorable battles during the civil war. My favorites include Gettysburg, Glory,

Horse Soldiers and Shenandoah. Of course, the classic film of epic length is the ultimate movie about the civil war, Gone With the Wind, which depicts the

life and culture of the South just before and after the Civil War.

ADVERTISING

X

General Ulysses Grant, the supreme commander of the Union Army, and his subordinate generals like George McClellan, William Tecumseh Sherman and George Meade and their counterparts from the Confederate Army led by Generals Robert Lee, Stonewall Jackson, James Longstreet and Nathan Forrest were the figures larger than life who populated my dreams. At the outbreak of the war, Lee was the commander of the army of Northern Virginia, his native state, and was considered as one of the finest generals to wear the uniform in the US. He was offered the command of the entire Union armies but he opted to be loyal to his home state, which was a part of the Confederacy. These generals were household names during the Civil War and their victories and defeats in battles changed the fortunes of the war and the destiny of the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was the most popular and beloved general of the Confederate Army. The Americans, particularly those from the South, are celebrating his 198th birthday anniversary today. Jackson was the

most celebrated general because of his many victories in significant battles and his military achievements were eclipsed only by General Robert E. Lee after Jackson’s death in 1863. He was twice wounded in action as he led his troops against overwhelming forces of the North. The pro-abolition Union armies backed up by wealthier, more powerful and heavily industrialized states in the North enjoyed tremendous advantage over the pro-slavery states of the South. Jackson was a native of Virginia, which became the seat of the Confederacy during the civil war. He attended the West Point Military Academy and took part in the Mexican-American War after his graduation. With his distinguished service against the Mexicans, he was taken in as an instructor at the famed Virginia Military Institute. When Virginia seceded from the Union, he commanded a brigade of the Confederate Army and boldly led his troops in the first battle of Bull Run where he fiercely defended their fort and turned back the massive Union forces. For this heroic feat, both allies and foes dubbed him “stonewall”, which stuck with him forever. Jackson was outstanding in battles and was a feared and respected commander. He was the Confederate Armies’ hero of the campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862. He vanquished three Union armies commanded by different generals and successfully repulsed General McClellan’s troops in its assault of Richmond. He then reinforced the beleaguered Northern Virginia Army under General Lee, which was tasked mainly to defend Richmond. He captured the supply depot of General John Pope and repelled the advance of the Union forces during the 2nd battle of Bull Run. In the subsequent Maryland campaign, he led the capture of Harpers Ferry, a critical post controlled by the Union Army and strategic to the defense of the Confederate forces in Antietam. Before 1862 ended, he initially backed out in the battle of Fredericksburg but eventually beat back the Union forces of General Ambrose Burnside. But a tragic battle awaited him in April and May 1863, which proved to be the last conflict for this invincible warrior. This was the battle at Chancellorsville where the Union Army of the Potomac had successfully crossed the river undetected to gather at Chancellorsville in order to prepare for a massive attack on Fredericksburg. Jackson made a surprise assault on the right plank of the enemy forces and successfully led his 30,000 troops in driving back for a couple of miles the larger Union army under General Joseph Hooker. At that point, Hooker erroneously thought that he was confronting overwhelming enemy forces of General Lee. That evening, Jackson wearily returned to his camp, accompanied by his close-in security forces. As they traversed the friendly territory under cover of darkness, friendly forces ambushed Jackson. Before they could establish their identity, he and his companions were accidentally shot by fellow Southerners on their way back from the battle. The next day, General Lee and his troops continued the attack

and this time against the entire plank and the panic-driven Union forces withdrew back across the river counting thousands of casualties and surrenderees left behind. It was one of the last major battles won by the Confederate armies during the final stretch of the war.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/01/21/stonewall-jackson-the-great-general-of-the-american-civil-

war/

HOW TO SUPPORT A GLOBALLY CONNECTED

COUNTER-DISINFORMATION NETWORK

KEVIN SHEIVES

JANUARY 20, 2022

COMMENTARY

From undermining democracy to inciting genocide, the global dangers of disinformation on social media are now well known. But despite countless calls for better legal regulation or intensified content moderation, the efforts of governments and social media companies to combat this threat have proven either woefully inadequate or dangerous to democratic practice.

The problem is that we have been looking for the solution in the wrong place. Civil society, not governments or social media companies, can best diminish disinformation. But these civil society organizations need equipping, and their tools need sharpening. A powerful, networked disinformation threat should be met with a powerful, networked response. This means more data access, more training, and a more entrepreneurial approach to support groups around the world that are already on the front lines. By providing this support, ideally in a more coordinated fashion, donors and research organizations can help make these groups even more powerful in their response.

Governments and Tech Companies Aren’t the Solution

While Americans often point to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election as the moment social media disinformation became a problem, the rest of the world was already worried. Political disinformation has impacted elections in every region. Hate speech has led to violence and genocide in Burma, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. Authoritarian states’ systems of propaganda have amplified conspiracy theories about the pandemic and encouraged intimidation of Western scholars.

BECOME A MEMBER

As civil society groups have pioneered their own responses, social media platforms are struggling with how to regulate themselves, and governments are struggling with how to regulate these platforms. Some governments have rapidly developed their own counter-disinformation capabilities. The Department of Defense, for example, has begun to

prioritize counter-disinformation, with U.S. Special Operations Command focusing on adversarial disinformation operations outside of wartime. Sweden, in turn, has established a Psychological Defense Agency to counter foreign influence operations.

The risk, however, is that government agencies are naturally inclined to prioritize national security over values in their decision-making. When governments, militaries, and law enforcement agencies expose disinformation, they inevitably focus on its threat to national interests. When the United States, European nations, or Taiwan publicize Chinese-sourced information operations that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the content of and intention behind their outreach focuses on maintaining cross-straits stability or ensuring Taiwan’s security. However, civil society organizations — like, say, Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab — will focus on a broader value set and on defending Taiwan’s information environment as a whole.

The worst approach for democratic governments would be to act like the trolls and conduct covert, inauthentic operations of their own. Such a response is antithetical to the values of democracy, and can end up being counter-productive or generating a mixed bag of positive and negative results, as past in-depth research has shown. Foreign governments often lack the credibility that local civil society has, a point emphasized by a study meant to advise the French government’s counter-disinformation work.

Domestically, intensive government regulation of the online environment quickly faces difficult trade-offs between freedom of expression and censorship. It’s natural for government policymakers to want to “do something” in the face of unfolding information threats. However, government’s proper role in defending the information space revolves around empowering credible non-governmental voices, ensuring a level and competitive playing field for information to flow freely, and developing the highest possible transparency standards for traditional and social media organizations. Establishing “fake news” laws and other heavy-handed regulatory measures risk further politicizing truth and enabling the state’s capture of media.

https://warontherocks.com/2022/01/how-to-support-a-globally-connected-counter-disinformation-

network/

HOW TO SUPPORT A GLOBALLY CONNECTED

COUNTER-DISINFORMATION NETWORK

KEVIN SHEIVES

JANUARY 20, 2022

COMMENTARY

From undermining democracy to inciting genocide, the global dangers of disinformation on social media are now well known. But despite countless calls for better legal regulation or intensified content moderation, the efforts of governments and social media companies to combat this threat have proven either woefully inadequate or dangerous to democratic practice.

The problem is that we have been looking for the solution in the wrong place. Civil society, not governments or social media companies, can best diminish disinformation. But these civil society organizations need equipping, and their tools need sharpening. A powerful, networked disinformation threat should be met with a powerful, networked response. This means more data access, more training, and a more entrepreneurial approach to support groups around the world that are already on the front lines. By providing this support, ideally in a more coordinated fashion, donors and research organizations can help make these groups even more powerful in their response.

Governments and Tech Companies Aren’t the Solution

While Americans often point to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election as the moment social media disinformation became a problem, the rest of the world was already worried. Political disinformation has impacted elections in every region. Hate speech has led to violence and genocide in Burma, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. Authoritarian states’ systems of propaganda have amplified conspiracy theories about the pandemic and encouraged intimidation of Western scholars.

As civil society groups have pioneered their own responses, social media platforms are struggling with how to regulate themselves, and governments are struggling with how to regulate these platforms. Some governments have rapidly developed their own counter-disinformation capabilities. The Department of Defense, for example, has begun to prioritize counter-disinformation, with U.S. Special Operations Command focusing on adversarial disinformation operations outside of wartime. Sweden, in turn, has established a Psychological Defense Agency to counter foreign influence operations.

The risk, however, is that government agencies are naturally inclined to prioritize national security over values in their decision-making. When governments, militaries, and law enforcement agencies expose disinformation, they inevitably focus on its threat to national interests. When the United States, European nations, or Taiwan publicize

Chinese-sourced information operations that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the content of and intention behind their outreach focuses on maintaining cross-straits stability or ensuring Taiwan’s security. However, civil society organizations — like, say, Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab — will focus on a broader value set and on defending Taiwan’s information environment as a whole.

The worst approach for democratic governments would be to act like the trolls and conduct covert, inauthentic operations of their own. Such a response is antithetical to the values of democracy, and can end up being counter-productive or generating a mixed bag of positive and negative results, as past in-depth research has shown. Foreign governments often lack the credibility that local civil society has, a point emphasized by a study meant to advise the French government’s counter-disinformation work.

Domestically, intensive government regulation of the online environment quickly faces difficult trade-offs between freedom of expression and censorship. It’s natural for government policymakers to want to “do something” in the face of unfolding information threats. However, government’s proper role in defending the information space revolves around empowering credible non-governmental voices, ensuring a level and competitive playing field for information to flow freely, and developing the highest possible transparency standards for traditional and social media organizations. Establishing “fake news” laws and other heavy-handed regulatory measures risk further politicizing truth and enabling the state’s capture of media.

https://warontherocks.com/2022/01/how-to-support-a-globally-connected-counter-disinformation-

network/

Commentary: Is Cambodia up to the task of chairing ASEAN?

Cambodia has taken the reins for ASEAN leadership for 2022, a year that will be defined by its handling of the Myanmar crisis, as well as foreign

engagement in an increasingly multipolar world order, says a researcher.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures as he joins an online meeting of

the ASEAN-China special summit at Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Nov. 22, 2021. (An Khoun SamAun/National Television of

Cambodia via AP, File)

TOKYO: In October 2021, Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei handed over the chairmanship of

ASEAN to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

In 2022, ASEAN will continue to be preoccupied with Myanmar’s political crisis and

the international community’s criticism on the issue. ASEAN has taken modest

but unrivalled measures in this regard.

ADVERTISEMENT The ASEAN Summit on Apr 24, 2021 issued a Chairman’s Statement, which

implemented the "Five-Point Consensus" on the situation in Myanmar, inviting "non-

political representatives" and refusing the attendance of Myanmar’s Senior General

Min Aung Hlaing to the 38th and 39th concurrent ASEAN Summits.

In response, Myanmar was absent from these ASEAN Summits and the ASEAN–China Special Summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN–China

Dialogue Relations, despite China’s lobbying.

Myanmar also remained absent from other meetings, including the 13th Asia Europe

Meeting chaired by Cambodia. If ASEAN organisers stand by their decision of

requiring Myanmar attendees to be non-political figures, disharmony is likely.

Thailand and Cambodia — who have both previously taken conciliatory positions

vis-à-vis Myanmar — have aligned with other ASEAN countries and criticised

Myanmar for its absence at ASEAN-related meetings.

Hun Sen also appears to be seeking to engage in dialogue with Myanmar’s junta just

before the ASEAN chairmanship rolls around.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/cambodia-asean-hun-sen-myanmar-crisis-foreign-

engagement-2444641

Moscow’s Compellence Strategy – Analysis January 20, 2022 Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute 1 Comment

By Published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute By Rob Lee*

(FPRI) — How ambitious are Russia’s foreign policy objectives, and how much force does Moscow believe it must employ to achieve them? Moscow has submitted various ultimatums, but the most critical and pressing issue is that the Kremlin now regards Ukraine as a permanently hostile country continuing to increase its defense capabilities. Russian hopes for improved relations with President Volodymyr Zelensky were dashed in 2021, and Moscow is now focused on reducing the long-term security risk posed by Ukraine, including halting its expanding defense cooperation with NATO. However, this is one of the most unrealistic and difficult demands for NATO to satisfy, particularly because Ukraine is developing long-range missiles domestically. This diplomatic impasse suggests a significant risk of a Russian military escalation in Ukraine with few obvious offramps. A number of recent articles have suggested that the costs of a potential invasion are too high, or that the purpose of a Russian military operation in Ukraine would be to occupy

territory. A better explanation of Moscow’s current actions is that they are part of a compellence campaign. If Moscow cannot convince the United States to agree to some of its demands and force Ukraine to make concessions, it may view military force as its last resort to change what it considers an unacceptable status quo. Russian behavior suggests that it believes the costs of inaction would be greater than the costs of a significant military escalation in Ukraine, particularly after reviewing the events in Ukraine over the summer and fall. Moscow’s military objectives would focus on imposing unacceptable costs on Ukraine by destroying military units, inflicting casualties, taking prisoners of war, or degrading Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. Russia could choose to seize territory to raise the costs on Kyiv, but this would likely not be the ultimate objective. Moscow could possibly achieve its objectives by unleashing Russia’s superior fires capability without an invasion or launching a short punitive raid with a planned withdrawal. These options would have fewer risks and costs than a large-scale invasion designed to occupy significantly more territory.

https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-moscows-compellence-strategy-analysis/

Dangers of a New Reality: How China Could

Weaponize the Metaverse

A place where you can be who you want to be, go where you want to go—that, and

more, is what the Metaverse is promising.

Crypto and FinTech attorney Felix Shipkevich calls it “a brave new world.”

Paris Hilton welcomed 2022 by throwing a new year’s party in the Metaverse.

On top of the celebrity hype, many are touting the ability to connect, buy virtual

goods, and explore virtual worlds. But under it lies a darker side.

Bob Gourley, Chief Technology Officer at OODA, said “privacy is one of the biggest

issues we’re tracking”

John Mac Ghlionn, researcher at the Brownstone Institute, said, “If there are no

regulators, there are no rules.” or the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.

And concerns have arisen, as foreign powers like China buy up large swaths of virtual

land.

In this special report, we look at what that means going forward, from people looking

for a place to escape reality, to future wars that could break out.

https://www.ntd.com/dangers-of-a-new-reality-how-china-could-weaponize-the-

metaverse_729675.html

Debate: India Faces Jointmanship From China and Pakistan, Not Two Fronts

India's rulers have remained complacent even as Pakistan is heading towards becoming a satellite of China. While Vajpayee sought to unite the subcontinent, polarising divisions have become the order of the day even within the country.

A recent article in The Wire by Rear-Admiral Raja Menon argued that India must improve trade and other relations with Pakistan since India now faces the prospect of a two-front war – with Pakistan as well as China.

He is right, but his argument is too little too late. India has faced the possibility of a two-front war since at least 1965, when Pakistan (and perhaps some world powers) hoped that China would rattle a sabre on India’s eastern front during that year’s Indo-Pakistan war. We now face the possibility of a coordinated twin-front, or multi-front, confrontation. That officers of the two armies are now posted in each other ’s forces indicates that jointmanship in operations might resemble that of the US and British forces during the World War II.

Close relations between China and Pakistan date from the 1950s, the decade during which China began work on the almost impossible Karakoram Highway. A thousand persons died doing it, 200 of them were Chinese. That should have already given India’s strategists a pause. That connectivity was not meant for tourism. Nor, at that time, for trade.

But of course, Menon is absolutely right to hold that India has been ill -served by the bunch who pass for its strategists and security analysts. As a country, we have lacked strategic insight and geopolitical vision. Even those who pass for ‘China experts’ don’t focus on Gilgit, which the British viewed as the geopolitical nub of Jammu and Kashmir since the 1870s. (They still do. So do the Chinese.)

Also read: Pakistan-Afghanistan Ties Come Under Strain After Taliban Opposes Border Fencing

https://thewire.in/south-asia/debate-india-faces-jointmanship-from-china-and-pakistan-not-two-fronts

Rebuilding The World Order – Analysis January 20, 2022 Emil Avdaliani 0 Comments

By Emil Avdaliani

Many in the West believe China’s economic ascendancy indicates that Beijing is covertly working to usher in a new world order in which the balance of power has shifted.

History shows that changes in the world order are inevitable, but they are not happening as quickly as some analysts think. For example, the rise of the US to the world’s primary geopolitical position took nearly half a century, from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. France’s rise to domination over western Europe in the 17th century was also a long and arduous process.

In these as well as many other cases from ancient and medieval times, the rise of a new power was facilitated by stagnation, gradual decline, and military confrontation among the various existing powers.

For instance, the US was already powerful in the early 20th century, but it was the infighting during the two world wars among the European powers that brought down the edifice of the Europe-led world order and opened a path for American ascendancy.

But while it is possible to identify the changing winds of the world order through various analytical methods, it is much harder to find ways to preserve an existing order. It requires a whole constellation of leaders from competing sides to grasp the severity of the threat posed by radical change and to pursue measures together to cool down tensions.

The key question that needs to be addressed is whether the West still possesses the necessary political, economic, and military tools to uphold the existing world order and not allow it to slip into chaos, as the world’s leaders mistakenly did in the first half of the 20th century.

The successful preservation of an existing world order is a rare event in history. Following the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, European leaders gathered to build a long-lasting peace. They saw that the French power, though soundly defeated under Napoleon I, needed to be accommodated within the new fabric of the European geopolitical order. This meant not only inviting French representatives to conferences, but offering military and economic cooperation as well as concessions to the French to limit their political grievances.

In other words, European diplomats had an acute understanding of post-French Revolution geopolitics and understood the need to build a long-lasting security architecture through balance of power.

But such approaches are unusual. Perhaps the shock of the bloody Napoleonic Wars, as well as the presence of such brilliant diplomats such as Metternich, Talleyrand, Castlereagh, and Alexander I, assured the success of the new order.

It is far more common that challenges to the world order lead to direct military confrontation. Failure to accommodate Germany in the early 20th century led in part to WWI, and the errant diplomacy of the Treaty of Versailles led in part to WWII. The list goes on.

China’s rise to power is another case for study. The country is poised to become a powerful player in international politics thanks to its economic rise and concurrent military development. Beijing has strategic imperatives that clash with those of the US. It needs to secure procurement of oil and gas resources, which are currently most readily available through the Strait of Malacca. In an age of US naval dominance, the Chinese imperative is to redirect its economy’s dependence, as well as its supply routes, elsewhere.

That is the central motivation behind the almost trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is intended to reconnect the Asia-Pacific with Europe through Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia. At the same time, Beijing has a growing ambition to thwart US naval dominance off Chinese shores.

In view of these factors, mutual suspicion between Beijing and Washington is bound to increase over the next years and decades.

Thus, we find ourselves within a changing world order. What is interesting is what the US (or the West collectively) can do to salvage the existing order.

From the US side, a strengthening of existing US-led alliance systems with Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific states could help to retain American influence in Eurasia. Specifically, it would enable the US to limit Russia’s, Iran’s, and possibly China’s actions in their respective neighborhoods.

Another powerful measure to solidify the existing world order would be to increase Washington’s economic footprint across Eurasia. This could be similar to the Marshall Plan, with which the US saved Europe economically and attached it to the US economy. New economic measures could be even more efficient and long-lasting in terms of strengthening Western influence across Eurasia.

But no matter what economic and military moves the US makes with regard to allies such as South Korea, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others, any attempt to uphold the existing world order without China’s cooperation would be short-lived and would echo the way Germany was cast out of the Versailles negotiations, which served only to create a grievance in Berlin and prompt clandestine preparations for a new conflict. In a way, the West’s current problems with Russia can also be explained this way: Moscow was cast out of the post-Cold War order, which caused worry and a degree of revanchism among the Russian elites.

https://www.eurasiareview.com/20012022-rebuilding-the-world-order-analysis/