Today’s News 29 July 2021 (Thursday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS

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B. NATIONAL HEADLINES

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1 2 Week Lockdown Looms in Aug; Biz Groups Agree

R Domingo PDI A1

2 DOF, NEDA, biz groups back 2-week lockdown

L Desiderio P Star 1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY

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3 House probe on Chinese exploration in Panatag pushed

E Punay P -Star A2

D. INDO-PACIFIC

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NIL NIL NIL NIL E. AFP RELATED

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4 Duterte to Diaz: ‘Let Bygones Be Bygones’ J Aning PDI A2

5 Rep. Villar urges PRRD to confer PH Legion of Honor to Hidilyn Diaz

PDI A3

6 ‘Hidilyn’s victory gives proposed sports department a push’

E Punay P Star A4

7 Hidilyn returns to honors, PAF Promotion O Leyba P Star 1

8 Duterte adds P3M to Diaz’s haul D Tribune A6

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM

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9 Albay town top cop relieved as slay of 2 activists probed

J Andrade PDI A4

10 ‘NPAs tired of fighting’ A Dumlao P-Star 6

11 NPA ‘dead’ by next year-Esperon D Reyes M -Times A8

12 NPA matatapos sa 2022 Ngayon 2

G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG

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H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL

Title Writer Newspaper Page

13 Nothing new in last SONA A Carpio PDI A6

14 Hidilyn, first of Her Name PDI A6

15 Shrinking Space C Lozada D Tribune A7

16 Hidilyn gets free air travel I Suing D Tribune B11

17 Stronger PH Defense P-Journal 4

I. ONLINE NEWS

Title Link

NATIONAL NEWS

18 Duterte gives Hidilyn a virtual welcome https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/dute

rte-gives-hidilyn-a-virtual-welcome/

19 Petecio secures bronze, fights for gold https://manilastandard.net/news/top-

stories/360967/petecio-secures-bronze-fights-for-gold.html

20 Palace prodded on P5-T 2022 national budget bill

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/palace-prodded-on-%e2%82%a75-t-2022-national-budget-bill/

21 NCR stays under GCQ ‘with heightened restrictions’ until Aug. 15

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148624

22 Business groups give nod to fresh lockdown

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/biz-groups-give-nod-to-fresh-lockdown/

23 Comelec remains confident of voter turnout in 2022 polls despite Covid fears

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/comelec-remains-confident-of-voter-turnout-in-2022-polls-despite-covid-fears/

24 Habagat’ to dump monsoon rains over parts of Luzon

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/29/habagat-to-dump-monsoon-rains-over-parts-of-luzon/

NAVY NEWS

25 House probe on Chinese exploration in Panatag pushed

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/29/2115947/house-probe-chinese-exploration-panatag-pushed

26 Carpio hits Duterte for staying ‘faithful to Chinese propaganda line’

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198066/carpio-hits-duterte-for-staying-faithful-to-chinese-propaganda-line-after-arbitration-remark

27 Duterte’s claim that 2016 Arbitral ruling does not bind China is ‘totally false’ — Carpio

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/dutertes-claim-that-2016-arbitral-ruling-does-not-bind-china-is-totally-false-says-former-sc-justice-carpio/

28 Duterte 'sold out' to China PH sovereignty, territorial integrity — Del Rosario

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/duterte-sold-out-to-china-ph-sovereignty-territorial-integrity-del-rosario/

29 Del Rosario accuses Rody of selling out Phl in WPS row

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/28/del-rosario-accuses-rody-of-selling-out-phl-in-wps-row/

AFP RELATED

30 Hidilyn to receive presidential medal of merit, PHP3-M from PRRD

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148609

31 Air Force promotion: Call her Staff Sergeant Hidilyn Diaz!

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/air-force-promotion-call-her-staff-sergeant-hidilyn-diaz/

32 Hidilyn win shows potential, strength of Filipinas: Defense chief

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148504

33 Admin solon bats for swift action on Duterte's priority bills for PNP, AFP men

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/admin-solon-bats-for-swift-action-on-dutertes-priority-bills-for-pnp-afp-men/

34 Eleazar orders offensive vs Reds who attacked convoy of cops and health workers in Samar

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/eleazar-orders-offensive-vs-reds-who-attacked-convoy-of-cops-and-health-workers-in-samar/

35 Army, NPA clash in Misamis Occidental https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/army-npa-clash-

in-misamis-occidental/

36 Guns, lots of guns en route Maguindanao intercepted in Samar

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/guns-lots-of-guns-en-route-maguindanao-intercepted-in-samar/

37 BIFF commander, 6 followers surrender https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/

regions/biff-commander-6-followers-surrender/1808785

38 Killed terrorists not Indonesians– consulate

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/regions/killed-terrorists-not-indonesians-consulate/1808782

INDO-PACIFIC NEWS

39 Duterte confident of sustained ties with ‘friend closer than brother’ Japan

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198079/duterte-confident-of-sustained-ties-with-friend-closer-than-brother-japan

40 PM Suga hails Japan's 'strong bond' with PH

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/pm-suga-hails-japans-strong-bond-with-ph/

41 The South China Sea: Have the Positive Trends in 2020 Continued in 2021

http://www.maritimeissues.com/politics/the-south-china-sea-have-the-positive-trends-in-2020-continued-in-2021.html

42 IMF raises growth forecasts for rich nations, dims outlook for developing world

https://www.bworldonline.com/imf-raises-growth-forecasts-for-rich-nations-dims-outlook-for-developing-world/

43 Infrastructure talks leave Biden’s entire agenda at risk

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-bff693912bd77d1152cf0606493d2d15

44 US welcomes restored inter-Korean hotlines

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210728000839

45 China may be having a harder time with Biden than with Trump

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/27/china-sherman-visit/

46 US lawmakers push corporate sponsors to shun Beijing Olympics

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/us-lawmakers-push-corporate-sponsors-to-shun-beijing-olympics-15313836

47 Olympic Body 'Remains Neutral' Concerning US Commission’s Call to Postpone 2022 Beijing Games

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/beijing-olympics-07272021191106.html

48 Blinken in India for talks dominated by Afghan turmoil, China

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/blinken-in-india-for-talks-dominated-by-afghan-turmoil--china-15310880

49

US, India pledge Quad cooperation on vaccines, urge Taliban to uphold peace

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3142921/us-india-urge-taliban-uphold-peace-afghanistan-they-pledge-quad

50

Afghanistan would be 'pariah state' under Taliban takeover: Antony Blinken

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/afghanistan-would-be-pariah-state-under-taliban-takeover-antony-blinken/articleshow/84822934.cms

51 Risking China's anger, Blinken meets representative of Dalai Lama in India

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/blinken-starts-india-meetings-with-address-civil-society-group-2021-07-28/

52

A US-Russia Deal on Afghanistan https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/biden-putin-us-russia-deal-on-afghanistan-by-djoomart-otorbaev-2021-07

53 U.S., Russia hold nuclear talks in Geneva after summit push

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1466204/u-s-russia-hold-nuclear-talks-in-geneva-after-summit-push

54

China Sends Sharp-Tongued Diplomat as Ambassador to Washington

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-28/china-sends-sharp-tongued-diplomat-as-ambassador-to-washington?srnd=premium-asia

55 Chinese, Mongolian FMs hold talks on boosting bilateral ties

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877563.html

56 Chinese FM meets with Afghan Taliban's political chief

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877741.html

57 Taliban leader meets Chinese FM; assures not to allow terrorist forces to operate from Afghanistan

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/taliban-delegation-visits-china-to-discuss-security/articleshow/84819418.cms

58 China says Taliban expected to play 'important' Afghan peace role

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taliban-delegation-visits-china-taliban-spokesperson-2021-07-28/

59 China Seeks Taliban Promise to Wage War on Uighur Fighters in Afghanistan

https://www.newsweek.com/china-seeks-taliban-promise-wage-war-uighur-fighters-afghanistan-1614032

60 What message was Xi sending on his visit to Tibet?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3142911/what-message-was-xi-jinping-trying-send-his-visit-tibet

61 China’s Growing Ties With Indonesian Provinces

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/chinas-growing-ties-with-indonesian-provinces/

62 Smearing China over COVID-19 is geopolitical game

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877584.html

63 Blinken meets WHO chief, supports new coronavirus origins probe in China

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3142935/antony-blinken-meets-who-chief-supports-new

64 Far more world leaders visit China than America

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/far-more-world-leaders-visit-china-america

65 Hong Kong's civil society 'withers' under national security purge

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/hong-kong-democracy-civil-society-wither-national-security-china-15315442

66 China’s top legislature eyes more laws for HK, Macao SARs

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40003846

67

Chinese Taipei: A proud nation barred from using real name and flag

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/chinese-taipei-the-medal-winning-olympic-nation-you-wont-find-on-any-maps/6KUFQGVWJGV45AFFZHH2FF26BA/

68 No empress for Japan despite a lack of heirs

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/succession-crisis-looms-but-japan-wont-contemplate-a-woman-on-the-throne-0b5x6lxgt

69 Koreas talk again in dormant channels, agree to improve ties

https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-moon-jae-in-north-korea-d24d9fd2ddfb6ca201a760f3da00da6a

70 North, South Korea in talks over summit, reopening liaison office

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-north-south-korea-talks-over-summit-reopening-liaison-office-sources-2021-07-28/

71

Even in absence, North Korea’s presence felt at Tokyo Games

https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-tokyo-coronavirus-pandemic-winter-olympics-1d50342d7fba7e334041c8526724b3cb

72 Remaking the South Korea-US Alliance https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/remaking-the-

south-korea-us-alliance/

73 More Than 80 Ethnic Chin Killed by Myanmar’s Military Since February Coup: Watchdog Group

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/chin-07272021183114.html

74

Indian-Australian-Japanese experts explore ideas to connect Northeast with Indo-Pacific

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-australian-japanese-experts-explore-ideas-to-connect-northeast-with-indo-pacific/articleshow/84828701.cms

75

United States 'really messed it up' in Afghanistan, says Pakistan PM Imran Khan

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/united-states-really-messed-it-up-in-afghanistan-says-pakistan-pm-imran-khan/articleshow/84822765.cms

76 Passports please: Afghans queue up for escape lifeline

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/passports-please--afghans-queue-up-for-escape-lifeline-15315188

77 Afghanistan FM Atmar Says Taliban Promoting Extremism, Paving Way For Islamic State

https://www.eurasiareview.com/28072021-afghanistan-fm-atmar-says-taliban-promoting-extremism-paving-way-for-islamic-state/

78 Morocco arrests Uyghur man at China’s request

https://www.news10.com/news/international/activists-morocco-arrests-uyghur-man-at-chinas-request/

79 Calls for Independence May Not Help the Uyghur Cause

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/27/uyghur-independence-hurting-case-xinjiang/

80 In Exporting Problems, Australia Risks Damaging Ties With New Zealand

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/in-exporting-problems-australia-risks-damaging-ties-with-new-zealand/

81 Middle Eastern Interventionism Galore: Neither US Nor Chinese Policies Alleviate

https://www.eurasiareview.com/28072021-middle-eastern-interventionism-galore-neither-us-nor-chinese-policies-alleviate-analysis/

82 Can the Taliban Play China and Russia Off the United States?

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/can-the-taliban-play-china-and-russia-off-the-united-states/

83 Will Washington Face a Reckoning Over Taiwan?

https://www.lawfareblog.com/will-washington-face-reckoning-over-taiwan

84 Biden zigzags on China policy https://thehill.com/opinion/international/564874

-biden-zigzags-on-china-policy

85 Modern Geopolitics: A Race Through Chaos To Stability

https://www.eurasiareview.com/28072021-modern-geopolitics-a-race-through-chaos-to-stability-oped/

86 The perfect storm of global vulnerability https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-perfect-

storm-of-global-vulnerability/

87 After 5 Years: South China Sea Arbitration Award and Philippine-China Relations

https://www.chinausfocus.com/peace-security/after-5-years-south-china-sea-

arbitration-award-and-philippine-china-relations

DEFENSE NEWS

88 Duterte to hold talks with US defense secretary

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/duterte-to-hold-talks-with-us-defense-secretary/

89 Duterte, Austin to meet in Malacañang on Thursday

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148621

90 Philippines' 1st Of Two 97-Meter Patrol Vessel Launched By Japanese Shipbuilder

https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/2021/07/philippines-1st-of-two-97-meter-patrol.html

91 ASEAN defense ministers push for conduct norms in South China Sea

https://ipdefenseforum.com/2021/07/asean-defense-ministers-push-for-conduct-norms-in-south-china-sea/

92

What the Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Tells Us About How Far We Have Come Since 9/11

https://www.justsecurity.org/77580/what-the-review-of-the-un-global-counter-terrorism-strategy-tells-us-about-how-far-we-have-come-since-9-11/

93

Civilian Nuclear Weapons Budget Request for ’22 Barely Adequate, Joint Pentagon-DoE Group Says

https://www.defensedaily.com/civilian-nuclear-weapons-budget-request-for-22-barely-adequate-joint-pentagon-doe-group-says/nuclear-modernization/

94 Biden warns cyber attacks could lead to 'a real shooting war'

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/biden-warns-cyber-attacks-could-lead-to--a-real-shooting-war--15313712

95

In 1st visit to intel agency, Biden warns of cyber conflict

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-health-coronavirus-pandemic-cia-02b42e34d723ee525eab1d2e18dd14c9

96 Biden pushes for stronger cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, wants companies to do more

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/28/biden-to-sign-memorandum-to-improve-cybersecurity-for-us-infrastructure.html

97 Exercise Tests DOD's Integrated Deterrence

http://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2711154/exercise-tests-dods-integrated-deterrence/

98 The Pentagon Needs More Than Ships and Planes to Deter China

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-07-26/the-pentagon-needs-more-than-ships-and-planes-to-deter-china

99 Retired US general says the Trump White House 'was complicit in the planning' of the January 6 insurrection

https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-us-general-trump-white-house-complicit-planning-capitol-insurrection-2021-7

100 US Stepping up Airstrikes This Week to Support Afghan Forces

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/us-stepping-up-airstrikes-this-week-to-support-afghan-forces/

101 US concern over China nuclear build-up after new silos report

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/us-concern-over-china-nuclear-weapons-build-up-new-silos-15314366

102 Austin: US doesn't want conflict with China but won't 'flinch when our interests are threatened'

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/27/politics/us-defense-secretary-austin-asia-singapore-speech-intl-hnk/index.html

103 US Secretary of Defense signals resolve and return of values to Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy

https://www.9dashline.com/article/us-secretary-of-defense-signals-resolve-and-

return-of-values-to-washingtons-indo-pacific-strategy

104

As tensions with China mount, US defense secretary visits Vietnam, vows support for region

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/07/28/as-tensions-with-china-mount-us-defense-secretary-visits-vietnam-vows-support-for-region/

105 Pentagon’s New Guidance on U.S. Space Policy

https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/07/28/what-is-pentagon-s-new-guidance-on-u.s.-space-policy-pub-85052

106 Space Force sees ‘advantages and opportunities’ in nuclear-powered space missions

https://spacenews.com/space-force-sees-advantages-and-opportunities-in-nuclear-powered-space-missions/

107 US Air force to Eliminate 20 Rq-4 global hawks spy planes

https://defenceview.in/us-air-force-to-eliminate-20-rq-4-global-hawks-spy-planes/

108 What the Heck Is a "Flying Missile Rail" and Why Is It So Necessary?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/what-heck-flying-missile-rail-and-why-it-so-necessary-190632

109

123 US service members killed in training vehicle accidents over 10 years, GAO review says

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2021/07/123-service-members-killed-in-training-vehicle-accidents-over-10-years-gao-review-says/

110

USN CNO Gilday: Keeping Littoral Combat Ships Nimble Key to Pacific Deployments, No Plans for 1st Fleet in Singapore

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/28/cno-gilday-keeping-littoral-combat-ships-nimble-key-to-pacific-deployments-no-plans-for-1st-fleet-in-singapore

111 US navy chief backs ‘equitable’ use of resource-rich disputed waters

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3142908/south-china-sea-us-will-ensure-all-nations-can-benefit-resource

112

U.S. 7th Fleet Task Forces 71, 75, 76 form SAG in the South China Sea

http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2710837/us-7th-fleet-task-forces-71-75-76-form-sag-in-the-south-china-sea/

113 Destroyer Makes 7th U.S. Navy Taiwan Strait Transit in 2021

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/28/destroyer-makes-7th-u-s-navy-taiwan-strait-transit-in-2021

114 USNAVWAR Launches First Secret-Level DevSecOps Pipeline

http://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2710817/navwar-launches-first-secret-level-devsecops-pipeline/

115 A New U.S. Navy Planning Model For Lower-Threshold Maritime Security Operations, Part 1

https://cimsec.org/a-new-u-s-navy-planning-model-for-lower-threshold-maritime-security-operations-part-1/

116 Adaptation: The Zumwalt Destroyer's Purpose Has Drastically Changed

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/adaptation-zumwalt-destroyers-purpose-has-drastically-changed-190624

117 Report to Congress on Constellation-class Frigate Program (FFG-62)

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/28/report-to-congress-on-constellation-class-frigate-program-ffg-62-4

118

US Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21017143/navy-constellation-ffg-62-class-frigate-program-background-and-issues-for-congress-july-15-2021.pdf

119 US Navy SEALs have to go 'back to the future' to help US warships survive a future fight with Russia or China

https://www.businessinsider.com/seals-back-to-future-to-help-navy-against-russia-china-2021-7

120 Is There Anything Scarier Than a Submarine Peaking Out of the Water? Not to These Sailors

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/there-anything-scarier-submarine-peaking-out-water-not-these-sailors-190616

121

US Marines finally getting a realistic force-on-force shooter for combat training

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/07/27/marines-finally-getting-a-realistic-force-on-force-shooter-for-combat-training/

122 China's New Nuclear Missile Silos Confirm U.S. Defense Officials' Fears

https://www.newsweek.com/chinas-new-nuclear-missile-silos-confirm-us-defense-officials-fears-1613882

123 Chinese military drills simulate amphibious landing and island seizure in battle conditions

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3142851/chinese-military-drills-simulate-amphibious-landing-and-island

124 PLA stages S.China Sea drills, shows high combat readiness amid UK carrier tour

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229790.shtml

125 Chinese researchers look at how to keep satellites under the radar

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3142902/chinese-researchers-look-how-keep-satellites-under-radar

126 China-Taliban ties warming ahead of US withdrawal

https://www.news10.com/news/international/china-taliban-ties-warming-ahead-of-us-withdrawal/

127 PLA debuts latest artillery weapons in plateau exercises

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229911.shtml

128 PLA naval special mission aircraft in flight training

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877413.html

129 China Developing Laser to Improve Hypersonic Missile, Aircraft Speed

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/27/china-laser-missile-aircraft-speed/

130 China, Russia vow to cement cooperation as defense ministers meet in Dushanbe

https://asiapost.live/china-russia-vow-to-cement-cooperation-as-defense-ministers-meet-in-dushanbe/

131 Tajik president, Chinese defense minister agree to enhance cooperation

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877446.html

132 Youth aviation schools become main source of PLA's naval cadets

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229915.shtml

133 Chinese underwater drone ‘Robo-Fish’ https://www.scmp.com/video/china/3142881/c

hinese-company-creates-fishlike-underwater-drone-robo-fish

134 Why Is China Massively Expanding Its Nuclear Weapons Arsenal?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/why-is-china-massively-expanding-its-nuclear-weapons-arsenal/

135 Chinese military turboprop enters Taiwan’s ADIZ

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4259710

136 Taiwan probes reported hack of officials' LINE messaging accounts

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/taiwan-probes-reported-hack-of-officials-line-messaging-accounts-15316728

137 Taiwan Navy Receives Tuo Chiang-class Stealth Corvette

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30119/Taiwan_Navy_Receives_Tuo_Chiang_class_Stealth_Corvette

138 Taiwan to Test-Fire Patriot-3 Missile System at US Range

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/27/taiwan-test-patriot-3/

139

Taiwan ex-deputy defence minister investigated over 'China spy' contacts

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/taiwan-ex-deputy-defence-minister-investigated-over-china-spy-contacts/articleshow/84820973.cms

140 Taiwan is buying high-tech US fighter-jet pods to keep a closer eye on China's navy

https://www.businessinsider.com/taiwan-buys-fighter-jet-pods-from-us-monitor-chinese-navy-2021-7

141 Taiwan Couldn’t Stop A Chinese Invasion — But They Could Put Up An Epic Fight

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/taiwan-couldnt-stop-a-chinese-invasion-but-they-could-put-up-an-epic-fight/

142 Japanese firms sign $225 million deals to maintain Ospreys for Navy, Marine Corps

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021-07-28/osprey-tiltrotor-repairs-us-military-japan-2334831.html

143 S.Korea to Acquire AI-based Unmanned Combat Systems

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30114/S_Korea_to_Acquire_AI_based_Unmanned_Combat_Systems

144

LIG Nex1 successfully completes trials of Sea Sword III USV

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/10240-naval-news-july-2021-navy-forces-maritime-defense-industry/10490-lig-nex1-successfully-completes-trials-of-sea-sword-iii-usv.html

145 No mention of nuclear deterrence by N.Korea leader

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210728_13/

146 North Korean Soldiers Steal from Civilians to Celebrate End of Korean War

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/bandit-07272021184100.html

147 Singapore Unveils New Veloce 15 Mini Vtol Fixed Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/2021/07/singapore-unveils-new-veloce-15-mini.html

148 Indian Navy To Develop Use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

https://asiapost.live/indian-navy-to-develop-use-of-unmanned-underwater-vehicles-uuv/

149 Indian Navy’s new submarines will cost $1 bn each

https://defenceview.in/indian-navys-new-submarines-will-cost-1-bn-each/

150 France to deliver 35 Rafale by 2021-end, last fighter will join in Jan 2022

https://defenceview.in/france-to-deliver-35-rafale-by-2021-end-last-fighter-will-join-in-jan-2022/

151 India has received 26 Rafale aircraft till date: Government

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-has-received-26-rafale-aircraft-till-date-government/articleshow/84825849.cms

152

Rajnath Singh may meet Chinese counterpart ahead of military talks

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/rajnath-singh-may-meet-chinese-counterpart-ahead-of-military-talks/articleshow/84822105.cms

153 India: A very colonial hangover https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-

interpreter/india-very-colonial-hangover

154 Gunmen wound Chinese factory workers in Pakistan's port city of Karachi

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/pakistan-karachi-gunmen-wound-chinese-factory-workers-15317754

155 Stunned: Chinese workers in Pakistan bring AK-47 guns to work

https://defenceview.in/stunned-chinese-workers-in-pakistan-bring-ak-47-guns-to-work/

156

Royal Australian Navy Lays Inert Minefields As Part Of Exercise Talisman Sabre 21

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/07/royal-australian-navy-lays-inert-minefields-as-part-of-exercise-talisman-sabre-21/

157 Australia’s defence debate should focus on strategy and force structure, not tactics and tanks

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australias-defence-debate-should-focus-on-strategy-and-force-structure-not-tactics-and-tanks/

158

Shaping a Way Ahead for the Australian Guided Weapons Industry: Next Steps

https://defense.info/featured-story/2021/07/shaping-a-way-ahead-for-the-australian-guided-weapons-industry-next-steps/

159 As Russia Talks Nuclear Weapons with U.S., It Forges Closer Military Ties with China

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-talks-nuclear-weapons-us-it-forges-closer-military-ties-china-1614093

160 Russian Double-Seater Su-57 Will Control ‘Wingman’ Drones

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/28/su-57-wingman-drones/

161

Who is the Mystery Launch Customer of Russia’s Upcoming ‘Checkmate’ Fighter Jet

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30118/Who_is_the_Mystery_Launch_Customer_of_Russia___s_Upcoming____Checkmate____Fighter_Jet_

162 What's the Story With Russia’s 'Missile-Spoofing' Technology?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/whats-story-russia%E2%80%99s-missile-spoofing-technology-190608

163 Russia Considering Developing Unmanned Ka-226 Helicopter

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/28/russia-unmanned-ka-226-helicopter/

164

DOWNLOAD Russia Goes to War: Exercises, Signaling, War Scares, and Military Confrontations

https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/210728_Muzyka_Russia_Goes_to_War.pdf

165

British Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group conducts naval exercise with Singapore Navy

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/10240-naval-news-july-2021-navy-forces-maritime-defense-industry/10487-british-navy-hms-queen-elizabeth-carrier-strike-group-conducts-naval-exercise-with-singapore-navy.html)

166 Why Isn’t the Military Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines?

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/07/why-isnt-military-mandating-covid-19-vaccines/184059/

167

Militaries plunder science fiction for technology ideas, but turn a blind eye to the genre's social commentary

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/militaries-plunder-science-fiction-for-technology-ideas-but-turn-a-blind-eye-to-the-genres-social-commentary/articleshow/84823078.cms

168 Reviewing Military Agility https://thestrategybridge.org/the-

bridge/2021/7/28/reviewing-military-agility

169 How the nuclear weapons industry is dominating think tank research

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/07/28/how-the-nuclear-weapons-industry-is-dominating-think-tank-research/

170 DOWNLOAD: Mapping the Human Rights Risks in the Development and

https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-

Deployment of Facial Recognition Technology Part 1

public/publication/210727_Lehr_FacingtheRisk_One_1.pdf

171

DOWNLOAD: Mapping the Human Rights Risks in the Development and Deployment of Facial Recognition Technology Part 2

https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/210727_Lehr_FacingtheRisk_Two_4.pdf

172

Not Your Grandfather’s Counterinsurgency: The United States Must Prepare for Radically New Forms of Nonstate Violence

https://mwi.usma.edu/not-your-grandfathers-counterinsurgency-the-united-states-must-prepare-for-radically-new-forms-of-nonstate-violence/

173 To Beat China In The Gray Zone, You Have To Be There

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/07/to-beat-china-in-the-gray-zone-you-have-to-be-there/

174 Emergency Fighters and National Resilience

https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/emergency-fighters-and-national-resilience/

175 Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems Is Only a First Step

https://www.csis.org/analysis/improving-cybersecurity-critical-infrastructure-control-systems-only-first-step

176 Asia-Pacific space sector development should leverage comparative advantages

https://www.9dashline.com/article/asia-pacific-space-sector-development-should-leverage-comparative-advantages

177 Water disputes will compound instability in the Middle East

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/water-disputes-will-compound-instability-in-the-middle-east/

COVID NEWS

178 25 out of 72 local Delta variant cases in PH found in Metro Manila — DOH exec

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/25-out-of-72-local-delta-variant-cases-in-ph-found-in-metro-manila-doh-exec/

179 Delta variant no laughing matter https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148577

180 Delta surge to kill thousands – OCTA https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/

national/delta-surge-to-kill-thousands-octa/1808850

181 Pfizer says third COVID-19 vaccine dose strongly boosts protection against Delta variant

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/29/pfizer-says-third-covid-19-vaccine-dose-strongly-boosts-protection-against-delta-variant/

182 WHO says coronavirus deaths up 21% in last week

https://apnews.com/article/business-health-sydney-coronavirus-pandemic-34408d492fbf0d98db906e75a4ac0fa2

183 Britain to begin global vaccine roll-out to Asia and Commonwealth nations

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3142924/coronavirus-britain-begin-global-vaccine-roll-out-asia-and

184 Israel approves COVID jabs for at risk children aged 5-11

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/29/israel-approves-covid-jabs-for-at-risk-children-aged-5-11/

185 CanSinoBIO's inhaled COVID-19 vaccine candidate triggers immune response in early trial

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/cansinobio-inhaled-covid-19-vaccine-trigger-immune-response-15317564

186 Indonesia considers COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for wider use

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-considers-covid-19-booster-shots-for-wider-use-15310192

187 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/

188 Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

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

189 Covid map: Where are cases the highest?

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

190 Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-

vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?srnd=premium-asia

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

Title Link

191 Phl, US step up talks on regional security https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/07/29/2115936/phl-us-step-talks-regional-security

192 Duterte’s SONA Finale https://adrinstitute.org/2021/07/28/dutertes-sona-finale/

193 State of Philippine Governance: A Five-Year Review of the Duterte Presidency

https://adrinstitute.org/2021/07/28/adri-vthd-state-of-philippine-governance-a-five-year-review-of-the-duterte-presidency/

194 South China Sea: why report on Chinese boats dumping sewage doesn’t hold water

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142680/south-china-sea-why-report-chinese-boats-dumping-sewage-doesnt-hold

195 China’s BFF https://manilastandard.net/opinion/editorial/360952/china-s-bff.html

196 China at war with the world and itself https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/china-at-war-with-the-world-and-itself/

197 US and China aren’t cooperating on COVID-19 – but it wasn’t always this way

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/us-china-covid-19-sars-response-vaccine-cases-cdc-competition-xi-15307992

198 America Shouldn’t Compete Against China With One Arm Tied Behind Its Back

https://asiapost.live/opinion-america-shouldnt-compete-against-china-with-one-arm-tied-behind-its-back/

199 China engages in fierce propaganda war during Sherman visit

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Analysis-China-engages-in-fierce-propaganda-war-during-Sherman-visit

200 Disband the FBI https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17602/disband-the-fbi

201 As an agent of peace in the Security Council, India is a calm voice amidst conflict

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/view-as-an-agent-of-peace-in-the-security-council-india-is-a-calm-voice-amidst-conflict/articleshow/84818914.cms

Duterte gives Hidilyn a virtual welcome BYJOSEF RAMOS JULY 28, 2021 Hidilyn Diaz flies home to a grateful nation on Wednesday, arriving at NAIA Terminal 2 on a PAL flight from Tokyo. EVERYTHING’S happening so fast for Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, who arrived to a heroine’s welcome on Wednesday afternoon at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

No less than President Duterte welcomed Diaz in a virtual conversation, promising the Olympic champion a personal P3 million reward and a fully-furnished house-and-lot in her hometown of Zamboanga City.

On top of those, Duterte said he will bestow on Diaz the Presidential Medal of Merit, one of the

highest recognitions from a Chief Executive.

“We are so extremely proud of you, we cannot express even in words,” Duterte told Diaz. “Communicate with us one of these days. I will give you personally my P3 million aside from the P10 million from the government.”

“Live a good life. It’s not a big amount, but it’s not small. You’ll be helpful to our country soon,” Duterte added.

“Thank you so much Mr. President,” Diaz told Duterte in return.

Interestingly, Duterte touched on Diaz’s brush with government intelligence reports two years ago, when a key Duterte aide showed a matrix of people—including Diaz—who are part of a conspiracy to topple the Administration.

“It would be good for you to let bygones be bygones and dwell solely on your victory together with your family and with the nation,” the President said. There had been calls for Secretary Salvador Panelo, who showed the matrix, to apologize.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/duterte-gives-hidilyn-a-virtual-welcome/

Petecio secures bronze, fights for gold posted July 29, 2021 at 12:55 am by Reira U. Mallari

TOKYO –Nesthy Petecio eradicated another stumbling block on her road to gold in the Summer

Olympic Games by pounding out a 5-0 victory over former tormentor, Colombia’s Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda in the quarterfinals of the 54-57 kg boxing competitions Wednesday at the

Kokugikan Arena here.

Already enjoying its best-ever showing in the Olympiad following Hidilyn Diaz’s weightlifting gold on Monday, the Philippines was assured of another medal here, a bronze, courtesy of Petecio’s vengeful win against the Colombian bronze medalist in the 2019 Pan American Games.

It was also the country’s first boxing medal in the games in 25 years since the silver of Onyok Velasco in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and the first multiple-medal campaign in the games in 89

years since the 1932 Los Angeles edition, with the bronze medals of high-jumper Simeon

Toribio, boxer Jose Villanueva and swimmer Teofilo Ydefonso.

“First medal, I did feel confident especially in this tournament po! Sobrang tuwa ko po, sobrang blessed po ako,” said the featherweight Petecio, who has already notched three wins here,

needing two more to capture gold.

Petecio was cool and calculated with her pinpoint combinations in the first round, prompting

Castaneda to be more aggressive in the second.

But the Filipinas 2019 champion of the World Championships in Russia, kept her focused and

picked her spots, frustrating the Colombian with nifty counters from start to finish.

“Huwag daw akong makipag-dikitan sa kanya nang sobra-sobra kasi comfort zone niya po ‘yun. Alis po talaga ako, kahit pagod na. Alis talaga kasi ‘yun lang po talaga ‘yung main plan namin,” said Petecio of the game-plan against the Colombian, who has beaten her in the 2018 World

Championships in New Delhi, India.

The impressive showing earned for Petecio scores of 30-27 from two judges and 29-28 from the

other three.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/360967/petecio-secures-bronze-fights-for-gold.html

Palace prodded on ₧5-T 2022 national budget bill BYBUTCH FERNANDEZ JULY 28, 2021 2 MINUTE READ The Executive department was reminded Wednesday on the need to prioritize funding economic recovery in the Palace-proposed P5-trillion 2022 national budget to enable the country to quickly bounce back amid a lingering pandemic.

Sen.Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee tasked to review and endorse the annual budget for plenary approval, suggested an option for the Executive to adjust funding priorities following initial review of the annual budget bill.

Angara asserted the need for the Executive to have designed the national budget to ensure speedy delivery of programs and projects, not because the Duterte administration is nearing the end of its term, but due to the crying need for government to effectively ease the burden borne by the public ensuing from the pandemic.

The senator raised the lingering Covid-related concerns following reports on the P5.024-trillion proposed 2022 budget bill crafted by Malacañang’s economic managers is 11.5 percent higher than this year’s P4.5-trillion national budget.

Lawmakers learned that the proposed annual budget bill has been submitted to President Duterte for initial approval before its submission to Congress for enactment into law.

According to Angara, legislators are aware of the need to fast-track the annual money measure, more so now that the lingering pandemic,

reported to have a “Delta variant” that quickly spreads, require funding to contain effectively and avert its spread immediately.

The senator also reminded the need to fast-track the vaccination drive and release the approved budget for the pandemic control efforts, adding that under the law, Malacañang needs to submit to Congress the proposed annual budget within 30 days from the time Congress convened sessions Monday, or until August 25.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/palace-prodded-on-%e2%82%a75-t-2022-national-budget-

bill/

NCR stays under GCQ ‘with heightened restrictions’ until Aug. 15 By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos July 29, 2021, 1:47 am

EXTENDED. President Rodrigo Duterte approves the recommendation to extended general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions” in Metro Manila and 19 other areas during his Talk to the People at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park on Wednesday night (July 28, 2021). The decision was made after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) observed an increase in the daily attack rate, two-week average attack rate, and health care utilization rate in the country’s metropolis. (Screengrab from RTVM)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions in Metro Manila until August 15, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

The stricter GCQ has been retained in Metro Manila, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) observed an increase in the daily attack rate, two-week average attack rate, and health care utilization rate in the country’s metropolis, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People.

“The Chief Executive extended the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions classification of the National Capital Region beginning August 1, 2021 until August 15, 2021,” Roque said in a press statement.

Apart from Metro Manila, four of its nearby provinces – Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal – will also be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15, Roque said.

Other areas that will be under GCQ with heightened restrictions beginning August 1 include Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Lucena City, Naga City, Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, and Butuan City, Roque said.

Originally, GCQ with heightened restrictions have been imposed in Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte from July 23 to 31.

ECQ retained in 4 areas

Meantime, the province of Iloilo and its highly-urbanized city will remain under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until August 7, he said.

He added that ECQ status will also be retained in Cagayan de Oro and the City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental.

The ECQ classification has been imposed in the Iloilo province and its city, as well as in Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog City, due to the apparent spike in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.

MECQ status

The modified ECQ (MECQ), second to the most restrictive quarantine classification, will be imposed in Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue from August 1 to 15, Roque said.

Bataan, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue are currently under modified GCQ (MGCQ) until July 31.

The quarantine status in Ilocos Norte has also been upgraded since it is currently under GCQ with heightened restrictions until end of July.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148624

Business groups give nod to fresh lockdown BYCAI ORDINARIO JULY 28, 2021 File photo: Village officers walk past barriers at a village that was placed under lockdown as the government implements stricter measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Manila. LOCAL business groups have expressed support for a two-week strict lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua told reporters on Wednesday that the risks from the Delta variant are higher and it is important for the country to manage these risks.

The business groups believe that while the two-week strict lockdown may turn economic growth negative, it will ensure better growth in the last quarter of the year if it is successful in being what some experts call a “circuit breaker” in a surge of infections.

“This sacrifice shall help ensure stronger, safer Philippine economic recovery for fourth quarter 2021, which is traditionally the best time for businesses in the year,” the business groups said in a statement.

“[However], before the two-week lockdown in August, there should be at least one week of preparation which shall perhaps be in the first week of August,” they added.

Chua said the primary response of the government is to manage the risks by ensuring a faster vaccination rate as well as limiting stringent lockdowns in local areas or sectors of highest risk.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/biz-groups-give-nod-to-fresh-lockdown/

Comelec remains confident of voter turnout in 2022 polls despite Covid fears BYSAMUEL MEDENILLA JULY 28, 2021 File Photo: Commission on Elections Spokesman James B. Jimenez answers questions from the media during the BusinessMirror Coffee Club Forum at the BusinessMirror editorial offices in Makati City. The Commission on Election (Comelec) allayed concerns about a possible low voter turnout in the 2022 national and ocal polls due to the effects of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“The Comelec remains confident of a sizable voter turnout despite Covid fears,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez in a brief statement.

“This projection is borne out by international experience—most, if not all, elections in other jurisdictions showed a higher than average voter turnout—and local experience in the Palawan Plebiscite last March 2021,” he added.

Jimenez issued the statement after Senator Miguel Zubiri, in his privilege speech, expressed concern over the impact of the pandemic on the voter

turnout in the 2022 elections.

“The Comelec gratefully acknowledges Senator Zubiri’s concern and assures the distinguished Senator and the Filipino people that all necessary steps to ensure the voting public’s safety throughout the 2022 election period, most especially on election day, May 9, 2022, are being undertaken by your Commission on Elections,” Jimenez said.

He said even if there was a low voter turnout in the 2022 polls, it would not be “determinative of the validity of electoral exercise.”

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/28/comelec-remains-confident-of-voter-turnout-in-2022-polls-

despite-covid-fears/

‘Habagat’ to dump monsoon rains over parts of Luzon

Published July 29, 2021, 6:39 AM

by Jhon Aldrin Casinas

The southwest monsoon or “habagat” is seen to continue affecting the country and may bring more rains particularly over Luzon and Western Visayas, the state weather bureau said

Thursday, July 29.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(PAGASA) said monsoon rains will persist in Ilocos Region, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan,

Tarlac, Pampanga, and Occidental Mindoro.

Weather specialist Benison Estareja said Metro Manila and the rest of the Luzon will

continue to experience occasional rains brought by the habagat.

Likewise, Western Visayas may experience cloudy skies with light to moderate, to at times

heavy rains, particularly in the afternoon.

As for the rest of the country, Estareja said that fair weather conditions will prevail.

But he noted that there is a high chance of localized thunderstorms late in the day over

Central Mindanao and Eastern Visayas.

Meanwhile, a shallow low pressure area was spotted 1,035 kilometers east northeast of

extreme Northern Luzon.

However, the state weather agency noted that the LPA has a slim chance of intensifying into

a tropical cyclone.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/29/habagat-to-dump-monsoon-rains-over-parts-of-luzon/

House probe on Chinese exploration in Panatag pushed Edu Punay (The Philippine Star ) - July 29, 2021 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Militant lawmakers in the House of Representatives yesterday pushed for a congressional investigation into the alleged oil exploration activities of China in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Members of the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution No. 1971 that seeks to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation by the committee on natural resources on reports of possible Chinese exploration within Philippine territory.

The group led by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate cited reports saying Filipino fishermen in Infanta, Pangasinan had discovered a device with Chinese markings, later identified as an ocean bottom seismometer or OBS by non-government organization Peoples Development Institute (PDI), in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“The presence of the said OBS that may point to a possible Chinese oil exploration activity and other illegal foreign activities in the Philippine territory does not only disrespect the Philippine sovereignty but are also detrimental to Philippine interest, security and development,” the resolution stated.

Maritime law experts said the OBS is being used for detecting earthquakes and oil exploration. The device has been turned over to the Philippine Navy’s intelligence group for evaluation, reports said.

Malacañang already ruled out the possibility of China deploying an oil exploration device in Panatag Shoal.

The Makabayan bloc argued that the government should take measures to effectively uphold Philippine sovereignty.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/29/2115947/house-probe-chinese-exploration-panatag-

pushed

Carpio hits Duterte for staying ‘faithful to Chinese

propaganda line’ By: Neil Arwin Mercado - Reporter / @NAMercadoINQ INQUIRER.net / 01:12 PM July 28, 2021

FILE PHOTO: Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — Former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio hit President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday for staying “faithful to the Chinese propaganda line” when he, once again, downplayed the arbitration ruling favoring the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea issue in his last State of the Nation

Address (SONA). Carpio was referring to Duterte’s statement that China never participated in the arbitration case, thus making the ruling not binding. The former associate justice, who has been vocal with his criticisms of Duterte’s controversial remarks on the West Philippine Sea, belied this. “President Duterte has remained faithful to the Chinese propaganda line that the arbitral award is a smeared scrap of paper because China never participated in the

arbitration. China and President Duterte are of course grossly mistaken,” Carpio said during a forum of the 1Sambayan coalition following Duterte’s SONA. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198066/carpio-hits-duterte-for-staying-faithful-to-chinese-

propaganda-line-after-arbitration-remark

Duterte’s claim that 2016 Arbitral ruling does not bind China is ‘totally false’ — Carpio

Published July 28, 2021, 6:59 PM

by Roy Mabasa

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Wednesday branded as “totally false” the statement made by President Duterte that the 2016 Arbitral ruling does not bind China because it never took part in the arbitration proceedings.

Carpio made his rebuttal to the President’s statement at the post-SONA media forum of 1Sambayan. Carpio, along with former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario are co-convenors of 1Sambayan.

The former High Court magistrate said the President uttered “beautiful words” when he repeated in his last SONA the statement he made before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last year that “the arbitral award is now part of international law beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.”

Carpio, however, took exception to the President’s succeeding adlib at his SONA.

“This is what he said, ‘What will I do with the document that does not bind China because they were never part of the arbitration. There was no really arbitration at all because it was only the Philippine side that was heard.’ This is totally false,” the former SC senior associate justice pointed out.

Contrary to Duterte’s statement, Carpio said China was given all the opportunity by the arbitral tribunal to present its side, adding that China even submitted its position paper while saying that they are not participating in the arbitration.

During proceedings conducted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Carpio said China was given copies of the transcripts of

every hearing but refused.

Duterte, he added, only repeated the position of China that the arbitral award is void because it did not take part in the arbitration.

“President Duterte has remained faithful to the Chinese propaganda line that the arbitral award is a mere scrap of paper because China never participated in the arbitration. China and President Duterte are grossly mistaken,” Carpio said.

He argued that when China ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1996, it not only gave its consent in advance like any other state party to UNCLOS but also agreed that it will submit itself to arbitration.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/dutertes-claim-that-2016-arbitral-ruling-does-not-bind-china-is-totally-

false-says-former-sc-justice-carpio/

Duterte 'sold out' to China PH sovereignty, territorial integrity —

Del Rosario

Published July 28, 2021, 4:43 PM

by Roy Mabasa

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Wednesday asked the Filipino people not to “stand idly” as he accused President Duterte of stealing and selling out the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to China.

Del Rosario’s statement came two days after Duterte, in his State of the Nation (SONA) address on Monday, maintained that asserting the Arbitral ruling that the Philippines won in 2016 would lead to war with China.

“The President, being the chief foreign policy-maker in the country, has sold out our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to China. We cannot and must not stand idly by as President Duterte steals our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to give to China what rightfully belongs to the Filipino people,” he said.

Despite the Philippine victory in the arbitration case that legally secured the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, Del Rosario said the President has been enabling China to advance its unlawful interests by casually throwing away the historic ruling “setting it aside and labeling it as garbage”.

The former Philippines’ top diplomat said the Filipino people saw a “glimmer of hope” in September last year when Duterte raised the South China Sea issue before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

“However, it was more lip service than anything as there was absolutely no follow-through in terms of the specific steps that need to be taken to enforce the Award,” he added.

Del Rosario what the President should have done in making a follow-through of his UNGA speech is to “make use of all available instruments of the international body, including the filing of UNGA resolutions which would allow a general debate or the referral to a particular UN Committee for further discussion.

He explained that placing the South China Sea issue under continued deliberation by the international community would be a good avenue in drawing global attention and support for the Award in the West Philippine Sea.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/duterte-sold-out-to-china-ph-sovereignty-territorial-integrity-del-

rosario/

Del Rosario accuses Rody of selling out Phl in WPS row

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Wednesday appealed to Filipinos to unite and “not stand idly” as he accused President Rodrigo Duterte of selling out the country’s sovereignty and territory to China.

“We have seen how President Duterte has been enabling China to advance its unlawful interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS),” Del Rosario said in a statement.

“We cannot and must not stand idly by as President Duterte steals our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to give to China what rightfully belongs to the Filipino people,” he added.

The latest tirades of the former top diplomat came days after President Duterte, during his final State of the Nation Address (SONA), declared anew that the Philippines cannot assert its claim in the WPS as it may spark a war against China.

Awarded to the Philippines in 2016, the country’s landmark victory invalidates China’s expansive nine-dash claim in the South China Sea and upholds the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

Manila has repeatedly raised the award in its maritime dispute with Beijing but the latter refused to acknowledge it as “null and void”.

Since assuming presidency, Duterte has set aside the arbitral award that was pursued by his predecessor late President Benigno Aquino III.

His stronger assertion is during his debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September last year where he said the Philippines rejects any attempts to undermine the ruling which spelled out the country’s marine entitlements in the disputed waters.

Del Rosario, part of the team who filed the case before The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, lauded his move before but only ruled it out as “lip service” after the lack of “follow-through” from the government.

Part of the follow-through, he said, is making use of” all available instruments of the UN including the filing of UNGA resolutions which would allow a general debate or the referral to a particular UN Committee for further discussion”.

“In September last year, Filipinos saw a glimmer of hope when the President finally raised the matter of the South China Sea in his UNGA speech. However, it was more lip service than anything as there was absolutely no follow-through in terms of the specific steps that need to be taken to enforce the Award,” he said.

“In the absence of a rightful intent, the dire effects on our people are being especially felt by ordinary Filipinos. Our fishermen, for example, are basically cut off from their livelihood as Chinese vessels drive them from our seas,” he added.

With his term ending next year, the diplomat also stressed that the President has one last chance to raise the arbitral ruling in the UNGA scheduled in September this year.

“This is President Duterte’s opportunity to demonstrate that he loves his fellow countrymen more than he loves Xi Jinping,” he said.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/07/28/del-rosario-accuses-rody-of-selling-out-phl-in-wps-row/

Hidilyn to receive presidential medal of merit, PHP3-M from PRRD By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos July 28, 2021, 9:02 pm

VIRTUAL COURTESY CALL. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte returns the salute of weightlifter and airwoman Hidilyn Diaz, who won the country's first Olympic gold medal, during a video call at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park on July 28, 2021. President Duterte told Diaz that she will be awarded with the Medal of Merit, fully furnished house and lot in Zamboanga City and P3-million aside from the P10-million incentive provided by law. (Presidential photo by King Rodriguez)

MANILA – Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will receive a cash incentive worth PHP3 million from President Rodrigo Duterte for giving the Philippines its first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

Duterte made the announcement, after Diaz paid a “virtual” courtesy call on him on Wednesday night, few hours after she arrived onboard Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR 427 from Japan at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“Maybe one of these days, if you have a time, communicate with us, para maibigay ko sa’yo ‘yung aking PHP3 million (so I can give you the PHP3 million),” Duterte told Diaz.

The PHP3-million monetary reward is on top of the PHP10 million she will receive from the government through Philippine Sports Commission, as provided under Republic Act (RA) 10699.

Apart from the cash grant, Diaz would also receive a “fully-furnished” house and lot in Zamboanga City, Duterte said.

Duterte said he would also confer the Presidential Medal of Merit, “one of the highest of the nation’s presidential medals,” on Diaz through an “appropriate” ceremony.

“As expected the nation is ecstatic about your achievement. Your achievement is the achievement of the Philippine nation. We are extremely proud. We cannot express even in the words how we should really be shouting Hallelujah,” he said. “But, over and above for this monetary consideration, it’s always the honor that you brought to the country.”

Due to movement restrictions amid prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, Diaz was instead given an “online” hero’s welcome with only few government and sports officials who received the first Olympic gold winner and her team together with skateboarding finalist Margielyn Didal at the NAIA.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioners Celia Kiram and Charles Maxey welcomed Diaz and Didal. She was officially promoted as a Staff Sergeant while at the NAIA VIP Lounge.

Home is the country's first Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, waving to well-wishers

upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City on Wednesday (July

28, 2021). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

Meanwhile, to honor her accomplishment, the PAL gifted Diaz with 80,000 miles per year, equivalent to five economy roundtrip domestic flights, or two roundtrip economy regional flights, or one roundtrip economy international flights. This also makes her az as PAL's first "Forever Fyer"

Diaz ended the Philippines’ nearly a century-old Olympic gold medal quest that began in the Paris 1924 Games, after she snatched the gold medal in women’s 55 kilogram weightlifting category on Monday night.

She prevailed in a neck and neck showdown with China’s Liao Qiuyun.

‘Let bygones be bygones’

Duterte also thanked Diaz for striving hard to win the Olympic gold medal, despite the “years of toils [and] disappointments.”

He likewise told Diaz to forget the unpleasant things that happened between her and the current administration.

“Pero salamat naman sa pagtiis mo (Thank you for your hard work). I hope that the years of toils, the years of disappointments, and the years na hindi maganda ang nangyari (of bad memories that you have) in the past. Just forget them, you already have the gold. Gold is gold. And it would be good for you to just let bygones be bygones and dwell solely on your victory, together with your family and of course with the nation,” Duterte said.

In 2019, Diaz appealed for financial support amid her preparations for the Olympic event. The same year, her name was included in the broader “Oust Duterte” matrix released by then-presidential spokesperson and incumbent Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.

Panelo in May 2019 already clarified that Diaz is not part of the ouster plot against Duterte.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148609

Air Force promotion: Call her Staff Sergeant Hidilyn Diaz!

Published July 28, 2021, 12:07 PM

by Martin Sadongdong

When it rains, it pours so they say, and this adage was proven true by Olympic gold

medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

Fresh from her historic feat at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan that gave her more than

P50 million in cash rewards and other perks, weightlifter and military reservist Hidilyn Diaz

received another reward which came in the form of a rank promotion from the Philippine

Air Force (PAF).

ADVERTISING

No less than Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

(AFP), confirmed on Wednesday, July 28, that Diaz’ promotion to the rank of Staff Sergeant has been approved by PAF Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes.

“In lieu of her recent historic win in the Olympics, the Philippine Air Force through its Commanding General, approved the promotion of Sgt. Hidilyn Diaz effective July 27, 2021

to the rank of Staff Sergeant,” Sobejana said in a statement sent to reporters.

Prior to this, Paredes released a video message on Tuesday night saying that he “intends” to promote Diaz to the next higher rank after delivering the country’s first Olympic gold medal since it joined in the Olympics 97 years ago.

“Sgt. Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippine Air Force was enlisted, noting her huge potential as an athlete. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has consistently supported AFP athletes

including Sgt. Hidilyn Diaz. She has been given a wide latitude for her to pursue training

for various competitions including this Olympics,” Paredes said.

The PAF Chief also bared that they were preparing a “warm welcome” for the Olympic hero when she arrives back home and finishes her quarantine. Diaz is slated to leave Japan on

Wednesday.

Staff sergeant is the fifth highest rank among senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in

the PAF. It is a rank positioned above sergeant and below technical sergeant. An officer

with a rank of staff sergeant receives a monthly salary of P30,000.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/air-force-promotion-call-her-staff-sergeant-hidilyn-diaz/

Hidilyn win shows potential, strength of Filipinas: Defense chief By Priam Nepomuceno July 28, 2021, 9:04 am

Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz (Photo grabbed from Hidilyn Diaz's Facebook Page)

MANILA – Olympian Hidilyn Diaz's historic gold medal win at the Tokyo Games has shown the "immense" potential and strength of Filipino women, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

"As the nation celebrates Hidilyn's victory, I think about the immense potential of the Filipino youth women. Her triumph is proof of the Filipino woman's strength. Amidst these trying times, Hidilyn has given us so much joy and hope," Lorenzana said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

He sent his best wishes to Diaz, a Philippine Air Force sergeant when they met online about two weeks before her trip to Japan.

"Having heard of her win last night (Monday) made me exceptionally proud. The journey of this soldier-athlete was loaded with challenges. But she has beaten the odds because of her character and won for the Philippines its first-ever Olympic gold medal. What a milestone! She has brought honor and glory to herself, her family, and the entire country," Lorenzana said.

Diaz bagged the country's first gold medal since it joined the Olympics in 1924 after dominating the women's 55-kg. weightlifting competition.

Hidilyn, a 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, prevailed in a neck and neck showdown with China's Liao Qiuyun in the clean-and-jerk lift as their battle for the gold went down the wire.

Finishing tied with Diaz in the snatch with a 97-kg. maximum lift, Liao lifted 126 kg. in her final lift, forcing Diaz to go for 127 to steal the top spot from Liao.

Diaz, however, smoothly cleared the 127-kg. lift to win it all, also setting an Olympic record in the process. Her 224-kg. total is also an Olympic record. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148504

Admin solon bats for swift action on Duterte's priority bills for

PNP, AFP men

Published July 28, 2021, 1:41 PM

by Ben Rosario

The House Committee on National Defense and Security will have its hands full as it takes

swift action on the legislative priorities President Rodrigo Duterte outlined in his recent

State of the Nation Address.

Legislative measures providing for free legal assistance to personnel of the Armed Forces of

the Philippines and the amendments tot he retirement benefits and pension of uniformed

personnel have been set for deliberation.

Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Joel Mayo Z. Almario authored House Bill 3141 to grant

free legal assistance to AFP and PNP members facing charges arising from the performance

of their official duty.

“Members of our military and police forces are sacrificing their livers for the preservation of peace and order in our country. Their duties require them to be in dangerous places and

perform, tasks that put their lives on the line to protect our people, freedom and

institutions,” said Almario as he strongly supported Duterte’s call to further protect the welfare of uniformed personnel.

“By providing free legal assistance to defend their innocence and protect their rights, our men in uniform will be able to perform their duties more effectively without fear of

unwarranted cases being filed against them,” he explained.

A member of the Commission on Appointments, Almario is confident Duterte will certify

the bill urgent in order to see its enactment before the end of the 18th Congress.

Almario lamented that many law enforcers face harassment suits as they carry out their jobs

in battling criminality in the country.

The same is true to AFP members, he said.

He explained that while PNP and AFP members already receive better pay under the Duterte

administration, it is doubtful they could afford lawyers to defend them in court.

To address the problem, government should qualify them for free legal assistance, Almario

stressed.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/admin-solon-bats-for-swift-action-on-dutertes-priority-bills-for-pnp-

afp-men/

Eleazar orders offensive vs Reds who attacked convoy of

cops and health workers in Samar

Published July 28, 2021, 7:33 PM

by Aaron Recuenco

Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered on

Wednesday, July 28, an all-out operation against the communist rebels who ambushed a

convoy of policemen and health workers in Samar who were supposed to get coronavirus

disease (COVID-19) vaccines for the residents of Calbayog City.

At the same time, Eleazar also tasked the Eastern Visayas regional police to begin a case

build-up against the communist rebels.

“To condemn this another attack is not enough dahil hindi na tinatablan ng hiya at masasakit

na salita ang mga taong ito. (These people are already immune to shame and harsh words)

What is needed is a decisive action to stop them from doing the same kind of terrorism

activities,” said Eleazar.

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of communist rebels repeatedly fire at the vehicles boarding

Calbayog City policemen and personnel of the Calbayog City Health Office in Barangay

Lale, Pinabacdao, Samar.

They were supposed to get COVID-19 vaccines at the regional office of the Department of

Health Tacloban City.

After an initial burst of gunfire, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used by the

unidentified communist rebels.

“Fortunately, the Calbayog City police personnel were able to protect themselves and the health workers from the attackers. No one was reported hurt during the incident,” said Eleazar.

The Chief PNP said that what the rebels did was a direct attack on the people of Calbayog

City as it was an attempt to prevent them from getting vaccines.

Eleazar said the attack carried out by the communist rebels is another proof of total

disregard on the life of civilians, citing the case of college football player Keith Absalon

and his uncle Nolven Absalon who died in NPA ambush in Masbate City and watchman

Eldrin Daraman who was killed when the NPA attacked a construction site in Surigao del

Sur both last month.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/eleazar-orders-offensive-vs-reds-who-attacked-convoy-of-cops-and-

health-workers-in-samar/

Army, NPA clash in Misamis Occidental

Published July 28, 2021, 2:56 PM

by Martin Sadongdong

The Philippine Army (PA) figured in a fresh armed encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Calamba, Misamis Occidental on Tuesday morning, July 27, the

second incident in a little over two weeks.

Major Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division (1ID), said a

platoon of Alpha Company belonging to the 10th Infantry Battalion (10IB) was engaged in a

firefight by an undetermined number of “Guerilla Front Sendong” warriors in Barangay Singalat around 8:30 a.m.

Ponio said the troops were conducting combat operations when they were fired upon by the

communist rebels.

The firefight lasted for 30 minutes until the enemies were compelled to withdraw after being

overpowered, he noted.

No one died from the side of the military while there were “undetermined” number of

casualties on the enemies’ part.

During clearing operations, the troops recovered several “personal belongings” of the rebels, the military commander said.

The clash occured over two weeks after the battalion encountered the same group of

communist rebels, who are operating under the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee, last July 11.

During the said encounter, the military seized an AK-47 rifle, various magazines and

ammunition, gadgets, medical supplies, and flags of the CPP.

The 10IB has conducted blocking operations to deny enemies’ access to the neighboring barangays, Ponio said.

“The Tabak troopers stand ready to respond and addressaby attempt by the threat groups in endangering the safety and welfare of the people,” he stressed.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/army-npa-clash-in-misamis-occidental/

Guns, lots of guns en route Maguindanao intercepted in Samar

Published July 28, 2021, 2:53 PM

by Richa Noriega

Joint police and Coast Guard personnel recovered several handguns and high-powered

firearms from four alleged members of a gun-running syndicate in Looc, Northern Samar.

Nabbed were Roger “Kamandag” Lumagan, Wahid Iskak, and two unidentified individuals, who all came from Taguig City and on their way to Maguindanao.

Seized from them were 36 pieces of M-16 rifle with undetermined number of magazine and

three 45 caliber pistols. The guns were hidden inside the tire compartment and at the side

doors of a sedan.

Joint authorities have recovered illegal weapons and firearms from four alleged gun-running suspects in

Looc, Northern Samar, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson bared on Wednesday, July 28,

2021. (Photo courtesy of the PCG)

Joint authorities have recovered illegal weapons and firearms from four alleged gun-running suspects in

Looc, Northern Samar, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson bared on Wednesday, July 28,

2021. (Photo courtesy of the PCG)

PCG Spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said the firearms are set to be sold to

unidentified buyers in Maguindanao upon arrival.

Balilo said police and PCG personnel conducted the operation after receiving intelligence

report that a small group of gun-runners were about to arrive Balwharteco Pier, Looc,

Northern Samar.

According to the initial report, the suspects boarded a Roll-on, Roll-off (RoRo) vessel in

Allen Port at 9:40 a.m.

Authorities are now conducting further investigation of the incident.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/guns-lots-of-guns-en-route-maguindanao-intercepted-in-samar/

BIFF commander, 6 followers

surrender

COTABATO CITY: A deputy field commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic

Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and six of his followers surrendered to the

military in Maguindanao on Monday afternoon.

This was reported by Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, commander of Western

Mindanao Command, on Wednesday.

"Based on the report from the ground, the BIFF officer known as Cdr.

Binladen and six others submitted themselves to the troops of the First

Mechanized Infantry Brigade and handed over two M14 rifles, one M16

rifle, one Barret with tripod and magazine, one Garand rifle, one M79

grenade launcher, one rocket-propelled grenade, one 20 rounds cap

magazine for M14, one 30 rounds cap magazine for M16 and one RPG

ammunition," Vinluan said.

The surrenderers were presented to Brigade Cdr. Col. Pedro Balisi Jr. at

the unit headquarters in Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao on

Monday.

"The successful surrender of the seven BIFF personalities under Bungos

Faction was made possible through the concerted efforts of the Second

Mechanized Battalion and our intelligence units," said Balisi.

During the initial debriefing, the former BIFF fighters said the focused

military operations in central Mindanao forced them to lay down their

arms and return to the folds of the law.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/regions/biff-commander-6-followers-

surrender/1808785

Killed terrorists not Indonesians–

consulate By Franz Sumangil July 29, 2021 200

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato: The Indonesian consulate in Davao Cityclarified

the alleged members of the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) who were killed in a

police operation in Barangay Poblacion, Tupi, South Cotabato last week

were not Indonesians.

In a press statement released by the Consulate General of the Republic of

Indonesia, it claimed the killed individuals were not Indonesian nationals

based on its investigation and based upon the documents gathered by

the consulate.

It was reported Jonny Fernandez Orangdatang, also known as George

Orangdatang, and John Mark Orangdatang, who were killed by authorities in

an operation, were Indonesian nationals and members of DI.

Police authorities were to issue a warrant of arrest against one Ali Boy

Nilong of the Nilong Group who is facing a criminal charge for frustrated

murder when a group of armed men fired at the arresting officers. The

two suspected terrorists were eventually killed in the shootout.

The two Orangdatangs were said to be conspirators of Nilong.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/regions/killed-terrorists-not-indonesians-

consulate/1808782

Duterte confident of sustained ties with ‘friend closer than brother’ Japan

By: Krissy Aguilar - Reporter / @KAguilarINQ INQUIRER.net / 02:11 PM July 28, 2021

(FILE) President Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inspect the honor guard before the start of their bilateral talks at Abe’s office in Tokyo. —MALACAÑANGPHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is confident of a sustained partnership between the Philippines and Japan, which he calls the country’s “closer than a brother friend.” Duterte said this in commemoration of the Philippines and Japan’s 65th anniversary of bilateral relations. “As I have said time and again, Japan is a friend closer than a brother. Only a

handful of our bilateral relationships have been as deeply transformative as the one we have with Japan,” Duterte said in his message, a copy of which was released this Wednesday. “I am confident that the Japan-Philippines strategic partnership will continue to

strengthen as our people-to-people linkages continue to deepen,” he added.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/198079/duterte-confident-of-sustained-ties-with-friend-closer-than-

brother-japan

PM Suga hails Japan's 'strong bond' with PH

Published July 28, 2021, 2:48 PM

by Roy Mabasa

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide paid tribute to the “strong bond” between Japan and the Philippines on the occasion of the two country’s 65th anniversary of friendship and the 10 th anniversary of strategic partnership.

In a video message released on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Japanese leader the role Japan has played in supporting the Philippines in its development efforts as well as the continued cooperation between the two sides in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan has provided the Philippines with Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loans, vaccines, and medical equipment to help the Philippines in its COVID-19 response.

“Our countries cooperate with each other at various levels and support each other in a wide range of fields. The bond between us has never been this strong,” Suga said.

As a huge supporter of the “Build, Build, Build” program, the Prime Minister stressed that Japan has been a reliable partner of the Philippines through public and private sector engagement.

Among the major undertakings of such partnership is the Metro Manila Subway Project, the country’s first-ever subway line that will soon serve many Filipinos.

The Japanese Prime Minister also announced that his country has successfully fulfilled its 2017 five-year commitment to public and private financing of one trillion yen (approx. P476 billion) to support the Philippines.

In the nearly three-minute video message, Suga likewise touched on the legacy of Japan’s engagement in peace-building effort in Mindanao. He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to reinforce its support in ways commensurate with the progress of the peace process.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/pm-suga-hails-japans-strong-bond-with-ph/

The South China Sea: Have the Positive Trends in 2020 Continued in 2021?

South China Sea is the subject of interests far beyond the littoral states, for what

happens in the South China Sea would have deep consequences elsewhere. Most

states also clearly indicate preference to lawfare to other means of contestation,

because a rules-based Indo-Pacific is in the interests of all. By Nguyen Hung Son, Do Hoang

July 28, 2021

2020 was a tough year, claimed Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Council of Foreign Relations and many other headlining institutions while examining the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, economic downturn and election instability in various countries. The South China Sea was no exception. This past year alone, the South China Sea witnessed rising competition among major powers, continuing militarization on the ground while COVID-19 was spreading, persistent frictions among the claimants which resulted in several standoffs, and the growing use of unconventional warfare, such as media propaganda and “gray zone” tactics. However, from Vietnam’s standpoint, 2020 also held some positive developments that might continue well into 2021.

Positive Trends in 2020

First, even with COVID-19, all parties in the South China Sea dispute were inclined to peaceful conflict settlement mechanisms, notably through the use of legal means. In this regard, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam continued to demonstrate or clarify their maritime claims via a series of notes verbales submitted to the United Nations throughout the years. Moreover, non-claimants also sent their own submission for the first time, starting with the U.S. on June 6. Australia followed suit with its July 23 document. The ‘Big Three’ in Europe, namely Germany, France and the U.K. jointly expressed their positions through their respective notes. From December 2019 to July 2020 alone, a total of 15 notes verbales, two diplomatic letters and one statement were exchanged.

Apart from the notes verbales, the ASEAN-China negotiation process on the Code of Conduct (COC), after being disrupted by the pandemic, briefly resumed at the call of both sides. China’s Foreign Minister urged the resumption multiple times throughout the year. The Philippines publicly pushed for an “inclusive” COC on November 26, after President Duterte joined ASEAN leaders in showing willingness for an early conclusion of the process. Brunei, not traditionally being very vocal on the topic, nevertheless made its rare South China Sea statement in July which also underlines commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS.

The 2016 Arbitral tribunal ruling was increasingly recognized as an integral part of international law. The notes verbales from the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and the European countries all referred to the ruling as a source to reject China’s historic rights. Philippine president Duterte brought this notion, for the first time, to the UN highest body in his UN General Assembly speech on September 23, saying the ruling is “beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.”

Second, the South China Sea received broader international attention as a key part of the increasing popular Indo-Pacific concept. As mentioned above, Australia, the U.S. and Europe’s ‘Big Three’ used their U.N. submissions to reject China’s ‘historic rights’ and claims to continental state’s outlying archipelagos. Australia, India and the U.S. also showed interests in the COC, saying

the code should not be exclusive or harmful to other parties’ interests. Notable, the U.S. aligned their position in the South China Sea closer to the 2016 Arbitral rulings in the then-State Secretary Pompeo’s July statement, saying it is illegal for China to conduct economic activities in areas belonging to other claimants for the first time.

http://www.maritimeissues.com/politics/the-south-china-sea-have-the-positive-trends-in-2020-

continued-in-2021.html

IMF raises growth forecasts for rich nations, dims

outlook for developing world July 28, 2021 | 1:06 pm

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday maintained its 6% global growth forecast for 2021, upgrading its outlook for the United States and other wealthy economies but cutting estimates for developing countries struggling with surging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections.

The divergence is based largely on better access to COVID-19 vaccines and continued fiscal support in advanced economies, while emerging markets face difficulties on both fronts, the IMF said in an update to its World Economic Outlook.

“Close to 40% of the population in advanced economies has been fully vaccinated, compared with 11% in emerging market economies, and a tiny fraction in low-income developing countries,” Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s chief economist, said during a news conference.

“Faster-than-expected vaccination rates and return to normalcy have led to upgrades, while lack of access to vaccines and renewed waves of COVID-19 cases in some countries, notably India, have led to downgrades,” she said.

The IMF significantly raised its forecasts for the United States, which it now expects to grow at 7.0% in 2021 and 4.9% in 2022 — up 0.6 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, from the forecasts in April. The projections assume the US Congress will approve President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s roughly $4 trillion in proposed infrastructure, education and family support spending largely as envisioned by the White House.

Positive spillovers from the US spending plans, along with expected progress in COVID-19 vaccination rates, are boosting the IMF’s 2022 global growth forecast to 4.9%, up 0.5 percentage point from April.

The Fund gave its biggest upgrade to Britain, lifting its 2021 growth by 1.7 percentage points to 7.0%, reflecting better adaptation to COVID-19 restrictions than previously anticipated.

https://www.bworldonline.com/imf-raises-growth-forecasts-for-rich-nations-dims-outlook-for-

developing-world/

Infrastructure talks leave Biden’s entire agenda at risk By ALAN FRAMJuly 29, 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s latest leap into the Senate’s up-and-down efforts to clinch a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure deal comes with even more at stake than his coveted plans for boosting road, rail and other public works projects.

The outcome of the infrastructure deal, which for weeks has encountered one snag after another, will affect what could be the crown jewel of his legacy. That would be his hopes for a subsequent $3.5 trillion federal infusion for families’ education and health care costs, a Medicare expansion and efforts to curb climate change.

Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will need support from every Democratic moderate and progressive to push the $3.5 trillion bill through the 50-50 Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote. If the smaller infrastructure bill fails, it may be harder for moderates — who rank its projects as their top priority — to back the follow-up $3.5 trillion plan, which is already making them wince because of its price tag and likely tax boosts on the wealthy and corporations.

“I would say that if the bipartisan infrastructure bill falls apart, everything falls apart,” West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, one of his chamber’s most conservative Democrats, warned reporters this week.

That could well prove an overstatement, since moderates like him will face enormous pressure from Biden, Schumer and others to back the $3.5 trillion package, whatever the bipartisan plan’s fate. But it illustrates a balancing act between centrists and progressives that top Democrats must confront.

“If infrastructure collapses, which I hope it does not, you’d have the difficulty of holding some of the Democrats” to back the $3.5 trillion bill, No. 2 House leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday in a brief interview. Party leaders will be able to lose no more than three Democrats to prevail in the 435-member House.

Bargainers narrowed enough differences that senators were able to vote Wednesday evening to start debating the infrastructure measure. There were still loose ends, though, and final action on the legislation is likely days away.

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-bff693912bd77d1152cf0606493d2d15

US welcomes restored inter-Korean hotlines By Ahn Sung-mi

Published : Jul 28, 2021 - 16:28 Updated : Jul 28, 2021 - 17:11

The US welcomed the reopening of the inter-Korean hotlines that had been severed for more than a year, calling it a “positive step,” sparking conjecture on whether the development could lead to another round of summits or progress in stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. “The US supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement, and of course welcomes today’s announcement of restoration of inter-Korean communication lines, and we certainly believe that this is a positive step,” Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said in a briefing Tuesday (US time). “I will also say that diplomacy and dialogue are essential to achieving complete denuclearization and establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.” Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, echoed a similar stance, expressing support for dialogue and communication with North Korea, according to the Yonhap News Agency. On the same day, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that the door to dialogue with the reclusive regime remains open. “And we’re taking a calibrated, practical approach that leaves the door open to diplomacy with North Korea … even while we maintain our readiness to deter aggression and to uphold our treaty commitments and the will of the Security Council,” Austin said in a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210728000839

US lawmakers push corporate sponsors to shun Beijing Olympics

Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey (left), whose company is a historic sponsor of the Olympics, takes

part in a 2019 news conference in Lausanne with International Olympic Committee president Thomas

Bach (center) and China Mengniu Dairy CEO Jeffrey Minfang AFP/Philippe LOPEZ

28 Jul 2021 06:06AM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 06:07AM)

WASHIGNTON: US lawmakers on Tuesday (Jul 26) pressed corporate sponsors to pull out of

the 2022 Beijing Olympics, accusing them of supporting what Washington considers genocide in

China's Xinjiang region, but the companies contended they had little influence.

In an often fiery hearing, members of Congress berated representatives from five major US

corporations that will sponsor the Winter Games through partnerships with the International

Olympic Committee.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China

that led the hearing, accused US companies of helping Beijing "reap the rewards in prestige and

propaganda" and drew a parallel to the 1936 Berlin Olympics under Hitler.

"He was already engaged in horrific acts against his own citizens and worse was to come. But in

this situation, it's worse than Berlin in 1936 because the genocide is already underway," he said.

The United States says that Beijing is carrying out genocide against Uyghurs and other mostly

Muslim Turkic people in Xinjiang, where experts estimate more than one million people are

incarcerated in camps.

Beijing denies genocide and has described the camps as vocational training centers, an assertion

dismissed by Uyghurs who say they are being forced to renounce religious traditions.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/us-lawmakers-push-corporate-sponsors-to-shun-

beijing-olympics-15313836

Olympic Body 'Remains Neutral'

Concerning US Commission’s Call to Postpone 2022 Beijing Games The reply from the International Olympic Committee comes as lawmakers hold a hearing on US

corporate sponsorship of the Winter Games.

2021-07-27

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday said it had to “remain neutral” on global political issues in response to a request from the U.S. Congressional

commission that asked it to postpone and relocate the 2022 Beijing Winter Games if China does not end its human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs in its Xinjiang

Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The reply came in response to a letter that the bipartisan U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) sent to IOC president Thomas Bach. The

commission made the letter public on July 23.

“No Olympics should be held in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity,” said the letter by the CECC, an

independent agency of the U.S. government that monitors human rights and rule of

law developments in China.

In an email response to RFA’s request for comment on the letter, the IOC said on Tuesday that it had responded to the CECC, but that it had to maintain neutrality on

political matters.

“Given the diverse participation in the Olympic Games, the IOC must remain neutral on all global political issues,” the IOC said. “Awarding the Olympic Games to a National Olympic Committee and a host does not mean that the IOC takes a position with regard to the political structure, social circumstances, or human rights

standards in its country.”

The IOC went on to say that the organization upholds human rights as enshrined in the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter and in its code of ethics.

“All interested parties have to provide assurances that the principles of the Olympic Charter will be respected in the context of the Games, and both the Japanese and

Chinese organizers have done so,” the IOC said, referring to the Summer Olympics

now underway in Tokyo.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/beijing-olympics-07272021191106.html

Blinken in India for talks dominated by Afghan turmoil, China

Blinken, in his first India visit as secretary of state, was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi

AFP/JONATHAN ERNST

28 Jul 2021 01:18AM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 01:18AM)

NEW DELHI: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken arrived Tuesday (Jul 27) in India for talks

dominated by turmoil in Afghanistan and common worries about China, while also touching on

New Delhi's rights record.

Blinken, in his first India visit as secretary of state, was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra

Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday before flying to Kuwait.

US-Indian relations have long been cool but China's growing assertiveness pushed them closer,

particularly since deadly clashes last year on the disputed Indo-Chinese Himalayan border.

New Delhi is meanwhile alarmed that a possible Taliban takeover in Afghanistan after the

withdrawal of forces will turn the country into a haven for anti-India extremists.

India, a firm backer of the Afghan government which has spent billions on development projects,

recently evacuated 50 staff from its Kandahar consulate as the Taliban gains ever more territory.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/blinken-in-india-for-talks-dominated-by-afghan-turmoil--

china-15310880

US, India urge Taliban to uphold peace in Afghanistan, as they pledge Quad cooperation on vaccines

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed security concerns with counterpart S. Jaishankar and Indian PM Narendra Modi as China hosted a Taliban delegation

• Blinken also spoke with a representative of the Dalai Lama as Washington steps up engagement with the Tibetan refugee community, in a move likely to irk Beijing

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday warned that Afghanistan would become a “pariah state” if the Taliban took control by force, after he met with India’s premier and top diplomat on the same day a delegation from the insurgent group visited China for talks with its foreign minister.“An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state,” Blinken told reporters in

India, where he is on his first official visit.

The instability resulting from advances the Taliban has made in snatching away vast swathes of territory from

the Afghan government’s control, following the withdrawal of American troops by September, has alarmed the international community.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3142921/us-india-urge-taliban-uphold-peace-

afghanistan-they-pledge-quad

Risking China's anger, Blinken meets representative of Dalai Lama in India

Simon LewisAftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met a representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi on Wednesday, a move likely to anger Beijingwhich considers the Tibetan spiritual leader a dangerous separatist.

Blinken met briefly with Ngodup Dongchung, who presented him with a scarf from the Dalai Lama, a senior State Department official said. Dongchung serves as a representative of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile.

"The Dalai Lama obviously is a globally revered spiritual leader and so the gesture was gratefully received and appreciated," said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

The meeting was one of the most conspicuous contacts between U.S. and Tibetan officials since President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama in Washington in 2016.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/blinken-starts-india-meetings-with-address-civil-society-group-

2021-07-28/

U.S., Russia hold nuclear talks in Geneva after

summit push

Reuters / 06:22 AM July 29, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meet for the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa

La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. (REUTERS)

GENEVA/WASHINGTON – Senior U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks on easing tensions between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers and agreed to reconvene in September

after informal consultations, the State Department said.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov

headed their delegations at the meeting at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva.

TASS news agency cited Ryabkov as saying he was satisfied with the consultations and that the United

States showed readiness for a constructive dialogue at the talks.

Armed with mandates from their leaders, it was the first time in nearly a year that the sides had held

so-called strategic stability talks amid frictions over a range of issues, including arms control.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose countries hold 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, agreed in June to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability to “lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures”. After informal consultations aimed at “determining topics for expert working groups” in the next round, the two sides agreed to reconvene in late September, State Department spokesman Ned Price

said in a statement.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1466204/u-s-russia-hold-nuclear-talks-in-geneva-after-summit-push

Chinese, Mongolian FMs hold talks on boosting bilateral ties

(Xinhua) 10:52, July 28, 2021

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with visiting Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg in north China's port city of Tianjin, July 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

TIANJIN, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held talks with visiting Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg in north China's port city of Tianjin.

Wang said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Mongolia have supported and helped each other, writing a new chapter of bilateral friendship.

Wang said China is ready to continue providing Mongolia with necessary help in fighting the epidemic, strengthen cooperation with Mongolia in the fields of mining, energy, finance, agriculture, husbandry and infrastructure construction, and innovate new forms and contents of people-to-people exchanges.

Battsetseg expressed the willingness to work with China to enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Following the talks, the two foreign ministers jointly met the press, and two sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening anti-epidemic cooperation.

The two sides welcomed the WHO-China joint report on the global tracing of COVID-19 origins, stressing that origin-tracing is a scientific work and should not be politicized.

They also called on the WHO Secretariat to cooperate with member states in accordance with relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly to promote global origin tracing research.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877563.html

What message was Xi Jinping trying to send on his visit to Tibet?

• The first visit by a Chinese leader to the region in three decades was designed to send a message to the US, India and the Dalai Lama, observers say

• Visits to a leading Buddhist monastery may also have been a way to highlight Beijing’s grip on the region

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Tibet

was a way for Beijing to flex its muscles and send a clear message about its dominance of the

region, according to analysts.

The president’s latest policy edict on Tibet – summarised in eight Chinese characters that translate as “stability, development, ecology and border-area consolidation” – and the stage-management of the event were meant to send a clear message to domestic audiences and to India and the Dalai Lama.

The official reason for the three-day trip, which concluded last Friday,was to highlight the 70th anniversary of what Beijing calls the peaceful liberation of Tibet, generally referring to the beginning of the People’s Liberation Army’s stationing in the region in 1951, following a milestone agreement between the central government and the administration in Lhasa earlier that year. It was the first by a top Chinese leader since 1990.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3142911/what-message-was-xi-jinping-trying-send-

his-visit-tibet

Smearing China over COVID-19 is geopolitical game: senior Bangladeshi journalist

(Xinhua) 11:32, July 28, 2021

DHAKA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- There is no credible evidence that the novel coronavirus was released from China, the leader of a major Bangladeshi journalist union has said.

M Abdullah, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, the country's apex union for professional journalists, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua, in response to a smear campaign against China over COVID-19 origin tracing.

China "resolutely says no" to those in the United States who have continued to slander and smear China by using the epidemic as an excuse, disregarding common sense and taking an arrogant approach to science, the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson said Friday after the White House said they were disappointed by China's decision to reject the World Health Organization's (WHO) work plan on a second-phase origin tracing.

Abdullah said accusing China of releasing COVID-19 is part of a geopolitical game.

"No credible evidence has been brought forward yet," said the senior Bangladeshi journalist.

Through a prompt and successful response to its COVID-19 outbreak, China has become a role model for pandemic preparedness and management across the world, Abdullah said.

He said China's promises and assistance to other affected countries reflect its sincerity to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

"When Bangladesh was struck by the virus, China was the first to rush in with medical assistance, medical team(s) and has since stood firm with us," Abdullah said, noting that China and Bangladesh have stood shoulder to shoulder with each other during the fight against COVID-19.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0728/c90000-9877584.html

Far more world leaders visit China

than America NEIL THOMAS

If leadership diplomacy was an Olympic sport, Beijing beats Washington to the gold medal.

In April, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga became the first foreign leader to

meet US President Joe Biden at the White House. Suga’s trip marked the return of leader-level travel to Washington after the Covid-19 pandemic. Suga told reporters that

his team was so excited to meet their American counterparts that “we ended up not even touching our hamburger steak.”

During the pandemic, a new dynamic of “strategic competition” has crystallized between the United States and China. Both Washington and Beijing are courting supporters for

their rival efforts to shape economic, political, and territorial norms. Suga’s trip to the United States, for example, saw Tokyo agree to unusually direct language opposing

Chinese “force and coercion” in the Indo-Pacific.

However, despite Biden’s early invitation to Suga, the United States trails China significantly in attracting world leaders to its shores. That’s according to a new dataset counting visits to the two countries by foreign heads of state and government from

1990–2019. Records of US travel by world leaders are kept by the US State

Department, while travel to China can be tracked through China’s Ministry of Foreign

Affairs and the official mouthpiece People’s Daily. The data include visits for multilateral

meetings, such as the United Nations General Assembly in New York or a Shanghai

Cooperation Organisation summit in China, which often incorporate bilateral elements

and reflect the United States and China’s overall engagement with global affairs.

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/far-more-world-leaders-visit-china-america

China’s top legislature eyes more laws for HK, Macao SARs

The decision to hold the session from Aug 17 to 20 was made on Tuesday at a

meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which

was presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

According to the proposed agenda, lawmakers will review at the session draft

laws on personal information protection, supervisors, legal aid, physicians,

combating organized crime, family education and land border as well as a

draft revision to the military service law.

They will also hear draft revisions to the law on scientific and technological

progress, the law on prevention and control of noise pollution, the seed law

and the population and family planning law.

Lawmakers will deliberate a draft decision to include more national laws in the

list of laws in Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region and a similar one concerning Annex III to the Basic Law

of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The NPC Standing Committee will also deliberate a draft decision to authorize

the Supreme People's Court to launch pilot projects of court reform.

Other documents to be submitted at the session will include reports on the

implementation of the national economic and social development plan and on

the implementation of this year's budget.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40003846

No empress for Japan despite a lack of heirs

Japan has ruled out allowing women to ascend to the imperial throne despite popular

support and a shortage of male heirs that threatens to break a succession line that can be

traced back two millennia.

Government advisers working on a way to solve the looming succession crisis will not

even consider the option to allow imperial princesses to reign as emperors, according to

Japanese media.

The panel appears to be bending to the will of those who appointed it — the conservative

nationalist politicians of the government of Yoshihide Suga, the prime minister. Instead,

it will set out complicated compromise measures.

Traditionalists believe that Japan’s emperors are unique in descending from a male line unbroken for 2,000 years, which in mythology goes back to

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/succession-crisis-looms-but-japan-wont-contemplate-a-woman-on-

the-throne-0b5x6lxgt

EXCLUSIVE North, South Korea in talks over summit, reopening liaison office

Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL, July 28 (Reuters) - North and South Korea are in talks to reopen a joint liaison office that Pyongyang blew up last year and to hold a summit as part of efforts to restore relations, three South Korean government sources with knowledge of the matter said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been exploring ways to improve strained ties by exchanging multiple letters since April, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivity.

The discussions signal an improvement in ties that have deteriorated in the past year after three leaders' summits in 2018 promised peace and reconciliation.

Inter-Korean talks have the potential to help restart stalled negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes in return for sanctions relief, although some analysts remain cautious about this prospect. read more

The issue is key for Moon, who is facing declining support in his final year in office. He staked his legacy on improving relations with North Korea and helped set up historic meetings between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-north-south-korea-talks-over-summit-reopening-

liaison-office-sources-2021-07-28/

Passports please: Afghans queue up for escape lifeline

Dozens begin lining up at the passport office in Kabul before dawn most days, and by eight in the

morning the queue already stretches for a good hundred metres. (Photo: AFP/Sajjad Hussain)

28 Jul 2021 11:05AM

KABUL: Like thousands of his compatriots, Abdel Khalid Nabyar waited outside Afghanistan's

main passport office to apply for the precious travel document that would allow him to leave the

war-torn nation.

With the Taliban making huge advances in the countryside as foreign forces wind up their

withdrawal, many Afghans - those with the means, at least - are looking for a way out.

Advertisement

"If the situation worsens, we might have to leave," said Nabyar, 52, who feels particularly

vulnerable because he once ran a shop on a NATO military base.

With the Taliban making huge advances in the countryside as foreign forces wind up their

withdrawal, many Afghans - those with the means, at least - are looking for a way out. (Photo:

AFP/Sajjad Hussain)

Not everyone will make an immediate exit, but most want the safety net - knowing they can

leave at short notice.

"People want to be prepared in advance in case things go wrong," added Nabyar.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/passports-please--afghans-queue-up-for-escape-lifeline-

15315188

Activists: Morocco arrests Uyghur man at China’s request INTERNATIONAL by: TARIK EL BARAKAH and ANGELA CHARLTON, Associated Press

Posted: Jul 27, 2021 / 02:56 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 27, 2021 / 04:59 PM EDT

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Moroccan authorities have arrested a Uyghur activist in exile based on a Chinese terrorism warrant distributed by Interpol, according to information from Moroccan police and a rights group that tracks people detained by China.

https://www.news10.com/news/international/activists-morocco-arrests-uyghur-man-at-chinas-

request/

Will Washington Face a Reckoning Over Taiwan? By Nick Frisch

Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 8:01 AM

Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, as photographed from Xiangshan. (Heikki Holstila,

https://flic.kr/p/2c1ZePG; CC BY-ND 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

A few years ago, in an airport ride-share leaving Taipei, I got to chatting with a Taiwanese businessman who recalled meeting Xi Jinping in the early 1990s. Back then, China’s leader was a rising apparatchik in Fujian Province, whose rocky coastline faces the self-ruling island of Taiwan across about a hundred miles of water. Communist China, poor and brimming with cheap labor, envied Taiwan’s export-led prosperity. Beijing zoned selected frontiers, including in Fujian, for market experiments. As party secretary of the provincial capital, Xi warmly welcomed Taiwanese investors. “He seemed friendly when we met him in his office, very modest, very didiao”—low-key—the businessman told me. “He asked detailed questions. He seemed interested in conditions on Taiwan.” The businessman sighed. “Hāi-ah-lah. Oh well. Who could have guessed that, all these years later, as leader of China, he would give a speech on live television threatening to bomb us?”

An American president may soon face a moment of truth over Washington’s vague defense commitments to Taiwan. With each passing year, risks grow that Asia’s oldest frozen conflict will thaw. The island, deemed an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, is a yam-shaped, Bhutan-sized clump of jungle mountains, fringed with mud-flats and cliffs, perched on the Pacific Rim near several U.S. treaty allies. Taiwan’s population of 23 million, approximately the size of Australia’s, clusters into an arable strip of farms and cities facing continental China across the stormy Taiwan Strait. (The sea goddess Matsu, protectress of sailors in peril, has been worshipped in these waters for more than a millennium.) For both strategic and sentimental reasons, Beijing claims Taiwan as an unrecovered province, awaiting reunification with the fatherland by force if necessary. The Communist Party has never controlled Taiwan; until recently, the strait’s high winds and steep waves made Chinese invasion threats ring hollow.

For the past several centuries, Taiwan has been sporadically ruled from the mainland. The island’s earliest Chinese migrants sailed over centuries ago, mainly from neighboring Fujian: ethnic Han clans, speaking a babble of Hokkien and Hakka, escaping the mainland’s wars and famines. They scraped a living from Taiwan’s sea and soil, fighting and trading with indigenous aborigines, European gunboats, pirates, and Chinese political exiles, some heavily armed. The Qing dynasty court in Beijing, ruled by nomadic Manchus from grassland steppes, dispatched administrators who dismissed

Taiwan as a “place beyond civilization,” and lamented the island’s tendency to throw up “a small rebellion every three years, and a big uprising every five.”

To more than a billion Chinese, Taiwan exists mainly as a symbol of the party’s destiny to right colonial wrongs. In 1895, Japan humbled China in a war ended by a treaty ceding Taiwan to Tokyo. For half a century—from the twilight of the Manchu dynasty through the end of World War II—Taiwan was Japan’s showcase colony. Efficient Japanese administrators built infrastructure and sponsored education. In 1945, Tokyo’s surrender handed control of Taiwan to the then-recognized government on the Chinese mainland, the bungling and corrupt Nationalist Party, led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek.

https://www.lawfareblog.com/will-washington-face-reckoning-over-taiwan

Modern Geopolitics: A Race Through Chaos

To Stability – OpEd July 28, 2021 Observer Research Foundation 0 Comments

By Observer Research Foundation

By Samir Saran and Aarshi Tirkey

The third decade of the twenty-first century has compelled the world to face its most

intractable challenge yet—offering a coherent, collective and equitable response to the

COVID-19 pandemic. This has tested the faith of the most ardent internationalists, and is

part of a deeper churn in the global order that was underway even before the first

COVID-19 case was reported in Wuhan in 2019.

US hegemony has all but come to an end and the rise of a multipolar world has

effected a redistribution of power at the global stage. American leadership, that would

have been essential to catalysing collective action against the pandemic, bordered on

wanting to island itself from the rest of the world much before former US President

Trump launched the “America First” campaign. The utopian vision of interdependence

and global cooperation had already taken a beating in Europe when Brexit demolished

the ideological and institutional underpinnings of the European Union. And China, the

other great power, was engaged in its project ‘Pax Sinica’, determined to make

globalisation beneficial for its Communist party.

Global institutions had weakened, and the benefits of investing political will into their

mechanisms had greatly receded. The coronavirus further exacerbated this: While

nations scrambled to respond to this fast-spreading disease, their immediate reaction

was to look inwards, go at it alone or with trusted partners, and engage with the

international community only for self-serving purposes. At the end of the day, all were

‘Darwinian’ and privileged their own survival without consideration and care for others.

This is typified by the perverse ‘Vaccine Access’ world map. As such, the postwar liberal international order—underwritten by the West under US

leadership—had been facing an existential crisis since the turn of the century, with

wars in South and West Asia and the Financial Crisis all challenging the old

arrangements and aiding the rise of `China as a new revisionist power. And then the

Virus from Wuhan exploded on the world stage, accelerating the processes that were

already influencing modern geopolitics, a few of which are discussed here.

https://www.eurasiareview.com/28072021-modern-geopolitics-a-race-through-chaos-to-stability-oped/

After 5 Years: South China Sea Arbitration Award and Philippine-China Relations Jul 28, 2021

On July 7, just five days before the fifth anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration

award, the Deputy Speaker of Philippine Congress Rufus Rodriguez filed a resolution, which called for turning July 12 into an annual celebration of “National West Philippine Sea Victory Day.”

With the next Philippine elections just over the horizon, the patriotic move was also a

politically astute one, considering that as many as 8 out of 10 Filipinos want the

government to assert the 2016 arbitral tribunal award at The Hague, which reaffirmed the Southeast Asian country’s maritime entitlement claims in the South China Sea. Top

Philippine allies such as the United States, which itself is yet to ratify the United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), have also backed the arbitration award as an instrument of legal warfare (“lawfare”) against China.

In a lengthy statement, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quick to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the award, which “delivered a unanimous and enduring decision firmly rejecting the PRC [People’s Republic of China[ expansive South China Sea maritime claims as having no basis in international law.” In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry lambasted the arbitral award as piece of "waste paper" and characterized the Biden administration’s most recent statement as a "political farce" to smear China. Squeezed

between two superpowers, and under pressure at home, the Rodrigo Duterte

administration has tried to square the circle by adopting often contradictory statements.

The upshot is an incoherent foreign policy, which has purchased a measure of stability in

Philippine-China relations at the cost of potentially creating long-term uncertainty. The way forward, however, is for both sides to explore a ‘middle ground’, which could outlast tempestuous domestic politics and help preserve a measure of peace and stability in the

region.

Strategic Rollercoaster The Philippines’ decision to take its South China Sea claims to an international court was forged in a cauldron of desperation. Following a months-long naval standoff with China in

2012, and unable to secure military support from the Obama administration, the

Philippines effectively lost any form of administrative control over the fishery-rich

Scarborough Shoal, just 100 nautical miles from Philippine shores.

Both the Philippines and China consider the shoal as part of their national territory,

creating immense geopolitical sensitivity. Backdoor negotiations over a ‘mutual disengagement’ plan between the Philippines and China also miserably failed.

In response, the late Philippine President Benigno Aquino III entertained suggestions by

then Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario for a lawfare strategy in the South China Sea.

As early as January, 2013, just months after the Scarborough Shoal showdown, the Philippines initiated ‘compulsory arbitration’ proceedings under the United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) against China, hoping to exert pressure on the

Asian superpower through international courts.

https://www.chinausfocus.com/peace-security/after-5-years-south-china-sea-arbitration-award-and-

philippine-china-relations

Duterte to hold talks with US defense secretary

Published July 28, 2021, 10:33 PM

by Genalyn Kabiling

Amid his strained ties with the United States, President Duterte is expected to hold a

meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III on Thursday, July 29.

Austin is expected to visit the country this week in line with 75th anniversary of the

Philippine-United States relations. His trip to Manila will come after his visits to Vietnam

and Singapore. The US official is seeking to bolster US defense relations with these

Southeast Asian nations amid China’s expansion in the South China Sea.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is scheduled to receive United States Secretary of Defense

Lloyd J. Austin III in a courtesy call in Malacañang on 29 July 2021,” a Palace statement read.

“His visit to the Philippines highlights the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and the United States and the 70th

Anniversary of the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty,” it said.

The upcoming visit of the US defense chief comes amid the President Duterte’s fraught relations with America over its past criticisms of his drug war, alleged inaction during the

Panatag Shoal standoff in 2012, among others.

The President, in his State of the Nation Address Monday, July 26, expressed doubts that

the United States would come to the country’s aid in case it is under attack amid a territorial

row with China.

“Now comes America, they say that if the attack is against the Philippines, they will defend. But they issued a statement that America does not meddle in conflicts involving the

boundaries of other nations,” he said.

“And if America has to go to war, you would have to go to Congress to get — American

Congress to get the authority to go to war,” he added.

Under the mutual defense pact between the Philippines and the United States forged in

1951, a country will defend the other nation in case it would be under external armed attack.

Duterte, in the same public address, admitted he acted in bad faith when he asked the United

States to return the Balangiga Bells to the Philippines in 2018 in exchange for his visit to

Washington. He admitted that he no longer has intention of visiting the United States.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/duterte-to-hold-talks-with-us-defense-secretary/

Philippines' 1st of two 97-meter patrol vessel launched by Japanese shipbuilder JULY 28, 2021

Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. has launched the first of two 97-meter offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The ships will become the largest vessels of the PCG upon commissioning. The launching ceremonies was held on 26 July 2021 at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's Shimonoseki shipyard in Japan, and was physically attended by the Philippine ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V, and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding President and CEO Mr. Toru Kitamura. The project involving the construction of the 2 patrol vessles were under the 94-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV) Acquisition Project, a part of the PCG's Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase II (MSCIP Phase 2) which is financed through Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The ship, with hull number 9701, has not been named yet, and was based on a modified Kunigami-class large patrol vessel used by the Japan Coast Guard. It is expected to be delivered to the PCG by March 2022, with the second vessel with hull number 9702 also expected for delivery by May 2022. They were acquired under a JPY16.455 billion (US$150 million) contract signed on December 2019 between the Philippines' Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., which won a tender against other Japanese shipbuilders to supply the ships. Despite the project's name calling for a 94-meter patrol vessel design, the final product is closer to 97 meters.

https://www.asiapacificdefensejournal.com/2021/07/philippines-1st-of-two-97-meter-patrol.html

Duterte, Austin to meet in Malacañang on Thursday By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos July 28, 2021, 10:59 pm

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to meet with United States (US)

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Thursday.

In a press statement issued Wednesday, the Palace confirmed that Austin will pay a

courtesy call on Duterte upon his arrival in the Philippines.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is scheduled to receive United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in a courtesy call in Malacañang on 29 July 2021,” it said.

Austin is on a three-nation swing through Southeast Asia, making stops in Singapore,

Vietnam and the Philippines to bolster the US’ ties with them.

He will stay in the Philippines for an official visit until Friday.

The US official’s visit to Manila highlights the 75th founding anniversary of the

diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the US, as well as the 70th

Anniversary of the signing of the two nations’ Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), Malacañang said.

The Philippines and the US established their formal diplomatic relations on July 4,

1946.

MDT, inked by Manila and Washington on August 30, 1951, aims to boost the defense

and security cooperation between them.

The Palace said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Foreign Affairs Secretary

Teodoro Locsin Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Philippine Ambassador to the

United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs

Robert Borje are expected to attend the courtesy call.

On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippines’ “debt of gratitude” to the US might persuade Duterte to reconsider the Visiting Forces

Agreement (VFA), a 1998 military pact inked by the two countries which allows US

troops to join military drills in Manila sans the need to secure passports and visa.

Duterte on Feb. 11, 2020 revoked the VFA.

The VFA was supposed to be effectively scrapped in August last year, but its

termination was postponed for the third time after Duterte in June this year extended

its validity for six more months. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148621

What the Review of the UN Global Counter-

Terrorism Strategy Tells Us About How Far We

Have Come

Since 9/11

by Eelco Kessels and Melissa Lefas July 27, 2021

(Editor’s note: This article is part of a Just Security series on the ongoing 7th

Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.)

Twenty years after 9/11, the upcoming 76th Session of the United Nations

General Assembly in September is sure to be a time for reflection on U.N. and

global efforts to counter terrorism and prevent the spread of violent extremism.

However, the real story can already be gleaned from the recent negotiations and

review of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (Strategy). First adopted

by consensus in 2006, the Strategy was significant for its comprehensive

approach to countering terrorism, including a focus on addressing the conditions

conducive to its spread and centering human rights in responses to it. The

seventh review resolution, adopted by the General Assembly on June 30, shows

both the progress that has been made since 2001 and reveals the many

challenges that still lay ahead.

Outside of the Security Council, the review of the Strategy is one of the few

times where counterterrorism and preventing violent extremism (PVE)

discussions take center stage at the U.N., involving its full membership. The

agenda is not impervious to the broader dynamics of deepening global

polarization, with divergent positions on issues related to the repatriation of

foreign fighters and their families, the shrinking of civic space, the promotion

and protection of human rights and gender considerations, and how the U.N.

system’s architecture can support member States in realizing their

counterterrorism efforts. The adoption of the seventh review resolution

demonstrates a commitment to consensus, but a closer inspection reveals

significant cracks in the global approach.

Counterterrorism efforts at the Security Council, the General Assembly, and

within the Secretariat have enjoyed broad political support, in part because of

the diplomatic ambiguity achieved by the continued absence of an international

definition of terrorism. Consensus regarding the Strategy and its subsequent

reviews rest on this ambivalence, as any efforts to bring further conceptual

clarity by defining terrorism and violent extremism have been unsuccessful. In

the absence of a definition, human rights proponents argued that proposals to

incorporate references to “new” threats of terrorism during the seventh review, such as from the “far-right,” were over-broad and would unleash serious harms

for civil society and human rights defenders in certain national contexts.

Prior to the Strategy’s adoption in 2006, human rights were largely positioned as a consideration that must be balanced against security imperatives. In an

important departure from this zero-sum approach, the Strategy affirmed that

respect for human rights and the rule of law is the necessary foundation that is

mutually reinforcing and complementary to counterterrorism efforts. Though it

took 15 years, the seventh review bolstered this statement by explicitly naming

the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and

other human rights mechanisms as key partners and affirms the absolute

prohibition of torture. On the other hand, mingled into the resolution are

troubling echoes of efforts to weaken the application of human rights in

counterterrorism as seen in the Human Rights Council over the last years.

Ultimately, the resolution falls short of instituting the kind of structural changes

that are needed. For example, despite promising draft text in earlier versions, the

review is silent on the proposal to create an independent and impartial oversight

mechanism for U.N. activities, long called for by advocates, and significantly

walked back efforts to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Strategy.

https://www.justsecurity.org/77580/what-the-review-of-the-un-global-counter-terrorism-strategy-tells-

us-about-how-far-we-have-come-since-9-11/

Biden warns cyber attacks could lead to 'a real shooting war' 28 Jul 2021 05:35AM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 06:05AM)

WASHINGTON -President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that a significant cyber attack on the United States could

lead to "a real shooting war" with a major power, comments that highlight what Washington sees as growing threats

posed by Russia and China.

Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on

entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat processing

company JBS and software firm Kaseya hurt the U.S. far beyond just the companies hacked. Some of the attacks

affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the United States.

"I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power -

it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the

capabilities," Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden shared a list of

critical infrastructure the U.S. considers off-limits to nation-state actors.

Since then, senior members of the Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with

senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the United States, the White House has said.

Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about

becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the

world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

During his speech, Biden also thanked members of U.S. intelligence agencies, emphasized his confidence in the

work they do and said he will not exert political pressure on them. The Office of the Director of National

Intelligence oversees 17 U.S. intelligence organizations.

Biden's comments offered a clear departure from remarks made by his predecessor Donald Trump, who had a

contentious relationship with intelligence agencies over issues such as its assessment that Russia had interfered to

help Trump win the 2016 election and its role in revealing that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden.

Trump went through four permanent or acting directors of national intelligence during his four years in office.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/biden-warns-cyber-attacks-could-lead-to--a-real-shooting-war-

-15313712

Biden pushes for stronger cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, wants companies to do more PUBLI SHED WED, JUL 28 20219:13 AM EDTUPDATED WED, JUL 28 20219:25 AM EDT

Amanda Macias@AMANDA_M_MACIAS

SHAREShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will sign a national security memorandum on Wednesday that aims to strengthen cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, as concern mounts about the vulnerability of the U.S. in the wake of a series of recent ransomware attacks.

The memo will include directives for federal departments, while the administration is also calling for tougher action from private companies.

“Our current posture is woefully insufficient given the evolving threat we face today. We really kicked the can down the road for a long time,” a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to share details about the effort.

The memorandum directs the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce to develop “cybersecurity performance goals for critical infrastructure.”

The order also establishes an industrial control system cybersecurity initiative, which the official described as a “voluntary, collaborative effort between the federal government and the critical infrastructure community to facilitate the deployment of technology and systems that provide threat visibility, indicators, detections and warning.”

The official stressed that while the directives may be voluntary, the federal government “cannot do this alone” and called on the private sector to “do their part.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/28/biden-to-sign-memorandum-to-improve-cybersecurity-for-us-

infrastructure.html

US concern over China nuclear build-up after new silos report

Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square

during the military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People's Republic of China, on its

National Day in Beijing, China, Oct 1, 2019. (File photo: REUTERS/Jason Lee)

28 Jul 2021 10:34AM

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday (Jul 27) aired fresh

concerns about China's build-up of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was

building 110 more missile silos.

An American Federation of Scientists (AFS) report on Monday said satellite images showed

China was building a new field of silos near Hami in the eastern part of its Xinjiang region.

Advertisement

The report came weeks after another on the construction of about 120 missile silos in Yumen, a

desert area about 380km to the southeast.

"This is the second time in two months the public has discovered what we have been saying all

along about the growing threat the world faces and the veil of secrecy that surrounds it," the US

Strategic Command said in a tweet linked to a New York Times article on the AFS report.

The State Department in early July called China's nuclear build-up concerning and said it

appeared Beijing was deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based around minimal

deterrence. It called on China to engage with it "on practical measures to reduce the risks of

destabilising arms races".

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/us-concern-over-china-nuclear-weapons-build-up-new-

silos-15314366

Austin: US doesn't want conflict with China but won't 'flinch when our interests are threatened'

By Brad Lendon, CNN Updated 2252 GMT (0652 HKT) July 27, 2021

Pelosi: To say not wearing a mask is based on science is not wise

Hong Kong (CNN)US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that China's claims and actions in the Indo-Pacific threaten the sovereignty of nations around the region while Washington is committed to building partnerships that guarantee the vital interest of all nations.

"Beijing's claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea has no basis in international law. That assertion treads on the sovereignty of states in the region," Austin said in a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.

China claims almost all of the 1.3-million-square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory, despite much of those claims running against international law.

The US defense chief said China's intransigence extended beyond the South China Sea.

"Beijing's unwillingness to resolve disputes peacefully and respect the rule of law isn't just

occurring on the water. We have also seen aggression against India, destabilizing military activity and other forms of coercion against the people of Taiwan, and genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang," Austin said

Despite that list, Austin said the US does not seek military conflict with Beijing.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/27/politics/us-defense-secretary-austin-asia-singapore-speech-intl-

hnk/index.html

As tensions with China mount, US defense secretary visits Vietnam, vows support for region Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is seeking

to bolster ties with Vietnam, one of the Southeast Asian nations embroiled in a territorial rift with China, during a two-day visit starting Wednesday.

In a speech in Singapore, his first stop in the region he is visiting for the first

time as member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, Austin said Tuesday he was committed to pursuing a constructive, stable relationship with China, including

stronger crisis communications with the People’s Liberation Army.

But he repeated that Beijing’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea “has no basis in international law” and “treads on the sovereignty of states in the region.”

He said the U.S. continues to support the region’s coastal states in upholding their rights under international law, and remains committed to the defense treaty

obligations the U.S. has with Japan and the Philippines.

“Unfortunately, Beijing’s unwillingness to resolve disputes peacefully and

respect the rule of law isn’t just occurring on the water,” Austin said. “We have also seen aggression against India ... destabilizing military activity and other

forms of coercion against the people of Taiwan ... and genocide and crimes

against humanity against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.”

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to Austin.

“The U.S. ignored the facts, deliberately smeared China, interfered in China’s internal affairs and sowed discords among regional countries with the aim of

serving its own geopolitical interest,” Zhao said at a regular news briefing. “We admonish the U.S. side not to make an issue about China at every turn and do more for the benefit of peace and stability in the region.”

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/07/28/as-tensions-with-china-mount-us-

defense-secretary-visits-vietnam-vows-support-for-region/

Space Force sees ‘advantages and opportunities’ in nuclear-powered space

missions

by Sandra Erwin — July 28, 2021

WASHINGTON — Space vehicles powered by small nuclear reactors — a technology that NASA believes could help get humans to Mars faster — also could be used for military missions in deep space, the vice chief of the U.S. Space Force said July 28.

Nuclear propulsion “holds the potential for significant advantages in terms of efficiency compared to standard chemical rockets,” Gen. David Thompson said on a virtual forum hosted by the Mitchell Institute.

“It expands the envelope in how far you can go,” Thomson said.

NASA for decades has been interested in nuclear propulsion for space exploration. The Space Force currently does not send missions beyond Earth’s orbit but might have to do that one day, officials predict.

Current electric and chemical space propulsion systems have drawbacks and limitations for long-endurance missions in deep space so nuclear propulsion is worth considering, Thompson said.

“As you, no kidding, look at operating long term and sustainment in space, I think absolutely the nation has to look again at what its use is,” the said of nuclear energy.

“We know NASA is looking at this,” Thompson said.

One scenario the Space Force is planning for is to be able to deploy and move satellites or other vehicles around cislunar space — the vast region between the Earth and the moon. That creates a challenge for traditional technologies like solar-powered systems, Thompson noted. “The further away you get from the sun the harder it is for solar panels,” he added. “Solar panels are large and flimsy, they also limit your ability to maneuver quickly.”

There has been historical resistance to the use of nuclear power so there are “policy considerations” the Space Force would have to weigh, Thompson said. “But Space Force has to look hard at the advantages and opportunities of nuclear power and nuclear propulsion.”

https://spacenews.com/space-force-sees-advantages-and-opportunities-in-nuclear-powered-space-

missions/

US Air force to Eliminate 20 Rq-4 global hawks spy planes .

In the US military budget request for the fiscal year 2022, the US Air Force proposed to

eliminate up to 20 RQ-4 Global Hawk spy planes to reduce operating costs.

The move to eliminate the sizable margin of the RQ-4 Global Hawk is supposed to cut the

budget. These edge-type electronic reconnaissance versions belong to the early Block 30.

Currently, the United States has developed newer variants based on the RQ-4 such as the RQ-

4B, and a naval version bearing the designation MQ-4C. All aircraft after decommissioning are

put into special storage and can be reused when needed.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk is the most modern unmanned aerial vehicle of the US military. This type

of aircraft is capable of capturing, collecting and transmitting to the base images of terrain,

objects and battlefields with extremely high resolution. In addition, it can also eavesdrop on

signal transmissions and record activities on the ground.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a product of Northrop Grumman, born in the mid-1990s. The aircraft

is considered the miracle of US Air Force technology, the RQ-4 Global Hawk carries with it

outstanding performance compared with the legendary Lockheed U-2.

Compared to the U-2, the RQ-4 Global Hawk spy plane does not need a direct pilot, it can hover

in the sky of the enemy for days before having to return to base to refuel. . With a ceiling of

over 18km, intercepting this type of aircraft is extremely difficult.

https://defenceview.in/us-air-force-to-eliminate-20-rq-4-global-hawks-spy-planes/

123 service members killed in training vehicle accidents over 10 years, GAO review says Military training is supposed to train service members, not kill them. But the Army and Marine Corps have sustained thousands of non-combat vehicle accidents. In a 10-year period, 123 service members were killed. A review by the Government Accountability Office finds that the services don’t always employ their own preventive practices. GAO’s Director of Defense Capabilities and Management Issues, Cary Russell, had more details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Tom Temin: And this issue of vehicles that overturn or crash, or otherwise end up in injury or death to service members, this has been a fairly persistent issue, hasn’t it?

Cary Russell: It has. We looked at 10 years worth of data and we found a number of accidents across that period. It varies, obviously, from year to year, but it’s a significant problem for sure.

Tom Temin: Because the photograph even going with the report summary shows, I guess that’s a, I don’t know what it is, a MRAP or something, a very, very heavy, large truck like thing completely on its lid. And that takes some doing the type of thing over like that.

Cary Russell: Yeah, it’s a significant concern. Obviously there are a lot of vehicles of that size that can and do rollover, and rollovers are particularly serious. As we looked at the 123 deaths that you talked about, almost two thirds of those actually come from rollover accidents. So they’re particularly serious.

Tom Temin: And what is the root cause of the persistence of these accidents?

Cary Russell: Well, as we looked into the data and looked at that 10 year period, we found that primarily human factors were the driver. And these are things like attentiveness of the driver, lapses in supervision, and overall lack of training, which are things that we get into and some of the findings and recommendations within the report.

Tom Temin: It sounds like the vehicle driving then almost might be considered wrongly, but nevertheless considered by the leaders there to be ancillary to the situation that they’re training the people in directly. That is to say, they need training in the operation of these vehicles, specifically, before they can be used for training for some situation.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2021/07/123-service-members-killed-in-training-

vehicle-accidents-over-10-years-gao-review-says/

South China Sea: US will ensure ‘all nations can benefit’ from resource-rich international waters, top navy admiral says

• Admiral Michael Gilday told a media round table in Singapore that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was ‘enforceable’ and ‘unambiguous’

• The top US navy officer’s comments follow the Pentagon chief’s reiteration that Washington views China’s South Sea claims as illegitimate

International law and legal customs that govern the high seas have the full support of the United States, which will work with partners in Asia to ensure that all nations can “equitably” benefit from marine resources, the US navy’s top admiral said on Wednesday.The comments in Singapore

by Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, came a day after US Secretary of Defence

Lloyd Austin

underscored Washington’s long-standing position that China’s vast claims of the South China Sea had

no basis in international law.Gilday, speaking during a media round table, said the US Navy operated

under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), adding that the law was

“enforceable”, “unambiguous” and had lifted societies out of poverty.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3142908/south-china-sea-us-will-ensure-all-nations-

can-benefit-resource

A NEW U.S. NAVY PLANNING MODEL FOR

LOWER-THRESHOLD MARITIME

SECURITY OPERATIONS, PART 1 JULY 27, 2021 GUEST AUTHOR 1 COMMENT

By Andrew Norris

Introduction

The new U.S. tri-service maritime strategy, Advantage at Sea, which refers to the three maritime services (Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) collectively as the single Naval Service, largely focuses on great power competition at sea against peer or near-peer competitors.1However, although the Naval Service has to be configured and trained to prevail in high-intensity armed conflict, unless and until such conflict occurs, this competition at sea will play itself out through interactions short of war across what the strategy refers to as the “competition continuum.” By increasingly and successfully engaging in activities short of war against maritime competitors and other malign actors, the Naval Service will accomplish a central pillar of Advantage at Sea, which is to “prevail in day-to-day competition.” In addition to being built, equipped, manned, and trained to compete in operations short of war, the Naval Service also has to be able to plan for campaigns and major operations in this space to ensure the most effective and efficient employment of scarce resources—not only to achieve the United States’ strategic goals, but also to assist allies and partners in achieving their own goals and objectives. This ability to plan at the operational level will increasingly include operations at the lower, “constabulary” end of the competition continuum (see Figure 1), an area of far less familiarity to the U.S. Navy than to the U.S. Coast Guard. Operations at this level, which promote a rules-based international order at sea, are “increasingly being seen as a crucial enabler for global peace and security, and therefore something that should command the attention of naval planners everywhere.”2

This article asserts that the U.S. Navy will increasingly be called upon to operate in the constabulary end of activities short of war and proposes a 4-part constraints, restraints, enablers, and imperatives (C-R-E-I) analytical

model for preparing the staff estimate to inform the mission analysis phase of the Navy Planning Process (NPP),3 when utilized to plan for such activities. In doing so, it builds upon the scholarship of Professors Milan Vego and Ivan Luke of the U.S. Naval War College. https://cimsec.org/a-new-u-s-navy-planning-model-for-lower-threshold-maritime-security-operations-

part-1/

Chinese military drills simulate amphibious landing and island seizure in battle conditions

• Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has held 20 naval exercises involving elements of island capture in the first half of 2021

• Chinese embassy in the UK urges London to respect that China’s sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea have historical and legal basis

The Chinese military has conducted yet another drill featuring assault landing and island-control exercises, Chinese state media reported on Tuesday, continuing its training to boost soldiers’ combat readiness in case of insurgency in the Taiwan Strait.

In addition, the People’s Liberation Army has staged drills in the South China Sea as British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed through the disputed waters.

An amphibious synthetic brigade under the Xiamen-headquartered 73rd Group Army recently conducted a drill on China’s Southeast Coast, an exercise in the military’s capability of conducting cross-sea island seizure

operations.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3142851/chinese-military-drills-simulate-

amphibious-landing-and-island

Chinese researchers look at how to keep satellites under the radar

• The science of avoiding detection has progressed rapidly, including a new proposal to coat a satellite in composite materials to absorb radar waves

• A researcher with the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics says the use of stealth technology in space requires new laws and regulation

A research team in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has developed stealth technology for use by small satellites to blind radar detection.

Spotting and tracing a small satellite is difficult, even with a large telescope, but some ground-based radar

stations can identify an object as small as a pen in the near-Earth orbit, day or night.

The new stealth technology could reduce the strength of radar signals by more than 80 per cent, making the small satellite virtually invisible on a radar screen, according to the Chinese researchers.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3142902/chinese-researchers-look-how-keep-

satellites-under-radar

PLA debuts latest artillery weapons in plateau exercises By

Liu Xuanzun Published: Jul 28, 2021 08:39 PM Two of the latest Chinese artillery weapons recently made their exercise debuts in plateau regions organized by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command and Tibet Military Command, with analysts saying on Wednesday that these weapons are particularly effective on plateaus. An artillery unit under a regiment affiliated with the PLA Xinjiang Military Command organized a live-fire exercise with newly commissioned equipment for the first time in a snowy plateau region at an elevation of more than 5,000 meters, according to a statement the command released on its WeChat account on Tuesday. Photos attached to the statement indicate that the new equipment is likely the PLZ-07 122-millimeter-caliber self-propelled howitzer, Shanghai-based news website eastday.com said in an analysis. With an armored, caterpillar-tracked chassis, the PLZ-07 has much higher survivability and mobility when operating in special terrains, making it potentially China's most powerful howitzer in its caliber category, eastday.com said. Another new artillery piece, a multiple rocket launcher system, made its debut in a recent exercise with the PLA Tibet Military Command, according to a report by China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday. The new rocket artillery looks similar to the PHL-11 self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system, as both use a wheeled chassis and fire 122-millimeter-caliber rockets. However, the new rocket artillery only runs on four wheels and has 20 rocket launch tubes, while the PHL-11 runs on six wheels and has 40 launch tubes, eastday.com said. Unlike many other weapons and types of equipment that could offer a lower performance due to the lack of oxygen on plateaus, artillery weapons could perform even better in such areas, since the air resistance is smaller, and that is why they are some of the most important weapons for plateau operations, a military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229911.shtml

China, Russia vow to cement cooperation as defense ministers meet in Dushanbe July 28, 2021

https://asiapost.live/china-russia-vow-to-cement-cooperation-as-defense-ministers-meet-in-dushanbe/

Chinese military turboprop enters Taiwan’s ADIZ

Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, deployed air defense missile systems to track

PLAAF plane 852

By Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2021/07/28 10:38

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military plane entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday morning (July 27), marking the 13th intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, the country sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track it.

All the Chinese planes spotted in the identification zone this month have been slower-flying turboprops, including anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, and reconnaissance variants.

Since September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner of the zone.

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

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

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4259710

Taiwan Navy Receives Tuo Chiang-

class Stealth Corvette Taiwan Navy took delivery of its Tuo Chiang-class stealth corvette on Tuesday.

Taiwan launched the first Tuo Chiang-class corvette named Ta Chiang in Yilan county in December.

“Republic of China Navy (ROCN) has received Ta Chiang, the improved stealth multi-mission corvette. Ta Chiang’s versatility and asymmetric capability will be put to good use by our sailors to protect our country,” Taiwanese Ministry of Defense tweeted Wednesday.

Dubbed “aircraft carrier killer,” the corvette is heavily armed. According to local media, the corvette has a displacement of 685 tons; and is loaded with Sea Sword II anti-aircraft missiles, eight subsonic

Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) anti-ship missiles, eight supersonic Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) medium-range

missiles, one Phalanx close-in weapons system (CIWS), two 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine

guns, and two Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30119/Taiwan_Navy_Receives_Tuo_Chiang_class_Stealth_Corvet

te#.YQZ3begzbIU

Taiwan is buying high-tech US fighter-jet pods to keep a closer eye on China's navy

Taiwan has signed a NT$9.63 billion (US$343 million) deal with the United States to buy six reconnaissance pods and related equipment to allow its air force to greatly increase surveillance over the Chinese navy's coastal activities as the island shores up its defences against the threat from Beijing.

The deal, revealed by the island's defence ministry on Wednesday through a government bidding website, was signed by the ministry's mission stationed in the US and the American Institute in Taiwan, which represents US interests in the absence of formal relations.

According to the contract made public by the ministry, the deal was struck on July 7. The MS-110 reconnaissance pods would be delivered to Hualien in eastern Taiwan where the air force bases its F-16 fighter jet squadron, the contract said.

The MS-110 is a multispectral pod fitted to an aircraft to capture images and intelligence at long range.

https://www.businessinsider.com/taiwan-buys-fighter-jet-pods-from-us-monitor-chinese-navy-2021-7

S.Korea to Acquire AI-based

Unmanned Combat Systems The South Korean military could soon buy Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based unmanned combat systems to prepare for new kinds of warfare in the cyber, space and electronic sectors.

“As our neighboring countries are putting national efforts toward science and technology development to prepare for the future, our military should also swiftly adopt cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and unmanned systems, and focus on developing defense policies and strategies for the future," Defense Minister Suh Wook said.

Under its “rapid acquisition process,” the Ministry of Defense revealed plans to buy new cutting-edge weapons such as drones. The Joint Chiefs of Staff will develop new operation plans to include AI-based unmanned combat systems to the list, local media reported citing the ministry on Wednesday.

The MoD has completed reorganization, giving more authority to the Office of Defense Reform to lead the initiative for the early deployment of new combat systems.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30114/S_Korea_to_Acquire_AI_based_Unmanned_Combat_Syste

ms#.YQZ3x-gzbIU

LIG Nex1 successfully completes trials of Sea Sword III USV

Naval News July 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry

POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, 28 JULY 2021 13:11

According to information published by Aju Business Daily on July 28, 2021, LIG Nex1 Co., Ltd., a South Korean aerospace manufacturer and defense company, said the Haegum-3 (Sea Sword 3) Unmanned Surface Vehicle successfully completed its trials in June.

In 2020, the South Korean firm unveiled a prototype of its unmanned surface vehicle (USV) Sea Sword (Haegum), which was developed and designed for coastal defense.

This Sea Sword Multi-purpose USV enables mapping and fusion of detected data, and creation of complex data through the unmanned surface & underwater platforms even in maritime environment difficult for human to approach. For the military application, underwater, where submersibles can infiltrate, surveillance and mine detection missions are feasible in the West Sea of the North Korea.

For combat operations, the Sea Sword USV can be fitted with a remotely operated weapon station that can be armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. The rear deck can be also fitted with a two-axis eight-cell guided-rocket launcher for 70 mm Poniard rockets.

The Sea Sword USV has a weight of 11 tones and an overall length of 12 m, a 3.5 m beam, and is based on a low RCS (radar cross-section) monohull made of fiber-reinforced plastic. It is powered by two diesel engines driving two Kamewa waterjets to a speed of more than 35 knots, or a maximum range of 180 n miles at a cruising speed of 20 knots.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/10240-naval-news-

july-2021-navy-forces-maritime-defense-industry/10490-lig-nex1-successfully-completes-trials-of-sea-

sword-iii-usv.html

North Korean Soldiers Steal from Civilians

to Celebrate End of Korean War Citizens go out of their way to avoid military ‘bandits.’

2021-07-27

Members of North Korea’s military are robbing citizens on the streets to secure

materials needed to celebrate the signing of the July 27, 1953 armistice agreement

that ended Korean War hostilities, sources in the country told RFA.

North Korea has designated the anniversary of the agreement as a national holiday called the “Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War,” even though the war ended in what is widely considered to be a stalemate, with the peninsula

remaining divided between North and South.

North Korea's cash-strapped government has in recent years struggled to adequately

supply the military with even food and basic necessities, often leaving individual

units to fend for themselves.

Over the past few years, incidents of the military “commandeering” supplies from civilians or forcing them to “donate” them have been common. But as economic conditions worsen under international nuclear sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, soldiers are now increasingly shaking down people who dare to walk the

streets alone.

The terrified citizens are now referring to the roving bands of soldiers looking to

take their belongings as “bandits.”

“Robbery and assault ahead of the 7.27 Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War by soldiers here in Pyongsan county just crosses the line,” a resident of North Hwanghae province, south of the capital Pyongyang, told RFA’s Korean Service July 21.

“When residents see soldiers even from a distance on the street, they feel afraid and go out of their way to avoid them,” said the source, who requested anonymity for

security reasons.

Items frequently stolen from citizens include cigarettes, cash, food, and other things

that the government would normally supply them, according to the source.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/bandit-07272021184100.html

Indian Navy To Develop Use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) July 28, 2021

https://asiapost.live/indian-navy-to-develop-use-of-unmanned-underwater-vehicles-uuv/

Indian Navy’s new submarines will cost $1 bn each.

Building 6 conventional submarines is one of the Indian Navy’s most important weapon

construction programmes.

Kickstarting one of the Indian Navy’s most important weapon construction programmes, the

ministry of defence issued a tender for building six conventional submarines, at an Indian

shipyard, in technology partnership with a chosen global original equipment manufacturer

(OEM).

The MoD has pegged the cost of six submarines at about Rs 43,000 crore (Rs 430 billion) This

means that each boat (navies traditionally refer to submarines as ‘boats’) will cost a staggering

$1 billion.

This six-submarine acquisition, code-named Project 75(I), follows on from the ongoing Project

75 — the construction of six conventional Scorpene boats by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, with

technology supplied by Naval Group of France.

Three of the six Scorpenes have already joined the navy’s fleet. The remaining three are

expected to join by 2023.

‘Project 75(I) envisages indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines… with

contemporary equipment, weapons, and sensors, including fuel cell-based air independent

propulsion plant, advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state-of-the-art countermeasure

systems,’ the MoD stated.

https://defenceview.in/indian-navys-new-submarines-will-cost-1-bn-each/

India: A very colonial hangover

EDMOND ROY

The Pegasus spyware saga puts a spotlight, again, on a lack of parliamentary

accountability for intelligence agencies.

•

In the 1830’s Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay set about drafting a piece of legislation

that would outlive not just him but also the empire that gave him the license to do so.

Indeed, it’s a cruel irony that Macaulay’s world view, long discredited in the former

colony, has found an almost sacrosanct following within successive independent Indian

governments.

I’m speaking here of Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code that deals with Sedition.

Enacted by the colonial government in 1870, the law has not just remained part of the

Indian Penal Code but has been deployed with alarming regularity against free India’s dissenting citizens. Today, students, journalists, human rights activists, cartoonists,

intellectuals and dissidents routinely get caught in its far reaching net. The latest case is

that of Aisha Sultana, a young filmmaker from the island of Lakshadweep, who is facing

charges of sedition for questioning the actions of the federal administrator.

It’s become so common-place to use this piece of colonial-era legislation that the

country’s supreme court has been forced to question whether it was necessary to keep

this archaic law on the statute after 75 years of independence.

And it’s not just Macaulay’s legal creation that is now in the spotlight.

Recent revelations from journalists collaborating in the “Pegasus project” that more than

300 mobile telephones of Indian ministers, opposition politicians, legal practitioners,

businesspeople, bureaucrats and journalists among others were hacked has managed

to turn the nation’s attention on to the laws governing intelligence gathering and surveillance. The Pegasus project has led to opposition politicians calling for the

resignation of the country’s home minister and for an inquiry into the role of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the alleged surveillance efforts. For its part the Indian

government has neither confirmed nor denied it was a client of the Israeli company NSO

which makes the Pegasus software used to spy on telecommunications.

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/india-very-colonial-hangover

Australia’s defence debate should focus on strategy and force structure, not

tactics and tanks 28 Jul 2021|Thomas Lonergan

Keen readers of Australian defence discourse won’t have missed the passions exposed by recent news that the army intends to buy new tanks and armoured engineering vehicles—some critically canvased across these pages, some barracked for on defence industry sites and social media, and unmissably, the Statler and Waldorf routine which entertained in The

Australian.

Inevitably, this debate has succumbed to an obstacle which afflicts most Australian military discussions: we’re mired in talking tactics when we need to be thinking strategy. To debate the specific merits of the weapon system on the Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank or deeply argue the general utility of the tank—while fascinating—is to really miss the point. What’s in real contention is the future force structure and resourcing of the Australian Defence Force over the long term against the government’s new direction in the 2020 defence strategic update. The government has clearly told the ADF that ‘sharper prioritisation is required’ and that its ‘new policy will require force structure and capability adjustments focussing on responding to grey-zone challenges, the possibility of high-intensity conflict and domestic crises’. But what many in uniform may not yet realise is that the government has unambiguously telegraphed extensive changes to the ADF’s force design. That means hard choices need to be made—such as complete divestment, partial scaling down or transference to the reserve of legacy capabilities—which didn’t manifest in the 2020 force structure plan. Among the three services and the new kid (the Joint Capabilities Group), there will be some winners and potentially many losers. Why? First off, it’s about money. The ADF can’t be blind to the nation’s fiscal position, which will linger for decades beyond this pandemic. Debt is forecast to peak by mid-2025 at $980.6 billion, or 40.9% of GDP. Australia has modest strategic weight and finite available resources. The government won’t be able to afford romantic investment in legacy ADF capabilities whose value is limited for conditions and adversary trends faced in our region.

Money needs to be found for long-range strike and area-denial effects and increased resilience and self-reliance preparedness.

While specific decisions on these matters are yet to be taken or publicly known, it’s clear that big outlays will be required to achieve the ‘credible deterrence’ envisaged. Even if future governments increase the defence budget in years ahead, it’s an obvious deduction that considerable money will still need to be reprofiled. The Attack-class submarines, the Hunter-class frigates and the F-35 jets have already locked in eye-watering capital and sustainment spends beyond the life span of the 2020 force structure plan. For example, the plan forecasts $9.5–14.2 billion for the army’s heavy armour capabilities out to 2040—and that excludes $18.1–27.1 billion slated for a 40-ton infantry fighting vehicle fleet in Land 400 Phase 3.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australias-defence-debate-should-focus-on-strategy-and-force-

structure-not-tactics-and-tanks/

British Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group conducts naval exercise with Singapore Navy

Naval News July 2021 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry

POSTED ON TUESDAY, 27 JULY 2021 18:46

According to information published by the British Ministry of Defense on July 27, 2021, ships from the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, performed a naval exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) on July 26, 2021.

The exercise, to advance interoperability and coordination between the two navies, builds on the deep and long-standing defense partnership between the UK and Singapore. It was also the first time that ships from the British Royal Navy’s 5th generation Carrier Strike Group exercised alongside the RSN (Republic of Singapore Navy).

Eight ships were involved in this exercise, including the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, HMS Kent Type 23 anti-submarine frigate, HNLMS Evertsen De Zeven Provicien-class frigate fromù the Royal Netherlands Navy, USS The Sullivans Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer from the U.S. Navy, RFA Tidespring Fast Fleet Tanker from the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary, RSS Intrepid Formidable-class frigate, RSS Unity Independence-class littoral mission vessel and RSS Resolution Endurance-class landing ship tank from the Republic of Singapore Navy.

The British Navy Strike Group, which set off on its maiden deployment in May this year and has successfully conducted operations and engagements in the Mediterranean, is now in the Indo-Pacific.

The purpose-built aircraft carrier replenishment ship, RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) Tidespring broke away from the main group on Friday (23 July 2021) for a quick and contactless replenishment pit-stop in Singapore. She will now sustain the group as it proceeds further east.

https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/10240-naval-news-

july-2021-navy-forces-maritime-defense-industry/10487-british-navy-hms-queen-elizabeth-carrier-

strike-group-conducts-naval-exercise-with-singapore-navy.html

#Reviewing Military

Agility Jonathan Beall

July 28, 2021

Meir Finkel’s Military Agility is concerned with the narrow time frame of an army’s transition from peacetime to wartime. More specifically, his work focuses on how armies can develop a

mindset to move effectively from a peacetime perspective (or from engaging in a low-intensity

conflict) to engaging in conventional, high-intensity war.[1] Finkel argues this process is affected

by four factors: lack of adequate training with new weapons and equipment, the important

transition in mentality from low-intensity conflict/regional security operations to a conventional

conflict, the challenge of unresolved doctrinal debates when war is begun, and the mental

transition from peace to war.[2] Military history attests to nations’ struggle to transition from a peacetime footing to a wartime posture, but Military Agility draws solely from Israel’s modern experiences. While Finkel explores an overlooked concept, focusing analysis through the lens of

Israel’s experiences since 1948 imposes methodological limits upon the work. This review examines his argument and then assesses its effectiveness.

To Finkel, the key to understanding the move from peace to war must include an army’s “cognitive and mental flexibility” in that transition, which means this process is not simply a matter of material readiness, although it is not neglected.[3] This short work focuses on the four

factors Finkel argues most affect the agility with which a military moves from a peacetime

mindset to a war mentality. The first factor he explores is how a nation amasses resources for

war once it understands it is coming. He uses the arms buildup before conflicts in 1956, 1967,

and 1973 as examples. Before these conflicts, Israel upgraded existing weapons systems, but also

relied on foreign weapons that required integration into the Israeli Defense Force. A reliance

upon foreign suppliers caused supply problems with systems that were not entirely integrated

when war began. Finkel concludes that assimilating new systems before or during a war presents

challenges, and their effectiveness “is generally minimal.”[4] Further, introducing complex weapons systems, like new fighter aircraft, posed special problems, because the required training

was not always possible before war began.[5] In contrast, upgrading existing systems often

occurred more efficiently and effectively, thus creating fewer challenges.[6]

https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2021/7/28/reviewing-military-agility

How the nuclear weapons industry is dominating

think tank research

A recent study finds that all major institutions working on nuke policy are getting funds from

companies with a vested interest in it.

JULY 28, 2021

Written by

Alicia Sanders-Zakre and Susi Snyder

If you read a report about nuclear weapons, odds are it was published by a think tank funded by a company producing nuclear weapons. In our recent study of global nuclear weapons spending, we found that almost all major think tanks working on nuclear weapon issues took money from companies involved in the nuclear weapons industry in 2020 — raising questions about their intellectual independence and moral integrity.

In the report, we include 12 think tanks, picked from the Global Think Tank Index’s top foreign policy think tanks that also publish regularly on nuclear weapons from France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We found the 21 companies that received nuclear weapon contracts gave $10 million in grants to these think tanks in just one year, as reported in the think tanks’ own annual reports and on their websites. This is a systemic issue. It’s not just one think tank, or a few $100,000 grants. Half of the profiled think tanks received up to well over one million dollars in one year from at least nine different companies working on nuclear weapons.

These companies don’t just donate money; key executives also oversee and advise several of these think tanks. Three CEOs of nuclear weapons-producing companies — Guillaume Faury (Airbus), Gregory J. Hayes (Raytheon), and Marillyn A. Hewson (until recently Lockheed Martin) — sit on the advisory board of the Atlantic Council. The Center for New American Security has a similar story: up to $1.8 million received from companies working on nuclear weapons and five board seats for those whose livelihoods are tied to nuclear weapon production.

These links are a problem for two reasons: it raises questions about the think tanks’ independence, and it ties them to companies engaging in immoral activities banned under international law.

Given the sway that these think tanks seek to have over nuclear policy, the extent to which they may be shaped by the funders with a vested interest in nuclear weapons is an important question. When making policy around issues that risk indiscriminate harm, there needs to be more space between those who profit from inaction and those who profess intellectual independence.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/07/28/how-the-nuclear-weapons-industry-is-dominating-think-

tank-research/

NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S COUNTERINSURGENCY: THE UNITED STATES

MUST PREPARE FOR RADICALLY NEW FORMS

OF NONSTATE VIOLENCE Steven Metz | 07.28.21

Twenty years of costly counterinsurgency (COIN) efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan have left many national

security experts—and the American public—ready to move on. However, while the United States may be

over COIN, COIN is not done with the United States. Over the past seventy-five years, the US military has

been involved in COIN efforts around the world, often engaged in multiple fights at once. Given the

prominent role insurgency played in the past and the fact that civil wars and nonstate violence remain

consistent features of the international system, we should expect COIN will continue to play an

important role in US national security.

The challenge for the United States is not just maintaining COIN expertiseas national security attention

shifts to great power competition, but also understanding how the character of insurgencies will evolve

in the future. The persistent requirement to engage in COIN over many decades has led to an extensive

body of both research and military doctrine on how to defeat insurgencies. However, the character of

insurgency has evolved due to societal shifts in the areas of technology, economics, social networks, and

other changes that shape human interaction. New forms of insurgency will likely emerge in the coming

decades, and the United States may once again become involved. As the character of insurgency evolves,

the strategies and tools necessary to counter it also need to adapt.

The changing character of insurgency may be no less dramatic than changes in other aspects of modern

warfare that are being driven by technological advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, long-range precision fires, swarming autonomous devices, and social media. Ominously, though, America’s security experts and professionals are not focused on what these new forms of insurgency will be.

Instead, they assume future variants will resemble those of the past. If this backward-looking approach

continues, future US involvement in COIN campaigns could be catastrophic.

Three Waves of Insurgency

Despite extensive literature on insurgency and practical experience in countering it, much of the US

understanding of how to conceptualize COIN is wrong, treating insurgency as either a type of

organization or a variant of warfare. It is more accurate (and analytically useful) to think of insurgency

as a strategy—specifically, one used by the weak to attain strategic objectives when they cannot do so

through conventional military action or normal politics. Insurgency, then, is a strategy of desperation.

https://mwi.usma.edu/not-your-grandfathers-counterinsurgency-the-united-states-must-prepare-for-

radically-new-forms-of-nonstate-violence/

Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems Is Only a First Step July 28, 2021

The central question raised by today’s National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems is what should take the place of a voluntary approach to cybersecurity. This responsibility falls on Congress. In many areas, Congress has realized that the United States is in a contest with China. The Chinese think the United States is unable to govern itself. Providing the authorities needed for better cybersecurity is an opportunity to prove China wrong.

Proposed legislation in 2012 would have given the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the authority to regulate critical infrastructure, but it was fiercely opposed by many in the private sector. One result of this failure to pass legislation in 2012 has been more than a decade of significant economic loss (probably more than $1 trillion in aggregate) and major damage to national security.

Stymied by Congress’s unwillingness to provide new authorities, the Obama administration issued Executive Order 13636 (Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity) on February 12, 2013. This order circumvented Congressional reluctance by creating a sector-specific approach. Agencies used their existing authorities over critical infrastructure sectors to hold their charges accountable in meeting new cybersecurity standards created by the NIST Cybersecurity Framework developed in close partnership with the private sector. (When asked why it was called a framework, one of Executive Order 13636’s authors replied that calling it regulatory was too politically sensitive.)

The NIST framework laid out the best practices for cybersecurity. It has since become a global standard. Sectoral regulatory agencies can, to the extent permitted by their existing authorities, direct

companies to meet the framework’s requirements. While this approach avoided the need to ask Congress for more authority, the results vary from sector to sector given disparities in their authorities. Pipelines, for example, had voluntary guidelines and no monitoring or reporting requirements. Other sectors vary in the degree of regulatory rigor, but there is a correlation between greater regulatory authority and better cybersecurity.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/improving-cybersecurity-critical-infrastructure-control-systems-only-first-

step

Water disputes will compound instability in

the Middle East 28 Jul 2021|Amin Saikal

The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world. The scarcity of water has often been touted as a source of national and interstate disputes in the area. Some scholars have predicted for some time the possibility of deadly national altercations and regional clashes over the distribution of water resources in parts of the region. Although no full-blown war has erupted so far, two current episodes illustrate this point: public protests in the Iranian province of Khuzestan and the growing discord between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over water dispensation from the Nile River. With climate change causing more droughts, the potential for conflict over water cannot be underestimated.

In recent days, the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan, largely populated by Iran’s Arab minority, has experienced public protests over a shortage of water as the province and all of Iran have been hit by one of the worst droughts in modern times. The protests have rapidly spread into other parts of Iran, which has come on top of the damage wrought by Covid-19 and US sanctions. Public anger is mounting against the Iranian government, which has been unable to provide remedial responses. The security forces’ heavy-handed treatment of the protesters has resulted in several deaths, with many injured and scores arrested.

However, the protests are a reflection of the deeper and wider public disenchantment with Iran’s Islamic regime. The regime’s popular base of support has shrunk over the years. A number of interrelated factors have contributed to this, including not only Covid and sanctions but also poor theocratic governance, widespread administrative malfunctions and corruption, severe economic hardship and lack of a good health system and facilities. The regime is now faced with a multi-faceted crisis. The protests, at which ‘death to the Supreme Leader’, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been loudly chanted, can no longer be contained or reversed by business as usual—that is, repressive security measures. Khamenei has now called on the security forces to be more understanding of the protestors and the outgoing moderate and reformist President Hassan Rouhani has joined him in that message.

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/water-disputes-will-compound-instability-in-the-middle-east/

25 out of 72 local Delta variant cases in PH found in Metro

Manila — DOH exec

Published July 28, 2021, 2:17 PM

by Analou de Vera

Twenty-five out of the 72 local cases of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus were

found in Metro Manila, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Of the said cases, 10 were found in the City of Manila, seven in Pasig City, two cases in San

Juan, while one case each for Las Pinas, Makati, Malabon, Quezon City, Taguig, and

Paranaque, said DOH-National Capital Region (NCR) Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit

head Dr. Manuel Mapue II during a televised press briefing on Tuesday, July 28.

“Dito sa dalawampu’t lima na ito, walo na ang gumaling, isa ang namatay; at kasalukuyan, labing-anim ang active ang kanilang sakit (Of these 25, eight have already recovered, one

has died; and currently, sixteen cases are still active),” said Mapue.

To note, the Philippines already detected 119 Delta variant cases, 72 of which were

considered local cases while 47 were returning overseas Filipinos.

COVID-19 surge in NCR?

Meanwhile, there is still no definitive evidence to say that Metro Manila is currently

experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases amid the threat of the Delta variant, said Mapue.

“Batay doon sa aming tala hanggang kahapon, hindi natin na matatawag pa na surge sa

ngayon. Wala tayong ebidensya pa na tawagin ito na surge, although nakikita natin na nag-

uumpisa ng tumaas ang mga kaso (Based on our record until yesterday, we cannot call it a

surge yet. We have no evidence yet to call it a surge, although we see that the cases are

starting to rise),” he said.

“Karamihan sa ating local government units nag-uumpisa na ring tumaas although hindi pa

stable ang pagtaas. May araw na mababa. Merong araw na konti lang ang nadadagdag sa

kaso nila (Most of the cases in our local government units are starting to increase, although

the rise is not yet stable. There are days that are low. There are days when very little is

added to their respective caseload,” he added.

Mapue said that there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Las Pinas, Makati, Pasay, and San

Juan.

To call it a surge, the DOH official said that the daily cases should have a “steady” increase.

Mapue urged the different LGUs to intensify their responses against COVID-19, particularly

on the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate (PDITR) strategy to curb the rising

number of cases.

“Nagdagdag na din tayo ng supplies natin, logistics natin kagaya ng PPE (personal protective equipment), disinfectants,mga gamot, masks (We have also increased our

supplies such as PPE, disinfectants, medicines, masks),” he said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/28/25-out-of-72-local-delta-variant-cases-in-ph-found-in-metro-manila-

doh-exec/

Delta variant no laughing matter By Lade Jean Kabagani July 28, 2021, 7:03 pm

ON DUTY. Rev. Fr. Ross dela Cruz, a registered nurse, administers the Covid-19 vaccine to Fr. Ponpon Marcelo, 78, at the Parokya ng Pagkabuhay parish in Novaliches, Quezon City on June 28, 2021. On July 27, the Philippines recorded its highest daily vaccination output at 659,029 doses. (PNA photo by Ben Briones)

MANILA – Take the Delta variant seriously. Get your vaccines.

National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon said Wednesday these are crucial to curb the spread of the more transmissible coronavirus variant.

"Kailangan pong seryosohin natin itong Delta variant na umiikot na dito sa mga iba’t-iba nating siyudad. Nakita natin ang experience po ng ibang bansa. Kailangan maghanda tayo dito at kailangan lahat ng option ay maging open tayo kung ano ang puwedeng gawin (We need to take seriously this Delta variant that is already circulating in various cities here. We have seen the experience of other countries. We need to prepare for it and we need to be open to all options and what can be done more)," Dizon said in an interview at the Laging Handa press briefing.

All decisions must be guided by the experts, he said, because responding to the Covid-19 pandemic must be a balance between the health aspect and the socio-economic impact.

"Talaga pong napakadelikado nitong Delta variant kaya dapat po talagang maghanda tayo ng mabuti at bilisan natin lalo ang ating pagbabakuna (The Delta variant is really very dangerous so we really have to prepare well and speed up our vaccination)," he said.

He assured the government is taking all necessary steps against the possible spread of the Delta variant, including stockpiling more medical supplies, preparing intensive care unit beds and regular patient beds, and intensifying inoculation activities.

"Nakikita natin sa eksperiyensya ng ibang bansa na tinamaan din ng Delta na 'pag ikaw ay bakunado, lalo na bakunado ng buo ibig sabihin kumpleto na ang bakuna, very minimal po ang magiging epekto (We have seen the experience of other countries hit by the Delta that once you are vaccinated, especially with two doses, that means you are fully vaccinated, then the variant will have minimal effect on you)," Dizon said.

To date, the Department of Health said there are still 16 active Delta variant cases in the Philippines, out of the total 119.

Of the 119 carriers, 29 were unvaccinated, six were fully vaccinated, seven received one dose, and the 77 others were still being verified. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1148577

Delta surge to kill thousands – OCTA By Red Mendoza

WARNING that a surge caused by the Delta variant may kill thousands,

the independent OCTA Research group on Wednesday proposed two

weeks of hard lockdown.

It said the lockdown would prevent a "catastrophic" spike.

OCTA founder Professor Ranjit Rye said the government should learn

from the surge that happened in March and April that was driven by the

Alpha and Beta variants.

"It is unfortunate that the Delta variant has become a game changer and

a challenge that we need to contemplate hard interventions like

lockdowns. We feel that a catastrophic surge left unfettered, unabridged

by a lack of government intervention is a greater loss to all of us, loss of

life and livelihoods," Rye said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

"If we let this go, it explodes, we will have thousands of cases, and we are

not certain if our hospital capacity can deal with that so that thousands

more may die. We are trying to save lives here. Let's lock down as soon

as possible," he added.

OCTA Senior Research Fellow Dr. Guido David said if the government

delays its lockdown until the middle of August, daily average cases in the

National Capital Region (NCR) will escalate from as low as 2,000 cases to

as high as 5,000.000/00:00

"We can eventually decrease it down to less than 1,000 cases or go down

toward 600 even with a two-week circuit breaker," David said.

A circuit breaker starting August 8 will see the NCR have as low as 1,700

cases per day, while imposing it on August 15 will see the region having

2,500 cases per day.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/29/news/national/delta-surge-to-kill-thousands-octa/1808850

The Latest: Filipino leader says unvaccinated may be shut in By The Associated PressJuly 29, 2021

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is warning that Filipinos who refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus will not be allowed to leave their homes as a safeguard against the more contagious delta variant.

Duterte said in televised remarks Wednesday night that there is no law mandating such a restriction but added he is ready to face lawsuits to keep people who are “throwing viruses left and right” off the streets.

The brash-talking president adds that for people who don’t want to be vaccinated, “well, for all I care, you can die anytime.”

However, more than public hesitance, the Philippines has been grappling with vaccine shortages.

Nearly 7 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated and more than 11 million others have received their first dose. That is a fraction of the government’s target of 60 million to 70 million people.

https://apnews.com/article/business-health-sydney-coronavirus-pandemic-

34408d492fbf0d98db906e75a4ac0fa2

Pfizer says third COVID-19 vaccine dose strongly boosts

protection against Delta variant

Published July 29, 2021, 7:26 AM

by Xinhua

WASHINGTON, United States — American biopharmaceutical company Pfizer said

Wednesday a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine can “strongly” boost protection against the Delta variant.

Antibody levels against the Delta variant in people aged 18 to 55 who receive a third dose

of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are greater than five-fold than following a second dose,

according to data posted at the company’s teleconference.

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Among people aged 65 to 85, the Pfizer data suggest that antibody levels against the Delta

variant after receiving a third dose are greater than 11-fold than following a second dose.

Pfizer anticipates applying for emergency use authorization for a third dose of its vaccine as

soon as next month, Mikael Dolsten, who leads worldwide research, development and

medical for Pfizer, was quoted by CNN as saying at the teleconference.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/29/pfizer-says-third-covid-19-vaccine-dose-strongly-boosts-protection-

against-delta-variant/

Coronavirus: Britain to begin global vaccine roll-out to Asia and Commonwealth nations

• The first 9 million doses will go to countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Kenya and Jamaica, says Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

• Britain has committed to sharing 100 million Covid-19 vaccine shots by the middle of 2022, with 30 million to be sent by the end of the year

Britain announced on Wednesday it would begin donating millions of coronavirus vaccine doses around the world, including Commonwealth countries, following its pledge to provide 100 million jabs globally by next June.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the roll-out of an initial 9 million inoculations from Friday would go to Kenya, Jamaica and several Asian nations.

“They will go to countries, vulnerable places like Laos and Cambodia, partners like Indonesia, Malaysia (and) a range of Commonwealth countries from Kenya to Jamaica,” he said.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3142924/coronavirus-britain-begin-global-vaccine-

roll-out-asia-and

CanSinoBIO's inhaled COVID-19 vaccine candidate triggers immune response in early trial

A logo of China's vaccine specialist CanSino BioLogics is pictured at the company's headquarters in

Tianjin, China, Aug 17, 2020. (File photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter)

28 Jul 2021 04:55PM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 04:57PM)

BEIJING: An inhaled version of CanSino BioLogics' (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine

triggered immune responses without serious side effects, an early-stage clinical trial showed.

The two-dose candidate requires lower dosages than the injected version and could help

CanSinoBIO boost its production capacity, the company's chief executive said in April.

Advertisement

Two inhaled doses of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine, given 28 days apart, elicited similar levels of

neutralising antibodies to those of a single injection, according to a peer-reviewed paper.

The readings are based on data from a phase one trial involving 130 healthy adult participants in

China and published on the medical journal the Lancet Infectious Disease on Monday (Jul 26).

The inhaled vaccine did not cause serious side effects in the study, the paper said.

Some of the trial participants received the injectible version of the vaccine followed by an

inhaling booster 28 days later. The group induced strong neutralising antibody responses, the

report said.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/cansinobio-inhaled-covid-19-vaccine-trigger-immune-

response-15317564

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Reuters

July 30 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Japan expands state of emergency as COVID-19 surge shadows Olympics

Japan decided on Friday to expand states of emergency to three prefectures near Olympic host Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka, as COVID-19 cases spike in the capital and around the country, overshadowing the Summer Games. read more

Tokyo, already under its fourth state of emergency since the pandemic began, on Friday announced 3,300 new cases, after a record 3,865 the day before. The surge is beginning to strain the medical system, with 64% of Tokyo's hospital beds available for serious COVID-19 cases already filled as of mid-week.

Japan has avoided a devastating COVID-19 outbreak, but is now struggling to contain the highly transmissible Delta variant, with daily cases nationwide topping 10,000 for the first time on Thursday.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about-

coronavirus-right-now-2021-03-02/

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country

By The Visual and Data Journalism Team BBC News

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

In the table below, countries can be reordered by deaths, death rate and total cases. In the coloured bars on the right-hand side, countries in which cases have risen to more than 10,000 per day are those with black bars on the relevant date.

Note: The map, table and animated bar chart in this page use a different source for figures for

France and the UK from that used by Johns Hopkins University. US figures do not include

Puerto Rico, Guam or the US Virgin Islands.

Confirmed cases have been rising steeply since the middle of last year, but the true extent of the first outbreaks in 2020 is unclear because testing was not then widely available. The 100 millionth Covid case was recorded at the end of January - about a year after the first officially diagnosed case of the virus.

Deaths have also been rising, however official figures may not fully reflect the true number in many countries. Data on excess deaths, a measure of how many more people are dying than would be expected based on the previous few years, may give a better indication of the actual numbers in many cases.

Who has vaccinated the most? Several coronavirus vaccines have been approved for use, either by individual countries or groups of countries, such as the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the 194 countries and territories administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 67 are high-income nations, 101 are middle-income and 26 low-income.

The map below, using figures collated by Our World in Data - a collaboration between Oxford University and an educational charity - shows the total number of doses given per 100 people, mostly first doses.

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country. Total vaccinations refers to the number of doses given, not the number of people vaccinated. It is possible to have more than 100 doses per 100 population as some vaccines require two doses per person.

Source: Our World in Data, ONS, gov.uk dashboard

Last updated: 30 July 2021, 11:47 BST

Overall, China and India have administered the highest number of doses, with more than 1.6 billion and 450 million respectively. The US ranks third, with more than 343 million. But when breaking the figures down by doses per 100 people in countries with a population of at least one million, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Bahrain top the list.

Most countries are prioritising the over-60s, health workers and people who are clinically vulnerable. Some countries have secured more vaccine doses than their populations need, while other lower-income countries are relying on a global plan known as Covax, which is seeking to ensure everyone in the world has access to a vaccine.

Asia, which was the centre of the initial outbreak that spread from Wuhan in China in early 2020, has seen another rise in cases. In India, the official death toll is more than 420,000, while it has recorded more than 31 million cases - second only to the US. Elsewhere, Indonesia is recording an average of more than 40,000 new cases and 1,000 Covid-related deaths every day. Japan is extending a state of emergency in Tokyo and expanding it to new regions as the Olympic Games host faces a surge in Covid-19 cases. In China, whilst official figures on daily cases are low, the authorities are dealing with a new outbreak in Nanjing which state media is calling the "most extensive contagion

after Wuhan."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105More Than 4.1 Billion Shots

Given: Covid-19 Tracker In the U.S., 346 million doses have been administered

Updated: August 1, 2021, 4:58 AM GMT+8

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. More than 4.1 billiondoses have been administered across 180 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 40.6 million doses a day.

In the U.S., 346 million doses have been given so far. In the last week, an average of 657,213 doses per day were administered.

World Map of Vaccinations

More than 4.1 billion doses have been administered—enough to fully vaccinate 26.7% of the

global population

• no data01102550%of population covered Note: “Population covered” divides the doses administered for each vaccine type by the number of doses required for full vaccination. Data gathered from government agencies, public

statements, Bloomberg interviews and the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins

University.

Enough doses have now been administered to fully vaccinate 26.7% of the global population—but the distribution has been lopsided. Countries and regions with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated more than 30 times faster than those with the lowest.

Note: Vaccine access calculations account for the number of doses needed for full protection;

some vaccines require a two-dose regimen while others require just a single dose. Countries and

regions are ordered by GDP per capita (PPP).

While the best vaccines are thought to be 95% effective, it takes a coordinated campaign to stop a pandemic. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease official in the U.S., has said that vaccinating 70% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to normalcy.

On a global scale, that’s a daunting level of vaccination. At the current pace of 40.6 million a day, it could take another year to achieve a high level of global immunity. Manufacturing capacity, however, is steadily increasing, and new vaccines by additional manufacturers are coming to market.

The Path to Immunity Around the World

Globally, the latest vaccination rate is 40,593,292 doses per day, on average. At this pace, it

will take another 6 months to cover 75% of the population.

Note: Immunity calculations take into account the number of doses required and the current

rate of administration for each vaccine type. The “daily rate estimate” is a seven-day trailing

average; interpolation is used for jurisdictions with infrequent updates. *Coverage may exceed

100% in some places, as shots may be administered to non-residents. Data are from

Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker.

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 similar patterns of vaccination and recovery repeated in dozens of other countries.

This progress is under threat. The emergence of new strains, led by the highly transmissible delta variant, threatens renewed outbreaks. Around the world, new cases and hospitalizations are rising, and after 10 weeks of global declines in deaths, delta is driving a new uptick. It’s now a life-and-death contest between vaccine and virus.

The current slate of vaccines remains highly effective at preventing severe cases that lead to hospitalization and death, according to recent data from the U.S., U.K. and Israel. The vaccines are less effective at preventing mild cases of delta. The disproportionate toll that Covid is taking in under-vaccinated communities has led U.S. health officials to dub it the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

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

Phl, US step up talks on regional security ) - July 29, 2021 - 12:00am

Security discussions will shift to high gear this week between the Philippines and the United States as the allies enter a sensitive stage in the relationship of President Duterte who is about to end his term and President Biden who has just begun his.

Biden is expected to send assurance of continued US support through his Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is scheduled to arrive today in his swing through the region that includes consultations in Singapore and Vietnam.

Austin also wants to drum up support for a US Pacific Defense Initiative, which involves training, logistics support and radar and missile deployment in Southeast Asia to counter China’s aggressive moves in the area.

His schedule here is topped by a meeting with Duterte, who has made known his dissatisfaction with Washington’s treatment of Manila despite the two countries’ close collaboration through war and peace.

We would not be surprised if Duterte, in his conversation with Austin, unburdens himself and thus sets the tone of the Philippine panel in the follow-up talks that might sound at times like haggling over aid and armaments, criminal jurisdiction and rental of base space.

Duterte will have a chance to explain to Biden’s alter ego his rumored love affair with communist China, the neighbor that even in its absence casts its shadow on the Manila talks.

Of immediate concern is the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which will expire next month if Duterte does not withdraw or extend again the 180-day notice of termination he served on the US in February.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said early this week that the VFA text itself will not be changed, but that a side document signed by President Duterte will just be added to improve its implementation.

The sleight of hand of simply attaching an addendum, in lieu of a formal amendment, may be a neat way of avoiding too many procedural questions.

As the talks progress, the US will get to know exactly what Duterte wants in return for the VFA. This should include a revision of its Section V on criminal jurisdiction, but this seems to have been dropped, judging by Lorenzana’s statement about an addendum.

Section V defines judicial jurisdiction and rules of procedure to be followed when American military personnel on or off duty are accused of a crime against an American or a Filipino, under various circumstances.

The VFA is somewhat similar to the status of forces agreements that the US has with other allies, such as its NATO partners. These contracts could serve as models or templates if the Philippines seriously wants to amend the VFA.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/07/29/2115936/phl-us-step-talks-regional-security

Duterte’s SONA Finale

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute

President Rodrigo Duterte has delivered his last State of the Nation Address (SONA). Lasting for

almost three hours, the national chief executive presented his administration’s accomplishments and his calibrated prognosis of the current state of the country, its economy, and its people.

He discussed the administration’s performance for the past five years that expectedly legitimizes its actions and policies. The speech interspersed issues and achievements covering: free tertiary

education, the universal healthcare, the war against illegal drugs and criminality, the Marawi

victory, the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,

infrastructure achievements and digital connectivity, ease of doing business, freedom of

information, anti-corruption, rice tariffication, the welfare of the OFWs, the Balangiga Bells, and

maritime commons in the West Philippine Sea.

The president also highlighted populist acts such as tax reforms, the importance of MSMEs, the

Malasakit Centers, the social amelioration program, Bayanihan I and II, and the health system.

He also underlined the importance of vaccination as the most effective solution to the pandemic

crisis.

Also noteworthy is the presidential recognition of the crucial role of the private sector and LGUs

in the COVID-19 response, tracing, treatment, and vaccination roll-out.

https://adrinstitute.org/2021/07/28/dutertes-sona-finale/

ADRi vTHD: “State of Philippine Governance: A Five-Year Review of the Duterte Presidency”

It has been five years since President Rodrigo R. Duterte was elected to office. Under his

administration, the country has seen an infamous war on drugs, a widespread infrastructure

campaign, an increase in public debt, the shutdown of a major news outlet, tensions in the West

Philippine Sea, and the COVID-19 global outbreak. These are key issues that have revealed

gains and gaps in public governance. Both leaders and constituents agree that much remains to

be done in building the nation especially as it recovers from the pandemic.

Though public trust ratings in the President remain high, other statistics indicate the need for a

closer examination of Duterte’s leadership. Freedom House includes the Philippines in the list of

countries with the largest democratic decline in 2020. Currently, the group labels the country as

“partly free.” It notes that media freedom is barely present and that safeguards against corruption

are not strong and effective. Transparency International, on the other hand, ranks the Philippines

at 115 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index. For the pandemic response, the

country is still far from reaching its target herd immunity by the end of the year. It ranks 25 out

of 192 countries based on the number of confirmed positive COVID cases.

President Duterte’s leadership has been marked by strongman politics, a pro-China “independent policy”, suppression of press freedom, and the longest lockdown in the world. But has his heavy-

handed governance achieved results that are beneficial to the general population? Is the country

still a functioning democracy?

In response to President Duterte’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Stratbase ADR

Institute hosted a special virtual town hall discussion (vTHD) entitled, “State of Philippine Governance: A Five-Year Review of the Duterte Presidency” to be held on 28 July 2021 Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM (Manila Time).

This virtual event sought to bring political experts and analysts together in reacting to the

President’s SONA. This was also an avenue to assess the key accomplishments and governance missteps and gaps of the outgoing government. In doing so, ADRi hoped to provide a space for

critical thought and engagement where civil society can hold government accountable.

https://adrinstitute.org/2021/07/28/adri-vthd-state-of-philippine-governance-a-five-year-review-of-the-

duterte-presidency/

South China Sea: why report on Chinese boats dumping sewage doesn’t hold water

• The report concludes too much based on remote sensing, without confirming its findings with on-site observation

• The suggestion that damage to the coral threatens the food security of coastal states is based on unproven assumptions about the Spratlys as a genetic ‘savings bank’

I really have to hand it to the China bashers. The latest allegation that Chinese fishing boats are dumping raw sewage in Philippine waters is a clever attempt to stir anti-China feelings in the Philippines.

It also bolsters the opposition to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s more congenial approach to China ahead of next year’s elections. Right on cue, Senator Grace Poe said the “stinking reality” is that China is treating the Philippines “as its toilet”.

However, the allegations cry out for close examination. According to the report by US-based satellite spectral analysis firm Simularity, sewage from groups of anchored Chinese fishing boats in Philippine waters have caused algal blooms that damaged coral reefs and therefore endangered coastal states’ fisheries.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3142680/south-china-sea-why-report-chinese-boats-

dumping-sewage-doesnt-hold

China’s BFF posted July 29, 2021 at 12:25 am

Perhaps in an attempt to be humorous, the President’s spokesman Harry Roque last year said we were “best friends forever” with China, which would surely give us first crack at COVID-19

vaccines they were developing.

For the most part, the Palace mouthpiece was correct. Since then, China has delivered more

than 16 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, out of a total of 28 million doses that have

arrived in the Philippines.

On the administration’s part, it certainly has lived up to being Beijing’s BFF. And this would be a truly positive development, were it not for China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea, and its jingoistic behavior whenever its excessive claims in the South China Sea—which

have been debunked by a United Nations tribunal—are called into question.

There is ample proof of the administration’s almost slavish behavior whenever China is concerned. On the fifth anniversary of the landmark Hague ruling that struck down China’s nine-

dash line claim to the West Philippine Sea on July 12, the Palace spokesman rejected out of

hand claims that Filipino fishermen were being blocked by Chinese boats from fishing in

Philippine waters.

“I dispute that,” the Palace mouthpiece said, despite well documented instances of Filipino

fishermen being harassed by Chinese ships.

When fishermen this month found a Chinese device later identified as an ocean bottom

seismometer that can be used for oil exploration, the Palace spokesman’s first instinct was to say that the government was confident that the Chinese were not searching for oil in Philippine

waters.

In fact, like clockwork, the default Palace response to any question about Chinese activities that

may be harmful to Philippine interests is denial.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/editorial/360952/china-s-bff.html

China at war with the world and itself BYJOHN MANGUN

JULY 29, 2021 3 MINUTE READ This is the way the event was reported. July 16, 1971: “Yesterday, President Nixon shocked the world by announcing on live television that he would visit the People’s Republic of China next year.” At exactly the same time in Beijing, China’s national broadcaster made the same announcement, making clear that it was Nixon who first said he wanted to go to the PRC. China is still good at propaganda “games.”

The visit, from February 21 to 28, 1972, allowed the US public to view images of China for the first time in decades. It was called “the week that changed the world.” What initially changed was the wedge between Beijing and Moscow, which intensified.

The Americans visited the Great Wall. President Nixon called it a “symbol of what China in the past has been and of what China in the future can become.” He told journalists, “As we look at this wall, we do not want walls of any kind between peoples.”

“Part of diplomacy is the art of strategic lying,” said American legal commentator Jonathan Turley.

Unlike in Moscow and Beijing, leaders in other world capitals must at least occasionally turn an eye to world opinion. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping care only about their domestic audience.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/29/china-at-war-with-the-world-and-itself/

Commentary: US and China aren’t cooperating on COVID-19 – but it wasn’t always this way China once had positive perceptions of the US public health model and was willing to adopt their practices, but today sees itself on equal footing, says a researcher.

Police officers wearing protective masks are seen in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China on

Jan 24, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo)

By Xirui Li

28 Jul 2021 06:00AM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 06:00AM)

SINGAPORE: Intergovernmental cooperation between the United States and China was an

important part of the fight against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

Yet serious collaboration to combat COVID-19 is yet to materialise. The state of US-China

bilateral relations and the failure to cooperate has arguably worsened the pandemic.

Advertisement

Despite similarities between the two initial outbreaks, COVID-19 seems to have deepened the

antagonism and rivalry between the United States and China.

Many attribute the lack of pandemic cooperation to a preoccupation with the ongoing trade and

propaganda war. But signs of US-China cooperation on other issues, such as recent mutual

commitments to address the climate crisis, reveal that deteriorating bilateral relations might only

be part of the story regarding the failure to cooperate on COVID-19.

A mismatch in perceptions on how to approach domestic health governance, one that was not

apparent in 2003, may also be playing a key role.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/us-china-covid-19-sars-response-vaccine-cases-

cdc-competition-xi-15307992

Disband the FBI

by Chris Farrell July 28, 2021 at 5:00 am

Share577

▪ In the past few days alone, we have learned that the October 2020 Michigan governor kidnap plot was largely a creation of the FBI; a "senior FBI official" was on the take from media organizations; and another assistant director was in a "romantic relationship with a subordinate" and involved in "other misconduct." The leadership failures documented by the Office of the Inspector General are now almost standard and part of a tiresome media drip-torture for the public to endure.

▪ The FBI ran a coup against President Trump. It failed. The following got away: Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Clinesmith, Pientka, Brower, Baker, et al. Any real consequences for attempting to overthrow the government of the United States? No.

▪ Questions are now being raised as to whether the FBI had a role in the Capitol Hill protests of January 6, 2021. When one examines the FBI's involvement in the Trump-Russia collusion hoax; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses; standing by idly while in possession of Hunter Biden's Ukraine and Burisma-laden laptops, while President Trump endured a second phony impeachment; and the frame-up of Trump's National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn – it is not too difficult to imagine.

▪ The FBI needs to go away. It should happen in an orderly and thoughtful process, over a period of months. Congress should authorize and create an investigative division in the U.S. Marshals Service and open applications for law enforcement officer seeking to be rigorously screened, vetted

and then accessed into the new organization. Similar action was taken before in the very creation of the FBI. It is now time to clean house and restore the public's trust in the "premier investigative agency" of federal law enforcement.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17602/disband-the-fbi