LOCSIN PROMISES 'SEVERE' RESPONSE TO RECALLED ENVOY'S ALLEGED MALTREATMENT
OF STAFF
MANILA Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday said his
department would conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the alleged
incidents of physical abuse of her household staff by the recently-recalled
Philippine ambassador to Brazil.
PROMISES TO OPEN UP SEEN AS TRUSTWORTHY
The world should have faith in China's commitment to further opening-up as the country, by delivering its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) blueprint, is expected to map out more ambitious tasks in order to reinforce high-quality economic, technological and cultural engagement with the rest of the world, observers said.
AMY CONEY BARRETT CONFIRMED TO US SUPREME COURT IN TRUMP PRE-ELECTION
TRIUMPH
The US Senate has confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in
a victory for President Donald Trump a week before the general election.
Mr Trump's fellow Republicans voted 52-48 to approve the judge, overcoming
the unified opposition of Democrats.
DUTERTE KEEPS METRO MANILA UNDER GCQ UNTIL NOV. 30
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that Metro Manila's 12
million people would remain under general community quarantine, the third
strictest of 4 lockdown levels, until Nov. 30, even as authorities sought to
revive the pandemic-battered economy.
FIFTH PLENUM GETS UNDER WAY IN BEIJING
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee opened today in Beijing.
NAWAZ SHARIF ASKS PAK ARMY CHIEF TO ANSWER FOR COUNTRYS SITUATION
Addressing the rally via video link from London, PML-N supremo and
three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif again blamed Army chief Gen
Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed for
Pakistan''s current situation.
PACC TO GIVE CORRUPT LAWMAKERS LIST TO DUTERTE
MANILA The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will identify
the congressmen allegedly involved in corruption in the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH), but only to President Duterte.
FATF KEEPS PAKISTAN ON ‘GREYLIST’ TILL NEXT REVIEW IN FEBRUARY 2021
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Friday decided to keep Pakistan on the “greylist” till the next review of its compliance to the recommendations in February next year.
HEGEMONY CAN ONLY LEAD TO 'DEAD END'
President Xi Jinping reiterated on Friday China's unwavering commitment to follow a path of peaceful, open, cooperative and common development while warning that the pursuit of unilateralism, protectionism and extreme egoism will "lead to nowhere but a dead end".
US COAST GUARD TO TACKLE CHINA 'ILLEGAL' FISHING IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
WASHINGTON, United States The United States said Friday it will deploy
Coast Guard patrol ships in the western Pacific to counter "destabilizing
and malign" activities by China in disputed fishing grounds of the South
China Sea.
GREATER EFFORTS URGED TO ENSURE 2020 TARGETS MET
A key Party meeting on Thursday called for unrelenting efforts in poverty alleviation, pollution control and prevention, defusing major risks and improving people's livelihoods to ensure the accomplishment of targets and tasks set out in the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).
BIDEN WARNS OF 'DARK WINTER' IN FINAL TRUMP DEBATE
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden started off their
final presidential debate on Thursday without interrupting each other but
disagreeing on the coronavirus pandemic in a head-to-head match with a
dramatically different tone from their first one.
NO TRASLACION: MANILA CANCELS GRAND PROCESSION OF BLACK
NAZARENE IMAGE FOR 2021
MANILA The Manila city government and Quiapo Church have
agreed to cancel the grand procession of the image of the Black Nazarene in
January 2021 because of the pandemic, the city government said Friday.
CRISIS IN PAKISTAN AS SINDH POLICE RISE IN REVOLT AGAINST ARMY
A high-profile kidnapping of a police chief in Pakistan-allegedly by
official paramilitary troops-has pushed the two-year-old Imran Khan
government to its worst political crisis as Sindh Police has openly risen in
defiance against Pakistan Army. Police officers in Karachi have threatened
to go on mass leave after the Sindh Police chief was allegedly kidnapped and
coerced to act against PML(N) vice president Safdar Awan, the husband of
Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the son-in-law of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif.
POPE FRANCIS: SAME-SEX COUPLES SHOULD BE COVERED BY CIVIL UNION LAWS
ROME - Pope Francis says in a film released on Wednesday that homosexuals
should be protected by civil union laws, in some of the clearest language he
has used on the rights of gay people.
TRUMP TURNS FAUCI INTO CAMPAIGN PAWN, ASSAILING HIM AS 'IDIOT'
US President Donald Trump, during a call with his re-election campaign
staff, slammed America's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci and
called him "a disaster". Trump suggested that the largely respected and
popular doctor was an 'idiot'.
DELAYED MARAWI REHAB MAY FUEL VIOLENT EXTREMISM, WATCHDOG WARNS
MANILA The ongoing delay in the rehabilitation of Marawi City, which was
reduced to rubble during a 5-month war against Islamic State-inspired
homegrown terrorists, can fuel resurgence of violent extremism, a
peacebuilding organization warned on Wednesday.
XI HAILS VICTORY 7 DECADES AGO
President Xi Jinping hailed China's victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53)−a victory of justice, peace and the people−on Monday as he urged greater contributions to be made in safeguarding global peace and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
BIDEN LEADS TRUMP. SO DID HILLARY CLINTON
The polls are once again delivering feel-good boosts to Democrats: Joe Biden
beats President Donald Trump by 10, 11 or 12 points nationally, depending on
the day. His edge in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin averages eight.
Experts promise better than 4-in-5 odds of a new president next year.
But then the partisans remember that they have been here before, four years
ago this week. The conflicting emotions can be overwhelming.
DUTERTE SAYS 'MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME' MORE TO REBUILD MARAWI
MANILA - Three years since the liberation of Marawi from terrorists,
President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that the government "might take some
time" before it could rebuild the southern city, the pace of which was
criticized by some residents.
XI HIGHLIGHTS CRUCIAL ROLE OF QUANTUM TECH
President Xi Jinping has stressed that China will advance the development of quantum science and technology with more strategic planning, supportive policies and investment, with the aim of fostering a favorable environment for basic research, innovation, talent training and commercialization in this field.
FRENCH PREMIER JOINS NATIONWIDE TRIBUTES TO BEHEADED TEACHER
France's prime minister joined demonstrators on Sunday who rallied together
across the country in tribute to a history teacher who was beheaded near
Paris after discussing caricatures of the Prophet with his class.
WEST PHILIPPINE SEA OIL EXPLORATION OK, BUT NOT WITH CHINA
MANILA, Philippines President Dutertes move to lift the moratorium on oil
exploration in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) would be beneficial for the
country, but the government must bar China from any joint venture to exploit
mineral resources in the area until Beijing abides by the 2016 ruling of the
Permanent Court of Arbitration, senators said yesterday.
CHINA'S SHANXI OFFERS OVER 3 BILLION YUAN OF MICROLOANS FOR POVERTY REDUCTION
North China's Shanxi province has offered some 3.32 billion yuan (about $494 million) of microloans for poverty alleviation since the start of this year, according to local authorities.
Some 74,500 registered impoverished households have benefited from the microloans, said an official of the provincial poverty alleviation office.
FORMER PAK PM NAWAZ SHARIF ACCUSES COUNTRY'S ARMY CHIEF OF TOPPLING HIS GOVT
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday accused the country's
army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa of toppling his government, pressuring the
judiciary, and installing the current government of Prime Minister Imran
Khan in the 2018 elections.
HOUSE APPROVES 2021 NATIONAL BUDGET ON FINAL READING
MANILA - The House of Representatives on Friday approved on third and final
reading the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021.
The passage of the proposed national budget by the lower chamber was
consistent with the commitment of the newly installed House Speaker to pass
the 2021 national budget in time to prevent a reenacted one.
DELAYS EXPECTED IN U.S. ELECTION RESULTS AS MORE VOTERS OPT FOR MAIL-IN
BALLOTS
Results from the 2020 election will likely be late-and that's not a bad
thing. As more and more Americans choose not to risk the polls and opt for
mail-in ballots in advance of the November elections, experts are advising
that election night 2020 won't look like it usually does. The process of
counting votes will likely stretch far beyond election night, with final
results taking days and possibly even weeks to emerge. Election officials
are stressing that this delay is a good thing-taking a long time ensures
that the count will be more accurate.
DUTERTE SLAMS DPWH CORRUPTION, BUT STILL TRUSTS VILLAR
MANILA President Dutertes trust and confidence in Public Works and
Highways Secretary Mark Villar remain despite the Chief Executives
expressing disappointment over reports of corruption in the DPWH mostly
involving project officers and contractors.
XI: FORGE AHEAD WITH REFORM, OPENING-UP
President Xi Jinping reaffirmed on Wednesday China's commitment to forging ahead with reform and opening-up as he outlined a new vision for Shenzhen 40 years after it was set up as the country's first special economic zone.
CORONAVIRUS: FRANCE TO IMPOSE NIGHT-TIME CURFEW TO BATTLE SECOND WAVE
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a night-time curfew in Paris
and eight other cities to try to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus.
The measure - from 21:00 to 06:00 - will come into effect from Saturday and
last for at least four weeks, Mr Macron said in a televised interview.
'NAKAHANAP NA AKO NG PERA': DUTERTE SAYS FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR COVID-19
VACCINE
MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday his
government has the money to procure coronavirus vaccines but he would need
more as he wants to inoculate the countrys entire population.
CHINA, RUSSIA ELECTED TO U.N. RIGHTS COUNCIL; SAUDI ARABIA FAILS
China and Russia were elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council on
Tuesday, but support for Beijing dropped by more than 20 percent compared
with a 2016 vote and Saudi Arabia failed in its bid to win a seat on the
Geneva-based body.
While numerous projects are underway to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology, pure hydrogen fuel cell systems developed for large modes of transport such as vessels, railroad vehicles, and construction machinery will require unique engineering and capabilities to withstand the requirements of the applications.
CAYETANO CONCEDES TO VELASCO, RESIGNS AS HOUSE SPEAKER
Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano ended weeks of leadership tug-of-war
at the House of Representatives when he offered his irrevocable resignation
as House Speaker on Tuesday acknowledging the election of his archnemesis
Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
SHENZHEN AIMS TO BE WORLD HUB OF INNOVATION
Shenzhen, a high-tech hub adjacent to Hong Kong, is expected to further grow into a center of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity with global influence and strong policy support from the central government, experts said.
AMERICANS WIN NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS FOR WORK ON AUCTION THEORY
Americans Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson have won the Nobel Prize in
economics for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction
formats.
NATL PRIVACY COMMISSION PROBES 11 ESTABLISHMENTS FOR ALLEGED DATA BREACH
MANILA Eleven establishments are under investigation after complaints
surfaced that the personal data of customers were being used aside from
contact tracing, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) said Tuesday.
PRESIDENT XI TO DELIVER A SPEECH CELEBRATING SHENZHEN'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY AS SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE
President Xi Jinping will attend a grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on Wednesday morning.
TRUMP INSISTS HE'S FREE OF COVID-19 VIRUS AND READY FOR CAMPAIGN TRAIL
President Donald Trump is no longer contagious, nine days after being
stopped in his tracks by COVID-19, his physician said in a statement
released late on Saturday.
GOVERNMENT KEEN ON DECLARING CLIMATE EMERGENCY CIMATU
MANILA A climate emergency may be declared by government to compel a
whole-nation effort in addressing the worsening impact of climate change on
the environment, economy and communities, a Cabinet official said yesterday.
XI'S DISCOURSES ON COORDINATING EPIDEMIC CONTROL WITH ECONOMIC, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED
A compilation of discourses of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on coordinating epidemic control with economic and social development has been published by the Central Party Literature Press.
CHINA SAYS PANDEMIC BROKE OUT IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD BEFORE WUHAN
REPORTED
Nearly a year after the country became the epicenter for the deadly
coronavirus outbreak that has cast a huge shadow on the entire world, China
on Friday made audacious claims that the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in
several parts of the world but it was reported only in the Chinese mainland,
and that it was the only country that acted first.
DUTERTE CERTIFIES 2021 BUDGET AS URGENT AS HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP FEUD RAGES
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking the speedy passage of the 2021
national budget that includes funds for the coronavirus pandemic response,
Malacañang said Friday, as lawmakers tussled for the top post of the House
of Representatives.
PEOPLE-CENTERED CONCEPT TO CHART NEW ROAD MAP
The idea of a people-centered development concept, a prominent feature of President Xi Jinping's economic thought, demonstrates China's pragmatic and people-oriented policy approach to restore social and economic activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and such an approach will continue to guide the nation's future economic policy as policymakers draft the next five-year plan, experts said.
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: HARRIS TILTS AT TRUMP OVER VIRUS; PENCE TARGETS
TAXES
US Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris
squared off in the first and only vice presidential debate ahead of the US
polling day on November 3. While sparks flew from both sides on issues
ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to trade, the debate was markedly less
chaotic and more disciplined than the one between President Donald Trump and
former Vice President Joe Biden last week.
43 PHILHEALTH OFFICIALS RESIGN, RETIRE AMID ALLEGED ANOMALIES
MANILA - The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Thursday said
a total of 43 senior officers have either tendered their courtesy
resignation or retired from service.
In a statement, PhilHealth said 43 officers responded to a Sept. 30 memo
issued by PhilHealth President and CEO Atty. Dante Gieran, which directed
all senior officers from Salary Grade 26 and above to tender their courtesy
resignation.
CHINA TO SEE SURGE IN TRAIN TRIPS AS HOLIDAY DRAWS TO CLOSE
China will see a surge in train trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd.
On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits.
SCIENTISTS WIN HISTORIC NOBEL CHEMISTRY PRIZE FOR 'GENETIC SCISSORS'
This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery of the
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, which has-for the first time-enabled
scientists to make precise changes in the long stretches of DNA that make up
the code of life for many organisms, including people. The prize was shared
by Emmanuelle Charpentier, a microbiologist and director of the Berlin-based
Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, and Jennifer A. Doudna, a
professor and biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley.
CABINET TO TACKLE REOPENING OF ECONOMY
MANILA The proposal of economic managers to further reopen the economy to
address the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, including higher hunger
incidence and malnutrition among children, would be discussed by President
Duterte during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, presidential spokesman Harry
Roque Jr. said yesterday.
NEW CFA JUDGE SHOWS TRUST IN HK'S JUDICIARY
A top foreign judge accepting an offer to serve on Hong Kong's highest appellate court showed the international community's trust in the city's judicial system, Hong Kong's leader and a legal expert said on Monday.
TRUMP READY TO DEBATE WITH BIDEN, HOWEVER HIS CAMPAIGN OPPOSES MODERATOR
GETTING A MUTE BUTTON
U.S. President Donald Trump is ready to participate in the next presidential
debate with 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Miami, Florida later this
month, a campaign spokesman said on Monday.
DOJ TO PRIORITIZE DRUGS CASES FOLLOWING DUTERTE DIRECTIVE TO DESTROY DRUGS
MANILA Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra is set to issue a memorandum
circular ordering prosecutors to prioritize drug cases following President
Rodrigo Dutertes directive to authorities to destroy seized illegal drugs.
In accordance with the president's directive, the DOJ will issue a memo
circular to all prosecutors investigating drug cases to give top priority to
the resolution of the same, to file the informations asap, and to move for a
court order to conduct ocular inspection of and destroy the seized drugs,
precursors, etc within the time specified in RA 9165, Guevarra said in a
text message Wednesday.
DONALD TRUMP, STILL CONTAGIOUS, BACK AT WHITE HOUSE - WITHOUT MASK
Just three nights after he was hospitalized for COVID-19, U.S. President
Donald Trump, still likely contagious with COVID-19, left Walter Reed
National Military Medical Centre and returned to the White House.
PHILIPPINE INFLATION SLOWS TO 2.3 PERCENT IN SEPTEMBER
MANILA - Philippine inflation slowed to a four-month low in September
government data released on Tuesday showed, driven by lower food and
non-alcoholic beverage prices.
CONSUMER SPENDING UP DURING NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Chinese consumers appear to be spending more money during the National Day holiday than last year.
On the first two days of the eight-day holiday, Chinese consumers spent 628 billion yuan ($92.6 billion) by UnionPay card, up 11.8 percent year-on-year, according to UnionPay.
DONALD TRUMP CAN BE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL SOON,' SAYS HIS MEDICAL TEAM
US President Donald Trump has surprised supporters gathered outside the
hospital where he is being treated with Covid-19 by riding past in a
motorcade.
PUBLIC SCHOOL LEARNERS RESUME STUDIES THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING
MANILA - Some 22.5 million students in public schools in the Philippines
finally resumed their studies on Monday through distance learning, which is
being implemented on a nationwide scale for the first time due to the
pandemic, with some students, parents and teachers airing skepticism about
the new learning mode.
U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND FIRST LADY TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
With just over a month to go for the Presidential election, U.S. President
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announced that they had tested
positive for the coronavirus. The news will mean a dramatic reduction in the
in-person rallies Trump can hold in October and has cast doubt on whether
the President will be able to participate in the next presidential debate
scheduled for October 15.
VELASCO ALLIES BEING EASED OUT OF POSTS
Mikee Romero removed as deputy speaker
MANILA — The speakership war in the House of Representatives has claimed its
first casualty.
US ELECTION DEBATE 2020: A NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT
It was a debate unlike any other in American presidential history. In fact,
it was not much of a debate at all, with President Donald Trump coming out
of the starting blocks intending to talk over anyone else on stage,
including Democratic rival Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace.
NO LUNETA 'TRASLACION'? QUIAPO CHURCH EYES CHANGES IN BLACK NAZARENE FEAST
AMID PANDEMIC
How will the Catholic Church celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene in
the time of COVID-19?
Fr. Douglas Badong, vicar of Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, said the
church's procession committee is considering several proposals on how to
conduct the Traslacion next year including the possible cancellation of the
procession in Rizal Park to ensure physical distancing rules are followed.
HOLIDAY TROUBLEMAKERS WARNED IN HK
The central government's liaison office in Hong Kong warned on Tuesday against reported plans for unlawful activities on National Day, stressing zero tolerance for what it called reckless acts now that the National Security Law is in force.
JOE BIDEN-TRUMP EXCHANGE ATTACKS AT US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
The first presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden featured
a chaotic series of bitter exchanges and name-calling, with the president
repeatedly speaking over his Democratic rival and the moderator struggling
to maintain control of the 90-minute affair.
HARDENING STANCE, CHINA REJECTS LADAKH UT, RAISES 1959 CLAIM LINE
Pushing its old claim line in Ladakh and hardening its position on the
situation there, Beijing Tuesday said it does not recognise the Union
Territory of Ladakh and is opposed to the construction of Indian
infrastructure there. This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Wang Wenbin yesterday.
SC MOVES FORWARD ON POLL PROTEST, ORDERS COMMENT ON MARCOS' BID FOR
NULLIFICATION OF MINDANAO ELECTIONS
MANILA — The Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has
moved forward on former Sen. Bongbong MarcosÂ’ poll protest against Vice
President Leni Robredo and ordered the Commission on Elections on pending
issues on the case.
CHINA HOLDS SIMULTANEOUS MILITARY DRILLS IN FOUR SEAS
China has begun five military exercises simultaneously along different parts
of its coast, the second time in two months it will have such concurrent
drills against a backdrop of rising regional tensions.
DUTERTE BLASTS FACEBOOK OVER REMOVAL OF PH MILITARY 'ADVOCACY' ACCOUNTS
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lashed out at Facebook for
taking down Philippine military "advocacy" accounts and pages from its
platform.
CHINA REJECTS HAGUE RULING ANEW, CITES 'AGREEMENT' WITH DUTERTE TO 'CLOSE
THE OLD CHAPTER'
MANILA— China reiterated Friday it does not recognize the 2016 arbitral
ruling invalidating its 9-dash line claim over nearly all of the South China
Sea— a legal victory that President Rodrigo Duterte invoked in his historic
speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
XI'S PLEDGES BOOST GLOBAL POVERTY FIGHT
New measures announced by President Xi Jinping to support the United Nations will offer a strong boost to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, bolster the level of food security and reduce extreme poverty for the world's least developed countries, officials and experts said.
ENORMOUS DIVISIONS ON UNSC EXPANSION REFORMS NEED PACKAGE SOLUTION, SAYS
CHINA
China today said that it is willing to work with other UN members to seek a
package solution for security council reforms which can accommodate all
parties' interests and concerns through dialogue and negotiation.
PALACE SHIELDS PH TRADE WITH CHINA FROM DUTERTE'S HISTORIC ASSERTION OF SEA
RIGHTS
MANILA— The Philippines will "move on" with trade and investments with
China, Malacañang said Thursday as it shielded renewed economic ties with
the economic superpower from President Rodrigo Duterte's historic assertion
of Manila's sea rights before the United Nations.
FIRST FEMALE ARMY PILOTS TO GRADUATE SOON
The first 10 female flight students trained by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force are expected to graduate and join operational units in 2021.
‘BIRTHERISM’ LIES ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS EXCEED THOSE ABOUT OBAMA
Toxic misinformation has continued reaching new heights in 2020, one sign of
that is the “Birtherism” misinformation about Senator Kamala Harris, the
Democratic vice-presidential nominee, now exceeds that about President
Barack Obama at its peak in 2017, according to a new analysis.
CAVITE AIRPORT BUILDER TO BE TAGGED IN CASE VS CHINA'S XI
MANILA — A Chinese firm that is set to build an airport in Cavite province
will be included in the case against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the
International Criminal Court, one of its petitioners said Thursday.
XI: JOIN HANDS TO MEET GLOBAL CHALLENGES
China has no intention of fighting a Cold War or a hot war with any country, nor will it seek hegemony, expansion or a sphere of influence, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
XI: JOIN HANDS TO MEET GLOBAL CHALLENGES
Chinese President Xi Jinping during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday assured the countries that China has no intention to fight a cold war or a hot one with any country.
ALL COUNTRIES MUST GET ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINE, DUTERTE TELLS UN
MANILA - In his first appearance at the UN General Assembly, President
Rodrigo Duterte said all countries should get access to coronavirus vaccines
once these have been developed, deemed effective and distributed to the
public.
In a pre-recorded video message to the UN convention that aired early
Wednesday (Manila time), Duterte emphasized "ensuring universal access" to
medicines and technology to combat COVID-19 "is pivotal in the global
pandemic recovery."
"The world is in the race to find a safe and effective vaccine. When the
world finds that vaccine, access to it must not be denied nor withheld. It
should be made available to all, rich and poor nations alike, as a matter of
policy," he said during the UN's 75th anniversary.
"The Philippines joins our partners in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast
Asian Nations) and the Non-Aligned Movement in raising our collective voice:
the COVID-19 vaccine must be considered a global public good."
XI: NO NATION SHOULD ACT LIKE BOSS OF WORLD
China firmly supports the United Nations' central role in global affairs and opposes any country acting like boss of the world, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.
75TH U.N. ANNIVERSARY: SURPLUS OF MULTILATERAL CHALLENGES, DEFICIT OF
MULTILTERAL SOLUTIONS, SAYS GUTTERES
The United Nations marked its 75th anniversary Monday amid a global pandemic
and other serious challenges that the secretary-general said highlight the
urgency for stronger international cooperation.
DUTERTE TO ADDRESS UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR FIRST TIME
MANILA — President Duterte will address the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) for the first time today, even as some international groups renew
their condemnation of alleged abuses tied to his controversial war on
illegal drugs.
NATION HONORS UN, MULTILATERALISM PLEDGE
When President Xi Jinping attended the high-level meetings for the 70th anniversary of the United Nations in New York in 2015, he called on the international community to remain committed to multilateralism and mutually beneficial cooperation for a better world.
DONALD TRUMP PRESSES FOR NEW JUSTICE TO REPLACE RUTH BADER GINSBURG AMID
LOOMING ELECTION
President Donald Trump is expected to ignore the dying wish of late Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and nominate her replacement in the coming
days in a rush to hurry through a conservative judge before the election.
PHILIPPINE MONEY REMITTERS FLAGGED IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ‘SUSPICIOUS’
TRANSACTIONS
MANILA (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism) — Filipino
remittance firms were investigated in the aftermath of the 2016 cyber-heist
that siphoned off $81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh.
CHINA SENDS FIGHTERS TOWARDS TAIWAN
While tensions remain high and a military build-up continues along the Line
of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, China has ratcheted up tensions on its
eastern front, with 18 Chinese fighters and bombers crossing the mid-line of
the Taiwan Strait and flying towards Taiwan in a major show of military
force.
DUTERTE PLACES PHILIPPINES UNDER STATE OF CALAMITY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2021
MANILA — The Philippines will remain under a state of calamity for one more
year as it continues to grapple with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Rodrigo Duterte extended the period of the state of calamity until
Sept. 12, 2021 through Proclamation No. 1021.
BIDEN SAYS US TRADE DEAL HINGES ON UK 'RESPECT' FOR GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT
US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has warned the United Kingdom
it must honour Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement as it withdraws from
the European Union or there would be no separate United States trade deal.
EU PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS ‘RAPIDLY DETERIORATING’ STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, PRESS
FREEDOM IN PHILIPPINES
MANILA - The European Parliament adopted a resolution Thursday calling on
the Philippine government to grant ABS-CBN Corp.'s broadcast license, nearly
5 months after President Rodrigo Duterte's allies in Congress rejected to
renew its permit to operate on TV and radio.
PRESIDENT: PROMOTE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR
President Xi Jinping has underlined the importance of the private economy in the country's overall development and has urged efforts to unite people engaging in private business to promote the sector's healthy development.
FED TOUTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY, VOWS TO KEEP INTEREST RATES LOW
The Federal Reserve kept its pledge to keep interest rates anchored near
zero and promised to keep rates there until inflation rises consistently.
CARPIO TO ACT AS COUNSEL IN ICC CASE VS XI
MANILA — Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will
stand as legal counsel in the case filed before the International Criminal
Court (ICC) by former Philippine officials against Chinese President Xi
Jinping and other Chinese officials over ChinaÂ’s incursions in the South
China Sea.
TRUMP THREATENS TO RETALIATE WITH '1,000 TIMES GREATER' FORCE AGAINST ANY
IRAN ATTACK
Donald Trump has warned that the US will retaliate with "1,000 times
greater" force against any Iranian attack on its interests.
SENATE, HOUSE SLAM PHILHEALTH PROBE REPORT
Palace: Duque not yet off the hook
MANILA — Lawmakers including those from the administration slammed yesterday
the findings of a special task force that investigated alleged anomalies in
the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., particularly the non-inclusion of
Health Secretary and PhilHealth chairman Francisco Duque III in the list of
those recommended for criminal charges.
CHINA, EU TO BOOST STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
China and the European Union reaffirmed their goal of concluding talks on the bilateral investment agreement before year's end and agreed to bolster cooperation on green development and the digital sector during a leaders' meeting on Monday.
DUTERTE APPROVES FILING CRIMINAL, ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES VS MORALES, OTHER
PHILHEALTH OFFICIALS
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the filing of criminal
and administrative charges against former Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
(PhilHealth) president Ricardo Morales and other officials over alleged
corrupt practices.
BREXIT: INTERNAL MARKET BILL CLEARS FIRST HURDLE IN COMMONS
A proposed law giving Boris Johnson's government the power to override parts
of the Brexit agreement with the EU has passed its first hurdle in the
Commons.
GLOBAL OIL DEMAND MAY HAVE PASSED PEAK, SAYS BP ENERGY REPORT
BP has called time on the world's rising demand for fossil fuels after
finding that demand for oil may have already reached its peak and faces an
unprecedented decades-long decline.
PETITIONERS TELL SC, OSG: CANCELING ORAL ARGUMENTS ON ANTI-TERRORISM LAW
'DISSERVICE' TO PUBLIC INTEREST
MANILA — Progressive groups led by BAYAN and a group of Sangguniang Kabataan
leaders urged the Supreme Court to hold oral arguments on the petitions
filed against Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to allow the public to participate
in discourse on the contentious law.
BAHRAIN BECOMES LATEST ARAB NATION TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL
Bahrain on Friday agreed to normalize relations with Israel, becoming the
latest Arab nation to do so as part of a broader diplomatic push by
President Donald Trump and his administration to further ease the Jewish
state's relative isolation in the Middle East and find common ground with
nations that share US wariness of Iran.
DUTERTE INVOKES UNCLOS IN CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER'S VISIT
MANILA - Chinese state councilor and defense minister Wei Fenghe on Friday
paid a courtesy call to President Rodrigo Duterte.
XI STRESSES SOLIDARITY, COOPERATION IN GLOBAL VIRUS FIGHT
President Xi Jinping reiterated the need for united action and coordination between different countries in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as he spoke over the phone with the heads of state of Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on Wednesday night.
EU MULLS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST UK OVER PLAN TO BREAK BREXIT DEAL
The United Kingdom and the European Union held emergency talks on Thursday
over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to undercut parts of the Brexit
divorce treaty, with Brussels exploring possible legal action against
London.
NTC RECALLS FREQUENCIES, CHANNELS ASSIGNED TO ABS-CBN
MANILA - The National Telecommunications Commission on Thursday recalled the
frequencies assigned to ABS-CBN, which it said was “warranted” in the
absence of a legislative franchise.
PRESIDENT, EU LEADERS TO MEET VIA VIDEO LINK
President Xi Jinping will meet via video link on Monday with European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the rotating chair of the regional bloc, the Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday.
GOVERNMENT DEFENDS SURGE IN BUDGET OF RED-TAGGING TASK FORCE
MANILA — Large sums of money to be allocated to a controversial task force
that has “red-tagged” individuals will fund local economic projects and not
buy arms and escalate the governmentÂ’s fight against communist rebels.
In an online Senate hearing on Wednesday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado
said the proposed P16.4-billion budget lodged under President Rodrigo
DuterteÂ’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict
(NTF-ELCAC) will, in fact, be released to barangays and not to the agency.
XI PRESENTS MEDALS TO COVID FIGHTERS
Solidarity and cooperation are the right choice for the international community to respond to a major crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, while selfishness and scapegoating will harm the people of all countries, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
DONALD TRUMP SAYS IT'D BE 'INSULT' IF KAMALA HARRIS IS FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT
Attacking Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, US President
Donald Trump on Tuesday said that "people don't like her" and it would be
"an insult" to America if she becomes the President. Addressing a rally in
North Carolina, Trump said, "People don't like her (Kamala Harris)--nobody
likes her. She can never be the first woman president of the US. It will be
an insult to our country."
DUTERTE TELLS AGENCIES TO PUBLISH DETAILS OF INFRA, IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN
NEWSPAPERS
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered agencies to publish details
of infrastructure and irrigation projects, including their status and
winning bidders, saying it would help with detecting collusion among
agencies and contractors.
XI PRAISES COVID ROLE MODELS IN SPEECH
President Xi Jinping attends a meeting to commend role models in China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic on Tuesday. He presented medals to four outstanding individuals and delivers a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Here are some highlights from his address.
EU WARNS BREXIT TRADE TALKS UNDER THREAT IF UK BACKSLIDES ON DEAL
The European Union told Britain on Monday that there would be no trade deal
if it tried to tinker with the Brexit divorce treaty, raising the prospect
of a tumultuous end-of-year finale to the saga.
DUTERTE SAYS PH HAS FLATTENED COVID-19 CURVE, LAUDS PUBLIC FOR FOLLOWING
HEALTH PROTOCOLS
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lauded the public for following
health protocols imposed by government that led to the flattening of the
country's COVID-19 curve.
PRESIDENT TO COMMEND TOP CHAMPIONS IN COVID FIGHT
President Xi Jinping will attend a meeting on Tuesday morning to commend role models in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and present a national medal and honorary titles to four people for their outstanding contribution during the outbreak.
GERMANY THREATENS RUSSIA WITH SANCTIONS
Tensions deepened between Germany and Russia over the alleged poisoning of
opposition figure Alexei Navalny on Sunday, with Germany threatening
sanctions and Russia accusing Berlin of delaying the investigation it
demanded.
MALAYSIA BARS PINOYS OVER COVID-19 FEARS
MANILA - Starting today, long-term pass holders from the Philippines, India
and Indonesia will be barred from entering Malaysia due to "serious concerns
over the recent increase in the number of confirmed imported COVID-19 cases
from these countries," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said
yesterday.
XI COMMITS TO FURTHER EASE MARKET ACCESS
President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China will remain steadfast in opening wider to the world, further ease market access for the services sector and actively increase imports of quality services.
WIDESPREAD COVID VACCINATION NOT EXPECTED UNTIL MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR: WHO
As the threat of the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic continues to loom over
the globe, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya
Swaminathan said that the worldwide distribution of vaccines on a mass level
against COVID-19 may take place by mid-2021.
DUTERTE OKS GRADUAL RESUMPTION OF TOURISM
MANILA — President Duterte has allowed the gradual resumption of tourism
activities in the country following the decision to place many key cities
and provinces under modified general community quarantine from Sept. 1 to
31.
'PETTY AND DIVISIVE': DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS, MAYORS SLAM TRUMP'S DEFUNDING
THREAT
Democratic mayors and governors lashed out at President Donald Trump after
he issued a memo directing his administration to find federal funds that
could be cut from cities run by Democrats, including "anarchist
jurisdictions."
PH INFLATION EASES TO 2.4 PERCENT IN AUGUST, SLOWEST PACE IN 3 MONTHS
MANILA - Philippine inflation eased in August on slower food and beverage
price movements, according to government data released on Friday.
XI ATTENDS COMMEMORATION OF 75TH VICTORY ANNIVERSARY OF ANTI-JAPANESE WAR, WWII
Chinese leaders led by Xi Jinping on Thursday morning attended a commemoration in Beijing for the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
NBI PRESSES RAPS vs 20 TAGGED IN ‘PASTILLAS’ SCAM
MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation has asked the Office of the
Ombudsman to suspend and prosecute 19 immigration officers it found to have
been running a clandestine escort service known as the “pastillas” racket
that catered mostly to Chinese nationals planning to work in the country
illegally.
PHILIPPINES WONÂ’T STOP PROJECTS OF BLACKLISTED CHINA FIRMS
MANILA— Apart from the Philippines being an independent nation, President
Duterte will not follow the United StatesÂ’ lead in cutting ties with Chinese
firms involved in reclamation activities in the South China Sea because the
country needs investors from China.
YELLOW RIVER PLAYS ROLE IN 'REJUVENATION'
A key Party meeting on Monday stressed the need to promote the intensive and economical utilization of the water resources of the Yellow River to ensure its high-quality development.
DUTERTE: 'REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT' TALKS SHOULD BE IN PUBLIC
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that discussions about the
revolutionary government being proposed by a group of his supporters should
be in public, and not in secret.
FIRST DIRECT ISRAEL-UAE FLIGHT LANDS IN ABU DHABI AMID DEAL
A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab
Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation
to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between
the two countries.
DUTERTE VISITS SULU AFTER TWIN BLASTS
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday visited Jolo town in Sulu,
nearly a week after twin explosions left at least 15 dead and scores
wounded, Malacañang confirmed.
NATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO REFORM, OPENING-UP
Forty years ago, China created four special economic zones in the southeastern coastal cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong province and Xiamen in Fujian province as part of the country's opening-up drive to encourage foreign investment and boost economic growth.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN WILL MAKE US A SOCIALIST COUNTRY: TOP REPUBLCIAN LEADERS
Making a passionate plea to re-elect Republican Donald Trump at the 2020
Republican National Convention, Top Indian-American politician, Nikki Haley
said that the United States President has a "record of strength and
success", while his Democratic rival Joe Biden has a "record of weakness and
failure."
PHILIPPINES WON'T CEASE SPRATLY PATROLS DESPITE CHINA CALL VS
'PROVOCATIONS': DFA
MANILA -- The Philippines will sustain its patrol of the Spratly islands
despite China's call for Manila to stop "illegal provocations" in sending
military aircraft near the area, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr
said Wednesday.
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION TOUTS TRUMP, STOKES FEARS IF HE LOSES
On Monday, Mr Trump was officially nominated as a formality to be the
Republican nominee at his party's convention in the city of Charlotte.
TWIN BLASTS ROCK SULU TOWN PLAZA; AT LEAST 15 KILLED, 75 WOUNDED
MANILA - At least seven soldiers, a policeman, and six civilians were
killed, while 75 were injured as twin explosions ripped through the town
plaza of Jolo in the southern province of Sulu on Monday noon, authorities
said.
SYNERGY OF YANGTZE DELTA REGION STRESSED
China has vowed to step up the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta in order to make the region the pacesetter of the new development pattern with the domestic market as the mainstay and the domestic and foreign markets complementing each other.
IF SCIENTISTS RECOMMEND, I WILL SHUT DOWN ECONOMY TO SAVE LIVES FROM
PANDEMIC: JOE BIDEN
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said, if elected, he would be
willing to shut down the country again should there be a second wave of
coronavirus in the US and scientists recommend the move to slow its spread.
UAE, ISRAEL REACH AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC TIES
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a deal to normalise
relations, with Israel agreeing to suspend its controversial plans to annex
parts of the occupied West Bank.
SC CREATES TWO BODIES TO PURGE JUDICIARY FROM ERRING OFFICIALS, PERSONNEL
MANILA — The Supreme Court has approved the creation of the Judicial
Integrity Board and the Corruption Prevention and Investigation Office to
prevent corruption within the Judiciary.
FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS ON US TO STOP EXCHANGES WITH TAIWAN
China warned some United States officials on Wednesday not to have illusions on issues concerning China's core interests after US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar's visit to Taiwan and urged him to stop criticizing China's anti-pandemic efforts.
SAUDI ARABIA ENDS A LOAN AND ASSOCIATED OIL SUPPLY TO PAKISTAN FOLLOWING
THREATS TO SPLIT OIC
Saudi Arabia has halted the provision of oil on loan for Pakistan after the
Imran Khan government threatened to split the Organization of Islamic
Countries (OIC) over Kashmir.
HOUSE OKs FREE ANNUAL CHECKUP BILL
MANILA - The House committee on health approved yesterday a bill seeking to
provide free annual medical checkup for Filipinos.
BIDEN VP PICK: KAMALA HARRIS CHOSEN AS RUNNING MATE
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris
as his running mate - the first black woman and Asian American in the role.
Once a rival for the top job, the California senator of Indian-Jamaican
heritage had long been considered the front-runner for the number two slot.
HOUSE OKs ‘NEW NORMAL’ BILL
MANILA — The House of Representatives has passed the bill setting public
rules and protocols for the “new normal” in workplace and public spaces
while the country continues to battle the COVID-19 crisis.
CPC GUIDANCE LEADS NATION TO PROSPERITY
Some officials in the United States have been ganging up on the Communist Party of China, but they are turning a blind eye to the fact that the CPC leadership has enabled China to grow into the world's second-largest economy without resorting to warfare, colonialism or slavery.
LEBANESE GOVERNMENT QUITS AMID FURY OVER BEIRUT BLAST
Lebanon's government resigned Monday as the fallout from last week's deadly
explosion deepened a political crisis in the country's blast-ravaged
capital.
BAYANIHAN 2 APPROVED ON FINAL READING
MANILA — Voting 262-6, the House of Representatives approved yesterday on
third and final reading the Bayanihan 2 or the “We Recover as One Act,”
providing a P162-billion fund for government to carry out a roadmap for
economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
CHINA URGES US TO AVOID MISJUDGMENT
China's senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi, urged Washington on Friday to avoid strategic miscalculation about China-US relations and work with Beijing to bring bilateral ties back to the right track.
DUTERTE TO ADDRESS NATION TODAY
DAVAO CITY - President Duterte is set to address the nation from his home
city today where he has been staying since Aug. 3.
LEBANON SEES POSSIBLE 'EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE' IN PORT BLAST
LebanonÂ’s president said an investigation into the Beirut port warehouse
explosion was looking at whether it was caused by negligence, an accident or
possible external interference, his office cited him as telling local media
on Friday.
PHILHEALTH MESS CAN BE TRACED TO PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONÂ’
MANILA — The alleged anomaly in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
(PhilHealth) could be traced to policies of the state-run health insurer
during the previous administration, a ranking lawmaker has said.
XI CALLS FOR POOLING WISDOM TO DEVISE FIVE-YEAR PLAN
President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of bolstering top-level design and pooling wisdom from the public in devising China's blueprint for development between 2021 and 2025.
TIKTOK: TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO ADDRESS 'THREAT' OF CHINESE APP
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban transactions
with TikTok's parent company ByteDance.
The executive order says the US "must take aggressive action against the
owners of TikTok to protect our national security".
LOCSIN, POMPEO DISCUSS US POLICY SHIFT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
MANILA — The top diplomats of the Philippines and the United States
discussed Washington's latest policy declaration on maritime disputes in the
South China Sea.
XI EXTENDS CONDOLENCES OVER BEIRUT BLAST
President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday over explosions in the country's capital, Beirut, that killed more than 110 people.
LEBANON DECLARES 2-WEEK STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER DEADLY TWIN BLASTS
Lebanon's government on Wednesday announced a two-week state of emergency in
the country's capital following Tuesday's devastating explosion in Beirut.
There were two explosions in Beirut on Tuesday afternoon (local time), which
occurred barely within minutes of each other. The explosions took place in
the central port area of the city. In footage on social media, it appears as
though the two blasts were triggered in different buildings. Following the
first blast, the fire spread to a nearby building, triggering a bigger
explosion.
EXPERTS SAY CHINA KEY TO GLOBAL RECOVERY
China could emerge from the coronavirus pandemic with a more dominant economy, replacing the United States as the world's largest within the current decade, according to experts.
JULY INFLATION ACCELERATES TO 2.7 PERCENT, FASTEST IN 6 MONTHS
MANILA - Inflation quickened in July based on government data released on
Wednesday, its fastest pace in 6 months due to rising transport costs.
The consumer price index rose 2.7 percent in July, within the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas' estimated range of 2.2 to 3 percent, and between 2.2 to 2.8
percent based on a Reuters poll of 13 economists.
CHINA SUSPENDS HK-NZ FUGITIVE DEAL
China has decided to suspend the agreement on surrendering fugitive offenders and the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and New Zealand, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced on Monday.
DONALD TRUMP BANS H-1B TECH WORKERS FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order restricting
federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers, hurting
Indian IT professionals who work in the US on the H-1B visa.
DUTERTE BANS PHILIPPINES FROM JOINING NAVAL EXERCISES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
MANILA — The Philippines will no longer be participating in joint maritime
exercises in the South China Sea with other countries, Defense Secretary
Delfin Lorenzana said Monday.
KEY MEETING SETS TONE FOR FURTHER OPENING-UP
Chinese leaders have vowed to strengthen the country's economic opening-up drive, which is not in conflict with its recent emphasis on boosting domestic demand but will benefit the global economic recovery, analysts said.
TRUMP TO GIVE BYTEDANCE 45 DAYS TO DIVEST THE US OPERATIONS OF TIKTOK TO
MICROSOFT
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he planned to sign an
executive order to ban popular short-video app TikTok in the US, where it
has up to 80 million active monthly users. The app - mostly used by people
under 20 - is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
DUTERTE PUTS METRO MANILA, NEARBY PROVINCES UNDER MECQ
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the imposition of Modified
Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and
Bulacan as recommended by members of the Cabinet.
XI UNVEILS BEIDOU FULL-SCALE COVERAGE
President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System has been completed and has started providing full-scale global services that day.
LOCSIN: FILIPINOS LEAVING SABAH SHOULD NOT BE CALLED REPATRIATES
MANILA - Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday said
Filipinos leaving Sabah due to the COVID-19 pandemic should not be called
repatriates.
TRUMP NOW SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT TO POSTPONE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN
NOVEMBER
President Donald Trump has walked back his controversial suggestion to delay
the November 3 elections in the face of fierce opposition from even
Republicans.
XI DECLARES START OF BEIDOU'S FULL-SCALE GLOBAL SERVICE
President Xi Jinping announced on Friday morning that China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System has been completed and started providing full-scale global services on the day.
DONALD TRUMP RAISES POSSIBILITY OF DELAYING THE ELECTION
US President Donald Trump on Thursday raised the possibility of delaying the
nation's November 3 presidential election, though the Constitution bestows
that power on Congress, not the president.
GCQ IN METRO MANILA EXTENDED UNTIL AUG. 15 DESPITE INCREASE IN COVID-19
CASES
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the general community in
Metro Manila to Aug. 15 despite the rising number of COVID-19 infections in
the country.
PRESIDENT PROMOTES PLA OFFICER TO RANK OF GENERAL
President Xi Jinping promoted Xu Zhongbo, political commissar of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, to the rank of general on Wednesday.
FOUR BIG TECH CEOs GETTING HEAT FROM CONGRESS ON COMPETITION
Fending off accusations of stifling competition, four Big Tech CEOs -
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai of Google and
Tim Cook of Apple - are answering for their companies' practices before
Congress as a House panel caps its yearlong investigation of market
dominance in the industry.
PHILIPPINES WILL NEVER ABANDON SABAH, SPRATLYS CLAIM: LOCSIN
MANILA - Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. stood pat on his
statement about the Philippines' claim to Sabah after the Malaysian
government summoned the Philippine Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur to explain
LocsinÂ’s tweet that "Sabah is not in Malaysia."
XI URGES AIIB TO ENGAGE MORE PARTNERS
President Xi Jinping called on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on Tuesday to make itself a new platform promoting development among all members and facilitating the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the context of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
'SIGURO BINGI SILA': PALACE SLAMS CRITICS WHO SAY GOV'T LACKS COVID-19
RECOVERY PLAN
MANILA-- Malacañang dismissed Tuesday claims that the government has no
pandemic recovery roadmap after President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of
the Nation Address failed to detail such a plan.
CORONAVIRUS: TRUMP STICKS BY REVOKED HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again endorsed the use of
anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of the coronavirus,
AP reported. Trump also claimed that the drug was rejected as a treatment
only because he had supported it.
CLOSURE OF US CONSULATE NECESSARY ACT
Ministry urges Washington to correct its mistakes, get relations back on track.
The closure and takeover of the United States' consulate in Chengdu is China's legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable US act of shutting down and breaking into the Chinese consulate general in Houston, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday.
CHINA ASKS AFGHANISTAN, NEPAL TO BE LIKE 'IRON BROTHER' PAKISTAN AT A
FOUR-COUNTRY MEET
China on Monday convened a rare quadrilateral dialogue with the Foreign
Ministers of Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan, pledging to strengthen
cooperation among the four nations in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic as
well as boosting their economic recoveries, including through regional
connectivity projects.
DUTERTEÂ’S SONA: A MIX OF ATTACK, WARNING, PLEA, WISH LIST, PROMISES
MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his 5th State of the Nation
Address (SONA) yesterday, against the backdrop of a pandemic that has
disrupted the lives of millions of Filipinos and which continues to spread
across the Philippines.
XI TO DELIVER SPEECH AT AIIB'S ANNUAL EVENT
President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the fifth annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to be held via video link on Tuesday in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.
US ELECTIONS 2020: TRUMP FACES HEADWINDS WITH POLLS 100 DAYS AWAY
With the November election 100 days away, more Americans say the country is
heading in the wrong direction than at any previous point in Donald Trump's
presidency, putting the incumbent in a perilous position as his re-election
bid against Democrat Joe Biden enters a pivotal stretch.
XI STRESSES NATION'S COMPETITIVENESS
President Xi Jinping has highlighted the need to make the economy more competitive, innovative and able to resist risks as part of efforts to further bolster the real economy, especially the manufacturing sector, and improve the level of entire industrial chains.
FROM PING-PONG DIPLOMACY TO TIT-FOR-TAT HOSTILITY, US-CHINA TIES SPIRAL DOWN
What started with ping-pong diplomacy almost 50 years in the past plunged
into tit-for-tat hostility this week as China retaliated on Friday to the
US' closure of the Chinese language consulate in Houston by ordering the US
consulate in Chengdu to stop operations by Monday.
SONA PROTESTS TO PERSIST DESPITE BANS — RIGHTS GROUP
MANILA — Mobilizations set on Monday will push through despite the issuance
of protest bans just days before President Rodrigo DuterteÂ’s fifth State of
the Nation Address, according to human rights monitor Karapatan.
INDIA, CHINA AGREE TO ANOTHER MEETING OF COMMANDERS
India and China on Friday agreed another meeting of the senior commanders
may be held soon so as to work out further steps to ensure expeditiously
complete disengagement and de-escalation and restoration of peace and
tranquillity in the border areas.
XI STRESSES BUILDING DOMESTIC AUTOMOBILE BRANDS, IMPROVING COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE EFFICACY
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Thursday stressed the importance of mastering key and core technologies and building strong domestic automobile brands.
MIKE POMPEO SAYS FREE WORLD MUST CHANGE CHINA OR 'CHINA WILL CHANGE US'
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has called on "free nations" to triumph
over the threat of what he said was a "new tyranny" from China, in a
provocative speech likely to worsen fraught US-China relations.
LAW GROUPS FILE 17TH LEGAL CHALLENGE VS ANTI-TERRORISM LAW
MANILA - A group of lawyers on Friday filed the 17th petition against the
much-feared Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, making it one of the
highly-contested laws before the Supreme Court.
NATION SHIFTING TO HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT
China's move from export-driven growth to promoting the integration of the domestic and overseas markets reflects the country's shift to nurturing new edges in global competitiveness and fostering high-quality development despite the headwinds it faces, experts and business executives said on Wednesday.
BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO OPEN SPECIAL CITIZENSHIP PATH TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS
FROM JANUARY
Britain's government announced on Wednesday that it will open a new special
pathway to obtaining British citizenship for eligible Hong Kongers from
January 2021.
CONSTITUTION FRAMERS, RIGHTS DEFENDERS, JOURNALISTS CHALLENGE ANTI-TERRORISM
ACT
MANILA - A group of veteran journalists, lawmakers, human rights defenders
and Constitution framers is the newest to challenge the anti-terror law,
which they described as a "clear and imminent danger to free speech."
XI: LEVERAGE HUGE DOMESTIC MARKET
President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for greater strides in reform and opening-up, including in science and technology, while fully leveraging the strength of the nation's huge domestic market in the face of rising protectionism, a sluggish global economy and a weakening international market.
EU NATIONS CLINCH $2.1 TRILLION BUDGET, CORONAVIRUS VIRUS AID DEAL AFTER 4
DAYS
Weary but relieved, European Union leaders finally clinched an unprecedented
1.82 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund
early Tuesday, somehow finding unity after four days and as many nights of
fighting and wrangling over money and power in one of their longest summits
ever.
ANTI-TERROR LAW WON'T STOP SONA PROTESTERS: ACTIVIST GROUP
MANILA - The recently-implemented anti-terror law will not dissuade
protesters from physically gathering and airing their grievances during
President Rodrigo Duterte's penultimate State of the Nation Address on
Monday, an activist group said Wednesday.
XI'S THOUGHT ON DIPLOMACY SHARES VISIONS
As the international situation becomes increasingly uncertain, diplomats and experts said Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy−which puts the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the building of a new type of international relations featuring fairness, justice and win-win cooperation at its core−is of great significance in coping with global challenges.
DUTERTE: MAYORS HAVE TO DO MORE IN PH PANDEMIC FIGHT; COPS TO BE STRICTER IN
IMPLEMENTING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
"We'll have to ask our police to be more strict," he told Interior Secretary
Eduardo Año.
UK SUSPENDS EXTRADITION TREATY WITH HONG KONG
The UK will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and
indefinitely" due to the controversial national security law implemented in
the city by mainland China.
ECONOMY'S REBOUND SET TO CONTINUE IN H2
China's growth recovery is set to continue in the second half of the year, and Beijing's policies are expected to focus on narrowing the development gaps amid the rapid and yet uneven rebound to consolidate the economy's long-term resilience, economists said.
I'M NOT LOSING: TRUMP REFUSES TO COMMIT TO ELECTION RESULTS IF DEFEATED
US President Donald Trump, who earlier said he would peacefully leave if he is voted out in the upcoming presidential elections, has now taken a U-turn.
DUTERTE SIGNS LAW ALLOWING ADJUSTMENTS IN SCHOOL CALENDAR
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill that allows
him to adjust the opening of classes during a state of emergency or
calamity.
XI CALLS FOR STRONGER FLOOD MEASURES
President Xi Jinping called on Friday for much stronger measures in flood prevention and rescue work and urged relevant departments to give priority to the safety of people's lives and property.
POMPEO CALLS FOR GLOBAL PUSH BACK AGAINST XI; CHINA SAYS WILL FIGHT BACK
AGAINST 'MALICIOUS SLANDER'
The time has come for the world to push back against the challenge posed by
the Chinese Communist Party, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said as he
contended that the US "slept on this threat for too long." Pompeo also said
the Chinese government was aware of human-to-human transmission of the
coronavirus before they shared this information with the world.
ANTI-TERRORISM LAW TAKES EFFECT TODAY
MANILA — Denounced on several fronts and challenged before the Supreme
Court, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 takes effect today – even in the
absence of implementing rules and regulations.
XI HAILS EXECS' FAITH IN GROWTH, PLEDGES REFORM
China will keep deepening reform and expanding opening-up and provide a better business environment for the investment and business development of Chinese and foreign enterprises, President Xi Jinping said in a letter of reply to representatives of Global CEO Council members.
U.K., U.S., CANADA ACCUSE RUSSIA OF HACKING COVID-19 VACCINE TRIALS
The US, UK and Canada have accused Russia of trying to steal coronavirus vaccine research as the pandemic surges across the world, with Brazil announcing it has surpassed two million confirmed cases.
DUTERTE TO PHYSICALLY DELIVER 5TH SONA IN BATASANG PAMBANSA AMID PANDEMIC:
SOTTO
MANILA — For the first time, President Duterte will deliver his fifth State
of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa with a limited number
of lawmakers and an empty gallery in an effort to protect him from
coronavirus infection, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday.
XI SAYS FUNDAMENTALS OF CHINA'S LONG-TERM GROWTH WILL NOT CHANGE
The fundamentals of China's long-term sound economic growth have not changed and will not change, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday in a reply letter to global CEOs.
LOCSIN MEETS WITH CHINESE COUNTERPART ON SEA ROW
MANILA — After a strong Philippine statement declaring the 2016 South China
Sea ruling as “non-negotiable,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to address
the dispute through “friendly” consultation.
TANKER OFF UAE SOUGHT BY US OVER IRAN SANCTIONS 'HIJACKED'
An oil tanker sought by the U.S. over allegedly circumventing sanctions on
Iran was hijacked on July 5 off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a
seafarers welfare organization said Wednesday.
XI CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY IN FIGHTING VIRUS
China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the international community, including Singapore and Thailand, in fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic and jointly promoting global public health security, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
DAYS AFTER ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN, DUTERTE CELEBRATES ‘DISMANTLING THE OLIGARCHY’
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday tagged the Ayalas and Lopezes
as the bedrock of oligarchy in the Philippines that he claimed to have
dismantled, citing alleged violations by companies owned by the family
conglomerates.
DONALD TRUMP ENDS HONG KONG'S SPECIAL STATUS WITH US TO PUNISH CHINA
U.S. President Donald Trump, hardening his stance on China as he struggles
to contain the coronavirus, said on Tuesday he signed legislation and an
executive order to hold China accountable for the "oppressive" national
security law it imposed on Hong Kong.
LAC STANDOFF: FOURTH ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS HELD
India and China held the fourth round of Corps Commanders talks at Chushul
on Tuesday to work out details on the second phase of disengagement on the
Line of Actual Control (LAC). The talks were still on after 11 hours.
ALERT RAISED IN NORTH AS FLOODING CONTINUES IN SOUTH
Authorities have warned of the possibility of major floods in China's northern areas as inundations continue to cause serious damage in many parts of the southern half of the country, especially along the Yangtze River's middle and lower reaches.
SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE: CHINA'S PURSUIT OF RESOURCES 'UNLAWFUL', SAYS US
China's pursuit of offshore resources in parts of the South China Sea is "completely unlawful", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
CHINESE EMBASSY CLAIMS ARBITRAL AWARD IN FAVOR OF PH 'ILLEGAL', 'INVALID'
MANILA - The Chinese embassy in Manila on Monday claimed that the Permanent
Court of Arbitration's ruling in favor of the Philippines in 2016 over
disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea is "illegal and invalid".
XI URGES ALL-OUT EFFORT TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM FLOOD
Nearly 38 million people have been affected by floods, with 141 dead or missing, China's flood-control authorities said on Monday.
UK-CHINA TIES FREEZE WITH DEBATE OVER HUAWEI, HONG KONG
Only five years ago, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron was
celebrating a "golden era" in U.K.-China relations, bonding with President
Xi Jinping over a pint of beer at the pub and signing off on trade deals
worth billions.
WEST PH SEA AWARD IS ‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’, DFA SAYS ON 4TH ANNIV OF LEGAL
VICTORY
MANILA - The PhilippinesÂ’ arbitration victory against China is
“non-negotiable”, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday on the
4th anniversary of the verdict.
PBOC MIGHT END MONETARY 'CRISIS MODE'
China's historically high credit growth in the first half of this year has strongly supported economic recovery as the novel coronavirus epidemic has been almost controlled in the country, the central bank said on Friday. It added that monetary policy will be back to normal if the outlook remains optimistic.
ISRAEL'S ANNEXATION OF PARTS OF WEST BANK OPPOSED BY WORLD LEADERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to carry out
his pledge to begin annexing parts of the occupied West Bank - the
5,650-square-km chunk of land - which finds itself at the centre of an
intense territorial conflict between Israel and Palestine.
HOUSE COMMITTEE DENIES ABS-CBN A NEW FRANCHISE
MANILA -- Congressmen on Friday voted to "kill" a new broadcast franchise
for ABS-CBN Corp., permanently shutting down a major part of the countryÂ’s
largest media network, in what is seen as part of a worsening crackdown on
press freedom under President Rodrigo Duterte.
POSITIVE ENERGY URGED BETWEEN CHINA AND US
China on Thursday proposed a list of interactions with the United States on specifying cooperation, maintaining dialogue and properly handling differences as their relationship faces the most severe challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
WHO LAUNCHES REVIEW OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP CRITICISM
The World Health Organization named leaders of an independent panel to
review its response to the Covid-19 pandemic that has been criticized by the
US.
ABS-CBN FRANCHISE BACKERS MAKE FINAL PLEA FOR VOTES
MANILA -- With more than 11,000 jobs on the line, a group of congressmen
made a last-ditch effort to convince colleagues Thursday to vote in favor of
granting a new broadcast franchise to ABS-CBN.
XI, PUTIN STRESS CHINA-RUSSIA PARTNERSHIP
President Xi Jinping reaffirmed on Wednesday China's stance toward Russia of supporting each other, opposing external interference and safeguarding both countries' national sovereignty, security and development interests.
HARVARD, MIT SUE U.S. IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OVER NEW RULE FOR FOREIGN
STUDENTS: REPORT
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have
sued the Department of Homeland Security and the federal immigration agency
over new guidelines barring foreign students from remaining in America if
their universities switched to online-only classes in the Fall.
MEETING BOOSTS CHINA-ARAB TIES AMID CONTAGION
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought China and Arab nations much closer together through the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the mechanism of political parties' dialogue as they take concrete steps to build a China-Arab community with a shared future, officials and experts said.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUBMITS FORMAL NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL FROM W.H.O
The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its
withdrawal from the World Health Organization, although the pullout won't
take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new
administration or if circumstances change. Former Vice President Joe Biden,
the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would reverse the
decision on his first day in office if elected.
'HUWAG HO KAYONG MATAKOT': DUTERTE SAYS LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS SHOULD NOT FEAR
ANTI-TERROR LAW
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte said the public should not worry about
the new anti-terror law if they are not terrorists.
Addressing the nation for the first time since he signed the law last
Friday, Duterte said law-abiding citizens of the country will not be
targetted by the law.
RESERVOIRS KEY TO REDUCING FLOODS
Due to intermittent rainstorms and heavy downpours, severe floods have swept across southern China almost every year. Since the start of this year, many parts of southern China have experienced frequent, intense rainfall within a short of period of time.
US FLEXES MILITARY MUSCLE AT CHINA AS BEIJING DRAWS DOWN IN ITS BORDER SPAT
WITH INDIA
The United States is flexing its military muscle at China on behalf of India
and other Asian allies and partners, amid signs that Washington is finally
ready to take some punitive action against Beijing for its role in spreading
the coronavirus pandemic around the globe.
INFLATION QUICKENS TO 2.5 PERCENT IN JUNE AS GOV'T LOOSENS VIRUS LOCKDOWNS
MANILA — Inflation accelerated for the first time this year in June as the
economy began to come out of strict lockdowns, the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.
XI VOWS CLOSER TIES WITH GHANA, MONGOLIA
China will deepen cooperation with Ghana in various fields under the joint construction of the Belt and Road and within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
AS SOON AS SC OPENS, LAW PROFESSORS FIRE PETITIONS VS ANTI-TERRORISM LAW
MANILA — As soon as the Supreme Court opened its gates on Monday morning —
the first weekday since President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Anti-Terrorism
Act of 2020 — law professors trooped to the tribunal to challenge the
contentious new law.
FIRE AT IRAN'S NATANZ NUCLEAR FACILITY CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE,SAYS
SPOKESMAN
A fire at Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility has caused significant
damage that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges used to
enrich uranium, an Iranian nuclear official said on Sunday.
XI HAILS COMMUNITY OF SHARED FUTURE WITH CAMBODIA
President Xi Jinping on Friday hailed the China-Cambodia community with a shared future as unbreakable as the nations have supported and closely coordinated with each other while making concerted efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
AFTER HK, US & CHINA SPAR OVER PLA DRILLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
China on Friday rejected criticism by the US defence department of its plan
to hold military exercises in the South China Sea, and suggested that
Washington was to blame for increased tensions in the region. The Pentagon
said in a statement on Thursday that conducting military exercises over
disputed territory in the South China Sea was "counter-productive to efforts
at easing tensions and maintaining stability".
DUTERTE SIGNS ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the anti-terrorism bill into
law, days after the Department of Justice and the Office of the Chief
Presidential Legal Counsel submitted their recommendations on the proposal,
which human rights groups warn could lead to abuse by security forces.
DIPLOMACY IN TIME OF VIRUS CEMENTS TIES
The COVID-19 pandemic may have pressed the "pause" button on interaction between countries, but China's diplomacy led by President Xi Jinping, in the form of phone calls, correspondence and videoconferences, has helped to further enhance the country's relations with the rest of the world amid the pandemic, officials and experts said.
A CORNERED OLI PROROGUES THE HOUSE AND CONSIDERS SPLITTING THE RULING PARTY
After finding himself on shaky ground in the wake of growing calls from
within his party to step down, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday
recommended prorogation of the ongoing session of the federal parliament.
The recommendation was swiftly approved by the President.
LORENZANA: CHINESE MILITARY DRILLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA 'HIGHLY-PROVOCATIVE'
MANILA - Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has raised alarm over
China's move to hold military exercises in contested areas in the South
China Sea.
DOUBLE STANDARD OF WEST ON HK AND XINJIANG HAS BEEN EXPOSED
Many Western governments are good at claiming the moral high ground, for example, by calling the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan as a mission to spread freedom and democracy, and the killing of innocent civilians as collateral damage.
A LOOSE STRATEGIC COALITION IS GROWING AGAINST CHINA
From Australia to Japan, United States to Asean and countries in Europe, a
loose strategic coalition is taking on China even as New Delhi tries to
break the deadlock with Beijing amid the standoff along the LAC.
ABS-CBN HAS NO TAX DELINQUENCY, BIR TELLS SOLONS
MANILA--ABS-CBN Corp. has no current tax delinquency and, with the rest of
the companies under the ABS-CBN Group, infused a combined P71.5 billion in
taxes to government coffers in 17 years, congressmen scrutinizing its
application for a new broadcast franchise were told Wednesday.
XI CALLS FOR STRONGER CPC IN THE NEW ERA
The Communist Party of China must better implement its organizational line in the new era to make itself stronger, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Monday.
POMPEO'S PUSH TO EXTEND IRAN ARMS EMBARGO FACES UPHILL BATTLE AT UN
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the United Nations Security Council
today to extend the conventional arms embargo on Iran indefinitely, only to
face several harsh rebukes from allies and adversaries alike.
PROJECT ARK VOWS TO HELP IN CEBU COVID-19 RESPONSE
MANILA - The business community through the Go Negosyo Project Antibody
Rapid test Kit (ARK) initiative and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (CCCI) have vowed to help the provincial government mitigate the
increasing cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Cebu,
presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey
Concepcion said yesterday.
KEY MEETING FOCUSES ON CPC RULES
A key Party meeting on Monday stressed the need to improve the quality of intraparty elections and come up with higher criteria for candidates to ensure that highly qualified delegates are elected.
ABS-CBN 'FULLY COMPLIANT' WITH LABOR STANDARDS: DOLE EXEC
Two former workers testify vs ABS-CBN on labor issues
MANILA -- ABS-CBN Corp. complied with Philippine labor standards following a
routine inspection by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), an
official told congressmen hearing the shuttered broadcast network's
application for a new operating franchise on Monday.
US ENDS SENSITIVE DEFENCE EXPORTS TO HONG KONG; CHINA WARNS OF VISA BANS
The United States said Monday it was ending the export of sensitive military
items to Hong Kong, no longer treating the financial hub separately from
China.
XI CALLS FOR ALL-OUT EFFORTS IN FLOOD RELIEF
President Xi Jinping has underlined the importance of putting people and life first in an instruction given on the country's flood control and disaster relief work.
IRAN EXPERIENCING ITS TOUGHEST YEAR DUE TO SANCTIONS, VIRUS: ROUHANI
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that his country is
experiencing its toughest year because of US sanctions coupled with the
Covid-19 pandemic.
STRUCTURES LIKE UNSC HAVE TEETH BUT LITTLE OR NO APPETITE TO BITE: UN CHIEF
Multilateral instruments such as the UN Security Council have teeth but
"show little or no appetite to bite, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said as
he underlined the need for "effective and inclusive" multilateralism.
As the world body on Friday commemorates the 75th anniversary of the
adoption of the UN Charter, the founding document of the Organisation, the
Secretary General said there is a need to re-imagine the way nations
cooperate.
DUTERTE ON SCS: AVOID ESCALATING TENSION
MANILA — Expressing “serious concern” over recent incidents in the South
China Sea, President Duterte urged yesterday fellow members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), particularly parties to the
South China Sea dispute, to refrain from escalating tension and abide with
their responsibilities under international law.
OVERSEAS DRUGS THREATEN EFFORTS OF CRACKDOWN
The penetration of drugs into China from abroad has become an external threat to China's crackdown on drug crimes in recent years, a report released by the National Narcotics Control Commission warned on Wednesday.
US SHIFTING MILITARY TO INDIA, SOUTHEAST ASIA TO COUNTER CHINESE ARMY:
POMPEO
The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today said that the US is
reducing its troop presence in Europe and shifting it to other places to
counter Chinese threat to India and Southeast Asia.
DUTERTE JOINS ASEAN SUMMIT AS CONFERENCE GOES ONLINE
MANILA-- President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday joined other world leaders in
the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit as the
conference went online in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Philippine leader is expected to raise the South China Sea maritime
dispute and issues concerning the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in
the summit.
VACCINE ENTERS PHASE 3 TRIAL
China reached an important new level of vaccine development with the start of the phase three clinical trial of an inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
CHINA CAUTIONS US OVER ACTIONS AGAINST FOUR MORE MEDIA OUTLETS
China has warned that it will take countermeasures after the US added four
more Chinese media outlets to a list of organisations that should be
considered foreign missions in the United States because of their ties to
the government and ruling Communist Party.
ROBREDO: GOVERNMENT FAILED TO 'ACT URGENTLY' AT THE ONSET OF COVID-19 CRISIS
MANILA — The Philippines failed to "act urgently" at the start of the
coronavirus pandemic and was still "catching up" with the response of other
countries despite imposing one of the longest lockdowns in the world, Vice
President Leni Robredo said Thursday.
XI: STEP UP BATTLE AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS
President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to continue the tough fight against drugs and make new progress in drug control.
US ENVOY SAYS CHINA HAS 'OBLIGATION' TO JOIN RUSSIA-US NUCLEAR ARMS TALKS
While the US is pushing for China to join its arms talks with Russia for a
'three-way' negotiation, the American negotiator Marshall Billingslea has
said Beijing has an "obligation" to join the talks.
DUTERTE BACKS 14-DAY DETENTION FOR TERROR SUSPECTS: PALACE
President Rodrigo Duterte believes the anti-terrorism bill allowing
authorities to hold suspects without charge for at least 2 weeks does not
violate the Constitution, his spokesperson said Wednesday.
LAST THIRD-GEN BEIDOU SATELLITE FIRED INTO ORBIT
The final satellite to complete the third-generation network of China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System was launched on Tuesday morning, marking a new milestone in the nation's space endeavors.
SUSPENSION OF FOREIGN WORK VISAS TO FREE UP TO 5.25 LAKH JOBS IN US: WHITE HOUSE
The temporary suspension of foreign work visas including H-1B and L1, that benefit Indian IT professionals, is expected to free up to 5,25,000 jobs in the US, senior administration officials said after President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in this regard.
DUTERTE: ANTI-TERRORISM BILL STILL UNDER PALACE LEGAL TEAM REVIEW
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's legal team is still reviewing the
controversial anti-terrorism bill that was transmitted to the Palace on June
9.
CHINA-EU MEETING TO ENHANCE TIES
As the 22nd China-European Union leaders' meeting is set to be held via videoconference on Monday, observers said the two major global players could use the first official meeting between Chinese leaders and the new EU leadership to forge an even closer relationship amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 TESTING DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, ASKED MY PEOPLE TO SLOW IT DOWNÂ’:
TRUMP
US President Donald Trump on Saturday told supporters at an election rally
in OklahomaÂ’s Tulsa that he had ordered officials to slow down testing for
coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as it led to more cases.
PHILIPPINES TO PROD CHINA AGAIN OVER COMPENSATION FOR GEM-VER FISHERMEN
MANILA - The Philippines will again bring to China's attention the payment
of damages to the crew of a Philippine boat that a Chinese vessel sunk last
year in waters where Manila has exclusive rights over resources.
GERMANY, FRANCE, U.K. PRESS IRAN TO PROVIDE ATOMIC SITE ACCESS
The board of the United Nations' atomic watchdog agency on June 19 adopted a
resolution calling for Iran to provide inspectors access to sites where the
country is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material, the
Russian representative said.
OMBUDSMAN SUMMONS DOCUMENTS ON COVID
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the Departments of Health (DOH) and
of Budget and Management (DBM) to submit documents related to the budget for
its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.
XI'S SPEECH AT ANTI-VIRUS SUMMIT HAILED
African leaders and experts have hailed President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19, saying the mutual support of China and African countries in the anti-epidemic fight is a vivid illustration of a China-Africa community with a shared future.
DREAMERS CAN STAY IN THE UNITED STATES
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ay-in-the-united-states>
PALACE HAILS FRONTLINERS AS MODERN-DAY HEROES ON RIZAL'S 159TH BIRTH
ANNIVERSARY
MANILA-- Malacañang on Friday hailed Filipinos leading the fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic as modern-day heroes as the Philippines marked the 159th
birth anniversary of Jose Rizal.
XI UNVEILS STEPS TO HELP AFRICA IN COVID FIGHT
President Xi Jinping announced a number of measures to consolidate China-Africa cooperation in battling COVID-19 at a special summit on Wednesday evening.
BOLTON CLAIMS TRUMP PLEADED WITH CHINA FOR RE-ELECTION HELP
US President Donald Trump pleaded with Chinese leader Xi JinPing to help him
win a re-election and sold allies down the drain so as to not displease
Beijing, former National Security Advisor John Bolton has alleged in
explosive revelations in his upcoming book "The Room Where It Happened:
LEACHON RESIGNS OVER DOH'S 'LACK OF SENSE OF URGENCY,' DATA MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS
MANILA — Disagreements with how the Duterte administration is handling the
coronavirus pandemic prompted Dr. Anthony Leachon to quit his post as
adviser on Wednesday, joining a number of top officials who left the
government over a much-criticized strategy in confronting the outbreak.
“I left due to my differences with DOH (Department of Health) policies e.g.
lack of sense of urgency, problems in COVID-19 data management, and
transparency in communication process,” Leachon said in an online exchange
with Philstar.com.
XI HAILS TIES WITH LEADERS OF ECUADOR, TAJIKISTAN
China stands ready to promote international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to secure the final victory over the global public health crisis, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
A LOW-COST DRUG IS FIRST TO REDUCE COVID DEATHS
In a major breakthrough, Oxford University scientists have identified a
steroid drug widely used to treat asthma, allergies and rheumatoid
arthritis, has significantly reducing risk of death from Covid-19 among
patients with severe respiratory complications.
PALACE: ECQ ONLY WAY TO CURB CORONAVIRUS SPREAD IN CEBU CITY
MANILA -- Placing Cebu City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) again
is meant to curb the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the major
Visayan city, Malacañang said Tuesday.
XI TO GIVE ADDRESS AT CHINA-AFRICA COVID-19 SUMMIT
President Xi Jinping will preside over a special summit on Africa and China's joint fight against COVID-19 on Wednesday and will deliver a keynote speech, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.
XI's FORTRESS AGAINST PANDEMIC CRACKS AS BEIJING CLUSTER GROWS
Beijing, on Monday, began COVID-19 tests for 90,000 people and locked down
several residential areas near a wholesale market in Beijing where a new
cluster of COVID-19 broke out - an unnerving breach in the capital, which
President Xi Jinping had said, should be a "fortress against the pandemic".
METRO MANILA GCQ EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 30; CEBU CITY PUT ON ECQ
MANILA — Metro Manila will remain under a general community quarantine until
the end of June, two weeks after the GCQ was announced to help restart the
country's economy.
BEIJING SWIFT TO CURB NEW COVID CASES
Beijing is taking swift steps to curb a new cluster of local COVID-19 infections that has led to more than 50 new cases in the past four days, including shuttering a major wholesale market linked to all new infections, imposing a partial lockdown in its vicinity and ramping up mass testing and screening in key areas.
FRENCH LEADER REJECTS RACISM BUT SAYS COLONIAL-ERA STATUES WILL STAY;
REOPENS ECONOMY TO QUICKEN VIRUS RECOVERY
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed on Sunday to stand firm against
racism but also praised police and insisted that France wouldn't take down
statues of controversial, colonial-era figures, as he addressed the issues
for the first time since George Floyd's death in the U.S.
RAPPLER CHIEF MARIA RESSA FOUND GUILTY OF CYBER LIBEL
MANILA - Rappler CEO Maria Ressa was on Monday found guilty of cyber libel
over a 2012 article that linked a businessman to alleged illegal activities.
BEIJING CLOSES PRODUCE MARKET OVER NEW VIRUS CASES
Beijing reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 4 pm to 12 pm on Friday - totaling seven confirmed cases on Thursday and Friday, with all having close connection with the just closed Xinfadi agricultural products wholesale market in the city's Fengtai district.
PRITI PATEL CLASHES WITH LABOUR MPs OVER EXPERIENCES OF RACISM
Home Secretary Priti Patel has clashed with a group of Labour MPs who have
accused her of "gaslighting" black people's experience of racism.
PHILIPPINES TO GET VACCINE PRIORITY, XI TELLS DUTERTE
DAVAO CITY – On the eve of the 122nd anniversary of Philippine Independence
Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping called President Duterte to congratulate
and assure him that Filipinos would be prioritized in the distribution of a
vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) once it becomes available in
China.
XI HAILS STRENGTHENED TIES IN PANDEMIC FIGHT
China and the Philippines should make innovative efforts to gradually resume the exchange of necessary personnel on the basis of implementing disease control measures, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
XI: PRIORITIZE LIVELIHOODS, ECOLOGY
Local governments should make efforts to overcome the effects of COVID-19 and prioritize the work of bolstering employment and improving people's livelihoods, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.
CHINAÂ’S XI CALLS DUTERTE
DAVAO CITY — President Duterte received a call from Chinese President Xi
Jinping last night, leading to a conversation lasting several minutes.
Malacañang did not provide details of the phone conversation between the two
leaders. The call was made on the eve of the celebration of Philippine
Independence Day.
ICONS TOPPLE IN AMERICA AS US MILITARY, LAWMAKERS SNUB DONALD TRUMP
They are time capsules. But many are not standing the test of time or
changed attitudes - especially after the death of George Floyd at the hands
of a white police officer last month.
SOUTH KOREA TO CHARGE DEFECTOR GROUPS OVER ANTI-NORTH PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS
South Korea's government said Wednesday that it will press charges against
two activist groups that have been floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets and
bottles filled with rice to North Korea.
PHILIPPINES EYES JOINING HUMAN TRIAL FOR CHINESE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE
MANILA — The Philippines is in talks to join a Beijing-based biotech firm's
human trial for a potential coronavirus vaccine, the Department of Science
and Technology said Thursday, as the world raced to find a cure to stop the
contagion in its tracks.
XI IN YINCHUAN FOR INSPECTION
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Tuesday inspected the city of Yinchuan during his trip to Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.
WHO CLARIFIES COMMENTS ON ASYMPTOMATIC COVID SPREAD
The World Health Organization tried on Tuesday to clear up confusing
comments about how often people can spread the coronavirus when they do not
have symptoms.
DUTERTE TELLS XI: COVID-19 CRISIS SHOWS 'GREATER SIGNIFICANCE' OF NOURISHING
PH-CHINA TIES
Duterte assures China's Xi of 'firm commitment' to diplomatic ties
MANILA - The COVID-19 pandemic shows the "greater significance" of
nourishing the Philippines relationship with China, President Rodrigo
Duterte told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as the two nations marked 45
years of diplomatic ties.
XI INSPECTS NORTHWEST CHINA'S NINGXIA
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday inspected Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.
ASYMPTOMATIC COVID-19 SPREAD DEEMED 'RARE,' W.H.O SAYS
The spread of Covid-19 by someone who is not showing symptoms appears to be
rare, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead for
coronavirus response and head of the emerging diseases and zoonoses unit,
said during a media briefing in Geneva on Monday.
2 LAWMAKERS CLASH AT ABS-CBN FRANCHISE HEARING
MANILA — The House of Representatives continued yesterday its hearing on the
franchise renewal application of broadcast giant ABS-CBN even after it
adjourned sine die.
NATION'S COVID-19 FIGHT IN SPOTLIGHT
China will fulfill its commitment to assist developing countries in the fight against COVID-19 and work with the international community to resume personnel exchanges to mitigate its negative impact on social and economic development, a senior official said on Sunday.
CHINA EXONERATES SELF IN WHITE PAPER
A beleaguered China on Sunday exonerated itself from the global allegations
of delay in reporting the Covid outbreak, saying the virus was first noticed
in Wuhan on December 27 as a viral pneumonia and human-to-human transmission
was discovered on January 19, after which it took swift actions to curb it.
LACSON HITS ‘DISINFORMATION’ ON ANTI-TERROR BILL
MANILA — Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday hit what he said were attempts at
disinformation on the anti-terrorism bill that he stressed has enough
safeguards against abuses and more tools to use against extremists.
XI STRESSES JOINT PLANNING FOR RECOVERY
President Xi Jinping called for stronger coordination and synergies in macro policies between China and France to promote economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic as well as expansion of collaboration in emerging sectors while tapping the potential of cooperation in traditional areas.
'A GREAT DAY FOR GEORGE FLOYD,' SAYS TRUMP AS HE HAILS STRONG JOBS REPORT
FOR US
President Donald Trump on Friday declared it was "a great day" for George
Floyd as he discussed a strong jobs report for the country and efforts to
bring about racial equality. Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential
nominee, said Trump's comments about Floyd were "despicable."
18TH CONGRESS ADJOURNS 1ST REGULAR SESSION
MANILA — The first regular session of the 18th Congress adjourned yesterday
with the passage of several pieces of legislation, including measures to
help the country cope with the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic.
LI STRESSES ACCESSIBILITY, AFFORDABILITY OF A VACCINE
Premier Li Keqiang reiterated on Thursday China's commitment to bolstering international cooperation on the research and development of vaccines for COVID-19 and contributing to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.
PENTAGON-TRUMP CLASH BREAKS OPEN OVER MILITARY AND PROTESTS
US President Donald Trump's Pentagon chief shot down his idea of using
troops to quell protests across the United States Wednesday, then reversed
course on pulling part of the 82nd Airborne Division off standby in an
extraordinary clash between the US military and its commander in chief.
US PLEDGES ADDITIONAL P201 MILLION COVID-19 AID FOR MINDANAO
MANILA — The United States will provide an additional P201 million ($4
million) worth of assistance for communities in Mindanao to help against the
COVID-19 pandemic. This brings the total US pandemic assistance to the
Philippines to over P978 million ($19.5 million).
XI SAYS CHINA READY TO WORK WITH GERMANY, EU TO CREATE MORE GLOBAL CERTAINTY
President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China stands ready to work with Germany and the European Union (EU) to strengthen strategic cooperation, uphold multilateralism, tackle global challenges, and jointly add certainty to the current world of uncertainty.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO BLOCK CHINESE AIRLINES FROM US
The Trump administration moved Wednesday to block Chinese airlines from
flying to the U.S. in an escalation of trade and travel tensions between the
two countries.
HOUSE APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TERROR BILL ON 3RD AND FINAL READING
MANILA - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final
reading the controversial House Bill 6875, which seeks to amend the
Philippines' current anti-terrorism laws.
XI CALLS FOR STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
President Xi Jinping urged on Tuesday the building of a strong public health system and improving the nation's capacity for disease prevention and treatment to better protect the people's health.
CORONAVIRUS | CHINA'S DELAY IN RELEASING INFORMATION FRUSTRATES WHO
Throughout January, the World Health Organization publicly praised China for
what it called a speedy response to the new coronavirus and thanked the
Chinese government for sharing the genetic map of the virus "immediately."
But in fact, Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome,
of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully
decoded it, not sharing details key to designing tests, drugs and vaccines.
TERMINATION OF VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT WITH US ON HOLD
MANILA — The Philippines has suspended the termination of the Visiting
Forces Agreement with the US "in light of political and other developments"
in the region, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on
social media.
XI: BUILD HIGH-QUALITY PORT IN HAINAN
President Xi Jinping underlined the importance of high quality and high standards in building a free trade port in Hainan province while prioritizing integrated institutional reform in the process of building the port.
CURBS EASE IN EUROPE, ASIA WITH NEW RULES
The first day of June saw Covid restrictions ease from Asia to Europe on
Monday, even as US protests against police brutality sparked fears of new
outbreaks.
GCQ DAY 1: THOUSANDS STRANDED
MANILA — Thousands of commuters mostly workers returning to their jobs were
stranded yesterday in Metro Manila, as public transport remained limited
despite the easing of restrictions for the first time after more than two
months of Luzon-wide quarantine.
On the first day of Metro ManilaÂ’s transition to a less-restrictive general
community quarantine (GCQ), only rail lines and “bus augmentation” units,
taxis, transport network vehicle services, shuttle services, point-to-point
buses and bicycles were allowed to ferry commuters. Tricycles were also
allowed, subject to approval of concerned local government units.
Jeepneys and UV Express vehicles, the most visible modes of transport in
Metro Manila before the March 17 lockdown, will be allowed to ply their
routes only in the second phase of resumption of public transportation,
starting on June 22.
XI: CHILDREN ARE KEY TO NATION'S DEVELOPMENT
President Xi Jinping called on children across the country on Sunday to study hard, firm up their ideals and beliefs, and train themselves to be both physically and mentally stronger to work to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.
CURFEWS IN MAJOR US CITIES LIKE LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO AS RACE PROTESTS
ESCALATE
Curfews were imposed on major US cities as clashes over police brutality
erupted across America with demonstrators ignoring warnings from President
Donald Trump that his government would stop the violent protests "cold."
Minneapolis, the epicenter of the unrest, was gripped by a fifth consecutive
night of violence on Saturday with police in riot gear firing tear gas and
stun grenades at protesters venting fury at the death of George Floyd, an
unarmed black man, during an arrest in the city on Monday.
DUTERTE'S VIRUS DEFENSE FACES TEST AS PHILIPPINES LOCKDOWN EASES
MANILA -- Wearing face masks, millions in the Philippine capital will emerge
from one of the world's longest virus lockdowns on Monday in a test of how
well President Rodrigo Duterte built the country's pandemic response.
XI URGES USE OF NEW CODE TO PROTECT RIGHTS
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping called on Friday for advancing the implementation of the newly adopted Civil Code so it can be used to better serve the country's comprehensively law-based governance and safeguard the people's rights and interests.
TRUMP SAYS US TERMINATING RELATIONSHIP WITH WHO; ANNOUNCES MILD SANCTIONS
AGAINST CHINA
President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will terminate its relationship
with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus
outbreak in China and will begin the process of withdrawing special trade
benefits for Hong Kong because of the Chinese government's imposition of a
new security law in the semi-autonomous city.
DUTERTE WANTS SPECIAL POWERS EXTENDED
MANILA, — President Duterte will certify as urgent the proposal to extend
the effectivity of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gives him special
powers to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Senate
Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said yesterday.
LI: CHINA HAS ROOM TO BOOST ITS ECONOMY
China may achieve positive economic growth this year despite the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and still has ample policy room to keep the world's second-largest economy on a steady track of growth, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.
TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING TWITTER AFTER FACT-CHECKING ROW
President Donald Trump signed an order Thursday seeking to strip social
media giants like Twitter of legal immunity for content on their platforms
in a move slammed by his critics as a legally dubious act of political
revenge.
DUTERTE: METRO MANILA UNDER GCQ ON JUNE 1
MANILA — Metro Manila and several other areas in Luzon will transition to a
general community quarantine (GCQ) starting June 1, with the option for
local areas with a high risk of coronavirus contagion to again tighten
quarantine restrictions.
XI EMPHASIZES 'PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST' IN GOVERNANCE
"People" has become a key word in Xi's everyday work since he became general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012. He said on various occasions that "the people's desire for a better life is the goal we strive to realize".
TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON THURSDAY: WHITE HOUSE
US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday, White House officials said after Trump threatened to shut down websites he accused of stifling conservative voices.
HOUSE PANEL OKS COVID ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL
MANILA — A special panel of the House of Representatives has approved a
proposed measure prohibiting and penalizing discrimination against
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, health workers and repatriated
overseas Filipino workers.
XI URGES MILITARY COMBAT READINESS
President Xi Jinping urged the Chinese military on Tuesday to strive to overcome difficulties created by COVID-19 in order to realize this year's goals and missions given by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people.
CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING MEETS PLA, URGES BATTLE PREPAREDNESS
Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 26 called on the military "to think
about worst-case scenarios" and "scale up battle preparedness".
He made the remarks during his annual meeting with the People's Liberation
Army's (PLA's) representatives attending the National People's Congress or
Parliament in Beijing.
AUGUST 24 SCHOOL OPENING A GO, ENROLLMENT STARTS JUNE 1: PALACE
MANILA — The school year opening will push through on Aug. 24, 2020,
Malacañang said Wednesday, following President Rodrigo Duterte's rejection
of face-to-face classes without a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
XI'S CALL TO FUEL GROWTH BOOSTS CONFIDENCE
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a panel discussion of national political advisers from the economic sector on May 23, 2020 in Beijing.
OIL-STARVED VENEZUELA CELEBRATES ARRIVAL OF TANKERS FROM IRAN
Venezuelan authorities celebrated on Monday as the first of five Iranian
tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country,
delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop
the world's largest oil reserves.
PHILIPPINES SENDS HOME 4,000 STRANDED OFWS
MANILA - A government plan to bring home 24,000 repatriated migrant workers
to their home provinces met half of its daily target on the first day, the
labor department said Tuesday.
XI CALLS FOR REFORMING PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS
China will reform its disease prevention and control system to improve the capabilities in pandemic monitoring and emergency response, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
U.S. PUSHING RELATIONS TO THE BRINK OF A NEW COLD WAR: CHINA
China on Sunday accused the US of pushing the bilateral ties to the brink of
a "new Cold War" by spreading "lies" about the coronavirus and said it was
open to international efforts to identify the source of the deadly virus.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said the lawsuits filed against China in the
US demanding compensation for Covid-19 is an attempt to blackmail a victim
with fabricated evidence. Under constant attack from US President Donald
Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the origin of the coronavirus
and failure to provide timely information, Wang launched a broadside against
Washington in his annual press conference.
PHILIPPINES MEETS GOAL OF 30,000 DAILY COVID-19 TESTS: PALACE
MANILA - The Philippines has achieved its target of increasing its
coronavirus testing to 30,000 per day, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the government even exceeded its
goal last May 20, when it conducted 32,100 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
tests in a day.
NATION FOCUSES ON QUALITY DEVELOPMENT
China's decision not to set a GDP growth target this year does not mean it has attached less importance to economic growth, but instead shows the authorities are paying greater attention to high-quality development, economists said after Premier Li Keqiang delivered the Government Work Report to the opening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress on Friday.
POMPEO: CHINA MEASURE A ''DEATH KNELL'' FOR HONG KONG AUTONOMY
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday condemned China''s effort to take
over national security legislation in Hong Kong, calling it “a death knell
for the high degree of autonomy" that Beijing had promised the territory.
P1.3 TRILLION ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL GETS HOUSE SUPPORT
MANILA — An overwhelming majority of members of the House of Representatives
have expressed support for the proposed P1.3-trillion economic stimulus
measure to address the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
crisis on livelihood.
NPC OPENS, NO GROWTH TARGET SET FOR 2020
China has not set a GDP growth target for this year and will take a slew of forceful financial measures this year to shore up the economy, which has been dragged down by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Government Work Report that Premier Li Keqiang delivered to the opening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress on Friday.
680,000 MANILA FAMILIES GET 2ND TRANCHE OF CASH AID
MANILA — More than 680,000 families in Manila will receive the second
tranche of cash assistance from the city government, Mayor Isko Moreno
announced yesterday.
US SENATE PASSES BILL TO BOOST OVERSIGHT AND DELIST CHINESE COMPANIES FROM
EXCHANGES
The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Wednesday that could lead to
Chinese companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc. being
barred from listing on US stock exchanges amid increasingly tense relations
between the world's two largest economies.
WORLD BANK TO RESCUE WITH $160-BILLION AID TO 100 NATIONS
The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to put over 60 million people into extreme
poverty globally, the World Bank has said as it announced emergency
operations worth $160 billion in 100 developing countries to fight the
deadly virus.
GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE LOCALIZED LOCKDOWN
MANILA — The government may limit lockdowns to barangays or villages with
coronavirus cases instead of resorting to widespread community quarantines,
to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the economy.
SESSIONS TO SHOW WAY AHEAD
As global attention turns to Beijing with the start of China's two sessions on Thursday, experts said that the nation's biggest annual political event will indicate the direction of its socioeconomic development amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will inject confidence into the gloomy world economy.
DONALD TRUMP SHOOTS LETTER TO WHO, THREATENS TO EXIT WORLD BODY
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to pull America out of the
World Health Organization (WHO) and permanently stop US funding for the
world body if it did not "commit to major substantive improvements" in the
next 30 days.
GOVÂ’T LOOKS AT IMPLEMENTING LOCKDOWNS AT BARANGAY LEVEL AS VIRUS
RESTRICTIONS EASED
MANILA — The government may implement lockdowns at the barangay level as it
eases restrictions on movement across the country, the implementer of the
national action plan against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) said.
XI: CHINA TO SHARE VACCINE WITH WORLD
China announced on Monday it will provide $2 billion over two years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries.
FINALLY CHINA GIVES IN, AGREES FOR PROBE INTO COVID-19 ORIGIN, ONCE THE CRISIS IS OVER
China on Monday gave in to mounting international pressure for a probe into the origin of Covid-19 and a review of the World Health Organisation’s response to the pandemic. President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly that China had acted with ‘openness, transparency and responsibility’ when the disease, which has impacted billions of people across the world, first broke out.
HOUSE PLENARY RECALLS ABS-CBN FRANCHISE OK
MANILA — To pave the way for possible amendments, the leadership of the
House of Representatives recalled yesterday the approval it gave on second
reading to the bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise.
EXPERTS URGE US TO PUT END TO BLAME GAME
The divide between Beijing and Washington amid the COVID-19 pandemic could be a hot topic at the upcoming two sessions−China's biggest annual political event−when lawmakers and political advisers discuss how the country responds to external environment, experts said.
COVID-POSITIVE OFWS FLEE QUARANTINE – PCG
MANILA — An unknown number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), some of whom
tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have escaped from
hotels that are being used as quarantine facilities in Metro Manila.
ISRAELI PM PRESENTS NEW UNITY GOVT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his new unity government
to parliament on Sunday, ending more than a year of political deadlock but
still facing a trial starting in a week for alleged corruption.
PRIORITIES KEY TO VICTORY OVER BIG CHALLENGES
China is facing large challenges unprecedented in recent times given the grave situation of global disease prevention and the slowdown of the world economy, according to a key Party meeting on Friday.
REQUIRE US TO MEET US HALFWAY: CHINA ON TRUMP`S THREAT TO CUT OFF TIES
China on Friday reacted guardedly to US President Donald Trump's threat to
"cut off" the bilateral relationship between the world's top two economies
and asked America to meet it halfway in the fight against the coronavirus.
Relations between the two countries nosedived after the coronavirus
outbreak, which originated from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and
spread to other parts of the world.
METRO MANILA STREETS STIR BACK TO LIFE AS MODIFIED LOCKDOWN STARTS
MANILA – Several streets around Metro Manila slowly started coming back to
life on Saturday as the Philippine capital shifted to a modified enhanced
community quarantine after two months under lockdown.
Dozens of mask-wearing market-goers shopped for fresh produce in
Blumentritt, Manila.
XI CALLS FOR VIGILANCE TO COMBAT VIRUS
President Xi Jinping instructed local governments on Thursday to keep alert on disease prevention and control to avoid a resurgence of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
'NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW': TRUMP RULES OUT US RENEGOTIATING TRADE DEAL WITH
CHINA
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out renegotiating the trade deal with
China and expressed disappointment over Beijing's handling of the
coronavirus outbreak, which has spread across the world killing over
3,00,000 people, including 80,000 in America.
DUTERTE ORDERS DBM TO PRUNE OTHER BUDGETARY ITEMS TO FUND SAP - ROQUE
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the budget department to
prune budgetary items that can be realigned to fund the social amelioration
program to poor families in areas still under lockdown, Presidential
Spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.
XI, LEADER OF ROK SAY TIES GROW CLOSER
Productive cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea in fighting the novel coronavirus has set a model for global disease control, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.
SCO COMES TO CHINA'S DEFENCE, SEEKS WHO-LED ROLE TO BATTLE COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic along with terrorism against the backdrop of the two
horrific attacks on a maternity hospital and Gurdwara Har Rai Sahab, both in
Kabul, dominated the videoconferencing of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) foreign ministers from India, Pakistan, China, Russia and four Central
Asian countries.
HOUSE OKS ABS-CBN PROVISIONAL FRANCHISE
Network may resume broadcast by June – Cayetano
MANILA — The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill granting a
provisional franchise to broadcast giant ABS-CBN until Oct. 31 while
Congress deliberates on the networkÂ’s application for the renewal of its
franchise.
XI: POVERTY RELIEF KEY TO PROSPERITY GOAL
President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of poverty alleviation work to secure the country's development goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects during his two-day inspection tour of Shanxi province that concluded on Tuesday.
CORONAVIRUS: WUHAN DRAWS UP PLANS TO TEST ALL 11 MILLION RESIDENTS
The Chinese city of Wuhan is drawing up plans to test its entire population
of 11 million people for Covid-19, state media report.
The plan appears to be in its early stages, with all districts in Wuhan told
to submit details as to how testing could be done within 10 days.
It comes after Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, recorded six new cases
over the weekend.
'MODIFIED' LOCKDOWN SET IN METRO MANILA, 2 OTHER AREAS
MANILA - Metro Manila and 2 other areas will shift to a modified lockdown
until the end of the month while the rest of the country will have fewer
restrictions as the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) lapses on Friday,
Malacañang said Tuesday.
XI EXTENDS BEST WISHES TO NATION'S NURSES
President Xi Jinping encouraged the country's nurses on Monday to make new contributions to promote the building of the Healthy China initiative and maintain the security of global public health.
DUTERTE: WE CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS
MANILA - The Philippines cannot afford another wave of coronavirus
infections, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday as he prepared the public
for the looming easing of restrictions.
IRAN WARSHIP HIT BY OWN MISSILE, 19 DIE
One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an
exercise, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iran's navy said on
Monday.
XI: CHINA READY TO SUPPORT DPRK IN VIRUS FIGHT
President Xi Jinping has expressed his confidence in securing a final victory in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with the joint efforts of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as well as the international community.
UK PM UNVEILS 'CONDITIONAL PLAN' FOR NEXT-PHASE COVID-19 RESPONSE
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday announced a phased plan to
ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, with schools and shops to begin
opening from June 1 - as long as infection rates stay low.
DUTERTE TO DECIDE ON ECQ TODAY
MANILA — President Duterte is expected to decide today on the fate of Metro
Manila and other coronavirus high-risk areas still under enhanced community
quarantine or ECQ.
NATION WILL KEEP UP EFFORT ON ALL FRONTS
China will continue with unremitting epidemic containment measures, adopt concrete measures to reopen businesses and schools and ensure that its poverty alleviation goals will be met this year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday.
US, CHINA TRADE OFFICIALS PRESS AHEAD WITH 'PHASE 1' DEAL AFTER OVERNIGHT
CALL
Top US and Chinese trade representatives played down deep differences over
the economic wreckage of the coronavirus pandemic and said they would press
ahead with implementing their "Phase 1" trade deal after an overnight phone
call.
METRO MAYORS TO MEET ON QUARANTINE OPTIONS
MANILA — Metro Manila mayors will meet again today via video conference to
finalize details on what to recommend to authorities – whether to extend or
downgrade the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the metropolis to curb
the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).?
ROLE OF SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTED IN PANDEMIC FIGHT
Science and technology have played, and will continue to play, a decisive role in mitigating the pandemic, whether it is by discovering new features about the novel coronavirus, looking for new treatment or vaccines or offering expertise in psychological services, experts said.
US 'CONCERNED' OVER ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN
WASHINGTON - The United States on Thursday voiced concern over the
Philippine government-ordered shutdown of the country's top broadcaster
ABS-CBN, which has been targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte.
"We are concerned by the situation regarding ABS-CBN," State Department
spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.
XI: NATION CANNOT AFFORD COMPLACENCY
A key Party meeting on Wednesday stressed the need to reform China's disease prevention and control system and bolster its monitoring and early warning capacities for outbreaks in a bid to close the gaps and strengthen weak areas exposed in the COVID-19 pandemic.
CORONAVIRUS | WHO WARNS OF NEW LOCKDOWNS IF TRANSITION NOT MANAGED CAREFULLY
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned of the
risks of returning to lockdown if countries emerging from pandemic
restrictions do not manage transitions “extremely carefully and in a phased
approach”.
FIRST SINCE 1998: PHILIPPINES GDP SHRINKS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
MANILA - The Philippine economy shrank in the January to March period, for
the first time since 1998, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting
lockdown, officials said Thursday.
LONG MARCH 5B ROCKET MAKES MAIDEN FLIGHT
China's Long March 5B carrier rocket made its first flight on Tuesday evening at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, marking a new chapter in the country's manned space program, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
US HAS FLATTENED CORONAVIRUS CURVE, NOW IN NEXT STAGE OF BATTLE, SAYS TRUMP
Amid the rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the US, President Donald Trump
on Tuesday (May 5) said that the US had managed to flattened the curve of
the deadly virus mainly due to the profound commitment of its citizens. He
added that the flattening of curve has helped in saving countless American
lives and the US has now entered the next stage of its fight against the
coronavirus, which includes a a very safe phased and gradual reopening of
the country.
ABS-CBN ORDERED TO GO OFF AIR AS FRANCHISE LAPSES
MANILA — Regulators ordered ABS-CBN Corp. to stop airing on Tuesday, a day
after its legislative franchise expired, putting at risk over 11,000 jobs in
the country's biggest network as millions of Filipinos get displaced by the
coronavirus outbreak.
CHINA CRITICIZES OVERTURE BY US TO TAIWAN ON UN
The United States' mission to the United Nations has "gravely" interfered with China's internal affairs by openly supporting Taiwan's participation in the UN, said a spokesperson for the Permanent Mission of China to the UN.
CORONAVIRUS | EUROPE EMERGES FROM VIRUS LOCKDOWN
Millions of Europeans emerged with relief from coronavirus confinement on Monday, with hard-hit Italy leading the way out of the world's longest lockdown.
The search for a cure received a further boost when the European Union hosted a telethon for world leaders aimed at raising €7.5 billion ($8.2 billion) to discover a COVID-19 vaccine.
PHILIPPINE POSTS HIGHEST SINGLE-DAY COVID RECOVERIES AT 101
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday that 101 more
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have recovered – the highest
ever recorded – bringing the total number of survivors to 1,315 as of May 4.
At a press conference, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said,
however, that 16 patients died, raising the death toll to 623.
XI OFFERS YOUTH DAY GREETINGS
President Xi Jinping encouraged China's young people to foster stronger ideals and convictions, build up their capabilities and devote themselves to the course of national development as he greeted youth in a message published on Sunday.
REPORT: CHINA HID CORONAVIRUS' SEVERITY TO HOARD SUPPLIES
U.S. officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus
outbreak — and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical
supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show.
Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from
the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland
Security intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated
Press. The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its
criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that
country was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held
accountable.
CONGRESS RESUMES SESSION TODAY
MANILA — Congress will resume session today with lawmakers set to prioritize
measures to help the country recover from the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) crisis under a “new normal” that could slow down legislative
proceedings.
NATION MUST STAY VIGILANT AGAINST VIRUS
Hubei province is lowering its level of response to the novel coronavirus outbreak from the highest level on Saturday, but while this measure is taken by China's hardest-hit area, authorities across the nation were urged to remain vigilant against the disease after loopholes were found in epidemic prevention and control in Heilongjiang province.
TRUMP ADAMANT COVID CAME FROM WUHAN LAB
The US has said that China mishandled the situation after the coronavirus
outbreak in its Wuhan city.
But it refrained from giving a definitive answer on retaliatory measures
against Beijing.
Led by the United States, several countries, including Germany, Britain and
Australian, are blaming China for the spread of coronavirus across the
globe.
CORONAVIRUS INFECTED MEDICAL FRONTLINERS IN PHILIPPINES SURGE TO 1,694
MANILA - The Philippines on Friday reported a spike in the number of medical
frontliners who are infected with the coronavirus, worsening the struggle
faced by the country's dilapidated healthcare system that is creaking under
the weight of rising infections.
PRESIDENT SENDS WORKERS GREETINGS FOR MAY DAY
President Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings to the country's workers of all ethnic groups on Thursday, encouraging them to contribute more to combating COVID-19 as well as promoting economic and social development through their hard work.
TRUMP ATTACKS 'CHINA-CENTRIC' WHO; TIES BIDEN TO CHINA
The Trump Administration has launched a probe into the role of the WHO on
coronavirus, and has temporarily suspended the US' financial assistance to
it. "I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of
themselves because they are like the public relations agency for China,"
Trump told reporters in the East Room of the White House.
GCQ AREAS REOPEN TODAY
MANILA — After two extensions of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon,
some areas in the country will be placed starting today under a general
community quarantine (GCQ) where certain businesses like those in the
transport sector will be allowed back, though at a reduced capacity.
A one-meter distance between public transportation passengers, for example,
would be strictly implemented in areas where the quarantine measures are
relaxed, Malacañang said yesterday.
XI: EFFORTS SECURE DECISIVE OUTCOME
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Wednesday that after arduous efforts, China has secured a decisive outcome in containing the spread of COVID-19 in Hubei province and its capital, Wuhan, the country's hardest-hit region.
The Panama Canal has announced a temporary adjustment to its reservation system, a move that it says will provide customers with added flexibility and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
35 US STATES RELEASE FORMAL OPENING PLANS AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
As many as 35 of the 50 American states have released formal opening plans,
as U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday exuded confidence that much
better days are ahead for the country that has seen more than 61,000 deaths
over the past two months due to COVID-19.
STILL TOO EARLY, RISKY TO SAY WE REACHED COVID-19 PEAK, SAYS DOH AS TESTING
EXPANDS
MANILA - The Department of Health on Thursday acknowledged that it would be