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
Lebanons 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 ADMINISTRATION
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
Locsins 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.
DUTERTES SONA: A MIX OF ATTACK, WARNING, PLEA, WISH LIST, PROMISES
MANILAPresident 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 Dutertes 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 Philippines 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 countrys
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 DOWN:
TRUMP
US President Donald Trump on Saturday told supporters at an election rally
in Oklahomas 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.
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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.
CHINAS 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 Manilas 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.
GOVT 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 networks 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
quite risky to say that the Philippines has reached the peak of its
COVID-19 cases.
This as some have speculated that the country is close to flattening or
plateauing the curve.
TRUMP SAYS US CONDUCTING 'SERIOUS INVESTIGATIONS' INTO CHINA'S ROLE IN
COVID-19
The US is carrying out a "very serious" investigation against China,
President Donald Trump has said, indicating that his administration is
looking at a bigger compensation from Beijing than the USD 140 billion being
sought by Germany over the coronavirus pandemic.
DUTERTE SAYS GOV'T COMING UP WITH GUIDELINES ON GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the Philippine government
is coming up with guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of the
general community quarantine (GCQ) amid the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic.
Duterte made the statement days after he ordered the easement of quarantine
protocols in parts in the country that are considered under moderate to low
risk of COVID-19.
XI: STRENGTHS SHOULD BE PUT TO GOOD USE
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized on Monday the importance of making good use of the country's institutional strengths in responding to risks and challenges in an increasingly severe and complicated environment for development.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be
patient Monday, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too
soon would create a second deadly spike of coronavirus infections.
On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that
left him dangerously ill, Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of
"maximum risk" in its outbreak.
DUTERTE WANTS FDA, DOST TO INCREASE WORKFORCE, OPERATE 'DAY AND NIGHT'
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Food and Drug Administration
and the Department of Science and Technology to increase their workforce as
the country continues to battle the coronavirus outbreak.
The chief executive also wanted the two government agencies to extend their
operations to 24 hours.
NATION RESOLUTE IN MEETING POVERTY GOAL
The COVID-19 pandemic will not compromise China's goal to lift all its rural population out of poverty by the end of this year, officials and experts said, with the country scaling up its response measures in job creation and helping with sales of agricultural products.
The country's top leadership, led by President Xi Jinping, has called for resolute policy action to minimize the shock from the pandemic and win the battle against absolute poverty as this year is the final one for China to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
NATIONS BEGIN TO MAP OUT EXIT FROM LOCKDOWN
<https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/european-countries-begin-to-ma
p-out-exit-from-lockdown-1.4238409>
Boris Johnson returns to work for the first time in a fortnight with one key
item at the top of his in-tray: when will he let Britain do so?
The prime minister will chair the government's Monday morning meeting to
coordinate efforts to tackle the virus. He spent the last two weeks
recuperating at home, after contracting Covid-19 himself and spending three
nights in intensive care.
PHILIPPINES TIPPED FOR RECESSION THIS YEAR, REBOUND IN 2021: BSP
MANILA -- Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday
the economy was poised to slide into a recession in 2020, contracting by 0.2
percent for the full year due to an extended lockdown to stop the COVID-19
pandemic.
First quarter growth will be lower than expected, followed by 2 successive
quarters of negative growth, before bouncing back in the fourth quarter,
Diokno told ANC.
XI: BUILD 'GREAT SPACE POWER'
President Xi Jinping extended greetings to elder scientists who participated in the country's first satellite program 50 years ago and said he expected space industry workers to learn from their predecessors' spirit and strive to build the nation into a stronger space power.
TRUMP SAYS SPOKE 'SARCASTICALLY' ABOUT INJECTING DISINFECTANTS
U.S. President Donald Trump's musings on whether injecting disinfectants
might treat COVID-19 have horrified medical professionals and raised fresh
concerns that his stream-of-consciousness briefings could push frightened
people to poison themselves with untested treatments.
IRAN PROMISES 'TO CRUSH' US FORCES IF SHIPS ATTACKED IN GULF <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/iran-vows-crush-forces-ships-attacked-gulf-200423065439347.html>
Iran will destroy U.S. warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf, the head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards told state TV on Thursday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran over ”harassment” of U.S. vessels.
COVID-19 INFECTION RATE IN INDIA HAS SLOWED DOWN: GOVT
One month into the national lockdown, the coronavirus outbreak has spread to
more than half the total number of districts across the country, but remains
concentrated in the same areas, an analysis of official figures show.
The figures show that while districts on the COVID-19 map have more than
doubled in the last three weeks - from 211 districts on April 1 to 429 on
April 22 - the heavy load remains confined to 12 administrative districts
that recorded over 200 cases each.
DUTERTE EXTENDS PHILIPPINES LOCKDOWN UNTIL MAY 15, CHANGES COVERAGE
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte extended Friday the Philippines' lockdown
to May 15 and changed the areas covered by movement restrictions that
shuttered businesses for weeks.
The so-called enhanced community quarantine will remain in Metro Manila, the
Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions, Mindoro island, and the
provinces of Pangasinan, Benguet, Catanduanes, and Albay.
PRESIDENT CONFIDENT OF ACHIEVING POVERTY RELIEF GOAL
Despite the influence of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the country's economy, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he was confident of achieving the goal of eliminating poverty in China by the end of this year.
While visiting a community in the town of Laoxian in Shaanxi province's Pingli county, Xi instructed local officials to make substantial efforts to promote employment so that the people will have a stable life.
CEBU CITY EXTENDS COVID-19 LOCKDOWN UNTIL MAY 15
MANILA - The lockdown of hundreds of thousands of residents in Cebu City is
extended until May 15 to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor
Edgardo Labella said Thursday.
Local officials extended the lockdown after some 123 detainees at the city
jail and around 136 residents in the densely populated Sitio Zapatera raised
the city's total COVID-19 cases to 312 as of Wednesday night, he said.
XI'S TOUR FOCUSES ON POVERTY, ECOLOGY
President Xi Jinping inspected poverty alleviation work in Shaanxi province on Tuesday amid the nation's efforts to overcome the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and improve people's livelihoods.
TRUMP IMMIGRATION BAN TO LAST 60 DAYS, TARGET THOSE SEEKING PERMANENT
RESIDENCY
President Donald Trump said on April 21 his new U.S. immigration ban would
last for 60 days and apply to those seeking "green cards" for permanent
residency in an effort to protect Americans seeking to regain jobs lost
because of the coronavirus.
NO TOTAL LOCKDOWN; DUTERTE DECIDES ON ECQ TOMORROW
MANILA With the end of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) just eight
days away, expect no total lockdown to follow, presidential spokesman Harry
Roque said yesterday.
He said a total lockdown was not among the preferred scenarios raised by
health experts specifically former secretaries of the Department of Health
(DOH) during their meeting with President Duterte on Monday.
MORE POLICIES ANNOUNCED TO BOOST ECONOMY
China announced new debt financing plans and additional rate cuts after the quarterly economic contraction in order to limit the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic and ensure that the economy is better placed to recover, according to officials and analysts.
US OIL PRICES TURN NEGATIVE AS DEMAND DRIES UP
The price of US oil has turned negative for the first time in history.
That means oil producers are paying buyers to take the commodity off their
hands over fears that storage capacity could run out in May.
Demand for oil has all but dried up as lockdowns across the world have kept
people inside.
TRUMP OFFERS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DUTERTE
MANILA In a recent phone call with President Rodrigo Duterte, US President
Donald Trump offered additional assistance to the Philippines as it deals
with the deadly coronavirus disease, which first emerged in China late last
year.
The US Embassy in Manila confirmed that Duterte spoke with Trump last
Sunday.
REGIONAL COOPERATION VITAL FOR VIRUS RESPONSE
The novel coronavirus pandemic could help China and neighboring countries step up nontraditional security cooperation for a stronger community with a shared future as President Xi Jinping has been committed to promoting neighborhood diplomacy based on the principles of friendship, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, experts said.
CORONAVIRUS DID NOT COME FROM US: WUHAN LAB
A laboratory in the Chinese city at ground zero of the global COVID-19
outbreak has rejected U.S. theories that it spawned the pandemic.
The denial came as world governments were debating how and when to ease
lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity - 4.5 billion people -
confined to their homes and crippled the global economy.
GOVERNMENT EYES PHASED, TARGETED LIFTING OF COVID QUARANTINE
MANILA The government is eyeing a phase-by-phase lifting of the Luzon-wide
enhanced community quarantine as it considers heeding the advice of the
World Health Organization (WHO) against abruptly lifting lockdowns around
the world to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Members of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious
Diseases will meet today to discuss possible scenarios and measures to be
enforced once quarantine ends.
KEY MEETING: GET NATION BACK TO WORK
A key Party meeting on Friday pledged greater efforts to expand domestic demand, increase investment and help small and medium-sized enterprises survive the COVID-19 pandemic with normalized containment measures in place.
NO MARTIAL LAW, JUST ITS STYLE OF DISCIPLINE
MANILA, Philippines The imposition of martial law would be unlikely
without invasion or rebellion in the country, Cabinet Secretary Karlo
Nograles said yesterday.
What President Duterte wants is to impose strict disciplinary procedures
similar to martial law, to compel people to abide by community quarantine
measures meant to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Nograles explained.
CHINA DENIES COVER-UP AS WUHAN CORONAVIRUS DEATHS REVISED UP 50%
In face of international criticism over under-reporting coronavirus data,
China Friday denied these allegations made by other countries of covering up
the extent of its pandemic outbreak on Friday.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson acknowledged, as reported by PTI,
that the virus's rapid spread had contributed to undercounting that resulted
in China raising its death toll earlier Friday, however, he added "there has
never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment."
XI: COOPERATION, SOLIDARITY KEY TO CONTAGION FIGHT
As the novel coronavirus pandemic has run rampant globally, President Xi Jinping's unremitting call for solidarity and cooperation to stem the spread of the contagion has greater relevance to coping with the common threat the world is facing, officials and experts said.
TRUMP UNVEILS HIS 3-PHASE PLAN TO REOPEN A STALLED ECONOMY AMID CORONAVIRUS
As Covid-19 continues to spread across the US, President Donald Trump has
given governors guidance on reopening state economies in the coming months.
The guidelines for "Opening up America Again" outline three phases in which
states can gradually ease their lockdowns.
Mr Trump promised governors they would be handling the process themselves,
with help from the federal government.
DUTERTE WARNS OF MARTIAL RULE DISCIPLINE vs VIOLATORS
MANILA With an average of 4,000 quarantine violators being accosted daily,
President Duterte warned last night that he would make the police and
military enforce social or physical distancing just like in martial law to
contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a televised address to the nation, Duterte talked about employing the
martial rule style of discipline amid reports that people are increasingly
returning to the streets and breaking quarantine rules.
IMF FEARS WORST RECESSION SINCE 1930S
With the International Monetary Fund predicting on Tuesday the worst global downturn since the 1930s, China has deployed an additional policy response to address the slowdown caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic and facilitate economic recovery through incentivizing bank lending and stabilizing corporate hiring.
PH RECORDS MORE COVID-19 RECOVERIES; 230 NEW CASES REPORTED
MANILA - New coronavirus disease or COVID-19 recoveries in the Philippines
reached another record-high, with 58 new recoveries announced Wednesday.
This brings the number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country to 353, the
Department of Health (DOH) said in its update.
CHINA HID TRUTH ABOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC FROM ITS PEOPLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK
In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely
were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the
epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of
people; millions began travelling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.
President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day (January 20). But
by that time, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week
of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by and expert
estimates based on retrospective infection data.
XI URGES JOINT EFFORT IN VIRUS FIGHT
China will prioritize efforts to restore and raise the production capacity of medical supplies and epidemic containment materials to further contribute to international cooperation in halting the spread of the novel coronavirus and stabilizing global economic growth, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday night.
TRUMP HALTS WHO FUNDING OVER HANDLING OF CORONAVIRUS; NOT THE TIME, SAYS
UN CHIEF
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed his administration
to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of
the coronavirus pandemic while his administration reviews its response to
the global crisis.
Trump, at a White House news conference, said the WHO had failed in its
basic duty and it must be held accountable. He said the group had promoted
China's disinformation about the virus that likely led to a wider outbreak
of the virus than otherwise would have occurred.
DUTERTE URGES ASEAN COUNTERPARTS TO ACT COLLECTIVELY, SUPPORT EACH OTHER
President Rodrigo Duterte highlighted four major areas wherein ASEAN members
can support each other in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IATF
spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.
In a virtual meeting with his Southeast Asian counterparts, Duterte
emphasized the need to boost the production and intra-ASEAN trade of medical
equipment to address shortages.
XI CALLS FOR RENEWED FRIENDSHIP WITH INDONESIA
President Xi Jinping called on Monday for solidarity between China and Indonesia to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and enrich the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
CORONAVIRUS | NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO SAYS 'WORST IS OVER'
The coronavirus outbreak could reach its peak in the United States this
week, a top U.S. health official said on Monday as New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo declared "the worst is over" for his state, the U.S. epicenter of the
virus.
DUTERTE SAYS LIKELY TO LIFT LUZON LOCKDOWN IF PH GETS ANTIBODY TREATMENT VS
COVID-19
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte late Monday said that he is likely to
lift the lockdown in Luzon if the country can get an antibody treatment for
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
"Kung nandiyan na 'yong antibody, available na sa market dito and it is
being sold in quantity, in number, then I'm inclined to at that time to
maybe lift the lockdown," Duterte said.
“Mayroon nang medisina, antibody, ang isang giant pharmaceutical (company)
pero hindi galing sa tao. Sabi by May, they would start to market it,” he
added.
“Kung meron na ‘yan, tapos makita ko na ginagamit ng tao, ili-lift ko. Tutal
kung magkasakit kayo, may antibodies naman tayo mabili. Ngayon kung wala ka
mabili, problema mo na ‘yan kasi tapos na yung lockdown,” Duterte said.
US drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said in March it has identified
hundreds of antibodies that could treat or prevent COVID-19, and was
preparing to begin clinical trials.
The company will select the top 2 antibodies to develop a "cocktail"
treatment and scale up its manufacturing to produce 200,000 doses per month
by the end of summer in the US.
AMBASSADOR CHALLENGES CLAIMS CHINA HID VIRUS COUNT
China's top diplomat in the United States refuted the claims that his country has underreported the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, suggesting instead that the accusers usually have things under their "dirty carpet".
Ambassador Cui Tiankai, in an interview with Ian Bremmer at the weekly digital and broadcast show Gzero World, also said that the majority of the several million people believed to have left Wuhan before the capital of Central China's Hubei was locked down on Jan 23 to combat the novel coronavirus had actually remained within China, instead of traveling elsewhere and spreading the virus.
OPEC+ APPROVES HISTORIC OIL DEAL AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Opec producers and allies have agreed a record oil deal that will slash
global output by about 10% after a slump in demand caused by coronavirus
lockdowns.
The deal, agreed on Sunday via video conference, is the largest cut in oil
production ever to have been agreed.
Opec+, made up of oil producers and allies including Russia, announced plans
for the deal on 9 April, but Mexico resisted the cuts.
MANILA STARTS TARGETED COVID-19 MASS TESTING
MANILA - The city of Manila can now conduct localized, targeted coronavirus
mass testing to slow the spread of the contagion in the Philippine capital
and allow authorities to isolate infected residents.
Six district hospitals and the Delpan quarantine facility can conduct 232
swab tests each day or 1,624 tests per week, the city's public information
office said Monday. Manila has so far conducted 934 swab tests.
COVID-19: ARE WE TESTING ENOUGH? HERE'S HOW INDIA FARES VERSUS OTHERS
The global tally of Covid-19-positive cases now stands at over 1.5 million, and the number of fatalities is nearly 83,000. With countries upping their testing capabilities to stem a surge in coronavirus infections, more than 11 million tests have been conducted across the globe so far.
India has conducted around 160,000 tests (as on April 8), according to ICMR data. And the country’s tally of positive cases stands at 6,237 (at 6 pm on April 9) – implying 3.8 per cent of the tests yielded positive results for coronavirus.
The US, by comparison, has conducted 2.2 million tests – the most among all countries – and seen a fifth of all those tests throwing up positive results.
PHILIPPINES LAUNCHES COVID-19 TRACKING, EMERGENCY RESPONSE ONLINE PLATFORM
MANILA - The Philippines launched an online and mobile platform that can
help the government track people exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus
disease and conduct more efficient contact tracing.
Manila-based developer Multisys created StaySafe.ph, which "encourages
people to report their health condition as well as those of their family
members," the National Task Force against COVID-19 said in a statement.
Users will be asked during the online registration process if they manifest
COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, muscle pain, runny nose,
sore throat, shortness of breath and diarrhea. The platform will then
generate a result indicating mild, moderate or severe depending on the
number of symptoms the user is experiencing.
XI URGES COMMUNITY WORKERS TO KEEP UP VIRUS PREVENTION
President Xi Jinping encouraged community workers to continue their epidemic prevention efforts to secure the final victory in the battle against COVID-19 on Thursday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a letter replying to community workers at a neighborhood which he inspected during his visit last month to Wuhan, the hardest-hit city by the outbreak and the capital of Hubei province.
COVID-19 CASES IN PHILIPPINES RISE TO 3,870, DEATHS NOW AT 182
Too early to tell if cases are decreasing,' DOH official says
MANILA For the second consecutive day, the number of new coronavirus cases
in the Philippines was below the 200-mark after health authorities reported
106 additional infections Wednesday.
COVID-19: TRUMP SAYS WOULD LIKE TO REOPEN US ECONOMY WITH A 'BIG BANG'
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would like to reopen the US
economy with a "big bang" but that the death toll from the coronavirus needs
to be on the down slope before that can happen.
Trump did not give a timeframe on when he would like to reopen the economy,
but his chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said on Tuesday it was
possible this could happen in four to eight weeks.
UP AND DELHI SEAL HOTSPOTS UNTIL APRIL 15
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to seal coronavirus
hotspots in 15 districts until April 15 as part of a cluster containment
exercise, where only medical services and home delivery of essential items
would be allowed.
While entire districts will not face such stringent lockdown measures,
movement of people will be completely curbed in these hotspots, and all
shops will be shut.
TRUMP SETS STAGE FOR UNSC MEET ON COVID-19 ON APRIL 9; PANS W.H.O, CHINA
After US President Donald Trump virtually blamed the World Health
Organisation for playing the Chinese side on the coronavirus pandemic, heat
will now mount on Beijing at an informal discussion on the virus outbreak in
the UN Security Council on Thursday, April 9, at 3 pm EST (April 10 12.30
am). The informal discussion will be preceded by a briefing by the UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
MODIFIED 'LOCKDOWN' PROPOSED
IATF extends Luzon quarantine to April 30
MANILA - As Luzon braces for an extended enhanced community quarantine, a
"modified lockdown" should be considered to ensure smoother delivery of
basic goods and allow some businesses to reopen and serve communities,
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said yesterday.
CHINA-US MUTUAL SUPPORT NEEDED RIGHT NOW
Beijing's top envoy in Washington expressed solidarity on Monday with people in the United States, saying China is doing its best to support the US and other countries in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the fight against the virus, we stand together with the people of New York and America," Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, said in an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Sunday.
"We are facilitating the US government's purchase of personal protective equipment made in China."
Cui's comments echoed remarks made on Friday by US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, who said his embassy was "working closely" with Chinese government officials to facilitate the shipment of crucial supplies of protective equipment from China.
In addition, Branstad said, "No one country can fight this battle alone, and I am confident that our two countries will continue to find ways to jointly cooperate to combat this common enemy that threatens the lives of all of us."
In his opinion piece, Cui conceded that there has been "unpleasant talk" between the two nations about the disease. He apparently was referring to the politicizing of the pandemic issue and the blame game regarding origin of the virus.
"But this is not the time for finger-pointing," he said. "This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support."
The Chinese embassy in the US said on Monday that it had conducted a survey regarding arrangements for charter flights to bring home Chinese students studying abroad, and a decision was taken to give priority to primary and secondary school students.
According to the announcement on the embassy's website, primary and secondary Chinese students younger than age 18 who have stayed in the US either short- or long-term without their parents are now able to register for flights home.
Around 1.6 million Chinese students are studying abroad, and 410,000 of them are in the US, according to the Ministry of Education. An earlier survey found that over 60 percent of the Chinese students in the US would like to return immediately due to the growing number of infections reported in the US.
With summer vacation approaching, it is likely that an increasing number of Chinese students would like to come home, the embassy said.
The US reported more than 330,000 infections, with the death toll creeping toward 10,000 on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has warned the country to brace for a "horrific" next few weeks.
"The next week and a half, two weeks, I think they're going to be very difficult," Trump said.
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned on Sunday, "This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment."
Trump, who made his remark during the White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, also said that by Tuesday, 3,000 military and public health workers would be deployed across the nation to cope with the pandemic.
US VIRUS FATALITIES PASSES GRIM NUMBER AS UK DEATHS SPIKE
The U.S. and Britain braced for what could be one of their bleakest weeks in
memory on Monday as the human and financial toll of the coronavirus outbreak
mounted. But new deaths and infections appeared to be slowing in Italy,
Spain and France, suggesting that lockdowns and social distancing are
working.
DUTERTE APPROVES LUZON-WIDE COMMUNITY QUARANTINE UNTIL APRIL 30
MANILA - The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon is extended until April
30, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.
In a late night address Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte's late night
address where he said the government is "inclined to extend the lockdown up
to April 30."
CORONAVIRUS: TRUMP VOICES HOPE FOR 'LEVELLING-OFF' IN US HOTSPOTS
President Donald Trump has expressed hope coronavirus cases were "levelling
off" in US hotspots, saying he saw "light at the end of the tunnel".
On Sunday, New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, reported a drop in
the number of new infections and deaths.
Mr Trump described the dip as a "good sign", but warned of more deaths as
the pandemic neared its "peak" in the US.
"In the days ahead, America will endure the peak of this pandemic," Mr Trump
said at his daily coronavirus briefing.
COVID CASES JUMP TO 3,246; DEATHS AT 152
MANILA The number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID) cases
nationwide yesterday jumped to 3,246 while fatalities rose to 152, according
to the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 152 new cases pushed the
total to 3,246 and eight new deaths brought to152 the number of fatalities.
Vergeire also reported that seven additional recoveries brought to 64 the
number of patients who recovered from the illness.
PRESIDENT XI ATTENDS THE NATIONAL MOURNING FOR COVID-19 VICTIMS
President Xi Jinping on Saturday attended the national mourning period for martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and compatriots who died of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
Xi and other leaders joined all the Chinese people and observed three minutes of silence to mourn for the deceased at the central leadership compound of Zhongnanhai. Air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships wailed in grief.
UNGA ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON COVID-19, CALLS FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION TO FIGHT
PANDEMIC
The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution,
co-sponsored by 188 nations including India, on COVID-19, calling for
intensified international cooperation to defeat the pandemic that is causing
severe disruption to societies and economies.
COVID-19 TASK FORCE: NO DECISION YET ON EXTENSION OF LUZON QUARANTINE
MANILA Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday said the Inter-Agency
Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has not yet reached a decision on
whether to extend the quarantine across Luzon and parts of the Visayas and
Mindanao.
XI: COLLECTIVE EFFORTS KEY TO FIGHTING VIRUS
The international community should make joint efforts to fight against the novel coronavirus, which is the common enemy of all mankind, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
Xi made the remarks in telephone conversations with Belgian King Philippe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
In his phone conversation with the Belgian king, Xi said that the virus recognizes no borders or races and only through making collective efforts will the international community prevail over the outbreak.
OIL PRICES SKYROCKET AS TRUMP CLAIMS RUSSIA, SAUDIS PLAN TO SLASH OUTPUT
Oil prices rocketed Thursday after US President Donald Trump said Russia and
Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output.
But gains for Brent North Sea crude of nearly 46 percent cooled to around 20
percent as Russia denied it had spoken with Saudi Arabia, the world's
biggest exporter of crude.
After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15
million barrels, Brent hit $36.29 per barrel, up almost 46 percent.
West Texas Intermediate soared around 35 percent to $27.39.
NATIONAL DEATH COUNT FROM TABLIGH MEETING NOW 15 — AND ALMOST A FIFTH OF TOTAL CASES
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month has emerged as the biggest hotspot, accounting for about one-fifth of the COVID-19 positive cases across the country so far. At least 15 across the country have been linked to the gathering.
WEARING MASKS NOW MANDATORY
MANILA For better protection against the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19), Malacañang ordered yesterday all those living in areas under
enhanced community quarantine to wear face masks or other forms of
protective equipment when they go out to buy essential items.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who is also spokesman of the Inter-Agency
Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said
the call was part of the governments intensified efforts to contain the
COVID-19 outbreak.
XI'S TRIP TO ZHEJIANG BOOSTS CONFIDENCE
President Xi Jinping has offered a confidence boost to the market and businesses with his four-day inspection trip to Zhejiang province, in which he underlined the importance of turning crisis into opportunities and fostering new growth engines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, started his trip with a visit to the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, the world's busiest in terms of cargo tonnage and the world's third-largest container port.
U.S. INTEL: CHINA COVERED UP EXTENT OF CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
<https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/u-s-intel-china-covered-up-extent-o
f-coronavirus-outbreak.html>
China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country,
under-reporting both total cases and deaths it's suffered from the disease,
the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the
White House, according to three US officials.
DUTERTE WARNS GROUPS DISRUPTING QUARANTINE; PNP TOLD: SHOOT THEM DEAD
MANILA Shoot them dead.
President Duterte ordered the police and the military last night to shoot
dead those who will continue to hold protests that disrupt peace and order
during the enhanced community quarantine.
Duterte issued the order after members of the left-leaning urban poor group
Kadamay reportedly instigated a protest that turned violent over food
distribution in Quezon City.
XI STRESSES GREEN MODEL OF GROWTH
President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of environmental protection during his inspection tour of eastern China on Monday at a village where he unveiled his theory of ecological civilization 15 years ago.
G20 NATIONS AGREE TO KEEP MARKETS OPEN, TACKLE SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS
Group of 20 trade chiefs pledged to try to keep supply chains open as the
world fights to contain the coronavirus pandemic and limit the economic
fallout. The G-20 commerce ministers also vowed to "guard against
profiteering and unjustified price increases" during a conference call on
Monday devoted to the trade and investment implications of the health scare.
"We will continue to work together to deliver a free, fair,
non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment
environment, and to keep our markets open," the ministers said in a joint
statement released by Saudi Arabia, current holder of the G-20's rotating
presidency. "We will explore ways for logistics networks via air, sea and
land freight to remain open."
PHILIPPINES RECORDS 538 NEW CASES, NATIONAL TALLY BREACHES 2,000-MARK
The Department of Health confirmed 538 new COVID-19 cases in the
Philippines, bringing the national tally to 2,084.
The health department also reported that an additional 10 COVID-19 patients
died in the country, raising the number of deceased to 88.
Seven new recoveries have been recoded, bringing the total number of
recoveries to 49.
XI VOWS AID FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES
President Xi Jinping pledged on Sunday to take measures to protect small and medium-sized companies from being seriously impacted by the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while inspecting an industrial park producing auto parts and molds in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
BRENT TUMBLES TO LOWEST SINCE 2002, US CRUDE DIPS BELOW $20 PER BARREL
Global oil benchmark Brent crude plunged to its cheapest in almost 18 years
on Monday and US crude briefly tumbled below $20 per barrel on growing fears
the global coronavirus shutdown could last months and demand for fuel will
decline further.
With Saudi Arabia and Russia set to flood the market with oil next month,
producers and shippers have been scrambling to lock oil up in storage as
demand falls.
100,000 EMPLOYERS AWAITING CASH RESCUE DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: LABOR DEPT
MANILA - Some 100,000 employers are awaiting cash aid from government, the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Tuesday, as workers reeled
from Luzon's month-long lockdown.
The agency has so far disbursed P5,000 cash each to several workers in Metro
Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia
Tutay said.
NO PLAN TO EXTEND 21-DAY LOCKDOWN: GOVT
The government on Monday said that there was no immediate plan to extend the
21-day lockdown amid fears that shutdown of businesses across the country to
counter the spread of coronavirus might trigger severe economic and social
distress.
XI'S CALL SETS RIGHT TONE FOR BATTLE
Amid the mounting risks the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak has brought to the world, President Xi Jinping's call for "an all-out global war" against the pandemic at the recent G20 Extraordinary Leader's Summit on COVID-19 has great relevance to addressing the global public health crisis.
NETHERLANDS RECALLS DEFECTIVE MASKS IMPORTED FROM CHINA
Dutch officials have recalled tens of thousands of masks imported from China
and distributed to hospitals battling the coronavirus outbreak because they
do not meet quality standards.
They received a delivery of masks from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21,
the health ministry said in a statement.
8 PERISH AS TOKYO-BOUND PLANE CATCHES FIRE AT NAIA
MANILA An aircraft caught on fire at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport late Sunday as it was about to take off, killing eight people, the
Manila International Airport Authority confirmed.
According to a source, Lionair RPC5880 had eight people on board: Six
Filipino crew members and two passengers. The passengers were a Canadian and
an American.
XI-TRUMP CALL HELPS EASE TENSIONS
President Xi Jinping on Friday urged united efforts between China and the United States to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Xi said bilateral relations are now at a critical juncture, and both nations stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation and that cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides.
IMF CHIEF KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA: WE HAVE ENTERED RECESSION
The head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday it is clear that the
global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad or worse
than the 2009 downturn. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the
189-nation lending agency was forecasting a recovery in 2021, saying it
could be a "sizable rebound." But she said this would only occur if nations
succeed in containing the coronavirus and limiting the economic damage.
With the worldwide economic sudden stop, Georgieva said the funds
estimate for the overall financial needs of emerging markets is $2.5
trillion.
GDP GROWTH SEEN TO SLOW BELOW 1.1%
Worse than during global financial crisis in 2008
MANILA Analysts are not discounting the possibility that the Philippine
Economy will be worse off this year than during the global financial crisis
in 2008.
In separate reports, bank economists said they expect the Philippines to
book a slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth due to the impact of the
novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
XI STRESSES KEY ROLE OF G20
Members of the G20 should enhance their coordination in macroeconomic policies to prevent a global recession resulting from the novel coronavirus outbreak, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
Xi made the remark while delivering a speech during the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on COVID-19. The summit, in the form of a videoconference, is the first of its kind under the G20 framework.
3.3 MILLION AMERICANS APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
More than 3 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week,
sending a collective shudder throughout the economy that is unlike anything
Americans have experienced.
The report, released by the Labor Department on Thursday, provides some of
the first hard data on the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which
has shut down whole swaths of American life faster than government
statistics can keep track.
GOV'T PREPARES TO EXHAUST FISCAL LEEWAY, POLITICAL CAPITAL IN DUTERTE'S 'YOLANDA MOMENT'
MANILA A decade of fiscal discipline and record popularity are now being
put to good use by President Duterte vowing to do whatever it takes to
sufficiently counter the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak,
setting aside growth ambitions for a crucial crisis response that can make
or break his legacy.
PRESIDENT CONTINUES WITH BUSY DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is willing to bolster coordination and cooperation with all other nations to send a message of solidarity and unity in fighting COVID-19 and to shore up global confidence.
Xi made the remark in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the G20 special summit on the pandemic.
WHITE HOUSE, US CONGRESS AGREE ON $2 TRILLION RESCUE BILL
The White House and Senate leaders of both major political parties announced
agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush
sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the
coronavirus pandemic.
The urgently needed $2 trillion pandemic response measure is the largest
economic rescue measure in history and is intended as a weekslong or
monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession and a nation facing
a potentially ghastly toll.
PHILIPPINES HAS ECONOMIC 'FIREPOWER' TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS, SAYS IMF
MANILA -- The Philippines has the economic "firepower" to fight the
coronavirus pandemic and can draw from the International Monetary Fund's
emergency financing, the Washington-based lender said Thursday.
Manila has high international reserves, low public debt, and fiscal space
both to spend more and increase liquidity in the banking system, said IMF
representative to the Philippines Yongzheng Yang.
XI TO ATTEND VIRTUAL G20 SUMMIT ON CORONAVIRUS
President Xi Jinping will attend in Beijing on Thursday an extraordinary virtual G20 leaders' summit on coping with the novel coronavirus, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Wednesday.
WORLD ON LOCKDOWN: BUSINESS ACTIVITY COLLAPSES AT RECORD PACE
Business activity has collapsed from Australia and Japan to Western Europe
at a record pace, as measures to contain the coronavirus hammer the world
economy, with data for the United States later on Tuesday expected to be
just as dire.
"The coronavirus outbreak represents a major external shock to the macro
outlook, akin to a large-scale natural disaster," analysts at BlackRock
Investment Institute said in a note.
WITH WORLD BUSY FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS, CHINA QUIETLY BUILDS INSTALLATIONS ON PHILIPPINE-CLAIMED REEFS
MANILA While the rest of the world is busy battling the coronavirus
pandemic, China, where the virus originated, has taken advantage of the
countries preoccupation by building new facilities on Philippine-claimed
territories in West Philippine Sea.
On Friday, government-funded Chinese Academy of Sciences launched two
research stations on Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) and Subi Reefs in Spratly
Islands to help scientists expand their research into deep sea ecology,
geology, environment, material sciences and marine energy, state-run Xinhua
reported.
PM ADDRESSES THE NATION, DECLARES 21-DAY NATION-WIDE LOCKDOWN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across
the country for 21 days from midnight, asserting that social distancing is
the only way out for the country to fight a decisive battle against
coronavirus outbreak.
In his second national broadcast in a week on the pandemic raging across
much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a
fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their
homes for the next three weeks.
CHINA OFFERS GLOBAL HELP IN COMBATING COVID-19
President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke over phone on Monday night and voiced support for the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended sincere sympathies to the British government and people over their fight against the coronavirus disease. Upon request, he introduced China's epidemic prevention and control measures.
GLOBAL LOCKDOWN TO FIGHT THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said, "The
pandemic is accelerating," Tedros said. "It took 67 days from the first
reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second
100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases."
More than 6,000 Italians have now died from COVID-19, nearly double the
confirmed number of deaths in China where the virus first emerged late last
year.
Some 1.7 billion people have been asked to stay home in over 50 countries
and territories around the world as governments battle the COVID-19 pandemic
sweeping the globe.
AS COVID-19 GROUNDS CRUISE SHIPS, SOME 10,000 FILIPINO SEAFARERS NEED TO BE
REPATRIATED
MANILA – Some 10,000 Filipino seafarers are in need of repatriation after
COVID-19 halted the operation of cruise ships worldwide, a crew service
agency said Tuesday.
Magsaysay Maritime Corp. is chartering flights for the repatriation of the
seafarers, its chairman Marlon Rono said.
“Naguumpisa na po ang repatriation. Asahan po natin sa darating na mga araw
ay marami po ang uuwi diyan,” he told radio DZMM.
“They are floating in some areas. Alam mo naman ang cruise ship may sariling
doctor, may sariling ospital. They are taken cared of kung may symptoms na
nangyayari.”
XI'S DIPLOMACY PRIORITIZES SOLIDARITY, COOPERATION
President Xi Jinping has used head-of-state diplomacy to call for the building of a community of common health for mankind amid the mounting global public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, observers said.
China's experiences on epidemic control and its aid to the contagion-affected countries are boosting the confidence of the international community as it strives to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, and it helps them cope with the challenges arising from the disease, they said.
ABE: OLYMPICS COULD BE POSTPONED
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said postponing the Olympic Games
could become an option if it was not possible to hold it in its "complete
form".
He said the country might have "no option but to consider postponing the
games", but added that cancellation was not an option.
This is a dramatic shift from what he had said earlier last week. He had
then confidently announced that Japan would "overcome the spread of the
infection and host the Olympics without problem".
The Olympics are due to be held in the capital Tokyo this July.
SPECIAL CONGRESS SESSION ON COVID-19
MANILA Congress is meeting on Monday, March 23, for a special session to,
according to a letter from the Palace, "authorize the president to exercise
powers necessary to carry out urgent measures to meet the current national
emergency relating to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)."
According to a leaked draft bill, Congress may grant the chief executive the
power to take over the operations of any privately-owned public utility or
business affected with public interest.
CHINA SECURITIES WATCHDOG LAUNCHES INDEX SYSTEM FOR STAR BOARD
China's top securities watchdog launched an evaluation index system of science and technology innovation for the country's Nasdaq-style sci-tech innovation board, or the STAR market, to facilitate the innovation-driven economic transformation on Friday.
The launch of the index system aims to better support and encourage enterprises with "hard technology" to be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's sci-tech innovation board, according to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).
With a structure including three regular indices and five exception clauses, the system will help speed up the application of the country's scientific and technological achievements in production.
The design of the system is both highly operable and flexible, reflecting the direction of the reform on enhancing the inclusiveness of the capital market to technological innovation enterprises, said the CSRC.
US BLAMES CHINA, RUSSIA AND IRAN FOR SPREADING 'DISINFORMATION' ON
CORONAVIRUS
S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed Russia, China and Iran for
spreading "disinformation" on COVID-19 and carrying out coordinated efforts
to "disparage" American attempts towards containing the fast-spreading
coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Pompeo described the disinformation
campaigns as being "pretty diffused" and urged Americans to ensure that they
are getting their information from a reliable source and not a "bad actor"
trying to create and flow information that they know is wrong.
"I wanted to talk about the disinformation the people are seeing both on
Twitter and around the world. Some of it coming from government, some of it
coming from other individuals," Pompeo told reporters.
HOUSE SETS HISTORIC TEXT VOTING AT SESSION
MANILA - For the first time, House members are set to vote via text
messaging and online video conferencing to replace floor deliberations to
pass legislation needed to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic.
The House leadership has approved the proposal of Cavite Rep. Elpidio
Barzaga Jr. to allow lawmakers to cast their votes by text during the
special session when they are either currently in self-quarantine or in
their provinces due to the enhanced community quarantine, The STAR learned
yesterday.
He made the proposal, saying it is "impossible for members who are in Bicol,
Visayas or Mindanao to go to Batasan physically."
Barzaga, who heads of the National Unity Party, said he could manage the
long-distance plenary participation of NUP members in the House.
"If a House member questions that before the Supreme Court, I don't think it
will prosper," he added.
NATION SHOWS STRENGTH IN PANDEMIC BATTLE
The strength of China's system, which enables it to pool all available resources to solve major problems, has helped the country address the health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, observers said.
The all-of-government and all-of-society approach that China has adopted in combating COVID-19 has won international acclaim as it has proved effective and efficient in curbing the spread of the virus, they said.
As China battles the novel coronavirus, its model of central leadership and regional partnerships has functioned well.
Since the start of the outbreak, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has acted as commander-in-chief in the people's war on the epidemic.
OLYMPIC FLAME ARRIVES IN JAPAN AS CORONAVIRUS THROWS TOKYO GAMES INTO
GROWING DOUBT
A plane carrying the Olympic torch from Greece arrived on Friday on Japan's
northwestern coast ravaged by a 2011 tsunami, but the welcome ceremony will
have no spectators, amid worries the Games could be cancelled over the
coronavirus pandemic.
The flame arrived at Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima base and will
tour the Tohoku region hit by the tsunami and earthquake, in what the
organizers call a "recovery flame" tour until the official kick-off ceremony
in Fukushima on March 26.
Organizers have repeatedly said the Games, set to run from July 24 to Aug.
9, will go ahead, but as the rapid spread of the virus brings the sports
world to a virtual standstill, fears are growing that the Olympics may be
postponed or cancelled.
DUTERTE TO LGUS: STAND DOWN, FOLLOW GUIDELINES
MANILA President Duterte has appealed to the nation to follow the
guidelines laid down by the national government for addressing the new
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and for local government units to be
united in the implementation of measures to contain the disease, including
restricting the movement of people as part of an enhanced community
quarantine.
The entire Luzon is now in the stage of a lockdown, meaning everyone
should stay home and avoid unnecessary travel outside their residences,
Duterte said after a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for
the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Malago Clubhouse in
Malacañang late Thursday evening.
MORE RETURNEES INDICATE OUTBREAK IN CONTROL
Despite the sudden jump in imported infections in the past few days, the number of inbound trips has been 120,000 on average a day since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, which is an 80 percent drop year-on-year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
That a number of Chinese living abroad are returning to China regardless of the huge economic cost and difficulties involved reflect the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures. Compared with its foreign counterparts, the Chinese government's resolute and comprehensive response has met the expectations of the Chinese people.
Therefore, the returnees' choice should be respected provided they fulfill the prevention and control requirements of both China and their host country.
The wrongdoings of a few returnees who hid their symptoms at airports and thus forced their close contacts into quarantine, too, should not prompt the government to close the door to its own people. Albeit the stricter border health and quarantine regulations that criminalize those acts are expected to help prevent such cases.
ITALIAN DEATH TOLL OVERTAKES CHINA AS CORONAVIRUS SPREADS
The death toll in Italy from the coronavirus overtook china’s on Thursday in
a stark illustration of how the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the
United States.
Italy, with a population of 60 million, recorded at least 3,405 deaths, or
roughly 150 more than in China a country with a population over 20 times
larger.
The cumulative positive cases reached 41,035 according to new data released
by the Civil Protection Department.
A lockdown imposed on 12 March in Italy has been extended beyond the
original 25 March end date. Nearly all Italians have been told to stay at
home.
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT CALLS THE SHOTS IN A CRISIS, NOT LGUS DUTERTE
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte in a public address on early Friday
morning asserted the authority of the national government over local
government units in times of crisis.
In his address, the president appealed to local government units to abide by
the directives set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management
of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Though he did not mention any names, Duterte also warned that noncompliance
on the part of local government officials could lead to administrative and
even criminal cases filed against erring officials.
"We are in a critical time [and] the national government needs your help
during this time. Do not make this quarantine more difficult for our people
than it already is," the chief executive said.
"You are setting your own standards and making this lockdown more difficult
for all," he added.
XI CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN VIRUS FIGHT
China will strengthen international cooperation on novel coronavirus epidemic control and continue to provide assistance within its ability to countries affected by the epidemic, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Wednesday.
Xi made the remark when presiding over the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in which members analyzed the epidemic situation at home and abroad and its challenge to economic development.
Given that the epidemic is spreading across the world, Xi said that China should work closely with the World Health Organization, intensify analysis and prediction on global epidemic development, improve measures for dealing with the risk of imported infections and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries.
Globally, the pandemic had caused 194,029 cases of infection as of Wednesday, according to the WHO.
CHINA REPORTS ZERO NEW DOMESTIC VIRUS CASES FOR 1ST TIME
BEIJING - China on Thursday marked a major milestone in its battle against
the coronavirus pandemic as it recorded zero domestic infections for the
first time since the outbreak emerged, but a spike in imported cases
threatened its progress.
The stark reversal comes as nations across the world have shut down in a
desperate effort to contain the pandemic, with more people now infected and
having died abroad than in China.
There were no new cases in Wuhan -- the central city where the virus first
emerged in December -- for the first time since authorities started
publishing figures in January, according to the National Health Commission.
Wuhan and its 11 million people were placed under strict quarantine on Jan.