Research shows employer-based weight management program with access to anti-obesity medications results in greater weight loss

Tuesday, July 20, 2021, CLEVELAND: A Cleveland Clinic study demonstrates that adults with obesity lost significantly more weight when they had access to medications for chronic weight management in conjunction with their employer-based weight management program, compared to adults who did not have access to the medications. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Obesity is a complex disease that is caused by multiple factors, including genetic, environmental, and biological. A lifestyle intervention with a focus on nutrition and exercise is often not enough to treat obesity, which is a chronic disease that requires long-term therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several prescription medications for weight loss and chronic weight management, also called anti-obesity medications. However, they have limited health insurance coverage.

"The research results support the need to treat patients with a multidisciplinary weight management program that incorporates safe and effective medications to lose weight and maintain weight loss," said Bartolome Burguera, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cleveland Clinic's Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute and primary investigator of the study. "Doctors prescribe medications to treat some of the health consequences associated with obesity, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. However, medications for weight loss and chronic weight management are underutilized."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 42% of U.S. adults have obesity. In addition to the serious health conditions associated with obesity  such as type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, high-blood pressure, heart disease and stroke  the CDC also reported the economic impact of obesity on the U.S. healthcare system. The estimated medical care costs of the disease in the United States represented $147 billion (in 2008 dollars).

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of combining anti-obesity medications with a multidisciplinary employer-based weight management program.

The one-year, single-center, pragmatic clinical trial was conducted in the real-world setting of a workplace health plan. The study included 200 adults with obesity (body mass index of 30 or greater) who were enrolled in the Cleveland Clinic Employee Health Plan between January 2019 and May 2020. As part of the health plan, participants had access to a comprehensive weight management program.

In this real-world setting, eligible participants were randomized 1:1 to either a weight management program with FDA-approved anti-obesity medications or a weight management program alone. The weight management program was administered through monthly shared medical appointments (SMAs) that offered a multidisciplinary approach, including nutrition education. The monthly SMA visits focused on adopting a healthier lifestyle and addressed the five components of the weight management program: nutrition, physical activity, appetite control, sleep, and mental health. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the SMAs were conducted virtually.

The 100 study participants, randomized to the weight management program combined with access to the medications, received their prescriptions at the time of their monthly SMAs, based on recommended clinical practice.

Patients were prescribed one of five FDA-approved medications for chronic weight management - orlistat, lorcaserin, phentermine/topiramate, naltrexone/bupropion, liraglutide 3.0 mg. The medication selected for each patient was at the discretion of the treating provider, and was determined after a thorough assessment and discussion with the participants. (Lorcaserin was withdrawn from the market in February 2020. The eight patients taking lorcaserin at the time were notified immediately and either switched medications or discontinued medication due to proximity to the end of the study.)

Research results showed that the participants who had access to the anti-obesity medications averaged significantly greater weight loss at 12 months (-7.7%), compared to the participants who were in the weight management program alone (-4.2%). In the group who had access to the medications, 62.5% of the participants lost at least 5% of their weight, compared to 44.8% of the participants in the group with the weight management program alone. SMA attendance was higher among the participants who had access to the weight loss medications.

"Many patients see improvement in their health when they lose 5% of their weight," said Kevin M. Pantalone, D.O., first author of the study and an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic. "Based on our study results, access to anti-obesity medications combined with a multidisciplinary weight management program provides a more effective treatment compared to a weight management program without access to these medications."

More long-term research is needed in real-world, employer-based settings to evaluate the costs and benefits of anti-obesity medications and their use in conjunction with workplace wellness plans.

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This study was funded by Novo Nordisk. Representatives of Novo Nordisk (the sponsor) were involved in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Dr. Burguera reported receiving consulting honorarium as a member of the U.S. National Expert Panel for the SELECT trial, a steering committee member for the study being reported, and research support from Novo Nordisk. Dr. Pantalone reported receiving consulting and speaking honorarium, as well as research support from Novo Nordisk, and currently serves as the principal investigator at Cleveland Clinic for the Novo Nordisk sponsored SOUL trial.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic - now in its centennial year - is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs , including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 70,800 employees worldwide are more than 4,660 salaried physicians and researchers, and 18,500 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 19 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2020, there were 8.7 million total outpatient visits, 273,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 217,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic's health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org .

Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
75% of sexual assault survivors have PTSD one month later

Researchers want sexual assault survivors to know that it's normal to feel awful right after the assault, but that many will feel better within three months.

In a meta-analysis published in Trauma, Violence & Abuse, researchers found that 81% of sexual assault survivors had significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) one week after the assault. One month afterward - the first point in time that PTSD can be diagnosed - 75% of sexual assault survivors met criteria for the disorder. That figure dropped to 54% after three months and 41% after one year.

"One of the main takeaways is that the majority of recovery from post-traumatic stress happens in first three months," said lead author Emily Dworkin, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "We hope this will give survivors and clinicians a sense of what to expect and convey some hope."

The authors said this was the first meta-analysis of survivors' PTSD symptoms in the first year after a sexual assault. Their research underscored prior findings that PTSD is common and severe in the aftermath of sexual assault, and offered more details on the timeline for recovery.

The authors analyzed 22 studies that had assessed PTSD in sexual assault survivors over time, beginning soon after the traumatic event. The studies cumulatively involved 2,106 sexual assault survivors.

PTSD is characterized by symptoms such as reliving a traumatic event in nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or flashbacks; avoiding being reminded of the event; increases in negative emotions and decreases in positive emotions; self-blame; and feeling "keyed up" or on edge, Dworkin said.

A number of proven interventions, such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy, help people recover from sexual assault and other traumas. Dworkin said it's important for people to seek help if PTSD symptoms interfere with their functioning, no matter how much time has passed since the traumatic event.

Dworkin and Michele Bedard-Gilligan, a co-author on this study, are currently testing ways to speed the recovery process for recent survivors. One is a smartphone app that teaches evidence-based coping skills. Survivors of recent sexual assault can learn more about this and other studies by visiting thriveappstudy.com.

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Co-authors included Bedard-Gilligan, a UW assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Anna Jaffe, director of the Translational Health Risks and Interpersonal Violence Lab at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Skye Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor of psychology at York University and part of the Treating and Understanding Life-threatening Behavior and Post-Traumatic Stress Lab.

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The origin of bifurcated current sheets explained

A Korean research team has identified the origin of bifurcated current sheets, considered one of the most unsolved mysteries in the Earth's magnetosphere and in magnetized plasma physics.

A POSTECH joint research team led by Professor Gunsu S. Yun of the Department of Physics and Division of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Dr. Young Dae Yoon from the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory has theoretically established the process of collisionless equilibration of disequilibrated plasma current sheets. In addition, by comparing this with particle simulations and satellite data from NASA, the origin of the bifurcated current sheets - which had remained largely unknown - has been revealed.

In the Earth's magnetosphere, a sheet-shaped plasma is observed that is trapped between two regions of opposing magnetic fields. Because current flows inside it, it is also called a current sheet. According to the conventional theory, the current sheet exists as a single bulk in which the magnetic pressure due to the magnetic field generated by the current and the thermal pressure of the plasma balance one another, thereby forming an equilibrium. However, in 2003, the European Space Agency's Cluster mission observed a bifurcated current sheet in Earth's magnetosphere. Since then, similar phenomena have been observed.

On the other hand, extensive research has been accumulated on the condition in which the magnetic force and thermal pressure are perfectly balanced with each other in the current sheet. But the process through which a disequilibrated current sheet equilibrates remains largely unknown. Since plasma systems generally do not start from an equilibrium state, comprehension of the equilibration process is desired to better understand the current sheet plasma dynamics.

The joint research team thoroughly analyzed the process in which the disequilibrated sheet achieves equilibrium by considering the orbit classes and phase-space distributions of particles that constitute the current sheet and found that the current sheets can naturally bifurcate during the equilibration process. It was then confirmed that these theoretical predictions were consistent with the particle-in-cell simulation results performed by the KAIROS supercomputer at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy. In addition, the simulation data were compared and verified with NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) measurements.

This achievement has enhanced the comprehension of magnetized plasma dynamics by incorporating theoretical analyses, supercomputer simulations, and satellite observations. Since the Earth's magnetospheric plasma has similar characteristics as other magnetized plasmas such as nuclear fusion plasmas in various ways, it is anticipated to contribute to a wide range of fields.

"This study has a significant academic value in that it simultaneously resolved two mysteries: the process through which disequilibrated current sheet equilibrates and the origin of bifurcated current sheets," explained Professor Gunsu S. Yun of POSTECH who participated as a co-corresponding author in the study. "We are trying to extend the analysis framework for plasmas with strong guide fields and hope to understand similar phenomena that occur in fusion plasmas."

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Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, this study was published in Nature Communications on June 18, 2021.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Unity sending a clear message to N Korea: US diplomat

The United States, Japan and South Korea are sending a clear message with their coordination on policy towards North Korea, a senior US official said on Wednesday, despite some recent friction between the two Asian allies.

"That close coordination sends a very critical message to North Korea in that we are together and shoulder-to-shoulder in our approach to this policy," US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters after meeting the vice foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea.

The three-way talks were held in Tokyo despite frayed relations between Japan and South Korea, largely a result of recriminations by both sides stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea.

A new chapter of the historic dispute that blew up in 2019 hit trade between the neighbours and threatened to undermine their cooperation on security in the face of a common threat from North Korea and its nuclear and missile programmes.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in recently decided not to visit the Tokyo Olympics, which open on Friday, for what would have been his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Japan's vice foreign minister, Takeo Mori, said the trilateral cooperation with the United States was crucial for the denuclerisation of North Korea.

"North Korea's next move is unpredictable," Mori said.

North Korea has rebuffed US entreaties for diplomacy since US President Joe Biden took over from Donald Trump, who had three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, raising hopes for some sort of breakthrough.

Little concrete progress came as Kim refused to give up his nuclear weapons but he did impose a freeze on testing them.

Choi Jung-kun, South Korea's vice foreign minister, described the North Korea nuclear issue as "a long game" that needed patience.

Sherman said the United States was "ready to engage with North Korea and they know that".

"We hope they will respond positively, but as my colleagues have said, we must exercise some patience, perhaps not too much, but some," Sherman said. (Reuters)

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Hong Kong: Most social distancing rules kept

The Government announced that it will maintain most of the social distancing measures currently in place for 14 days starting tomorrow and introduce event premises as a new type of scheduled premises.

The Food & Health Bureau said it noted that the public may not be fully certain of the restrictions and requirements applicable to individual activities, especially for closed-door activities held in premises accessible by the public.

To enhance clarity, the bureau explained that it will introduce a new type of scheduled premises, event premises, where specified events such as meetings, forums, symposiums, exhibitions and ceremonial and celebratory occasions, including weddings and business meetings, can be conducted subject to the adoption of relevant infection control measures.

If at least two-thirds of the participants have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the number of people allowed entry would be 100% of the normal capacity of the event premises, otherwise it would be 50% of the normal capacity.

No more than four people or the number of people living in the same household, whichever is more, may be allowed in each group of guests or participants, except when they are participating in a photo-taking session and wearing a mask.

For seating at an auditorium setting or spectator stands, seats to be occupied must not exceed 85% of the seating capacity and no more than six consecutive seats in the same row may be occupied.

Meanwhile, itineraries for cruises to nowhere can resume from July 30 subject to cruise operators' compliance with a set of infection control measures that require them to adopt a maximum 50% of the passenger capacity on a cruise ship.

All crew members and passengers must be fully vaccinated before commencement of a cruise journey, except for those who can produce a valid medical certificate to prove that they are unfit to do so because of health reasons.

All crew members are still required to undergo regular COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, while all passengers must present a proof of a negative COVID-19 test result conducted within 48 hours prior to boarding.

The Government added that the existing restrictions and requirements on catering businesses, bars and pubs and other scheduled premises will be maintained.

The current prohibition on group gatherings of more than four people in public places, as well as the mask-wearing requirement will also continue.

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South Africa: SAPS, SANDF cooperation commended

Parliament has commended the cooperation between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which has led to the quelling of violence, destruction of property and vandalism of infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Portfolio Committee on Police and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence undertook an oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday to assess the effectiveness and impact of the deployment plan of police and soldiers deployed in the province.

The cooperation between the SAPS and SANDF is commendable, and has stymied a bad situation from escalating even further. Despite this, we remain concerned that the situation was left to deteriorate to the extent it had, said Police Committee chairperson, Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

During the visit, the committees received a briefing from both Police Minister Bheki Cele and Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

The committees acknowledged the return to calm in the province, but raised concern on the irreversible socio-economic damage caused by violence.

Co-Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Cyril Xaba, reiterated the committees call for communities to respect the rule of law and desist from engaging in any violent behaviour.

Our economy is struggling and any violence, destruction of property and looting further drives our economy into the abyss, Xaba said.

Racial tensions condemned

While commending the SAPS and SANDF intervention to stop the blockade into the Phoenix area, north of Durban, the committees condemned the racial profiling and wanton violence disguised as protection of property in the area.

We also condemn in the strongest terms the killing and maiming of people in the area [and] unwarranted use of violence by private security companies in the area, Joemat-Pettersson said.

The committees also welcomed the despatching of a team from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) to assess the role played by private security companies in the tensions in the area.

They also welcomed the dispatching of a group of detectives from district and provincial offices to investigate violence in the area.

The committees also called for the finalisation of investigations to ensure the effective prosecution of perpetrators of violence. They further called for calm, and the spirit of Ubuntu and respect for the rule of law among different communities in the area.

A total of 138 murders were reportedly linked to the violence and looting in the province. The committees reiterated the calls to conclude investigations and effectively prosecute cases related to the violence, looting and destruction of critical economic infrastructure.

Strengthening crime intelligence community

Meanwhile, the committees called for strengthening of the crime intelligence community and better coordination between different segments of the intelligence apparatus, which is central to the prevention of crime.

The lapses in intelligence are unacceptable and must be rectified urgently, the committees said.

On Wednesday, the Portfolio Committee on Police will undertake an oversight visit to Gauteng to assess the effectiveness and impact of the deployment plan of the SAPS, which is executed to quell the violence, looting and distraction of property in the province.  SAnews.gov.za

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Hong Kong: 5 imported COVID-19 cases found

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating five additional COVID-19 cases involving patients who arrived from Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates.

A total of 21 cases were reported in Hong Kong in the past 14 days, including 20 imported cases and one import-related case.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Governments dedicated webpage.

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Hong Kong: HKU students, staff get COVID jabs

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip today visited the University of Hong Kong (HKU) today to view the administering of COVID-19 vaccines on campus.

Around 300 students and staff members of the university received the BioNTech vaccine as arranged by the Governments outreach service. President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Zhang Xiang and Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof Gabriel Leung accompanied Mr Nip during his visit.

Mr Nip said students and staff should get vaccinated for the sake of their health.

As HKU plans to resume face-to-face classes in the new academic year, more interactions among students are expected. There are also various public facilities on campus and in residential halls. The risk of the virus spreading will increase in areas with higher people flows.

I hope that with more students and university staff being vaccinated, a more complete campus life will be resumed, he added.

He called on citizens to get vaccinated in order to help build an immune barrier and restore normality to society.

Apart from HKU, Chinese University, University of Science & Technology, Baptist University, Polytechnic University and City University have also supported the outreach vaccination programme by arranging for their staff and students to get jabs.

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South Africa: Biovac seals deal to manufacture Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Cape Town-based specialist biotech company, Biovac, has reached a deal to manufacture the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for distribution within the African Union (AU).

According to a statement released on Wednesday, this makes Biovac the first company in Africa to produce a mRNA-based vaccine.

Biovac is set to immediately commence technical transfer activities, which include on-site development and equipment installation activities.

In addition, the company, which is partly owned by the South African government, will obtain drug substances from facilities in Europe, and manufacturing of finished doses will begin in 2022.

At full operational capacity, the annual COVID-19 vaccine production will exceed 100 million finished doses annually.

Meanwhile, all doses would exclusively be distributed within the AU's 55 member States and Biovac expects the facility will be brought into the Pfizer-BioNTech supply chain by the end of 2021.

We are thrilled to collaborate with Pfizer and BioNTech to produce and distribute the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within Africa. This is a testament to the long-standing relationship we have had with Pfizer through the Prevenar 13 vaccine, said the Chief Executive Officer of Biovac, Dr Morena Makhoana.

Makhoana said it was a critical step forward in strengthening sustainable access to a vaccine in the fight against the worldwide pandemic.

We believe this collaboration will create an opportunity to more broadly distribute vaccine doses to people in harder-to-reach communities, especially those on the African continent.

Meanwhile, the Pfizer Chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, said the goal has been to provide fair and equitable access to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to everyone, everywhere.

Our latest collaboration with Biovac is a shining example of the tireless work being done, in this instance, to benefit Africa. We will continue to explore and pursue opportunities to bring new partners into our supply chain network, including in Latin America, to further accelerate the access of COVID-19 vaccines, he said.

CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech, Dr Ugur Sahin, said: We aim to enable people on all continents to manufacture and distribute our vaccine, while ensuring the quality of the manufacturing process and the doses.

Sahin said BioNTech believes that mRNA technology can be used to develop vaccine candidates addressing other diseases as well.

This is why we will continue to evaluate sustainable approaches that will support the development and production of mRNA vaccines on the African continent.

According to the statement, this latest technology transfer agreement strengthens the already existing relationship and enables Biovac to widen its existing footprint in Africa, which aligns with the long-standing vision of being a local manufacturer with regional presence and relevance.  SAnews.gov.za

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Deep-sea research bolstered with $2 million grant

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has been awarded $2 million by the National Science Foundation to lead an international effort to accelerate scientific understanding of the environmental impacts of emerging industries in the deep sea - one of the most mysterious, and potentially lucrative, areas of the ocean.

The five-year Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator project aims to identify the potential environmental costs of deep-sea activities to inform the policies that will govern them. It will connect diverse science and policy experts in industry, academia, and private institutes in a race against the clock to guide responsible use of these fragile environments.

The deep seafloor covers two-thirds of Earth's surface area. While humans have only explored a tiny fraction of it, it has been a source of remarkable discoveries. It is home to complex networks of organisms, from microbes to fish, that can exist miles below the ocean surface in underwater canyons, mountain chains, and volcanoes.

The region has potential for industry and even climate change mitigation. It is a prospective source of rare and valuable metals that are used in many modern electronics, such as smartphones and electric cars. As demand for these finite resources has increased, countries around the world have begun to eye up the seafloor with increased interest. Some also see the region as a stable place to store carbon dioxide, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it accelerates global warming.

However, our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems, as well as their ability to withstand human perturbation, is severely limited. Scientists are concerned human activity on the seafloor may fundamentally alter conditions that took millions of years to establish.

"Deep-sea activities like mining and subseafloor carbon sequestration may help us build a brighter future, but the full potential impacts to these ecosystems are poorly understood," said Beth Orcutt, project director and a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory. "This project will accelerate understanding of these potential impacts by bringing together key stakeholders to coordinate efforts, generate and share knowledge, and inform decision making."

Currently, deep-sea mining is more of a goal than a reality, but that is rapidly changing. The technology to extract valuable minerals is still unreliable and does not yield a profitable practice. The industry is also not yet clearly regulated. Some companies are eager to start extraction work. Others - including Samsung, Google, and BMW - have called for a pre-emptive moratorium on the use of seafloor metals until environmental concerns are addressed.

The new project funding comes at an opportune time. This June, the Pacific island nation of Nauru notified the United Nations of its plans to start deep-sea mining. While the legal process has been years in the making, this notification has set off a two-year countdown for the International Seabed Authority to finalize regulations - a breakneck pace for this level of complex science.

"The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pause in deep-sea research, but not in the push for deep-sea mining and deep-sea carbon sequestration solutions," Orcutt said. "Scientific guidance is needed now more than ever to inform these emerging industries to advise sustainability and prevent serious harm."

Beyond the immediate needs, the research project will help to close knowledge gaps by helping coordinate and support collaboration on deep-sea expeditions, and promoting new techniques that help speed assessment of deep-sea ecosystems. It will also train at least 50 early-career researchers and make the data from the study accessible - both to promote long-term solutions and collaboration.

The project will be directed by Orcutt along with Julie Huber, an associate scientist from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who will serve as the project's associate director. The COBRA leadership team also includes Jim McManus, vice president for research and administration at Bigelow Laboratory, and scientists from Boston University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the University of California Santa Cruz. Partners in the project include the Schmidt Ocean Institute, The Ocean Exploration Trust, Ocean Networks Canada, the Challenger 150 program of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative, and other international collaborators.

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Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent, nonprofit research institute located in East Boothbay, Maine. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, Bigelow Laboratory scientists use innovative approaches to study the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on the planet. Learn more at bigelow.org, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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South Africa: President welcomes Biovac-Pfizer deal

The African Union Champion on COVID-19, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has welcomed the announcement that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Cape Town by the Biovac Institute.

In a statement on Wednesday, the President welcomed the announcement of a collaboration between South Africas Biovac Institute and the global pharmaceutical producer Pfizer as a 'breakthrough in the protection of African nations against COVID-19".

Todays agreement will contribute significantly to health security and sustainability on our continent, which currently has the least access to vaccination in the world, President Ramaphosa said.

Biovac is a vaccine producer and public-private partnership between the South African government and the private pharmaceutical sector.

In terms of todays announcement, Biovac has been appointed to manufacture the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for distribution within Africa, making it the first company on the continent to produce a mRNA-based vaccine.

Biovac will immediately embark on technological transfer activities that include on-site development and equipment installation for the production of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines, the Presidency said.

Biovac expects the facility will be brought into the Pfizer-BioNtech supply chain by the end of 2021. Biovac will obtain drug substance from BioNTechs facilities in Germany.

At full operational capacity, the annual COVID vaccine production will aim for 100 million finished doses annually. All doses will exclusively be distributed within the 55 African Union member states.

Biovacs expansion in production and acquisition of specialised equipment related to mRNA technology entails an investment of shared cost of R200 million in the coming six months, the Presidency said.

President Ramaphosa said the partnership between Biovac and Pfizer is a breakthrough in the efforts to overcome global vaccine inequity.

The protection of Africans is a necessary and critical contribution to the protection of humanity as a whole. This partnership demonstrates what we can achieve when the state sector and the private sector craft a shared vision and pool resources for the greater good of society.

This collaboration recognises the talent and technology that exists on our continent that can be harnessed in our irreversible march of sustainable and inclusive development, the President said.

He urged people throughout the continent to play their part by making themselves available to be vaccinated.

The more we roll up our sleeves to receive our jabs, the safer we will be as individuals, families and communities. The safer we are, the more secure our future as a continent on the rise will be, the President said.

African Union Special Envoy on COVID-19 and member of the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, Strive Masiyiwa, joined the President in welcoming the Biovac-Pfizer initiative.

The only way to guarantee Africas access to vaccines now and in the future is through this type of strategic manufacturing partnerships, which we welcome greatly, Masiyiwa said. SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: Department provides support following Cornubia blaze

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has deployed a team of specialists to KwaZulu-Natal following a fire at the UPL facility in Cornubia.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department said the team will support the ongoing efforts to address the pollution impact resulting from the burning of the UPL warehouse, containing bulk supplies of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides.

We are deeply concerned about the environmental impact on air quality as well as on the aquatic and marine ecosystems resulting from the fire incident at the UPL facility in Cornubia that took place during the unrest in Kwazulu-Natal last week, DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy said.

The team was deployed on request by the provinces MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay.

The team is expected to arrive in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday. It will consist of individuals with technical skills in the following areas of work: Aquatic systems; Epidemiology (health risk assessment); Enforcement  Waste and Pollution, and Compliance  Oceans and Coasts.

The objective of this team will be to provide on-the-ground support and assistance to the KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs [department] and the eThekwini Municipality. The priority at this stage is to ensure that impacts are mitigated and that the containment measures are effective.

In this regard, it is furthermore important to note than an authoritys joint operations team is already in place and working with the team of specialists appointed by UPL to understand the extent of the impacts and co-ordinate the implementation of containment and mitigation measures, the department said. SAnews.gov.za

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Hong Kong: CE meets culture vice minister

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today met Vice Minister of Culture & Tourism Zhang Xu at Government House.

Welcoming Mr Zhang's visit to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said she was pleased to have attended a summit with him this afternoon on developing Hong Kong into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, organised by the China Federation of Literary & Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association.

She also thanked the Ministry of Culture & Tourism for its long-standing support to Hong Kong's art and cultural development, including its participation in the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the establishment of the Hong Kong Palace Museum as well as its promotion of art and cultural exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

The Chief Executive said that the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic & Social Development of the People's Republic of China & the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035" approved in March has included Hong Kong's cultural status in the national plan and mentioned its support for the city to develop as an arts and cultural exchanges hub between China and the rest of the world for the first time.

She noted that it is a recognition of the city's cultural achievements and provides a shot in the arm for the cultural sector.

Mrs Lam added that the Hong Kong SAR Government was deeply encouraged and will continue to make efforts on various fronts to achieve the goal of developing into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

This includes setting up world-class cultural facilities and spaces for diversified culture, establishing close ties with renowned overseas cultural institutions, continually promoting cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, making good use of innovation and technology as well as nurturing talents.

On tourism, Mrs Lam pointed out that Hong Kong is putting in place stringent measures to control the epidemic and is striving to enhance the vaccination rate to create a favourable condition for the resumption of cross-boundary people flow between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Various support measures have also been rolled out to tide the sector over the difficult time.

She expressed her gratitude to Mr Zhang for taking the time to meet the local tourism sector during his stay in Hong Kong to learn more about its situation.

The Chief Executive added that she hopes to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture & Tourism to relaunch cross-boundary travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong after the stabilisation of the disease in the future.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau and Director of Leisure & Cultural Services Vincent Liu also attended the meeting.

This story has been published on: 2021-07-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Death toll rises as police investigate 168 unrest-related murder cases

Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the death toll from the civil unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 276 and police are investigating 168 murder cases.

The Acting Minister said this when she briefed the media to provide an update on governments interventions to rebuild the economy following violent protests and looting incidents that led to the loss of lives and disrupted economic activity for over a week.

A total of 234 deaths as related to the unrest were reported in KwaZulu-Natal. To date, the [SA Police Service] are investigating 151 cases for murder and 83 inquest dockets have been opened and 15 arrests related to the cases of murder have been made.

A total of 42 deaths as related to the unrest were reported in Gauteng. To date, and of these reported deaths, the SAPS are investigating 17 cases for murder, and 25 cases are still at an inquest stage and no arrests have been made as yet related to the cases of murder, she said on Wednesday.

Ntshavheni also released the identity of suspects who have appeared in court on charges of inciting violence, including Bruce Nimmerhoudt, Sibusiso Mavuso, Ngizwe Mchunu and Clarence Tabane.

She said while the suspects have been remanded in custody in Gauteng, one has been released on bail.

Food security stabilises in affected areas

Meanwhile, as a result of the violent protests, concerns were raised with regards to food security within SADC as the region relies on South Africa for food supply.

We want to assure the SADC region that law enforcement agencies posted extra security personnel along the major routes to ensure the proper passage of long-haul logistics trucks and the rail network.

Ntshavheni said government has engaged food processors and suppliers, farmers, and agri-businesses to ensure the stability of the food supply chain.

The security of food supplies have normalised, mainly across the affected provinces.

Bakeries have reopened and bread, which has been in short supply since the unrest, has been in full supply since the weekend. Milk supplies are also now available and sugar mills have been operational since Saturday.

Ntshavheni said, meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa and over 100 business leaders have met to discuss the current security situation and assess the damage to infrastructure.

The meeting discussed areas where government and business can work together to rebuild the country in the aftermath of the crisis.

In the meeting, business leaders and government committed to rebuilding the country and ensuring that poverty and inequality are addressed speedily, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-07-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Briton arrested over celebrity Twitter hack

A 22-year-old British citizen was arrested in Spain on Wednesday in connection with a July 2020 Twitter hack which compromised the accounts of high-profile politicians and celebrities, the US Justice Department said.

It named the British man as Joseph James O'Connor and said he faced multiple charges. He was also accused in a criminal complaint of computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat accounts, including one incident involving sextortion, as well as cyberstalking a 16-year-old juvenile.

An unnamed second person, identified only as "Juvenile 1" in the criminal complaint, was also charged in connection with the hack on July 30, 2020, in the Northern District of California for playing a "central role" in the Twitter attack and used the moniker Kirk#5270.

The complaint says the federal charges have been dismissed, and the case is now being handled by Florida, which has charged the unidentified juvenile with the state crimes of unauthorised access to a computer and scheme to defraud.

The July 2020 Twitter attack hijacked a variety of verified Twitter accounts, including then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The accounts of former President Barack Obama, reality star Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg an Kayne West were also hit.

The alleged hacker used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to take the extraordinary step of preventing some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours until security to the accounts could be restored.

A Justice Department spokesman said O'Connor is expected to have a detention hearing in Spain on Thursday. (Reuters)

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RTHK: Weinstein pleads not guilty to LA rape charges

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of rape and sexual assault involving five women in Los Angeles ahead of a second trial on accusations of sex crimes, prosecutors said.

Weinstein, 69, arrived at Los Angeles Superior Court for his first appearance there in a wheelchair, wearing a brown jail uniform, after being extradited from New York on Tuesday where he was serving 23 years in prison for rape and other sexual offences.

Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone and is appealing against his New York conviction and sentence.

In Los Angeles he faces 11 charges of attacking five women between 2004 to 2013. If convicted, Weinstein could spend the rest of his life in prison.

After entering his not guilty plea through his attorney on Wednesday, Weinstein was ordered to remain in jail until the next hearing on July 29, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said in a statement.

His attorney said he would seek to have three of the charges dismissed on the grounds that the statute of limitations has expired.

Weinstein, once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, is accused of raping two women at hotels in Beverly Hills on separate occasions, and with sexually assaulting three other women in the Beverly Hills or Los Angeles areas, according to the charges.

He had been fighting extradition on medical grounds, citing diabetes and cardiac, back and eyesight problems.

He co-founded the Miramax film studio, whose hit movies included "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." His film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018. (Reuters)

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The Big Ten Academic Alliance joins Direct to Open from the MIT Press

July 21, 2021 (Cambridge, MA)--Today, the MIT Press and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) announced a three-year collective action agreement that provides Direct to Open (D2O) access for all fifteen member libraries. An innovative, sustainable framework for open access monographs, D2O moves professional and scholarly books from a solely market-based, purchase model to a collaborative, library-supported open access model.

Developed over two years with the generous support of the Arcadia Fund, D2O gives institutions the opportunity to harness collective action to support access to knowledge. As participating libraries, the Big Ten members will help open access to all new MIT Press scholarly monographs and edited collections from 2022. In addition, the member libraries will gain term access to an archive of gated titles, including classic works from Rosalind Krauss, Daniel Dennett, Noam Chomsky, Paul Krugman, Sherry Turkle, and many more. D2O libraries also gain the benefit of discounting on the MIT Press's trade books collection on the MIT Press Direct platform.

"The MIT Press Direct to Open model advances the goals of the Big Ten Academic Alliance by supporting a sustainable path for open access scholarship," states Rob Van Rennes, Associate Director, Library Initiatives for the BTAA. "We're excited to be a partner in this community effort to build an equitable and sustainable ecosystem for our member institutions as well as the wider academic community."

The Big Ten Academic Alliance members are: Indiana University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Chicago. If D2O does not reach the success threshold for 2022, Big Ten libraries are assured this term access without paying the fee.

"We are thrilled to have the support of BTAA in our mission to make scholarly monographs and edited collections available as widely and openly as possible," says MIT Press director Amy Brand. "Their sponsorship will go a long way in helping to ensure the success of the D2O model. D2O will also guarantee that any author, regardless of their ability to source funding, is able to publish their accepted monograph open access with the MIT Press."

###

About the Big Ten Academic Alliance

The Big Ten Academic Alliance is the nation's preeminent model for effective collaboration among research universities. For more than half a century, these world-class institutions have advanced their academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty, and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs. Governed and funded by the Provosts of the member universities, Big Ten Academic Alliance mandates are coordinated by a staff from its Champaign, Illinois headquarters.

About the MIT Press

Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. MIT Press publications are known for their intellectual daring, scholarly standards, interdisciplinary focus, and distinctive design.

Media Contact

Kate Silverman Wilson

Community and Resource Development Associate

The MIT Press

One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142

kswilson@mit.edu

mitpress.mit.edu

This story has been published on: 2021-07-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has begun its search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

Flexing its 7-foot (2-meter) mechanical arm, the rover is testing the sensitive detectors it carries, capturing their first science readings. Along with analyzing rocks using X-rays and ultraviolet light, the six-wheeled scientist will zoom in for closeups of tiny segments of rock surfaces that might show evidence of past microbial activity.



Called PIXL, or Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, the rover's X-ray instrument delivered unexpectedly strong science results while it was still being tested, said Abigail Allwood, PIXL's principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Located at the end of the arm, the lunchbox-size instrument fired its X-rays at a small calibration target - used to test instrument settings - aboard Perseverance and was able to determine the composition of Martian dust clinging to the target.



"We got our best-ever composition analysis of Martian dust before it even looked at rock," Allwood said.



That's just a small taste of what PIXL, combined with the arm's other instruments, is expected to reveal as it zeroes in on promising geological features over the weeks and months ahead.



Scientists say Jezero Crater was a crater lake billions of years ago, making it a choice landing site for Perseverance. The crater has long since dried out, and the rover is now picking its way across its red, broken floor.



"If life was there in Jezero Crater, the evidence of that life could be there," said Allwood, a key member of the Perseverance "arm science" team.



To get a detailed profile of rock textures, contours, and composition, PIXL's maps of the chemicals throughout a rock can be combined with mineral maps produced by the SHERLOC instrument and its partner, WATSON. SHERLOC - short for Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals - uses an ultraviolet laser to identify some of the minerals in the rock, while WATSON takes closeup images that scientists can use to determine grain size, roundness, and texture, all of which can help determine how the rock was formed.



Early WATSON closeups have already yielded a trove of data from Martian rocks, the scientists said, such as a variety of colors, sizes of grains in the sediment, and even the presence of "cement" between the grains. Such details can provide important clues about formation history, water flow, and ancient, potentially habitable Martian environments. And combined with those from PIXL, they can provide a broader environmental and even historical snapshot of Jezero Crater.



"What is the crater floor made out of? What were the conditions like on the crater floor?" asks Luther Beegle of JPL, SHERLOC's principal investigator. "That does tell us a lot about the early days of Mars, and potentially how Mars formed. If we have an idea of what the history of Mars is like, we'll be able to understand the potential for finding evidence of life."



The Science Team



While the rover has significant autonomous capabilities, such as driving itself across the Martian landscape, hundreds of earthbound scientists are still involved in analyzing results and planning further investigations.



"There are almost 500 people on the science team," Beegle said. "The number of participants in any given action by the rover is on the order of 100. It's great to see these scientists come to agreement in analyzing the clues, prioritizing each step, and putting together the pieces of the Jezero science puzzle."



That will be critical when the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover collects its first samples for eventual return to Earth. They'll be sealed in superclean metallic tubes on the Martian surface so that a future mission could collect them and send back to the home planet for further analysis.



Despite decades of investigation on the question of potential life, the Red Planet has stubbornly kept its secrets.



"Mars 2020, in my view, is the best opportunity we will have in our lifetime to address that question," said Kenneth Williford, the deputy project scientist for Perseverance.



The geological details are critical, Allwood said, to place any indication of possible life in context, and to check scientists' ideas about how a second example of life's origin could come about.



Combined with other instruments on the rover, the detectors on the arm, including SHERLOC and WATSON, could make humanity's first discovery of life beyond Earth.



More About the Mission



A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).



Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.



The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.



JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.



Astrobiology,

Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter.
Kim Duyen to compete at Miss Universe 2021 pageant in Israel

Nguyen Huynh Kim Duyen will represent Vietnam at the upcoming Miss Universe 2021 pageant which is scheduled to take place in Israel this December.









Kim Duyen will represent Vietnam at the upcoming Miss Universe 2021 pageant.



The Israeli Ministry of Tourism made the announcement on July 21, noting that this year would mark their first time to host a Miss Universe pageant.



The 70th iteration of the pageant will be held in the resort city of Eliat in December, attracting the participation of approximately 100 contestants from across the world, including contestant Nguyen Huynh Kim Duyen from Vietnam.



Previously, the Miss Universe 2020 pageant had been postponed until May due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexican beauty Andrea Meza was crowned as Miss Universe 2020 and Vietnamese representative Khanh Van finished among the Top 21.



Kim Duyen stands at 1.73 metres tall and measures 90-60-95. Originally hailing from Can Tho, the local beauty won the first runner-up title during Miss Universe Vietnam 2019, the national competition which selects Vietnamese contestants to compete at the Miss Universe pageant.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 21, 2021

2021/07/21

According to work arrangement, Mr. Yue Xiaoyong is appointed as the new Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will take over the work of his predecessor Mr. Liu Jian. Mr. Liu Jian has successfully accomplished his mission as the special envoy and we would like to thank all relevant partners for their strong support. Special Envoy Yue is a senior diplomat, who has long been engaged in diplomatic practice and policy research and used to serve as Chinese ambassador to Qatar, Jordan and Ireland. The Afghan issue is now the focus of attention for the international community. China has all along actively participated in and promoted the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, attached high importance to communication and coordination with all relevant parties and international cooperation related to Afghanistan, and will continue to play a constructive role in the early realization of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Mr. Yue Xiaoyong will establish work relationship with colleagues from relevant parties as soon as possible and maintain close communication and coordination.

Shenzhen TV: Recently some ROK political figures have made negative remarks on issues relating to Hong Kong and THAAD. The Chinese ambassador to the ROK made clear China's position through various means like meetings and articles. Some in the ROK think these moves are tinted with the aim of interfering in ROK's domestic affairs and influencing elections. The ROK Foreign Ministry has also said it hopes China will act prudently. Does China have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I've noted the remarks by some ROK political figures on issues relating to Hong Kong and THAAD, many of which China finds unacceptable. I would like to stress that Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are purely China's domestic affairs. No country, organization or individual has any right to or should make wanton comments. With regard to the THAAD issue, China and the ROK have reached consensus on how to handle it at the current stage. This is an important foundation of the improvement and development of bilateral ties. We hope the ROK side will properly handle this issue in accordance with the bilateral consensus and make active efforts towards solving the issue once and for all. Chinese diplomats posted overseas have the responsibility to make clear China's position on issues concerning major interests of the country in a timely manner. This is by no means interference in domestic affairs or influence on elections of other countries.

China and the ROK are important close neighbors and strategic partners of cooperation. It is in the common interests of both sides to maintain, consolidate and develop China-ROK relations. I have noticed that the ROK will hold a presidential election next year. No matter which candidate is elected as the new president of the ROK, China is ready to work with the ROK to further advance our bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples. China upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. We cannot and will not seek to influence the ROK election. We also hope that the ROK politicians and the public will voice support for the development of China-ROK relations amid and beyond important domestic elections, and inject more positive energy into the bilateral relations.

CCTV: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the US said in a report released on July 20 that the US government identified and tracked 23 US natural gas pipeline operators targeted from 2011 to 2013 by an intrusion campaign, which they believe was conducted by state-sponsored Chinese actors. Do you have any response?

Zhao Lijian: This so-called report of the US side is confusing right with wrong and like a thief crying "stop thief". China firmly opposes and combats cyber attack in all its forms. This position is consistent and clear-cut.

In fact, the US is the largest source of cyber attacks targeting China. Data show that in 2020, relevant Chinese institutions captured 42 million malicious program samples. Of those originating overseas, 53% are from the US. If there is a ranking of hacking states, nobody other than the US can claim the top spot.

The US doesn't even spare its allies in tapping and surveillance. Wikileaks revealed in 2015 that the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone for many years and targeted 125 phone numbers of top German officials for long-term surveillance, and also eavesdropped on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. According to a report by Danish broadcaster DR this year, the NSA used its partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on calls and chat messages to and from telephones of senior officials of European countries in Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Documents leaked by Snowden on the US surveillance program Stateroom show that the US has been operating a highly secretive signals intelligence collection program in almost a hundred US embassies and consulates worldwide. Another case in point is the Crypto AG scandal. The Swiss company, founded more than half a century ago and specializing in communications and information security, was actually a puppet of the CIA, and the devices it sold to over 120 countries were rigged so that the CIA could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages.

People can tell right from wrong. The US has not a shred of credibility left on the issue of cyber security, making whatever it says more than dubious.

Phoenix TV: The US State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) tweeted that "the US welcomes Taiwan's expanding international partnerships and its work to address shared challenges, including COVID-19, investment screening, and supply chain resilience. We applaud the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania". Do you have a response?

Zhao Lijian: We firmly oppose the erroneous words and acts of the US. There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is a historical and legal fact that cannot be altered by anyone or any force in any way. The US should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, act prudently on the Taiwan question, stop helping Taiwan expand its so-called international space and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Global Times: By the afternoon of July 21, about 5 million netizens in China have endorsed the open letter calling on the WHO to investigate the Fort Detrick bio-lab. This has attracted much attention from Chinese and foreign media. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: Since the open letter was published on July 17, it has received encouraging responses from the Chinese people and endorsed by about 5 million people within 5 days. The increasing endorsement reflects the Chinese people's aspiration and their anger in the political manipulation by some in the US. A probe into Fort Detrick is long overdue, but the US has not done it yet.

The mystery of Fort Detrick remain unexplained and shrouded by suspicions. In July 2019, the US CDC issued a "cease and desist order" to halt most research at Fort Detrick. In the same month, there were reports on the unexplained outbreaks of respiratory disease in northern Virginia and on the subsequent EVALI outbreaks in Wisconsin. By the end of July, two retirement communities near the base experienced unexplained pneumonia outbreaks. In September, vaping-related lung illness cases doubled in Maryland where Fort Detrick is based. Even so, the US CDC refused to release critical information regarding the base's closure by citing "national security reasons". The Fort Detrick base has disturbing records and stains in history. The base has in its storage research outcomes of biological warfare from people recruited after WWII, including head of Nazi Germany's biological warfare lab and head of Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army that waged the war of aggression against China. According to US media reports, Fort Detrick stores large amount of viruses that severely threaten people's safety. What is the correlation between those incidents? When will the US make public explanations?

Investigating Fort Detrick is an appeal of people all over the world, including the Chinese people. It is a question that the US must answer. Facing the 630,000 American lives lost to the coronavirus, the US should be transparent, take concrete measures to thoroughly investigate the origins of the virus at home, thoroughly investigate the reason of its botched response and who should be held accountable, thoroughly investigate the mysteries over Fort Detrick and its over 200 overseas bio-labs, and explain the truth to people across the world and the international community.

South China Morning Post: I have two questions. The first question is about Wendy Sherman's visit to Asia. It is reported that she joined diplomats of the ROK and Japan in stressing the importance of jointly upholding stability of the Taiwan Strait. What's your comment on this? The second question is, defense ministers of Japan and the UK released a joint statement, saying that the UK will permanently deploy two warships in Asia. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: On your first question, I want to stress that, issues relating to Taiwan, Kong Kong and Xinjiang are all China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. The US and Japan, stuck in the Cold War mentality, deliberately seek bloc confrontation and attempt to form "anti-China encirclement". This runs counter to the trend of our times and the aspiration for peace, development and cooperation shared by the region and the vast majority of countries in the world. The US and Japan should immediately stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining regional peace and stability. China will resolutely safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests.

On your second question, we respect the freedom of navigation and overflight in waters around China enjoyed by countries in accordance with international law, but firmly opposes the practice of flexing muscles targeting China, which undermines China's sovereignty and security and sabotages regional peace and stability.

China News Service: Lately some US officials and media have been hyping up the claim that three researchers with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) fell ill in November 2019, which, they allege, adds to the credibility of the "lab-leak" theory. Does China have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: I want to ask the US a few simple questions. The US seems so sure of what it claims, then why not show the evidence? It falsely claims that three researchers with the WIV fell ill. Does it know their names or the diseases they contracted? If it's saying they tested positive for the novel coronavirus, where is the report? It's time for the US to answer these questions. Let me say this: the US couldn't show the evidence because it is lying. It is only seeking to stigmatize and demonize China in the name of conducting origins study.

Here are some more questions for the US.

According to the US NIH website, research has shown that evidence of infection in five US states appeared back in December 2019. How does the US respond to this?

In Florida, 171 people with no travel history to China had coronavirus symptoms earlier than the state's first reported case. How does the US account for this?

The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, got infected in November 2019, over two months earlier than the first confirmed case in the US. How does the US explain this?

The EVALI outbreaks that swept through several US states in July 2019 caused pulmonary symptoms highly similar to those of COVID-19. Can the US offer some clarifications?

The US instantaneously clams up whenever there is a call for an WHO investigation into Fort Detrick and the 200-plus US biological laboratories overseas. What dark secrets are hidden out of sight at Fort Detrick?

China Review News: On July 20, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in the Afghan capital Tuesday that struck near the presidential palace and said they targeted the presidential palace and the Green Zone in Kabul with seven Katyusha rockets. On the same day the spokesperson of US Department of State Price condemned the attacks. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: China strongly condemns the attacks, firmly opposes all forms of violent extremism, and will continue to staunchly support the Afghan government and people in combating terrorism and upholding national security and stability. We are ready to work with the international community to help Afghanistan achieve peace at an early date.

It should be pointed out that following the US' sudden announcement of a complete withdrawal from the country recently, Afghanistan has witnessed successive bomb attacks. The security situation there is grave, posing a serious threat to Afghanistan's peace and stability and people's safety. As the culprit of the Afghan issue, the US should act in a responsible manner to ensure smooth transition in Afghanistan, prevent a resurgence of terrorist forces, and facilitate the peace and reconciliation process.

Bloomberg: The US climate envoy John Kerry said that "on climate, cooperation is the only way to break free from the world's current mutual suicide pact." There have also been reports that Wendy Sherman halted her plans to visit to China because of a disagreement over who she should meet with. In your view, what are the prospects for China-US cooperation?

Zhao Lijian: As for Sherman's visit to China as you mentioned, I have no information to release.

Regarding the remarks made by Special Envoy Kerry, addressing climate change and promoting green development is the common responsibility of the international community, which calls for global actions, responses and cooperation. As the largest developing country and the largest developed country in the world, China and the United States share common interests in addressing climate change. We should step up communication and coordination, and play an exemplary role in the international community. That said, I want to stress that China-US cooperation in specific areas is closely related to the overall China-US relationship. The US should not, on the one hand, wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs and harm China's interests, while on the other hand, ask China to show understanding and support in bilateral and global affairs. The US should create favorable conditions for China-US coordination and cooperation in important areas.

China's national carbon market has recently started trading. Carbon emissions by companies covered in the first batch of trading are estimated to exceed 4 billion tonnes per year, making the market the world's largest in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China will make the stride from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality within a far shorter period than developed countries. This is a major strategic decision made by China based on the responsibility it has taken to build a community with a shared future for mankind and the intrinsic need to realize sustainable development. It will add new impetus and confidence to global cooperation on climate change. In addressing climate change and successfully achieving emission reduction, China expects the US to match its words with deeds, earnestly fulfill its due obligations and make its due contributions.

RIA Novosti: I want to ask about the Henan flooding. Do you have any information about whether there are foreign citizens among the victims and the injured?

Zhao Lijian: Recently, rare torrential rain has hit many places in Henan Province, flooding its capital Zhengzhou and some other cities. In accordance with President Xi Jinping's important instructions, the Central Government and Henan Provincial Government promptly organized flood control and relief efforts. The People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police set out to Henan immediately. Some enterprises and netizens also made generous donations. In time of disaster, our hearts go out to the people in affected areas. We believe that the people of Henan will tide over the disaster and do a good job in flood control and disaster relief as well as post-disaster recovery.

The Chinese government gives top priority to the safety of people's lives and property, and treats foreign citizens in China as equals. So far, we have not received any reports of foreign casualties in Henan.
Chinese premier stresses advancing basic research

Xinhua) 08:02, July 21, 2021

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, inspects the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and presides over a symposium on July 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for advancing reform of the scientific research project review and evaluation mechanism to encourage researchers to devote themselves to basic research.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks on Monday while presiding over a symposium at the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the NSFC.

The establishment of the NSFC marks a historic shift in the allocation of scientific and technological resources from planned distribution to competition, Li said, adding that the foundation should make better use of the valuable funds in supporting scientific research.

Li underlined the core position of innovation in the country's modernization endeavor, calling for stimulating the enthusiasm of the whole of society for innovation through deepening reform.

Noting that the technological bottleneck in many industries mainly lies in the weakness of original innovation, Li said that basic research is the cornerstone of promoting original innovation, science and technology, and industrial development.

Li called for an increased sense of urgency and said researchers should be encouraged to focus on scientific research and deepen international cooperation.

He also called for increased financial investment in basic research, the stimulation of enterprises to carry out basic research and applied basic research by means of tax incentives, and the strengthening of research on basic theoretical problems that hold back industrial development.

He emphasized enhancing education in basic subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry to cultivate more talents for basic research.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Income of China's rural residents up 14.1% in H1

Xinhua) 08:05, July 21, 2021

Farmers harvest pomegranates in Pishan county of Hotan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Oct 8, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- The per capita disposable income of China's rural residents reached 9,248 yuan (about $1,426) in the first half of the year, up 14.1 percent year-on-year in real terms after deducting price factors, an official said Tuesday.

The pace of growth of rural residents' income is 3.4 percentage points faster than that of urban residents, Zeng Yande, a senior official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told a press conference.

China's agricultural production and the rural economy thrived in the first half of the year. Summer grain output increased 2.97 million tonnes from last year to 145.8 million tons, reaching a record high, Zeng said.

The total planting area of summer grain increased by 265,500 hectares, reversing a five-year declining trend, while per unit yield also saw expansion for three consecutive years to hit a new high, Zeng said.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed pork output rose 35.9 percent year-on-year to 27.15 million tonnes in the Jan-June period.

The production of other major farm produce such as beef, mutton, poultry meat, milk and aquatic products also increased in the period, and the supply of vegetables and fruit was sufficient, Zeng said.

Supply and demand in the pork market will be in balance for a period of time, said Xin Guochang, an official with the ministry, adding that the profit of hog breeding may return to the normal level driven by consumption boom, but the period of high profit has passed.

Xin suggested farmers pay more attention to the early warning information from agricultural authorities and not arrange production with a speculative mentality.

To stabilize hog production, the ministry will work with related authorities to maintain the continuity and stability of land use, environmental assessment and financial policies, strengthen the monitoring and early warning of production and the market, and coordinate regulation on production capacity with pork reserve measures, Xin said.

China's rural economy logged steady growth during the period. The added value of the agricultural and sideline food processing industry rose 10.7 percent year-on-year, while rural tourism basically recovered to the level of the same period in 2019. Online retail sales of farm produce also maintained double-digit growth.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji)
Interview: Former general secretary of Communist Party of Israel highlights CPC's commitment to serving people

Xinhua) 08:37, July 21, 2021

JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has been committed to satisfying the common needs and interests of the Chinese people, a key reason why the CPC is able to embrace its 100th anniversary with full confidence, said Issam Makhoul, member of the political bureau and former general secretary of the Communist Party of Israel.

Recalling his two visits to China in 2006 and 2018 respectively, Makhoul said he was deeply impressed by the changes in the country as he saw a more flourishing, modern and technologically developed country during the second trip.

Having witnessed China's efforts to raise people's living standards, Makhoul said he appreciated the country's historical process to become fully modern and developed.

Hailing the idea of "socialism with Chinese characteristics," Makhoul expressed belief that at the core of Marxism is a socialism that develops in accordance with the changing historical, cultural, and social context of a specific place.

Under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people are moving towards the long-range objectives through 2035 and the goal of building a great modern socialist country by 2050.

"This is a very important promise not for the Chinese people alone but for the whole of humanity," he said.

China has been promoting a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, he said, adding that he appreciates China's vision represents a new way of thinking about international relations highlighting "shared interests."

The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the joint construction of the Belt and Road reflect a harmony of interests and will benefit the world, said Makhoul.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Justice urged in opposing politicization of virus origins

08:55, July 21, 2021 By MO JINGXI ( China Daily

[Photo/China Daily]

The overwhelming calls for justice made by more and more countries over COVID-19 origin-tracing work are in sharp contrast to the practice of certain countries that seek political manipulation, reject science and distort facts, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.

He made the remarks as another seven countries, including Grenada and Kiribati, endorsed the letter sent to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus opposing the politicization of the study of the origins of the virus. So far, 55 countries have endorsed the letter.

The WHO notified member states of its plan for the second phase of virus-origin studies at its Member State Briefing on Friday, which is inconsistent with the position of China and many other countries.

According to the spokesman, many countries, including Russia, Belarus, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, stressed at the briefing that the study of origins of the virus is a matter of science and cannot be politicized.

They also said that the report, "WHO-convened global study of origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part", should be upheld.

"This fully reflects where justice lies and what is the shared aspiration of the international community," Zhao said, adding that it also demonstrated that those who are impartial and objective, and who champion fairness and justice are in the majority.

He said that relevant parties should stop political manipulation of origin-tracing, stop using it as an excuse to shift the blame and stop deliberately sabotaging international cooperation on the study of the origins of the virus.

China urged relevant parties to act in a responsible and scientific way, and make contributions with the international community to defeat the virus and protect people's well-being, Zhao said.

At the news briefing, the spokesman also commended the professionalism and spirit of cooperation as demonstrated during the creation of the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists, which involved the participation of scientists from 21 countries.

The guidelines, which were recently endorsed by the InterAcademy Partnership, are a set of 10 guiding principles and standards of conduct designed to underpin biosecurity governance at national and institutional levels.

"This again shows that in the face of global issues, as long as we step up mutual trust and deepen cooperation, we can find effective ways and solutions to address them," Zhao said.

Noting that there is no boundary for biosecurity, the spokesman said that China will continue to be deeply engaged in global biosecurity governance, contribute China's wisdom and proposals, and work with the international community to jointly promote shared security and common development.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Respecting science and defending justice are what people want in COVID-19 origin tracing

09:01, July 21, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

As of July 19 (Beijing time), 55 countries had sent letters to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressing their support for the WHOs report on a joint study with China on the tracing of COVID-19 origins and calling on the international community to respect science and resist political manipulation in the COVID-19 origin tracing.

Photo taken on May 20, 2021 shows the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

The voices of justice from these countries, in stark contrast to the attempt of the U.S. and a small number of countries to resort to political manipulation, oppose science, and distort facts in the origin tracing, have fully demonstrated that the international community generally sides with justice and the truth.

For some time, a handful of countries led by the U.S. have become increasingly bold-faced in stigmatizing acts of other countries regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, labeling the virus, and politicizing the COVID-19 origin tracing.

While turning a blind eye to the results of the cooperation among scientists from many countries and hyping up the theory that the virus escaped from a Chinese lab, these countries openly made intelligence agencies lead the virus origin tracing and exhausted all means to defame China.

As a result of the unhealthy trend, some scientists who researched into the virus origins in the spirit of science and made objective and fair remarks on the topic have been subjected to political pressure, verbal abuse and even threats for no reason, which is a betrayal of the spirit of science as well as a blasphemy against civilization.

Foreign scientists and experts have concluded that the lab-leak theory has no scientific basis at all and remarked that they have no doubt about the natural origin of the novel coronavirus, which are consistent with the results of WHOs report on a joint study with China and are indisputably scientific and authoritative.

The reason why the U.S. determines to stand opposite the majority of countries and spread the lab leak theory is that it wants to scapegoat China for its incompetence in handling the pandemic, thus smearing China and containing its development.

The ulterior motive of the U.S. has become quite clear for many people in the international community who have fair and objective stance on relevant issues.

Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Columbia University in the City of New York, said in an interview that the former U.S. administration wanted to hype up the issue of COVID-19 origins study because it meant to politicize the issue and was not thinking about the science.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche, President of the Schiller Institute, a U.S. think tank, noted that to accuse China of making the novel coronavirus is a malicious effort and an old trick by the West to smear China.

By bending their efforts to political manipulation, the U.S. and a small number of other countries have hampered international cooperation in virus origin tracing, undermined global unity in fighting the pandemic, and sullied fairness and justice.

More and more people have stepped up to support science and facts and safeguard fairness and justice.

In February 2020, 24 medical experts issued a joint statement on The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, to condemn conspiracy theories related to the novel coronavirus and support China. Recently, they published a joint statement again on the medical journal, in which they refuted the lab leak theory and stressed that more recent, peer-reviewed studies strongly suggest that COVID-19 has a natural origin.

Massimo Galli, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the University of Milan-affiliated Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy, said at a committee for social affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the country that the coronavirus is an unknown virus with no signs of genome engineering inside.

Virus origin tracing is a long-term task. An increasing number of scientific researches have shown that the epidemic broke out in many places across the world. Considering the reality, the WHO-led next stage of virus origin tracing investigations should be carried out in different regions with a global vision.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U.S. recently published a new study which analyzed more than 24,000 stored blood samples contributed by participants across all 50 states during the first three months of 2020, and concluded that the virus that causes COVID-19 was present in the U.S. as far back as December 2019, weeks before the first officially reported cases on January 19, 2020. However, the U.S. government requested the NIH to terminate the study using the excuse that it has distracted virus origin tracing in China and is detrimental to the national security of the U.S.

While trying to hold China responsible for the pandemic out of political motives, the U.S. seems hesitant to have WHO experts investigate the virus origins in its own territory. Such an anti-science act deserves inquires from the international community.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has taken a scientific, professional, serious and responsible attitude in tracing the origin of the virus. It has taken the lead in working with the WHO in global origin tracing, and made positive contributions to the work.

No matter how certain countries engage in various kinds of political manipulation and try to stir up trouble in the international arena, they can neither change the fact that they have responded poorly to the pandemic nor the authoritative conclusions reached by the China-WHO joint expert group and the general trend of respecting science and upholding justice in the international community.

In the face of scientific evidence, facts, truth and justice, any attempt to politicize the virus origin tracing and lay the blame for the virus on others will only arouse strong indignation and opposition among more and more countries and will only end in failure.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Chinese medical team donates medical supplies to support TCM in Ghana

Xinhua) 09:36, July 21, 2021

ACCRA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese medical team to Ghana donated a consignment of medical supplies to a private hospital here Tuesday in a bid to support the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice in the country.

The items presented by the team to the China Traditional Herbal Hospital include 70 boxes of acupuncture needles, moxibustion tools, acupuncture charts, and many other supplies.

Kwame Nyame Bediako Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of the hospital commended the Chinese medical team for the kind gesture and stressed the importance of TCM in Ghana's healthcare delivery system.

"It means so many things to us, especially the acupuncture needles, the smoke for the treatment, the acupuncture chart, everything that they have given to us today, we say thank you," he said.

Stressing the efficacy of Chinese acupressure and acupuncture, Mensah said TCM is gaining so much popularity in Ghana that many locals take it as their first choice.

Zhuang Shaohui, chief of the Chinese medical team, who handed over the medical supplies to the hospital, said the rationale behind the donation is to deepen cooperation between the two countries as well as support in the treatment of common ailments in Ghana.

"China and Ghana are friends, and we really hope the Chinese treatment can help Ghanaians," she said.

Over years, the Chinese government has dispatched 10 batches of medical teams to Ghana, which helped augment the health service delivery in the West African country.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Chinese museums on CPC history wow expats

Xinhua) 09:46, July 21, 2021

TIANJIN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Irina Andreeva looked intently at the medals awarded to war heroes of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea and took photos. She immensely enjoyed the exhibition of revolutionary cultural relics being held in Tianjin.

"The medals were really beautiful and looked similar to our medals from the Soviet era. Actually, many items on display had some connection with my country," said Andreeva, a Russian teacher at the Tianjin Foreign Studies University, who was touched by the exhibits.

Andreeva was among a group of over 50 foreign expats from 20 countries who recently visited Tianjin Museum and Zhou Enlai-Deng Yingchao Museum in north China's Tianjin Municipality to learn about the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"The visit was very interesting. I knew many things about the Communist Party of China, and this time I grasped more about its history," Andreeva said.

In the museum in memory of late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and his wife Deng Yingchao, Andreeva was drawn to a gray car, a gift from the Soviet Union to Zhou.

"It showed that our countries had very close relations. I also saw exhibits about the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the countries. It was the first time I read this document, which was in Russian. I was so excited," Andreeva said.

She was touched by Zhou's unremitting efforts in diplomacy and the fact that he worked very hard in his last days despite failing health.

"I could understand why many of my students from other cities came to the museum. Zhou is worthy of being respected and commemorated. He was a great hero," Andreeva added.

On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on July 1, Andreeva watched the grand celebration on TV. "When I heard the song 'The Internationale,' I felt emotional. I knew the words and could sing them in Russian," Andreeva said.

Marina Bukharova, a Russian PhD student from the Tianjin Normal University, also had an unforgettable experience during the visits. "Zhou lived a simple life and his clothes, shoes and other items were very simple. It reminded me of cherishing what we have now," Bukharova said.

"I can also feel that the CPC is making people's lives better, improving their quality of life, and making them feel happy," Bukharova said.

Fredrick Okoth Otieno, a Kenyan PhD student at Tianjin Normal University, was impressed by China's technological development after the visit. "Having been in China for five years, I was accustomed to using mobile payment through WeChat and Alipay, and the country is still investing in new technology to make people's lives more convenient," Otieno said.

Otieno said he would go back to his country Kenya to help it develop with the help of knowledge gathered in China.

Peter Rogerson, executive principal of Haileybury International School in Tianjin, said he had been to many museums in China, but not until this tour could he put the CPC's entire history in a timeline. "This wonderful tour took me to the origins of the Party and through its 100-year history."

Having lived in Tianjin for about eight years, Andreeva regards China as her second home. "China has found a good way and moved step by step in the right direction. I'm absolutely sure China will become better and better."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Corban Festival celebrated in China's Xinjiang

Xinhua) 09:55, July 21, 2021

URUMQI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Muslim people across Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China on Tuesday celebrated the Corban Festival, also known as Eid al-Adha or the Feast of the Sacrifice, one of major festivals of Muslims in China.

Yahepjan Yalkun and his son, living in the city of Kashgar, bought a sheep before the festival. Yahepjan Yalkun, his family and his parents celebrated the festival together.

"In Kashgar, the holiday atmosphere is quite joyful. We wear new clothes, prepare abundant food, and visit relatives," Yahepjan Yalkun said. "To me, the Corban Festival is an occasion to relax and be with my family, which always makes me feel warm inside."

During the festival, residents of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang enjoy three days off, and local authorities guarantee sufficient supplies in markets, Elijan Anayat, a spokesperson with the Xinjiang regional government, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Abuduxvker Rehamdulla, the imam of Baida Mosque in the regional capital Urumqi, hosted a praying ceremony for Muslim residents living in the vicinity. Abuduxvker Rehamdulla has taken on religious duties since 1993. As a patriotic religious figure, he also participates in the administration and discussion of state affairs.

"In Xinjiang, believers of religions and non-believers share mutual respect and live in harmony," he said. "Religious venues have always been open to the public, and religious people can go in and out freely."

He said that there is no such thing as "restriction on religious freedom" in Xinjiang.

Ablekim Arken, a villager in the county of Toksun in Turpan, said he lives a much more well-off life than before. "As our country grows more prosperous day by day, our days are getting much better."

A Corban Festival night gala will also take place in the region. Miqlay Yiblayan, director of this year's gala, said that for each Corban Festival, Xinjiang authorities always organize outstanding artists to create high-quality shows and host cultural activities.

"This year, we've prepared many programs, which not only reflect people's life but also display unique ethnic cultures," she said. "I am sure that people will love it."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Maintenance workers examine bullet train in Kunming, Yunnan

Xinhua) 10:08, July 21, 2021

Maintenance workers check a bullet train in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 20, 2021. In the ongoing summer holiday travel season, China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. has carried out train maintenance work on a daily basis to ensure safety. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
US turns cyberspace into another anti-China battlefield, futile to contain Beijing'

Global Times) 10:16, July 21, 2021

In an apparent attempt to contain China and as part of its ceaseless efforts to form an anti-China chorus among its major allies, the Biden administration is seeking to turn cyberspace into a new battlefield by ganging up with its allies to accuse China of conducting cyberattacks worldwide, an allegation that was swiftly denounced by Chinese diplomats, internet institutions and experts as China has always been a long-term victim of US cyberattacks.

Such groundless accusations will not change the fact that the US remains the world's top spying empire with widespread malfeasance in cyberspace, and some of its recent spying scandals even put some of its allies into an awkward position.

Along with the US, NATO, the European Union, Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan and New Zealand accused China of a global cyber espionage campaign, an unusually broad coalition of Western countries coming together to publicly blame China for cyberattacks, according to media reports. Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice charged four Chinese nationals with targeting dozens of companies, universities and government agencies in the US and abroad, including three security officials and one contract hacker, Reuters said.

Chinese embassies and diplomats quickly denounced the allegations, urging the US and its allies to stop bashing China on this subject, as the US has been a mastermind of cyberattacks for a long time.

A slew of internet research reports published previously show that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been behind more than a decade of hacking activities targeting China's aerospace sector, scientific research institutions, internet companies, oil industry and government agencies.

Such ill-intentioned tactics by the US by confusing right and wrong and orchestrating "hacker blame" with its allies is considered another step of the Biden administration in confronting and suppressing China at a larger scale.

Some Chinese experts warned the new step could lead to a worsening China-US relationship which could spiral to a new low.

America 'culprit No.1'

Those allegations are absolutely unacceptable as they come out of political purposes with the aim of slandering and containing China, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday in response to the latest accusations by the US and its allies against China on cyberattacks.

The so-called technical details released by the US do not constitute a complete chain of evidence, the Chinese official said, noting that in fact, the US is the world's largest source of cyberattacks.

Over the years, China has been a major victim of cyberattacks. According to the annual report by the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC), in 2020 about 5.31 million hosts on the Chinese mainland were controlled by a total of about 52,000 overseas malicious program command and control servers, and the top three origins of overseas servers in terms of the number of compromised Chinese hosts are all from NATO member states, according to a statement of the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) in response to the accusations.

Since 2000, the US had already carried out extensive attacks on global education, operators and other servers on the internet side. Equation, a unit of the National Security Agency (NSA), has been hacking into important internet targets around the world, a leading anti-virus company Antiy Labs said in a document sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

The US has the world's largest cyberspace attack arsenal, including high-level malicious code covering the entire system platform and a large number of undisclosed vulnerability exploitation tools and attack platforms, Antiy Labs said.

According to the Chinese company, the US has been lurking, penetrating and attacking Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, and attacking countries including its allies if they purchase Huawei products.

The US also launched the "OlympicGames" campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities, and destructed Iran's nuclear facilities through the Stuxnet worm, severely slowing Iran's nuclear program. It was the first event to use malicious code to cause significant and irreversible damage to a physical facility, the company's document said.

By using products from EastNets to hack into the international banking system, known as SWIFT, the US has been trying to monitor money flows between Middle Eastern and Latin American banks, according to the document.

From time to time, some US institutions with far-fetched evidence hype the so-called threat of Chinese hackers. In fact, with the most advanced internet infrastructure and abundant tools, the US has been dependent on its massive internet hacking capability to attack a number of countries including China in order to steal intelligence, the Chinese firm said, noting that when the US accuses others of internet spying, its own cyberattacks and hacking activities have never stopped at global scale.

The Global Times learned from Chinese tech giant 360 Security Technology last year of a series of attacks against China's aerospace, scientific research institutions, petroleum industry and large-scale internet companies by a hacking organization affiliated with the CIA. The company found proof that the hacking group, APT-C-39, belongs to the CIA, and the hack was traced back to 2008, mainly targeting organizations in Beijing, South China's Guangdong and East China's Zhejiang provinces.

This is a typical trick of a thief crying "stop thief" staged by the US government again, a leading Chinese cybersecurity company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

The Chinese cybersecurity company said in the statement that China has been a major victim of advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks in 2020, and 44 APT organizations from different countries have launched over 3,000 cyber attacks at national level against China.

New weapon of US

The purpose of the Biden administration is clear, as cybersecurity issue has now become a new weapon for it to align its allies in competition with China in an all-out scale, following a number of issues that the US government has exploited to contain China including Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"Biden is familiar with such 'forming alliance' tactics in confronting China, for example previously he tried to form a vaccine alliance, a climate change alliance, a security alliance and so on. The cyberattack allegations add some new elements to such tactics," Li said.

At the NATO meeting in June, US President Joe Biden and the country's NATO partners stressed the security threats coming from China and Russia, and a description of containing China in NATO's communique was also considered as a shift in its strategy. Given its first joint accusation of China on cybersecurity, Zhao denounced the move as turning cyberspace into a new battlefield by introducing a military alliance into cyberspace.

"It won't be helpful for maintaining its own security, but it will provoke an arms race in cyberspace, increasing conflicts among countries in the internet [realm] and endangering peace and security," the Chinese official said.

The US recently used Denmark's secret service to spy on leaders of many European countries including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, arousing controversy and security concerns, as Denmark hosts several key landing stations for subsea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, according to media reports.

While the US has repeatedly claimed that it is under external cyberattacks and accuses China and Russia on this, observers noted that the recent spying incident on European leaders reveals the true face of the US.

Qin An, head of the Beijing-based Institute of China Cyberspace Strategy, pointed out that the US is using old tricks to contain China, as Biden wants to show its allies that the US is still leading the world. "Biden also wants to prove to Americans that he is better than Trump."

"If NATO really cares about its member states' cybersecurity, they should first discuss certain members' massive cyber theft programs against other members, Zhao said.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Hongyu)
British vlogger decodes how livestreaming e-commerce boosts China's rural development

Xinhua) 12:36, July 21, 2021

A British vlogger living in China has visited Pingli County in Ankang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to figure out how the young farmers there are bringing new vitality to rural economic development.

Livestreaming e-commerce has made great strides in China in recent years, with many young farmers who live in rural areas taking the chance to start their own online businesses and sell products directly to consumers nationwide.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China to regulate application of human-assisted reproductive technology

Xinhua) 12:46, July 21, 2021

Children take part in outdoor activity with the guidance of teacher at Beijing Primary School in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China will tighten supervision of human-assisted reproductive technology and related applications, according to a newly released decision on improving birth policies to promote long-term balanced population development.

In order to enhance the level of prenatal and postnatal care services, the country will strengthen planning and exercise strict assessment for approval of the technology, so as to build a service system of human-assisted reproductive technology with balanced supply and demand, as well as rational arrangements, the decision noted.

It also highlighted the importance of preventing birth defects by ensuring the health of pregnant, lying-in women and children in the meantime.

The decision, dated June 26, 2021, was adopted by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council. It was released on Tuesday.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Journey to Xinjiang: experience a rich culture and colorful life

13:42, July 21, 2021 By Walid Abdallah ( People's Daily Online

I have always believed that culture, with its invisible impact and magical power, brings people closer to each other. Culture makes people fall in love with a particular region and change their stereotypes about it, and brings back lots of good memories years after they have left it.

A stage photo of the original musical Twelve Muqam in Shache county, Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of A Date With China media tour)

I have had a taste of the endless charm and unique power of Chinese culture three times during my years in China. The first time was when I watched performances during the Zen Shaolin Music Grand Ceremony at the famous Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain in central Chinas Henan province.

The second time came while visiting the iconic Terracotta Warriors and watching the dance show the Song of Everlasting Sorrow, which is about the tragic romance between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty Li Longji and his concubine Yang Yuhuan, in Xian, capital of northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. And my recent trip to Xinjiang was the third time that I was charmed by Chinese culture.

A band plays traditional Uygur musical instruments. (Photo courtesy of A Date With China media tour)

Xinjiang is a land of art. Most amazingly of all, the regions art is very much alive, and found not only in museum exhibitions and theatrical performances, but also in peoples daily lives. One can easily find traces of art while wandering along the regions streets and bazaars or walking into local restaurants or residential dwellings.

Music is the most precious and universal art in Xinjiang, and the regions music-loving people have an innate musical talent. You can always see traditional musical instruments with local characteristics everywhere in bazaars large or small, stores, and residents' homes. In short, music is the soul of Xinjiang's culture.

In some restaurants, you'll meet people who have never formally studied art or music but can play melodious Muqam, the traditional music of the Uygur ethnic group. In a large theater of Twelve Muqam in Shache county with its small population in Kashgar, I watched a wonderful musical, whose artistic value rivals that of performers in some internationally known theaters. The musical makes you feel that you are back in the old days of the ancient Silk Road.

Photo shows the facade and decorations of a building in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (China Central Television/Chen Shangyu)

Xinjiang's distinctive architecture is also a knockout. The dominant color of buildings with different styles in the region is earthy yellow, while traditional patterns are extensively used on their facades and ornate wooden crafts and curtains remain key elements in interior design. Some ancient buildings are of historical importance, but they feature fewer traditional architectural elements than the renovated ones. I saw some gorgeous buildings in Kashgar's old city and Hotan city, which are architectural masterpieces.

I was also deeply impressed by the laid back lives of people in Xinjiang, which form a stark contrast with the hustle and bustle of life in some big cities. For example, you might see an elderly man sitting on a chair in front of his house, smoking a cigarette and watching passersby, or children playing in narrow lanes. But I seldom witnessed similar scenes in Beijing and other big cities.

Photo shows the woodcarved ceiling of a teahouse in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (China Central Television/Chen Shangyu)

People in the region have always held an optimistic attitude, which can be partly explained by their love for upbeat music and dance. Men and women, young and old will dance every time the music starts. Families and restaurant owners often place small tables on tetragonal low beds indoors so that people can sit around it and play music.

Xinjiang's traditional costumes, especially those for women, feature bright colors, which, in my opinion, are evidence of the local residents' happy lives.

Photo shows a tetragonal low bed in a villagers home in Shache county, Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of A Date With China media tour)

A Uygur lady wearing a traditional dress sings. (Photo courtesy of A Date With China media tour)

I have been living in China for 13 years, and it was the first time that I have taken a trip to Xinjiang. I was amazed by the beauty of the region, its rich culture and artistic atmosphere, as well as the happy and rich lives of the local residents. Although I have left Xinjiang, I wish I could stay longer there, and I very much look forward to returning to that beautiful land.

The author is an editor with People's Daily Online's Arabic version.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
We Are China

Hundreds of police officers rush to rescue people trapped by record rainfall in Central China

(People's Daily App) 14:10, July 21, 2021

Record rain hit the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Tuesday, causing severe traffic disruption and power outages.

Hundreds of police officers rushed to rescue people trapped by the rain.

(Video source: PLA Daily)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China issues regulation on promoting military-civil relations

Xinhua) 14:26, July 21, 2021

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Central Military Commission has issued a document promoting the relationship between the military and the people.

Focusing on forging closer military-civil ties to build a strong foundation to win wars, as well as consolidating and developing the unity between the military and the people, the document aims to comprehensively and systematically regulate such works.

The regulation, consisting of eight chapters and 43 articles, stipulates the guiding principles and basic tasks for the work enhancing military-civil relations.

The document details the main points for implementing such works in combat, military training and non-war military operations.

It will take effect on Aug. 1, China's Army Day.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Protection of rare monkeys helps increase villagers income in SW China

People's Daily Online) 15:04, July 21, 2021

Photo shows Phayre's leaf monkeys. (Photo/Zheng Shanhe)

Local government efforts to enhance ecological conservation and develop eco-tourism in Shuijing village, Xuangang township, Mangshi city under Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan province, in recent years has led to the rise of monkey-watching, which has helped boost the incomes of residents.

Under the guidance of local governments, local communities have rallied behind the ecological conservation efforts, and the number of Phayre's leaf monkeys, an endangered species under national first-class protection that once saw a dramatic drop in Shuijing as a result of deforestation, has been rising steadily due to the improved environment.

The village, now home to over 140 leaf monkeys, has been rationally exploiting the species to develop eco-tourism since they were photographed in January 2018 by Zheng Shanhe, a local nature photographer. Since then, Shuijing has become a magnet for Chinese wildlife enthusiasts.

Some villagers have started working as monkey guides, taking visitors on trips to forests.

Huang Qibang, 42, is one of them. His guiding service earns him at least 2,000 yuan (about $308.50) per month. In addition, some visitors also buy local specialties from him, further increasing his income. Due to the influx of tourists, Huang plans to run homestay and agritainment businesses.

While benefiting from the development of eco-tourism, local governments have stepped up efforts to further protect the monkeys. With the support of higher levels of government, Shuijing has installed various cameras to better monitor the habits of the species and set up a nature education center. The village has also assembled a team of forest rangers to protect the species, which is also helping to boost villagers incomes.

Huang also serves as a forest ranger. He patrols forests for at least 22 days each month and promptly reports the population and conditions of the monkeys to the township forestry station. Huang brings in 1,800 yuan a month from the job.

The village has also encouraged residents to plant traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, including dendrobium officinale, bringing another source of revenue for villagers.

Huang is one of those to have benefited from the plantation industry. I can earn more than 50,000 yuan every year by growing about 0.27 hectares of the plant, the man said excitedly.

A group of about 320 leaf monkeys now live in their habitats in Mangshi, forming the largest population of this species in a single region in China. The city is currently making efforts to further improve conditions for this precious resource.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China, Uruguay to strengthen parliamentary cooperation

Xinhua) 15:34, July 21, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks with Uruguayan Vice President Beatriz Argimon, who is also President of the General Assembly as well as the Senate, via video link on Wednesday, and both sides pledged to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between their legislative bodies.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China and Uruguay always treat each other as equals and respect each other, which has become a model of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries.

"China is willing to work hand in hand with Uruguay to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the continuous development of bilateral ties," he said.

Li called on the two countries to continue strengthening political mutual trust and firmly supporting each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns.

He also urged the two sides to strengthen cooperation to fight against the pandemic, deepen people-to-people exchanges, promote the joint Belt and Road construction, and strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Li called on the two countries to strengthen coordination in multilateral affairs, cooperate closely in multilateral institutions, uphold multilateralism, oppose protectionism, actively promote the overall cooperation between China and Latin America, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Li said.

The NPC stands ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Uruguayan General Assembly, Li noted, expressing the hope that two sides would strengthen high-level exchanges as well as friendly exchanges at all levels, deepen the exchanges of legislative experience, and approve and revise relevant legal documents in a timely manner, to create a favorable legal environment for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

He expressed thanks to Uruguayan political parties for their letter of congratulation on the centenary of the Communist Party of China and expressed willingness to carry out exchanges of experiences in strengthening governance capacity.

Argimon said that Uruguay attaches great importance to ties with China and stands ready to deepen all-round cooperation.

Expressing gratitude for China's support in Uruguay's fight against the pandemic as well as economic and social development, Argimon expressed the hope to strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies of the two countries and play an active role in deepening traditional friendship and expanding pragmatic cooperation.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Senior EU official hails China's carbon trading market

Xinhua) 15:43, July 21, 2021

BRUSSELS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the European Commission has hailed China's national carbon emissions market after it started online trading last week.

Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, on Friday tweeted: "Today I congratulated China on starting its national emission trading market."

"The @EU_Commission continues to support China in developing an effective and efficient nationwide emissions trading system that contributes to implementing the Chinese climate objectives," he added.

The start of the carbon market came as China's latest effort in realizing its goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

Carbon emissions by more than 2,000 power companies involved in the first trading group are estimated to exceed 4 billion tonnes per year, making the market the world's largest in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions covered.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
A Chinese diplomat's four decades of dedication

Xinhua) 15:43, July 21, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Liu Guijin started his diplomatic career as a messenger in the 1970s, sending parcels between China and its embassies and consulates around the globe, including Africa.

He has since formed a personal tie with the continent. After some 40 years in diplomatic service, Liu acquired the status of the "go-to man" on African subjects in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

In late June, the 76-year-old became a household name in China as he was among the 29 individuals receiving the highest honor in the Communist Party of China (CPC): the July 1 Medal.

Liu, the only person in the foreign service to receive the title, was honored for his outstanding contributions to promoting Sino-African friendship.

"The July 1 Medal is the collective honor of the diplomatic front," Liu told Xinhua. "I want to do more."

IN AND OUT OF AFRICA

In a career spanning 40 years, Liu visited almost every corner of Africa, promoting Sino-African friendship. He was once a counselor at the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia and ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa, respectively.

As the world's largest developing country, China has close ties with Africa, the continent with the largest number of developing countries.

"Both China and African countries are developing countries and they share similar historical experiences. This is what makes China-Africa relations close and solid," said Liu.

In 1981, Liu was stationed in Kenya, his first overseas posting. In the following five years, he only returned to China once on vacation. When he ended his tenure and returned home, his son had grown from a three-year-old to a second-grader. The pain of separation is common for many diplomats from older generations.

"Sometimes people only see the fancy side of diplomats, but not their sacrifice and dedication, which are key to foreign service work," Liu said.

Liu has an intense liking for Africa, committed to building "bridges" between China and the continent.

In May 1991, when he worked in Ethiopia, fanatical supporters of Mengistu Haile Mariam set fire to an ammunition depot following the collapse of his government, causing mass casualties.

Liu recalled his narrow escape during the chaos when a stray bullet hit his bedroom and fell right beside his pillow.

Though many embassy staff and Chinese experts left Addis Ababa amid the turbulence, Liu and several of his colleagues chose to stay, coping with food and water shortages and blackouts.

In 2001, Liu was appointed the Chinese ambassador to South Africa. During his stint, he had good ties with Nelson Mandela.

Liu recalled one of their close interactions: when he accompanied a visiting Chinese leader to Mandela's residence, the South African founding father was waiting in his courtyard and was very eager to talk about the epic Long March.

The Long March was CPC-led Red Army's 12,500-km trek in the 1930s, repelling more than 1 million enemy troops bent on pursuing it and eventually setting up a revolutionary base in northwest China, from where the CPC fought its way toward the national victory.

Mandela said while imprisoned on Robben Island in Cape Town, he was inspired by the stories of the Long March. Calling it a magnificent epic, Mandela regarded the struggle against apartheid in South Africa as a long march.

Mandela said he was convinced that the victory of the Chinese revolution was great encouragement and support for nations under oppression, Liu said.

In China, the retirement age for diplomats like Liu is usually 60. In 2007, however, the 62-year-old diplomat was once again appointed the first special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, with an initial focus on the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. He had helped diffuse several potential crises.

After the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against then Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Sudan reacted strongly, threatening to expel peacekeepers and humanitarian experts. Liu immediately flew to Sudan, mediating successfully to avert any potential outbreak of conflict.

When China's assistance for Sudan's development faced a smear campaign, he chose to interact with journalists as much as possible to clarify the facts and rushed to countries concerned to mediate.

"At that time, I was convinced that I must let the international community notice China, hear China's voice and understand China's position," Liu recalled.

FOCAC ESTABLISHMENT

In 2000, the first ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing, which opened up a new era in their relations. Liu, then director-general of the Department of African Affairs at the MFA, made significant contributions to this cooperation platform.

Liu and his colleagues helped design a slew of measures, including reducing and eliminating Africa's debt to China as appropriate and further opening up the market to the continent.

Thanks to the joint efforts of China and African countries, follow-up mechanisms of FOCAC were then discussed and adopted, including holding a ministerial conference every three years.

Two decades into its establishment, the forum has become a new model for friendly cooperation and common development among developing countries. Under the framework, China has supported African countries in constructing over 6,000 km of railways and roads, respectively, nearly 20 ports, and over 80 large electric power facilities.

China-Africa trade soared by 20 times, and direct Chinese investment in the continent saw a 100-time surge from 20 years earlier.

"Now this forum has achieved fruitful results," said Liu.

Though retired, Liu would still read books and news about Africa at home, and he has high expectations for young diplomats.

Diplomats should have a wide range of knowledge, be disciplined and dedicate themselves to their country, according to Liu.

"Always feel the need to learn more so that you can better represent the country and its people to complete the mission," he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China reaps another bumper summer harvest thanks to policy incentives

People's Daily Online) 16:14, July 21, 2021

Chinas summer grain output totaled 145.8 million tonnes in 2021, an increase of 2.97 million tonnes or 2.1 percent from last year, continuing 18 consecutive years of bumper harvests, the National Bureau of Statistics said on July 14.

A farmer harvests wheat in the fields of Qianzhuanmen Village, Fucheng County, Hengshui City, north China's Hebei Province, June 13, 2021.(Xinhua/Zhu Xudong)

This has laid a solid foundation for ensuring that the total grain output this year remains above 650 million tonnes. The success was mainly attributed to the countrys supportive policies for the development of agriculture.

To incentivize farmers to grow grain, China has increased the minimum purchase price of rice and wheat, given more rewards to major grain-producing counties, and extended farm insurance to fend off risks and stabilize income from grain production.

East Chinas Jiangsu province allocated a total reward of 133 million yuan to its 26 major grain-producing counties in early 2021, with each county receiving rewards ranging from 5 million to 10 million yuan.

Efforts have also been made to ensure that no arable land is wasted and no farming season is missed. The total area devoted to growing winter wheat increased by more 3 three million mu (about 200,000 hectares) this year, guaranteeing a bumper summer harvest.

The country has allocated 1 billion yuan from its central budget to assist agricultural production and disaster relief and support local governments in the prevention and control of crop diseases and pests.

At the same time, China has continuously improved its level of agricultural mechanization. At present, 97 percent of the countrys wheat, 94 percent of rice, and 78 percent of corn has been harvested by machines, improving efficiency and reducing grain losses.

So far, over 600,000 combine harvesters have been used in wheat harvesting this summer across the country. By making use of subsidies for purchasing agricultural machinery and tools, central Chinas Henan province has seen 5,000 more combine harvesters being used this year. It has repaired 3.02 million agricultural machines of various kinds and trained 166,000 agricultural machine operators so far.

Operators have helped bring down harvesting losses by over 1 percentage point in many parts of the country. Reducing the loss in harvesting will ensure more grain output, remarked Kong Xiangzhi, a professor with the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development under Renmin University of China. If the loss in wheat harvesting can be cut by 1 percentage point, over 1.25 billion kilograms of the crop will be saved nationwide, Kong added.

China has also established 194,000 agricultural machinery organizations to provide comprehensive services for farmers. These organizations ensure that their grains will be harvested in a timely manner, and therefore help them save costs and increase incomes.

In addition, the country has promoted the wider use of superior crop varieties and application of agricultural technologies, including science-based fertilization, water-saving irrigation, the integration of water and fertilizer, and prevention and control of crop pests and diseases.

This summer, the cultivation area of high-quality special wheat accounted for 37.3 percent of the total, up by 1.5 percentage points compared to last year.

Chinas Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs sent 260,000 agricultural technicians to various parts of the country to promote the use of more than 100 technologies. As a result, the yield of wheat per mu increased by 4.2 kilograms this summer.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Strawberry Music Festival kicks off on racetrack in NE China

People's Daily Online) 16:29, July 21, 2021

Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the CPC Fuxin Municipal Committee)

The Strawberry Music Festival kicked off in Fuxin, a city in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province, on July 17, 2021. 60,000 square meters of lawn was laid on the racetrack field for the festival, which had been converted from an abandoned mining pit, attracting nearly 20,000 music lovers from around the country on the first day.

In recent years, Fuxin has been transformed from a coal-dependent city to a more eco-friendly place. The auto racing industry has put the city on a more sustainable and prosperous path.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun)
Expo shows post-pandemic resilience of China's tourism industry

Xinhua) 16:35, July 21, 2021

XI'AN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Xi'an Silk Road International Tourism Expo, which concluded on Sunday, has shed light on the strong recovery momentum in China's tourism sector in the post-COVID-19 era.

Tourism projects involving 17.5 billion yuan (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) of investment were inked at the expo, its organizers have said.

The event in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and home to the Terracotta Warriors, was attended by more than 800 tourism firms and institutions from China, as well as diplomats and exhibitors from 15 countries and regions.

Despite the decreased scale of the exhibition due to COVID-19 restrictions, booths were crowded and exhibitors noted the great enthusiasm of tourists.

"Now is the peak summer holiday travel season, and people are showing great enthusiasm for travel. We hope to promote Ngari at the expo to bring in more tourists," said Wu Hengyang, with the tourism bureau of Ngari Prefecture, while busy handing out pamphlets to a crowd of keen enquirers.

In the first half of the year, Ngari in the Tibet Autonomous Region received more than 430,000 visitors, bringing in a tourism revenue of 498 million yuan, said Wu. Those figures are up 55.5 percent and 41.9 percent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2019.

China's tourism industry welcomed a fast recovery in the first half of 2021. Domestic travel and tourism revenue had respectively recovered to approximately 77 percent and 70 percent of their levels in the first half of 2019, according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy (CTA).

Chinese people made 2.36 billion domestic trips in the first half of 2021, up 153 percent from the same period in 2020, the report read.

New opportunities also arose as the pandemic prompted the industry to embrace new technologies.

The epidemic in 2020 cultivated consumers' online shopping habits, which led to the deepened integration of tourism and the digital economy, said Gao Zili with the online travel service provider Qunar.com.

"More and more established tourism industry practitioners have taken the initiative to cooperate with online platforms to develop new products and seek new opportunities," said Gao.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China's three-year preschool education enrolment rate exceeds 85 pct

Xinhua) 16:37, July 21, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The gross enrolment rate of three-year preschool education among children of the right age in China had reached 85.2 percent as of 2020, an education official said Wednesday.

Lyu Yugang, head of the basic education department of the Ministry of Education, said at a press conference that 84.7 percent of the country's kindergarteners are enrolled in government-funded or private affordable kindergartens.

Noting that the progress has helped ease the chronic problem related to China's preschool education, the official said the ministry will further improve work to promote public access to such services.

The gross three-year preschool education enrolment rate is expected to exceed 90 percent by 2025 with accessibility to non-profit and affordable service enhanced, the official said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China to strengthen after-school services to support three-child policy

Xinhua) 17:06, July 21, 2021

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Lyu Yugang, an official with the Ministry of Education, said Wednesday that after-school services will be further promoted as a support measure for China's three-child policy.

All the compulsory education institutions in the country will provide after-school services starting this fall semester, Lyu told a press conference, adding that efforts will be made to ensure all students in need have access to such services.

The after-school services will be provided in every school day, for a duration of no less than two hours, depending on the local daily work hours, Lyu said.

Schools will be encouraged to extend the after-school services if necessary and maximize the attractiveness of such services, the official added.

By the end of May, a total of 102,000 primary and junior high schools in China had launched after-school services, benefiting 65 million students who could not be timely picked up when school hours ended, Lyu said.

China on Tuesday released a decision allowing a couple to have three children and rolling out a slew of support measures, ranging from tax breaks to more nurseries and flexible work leave to encourage births.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Xinjiangs new frontier: Rural e-commerce shining bright in China's sunny northwest

17:07, July 21, 2021 By Luke Witzaney ( People's Daily Online

With its ample golden rays of sunshine, Xinjiang has been one of the primary beneficiaries of the countrys ongoing rural e-commerce revolution. The region serves as a major agricultural production base in China and is renowned for its large cornucopia of fruits, flowers and nuts, many of which have been cultivated in the area for millennia.

Like the rest of the country, rural e-commerce has opened the door to the online marketing of a multitude of agricultural and traditional products produced in the region, including those specialty items produced in poverty-stricken areas recently connected to the world wide web with Wi-Fi and broadband access.

Farmers carry freshly harvested Hami melons in Hami City, a prefecture-level city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 27, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Hua)

Online retail sales of agricultural products in the region surged by 35.04 percent in 2020 to reach 12.1 billion yuan (1.8 billion USD), among which fresh fruits made the largest contribution at 64.45 percent, valued at 7.8 billion yuan (1.2 billion USD).

With Chinas Ministry of Commerce having spearheaded programs in recent years aimed at supporting county-level cities to expand e-commerce down to the village level, Hotan City in southwestern Xinjiang managed to get its comprehensive demonstration zone for e-commerce off the ground starting in 2017 with the founding of an e-commerce park.

The municipal-level e-commerce park caters towards all seven counties in the wider region, with 118 depots spread out in villages across the prefecture, the center itself having achieved a combined 8 million yuan (1.2 million USD) in e-commerce sales in 2020, boosting the incomes of more than 1,000 households registered in the national poverty alleviation system.

According to Wang Tao, vice-director of Hotan Citys Bureau of Commerce, Industry and Information Technology, traditional producers of local agricultural products have long relied on the direct sale of their raw foodstuffs to a limited number of customers and distributors situated nearby, missing out on a wider domestic market and the more lucrative value-added functions associated with a comparatively more well-rounded value chain.

After we introduced e-commerce, we could spur on these producers to upgrade their products, making them suitable for marketing online, in this way raising the value of the items and enhancing profitability, which likewise increases the incomes of farmers who grow the produce.

Ershat Ibrahim introduces locally produced rose tea to prospective buyers online at a regional e-commerce center in Hotan City, Hotan Prefecture, in northwest Chinas Uyghur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie)

Ershat Ibrahim quit his job at a private company in the large industrialized metropolis of Urumqi, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the big city to look for entrepreneurial ventures further afield in the regions vast countryside, settling on the small county-level city of Hotan for its rich agricultural and traditional crafts industries.

When collecting together some of the local material culture found in the countryside, I discovered many handicrafts that were being lost to time or otherwise hitherto unknown, hoping to take advantage of the business opportunities presented by these items, he said.

Ibrahim has now been operating an e-commerce startup for the past six months together with four colleagues, making use of Douyin and other livestreaming platforms to multiply their customer base and sell local products to online shoppers from all over China. While operating a business in small rural towns and villages may present a number of challenges, the team embarked on the enterprise knowing that they could transform these challenges into their advantage with the help of the Internet and other modern technologies.

When opening up a physical shop, the flow of customers is limited to those passing by your front door, but by setting up an online store one can achieve exponential growth in customer volumes.

So far, rose tea and rose jam have been the best-selling items for the e-commerce vendor, with the stores overall revenues reaching as much as 30, 000 yuan (4,640 USD) per month and with significant potential for further growth moving forward.

Online influencers Zhu Huating (left), Aliye Ablimit (right), and Muqeddes Weli (center) stand inside a vineyard while reaching out to their followers from across the country during a livestreamed broadcast promoting fresh grapes grown locally in Turpan, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. (Peoples Daily Online/Kou Jie)

Standing mid-day in the mid-point of a vineyard on the outskirts of the city center in Turpan, eastern Xinjiang, at temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius, 34-year-old Zhu Huating together with 24-year-olds Aliye Ablimit and Muqeddes Weli host a livestreamed broadcast promoting one of the localitys hottest commodities  fresh-off-the-vine white seedless grapes. Sustained historically by an ancient underground irrigation system, the fertile oasis city of Turpan is the leading grape growing region in China and plays host to Grape Valley, a national 5A-level scenic area of lush green vineyards featuring grapes in myriad varieties.

The trio spend four hours every day on scene in the fields reaching out remotely to their followers located across the country, earning at least 9,000-10,000 yuan a month for their role as online influencers intermediating between buyers and sellers of agricultural products bought and sold in a virtual marketplace.

E-commerce can allow people to better understand Xinjiang. Since Xinjiang is quite remote, those living in eastern China cant fully appreciate what the region is like, explained Zhu, who came to Turpan from Jiangsu Province three years ago. By watching our short videos or live-streamed broadcasts, everyone is able to see Xinjiangs cultural and specialty products for themselves.

During the main harvesting season, in mid-July, their livestream feed can generate as many as 5,000 orders in a single day at an average of 60 yuan per transaction, with more demand for the botanical berry than can be met with the limited but bounteous local supply.

Before when there was no e-commerce, fresh grapes could only be dried and turned into raisins since there was no way to store them, but now with platforms to sell fresh produce the grapes can be purchased directly, fetching a much higher sales price and significantly boosting the incomes of local farmers.

Livestreamed broadcasts have emerged in a big way to become an important engine driving renewed growth in Xinjiangs e-commerce industry. In 2020, sales on livestream e-commerce channels in Xinjiang topped 1.21 billion yuan, with well over 175 million visits from people participating in a total of 16,393 livestreamed broadcasts.

Ablimit, a Turpan native, became an online influencer after first taking part in livestreaming sessions several years ago, having now built up a fan base of 360,000 followers on her social media account. Her parents, taking up work as local grape growers, tend to more than 20 mu (1.33 hectares) of grapevines, and now solely rely on their tech-savvy daughter to market and sell their prized fruit of the vine to eager buyers far and wide.

Her colleague Weli, also born and raised locally, shares a similar experience as a livestream influencer, and relishes in the opportunity to relay stories about Turpan while sharing its best and most distinctive features to her 920,000-strong fan base online: Im so excited to serve as an ambassador and broadcast my hometown to our audience. Livestreaming tripled her households annual income and now she is able to support her single mother who has since retired from the painstaking work of cultivating their familys 4 mu (0.26 hectares) plot of grapevines.

When asked about her future plans, her face lit up with an expectant glance towards the distant horizon: I hope to make more friends from all corners of the country, she said. I still havent travelled outside Xinjiang, so my biggest dream is to go out and have a look at others own regional specialties.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
By Yang Zhongjie

The Afghan situation has seen tremendous changes recently after the US announced its earlier withdrawal of troops from the country. Taliban and the Afghan government are fighting and talking at the same time, and out-of-the-region forces are weighing in at a faster pace, whose sustained and intensified struggles will cast a pall over the future of Afghanistan.

Battles & bargains

After the US announced its earlier withdrawal of troops, the Afghan government and Taliban have engaged both in confrontation and negotiation, plunging the country into constant turmoil.

On the one hand, conflicts remain intense. The Afghan Ministry of Defense released a statement on July 17 saying that the government forces had attacked Taliban troops in the provinces of Nangarhar, Ghazni, Balkh, Samangan and Kabul, killing 284 armed personnel, injuring 205 and dismantling a batch of rough-and-ready explosive devices placed by Taliban.

On the other hand, negotiations are stalled. Foreign media reported that Abdullah, Chairman of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), and Baradar, Director of the Taliban Political Office in Doha, held a new round of peace talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on behalf of the Afghan government and Taliban, during which they agreed to form a 14-member committee comprising representatives from both sides. Russian media also revealed that the Taliban negotiator said they would announce a three-month ceasefire on the condition that the Afghan government releases 7,000 prisoners and the UN takes Taliban out of its blacklist.

Accelerated joining of various parties

A summary of foreign reports shows that several countries have stepped up their interference in Afghanistan after Americas hurried withdrawal.

The Russian Ministry of National Defense released the news that the country and central Asian countries will hold a series of joint exercises near the Afghan border in the near future. The Afghan situation is getting out of control with imminent regional threats.Although communication has been formed with Taliban, military organizations including the SCO need to be fully prepared for all threats from this direction, said a Russian military expert.

According to Turkish media, Turkish President Erdogan said he had reached an agreement with the US that his country would take over and station the Kabul airport in the capital of Afghanistan.The Afghan government supported the plan saying the presence of Turkish troops would help fight back the Taliban. Taliban responded that it would view Turkey as an occupier if it didnt pull back its troops on schedule. According to some military experts, taking over the Kabul airport would be the first step of Turkey getting involved in the Afghan issue, and it would hold sway over the Afghan situation if it controlled the gateway in and out of the country.

Afghan media also reported that India had brought tens of tons of weapons and ammunition with transport planes to Afghanistan days ago, allegedly in response to the Afghan governments call to help defeat Taliban. In response, the spokesperson for Taliban,SuhailShaheen said they welcome India to continue its assistance and reconstruction work in Afghanistan after Taliban takes power, but it should not provide any military support for the government forces.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on July 13, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said London will work with Taliban if it takes over the Afghan government, saying that the British government would engage with any party that comes in power as long as it observes international rules. He added that Taliban is in urgent need of international recognition and capital for national construction, a goal thats impossible to achieve if it continues to be designated as a terrorist organization.

Gloomy prospects

In sum, the culprit for the tightening situation and aggravated foreign interference in Afghanistan recently is Americas Afghan policy. After it packs up and leaves the country in ruin, Afghanistans security situation will face more uncertainties and the prospects of peace are dimmer.

Political turbulence lingers. Analysts said the Afghan government forces will hardly put up any effective resistance against Talibans overwhelming attacks now that they have lost the strong support from American troops, adding fuel to the flame of military and political instability in Afghanistan.

Terrorism may come back. Wall Street Journal commented that Americas irresponsible withdrawal of troops has aggravated the security situation in Afghanistan and may turn the country into a hotbed of terrorism again. The extremist organization Islamic State (IS) may rebuild its foothold here, which will be catastrophic for Afghanistan and its neighbors.

Foreign forces will crowd. American troops pulling back has left a huge power vacuum in central Asia, where foreign forces like Russia, Britain and Turkey and close neighbors like India may step up their interference. At the same time, the Biden administration wont sit idle while watching central Asia falling into the hands of others. It may adopt new and aggressive measures in regions around Afghanistan, and its movements should be closely and consistently watched.
By Nie Shuyi

On July 19, local time, the US gathered its European and Asia-Pacific allies to smear China hiring hackers to carry out cyber-attack on their private companies. US officials threatened that the US and its allies would not rule out taking further actions to hold China accountable.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made a solemn response on July 20 that a small number of countries cannot represent the whole international community, and defaming others will not whitewash themselves.

For a long time, accusing the Chinese government of "supporting hacking activities" is part of the US's deterrence strategy against China. The US tries to establish a leading position in the virtual world by suppressing China. Since the Biden administration came to power, it has pushed the country to play a leading role in cyberspace and tried its best to weaken China's influence in the international governance of cyberspace. Labeling China as a "cyber attacker" is an old trick by the US to tarnish China's image in cyberspace.

What is different from the past is that the US has drawn in its allies to gain momentum this time. The Hill commented that drawing in allies to pressure China on cyber-security issues is Biden administration's new direction to confront China.

No matter how bluffing the US and other Western countries are, they cannot hide the fact that it is the "thieves who call for catching thieves". China is one of the main victims of cyber-attack. According to the data from the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC), in 2020, 52,000 computerservers controlled by malicious programs outside of China controlled about 5.31 million mainframes in China, and the US and its NATO allies are among the top three in term of the number of these controlled mainframes. In addition, APT-C-39, a cyber-attack organization of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has conducted cyber penetration and attack on Chinas key areas, such as aerospace research institutions, the petroleum industry, large-sized Internet companies and government agencies, for as long as 11 years.

The perpetrators of cyber-attack are now accusing the victims of creating cyber-attack. Such a sheer fabrication of rumors and a reversal of black and white is backed by nothing but its political purposes to defame and suppress China.

While the US and those Western countries accused China with so-called righteous words, they seem to have forgotten that just in May of this year, the US was exposed to make use of Denmark to monitor senior officials of many European countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel; In February last year, American, German and Swiss media jointly disclosed that the CIA secretly acquired a Swiss encryption equipment manufacturer to crack all confidential documents transmitted by the equipment with deliberately-planted bugs; Assange, a founder of Wikileaks, once revealed that the US has developed more than 2,000 cyber weapons, making it the world's largest cyber weapons power; not to mention these eavesdropping scandals such as "PRISM" and "WikiLeaks" that have been revealed in the past few years. Every case shows that the US is "the largest home of hackers" in the online world.

Cyber-security is a global issue that concerns the common interests of all countries and needs to be jointly maintained by the international community. Politicization and stigmatization bring no benefits to solve cyber-security issues, but further weaken mutual trust among countries and affect their normal cooperation in this field. The US and the West should take care of their own problems of eavesdropping, rather than being busy with making groundless accusations against China on cyber-security issues and engaging in small circle diplomacy.

Editor's note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
By Liu Jianwei, Wu Min, Sun Xingwei

ZHENGZHOU, July 21 -- As of press time, the Chinese PLA Central Theater Command has mobilized more than 5,700 troops, including armed police forces and militia, along with more than 148 vehicles and vessels in central China's Henan Province, to engage in disaster relief in 30 places in parallel, after downpours dramatically hit many places across this central China province and caused serious waterlogging, mudslides and landslides.

On the early morning of July 20, the dam of Yihetan in Yichuan County, Luoyang City was breached and the dike was seriously damaged. An engineer chemical defense brigade under the PLA 83rd Group Army was quickly dispatched to explode dam to shunt the flood.

At about 16:00 on July 20, Changzhuang reservoir in Zhengzhous Zhongyuan District was opened to discharge flood. The Zhengzhou detachment under the Peoples Armed Police (PAP) Henan Contingent dispatched more than 150 soldiers to join the disaster relief.

In the wee hours of July 21, a brigade of airborne troops sent 650 members and 38 vehicles to the breach section of Jialu River in Xiangfu District to reinforce the dam.

By this morning, nearly 200 service members from the PLA Rocket Force in Henan rushed to flood-stricken Zhengzhou City, bringing with canoes, life vests and other necessary life-saving devices, and large-piece equipment will follow as needed.

Militia members were also mobilized to resist the flood and save people in the shortest time.

The PLA Zhengzhou Garrison mobilized more than 1,000 militiamen to evacuate the residents, divert flood and block leaks.

At 18:00 on July 20, many passengers were trapped inside a subway in Zhengzhou due to flooded tunnel and power failure. Over 100 militia members rushed and successfully rescued them.

The Peoples Armed Forces Department affiliated to Jiaozuo Military Sub-command mobilized militia forces in heavy rain to relocate 2,500 residents safely, while militia members assigned to Kaifeng and Luoyang Military Sub-command joined local disaster relief.

Furthermore, the PLA Zhengzhou Joint Logistic Support Center also emergently dispatched nearly 200 service members with equipment. The No. 988 Military Hospital sent medics and ambulances to transport the injured. The PLA Information Engineering University also organized over 300 service members to join the battle against the flood in the first place.

It is learnt that the Joint Commanding Center of the PLA Central Theater Command is now running around the clock to command rescue operations on the frontline.

An engineer chemical defense brigade under the PLA 83rd Group Army rushes to a breached dam in Yichuan County, Luoyang for disaster relief on the early morning of July 20, 2021.

Service members assigned to the PAP Henan Contingent are engaged in disaster relief on July 20, 2021.

PLA Rocket Forces service members in Henan rush to flood-stricken Zhengzhou for disaster relief on the morning of July 21, 2021.

The PLA Zhengzhou Joint Logistic Support Center emergently dispatched nearly 200 service members with equipment for emergency rescue and disaster relief on July 20, 2021.
Commander died trying to rescue fellow troops during clash with Indian military

Xiao Qianwen saw her husband Chen Hongjun for the last time on June 5 last year.

"Will you love our baby if it's a boy?" Xiao, then pregnant, asked Chen during a video call that day.

The answer was a firm "yes", but Chen, an officer who served in the military for more than a decade, would never know if his baby was a boy. A few weeks after that last call, Chen died in a skirmish at the border.

Born in 1987, Chen grew up in a small town in Gansu, a landlocked province in northwestern China. In the rural area where he lived, becoming a soldier or a university graduate is seen as an honorable accomplishment, and he had done both.

In 2005, Chen began studying psychology at Northwest Normal University, a leading school in the province. He passed the police recruitment exam in his final year at school and was ready to be a member of the local SWAT team, but he opted not to join.

Later, Chen saw a military draft notice on campus.

Without any hesitation, he signed up for it because it offered him a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream. "When he was young, Chen often 'stole' his uncle's army cap and put it on his head, and I remember when one of his high school classmates was recruited by the military, Chen borrowed the uniform from him and took a picture with it on. He told me that one day, he would have his own uniform," said Ding Nianbi, Chen's mother.

Chen Hongjun leads a training exercise of armored units on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. LI JUNLEI/XINHUA

In 2009, Chen began serving in the People's Liberation Army Ground Force at the border area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In the following years, Chen was assigned to different positions in the border defense regiment and had consistently performed well. His prowess led to him becoming the youngest commander in the infantry battalions under the regiment last year.

For nearly half a century, the border between China and India on the Karakoram Mountains has been contested, and conflicts between both sides have occurred occasionally.

According to PLA Daily, the military's flagship newspaper, since April last year, "foreign troops" have severely violated the previous agreement between the two militaries by crossing the borderline to build roads and bridges. They have intentionally instigated problems and even attacked Chinese soldiers that were sent for communication, the newspaper said.

In June, tensions escalated as Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Actual Control at Galwan Valley, which the PLA saw as a violation of the bilateral agreement. Following the rules and terms for border dispute management that had been agreed upon by both sides, Qi Fabao, a commander of the border defense regiment, led several soldiers to negotiate with the foreign troops and tried to solve the problem.

The newspaper report said that during the negotiation, Qi discovered that the Indian military, which had ignored Chinese soldiers' efforts for a peaceful resolution, had hidden and deployed a large number of soldiers in the hope that the Chinese troops would be scared off due to sheer numbers.

Despite Qi and his soldiers being outnumbered, they bravely defended themselves in the face of the Indian troops' steel bars, clubs and rocks before Chen and his men rushed to protect Qi.

Qi was rescued, but as Chen led his men to a safer area, he saw several Chinese soldiers were besieged. Once again, Chen and his soldiers charged forward.

The skirmish was short, but it cost Chen his life.

"Before we were ready to rescue those soldiers at the valley, Chen said he would lead us there and promised to take everybody back safely," said Qu Yuanjun, one of the officers who participated in the rescue. "However, he was unable to keep his promise that time."

In February, the Central Military Commission gave Chen the honorary title of "Hero Safeguarding the Motherland and Protecting Borders".

As this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee decided to award, for the first time, the July 1 Medal to 29 Party members who have made outstanding contributions to the Party and the people.

Chen was selected as one of the honorees. While his heroic deeds proved his loyalty to the country, they also brought infinite grief to his family.

"He had bought a house close to his sister's home for us. Perhaps he thought she would take care of us in case he left us one day," said Ding, who is still struggling with her son's death.

In a television interview, Xiao said among her husband's belongings that were returned to her, she found his wallet, which contained a photo of their wedding.

As the family headed to the cemetery housing Chen on April 3, police officers in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, led the way, with motorcycles flashing red and blue lights to pay tribute to the martyr.

As Xiao stood with the family in front of Chen's tombstone, she held their baby boy, who was born four months after his father's death.
Around 300 people have been rescued so far, and an unknown number remain trapped. Local media outlets report that train floodwaters were lowering.

Riders posted videos on social media as they awaited rescue in waist-high muddy waters. A passenger named Xiaopei posted on Weibo that "the water in the carriage has reached [their] chest."

Heavy rainfall forced the subway system in Zhengzhou, capital of China's Henan province, to shut down Tuesday, stranding passengers.

Henan province, home to about 94 million people, experienced severe rains through the past week. On Tuesday, the region's meteorological station issued the highest threat level, a red warning, as rains are expected to continue for the next 24 hours, Reuters reported.

A representative of the city of Xu Liyi, a member of the Standing Committee of Henan Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee said the high levels of rainfall were unusual.

Extreme weather events have surged this summer in China, with recent flooding in Sichuan province killing hundreds of citizens and forcing thousands to evacuate the area. Officials of Greenpeace International, an environmental group, warn that China's rapid urbanization will increase the frequency of climate disasters.

Speaking to the Chinese media, Liu Junyan of Greenpeace said "because of the highly concentrated population, infrastructure and economic activity, the exposure and vulnerability of climate hazards are higher in urban areas."
The number of daily coronavirus infections reached a new record on Wednesday morning with 1,784 people testing positive.

The previous record was set just a week ago despite tightened lockdown in the Seoul metropolitan region. While Seoul's streets were mostly empty, more people are fleeing to the provinces as the peak holiday season approaches.

On Tuesday, authorities in Busan, where 95 coronavirus cases were reported, and the neighboring towns of Changwon, Jinju and Tongyeong, also tightened lockdown, and the same is being considered in Daejeon.

New infections are led by the Delta variant. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that 52.6 percent of 2,381 people who tested positive last week had variant infections and 951 the Delta strain, a 20-percent increase from a week earlier.

Experts fear that the Delta variant will account for more than half of all infections in Korea soon. According to the KDCA, 77 people died or developed critical symptoms after testing positive in the past three weeks, almost doubling from the previous 21 days.


Ex-President Park Geun-hye was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul again on Tuesday after complaining of shoulder pain.

The Justice Ministry said Park was hospitalized for pain in the same shoulder she earlier had surgery on and will remain in hospital for a while.

Park has been held at a prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province since March 2017. She spent 78 days in the same hospital after surgery in September 2019 to repair a torn rotator that effectively paralyzed her arm.

Park has also been treated for a spinal injury at the same hospital and by an acupuncturist who visited her in jail.

In January, she was quarantined at St. Mary's Hospital after coming into contact with a prison guard who had tested positive for coronavirus but tested negative later.

The same month, the Supreme Court upheld her convictions for corruption, bribery and abuse of office and jailed her for 20 years.
A person allegedly involved in a high-profile Twitter hack in July 2020 has been arrested.

The U.S. Justice Department said British citizen Joseph O'Connor, 22, was arrested Wednesday in Spain. He faces conspiracy and computer intrusion charges. O'Connor allegedly participated in the hijacking of more than 130 verified accounts, including those of SpaceX's Elon Musk, former U.S. President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden, to ask for Bitcoin.

Twitter's immediate response was to prevent many verified accounts from tweeting for several hours. O'Connor also is suspected of taking control of TikTok and Snapchat accounts and of cyberstalking.
Gov. Greg Abbott says he will not impose another statewide mask mandate, despite COVID-19 cases being on the rise again.
The COVID-19 vaccine is not required and is not yet available for those children under the age 12
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In this photo provided by the Medford Fire Department, officials work at the scene of the Roosevelt Circle overpass on I-93 southbound in Medford, Mass., Monday, July 19, 2021, which was extensively damaged after it was hit by an oversized tractor-trailer hauling a large metal structure. A 7-foot section of the overpass and a beam that runs along it will need to be demolished as part of the repair, authorities said. The overpass will remain closed during the work, and transportation officials said it will be several months before it's fully reopened. (Medford Fire Department via AP)
eBay and Top Officials Named in Federal Lawsuit Filed by Law Offices of Rosemary C. Scapicchio; Allegations of Systematic and Psychological Torture Aimed at Silencing Journalists
PRESS RELEASE

12500 N.E. Tenth Place  Bellevue, WA 98005  JPFO.org  800-869-1884  info@jpfo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  July 20, 2021  Contact: Floyd Neeland

Gun rights back at U.S. Supreme Court

Civil rights group files amicus brief with U.S. Sup. Ct.

Every American has a Second Amendment right to self-defense, which is at the heart of an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, supporting a challenge of New York State concealed carry laws by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association.

JPFO is joined by the DC Project Foundation and Operation Blazing SwordPink Pistols. The brief was prepared by attorneys Charles R. Flores and Daniel N. Nightingale, Beck Redden LLP in Houston, Texas.

Jews, Blacks, Gays, Women and other victims of hatred are under increased threats, making them more vulnerable, JPFO contends.

"Whatever arguments may be made or invented for gender equality, men are at virtually no risk for rape. Police are incapableand it is settled law that they are not even legally requiredto act in defense of any individual," said Alan Korwin, author and spokesperson for the organization. "When seconds count, citizens are on their own. The Supreme Court must act on behalf of the people, and remove New York's unconstitutional ban on our right to bear arms for personal safety," he said.

With calls for defunding the police rampantand acted upon in some segments of societythe need for an unfettered ability to act in self-defense has become paramount, the organization said. This is one key element of the amicus brief filed today by JPFO. Both the Heller and McDonald decisions recognized the need for arms to defend "homes, families or themselves," (referring specifically to Blacks), which was "widely held." In McDonald the need for women is emphasized since they are "especially vulnerable to violent crime." The LGBTQ community is disproportionately affected by violent crime, more than four times more likely and rising. Extensive statistics are backed up with citations and deep research included in the brief.

Requiring people to be defenseless is, in JPFO's opinion, indefensible, violating not only the Constitution, human rights and common sense, but the Torah itself. So-called "gun-control" legislation exacerbates the problem.

"New York pretends its police can meet the need, but this is fantasy and goes against legal precedent," JPFO said. "The New York law, which requires 'proper cause' to receive the nearly impossible-to-get carry permit, denies decent citizens the right to defend life, liberty and their constitutional rights, in an arbitrary and capricious manner. People of color, LGBTQ and religious groups face particular risk. The standards New York applies are unreasonable, designed to deny rights, not to protect citizens."

To New York, even "a showing of extraordinary personal danger, documented by proof of recurrent threats to life or safety" (their unreasonable standard) gets turned down, JPFO said. That state believes you have no rights. This long standing unconstitutional and lethal affront must be overturned.

#####
Paris Jackson says her godfather, Macaulay Culkin, helped her with her American Horror Stories audition.

The 23-year-old actress and musician  who is the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe  stars in the FX series, which is a spin-off of the main American Horror Story universe, and called on her godfather and acting icon for help for her audition.

Macaulay joined the FX universe for the forthcoming 10th season of the main series, and so Paris knew she could confide in him to give her advice.

She said: "They were very, very uptight about the NDAs and things like that. But I did figure, he signed an NDA, he's in the AHS family. I feel like if I could tell anyone, it would be him."

Paris plays mean girl Maya in the first two episodes of American Horror Stories, and her character comes face-to-face with the franchise's iconic Murder House.

And before landing her role, she learned from Macaulay to overdo parts of her audition to make them more theatrical.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

She added: He said overdo it at certain points. Kind of like, overact and kind of make it theatrical."

Paris also said she and her godfather exchanged behind-the-scenes photos with each other from their respective AHS sets.

Speaking to E! News, she said: "I sent him a picture of my face covered in blood and then he sent me a picture of blood in his hair. It was cute."

The Home Alone icon has been a longtime friend to Paris, and said back in 2018 he was protective of the actress.

Macaulay  who is also godfather to Paris brothers, Prince and Blanket  said: "I am close with Paris. I'm going to warn you now I am very protective of her so just lookout. I am a very open book when it comes to things but like with her, she is beloved by me.
WASHINGTON  Two days after being named by GOP House leadership to a select committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, northeast Indiana Rep. Jim Banks has been rejected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had final say on the membership of the 13-member panel.

Pelosi, the Democratic leader of the House, rejected not only Banks, the chairman of the Republican study committee, but also Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.

Banks was selected on Monday by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as one of five GOP representatives to join the 13-member panel. Banks was also tapped to the be the ranking Republican manner on the panel, which will have a 7-6 partisan split with Democrats in the majority.

In a statement, Pelosi cited no specific reason for rejecting Banks and Jordan, other than concerns about the impact their appointments may have on the integrity of the investigation.

The Select Committee on the January 6th Insurrection will investigate and report upon the facts and causes of the terrorist mob attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. It will also be charged with reporting its findings, conclusions and recommendations for preventing future attacks, Pelosi said in the statement. With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee.

Banks, in accepting the nod from McCarthy on Monday, issued a statement that included a swipe at Pelosi and the role of the committee.

Make no mistake, Nancy Pelosi created this committee solely to malign conservatives and to justify the Lefts authoritarian agenda, Banks said in his Monday statement. Even then, I will do everything possible to give the American people the facts about the lead up to January 6, the riot that day, and the responses from Capitol leadership and the Biden administration. I will not allow this committee to be turned into a forum for condemning millions of Americans because of their political beliefs.

He reiterated that sentiment on Wednesday in response to the Speaker blocking his appointment to the committee.

Im a sitting member of Congress and served my country in Afghanistan and the Speaker knows how hard I will fight for my country. We said all along that this was a purely partisan exercise by the Democrats and Nancy Pelosis rejection of me and Jim Jordan shows once again she is the most partisan figure in America today, Banks said. The American people deserve the truth. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi is afraid of the facts.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

Banks, like most House Republicans, hadnt supported either effort to launch a congressional investigation of the Jan. 6 incident, during which thousands of supports of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol grounds, where they battled law enforcement agents before breaking into the Capitol and invading congressional chambers and offices.

Banks voted against creating a 9/11-style commission that would have been created with an even split of Democrats and Republicans and that was ultimately blocked when Senate Republicans voted against it.

Banks also voted against creation of the 13-member House select committee.

McCarthy had also selected Jordan, a dogged loyalist to former President Donald Trump, as well as Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas.

Banks, Jordan and Nehls had all voted against certification of the 2020 election results.

Davis, had been one of 35 House GOP supporters of a bipartisan, 9/11-style commission that would have had an even 5/5 partisan split, while Armstrong was one of seven House GOP members who signed onto a letter on Jan. 3 opposing efforts to invalidate or overturn the election results.

The sixth Republican slated to to the committee is Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was appointed directly by Pelosi along with seven Democrats. Cheney has been a vocal critic of the big lie that the election was stolen from Trump, a position that cost her her leadership position in the House Republican caucus.

After Wednesdays announcement that Pelosi was rejected Banks and Jordan, McCarthy retracted all five of his nominees and said he would not take part in a sham process unless she changed course and took his caucus members.

McCarthy also said Republicans would pursue their own investigation, should changes not be made, although the GOP has thus far expressed little interest in digging deeper into the causes and effects of the Jan. 6 assault.
Press Release

July 21, 2021 'Roused from the dead, what mutated variant is new car inspection scheme?' - Recto The unpopular private motor vehicle inspection scheme has been "roused from the dead," and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto is asking government to explain to the public "what variant it has set loose." "It has been put into a coma upon orders of Malacanang. Now it appears that it has mutated into something else," Recto said. He called on the government to explain to car owners the "specs of this new order from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), whose endorsement of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) services seems to border on the mandatory." "Ang pakiusap lang po natin sa ating mga kaibigan sa LTO at DOTR ay ipaliwanag ang pangangailangan nito at ipakita ang legal na batayan kung bakit binuhay nila ang ganitong programa," Recto said. "Specifically, has the revival of the mothballed PMVIC scheme been given a go-signal by the Office of the President?" Recto asked, citing the fact that it was the same office which suspended its implementation. Recto said the LTO should also demonstrate to the public that the scheme "will not result in long lines, longer processing time, and longer travel time to faraway PMVIC sites." "If a car owner will opt for an inspection done by the LTO, are the facilities of the latter adequate? Is this option available all the time, so they will not be shepherded to private testing centers?" he said. In a Memorandum Circular No. MC-SC-2021-02 dated July 5, 2021 and published in newspapers, the DOTR sets the guidelines for LTO to only accept Motor Vehicle Inspection Reports from PMVICs in their designated areas. "Ang ibig po bang sabihin nito, ang isang LTO district office ay may katambal na suking PMVIC at kailangan po bang mag-detour sa PMVIC bago magpa-rehistro?" Recto said. He said LTO should also clearly specify the scope of the inspection, and the fees for each. Recto warns that if this rule is mishandled by the DOTR, "it may tarnish whatever legacy the present administration is trying to build in the transportation sector." "To its credit, airports, seaports and railways are being built and completed. Why contaminate a nice report card by forcefully ramming a scheme, which as presented, breeds confusion and complications?" Recto said. "There is no debate as to the need to allow only roadworthy vehicles on our highways. Lahat tayo agree doon," he said. "But to blame every road accident on poorly maintained vehicles in marketing PMVICs not only absolves the culpability of reckless drivers but also the failure of government to build safe roads," Recto said. "Kahit F1 team pa ang maintenance ng Vios mo, pero may underpass na walang ilaw, barriers na hipan lang talsik na at nakakalitong road signs, madidisgrasya ka talaga," Recto said.
Unmarried couples who cohabit, otherwise known locally as Come We Stay partners, will not be entitled to inherit the property of their spouse in the event of their death.

This is according to the Succession Amendment Bill, 2019 sponsored by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.

In passing the Bill, MPs rejected an amendment that would have allowed a cohabiting spouse to inherit the property of their significant other following death.

Kaluma had sought to introduce an amendment that would have allowed couples who have cohabitated for at least three years before the death of one partner to inherit the properties of their partner.

Unsurprisingly, male lawmakers outrightly rejected the emendation, with the Bill seen as one way MPs are seeking to block mistresses from claiming their family estates upon their death.

The Bill stipulates that only a spouse as defined under the Marriage Act, 2014 qualifies for inheritance. This is despite cohabitation being recognised under the Marriage Act as an arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship that resembles a marriage.

Had the MPs accepted Kalumas proposal, come we stay couples who havent formalized their union but were introduced to both families as living as husband and wife would have been allowed to inherit the properties of the deceased.

The Bill was passed in the most rigid form. The House rejected my additional amendments, which had sought to create room for persons in legitimate cohabitation to inherit property, Kaluma regretted.

The lawmakers argued that if a person is serious in any union, that person should be properly married before being allowed to inherit the properties of their deceased partner.

I oppose these amendments. If you want to marry, please marry and let people know, otherwise your dependents will suffer while courts take forever to settle disputes on how to share your properties, Minority Leader John Mbadi argued.

Nominated MP David Sankok added: If you love someone, go to the Attorney-Generals chamber and get a marriage certificate and if you are loved, be formally married.

If you are not formally married, then you are not needed and if someone doesnt need you while alive, then even in death he doesnt want you, so keep off his properties.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo on her part regretted that the House missed the opportunity to pass an important amendment. She maintained that cohabitation is a form of marriage legally accepted by the Constitution.

If you have stayed with a man for three years, then you are not selling mangoes, you are actually married. We have missed an important amendment because of excitement, she said.

The Succession Amendment Bill, 2019 also limits the dependents entitled to inherit the property of a spouse and who qualifies as a child of the deceased  whether or not maintained by the deceased before death

The list includes the deceaseds parents, grandparents, grandchildren, stepchildren, children that the deceased had taken into his family as his own, brothers and sisters, as well as half-brothers being maintained by the deceased before death.
The Indian Ministry of Defense has published the request for proposal (RFP) on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, for the production of six indigenously made conventional submarines in collaboration with the local and foreign defense industries, for the program, called P-75(I) India.

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INS Karanj - third Kalvari class Submarine was commissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, March 2021. (Picture source Indian Navy)

Under the P-75 program, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines, which will also feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range



Project-75(I) envisages indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines (including associated shore support, Engineering Support Package, training and spares package) with contemporary equipment, weapons & sensors including Fuel-Cell based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion Plant), advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state of the art countermeasure systems. This would provide a major boost to the indigenous design and construction capability of submarines in India, in addition to bringing in the latest submarine design and technologies as part of the project.



The RFP was issued to the Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the two Indian companies shortlisted following a long-drawn process, according to the Indian defense ministry.

Both L&T and MDL will have to collaborate with one of the five already short-listed foreign shipyards  Daewoo Shipbuilding (South Korea), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (Germany), Navantia (Spain) and Naval Group (France) and JSC ROE(Russia).

Currently, Indian Navy has a total of 16 submarines including one Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, four Shishumar-class diesel-electric attack submarines, three Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarines based on the French Scorpene-class submarine and eight Sindhughosh-class Russian-made Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines.
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Moscow court commutes sentence for unauthorized rally participant

 Moscows Meshchansky District Court

14:33 21/07/2021

MOSCOW, July 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has reduced from 3.5 to 3 years in prison the sentence of Pavel Green-Romanov for assault on a National Guard officer at an unauthorized rally, the press service of the court told RAPSI.

This April, the Moscow Meshchansky District Court sentenced Green-Romanov to 3.5 years behind bars.

Then the man was found guilty of the use of force against a representative of authority after he used pepper spray against a National Guard officer on January 31.

The defendant pleaded guilty as charged.
PRESS STATEMENT

July 21st, 2021

The Editors Guild of India is shocked by the media reports on the wide spread surveillance, allegedly mounted by government agencies, on journalists, civil society activists, businessmen and politicians, using a hacking software known as Pegasus, created and developed by the Israeli company NSO. The reports, which have been published worldwide over the last few days by a consortium of 17 publications, points towards surveillance by multiple governments across the world. Since NSO claims that it only sells this software to governments clients vetted by the Government of Israel, it deepens suspicion of involvement of Indian government agencies in snooping on its own citizens.

While some of the instances of surveillance might have been targeted against those who may be seen as credible national security threat, what is disturbing is that a large of such targets were journalists and civil society activists. This is a brazen and unconstitutional attack on freedom of speech and press. This act of snooping essentially conveys that journalism and political dissent are now equated with terror. How can a constitutional democracy survive if governments do not make an effort to protect freedom of speech and allows surveillance with such impunity?

This is a moment that demands deep introspection and inquiry into the kind of society we are heading towards, and how far we may have veered away from the democratic values enshrined in our constitution.

The Guild demands an urgent and independent inquiry into these snooping charges, under the aegis of Supreme Court of India. We also demand that this inquiry committee should include people of impeccable credibility from different walks of life- including journalists and civil society- so that it can independently investigate the facts around the extent and intent of snooping using the services of Pegasus.

Thanks and regards,

Seema Mustafa, President

Sanjay Kapoor, General Secretary

Anant Nath, Treasurer
[July 20, 2021] RealPage To Acquire G5, Leader in Real Estate Marketing Optimization RealPage, Inc., a leading global provider of software and data analytics to the real estate industry, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire G5 Search Marketing, Inc. ("G5"), a leading pure-play provider of digital marketing, advertising and analytics solutions to the real estate sector. RealPage plans to combine G5's industry-leading solutions with its end-to-end real estate platform, significantly accelerating RealPage's vision for marketing optimization and ultimately a better renter experience for its customers. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2021. G5 serves over 8,300 sites and has a strong presence in Multifamily, Senior Living and Self-Storage. Since its founding in 2005, G5 has invested in a data-driven SaaS (News - Alert) platform that leverages machine learning to automate marketing decisions and customization at scale. Customers deploy G5 to increase property performance, reduce tenant acquisition costs and minimize friction in the renter experience, driving higher net operating income. "We are seeing a significant transformation in marketing as our customers transition from a focus on lead generation to optimizing the overall renter experience," said Steve Winn, CEO of RealPage. "This requires forward thinking to both measure and optimize the ROI of the renter journey for our customers. RealPage has been at the forefront of innovation in this arena, enhanced by our acquisition of LeaseLabs in 2018. G5 will help us take this a step furthe. Their AI / ML-driven decisioning engine leverages the data platform to automatically optimize marketing strategies and drive significantly greater operating efficiencies at the PMC level."

Winn continued, "We are thrilled to join forces with the G5 team and welcome them to the RealPage family. Over the past 15 years, G5 has built an exceptional reputation in the industry, an incredible team of technologists, engineers and marketers, and a rich culture that will perfectly complement what we have built at RealPage." Dan Hobin, CEO and Founder of G5, added, "We are extremely excited to kick off the next chapter of G5, and the timing has never been better. The industry is undergoing a massive transformation, and it is time for the next generation of marketing platforms and capabilities. Together with RealPage, I believe we will be a powerhouse in the sector and will set the standard for renter experience and marketing optimization for years to come." RealPage plans to retain G5's employees and operations in Bend, Oregon. About RealPage RealPage provides a technology platform that enables real estate owners and managers to change how people experience and use rental space. Clients use the platform to gain transparency in asset performance, leverage data insights and monetize space to create incremental yields. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Richardson (News - Alert) , Texas, RealPage currently serves over 19 million units worldwide from offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit RealPage.com. About G5 G5 is a leading digital marketing software and services platform for multifamily properties. G5's mission is to empower clients to outsmart and outperform their competition through smarter marketing, unmatched marketing technology, and a deep bench of talent that puts marketing performance first. Founded in 2005, G5 currently provides marketing solutions for more than 8,300 sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. Based in Bend, Oregon, G5 is backed by private equity investor PeakEquity Partners. Learn more at GetG5.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210720006162/en/

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Emma Byrum Weaver 101, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on July 17, 2021. She was born, raised and lived in the Tenleytown community of Washington, D.C.



After retirement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Services where she served as an administrative assistant and later as executive secretary to the administrator of NOAA. Emma and her husband Allen moved to Cobb Island, MD in a home they had purchased in 1952. They later renovated into a year-round home. While in Cobb Island, Emma was a member of the American Antique Association, Charles County Chapter and many other civic organizations. After Allen developed Alzheimer's and entered into entered Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Emma moved into the Wildewood Village in St. Mary's County, MD to be closer to him.



She is preceded in death by her husband Allen, her parents Emory L. and Annie E. Byrum, her sister Louise Cudmore, five brothers, Emory, Thomas, William, Octavius and Pete and a beloved grandmother "Granny Roaten". She is survived by many nephews, nieces and friends.



Visitation will be at 10:00 am with a Funeral Service at 11:00 am, Friday, July 23, 2021 at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory at 30195 Three Notch Rd, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Interment will be at Culpeper National Cemetery at 305 US Ave, Culpeper, VA 22701, Monday, July 26th at 11:00 am.



In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hollywood United Methodist Church 24422 Mervell Dean Road, Hollywood, MD 20636, or a charity of your choice.



Condolences may be sent to her nephew, Ron Weaver 8323 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, Va. 22308 or at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com



Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
WTC (DV/PJ) Charles John "Charlie" Galbreath, Ret., USN, 76, of Waldorf, MD departed this life on Friday, July 16, 2021 at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. He was born on April 9, 1945 in Norfolk, VA to the late William Robert Galbreath and Frances Elizabeth (Meachum) Galbreath.



A kind, generous man who was dedicated to his family, Charlie was blessed to have met the love of his life, Chieko Nozaki Galbreath and make her his bride. They've been happily married for over fifty-four (54) years and welcomed their cherished daughter, Lisa. Charlie loved being a husband and father and eventually a grandfather to his beloved, Abigail.



Charlie was a proud American, who served his country throughout his life. He enlisted in the United States Navy as a young man in September, 1963 and fought in the Vietnam War and later was involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Charlie was devoted to his country and made a career of his military service. Throughout his career, he earned many accolades for his dedicated service. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer from the Navy, but would continue his support of the government by working for various government contractors as a UXO/Demolition Supervisor.



A patriot through and through, he was an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Affairs and the American Legion Post 0297. Charlie believed deeply in the 2nd Amendment and was a life time member of the National Rifle Association, St. Charles Sportsman's Club, and the Northern Virginia Gun Club. Charlie loved to go to the rifle range to target shoot. His interest in firearms had him learning the art of gunsmithing and kept him avidly reading about military history. When he just wanted to sit back and relax, he enjoyed doing Sudoku puzzles.



Above all, Charlie loved his family and enjoyed spending his time with them. He was proud of his granddaughter and found so much happiness just being with her. He would share stories and anecdotes about life and she will be able to carry them with her for many years. If you knew Charlie, you know a great man has left his family members and friends to reminisce about his quick wit and caring nature. His love for his family, country and God will carry in his loved ones. He will be missed by many but none as much as his family.



Charlie is survived by his wife, Chieko Galbreath of Waldorf and daughter, Lisa Galbreath, of Waldorf, MD; granddaughter, Abigail Vanasse; and his brothers, Christopher M. Galbreath (Lynn) of Knoxville, TN and William R. Galbreath (Jane) of Bakersfield, CA; and nieces, cousins, uncles, aunts and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Frances Galbreath.



Private services will be held. Interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.



In lieu of flowers the family would request donations be made to the National Rifle Association, at https://donate.nra.org/donate.



Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com



Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
At the age of 10, Mark MacDonald attended his first Gold Cup & Saucer in 1988. Dr. Ian Moore won that race with The Papermaker in 2:01.2 and more than 30 years later, Macdonald still remembers that night vividly.

That was my favourite horse as a kid. After Doc won with him, I rode with him on the bike back to the paddock in the pouring rain.

Over MacDonalds long driving career, he hasnt necessarily teamed regularly with his longtime friend but the opportunity came about at the perfect time for MacDonald to scratch the Meadowlands Pace off his bucket list with Moores pacing colt Lawless Shadow.

He was looking for a guy who could keep up with him (Lawless Shadow). I know Doc and David Miller have a good relationship, but David had the favourite, Perfect Sting. So, he was looking for a good option that could get the job done. Ive known Doc for over 35 years and were both from Prince Edward Island so that also played into it.

Lawless Shadow and MacDonald finished second but was placed first after Charlie May was moved to ninth after causing interference. Right after the wire, I looked up and congratulated Brett (Miller), he told me he thought he was coming down. I didnt really know what had happened because the visibility was bad. When I got to the paddock, Doc thought I was third, but I told him that I was second and I thought Brett is coming down. After going to the paddock office, we found out we were going to be placed first.

Winning the Meadowlands Pace feels like it should come easy for someone with MacDonalds impressive resume of major stakes wins. This win was far from simple. It feels tremendous. Its such a hard race to win. Ive raced in it four times before and I think Ive only gotten a cheque once. It only happens once a year and you dont have many chances.

With a career that now spans four decades and more than 45,000 starts, MacDonald boasts nearly 6,400 wins and purses in excess of $100,000,000 while winning nearly every major race in the sport and multiple OBrien Awards. There is not much MacDonald has not accomplished in his driving career but there is still one trophy that is missing from his mantle.

I have won a lot of major and big races. All these races are hard to get and the only one left on my list is the Hambletonian. Probably not this year but hopefully soon.

The Meadowlands Pace win was extra special because of the long relationship between MacDonald and Moore. This story was 32 years in the making and it had a fairy-tale-like ending with the two friends getting the win together.

It was really cool. That picture with Doc was over 32 years ago and hes now training the winner of the Meadowlands Pace and Im driving for him. Were two guys from Prince Edward Island and were a long way from home. I told Doc in the winners circle that the last time he and I were there together it was also in the rain 32 years ago.

Although MacDonald was the one in the muddy trenches Saturday evening, he knew who deserved the credit for this win. Doc did such a great job and his attention to detail is amazing. The horse lost a shoe during the post parade, and he had a few premade ready just in case. Doc had the horse in tip-top shape and set him up for a big race. I was very grateful for the opportunity and the honour.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Trey Colbeck; Meadowlands Pace trophy photo courtesy Lisa Photo)
Global Participation in Courage's 34th Annual Conference

NEWS PROVIDED BYJuly 21, 2021ATCHISON, Kan., July 21, 2021 / Standard Newswire / -- From July 15-18, 2021 Courage and EnCourage members from around the world gathered together at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, for the apostolate's 34th Annual Conference. In light of this year being proclaimed by Pope Francis as the Year of Saint Joseph, the Annual Conference centered its theme on "Saint Joseph: Model of Courageous Love." Highlighting aspects of Saint Joseph's earthly life, the various talks and speakers throughout the conference aimed to inspire the Courage & EnCourage members in attendance by the saintly example of Jesus' foster father.For the first time in the apostolate's history, the annual event was made available to registered attendees for both in-person attendance and digital attendance via Zoom livestream. The "hybrid" conference totaled over 700 registered attendees who participated in-person (240 in-person attendees) and tuned in digitally (480 virtual attendees) from almost every US state, five continents, and over 20 different countries."You are truly such an important work and witness for the entire Church," said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, D.D., of Kansas City, Kansas, during his homily at the conference's opening Mass, "Thank you for the heroic courage that you show for being a part of this ministry." Speaking on "Consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph," Dr. Greg Bottaro, the Director of the CatholicPsych Institute, commenced the weekend-long event on Thursday evening as the conference's keynote speaker. "We all need Jesus," said Dr. Bottaro during his opening speech, "and we all need Jesus' mom and dad."Father Ricardo Pineda, CPM, a member of the Fathers of Mercy, spoke on Friday about Saint Joseph as the Chaste Spouse of Mary and the Virginal Father of Jesus. "No Joseph, no Jesus!," proposed Fr. Pineda in his Friday night talk, "Saint Joseph had a necessary role in the Incarnation of the Son of God."Saturday offered the conference attendees several options, including further talks on Saint Joseph by Fr. Pineda and a series of talks on the experience of gender identity discordance (also called gender dysphoria) and its impact on individuals and families, by Dr. Christopher Gross of Divine Mercy University; Mary Rice Hasson, JD, founder of the Person & Identity Project at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and Deacon Patrick Lappert, M.D., a Courage chaplain in the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, and a board certified plastic surgeon. "We can't give in to fear and frustration as we walk with others," suggested Dr. Gross in his reflection on Pope Francis' The Art of Accompaniment, "Our pace must be patient and steady." The evening closed with inspiring testimonies from Courage members Gary H. and Barb and a powerful witness from EnCourage couple George and Sharon.The Annual Conference concluded on Sunday morning with the celebration of Mass by Archbishop Michael Byrnes of Agana, Guam, and a closing speech on "Saint Joseph: Most Faithful and Obedient" by Courage International's executive director Father Philip Bochanski. "We become who we are only when we give ourselves away," Fr. Bochanski proposed as he wrapped up the four-day event, "It's the gift of self that shows us who we really are."Attendees walked away from the conference with a renewed spirit of hope for themselves and for the Church. "For years I sought support from various Catholic organizations but have yet to experience the true peace and sense of belonging that I feel in this apostolate," said Enmanuel, a Courage member from Latin America who participated in the Annual Conference for his very first time this year, "Our Heavenly Father has revealed to me that this apostolate is where I need to be." Along with receiving spiritual refreshment, attendees also expressed a deeper post-conference connection with Christ's foster father. "I go to the Courage conference each year for spiritual renewal and family reunion," reflected Garrett, a member of the Washington D.C. Courage chapter, "But at this year's conference I also came to know my spiritual father St. Joseph better."Like previous Courage & EnCourage Annual Conferences, this year's event included daily Mass, overnight Eucharistic Adoration, confessions, private meetings for Courage and EnCourage members, breakout sessions, and a social to conclude the conference on Saturday evening. Simultaneous interpretation of the English keynote talks was available for Spanish-speaking participants. Additional information and updates will be available at the event page: Annual Conference - Courage International, Inc. ( couragerc.org/conference2021 ).NOTES FOR EDITORS:Courage International, Inc. is an apostolate of the Catholic Church which offers support to persons experiencing same-sex attractions who have chosen to live a chaste life. It was founded by Fr. John Harvey, OSFS at the request of the late Cardinal Terence Cooke. The first Courage chapter meeting was held in New York City in 1980, and it was this initial group which developed the Five Goals of Courage: Chastity, Prayer and Dedication, Fellowship, Support, and Good Example. Fr. Harvey was succeeded as executive director by Fr. Paul Check, who held the position from 2008 to the end of 2016. Fr. Check was then succeeded by Fr. Philip Bochanski in January, 2017. Today, Courage has more than 150 chapters in eighteen countries. Courage and EnCourage received canonical status in the Roman Catholic Church as a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful on November 28, 2016.EnCourage is an apostolate under the Courage umbrella which provides support for families and friends of persons who identify as LGBT, and aims to teach them how to reach out to their loved ones with compassion and understanding. The group was first formed in 1987 by families in search of guidance for supporting their loved ones who experience same-sex attractions. In 1992, this group adopted the name EnCourage. Currently, they have more than seventy-five chapters in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.For additional information, please visit our website at www.couragerc.org Stay up to date with Courage International by following us on social media:Twitter: @RCCourage Facebook: @CourageEnCourageRC Instagram: @courageinternationalrc SOURCE Courage InternationalCONTACT: Fr. Philip Bochanski, 203-803-1564 ext. 7013, director@couragerc.org Related Links
Current Affairs

H aiti today dominates the news media. But what many of us are not really aware of is its rich history, and its contribution to our Caribbean heritage.



Gordon Lewis, a former political science professor states in one of his books that after Haiti won its independence, a number of pamphleteers emerged, and there was the potential danger of being reoccupied by France.



Because of this, the first themes in the Haitian literature of the period dealt with the importance for the nation of preparing against this. One theme presented Haiti as a symbol of black dignity and power in a world dominated by Europe. Previous to this, the world was thought of in terms of white civilization. Haiti was therefore presented in response to this as a black civilization.



One Haitian writer informed his fellow Haitians that their struggle against Haitis enemies held out hope for two thirds of the human race. Another wrote that the Haitian revolution marked the beginning of the redemption of Africa, and blacks were seen as the equal of others.



But according to Professor Lewis, the Haitian writer who best represented the new Haiti was the son of a French father and Creole mother. He was also a confidant of Henri Christophe, the Haitian leader.



This writer saw the Haitian revolution as being more important in world history when compared with the American revolution, since the Haitian revolution was social in nature, reshaping property relations and ownership, which reformed the economic structure of Haiti, as opposed to the American revolution which was political.



For me, these ideas in the period after the Haitian revolution need examination.



The importance of preparation against French invasion was necessary because Haiti was previously a colony of France, and contributed immensely to the French economy. After the French were forced to leave, there were plans for re-conquest, and the pamphleteers wanted to stress the necessity of being aware of this and to make plans to prepare for and defend against any French invasion. The French wanted the colony, now an independent country back also because of the sense of power it gave France.



Haitis presentation as a symbol of black dignity and power was designed to encourage defiance and foster courage among the recently liberated Haitians. The idea was also to spur them on, and present a picture of Haiti as being an example for the wider world and a symbol of hope for the human race.



Also the idea presented of blacks being the equal of others was radical in the context of slavery still being in existence. Other countries feared it would encourage their plantations to revolt as well.



It is also interesting to note that a mulatto was an adviser to a black Haitian leader. It shows the social transformation that the Haitian revolution brought about in racial terms.



Professor Lewis further notes that for the rest of the century following the Haitian revolution, Haitian historians took the stage. They developed the idea of the new interclass, and intergroup relationships.



One historian portrayed Haiti as a free homeland for Africans, and saw the world as belonging to the human race, and refuted the view that certain parts of the globe should be restricted to particular races. Another historian noted that the Haitian story showed that while each race has its unique civilization, at the same time, it belonged to the human family.



Lewis, the political scientist also states that an important attribute Haiti had was its political sovereignty, and owed no allegiance to any outside group. And that other aspects of its nationhood were citizenship, and state planning of the economy. There were also discussions about development theories where other societies because of political dependency were unable to undertake.



Again according to Professor Lewis, these ideas laid the groundwork for the 20th century debate on the theory and practice of economic growth and development. And were the basis of nationalism which influenced nationalist sentiments in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Cuba.



To me, this new stage in the development of Haitian thinking is very insightful. The Haitian historians seemed to move further forward than the early pamphleteers. They saw society as integrated, interpreted the world as belonging to every human person and not the property of a specific race.



These historians also spoke about national patrimony and moving society towards greater economic and social growth. And most of all these ideas triggered developments in Haitis geographical neighbours.



The reach of the Haitian revolution therefore stretched beyond its shores.

The question often posed is: Why has Haitis path to development been somewhat challenging?



The Council on Foreign Relations advanced some ideas in this direction. It states that since winning its freedom from France in 1804, France only recognized Haiti in 1825, after the country agreed to pay reparations equivalent to $22 billion dollars today. And over the next 120 years, as much as 80% of Haitis revenues went to paying off these reparations.



For a century, according to the Council, Haiti geared its economy to paying back these reparations, and therefore missed out somewhat on industrialization, education, and the development of its government and democratic institutions.



Also, other factors given by the Council are, foreign intervention and debt, political instability, and natural disasters.



I would further add the factor of a lack of serious economic, social, and political engagement by the English speaking Caribbean countries with a country which has shown what the exercise of real sovereignty means.



* Oliver Mills is a former lecturer in education at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. He holds an M.Ed degree from Dalhousie University in Canada, an MA from the University of London and a post-graduate diploma in HRM and Training, University of Leicester. He is a past Permanent Secretary in Education with the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands






Current Affairs

T he death of anyone is sad, no matter the circumstances. However, when someone is killed, it is even worse.



The assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise is very cruel and nonsensical. It will not solve anything, but make matters more complicated. The killing of the president will not end the issues in Haiti. I am delighted and thankful that they were able to capture the suspects but of course, the president remains dead.



His death will not only impact Haiti, but also the entire world, particularly the Turks and Caicos Islands which is one of the closest countries to Haiti. Furthermore, it is estimated that at least one third (1/3) of the population of Turks and Caicos is of Haitian descent.



The world will be impacted because I believe more Haitians will be afraid to live in Haiti and will want to escape. Due to Haiti being classified as one of the poorest countries in the world, many people leave for a better living; but now with the death of the president, people will want to leave for safety reasons.



The impact



The population of Haiti is currently estimated to be 9 million people. In addition, it is believed that about 1 to 2 million Haitians are living outside of Haiti. This brutal killing will force more people to leave Haiti because if people can kill the leader of the country without any remorse, they could also kill the citizens.



I know some may argue that the citizens cannot make decisions like the president can make. However, we do not know the mindset of these murderers and they may take revenge in going after the citizens.



The other impact is that outsiders and potential investors also may not want to travel to Haiti and this will cause an impact on the country's economy. Haiti obviously is not surviving on its own and will need the support of international travelers and traders.



This killing also questions the security and protection of the Haiti. Apparently some of these murderers were in the country for months prior to the assassination. They were able to bypass the security officers and kill the president.



The solutions



For years, Haiti has been having issues, and I believe many people prior to President Jovenel have tried to implement solutions for a better Haiti.

However, nothing seems to work. That does not mean the people of Haiti will just give up and accept violence as the answer. Violence is not the answer. I do not know what is the solution for Haiti, but I have some possible solutions for Turks and Caicos Islands and other countries outside of Haiti.



As much as I am saddened by the situation in Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands and other countries must not be lenient and let our guards down.



We must ensure that our borders are protected and strengthened so that migrants from Haiti cannot easily enter the Turks and Caicos Islands. You see, once people enter the country, they can apply for refugee status similar to what the Sri Lankans have done in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I do not know how it works, but it looks like applying for refugee status is in their favour. Therefore the solution is to intercept or deter individuals from entering the waters of Turks and Caicos Islands. This will require a lot of resources and money, but it can be done.



Conclusion



The way the Haitian president was assassinated should be an eye-opener for all of us. Here you have the president of a country with supposedly high security, yet murderers were able to intrude his private home and shoot him and his wife.



We have people living among us and we dont know who they are. They may be following every move you make and even become your friends so that they can get close to you to kill you.



While killing will eliminate someone, it does not eliminate the problems that the world faces. In fact, it creates more chaos. Any citizen that loves his or country should not seek to kill the leaders of their country. This is wrong and should not be supported.



* Drexwell Seymour is a Certified Public Accountant and has an MBA in Finance. He is the managing partner for his firm HLB TCI Ltd. He has a passion for writing.






Can you tell us a little bit more about F5 and its primary features?

F5 powers applications from development through their entire lifecycle, across any multi-cloud environment, so our customersenterprise businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brandscan deliver differentiated, high-performing, and secure digital experiences.

Our long-standing belief that applications are the most valuable assets of any organization in the digital age has been the foundation of our strategy to become the leader in multi-cloud application services. When you combine F5 and NGINXs expertise powering over half of the worlds applications across all types of environments, with Shapes insight from mitigating 1 billion application attacks per day, you have a company that knows how to deliver and secure more applications, and more value, than any company in the industry.

This means that we are able to deliver and protect applicationsrevenue-generating, brand-anchoring applicationsfrom the point at which they are created through to the point where consumers interact with them.

How has the rise in customer expectations exacerbated the security and visibility challenges?

The pandemic is challenging businesses to think in different ways. The disruptions caused have left a profound impact on consumer behavior and preferences. While the reliance on applications and great digital experiences grew, customers are now increasingly exercising caution regarding how they transact and consume digitally.

To stay ahead and address customers concerns and demands, organizations have to remain committed to transforming digitally. However, while aspiring to transform digitally, many organizations are stuck somewhere between the old and new worldsclassic monolithic and three-tier architectures alongside cloud-native architectures.

While digital transformation journeys can take several forms, the outcomes organizations seek from those journeys are common: improved customer experience, business agility, and a clear return on investment. In pursuit of these outcomes, companies encounter several challenges, which lead to the number one challenge that customers face  lack of visibility. Most large organizations are unable to pinpoint how many applications they have, nor do they know which environments those applications are running in.

The second challenge customers are also experiencing is security. In particular, a huge number of data breaches in the last decade have made it possible for nearly any cybercriminal in the world to take over application accounts by checking to see where users have reused passwords across websites. Beyond monetary losses, data breaches also hurt a brands reputation and diminish customers trust in the brand.

How can India further advance the development of open banking to create an innovative, collaborative, and competitive financial services landscape?

Open Banking is reshaping financial services in the digital age. Customers expect greater convenience and flexibility in accessing services due to a broader digital experience and the ability to access their financial data at any time and from any location.

According to the Reserve Bank of India, India has adopted an approach in which both the regulator and the market have collaborated to develop the Open Banking space. In India, the RBI and NPCI launched a payment system similar to UPI and released an API for banks and third-party app providers to build on. Market participants are also driving innovation, with many banks releasing their own APIs and collaborating with fintech firms to provide a better experience to their end customers.

Here are a couple of areas where India can further advance in the open banking ecosystem: 

Developing and sustaining a robust developer community: -Banks should not attempt to drive Fintech out of the business landscape but rather determine which aspects of the technology should be developed internally and partnered with fintech. Essentially, collaborating with fintech to develop a software solution that allows them to engage customers more effectively will strengthen the banks API offerings and ecosystem, driving customer value creation.

In the Digital Age, security is a top priority: To adopt open banking practices, banks must allay consumer concerns about the risk of fraud or data breaches. They must start by developing strategies to modernize their applications by implementing an application security strategy for 360-degree protection that goes beyond simply testing for software vulnerabilities.

Could you provide us any background on F5s recent purchase of Volterra? What was the added value to F5s multi-cloud application services and portfolio?

Already on the rise, the popularity of mobile apps is growing amidst the pandemic as we increasingly turned to mobile apps and other digital channels during lockdowns. However, it has recently become clear that COVID-19 has done more than just increase our reliance on digital services; it has also accelerated the digitalization and created a world in which we increasingly operate remotely.

The shift is posing difficulties for businesses. Delivering and securing applications necessitates traversing a variety of local and wide area networks, public clouds, CDNs, and other edge infrastructures. Today, most businesses manually connect application logic, delivery, and security technologies across these environments on an app-by-app basis. Unfortunately, this approach creates new attack surfaces, opens the door to new threats, and creates incredible operational complexity.

Volterra has built a groundbreaking platform to help fix this. Their universal, multi-cloud technology enables industry-standard containers to execute anywhere, across any public cloud, private cloud, or enterprise data center. Together with F5s industry-leading application security and delivery technology, we have introduced Edge 2.0 platform, providing an edge that meets the demanding needs of enterprises and service providers. Our Edge 2.0 platform will go far beyond what current Edge 1.x platforms based on CDNs can provide and be security-first, app-driven, and have unlimited scale.

Volterras technology is designed to leverage the vast infrastructure built (and still being built!) by the public cloud providers, but it also extends seamlessly into customers own premises. It provides a unique combination of SaaS for seamlessly delivering networking and security offerings, and PaaS for building and running modern Kubernetes-based apps. This foundation becomes the ideal vehicle to deliver F5s enterprise-grade application delivery and security servicesextending critical capabilities that have been missing from the edge until now.

One of the most exciting aspects of Edge 2.0 is how it will advance our vision for adaptive apps. We see a world in which applications naturally adapt based on their environmentgrowing, shrinking, defending, and healing themselvesso organizations can focus on their core business, increase revenue, improve operations, and deliver compelling new experiences for their customers.

5. With Cloud Security being an increasingly preferred choice for the new security architecture, how can enterprises deploy, manage, and protect themselves from evolving threats?

Individuals, businesses, and governments are all concerned about cyber security. Keeping our data safe in a world when everything is on the internet, from personal information to credit card information, is one of the most difficult tasks of cyber security. Ransomware, phishing assaults, and cyberwarfare are just a few examples of cyber security threats. In fact. India ranks 11th globally in terms of local cyber-attacks and has witnessed 2,299,682 incidents in Q1 of 2020 already.

Today, organizations realize that the cloud does not lend itself well to static security controls. These concerns include authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA) services; encryption; storage; and security breaches. Adding to this array of concerns is the potential loss of control over your data. In fact

According to F5 Labs researchers, 86 percent of successful data breaches begin with compromises of the application layer services or user identities placing responsibility for app security squarely in the hands of the app owners, developers, and enterprises deploying them.

Like all other components of cloud architecture, security must be integrated into a centralized, dynamic control plane. Security solutions in the cloud must be able to intercept all data traffic, interpret its context, and then make appropriate decisions about that traffic, including instructing other cloud elements on how to handle it.
Panasonic India has announced the launch of a new large-aperture standard fixed focal length lens, the LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 (S-S50), as the second addition to the series of four F1.8 large-aperture lenses based on the L-Mount system standard. With its compact approximately 300g of light weight, the LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 features stunning mobility and is suitable for snapshots including portrait to landscape. Priced at INR 59,990, the lens is compatible with the entire range of S series for still photography and video shoots. The LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 (S-S50) is available in India across all Panasonic brand shops and Panasonic 4K Imaging School.

A total of four F1.8 lenses from the LUMIX S Series feature a common size and position of control parts to provide practical advantages in use. For example, when the camera is on a gimbal, it is easy to exchange lenses quickly with minimum adjustment of connected gears. Common filters can also be used thanks to the same diameter.

The LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 comprises nine lens elements in eight groups including three aspherical lenses, one ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens and one UHR (Ultra-High Refractive Index) lens. The use of three aspherical lenses realizes both high descriptive performance and beautiful bokeh, which are common advantages to the series of all F1.8 lenses. The ED lens effectively suppresses chromatic aberration. The LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was a fatal problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography. Together, with a micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure change, professional quality video can be recorded.

The rugged dust/splash-resistant* design of the lens withstands use under harsh conditions even at 10 degrees below zero for high mobility. The filter diameter is 67 mm, with a 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm.

Additional features-

Has a similar field of vision as the human eyes, this lens helps you shoot what you see, providing high creative scope in compositions

High speed and wide aperture of the lens make it an all-rounder  its beautiful bokeh makes it ideal for wedding and portrait photography

The wide aperture also ensures great performance in low-light photography

Compact and lightweight, its high mobility makes the lens suitable for travel and street photography as well

The Panasonic and L-Mount system alliance is committed to the development of L-Mount lenses for the further expansion of its lineup to fulfill the diverse and dynamic needs of all camera enthusiasts. With this vision, the new 24mm and 35 mm F1.8 large-aperture lenses are under development to further enhance the LUMIX S Series lens lineup.
By working together, countries can mutually support one another to meet their sustainability commitments. There are many areas where digital technology can support this, such as in enabling a transparent and verifiable carbon market. Singapores public and private sectors have expressed interest in working with its neighbors on climate action, said Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA at the forum.
Ransomware attacks have bitten a gaping hole in the pockets of businesses who are having to pay extortionate ransoms in response to highly targeted attacks by sophisticated criminal organisations, , says Dave Russell, VP, Enterprise Strategy, Veeam.

The problem has only worsened with the onset of mass remote working. The extension of the offices boundaries into online and remote locations has exposed severe vulnerabilities, and criminals are all too willing to take advantage.

Right now, a new ransomware attack will occur every 11 seconds, according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures

To put this in context, in the five minutes it takes you to read this article, 27 businesses will have been attacked by ransomware. The best piece of advice on ransomware is not to give in and pay. But despite the majority of businesses will pay the ransom that this attack demands.

Many feel under extreme pressure to limit the damage of downtime caused by ransomware, and the quickest resolution is to pay up.

Its not a surprise that so many have chosen to pay when theyre already grappling with the challenges and pressures of operating throughout the risky business terrain that Covid-19 has created. However, this is simply encouraging cyber-attackers to continue exploiting this lucrative illegal market, as is evident from the 600% uplift in attacks since Covid-19 first emerged.

On a positive note, businesses and governments have recognised that this cant continue. Ransomware is now on the agenda of every boardroom, and even made the cut for discussion at the G7, as well as numerous other diplomatic talks between global leaders. Now is the time to think about modern data protection and its future. And now is the time to bite ransomware back.

THIS IS ORGANISED CRIME

Its easy to forget that theres a criminal behind the ransomware that makes itself at home within your business system. While it may once have been deemed something loitering on the web and only harmful if clicked on, many are starting to recognise the severe, complex, and targeted nature that ransomware really has. This is organised crime, and it works innovatively to infiltrate your business and your supply chain. It quite honestly poses a genuine threat to entire industries and communities.

So how can we start clamping down on the perpetrators behind this? The downside to such a connected and digital world means an attacker can operate in completely different areas of the world, making it difficult to prosecute using the same legal system your business is subject to.

The reality is that a clamp down of this scale is going to require international co-operation and government action beyond anything weve seen in the cybersecurity sphere. And of course, this is going to take time, which, as you know, is something businesses dont have when facing constant threats.

Therefore, while we wait for these political interventions to happen, businesses must be fully prepared for the ongoing onslaught of ransomware attacks, especially now theyre operating in remote locations. Previous cybersecurity measures wont be enough, we have to adapt to the enemy by deploying modern data protection measures.

THINK LIKE A HACKER

In the same way that a detective has to think like a criminal to solve a crime, the only way businesses will successfully protect themselves sufficiently from cyberattacks is to think like the hackers. Theyre relentless, hyper-aware, and stringent. Employers and employees must act the same to stop vulnerabilities from opening up.

Good digital hygiene must become second nature, as opposed to something practiced for a week following annual cyber security training, and forgotten about until the next one. Failure to patch software should create the same attention as failing to lock up the office overnight. Not having a disaster recovery plan is akin to skipping contents insurance. We cant simply think about security in the physical space because the enemies are operating in the digital one.

Another important aspect is thinking about the hackers success rate. In many cases theyll spend all day attacking systems.

They dedicate their time to evolve and innovate their attacks to overcome the security barriers that are holding them back. We need to anticipate they will eventually be able to do this, even if the best cybersecurity defences are in place. As we can see from the number of businesses paying ransoms, an attack can cause enough damage to push businesses into paying out rather than taking alternative routes.

Its up to every organisation across every industry to invest in modern data protection practices to minimise the impact of ransomware attacks. Viewing attacks as an inevitability is the first step towards creating a more cyber-secure culture, with employees who are more educated and aware of ransomware.

At the same time, businesses need to have the right safeguards in place to minimise disruption, including anti-virus software and firewalls, plus continuous backup and recovery to offer adequate insurance against the crippling effects of ransomware.

If the worst happens, and your systems are compromised, the business wont collapse, and the attacker wont get everything they want. The cybersecurity landscape may feel rocky right now, but there are steps we can and should take to better protect ourselves from the damages. Its time to bite the ransomware hackers back.-TradeArabia News Service
Travelers from EU and Schengen countries can enter Finland freely as of July 12 without any additional health safety measures when they are fully vaccinated, have had a covid-19 infection before, are born in 2006 or later or arrive from a country with low virus incidence.



Those with one vaccination only are instructed to take a Covid-19 test earliest 72 hours after arrival to Finland, and those without any vaccinations are required in addition to have a negative test result before departure to Finland or a test on arrival.



In line with this new model, Finnair will as of 12 July discontinue its requirement for customers to present Covid certificates before boarding flights to Finland.



With the new legislation, the requirements for entry are checked on arrival, so our customers do not need to show their certificates to Finnair customer service agent at the check-in, when their destination is Finland, said Jaakko Schildt, Finnair Chief Operating Officer. We continue to check the documents for those transiting to an international flight at Helsinki, per authority requirements.



The health and safety of our customers is a key priority for us, and we continue to have comprehensive measures in place on our flights to ensure safe travel. These include, among others, the obligation to wear a mask for the duration of the flight, Schildt added.



The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommended earlier this year that all airlines with flights to Finland require their customers to show either a negative test result, a certificate of recovery, or a vaccination certificate, and Finnair has been the only airline flying to Finland who has adhered to this recommendation. With the discontinuation of this practice, Finnair does not have any requirements of its own regarding Covid certificates.



During the interim period of July 12-25, 2021 Finnair will however check that customers travelling to Finland meet the Finnish entry requirements, when they depart from a country that is outside the group of normalised border traffic, as internal border control continues and leisure traffic is not yet allowed from all EU and Schengen countries during the interim period.  TradeArabia News Service
PRESS RELEASE  Two years after returning 15 WWII-era DC-3s to Normandy for the 75th-anniversary commemorations of D-Day, and the 70th of the Berlin Airlift, Into Flight Once More makes it to the big screen at the largest airshow in the world, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. The film previews on Thursday, July 29, at approximately 9:45 p.m. CT at the Fly-In Theater. Produced by Sound Off Films and narrated by Gary Sinise, the film brings to life the stories of WWII veterans, crews, and a most historic reenactment of Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy, which took place on June 6, 1944.

Theres no greater reward to all of us who fly, operate and maintain these historic aircraft having returned them to Europe to honor the fallen, and the surviving veterans of our Greatest Generation, shared Eric Zipkin, chief pilot for the Mission to Normandy and president of Tunison Foundations board of directors, which led the mission in 2019. Each of us has close family members and relatives who served in WWII. Watching the rough cut of the film brought emotions we thought wed never feel, and seeing our efforts supported by a veteran advocate, philanthropist, and award-winning actor, Gary Sinise, is incredibly humbling as well.

At this years airshow, the D-Day Squadron will involve eight aircraft from the 15 that returned to Normandy in 2019. The aircraft will fly, be on display for public viewing, and there will be opportunities to connect with members of the new DC-3 Society that was launched last September. The D-Day Squadron will fly together in the warbird show Monday-Thursday. On Friday and Saturday of the show, they will perform during the D-Day portion, a chronology of the war.

We invite you to attend this Special Preview Screening of the film. Hosted by EAA, Into Flight Once More will be part of a week-long celebration honoring WWII veterans and aviation professionals. This sneak peek screening will be open to all who attend EAA AirVenture and will open with a brief conversation with director Adrienne Hall. We will be announcing the premiere date shortly, along with other opportunities to see the film.

When I started making this film, I didnt know the full extent of the experience of the squadron. Comprised of the most skilled and experienced pilots living today, the D-Day Squadron has put thousands of hours and tremendous resources towards honoring remaining WWII veterans, shared Adrienne Hall, film director. Connecting with and hearing the stories of these veterans was the honor of a lifetime and we are thrilled to share how the whole journey came together in our new film, Into Flight Once More.

Dont forget, you can sign up to host your own screening here: https://bit.ly/IFOMScreening

About the DC-3 Society & D-Day Squadron

The DC-3 Society is a program of the D-Day Squadron with the purpose to promote DC-3 type aircraft airworthiness, serve members and promote static and flying displays for future generations. The North American DC-3 Society was born to organize the collective efforts of enthusiasts, pilots, mechanics, and operators. It actively educates and involves the next generation in flying freedom and celebrates everything the DC-3 has accomplished in war and peace.

The D-Day Squadron is part of the Tunison Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. In June 2019, the D-Day Squadron led an American fleet of 15 historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft to take part in a flyover of more than 30 international aircraft to drop over 200 paratroopers over the original 1944 drop zones in Normandy commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The event honored the citizen-soldiers of the War, whose bravery led the Allies to the liberation of France, and then to an end of the devastating War in Europe. The Squadrons education program takes the compelling story of the citizen-soldier to audiences at airshows and events off the flight line to honor these brave Americans and ensure their memory and significance are appreciated for generations to come. The groups efforts are funded through the generous tax-deductible contribution of their supporters. Learn more at DDaySquadron.org.

ABOUT SOUND OFF

Sound Off Films is a production and impact studio specializing in creating, marketing, and distributing films, branded content, and other media projects. Whether Sound Off is producing material for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits, organizing impact-driven events, creating pro-social marketing campaigns around a product launch, or managing online communities, we balance equality, inclusivity, and advocacy with creativity, quality, and innovation. For more information, visit www.soundofffilms.com
This bird eye view shows the coral reefs in China's Xisha Islands, South China Sea.[Photo/Xinhua]

Recently, the United States and other countries outside the South China Sea have again made statements or comments regarding the so-called South China Sea arbitration award, claiming that it is "final and binding on the parties to the dispute" and demanding that China accept and implement the award.

The South China Sea arbitration was a political farce in the coat of law from the beginning to the end. The Philippine government of President Benigno Aquino III performed at the front of the stage, while the United States acted behind the scenes. It was US "political trickery in the name of international law. The tribunal completely ignored the general principles of international law, especially the provisions and principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and its award is a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and also seriously damages international maritime rule of law.

China's non-participation and non-acceptance of the arbitration is both lawful and reasonable. It is China that actually upholds the international rule of law and regional rules in accordance with international law. The US and a few other countries from outside the region often invoke the South China Sea arbitration award to legitimize their actions aimed at denying China's claims in the South China Sea. The behavior of these outside countries is immoral and undermines international law and the purpose, authority and integrity of UNCLOS.

The US, which always demands other countries abide by UNCLOS, has not ratified UNCLOS itself. UNCLOS is the most important legal document regulating contemporary international marine relations in the world today. More than 160 countries have ratified UNCLOS. Among the five Permanent members of the UN Security Council, the US is the only one that has not ratified UNCLOS.

The US adopts a selfish, opportunistic and double standard stance towards UNCLOS. It only wants to enjoy the rights conferred by the Convention, but is not prepared to undertake the responsibilities and obligations stipulated by the Convention. Some US politicians do not care about the Convention at all, nor the maritime rights and interests of other countries and the overall interests of the international community. The US is merely pursuing its own private interests.

The US relies on its strong maritime power to establish and maintain its own maritime legal order by conducting its so-called freedom of navigation operationsFONOPSand making diplomatic protests to challenge what it alleges are the "excessive maritime claims of other countries even though these are consistent with UNCLOS.

The US verbally calls for compliance with international law and rules, but it is the US itself that undermines international law and rules. The US, which demonstrates a double standard on global affairs and international law due to its empire mentality, has no authority to lecture other countries about international law.

In recent years, the US has want only withdrawn from several international organizations and international agreements, which fully exposes its blatant double standard and utter hypocrisy in the treatment of international organizations and international law. For example, in June 2017, the US announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement that deals with global climate change, on the basis that it puts "the United States in a disadvantage position and benefits other countries. In 2021, it announced that it would return to the Paris Agreement, The reason is that "the United States is back to lead the global response to climate change.

Its withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement, then rejoining again, has fully proven that the US has become a breaker of international rules, an instigator of humanitarian disasters and the biggest troublemaker threatening global security and stability. The rationale behind all these US withdrawals has been almost the same: international organizations and international agreements must serve, and only serve, the interests of the US.

In order to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating US military war crimes in Afghanistan, the US claimed that the ICC had no jurisdiction over US troops in Afghanistan, and openly intimidated and took actions, such as visa cancellation, financial sanctions and other means, against any judge from the ICC who participated in the investigation of US military war crimes.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. On 3 Oct, 2018, ICJ issued a verdict that the restoration of sanctions against Iran by the US violated the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. The ICJ ordered that the US must lift the sanctions on "medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and on spare parts necessary for the safety of civil aviation it had imposed against Iran. The verdict issued by ICJ was binding on the US, but the US not only blatantly ignored it, but also immediately terminated the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

The US has a record of refusing to enforce the ICJ's judgments against it. In 1986, the US disregarded the ICJs finding that it had violated international law by fueling the civil war in Nicaragua and mining the country's harbors. The US refused the implementation of the ICJ's judgments concerning Nicaragua.

The US, which always consideres itself to be an exceptional and superior force in the world, often ditches any international institutions and agreements it deems to be out of sync with its flawed perception of its own interests.

The US, under the banner of "maintaining and respecting international law, has time and time again has demanded that China enforce the South China Sea arbitration award made by the tribunal. This is clearly a double standard. Such a double standard once again proves that the South China Sea arbitration award is just a tool employed by the US to meddle in the South China Sea affairs and to contain china's development.

Besides the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and a few other countries outside the region also treat international law and the ICJ's judgments with a double standard.

The UK, which has declined greatly since the days of empire, still continues its "colonial administration of the Chagos Archipelago. Chagos Archipelago, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, was hived off Mauritius in the run-up to independence in 1965. The UK has retained possession of this group of islands and it has allowed the US to operate a large naval and air force base on the archipelago's Diego Garcia Island ever since. On 25 Feb 2019, the ICJ delivered its advisory opinion that the process of decolonization of Mauritius had not been lawfully completed and that the UK is obliged to end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago. On 22 May, 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reaffirming the ICJ's conclusions and demanding that the UK unconditionally withdraw its administration by 22 Nov, 2019. But the response of the UK and the US to the resolution and ICJ's advisory opinion has been one of outright defiance.

Japan too has joined the US, its long-time ally, in withdrawing from international conventions and international organizations. On Dec 26, 2018, Japan announced its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by July 2019. With grave concerns regarding the conservation of large whales and the prevention of population or species-level extinction, whaling in international waters is regulated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), under the auspices of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). A moratorium on commercial whaling was agreed by the IWC in 1982 and went into effect in1986. But Japan continued to take whales in the name of so-called scientific research, which was allowed under article 8 Paragraph 1 of the ICRW.

In July, 2013, Australia brought a case against Japan's scientific whaling practices, accusing Japan of trying to "cloak its ongoing commercial whaling in the lab coat of science. In 2014, the ICJ ordered Japan to halt its annual hunts in the Southern Ocean after concluding that they were not, as Japanese officials had claimed, conducted for scientific research. Japan promised to abide by the ICJ's judgment orally, but it continued its whaling for so-called scientific research and made every effort to resume commercial whaling as soon as possible. After its proposal aiming at resuming commercial whaling was rejected at the IWC annual meeting in September 2018, The Japanese government then made decision to withdraw from the IWC.

Japan's withdrawal from the IWC in a bid to resume commercial whaling sets a very dangerous precedent for other international treaties and conventions. The IWC has become the driving force for whale conservation efforts in the 21st century. If Japan placed great importance on international law and maritime order, if Japan were serious about the future of the world's whales, Japan would not have left the IWC.

Australia demands China accept and participate in the South China Sea arbitration, while it has refused to do so in its dealing with East Timor. In March 2002, two months before Timor-Leste's restoration of independence, Australia withdrew from the compulsory dispute settlement procedures related to maritime boundaries under UNCLOS. This meant an international court or tribunal could not determine the maritime boundaries between Australia and Timor-Leste. The only option available to establish maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste was therefore through negotiation. However, Australia refused to negotiate maritime boundaries with East Timor on a bilateral basis. In April 2016, Timor-Leste initiated compulsory conciliation proceedings against Australia under UNCLOS, but Australia had flagged from the start that it would object to the competence of the Conciliation Commission to hear the dispute under UNCLOS. Australia claimed that "there is no proper basis on which Timor-Leste is entitled to bring this conciliation. Australia raised six legal grounds for its objection to competence. One of Australia's main arguments was that the compulsory conciliation procedure was precluded by its bilateral treaties with Timor-Leste. Australia also raised the argument that Timor-Leste had not met the preconditions under Article 298 of UNCLOS for submitting a dispute to compulsory conciliation.

Australia's attitude toward the South China Sea arbitration is hypocritical. Its own dispute with East Timor sharply exposes its double standard.

In order to deny China's Nansha Qundao as a unit any maritime entitlement, the tribunal erred in dismembering Nansha Qundao into various individual features, disregarding the well-established regime of outlying archipelagos of continental States under customary international law. In fact, before the adoption of the Convention, the status of continental states' outlying archipelagos as a unit had been established in customary international law. Since the adoption of the Convention, the practice of continental states with respect to their outlying archipelagos has strengthened the relevant rules of customary international law. It has been established in customary international law that continental States' outlying archipelagos as units are fully entitled to maritime zones. State practice demonstrates that France (Kerguelen Islands; Guadeloupe; New Caledonia), Australia (Houtman Abrolhos Islands; Furneaux Group), the United Kingdom (Turks and Caicos Islands), India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Lakshadweep Islands) all treat their own outlying archipelagos as a unit and draw baselines around their outlying archipelagos for sovereignty and maritime entitlement and delimitation purposes. Only a limited number of states, such as the US, New Zealand and Russia, do not treat their outlying archipelagos as units, and instead separately draw baselines for each island.

The practice of continental states in drawing baselines around their outlying archipelagos as units has only encountered sporadic, isolated and selective protests. The principal protester is the US. It has protested against the drawing of straight baselines by states such as Ecuador (Galapagos Islands), Denmark (Faroes Islands), Portugal (Azores, and Madeira Islands) and China (Xisha Qundao and Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands), but not all. These protests from the US are selective and inconsistent and reflect its double standard. The US purpose is to ensure the access of US military vessels and aircraft to the major oceans and seas, not for the interests of the whole international community.

After dismembering China's Nansha Qundao into various individual features, the tribunal then erroneously interpreted and applied Article 121 of the Convention Regime of islands to each of them and further erroneously found that some component features of China's Nansha Qundao, such as Taiping Island, the largest island among Nansha Qundao, was just one "rock, and that some component features of China's Nansha Qundao were "low-tide elevations and could not be appropriated as territory. Such kind of arbitrariness from the tribunal goes against both international jurisprudence and state practices. States possessing islands, including tiny and/or sparsely populated ones, have mostly claimed entitlements to an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf.

Japan too supports the so-called award and claims that all artificial land features in the South China Sea cannot generate any legal rights. But Japan should first reflect on what itself has said or done. The rock of Oki-no-Tori is a stand-alone rock in the western Pacific Ocean, with only two small portions naturally protruding above water at high tide. It is obvious that the rock of Oki-no-Tori is a "rock under Article 121(3) of the Convention, and accordingly has no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, but Japan submitted its claim to the United Nations over the continental shelf beyond the 200-nautical-mile. The majority of members of the international community found Japan's claim inconceivable and did not accept it.

Since the so-called South China Sea arbitration award came out five years ago, many countries and international jurists have recognized that the tribunal's many errors deprive its award of validity and threaten to undermine international rule of law.

The Chinese government is unswervingly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests. The tribunal's award does not affect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. China does not accept or recognize the award, and firmly rejects any claims or actions based on the awards.

The US and a few other countries, under the banner of "respecting UNCLOS", ignoring the facts and the basic principles of international law are attempting to pressure China to implement the illegal award, which is doomed to failure. The double standard practiced by the US and a few other countries will be firmly resisted and opposed by the majority of countries that seek to uphold justice and peace.

The author is a professor at the Law School of Hainan University and executive deputy director of the Research Center For Policy and Law of the South China Sea, Hainan province.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.
JIN DING/CHINA DAILY

Editor's Note: A self-proclaimed defender of human rights around the globe, the US has a very poor record of defending Muslims' rights at home. Three scholars and an institute for global religious studies share their views on the issue with China Daily:

Bias against Muslims has roots in US history

The United States has always masqueraded as a "defender of democracy" and "human rights", yet it has been playing down the discrimination against American Muslims, and not taken any concrete measures to ensure their religious freedom.

The situation has worsened in the 21st century, with rising Islamophobia in the US. Worse, both the Democratic and Republican parties have taken advantage of Muslims to fulfill their own political goals.

American Muslims have always been considered "distrusted outsiders", even though many historians say the first group of Muslims came to North America in the early 14th century. The first real wave of Muslims, forcibly shipped from Africa as slaves, reached the United States soon after it declared independence in 1776. Historians say 10-15 percent of the Africans forced into slavery in the US were Muslims.

Although the US' founding fathers sought to ensure Muslims practiced their religion freely, it was difficult for Muslims to do so. So they practiced their religion, wore their traditional clothes and used their names in secret to avoid being discriminated against or persecuted. In fact, many Muslims were forcibly converted to Christianity.

In general, before the 20th century, Muslims in the US were mainly from Africa and the Middle East, most of whom later abandoned their religion, and their descendants no longer identify themselves as Muslims. Muslims from the Middle East and Africa, like other black people, didn't have many job opportunities and could only get jobs that other religious groups didn't want to do.

And in 1924, the US Congress passed the National Origins Act, which "restricted immigration from Asia and other Muslim-sending regions and thus stemmed the flow of new Muslim arrivals".

Thanks to the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, more than 1.1 million Muslims arrived in the US by the end of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the American public opinion toward Muslims was shaped largely by geopolitical encounters between the US and the Middle East at that time, with media reports constantly feeding into the negative narrative about Islam, leading to hate crimes against Muslims.

The terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001 were a watershed for American Muslims. Although Muslim clerics in the US denounced the attacks and strived to change the public attitude toward Islam, most Americans continued to distrust, even hate Muslims. The FBI reported a 1,600 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2001. The 9/11 attacks, as a matter of fact, sparked a debate on whether American Muslims should be considered "equal citizens".

Along with the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, some Americans spread extreme views about Muslims, saying they are violent, sinister and anti-US by nature.

It is hard to estimate the exact number of Muslims in the US because religious census is forbidden in the country. But according to surveys conducted by Pew Research Center over a period of more than 10 years, there were about 2.15 million Muslim adults, accounting for 1.1 percent of the US population in 2017. And the Muslim population is estimated to reach 8.1 million in 2050, surpassing Jews as the second-largest religious group in the US.

This trend has led both the Democrats and Republicans to woo Muslims in order to win elections and fulfill their goals. The Republicans even have three Muslim Congress members. Yet Muslim politicians are still viewed with suspicion and face discrimination.

Zhou Qi, a researcher at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Zhang Xudong, a researcher at Tongji University

American Muslims face persecution

Although the US claims to be the biggest defender of religious freedom, it does not protect all American citizens' right to freedom of religion. After declaring independence in 1776, the US welcomed immigrants from all over the world due to labor shortage. But these people didn't enjoy the same freedom that the white people did.

Although US mainstream society pretended to be tolerant to Muslims, the administration saw the growing number of Muslims as a threat. So it implemented policies to restrict the size of this religious group. Even today, the American public, in general, has not fully accepted Muslims as fellow citizens, despite their population accounting for just less than 2 percent of the total.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Muslims have been generally treated as dissidents by the US society, and continue to be discriminated against. Even the administration has implemented laws to restrict their freedom. For example, the USA Patriot Act requires internet companies to provide the government with users' information on a regular basis, prompting many to say such laws have legalized racial profiling and discrimination.

Besides, the clearinghouse for labor evaluation and research and the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System also restrict people's freedom, especially of Muslim immigrants and Arab groups. Some Muslim religious groups believe these policies are aimed at excluding them from the mainstream public.

As for US President Joe Biden, he may not have taken any overt steps to persecute Muslims, but there is enough evidence to suggest the already marginalized religious group is becoming the victim of Islamophobia, including discrimination in employment, and the target of hate crimes.

A report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and University of California, Berkeley, in 2016 named 74 groups that contribute in some ways to Islamophobia.

The primary purpose of 33 of those groups "is to promote prejudice against, or hatred of, Islam and Muslims". And the core group accumulated funds of up to $206 million between 2008 and 2013. Islamophobia is most commonly seen among conservatives and Republicans, who hold more negative views toward Muslims than Democrats.

The Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Racism a bolt on US democracy

By slandering other countries for their human rights records and playing down its own failure to protect human rights, the US has again revealed its hypocrisy on race-related issues.

Previous president Donald Trump's policy of separating children from their immigrant parents caught crossing the border illegally triggered public outrage across the country in 2018.

The same year, Trump reportedly told lawmakers during talks on an immigration deal. "Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They're shithole countries... We should have more people from Norway." By doing so, Trump revealed a hidden rule in US foreign policy: that the US considers other countries as "shitholes".

In 2020, The Washington Post's review of news stories since the 2016 presidential election found more than 300 incidents of school children being harassed by students or teachers using Trump's inflammatory rhetoric. At least three quarters of those victims were black, Hispanic or Muslim children.

The US has failed to deal with the fatal threat white supremacist and far-right groups pose to the country and its people. Instead, it has been focusing on investigating American Muslims, according to Michael German, a former FBI agent.

Wang Yu, a researcher at the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.
Editor's note: Zhou Wenxing is a research fellow at Huazhi Institute for Global Governance, Nanjing University and former Asia Fellow at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

A C-146A Wolfhound transport aircraft landed at Taipei's Songshan Airport on July 15, the second time that a U.S. military aircraft landed in the Taiwan region within two months. Undoubtedly, this is a flagrant violation of important spirit and consensus  notably the one-China policy that the U.S. government recognized  enshrined in the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques that the two countries signed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Taking into account recent ill-considered U.S. policy measures, the extremely irresponsible and dangerous moves reveal the double-sided policy orientation regarding the Taiwan issue.

On the one hand, the U.S. has declared that it "does not support Taiwan independence" and reaffirms the one-China policy adhered to by previous administrations. Senior officials from the Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Security Council's Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, have repeatedly made it clear that there is no plan for the current administration to significantly alter the U.S.'s Taiwan policy.

On the other hand, on the policy level, the U.S. is weakening its promise on the one-China policy and sending wrong signals to the so-called Taiwan independence separatist forces nevertheless. The seemingly paradoxical policy orientation reveals that, in the hope of winning the strategic competition against China, the U.S. has been salami slicing the Taiwan issue by testing China's strategic bottom line on the issue and therefore "hollow out" its one-China policy.

The White House in Washington D.C., U.S., March 16, 2020. /Xinhua

The landings of U.S. military planes in Taiwan have vividly demonstrated how American policymakers used salami-slicing techniques in the Taiwan Strait. For instance, the landings did happen, but neither stayed too long. The C-146A and C-17 Globalmaster III, the military transport plane landed in Taiwan in June, stayed less than an hour and three hours, respectively, at the airports and then left. Besides, in the name of conducting "humanitarian aid," the C-17 was shipping vaccines to the island.

But they are just the U.S.'s lame excuses if one takes a closer look at some details. First, both military planes are strategic transport planes that are usually engaged in military missions. Second, shipping 0.75 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with the C-17, whose maximum payload capacity is reported with 77,519 kilograms, is totally unnecessary. Shipping a package with the C-146A is just another tempest in a teapot.

The U.S.' provocative moves on the Taiwan issue triggered stern responses from the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. "Landing of any foreign military aircraft on China's territory can be made only with permission from the government of the People's Republic of China," said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, at a press conference, adding that "trespass by foreign ships or planes into China's airspace will cause serious consequences."

These warnings should never be interpreted merely as China's diplomatic parlance. As Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized during the speech celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in Beijing earlier this month, "No one should underestimate the resolve, the will and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity," warning that "we will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate usand any foreign force attempting to do so will "find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people."
Editor's note: Sergei Lousianin is a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and a professor at the National Research University  Higher School of Economics. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

On June 28, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting, adding new momentum to the deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. With preparations underway for the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the two countries signed a joint declaration on the day of the meeting to extend The Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. In doing so, President Putin offered his sincere congratulations to President Xi, his reliable Chinese friend.

It is unfortunate that in 2021, the world is facing a number of challenges and tests ranging from the outbreak of the pandemic to conflicts between values and ideologies. Under the pressure of political and economic sanctions imposed by the "Western bloc" led by the U.S., Russia and China have to adapt to reality and remap certain strategic paths for global, regional and bilateral cooperation. Today, the two countries are working strenuously not only to protect the international legal system, uphold a multipolar world and support strategic arms control, but also to maintain global and regional balance of power. Both Russia and China are keenly aware of their special responsibilities towards the destiny and development of the world.

Russia-China cooperation is based on the two countries' strong and deep strategic partnership, which is currently experiencing profound changes, going into greater depth and reaching new heights. Such transformation is driven by internal factors such as the economic, cultural and civilizational closeness between the two countries at the people level, as well as external factors such as our shared goals to promote multipolarity, maintain global and regional security, defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and fend off other countries' intervention in our internal affairs.

Russia-China relations have long transcended the narrow, bilateral paradigm. Both countries are setters of global and regional agendas for the construction of a multipolar world, and defenders of international law and global governance institutions including the UN and its Security Council. The U.S. is obviously keen on sabotaging the international legal system and replacing it with a certain "code of conduct" for states formulated by itself to benefit Western countries at the expense of Russia's and China's interests.

Importantly, over the two decades since the Treaty was signed, China and Russia have put in place an effective mechanism to protect our common interests and uphold multilateralism as a major vessel for the solution of global issues. In the meantime, the two countries have also established a multi-level mechanism of strategic partnership, which involves bilateral cooperation at the levels of state, governments, social organizations, friendly groups, etc.

Within these mechanisms, high-level meetings are particularly relevant and valuable for the development of bilateral relations. They provide the political power that is needed to address bottlenecks in our partnership and pave the way for the short- and long-term planning of bilateral agendas in key areas (political diplomacy, military strategies, military technologies, commerce and economy, and humanitarian causes).

Meetings between Russian and Chinese leaders also contribute significantly to accelerating the solution of international and regional issues. The Eurasia high speed railway, built under Russia-China cooperation, is a result of highest-level negotiations between the two countries.

On May 8, 2015, Russia and China signed the Joint statement between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on cooperation in construction of conjugation of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt, showcasing their willingness to link the Eurasian Economic Union with China's Belt and Road Initiative, promote common development, and expand room for cooperation among European and Asian countries.

Moreover, it is also highly important to coordinate efforts within the framework of Russia-China leader-level meetings for the solution of pressing issues regarding Syria and Afghanistan, especially the withdrawal of U.S. troops, as well as of other problems such as those related to the Korean Peninsula and the Iran nuclear deal.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regionalized grouping that has been closely followed by the leaders of our two countries. Russia and China are also both BRICS countries.

Bilateral ties between Russia and China are built upon intensive and diverse political, economic and people-to-people connections, the two countries' central positions on the global stage as independent and prominent powers, and the great resilience of our partnership as demonstrated in solving international and regional issues. Although affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-China cooperation remains flexible enough to integrate strategic interests with partnership opportunities.

Today's world needs a new form of bilateral military and political collaborations. Given the high degree of mutual trust and the existing cooperation in military technologies, it is actually not necessary for Russia and China to form a military alliance.

The relationship between the two countries, which has gone beyond the traditional sense of regionalized grouping, is fully self-reliant, independent from ideologies and not targeted at any other country. It is, both in nature and in form, a strategic partnership that is more effective than a traditional coalition.

The extension of the Treaty shows that leaders on both sides have worked to maintain high quality Russia-China cooperation at the legal and political levels. It also speaks of the significant roles they have played in bettering the shared future of our two countries and promoting global stability and development.
by Steve Suwannarat

As more coronavirus cases are reported, the images of three bodies in a central part of the Thai capital have gone viral on social media. The Thai government inks a deal with Pfizer for 20 million doses of its vaccine, but delivery is expected only in the last quarter of 2021.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  While the COVID-19 emergency rages on, the bodies of three men were found in the streets of the Thai capital of Bangkok, their grisly images all over social media and blogs.

According to the latest official count, some 13,000 cases were reported in Thailand in the last 24 hours with 108 deaths for a total of 3,610.

The first man collapsed in front of the Wat Bowonniwet Buddhist temple, near Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkoks main thoroughfares. Although first aid was provided, he died on site; his body was moved only late in the evening.

A second body, that of a 60-year-old man, was found a few kilometres away, on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, in a posh area of the city, with government ministries, royal buildings, as well as military and police headquarters.

The third body, that of a 40-year-old man, was found near a department store in Khlong Toey district, in the port area, known for its slums, once among the largest in Asia.

The death of the first man was attributed to COVID-19 while testing is ongoing on the remains of the other two men.

Whatever the case, leaving bodies in the streets is a new and shocking development for Bangkok, one of Asias most populous and vibrant cities with a population of 12 million.

A strict lockdown with night curfew is in place in the capital along with several neighbouring and southern provinces,

Three more provinces could be added in the coming days; meanwhile, the authorities seem unable to guarantee an adequate supply of vaccines.

According to government sources, an agreement reached in recent hours with Pfizer would see the pharmaceutical firm deliver 20 million doses, but only in the last quarter of the year.

So far, the vaccination rollout has targeted workers most at risk, i.e., public sector employees, the military and police, using mostly Chinese vaccines.

The recent discovery of the absence of antibodies in at least 800 health workers vaccinated with two doses has raised questions about the effectiveness of such vaccines, increasing fears among ordinary Thais and pressures on the authorities.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Ties strengthened with Turkmenistan. Energy and regional security are the main areas of cooperation between Beijing and Ashgabat. Fears over the Taliban advance in Afghanistan. The Chinese are better positioned than the US and Russia in the "great game" for Central Asia.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Yesterday the popular Turkmen television programme "Dunja Turkmenleri" (Turkmen in the world) presented an extensive overview of relations between Turkmenistan and China. The report particularly emphasised Beijing's growing economic dominance over the whole of Central Asia.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited several countries in the region: Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The tour, which had been planned for some time, coincided with the escalating crisis in neighbouring Afghanistan, which is of great concern to the Chinese leadership.

On 12-13 July, Wang held talks with Turkmen President Gurbangul Berdymuhamedov and Ashgabat Foreign Minister Rasid Meredov. The parties agreed to intensify mutual relations. The situation in Afghanistan was discussed, highlighting China's desire to play an important role in regulating the conflict. For the time being, the Chinese giant is limiting itself to acting as a back-up for the Central Asian nations, without entering directly into diplomatic skirmishes.

With Turkmenistan, China is putting the energy issue, be it nuclear energy or natural gas, first. However, Beijing emphasises the importance of offering "all kinds of traditional or non-traditional support in the field of security", as Radio Azatlyk reports.

The Chinese government wants to get involved in all aspects of Turkmen social life, not just the economy, starting with the exchange of data between the two countries' investigation and security services. In the first place, given the situation on the border with Afghanistan, there is information on the presence of Uyghur extremist groups on Afghan territory and in Central Asia.

Turkmenistan appears to be a privileged ally of the Chinese. Ashgabat is not a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation. Despite bilateral agreements with China, the Turkmen do not even participate in the Chinese-influenced Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

With the support of the Berdymuhamedov regime, Beijing is beginning to be a serious competitor to the US and Russia in the arms trade in Central Asia. Wang stated that "China supports Turkmenistan's state of neutrality, and condemns any attempt to meddle in Turkmenistan's internal affairs". The Chinese envoy's statement reflects China's own profile of its Turkmen partner, which often emphasises the rhetoric of 'Chinese neutrality' in the global arena.

Not surprisingly, on 14 July, during the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Turkmen representative supported the Chinese government regarding the situation in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Ashgabat expressed its opposition to pressure on China, which is accused by Western nations of violating human rights.

With their statements, the Chinese intend to condemn Washington's policy, which is militarily active in Afghanistan as in many other parts of the world. Together with countries such as Iran, China has in past years criticised the presence of US troops in Central Asia. Now Beijing is attacking its US rivals for having decided to withdraw its forces from the Afghan powder keg, giving the Taliban a new lease of life.

After the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, China is increasingly entering the "great game" of Central Asia, as it has been defined since the 19th century, and where until a few years ago the main players were Russia, the United States and Europe. Washington is redefining its objectives and aims to reopen military bases in the region to keep the Russians and Chinese under control. Thanks to massive investments in their economies, however, Beijing seems to be able to control the Central Asian countries much more effectively than the other powers 'in play'.
Rubric China Economy Freedom of religion India Islam Social Doctrine of the Church Vatican

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by Mathias Hariyadi

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  Despite strong massive protests by several groups, especially in the informal sector, Indonesian authorities have extended tough emergency restrictions by another week, until 25 July, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (pictured) said last night.

The Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement (PPKM[*]) order applies to all of the countrys 15 regions. First introduced on 3 July, it was limited to Java and Bali, the countrys most populated islands and the most affected by the pandemic.

The PPKM was eventually extended to deal with the more virulent and transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 as the best way to curb the outbreak that was spreading and affecting more and more Indonesians.

The PPKM will be lifted when the number of cases drops considerably, said President Jokowi noted. In a speech to the nation, he said that two weeks of restrictions in Java and Bali showed positive results with fewer coronavirus cases and hospitalisations.

Indonesian authorities will certainly continue to monitor the situation on the ground, said the president, and heed public opinion as peoples livelihoods are influenced by the restrictions.

The support of Church leaders

Despite scepticism about the PPKMs effectiveness, Indonesian Church leaders have expressed their moral support for Jokowi's decision.

Several bishops spoke to AsiaNews to express their views about President Widowos decision to extend the PPKM until 25 July. It was not possible to reach Card Ignatius Suharyo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Indonesia (KWI[]), before publication.

I completely agree," said Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke (Papua) MSC. This must be done for the good of the entire country, added the former bishop of Amboina (Moluccas).

For Archbishop Yustinus Harjosusanto of Samarinda (East Kalimantan) MSF, Without a doubt, we support the decision. We fully recognise that the informal sector has been seriously affected. But putting up with the PPKM one more week will be much wiser with more fruitful results for the good of all the people. Earlier his archdiocese issued a public notice on the matter (pictured).

Bishop Yohanes Harun Yuwono of Tanjungkarang (Lampung Province, Sumatra) strongly agrees. There is nothing more serious than simply following the rules and fully engaging with health protocols. People should stay home, except in essential matters, to protect their family and neighbours. If we have strict discipline, we will have a bright future.

"The Diocese of Sibolga will certainly support the governments decision to extend the PPKM. It is the socially responsible thing to do in order to curb the spread of the Delta variant," said Fr Fransiskus Tuaman Sinaga, bishop designate of Sibolga, whose consecration was cancelled twice due to the pandemic.

"This is undeniably important, as the pandemic is still ongoing. The Diocese of Malang (East Java) understands the logic well, noted the local bishop, Mgr Henricus Pidyarto Gunawan O. Carm. The most affected people should be helped via the countrys social safety net, he added.

Indonesian authorities will not put their own people at risk and will fight alone without help, which should be properly channelled to the right recipients. Restrictions are in place but based on reasonable arguments, said Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur of Bogor (West Java) OFM Cap.

Extending the PPKM will curb the deadly coronavirus, said Bishop Dominikus Saku of Atambua (Timor). We must support the new decision by the Indonesian government. We must not only spend what it takes to stem the disease, but also improve the quality of human life.

As good Catholics, we are also called to behave like Indonesian patriots. We must support last night's decision by the Indonesian president for the good of the nation, said Bishop Petrus Boddeng Timang of Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan).

Since the viral outbreak has not yet been completely stopped, the Diocese of Manado (North Sulawesi) has strongly encouraged the government to implement the decision to extend the PPKM, noted the local bishop, Mgr Benedictus Rolly Untu MSC.

Yohanes Bayu Samodro, head of the General Directorate for Catholic Orientation at the Ministry for Religious Affairs, spoke to AsiaNews about the matter, saying that the public support of religious leaders is needed at this difficult point in time.

At least religious leaders can minimise the excessive worries in their community. With respect to Catholic leaders, I ask the Indonesian online Catholic media Sesawi.Net, which has good and broad relations with Indonesian bishops, to relay this important message from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

[*] Indonesian: Pemberlakuan Pembatasan Kegiatan Masyarakat.

[] Konferensi Waligereja Indonesia.
At least a thousand phone numbers, including that of Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, were found on the lists of possible victims of Israeli-made spy software sold to some governments. In the Indian parliament, the opposition calls for a parliamentary commission of inquiry. The case raises questions about the evidence found in Fr Stan Swamys computer. The Jesuit, who died from prison-related health issues, claimed that some files in his computer were not his.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  At least a thousand Indian phone numbers belonging to opposition lawmakers, journalists, human rights activists and judges were found on a list of potential surveillance targets created using the Israeli-made software Pegasus, this according to a consortium of international media and Amnesty International in a statement last Sunday.

In India this has led to accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, since most of the people under surveillance are opponents of the current government, starting with Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress party.

Yesterday, the work of Indias parliament was disrupted several times by the opposition, which is calling for a commission of inquiry into the use of Pegasus.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, which is headed by Congress MP, will hold a hearing on July 28; the presence of the recently-appointed Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is expected.

Members of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the accusations as an anti-Modi plot. Government officials also deny any illegal use of the software, but Indian security services have not.

NSO, the Israeli-based company that makes the software, said that it sold it only to vetted governments.

It appears that Indians were targeted only after Prime Minister Modi made a visit to Israel in 2017. The targeted Indians include 40 journalists, a former election commissioner, and several state officials in Karnataka.

The Congress party led this state until 2019, when a no-confidence vote by the state assembly paved the way for the BJP to win.

The presence of human rights activists on Pegasus' list also raises questions about the "evidence" gathered in the trials against them.

According to todays The Hindu newspaper, the 16 people accused in the Bhima Koregaon case have repeatedly complained that their computers had been breached and files added.

Fr Stan Swamy, the 84-year-old Jesuit who died a few days ago after contracting COVID-19 behind bars, mentioned this during a court hearing about his application for release.

The clergyman was jailed on charges of terrorism for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon affair, during a Dalit demonstration on 1 January 2018.

This is antithetical to the basic creed of democracy, writes The Hindu. The truth about these revelations must be unearthed through an investigation by a JPC or by the Supreme Court or any other credible mechanism. A starting point for the Government must be in clearing the air on the foremost question it is skirting around  has any Indian agency bought Pegasus?
by Fady Noun

The COVID-19 pandemic and political and economic difficulties have caused a decline in the number of pilgrims. The shrine remains nevertheless a major destination for those seeking graces for themselves and the country. Annaya monastery is seen as in a hospital emergency room, when all other healing methods seem to fail.

Beirut (AsiaNews)  At any time, but especially at these woeful times to cite Pope Francis from his 1 July speech, Annaya is a destination cherished by Lebanese from all religious backgrounds because it offers them what now has become a scarce commodity, namely the comfort of hope and, from time to time, scientifically inexplicable healings.

Restaurants near the monastery are currently reporting a drop in business, thus offering a good sign of the countrys situation. Health conditions combined with the catastrophic effects of the collapse of the pound and soaring prices, whether for basic foodstuffs, petrol or public transit, have partially undermined their prosperity. Fewer customers are coming, say minibus drivers operating on the Jbeil-Annaya line, which can now cost more than 15,000 Lebanese pounds (US$ 9).

Transportation costs explain perhaps why, on this third Sunday in July, the date on which the Maronite Church celebrates Saint Charbel, the Superior of the Lebanese monastic order, Father Neemtallah Hachem, celebrated the solemn Mass, not the Patriarch in the presence of the Lebanons president.

Fr Louis Matar, who keeps the register of healings and graces obtained by visitors through the saint's intercession, also mentioned financial difficulties. The monk and priest noted that at present there are no medical documents attesting to declared healings. Because of the additional costs these documents entail, the faithful deem them superfluous. For him however, They are the greatest proof of the miracle obtained.

A great number of healings have taken place on the very tomb of Saint Charbel, whose body, inexplicably, continued to sweat blood more than 60 years after his death, on Christmas night 1898. Tens of thousands of Lebanese saw this unexplained wonder, which is no longer taking place, when the tomb of Saint Charbel was opened in 1952.

Communion of saints

For Edina Bozoky, a Hungarian historian who lectures in medieval history at the University of Poitiers, the cult of relics is based on the concept of a force (virtus) that we imagine still alive and active in the bodily remains of saints.

One of the most important signs that show the living force in the remains of saints is the incorrupt state of their bodies, she explained. This is sometimes accompanied by certain phenomena attesting to the continuity of life: growth of hair, beard, nails, but also the fresh blood which flows from the body, all of which have been observed in Saint Charbels case.

Finally, it is possible to think that the souls of saints are already with God where they can intercede on behalf of the living. This concept of the communion of saints  which lessens the separation between the living and the dead  must also be taken into account if we want to understand relic worship. The places where these are kept constitute places of mediation, holy places (loca sancta) connecting earth and sky, body and soul.

What better way to describe the Annaya monastery: We come here as we go to a hospital emergency room, said a married woman who travelled to the shrine with her husband and daughter. One comes when all other attempts at healing have failed, and there is no other recourse but a miracle. We also come for non-medical emergencies as well, she adds. First aid for meanings.

Many travel to Annaya at present to ask for a miracle for Lebanon. From the monastery overlooking the Holy Valley where he celebrated Mass, Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi set an example on Saturday. To you we entrust our and your homeland: Lebanon. We need a miracle and we know that you are able to obtain it, said the prelate, echoing Father Louis Matar, who likes to say that the hermit of Annaya likes to present himself to those he visits in dream as follows: I am Saint Charbel Lebanon, I am coming to heal you.
Demonstrations for the sixth consecutive night in the south-west of the country. At least two people were killed in clashes with police. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was also targeted. Coronavirus outbreaks are on the rise again, with over 27,000 cases and 250 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies) - For the sixth night in a row, street protests have taken place in southwest Iran, triggered by a serious water crisis. In recent days, two people have died in clashes between the civilian population and the police.

Meanwhile, the discontent is spreading across the country and has reached the capital, which has been in lockdown for a few days due to a new outbreak of Covid-19 infections; groups of inhabitants have been chanting anti-government slogans and chants, also against the Supreme Leader.

Videos posted on social networks show security forces firing water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The semi-official Fars news agency spoke of a policeman killed and a colleague wounded by "rioters" in the port city of Mahshahr, in the province of Khuzestan. In Izeh some citizens invoked "Reza Shah", a reference to the king who founded the Pahlavi dynasty overthrown by the Islamic revolution in 1979.

In the capital, opposition groups and activists called for support for protesters in Khuzestan. Accepting the call, some citizens of Tehran posted videos last night and this morning of people chanting 'Down with the Islamic Republic' in a metro station. During the night, slogans were also heard against the highest state authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

According to the dissident movement Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) there have been at least 31 protests across Iran in the past two days, including demonstrations by workers and farmers. The country is facing its worst drought in 50 years, with a water crisis (exacerbated by US sanctions) that has affected families, agriculture, livestock and caused numerous power cuts.

The coronavirus emergency is witnessing a surge of cases. In the last 24 hours, the Islamic Republic has recorded 27,444 new infections and 250 deaths. According to the Tasnim news agency, which cites sources in the Ministry of Health, this is the highest number of deaths in the last two months. The overall toll of the pandemic in Iran has risen to 87,624 deaths and 3,576,100 infections. In the meantime, the government has imposed a new lockdown, the fifth so far, in the provinces of Tehran and Alborz, closing bazaars, markets, public offices, cinemas, gyms and restaurants until 26 July.
Both nationwide and in Maryland the average number of new daily cases has doubled over the past two weeks. But Maryland still has one of the countrys six lowest case rates  just over 2 per 100,000  and one of the highest vaccination rates, per The New York Times coronavirus tracker.
The states attorney added that there was no train at the platform that Parker could board at the time of the incident nor was there any indication that Sewells use of force was necessary.
At the Susquehanna Workforce Network, we realize that this is not easy work. Our employment specialists and other staff are trained to be especially empathetic and understanding about the dynamics and behaviors associated with substance use disorder. We have created new partnerships with recovery community organizations like Addiction Connections Resource in Harford County and Voices of Hope in Cecil County.
Personally, Id rather not drink the water in Flint or be one of the people who froze to death in Texas because of bad Republican decisions. Finally, he accuses Democrats of being liars when his party is now run like a pirate ship where anyone with integrity is thrown overboard, the liars are rewarded, and the biggest liar, whose crimes are in the news everyday, is still revered. So, tell us again Cal about how much the Republicans have done for the American people.
Dozens of people have sued the city over the unit, the prosecution of which sent more than 12 officers to prison and resulted in hundreds of criminal cases being dropped or vacated. City attorneys said Wednesday they hope the bulk of the cases, which have cost the city $14.3 million in settlements thus far, are behind the city although several remain in litigation.
Restaurants



July 24 is National Tequila Day in the United States



Fun fact: A sugar found in the agave plant, the same plant from which tequila is made, is said to have a number of health benefits for those at risk of type 2 diabetes and weight gain. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - July 24 is National Tequila Day in the United States and, according its official



As North America's first distilled drink, and its first commercially-produced alcohol, tequila's history is long and rich. Its roots reach back into pre-Hispanic times when the natives fermented sap from the local maguey plants into a beer-like drink called pulque, also made from the agave. Made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant (more commonly referred to today as the agave plant), pulque is the ancient "cousin" of modern day mescal and tequila, both of which are made from the cooked heart of the plant.



First distilled by Spanish conquistadors around 1525 A.D., mescal represents the first distilled beverage in North America. As exploration expanded north, the Spaniards discovered the modern day state of Jalisco, home to the Tiquili Indians. It was there that the most prized of the agave varietals, the blue agave, was discovered, and from this modern day tequila was born.



Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which only grows in the area surrounding the city of the same name: Tequila. The town is a located in the state of Jalisco, which is Puerto Vallarta's home state as well.



Around 1600, Don Pedro Sanchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing tequila at the first factory constructed in modern-day Jalisco.



Don Cenobio Sauza, the founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the pueblo of Tequila from 1884-1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States, and shortened the name from "Tequila Extract" to just "Tequila" for the American markets. But it was the efforts of Don Cenobio's grandson, Don Francisco Javier, that led to the dictate that real tequila can only come from the State of Jalisco. He insisted, "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!"



In July 2006, UNESCO added



Surviving centuries of wars, plagues, and bouts with prohibition, tequila has never been as popular as it is today. With over 100 registered distilleries producing over 900 recognized brands, it is clear that the spirit of the ancient Mayan and Aztec is alive and well.



Now that the tequila history lesson is over, it's time to move on to the best part... drinking it! National Tequila Day provides a tailor-made excuse to kick back and give one a try. Or three. After all, July 24 does fall on a Saturday this year... - July 24 is National Tequila Day in the United States and, according its official Facebook page, the most appropriate thing to do is to celebrate the holiday with a tequila toast. But first, a little history...As North America's first distilled drink, and its first commercially-produced alcohol, tequila's history is long and rich. Its roots reach back into pre-Hispanic times when the natives fermented sap from the local maguey plants into a beer-like drink called pulque, also made from the agave. Made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant (more commonly referred to today as the agave plant), pulque is the ancient "cousin" of modern day mescal and tequila, both of which are made from the cooked heart of the plant.First distilled by Spanish conquistadors around 1525 A.D., mescal represents the first distilled beverage in North America. As exploration expanded north, the Spaniards discovered the modern day state of Jalisco, home to the Tiquili Indians. It was there that the most prized of the agave varietals, the blue agave, was discovered, and from this modern day tequila was born.Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which only grows in the area surrounding the city of the same name: Tequila. The town is a located in the state of Jalisco, which is Puerto Vallarta's home state as well.Around 1600, Don Pedro Sanchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing tequila at the first factory constructed in modern-day Jalisco.Don Cenobio Sauza, the founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the pueblo of Tequila from 1884-1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States, and shortened the name from "Tequila Extract" to just "Tequila" for the American markets. But it was the efforts of Don Cenobio's grandson, Don Francisco Javier, that led to the dictate that real tequila can only come from the State of Jalisco. He insisted, "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!"In July 2006, UNESCO added Jalisco's Amatitlan Valley, where the agave is grown and the site where the alcoholic beverage was first made, to its list of World Heritage sites.Surviving centuries of wars, plagues, and bouts with prohibition, tequila has never been as popular as it is today. With over 100 registered distilleries producing over 900 recognized brands, it is clear that the spirit of the ancient Mayan and Aztec is alive and well.Now that the tequila history lesson is over, it's time to move on to the best part... drinking it! National Tequila Day provides a tailor-made excuse to kick back and give one a try. Or three. After all, July 24 does fall on a Saturday this year...



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People on Phu Quy island sent lo

People on Phu Quy island sent local seafood to pandemic-hit areas

BTO- Currently, many localities in the southern region are struggling with the Covid-19 outbreaks, with new infections on the increase, threatening economic development, social stability and affecting residents livelihood, especially in areas under lockdown measures. Thousands of people have faced a lack of food and other necessities due to supply disruption during the lockdown period.

Youth members joining hands in wrapping fresh seafood as presents for people in difficulties due to Covid-19 lockdown

In response to call of authorities and organizations on supporting households with food difficulties in Binh Thuan and other localities amid social distancing order, youth and many people in Phu Quy island district have donated different kinds of seafood, advantageous products of the island, in an attempt to share difficulties and help ease food shortage during virus lockdown period, contributing to supporting the fight against Covid-19 in Binh Thuan in particular and in Vietnam in general.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Branch of Phu Quy district lately launched the charity program One thousand kilos of fish plus to mobilize local fishermen, businesses to contribute fish and other marine products as the food supply for people living in areas impacted by restrictions.

Members of Thuong Chau-Phu Quy Charitable kitchen processing seafood in support of poor people affected by restrictions due to Covid-19.

At least one ton of fish, along with other food products and essential commodities will be collected under this program and sent to residents in La Gi town and Tanh Linh district, two localities in Binh Thuan with the lastest Covid-19 outbreaks and being under social distancing order following the Prime Ministers Directive No.16. According to Mr. Ta Ngoc Vien Secretary of Phu Quy districts Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union branch, if the program earns larger sources of donations, the program will come to other provinces/cities. After 2 days of launching, over 100 kilos of fresh fish have been collected, classified, packaged, and kept in the freezer to be ready for transport to the mainland. Besides seafood products (fish, squids) and necessaries, the program also accepts donations in cash or transfer to the account number of Phu Quys Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union branch: 4815201002001 at Agribank (Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)-Phu Quy branch, or directly contact with Mr. Ta Ngoc Vien via phone number 0913 769 214.

The program entitled Thuong Chau Phu Quy Charitable kitchen was established to mobilize individuals and enterprises to donate fresh and dried seafood in order to prepared hundreds of meal portions for poor residents in lodging houses in Tan Bien ward-Bien Hoa city-Dong Nai province, as well as some poor hostels in alleys in Ho Chi Minh city, where stringent social distancing measures have been imposed.

Translated by Phuong Lan (Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)
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Over our 13 years in business, so many of our incredible customers visiting the Delaware beaches have encouraged us to bring Agave to their hometown, said Mike Firetti, co-owner of Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar. Now, with the vision of MRE Properties, Agave starts its westward expansion. We look forward to serving the wonderful people of the amazing city of Annapolis.
Following an explosion in recreational boating in the 1990s, boaters now expect resort-like amenities in addition to traditional boat services, said Rod Jabin, the yacht yards owner and president. Free Wi-Fi, fitness centers, restaurants, meeting rooms and more are the expectation and marina owners get criticized if you cant do a 100Mb download for free at the farthest slip from the router, Jabin said. Thats the expectation.
The Charter Committee to Celebrate President Barack Obama will also be accepting shoe box donations to give charities in Prince Georges County and Washington, D.C., serving men, women and children in need. They will accept boxes on Aug. 7 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Bowie Senior Center, 14900 Health Center Drive.
Rodriguez admitted he was a member of the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 for short, and took part in the March 2019 killing over the mistaken belief that the boy, a fellow member, was working with police, prosecutors said. The boy was beaten and stabbed or cut roughly 144 times by Rodriguez and others whom he believed to be his friends, they wrote in a court filing.
Whether the issue will be taken up in the state legislature has yet to be seen. The General Assembly did pass laws during this past legislative session to reform juvenile sentencing laws to allow for more avenues of release and prohibit sentences of life without the possibility of parole, but legislators removed language in another bill that would have prohibited minors under the age of 13 from being charged with crimes.
In his retirement, he became an avid oil painter, and took many trips to Europe, New England and the Eastern Shore with his wife, the former Helen Younghans, a Reliable Stores commercial artist. They shared a passion for plein-air painting, and the couples artwork was displayed at galleries in Maryland and Delaware. He also enjoyed spending time at a second home he owned in Dewey Beach, Delaware.
A fair amount of that practice has involved criminal defense, he said. In all of my cases, Ive tried to be a zealous advocate for my clients, who have generally been poor or working class or middle-class folks. In both the political realm, and as a lawyer, I have spent most of my adult life seeking justice.
Lewis was taken into custody without incident at a residence in Columbia on Tuesday morning and is currently being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center. A bond review hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, and a preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 4 in Howard County District Court. No attorney was listed for him in online court records.
It was like a circus when it was transferred to Oakland, Maryland, because people had come out and actually acted physically and verbally said that they had never seen people of color, Brown said. They came out just like we were all in a zoo on display to come to see people of color.
What about newly arrived Americans, both Black and white? My grandparents came to the U.S. in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They were Eastern European Jews and Italians. They had nothing to do with slavery, but were indeed subject to bias and discrimination. Why should I have to participate in reparations to Black people? If the proposal was to make the dependents of slaveholders pay reparations, it would at least have some logic behind it. But to make newly arrived immigrants pay reparations is just illogical.
In a country where mass kidnapping has become a norm, the release of 100 women and children in Nigeria comes as a major relief for the authorities.

The government agency claims that the release was secured without paying any ransom, but refused to provide more details.

The kidnapping was carried out last month on 8 June in Zamfara state.

According to reports, since December 2020, more than 1,000 people have been abducted in the region.

Bandits release the victims after securing ransom money from their relatives, but in some cases, the victims have been killed.

Since December 2020, more than 1,000 people have been abducted.

The abduction cases have spiralled after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from school by Boko Haram Islamist militants in Borno state in 2014. The lure of fast and huge cash has encouraged more armed groups to resort to the mass abduction of students.
Amid political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry on Tuesday was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Haiti.

Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon and former cabinet minister was tapped as Prime Minister by the President just days before he was gunned down at his home on July 7, reported NHK World.

Henry will lead the nation until a new President is chosen in an election scheduled for September.

In his inauguration speech, he said hopes to create an environment that will allow as many people as possible to cast their votes.

The United Nations, the United States and Germany have expressed support for the new Prime Minister, reported NHK World.

He faces a country wracked by poverty, crime, long-term political instability and natural disasters, including hurricanes and a major earthquake.

The President's assassination remains a mystery. The midnight assault left Moise's wife seriously wounded.

Haitian police said at least 26 people have been arrested so far, including Colombians, Haitian-Americans and a number of local police officers. Colombian authorities are cooperating in the investigation, reported NHK World.

(ANI)

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Several speakers addressed the funding that was removed from the budget for roof replacement, saying that not doing the work now would only end up costing the library more down the line or could result in catastrophic damage to the building and books if the roof were to fail.
The 31st Hong Kong Book Fair ended on Tuesday, attracting nearly 830,000 visitors despite the COVID-19 pandemic.



The week-long event, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, featured an extensive selection of literary works, renowned international authors and diverse cultural activities.

More than 700 exhibitors showcased a wide range of books and literary products.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said the gradual recovery of the local economy will lead to the return of more physical public shows, and the HKTDC is preparing to stage more such exhibitions to give a further boost to the recovery.

According to an on-site survey of more than 800 visitors, the average per capita spending at the book fair was 817 HK dollars (about 105.11 U.S. dollars), representing 65 percent of their overall average annual spending on books (1,262 HK dollars).

The survey results highlighted the fact that the book fair, the largest annual cultural event in the financial hub, remains a major book-purchasing platform for the public.

This year's book fair adopted the theme "Inspirational and Motivational Reading", with a tagline "Reading the World - Inspiring the Mind and Refreshing the Soul". About 600 cultural events were held during the book fair, attracting more than 310,000 attendees, the organizer said. (1 U.S. dollar = 7.77 HK dollars)
China's southern island province of Hainan saw its foreign trade surge 46.1 percent year on year to reach 58.5 billion yuan (about 9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, local authorities said Tuesday.



Imports soared 69.5 percent to 44.4 billion yuan while exports edged up 1.9 percent to 14.1 billion yuan, according to Wang Yu, deputy head of the Hainan provincial bureau of statistics.

Over the period, Hainan used 950 million U.S. dollars of foreign investment, up 623.6 percent year on year. The province also saw its service trade volume grow 81.2 percent to 13.7 billion yuan in the period.

China released a master plan last June to build Hainan into a globally influential and high-level free trade port by the middle of the century. The island province has so far implemented a slew of preferential policies such as visa-free entry and offshore duty-free shopping to boost trade.
China forecasts a bumper harvest in 2021 as the country sees increasing summer and autumn grain planting acreage, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) said Tuesday.



China has seen a stable increase in the planting acreage of autumn grain, which produces over 75 percent of the total grain in the country, MARA official Liu Lihua told a press conference.

The planting acreage of autumn grain is expected to stand at 1.29 billion mu (86 million hectares) this year, with a particular increase in the cultivation of corn, said Liu.

Currently, crops in the field are growing well, Liu added.

For summer grain, the acreage increased by 3.98 million mu this year, reversing the shrinking trend in the past five years, said Zeng Yande, an official with the MARA.

Summer grain output recorded an all-time high of 145.8 million tonnes, up by 2.97 million tonnes from a year ago, data from the ministry showed.

The yield of summer grain per mu reached 367.7 kilograms, marking a rise for three years in a row, the data showed.

The July-September period is key to the production of autumn grain, Liu said, adding that natural disasters, including flooding and typhoons, are also likely to appear frequently during the period.

The country should speed up the harvest of autumn crops and prevent natural disasters to make sure that the grain output for the year maintains above the target of over 650 million tonnes, Liu said.
Zhejiang province is aiming for "significant progress" in building itself into a pilot zone for common prosperity by 2025 through high-quality development, according to the latest implementation plan released by provincial authorities.



The plan, which was unveiled on Monday, proposes 52 tasks and goals relating to income, employment, housing, education and public health in the province.

A central idea is the formation of an "olive-shaped social structure "in which middle-income households are the mainstay of the economy. The province will also strive to become an example of how to reduce disparities between regions, urban and rural areas and incomes.

According to the plan, the annual per capita disposable income of all residents in Zhejiang will reach 75,000 yuan ($11,570) by 2025. Payment for labor will account for more than 50 percent of GDP by 2025, and the ratio of residents' per capita disposable income to per capita GDP will continue to increase during the period, the plan said.

The size of the middle-income group in the province is expected to expand with improvements in the quality of life. The proportion of residents with annual household disposable income of 100,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan is expected to reach 80 percent.

By 2025, the urbanization rate of the population in Zhejiang will reach 75 percent, with the income gap between urban and rural residents kept at a reasonable level.

With the income gap expected to shrink, the ability of low-income groups to earn more money and increase their living standards will be significantly improved.

"Zhejiang plays an exemplary role in exploring the experiments of a society seeking common prosperity in accordance with what the country needs and what the public expects," Wang Zhangming, executive director of the Anhui Labor Institute, told the Securities Times.

Education, one of the main development indicators, is projected to reach the international and domestic advanced level with an enrollment rate in higher education of more than 70 percent, Xinhua News Agency reported. Children will receive 15.5 years of education on average.

For urban residents in Zhejiang, "public service circles" will be established with community members able to walk to facilities offering preschool education, health and seniors care, and physical exercise, within 15 minutes. Life expectancy is forecast to surpass 80.

A decision to establish Zhejiang as a demonstration zone for common prosperity was unveiled in a guideline jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, on June 10. It came as the nation works toward the goal of tackling development problems and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas after eradicating extreme poverty last year.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for advancing reform of the scientific research project review and evaluation mechanism to encourage researchers to devote themselves to basic research.



Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks on Monday while presiding over a symposium at the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the NSFC.

The establishment of the NSFC marks a historic shift in the allocation of scientific and technological resources from planned distribution to competition, Li said, adding that the foundation should make better use of the valuable funds in supporting scientific research.

Li underlined the core position of innovation in the country's modernization endeavor, calling for stimulating the enthusiasm of the whole of society for innovation through deepening reform.

Noting that the technological bottleneck in many industries mainly lies in the weakness of original innovation, Li said that basic research is the cornerstone of promoting original innovation, science and technology, and industrial development.

Li called for an increased sense of urgency and said researchers should be encouraged to focus on scientific research and deepen international cooperation.

He also called for increased financial investment in basic research, the stimulation of enterprises to carry out basic research and applied basic research by means of tax incentives, and the strengthening of research on basic theoretical problems that hold back industrial development.

He emphasized enhancing education in basic subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry to cultivate more talents for basic research.