China to test entire city in five days after six virus cases
China aims to test more than nine million residents of the port city of Qingdao within five days following a minor outbreak of the coronavirus, health officials said Monday, the first mass testing in months......»»
China executes South Korean for drug trafficking
China has executed a South Korean national for drug trafficking, Beijing's foreign ministry said, the first time such a sentence has been carried out on a citizen of that country in almost a decade. A court in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou "lawfully pronounced a verdict and executed the South Korean defendant... for drug trafficking" on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "When defendants of different nationalities commit crimes on Chinese territory, Chinese law shall be applied equally", it added. An official from Seoul's foreign ministry told reporters Friday that "the death penalty was carried out today for a South Korean citizen who was sentenced to death for selling drugs in China". Beijing said the individual, who Chinese officials named Jiang -- which would be rendered Kang in Korean -- had had their "legitimate rights and interests" protected. South Korea expressed "regret that the death penalty has been carried out against our citizen". "The government has made multiple requests for reconsideration or postponement of the execution on humanitarian grounds through various channels since the death sentence was announced," the official said. It is the first execution of a South Korean drug offender by China in nine years, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. The individual was arrested in China in 2014 in possession of five kilograms of methamphetamine, according to Yonhap. He was sentenced to death in 2019, the agency said. China, the world's top executioner, frequently carries out the death penalty by lethal injection for very serious crimes. The Chinese legal system is tightly controlled by the ruling Communist Party and courts have a near-100 percent conviction rate in criminal cases. Like many countries in the region, China has strict drug laws, and several foreign nationals have been handed death penalties for trafficking in recent years. In 2020, an Australian was sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking. According to Chinese media, he was arrested at Guangzhou airport in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his luggage. And in 2019, China sentenced two Canadian nationals accused of drug trafficking to death at a time when relations with Ottawa were nosediving. Seoul said Friday's execution was "unrelated to the relationship between China and South Korea". The post China executes South Korean for drug trafficking appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Raison d’être
Legal eagles are betting that the International Criminal Court will rule today to continue its investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings being pinned on the Duterte administration at the height of its campaign against illegal drugs from 2016 to 2019. That’s to be expected because scuttling the probe would run against the raison d’être, or reason for being, of the ICC. The ICC, of course, has to justify the hundreds of millions of dollars it wastes each year on the bloated paychecks of its judges and prosecutorial staff, who are known to travel like royalty, pretending to be doing something. While the ICC claims to be a bastion of justice, the reality is that its insistence on investigating and bagging former President Rodrigo Duterte, including for his actions as Davao City mayor from 2011 to 2016, feeds its arrogant posturing while blatantly encroaching on Philippine sovereignty. This concern strikes at the heart of the ICC’s legitimacy and calls into question its adherence to the principle of national self-determination. The Philippines, like any other sovereign nation, has the right to manage its internal affairs and address alleged crimes within its own legal framework. Furthermore, the ICC has demonstrated abject bias not only against African countries but also against developing nations like the Philippines. The ICC is nothing more than a schoolyard bully, running roughshod over those it thinks are weak. In fact, many of the cases investigated by the ICC have been in Africa. This perceived bias undermines the credibility of the ICC and calls into question its ability to dispense justice fairly. It is only in recent years that the ICC has ventured to add the Philippines among its targets, precisely to counter criticism of its African bias. The ICC itself needs scrutiny, particularly its judges and the Office of the Prosecutor. What little reputation the ICC had has been thrown out the window by the controversies surrounding its own judges’ lawsuit against the ICC over pay, bringing their complaint before the International Labor Organization. These internal conflicts raise doubts about the independence and impartiality of the institution, further eroding public trust and inviting scrutiny regarding the character of its very judges. The same holds true for its current prosecutor, Karim Khan, specifically for his past role as a defense lawyer for William Ruto, the Deputy President of Kenya, who faced charges of crimes against humanity. Khan’s successful defense of Ruto and his 180-degree turn from defender to prosecutor speaks volumes about the lengths he would go to in order to add shine to his legal star. No doubt, we must consider the implications of his previous role when evaluating his current position as ICC Prosecutor. So, are the ICC judges and its prosecutorial staff worthy of trust, worthy enough to be given the mantle of authority to pass judgment on anyone? The Philippines’ arguments against the ICC investigation into the alleged drug war killings cannot be dismissed lightly. The country has maintained that it did not ratify the Rome Statute that created the ICC, thus it never fell under the purview of the tribunal, like the United States, China and Russia. If Duterte pulled the country out of the ICC in 2018, it was only because the country was a signatory to the statute, which did not amount to anything without the required ratification. The complementarity issue is another significant concern raised by the Philippines. The country has asserted that the ICC should not investigate the alleged crimes because the Philippine government is already conducting its own investigations. The ICC, on the other hand, questions the genuineness of the Philippine government’s investigations, claiming that they are merely a cover-up to protect the perpetrators from accountability. Ultimately, the ICC’s decision on whether or not to proceed with the investigation into the alleged drug war killings in the Philippines will have far-reaching implications, more so for the ICC as it tries to stave off irrelevancy. The post Raison d’être appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
POGO-related kidnappings zero so far
The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group said that there were no recorded cases of kidnapping of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators staff from January to June this year. The PNP-AKG said that it has not recorded POGO-related kidnappings, which was a significant development from the 14 cases of POGO-related kidnapping documented from the same period last year. It disclosed that it has recorded 12 cases of kidnapping this year, eight of which involved foreigners, including four Chinese, three Malaysians and one Korean national. The PNP-AKG is continuing its efforts to investigate kidnapping cases, including those involving POGO staff. Meantime, the Philippine National Police on Thursday said that it is continuing to profile foreign nationals linked to XinChuang Network Technologies, a POGO that was raided in Las Piñas City on 4 July. As part of the profiling, PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said that they have already isolated seven foreign nationals with warrants — four from China and three from Taiwan. “These individuals will be subjected to further legal proceedings in accordance with relevant immigration laws,” Acorda said. The post POGO-related kidnappings zero so far appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails U.S. ‘spy’
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, “was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life,” said a statement from the Intermediate People’s Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities “took compulsory measures according to the law”’ against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. “The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” the spokesperson said. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment”. The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In an apparent breakthrough last week, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna, with both sides describing the meeting as “candid, substantive and constructive.” The post China jails U.S. ‘spy’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life", said a statement from the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities "took compulsory measures according to the law" against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. "The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment." The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In Hong Kong, security minister Chris Tang told a news conference Monday the city's authorities were notified of Leung's arrest in 2021. "The Hong Kong police have carried out follow-up action according to the notification," Tang said, refusing to elaborate further. Rights activist jailed The jailing is likely to further damage relations with Washington, which are already severely strained over issues such as trade, human rights and Taiwan. Washington and Beijing have just ended an unofficial pause in high-level contacts over the United States' shooting down in February of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna in an apparent breakthrough last week, with both sides describing the meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive". On Friday, Washington issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of a Chinese human rights activist for "inciting subversion of state power". Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, was jailed for eight years, according to rights groups. There has been no official confirmation of the sentencing from China. The US State Department said in its statement its diplomats had been barred from attending the trial in southern China. "We urge the PRC to live up to its international commitments, give its citizens due process, respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, and end the use of arbitrary detentions and exit bans," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday the country's "judicial authorities act in accordance with the law, and their actions brook no interference". US President Joe Biden is due to head to Hiroshima for a meeting of leaders of the G7 group of major developed economies. The G7's relationship with China is expected to be high on the agenda at the May 19-21 summit. Other high-profile espionage cases in recent years include the arrest in 2019 of Chinese-born Australian writer Yang Jun. Australia called last week for another of its nationals, jailed journalist Cheng Lei, to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention over "supplying state secrets overseas". In April, authorities formally charged a prominent Chinese journalist with spying, more than a year after he was detained while having lunch at a Beijing restaurant with a Japanese diplomat, a media rights group said. Revised anti-espionage law Also in April, China approved an amendment to its anti-espionage law, broadening its scope by widening the definition of spying and banning the transfer of any data related to what the authorities define as national security. The changes to the law will come into force on July 1. "Chinese authorities have long had an essentially free hand in addressing national security concerns," Chinese law expert Jeremy Daum wrote. "The laws involved are sometimes amorphous and vague, leading to selective, or even arbitrary, enforcement," he said, adding that the definition of "espionage" was already so broad "it isn't immediately clear what the impact of the expanded definition will be". The post China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ilocos Norte readies to welcome China flights anew
LAOAG CITY -As coronavirus cases have been significantly low in this northern gateway of Luzon, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc is hoping to welcome once again the pack of Chinese tourists that visit the province.While joining the Chinese and Filipino business community in a tre.....»»
Port of Cebu condemns smuggled, counterfeit cigarettes worth over P90M
MANDAUE CITY, CEBU – The Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu destroyed over P90 million worth of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes that were shipped to Cebu from China last month. The 1,804 master cases of cigarettes were destroyed on Wednesday, July 7, at the Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc. (TCPI) facility in San Fernando town. TCPI’s […] The post Port of Cebu condemns smuggled, counterfeit cigarettes worth over P90M appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
A year after Wuhan lockdown, China reports small rise in Covid-19 cases
SHANGHAI – China on Saturday reported a slight increase in new cases of Covid-19 as it marks the anniversary of the world’s first coronavirus lockdown, in the city of Wuhan where the disease emerged in late 2019. The National Health Commission said 107 new Covid-19 cases had been identified on Saturday, up from 103 cases […] The post A year after Wuhan lockdown, China reports small rise in Covid-19 cases appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
China to test entire city in five days after six virus cases
China aims to test more than nine million residents of the port city of Qingdao within five days following a minor outbreak of the coronavirus, health officials said Monday, the first mass testing in months......»»
There may never be a COVID-19 ‘silver bullet’: WHO
The World Health Organization warned Monday that there might never be a “silver bullet” for the new coronavirus, despite the rush to discover effective vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus/AFP FILE/ MANILA BULLETIN The WHO urged governments and citizens to focus on doing the known basics, such as testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask in order to suppress the pandemic, which has upended normal life around the globe and triggered a devastating economic crisis. “We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference. “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be. “For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control. “Do it all,” he urged. The novel coronavirus has killed nearly 690,000 people and infected at least 18.1 million since the outbreak emerged in Wuhan in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. China mission The WHO began pressing China in early May to invite in its experts to help investigate the animal origins of COVID-19. The UN health agency sent an epidemiologist and an animal health specialist to Beijing on July 10 to lay the groundwork for a probe aimed at identifying how the virus entered the human species. Their scoping mission is now complete, said Tedros. “The WHO advance team that travelled to China has now concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins,” he said. “WHO and Chinese experts have drafted the terms of reference for the studies and programme of work for an international team, led by WHO. “The international team will include leading scientists and researchers from China and around the world. “Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases. “Evidence and hypotheses generated through this work will lay the ground for further, longer-term studies.” The pair have not yet returned to the WHO’s Geneva headquarters for a debriefing. Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, possibly from a market in the city of Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat. Chinese officials said early in the outbreak that the virus may have spread from a market in the city, which sold live and wild animals, but no further confirmation of that has been revealed......»»
New infections alarm China
SHANGHAI (AFP) — The capital of China’s far-western Xinjiang region curtailed most flights into the city on Friday and has shut down subway and public bus services after several coronavirus infections were detected, government authorities and state-controlled media said. So far, at least five cases linked to Urumqi have been discovered, including a man who […] The post New infections alarm China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New virus cases spark alarm in China s Xinjiang
The capital of China's far-western Xinjiang region curtailed most flights into the city on Friday and has shut down subway and public bus services after several coronavirus infections were detected, government authorities and state-controlled media said......»»
Patriots owner s prostitution case heads to appellate court
By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors charging New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with twice buying sex from massage parlor prostitutes will attempt to save their case this week by arguing to an appeals court that his rights weren't violated when police secretly video-recorded him in the act. Prosecutors will tell the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal during an online hearing Tuesday that a county judge erred when he invalidated the January 2019 search warrant allowing police to install secret cameras at Orchids of Asia spa as part of an alleged sex trafficking investigation. The judge said the warrant didn’t sufficiently protect the privacy of innocent customers who received legal massages, and he barred the videos’ use at trial as well as testimony about what they showed. If the ruling stands, it will deal a fatal blow to the prosecution's case. “Mr. Kraft's guilt is a virtual certainty” and he has no right to benefit from any possible mistakes police made involving innocent customers, Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey DeSousa wrote in court documents. Kraft's attorneys vehemently disagreed, arguing that if the three-justice panel allows the videos' use, “civil liberties cherished in Florida and beyond” will be endangered. “If the state wins this appeal, then everyone loses, not just the accused,” attorney Frank Shepherd wrote. “Government could run roughshod over privacy and constitutional rights while evading scrutiny.” The Jupiter police recordings led to misdemeanor charges against Kraft and two dozen other alleged Orchids of Asia customers. The spa owners and some employees are charged with prostitution-related felonies. Most cases are in limbo while the appeals are heard. If prosecutors can’t use the videos, they would almost certainly dismiss any misdemeanor charges awaiting trial. Some defendants took plea deals but Kraft refused. The felony cases could proceed, as those have other evidence besides the videos. Kraft, a 79-year-old widower and part-time Palm Beach resident, has pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology. He faces a possible one-year jail sentence if convicted, but would likely receive a fine, community service and other sanctions. Kraft, whom Forbes Magazine ranks as the 82nd richest American with a worth of almost $7 billion, is employing several high-priced attorneys to fight the charges. DeSousa submitted several arguments against Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser's ruling. Among them: — The warrant is valid because police minimized any privacy invasion by having only three detectives monitor video. Any further minimization, such as recording only snippets of each massage, would have made the investigation impossible. — Kraft illegally paid for sex and is lawfully covered by the warrant, even if the justices determine police violated innocent customers' privacy rights. — If the warrant is invalid, the detectives relied on it “in good faith” and a sanction banning the video is too extreme. Shepherd submitted several counterarguments for Kraft. They include: — Detectives' privacy protection efforts were insufficient because they recorded seminude men and women receiving legal massages, making the Kraft recordings also illegal. — Police had enough evidence to charge the spa owners with felonies without recording, making the cameras “wholly gratuitous." — The evidence detectives presented to obtain the magistrate's warrant approval was “deliberately misleading,” negating any argument they acted in good faith. The justices won’t immediately rule after the hearing; decisions usually takes weeks. The losing side will likely appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which could accept the case or let the justices’ ruling stand. Authorities say the Orchids of Asia investigation was part of a multicounty probe into possible sex trafficking by spa owners who they believe brought women from China and elsewhere to work as prostitutes. About 300 people were charged with various felonies and misdemeanors, but no trafficking charges were pursued — prosecutors say they received no cooperation from masseuses whom they suspect were trafficked. According to police, Kraft's chauffeur drove him to Orchids of Asia on the evening of Jan. 19, 2019, where detectives recorded him engaging in a sex act with two women and then paying an undetermined amount in cash. Investigators said Kraft returned the next morning and engaged in recorded sex acts with a woman before paying with a $100 bill and another bill. Hours later, Kraft was in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, where his Patriots defeated the Chiefs. His team then won the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, the Patriots’ sixth NFL championship under his ownership. Prosecutors offered to drop the charges if Kraft entered a diversion program for first-time offenders. That would include an admission he would be found guilty if the case went to trial, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attending a class on the dangers of prostitution and its connection to human trafficking. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday on the court's YouTube channel......»»
Beijing halts flights, shutters schools
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing’s airports cancelled more than 1,200 flights and schools in the Chinese capital were closed again on Wednesday as authorities rushed to contain a new coronavirus outbreak linked to a wholesale food market. The city reported 31 new cases on Wednesday while officials urged residents not to leave Beijing, with fears […] The post Beijing halts flights, shutters schools appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Beijing reports 27 new virus cases as WHO expresses ‘concern’
BEIJING: China on Tuesday reported another 27 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in Beijing, where a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market has sparked WHO concern and prompted a huge trace-and-test program. The new cases bring the number of infections confirmed in the Chinese capital over the past five days to 106, as city […].....»»
Oplan Harabas yields 3 drivers positive for drugs
FOLLOWING the surprise drug test conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Davao and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on public utility vehicles (PUVs) last March 26, 2024, two taxi drivers in Davao City were found to be positive for drugs......»»
One more city in Philippines declares pertussis outbreak
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iloilo, a city in central Philippines, on Monday declared an outbreak of pertussis after it confirmed seven out of 15 reported cases, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Iloilo is the third city to declare an outbreak of pertussis, or whopping cough, after Quezon and Pasig, two cities in the capital region, announced last week that they hav.....»»
One more city in Philippines declares pertussis outbreak
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iloilo, a city in central Philippines, on Monday declared an outbreak of pertussis after it confirmed seven out of 15 reported cases, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Iloilo is the third city to declare an outbreak of pertussis, or whopping cough, after Quezon and Pasig, two cities in the capital region, announced last week that they hav.....»»
Taal Volcano back to spewing high-volume of toxic gas
LUCENA CITY, Philippines – After spewing lower volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the past five days, Taal Volcano in Batangas province again emitted a high level of toxic gas on Saturday, March 23. A total of 14,287 metric tons (MT) of SO2 from Taal’s main crater was measured over the past 24 hours and.....»»
Cebu Football Club introduces new faces for the upcoming PFL season
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants continues to overhaul its entire roster after welcoming new faces, including key homegrown players, as the Philippines Football League (PFL) season unfolds in April. The Gentle Giants presented 10 new players, including four Cebu homegrown players, who will comprise its official roster for the.....»»