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Biden condemns ‘sick’ Trump shooting, campaign suspends political ads

REUTERS

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware — US President Joseph R. Biden called for an end to political violence after Republican challenger Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a rally on Saturday, and Mr. Biden’s campaign suspended all political communication, including ads attacking Mr. Trump.

“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,” Mr. Biden said, adding he had been thoroughly briefed on the matter and planned to talk to Trump. “Everybody must condemn it,” Mr. Biden said. The president, 81, was at a church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when the shooting occurred and later headed to his residence. After releasing a written statement, Mr. Biden left the Delaware beach house in his motorcade and headed to a local police department to speak on camera about the issue.

Asked whether he thought the shooting was an assassination attempt, Mr. Biden said, “I have an opinion, but I don’t have all the facts.”

Mr. Biden later spoke to Mr. Trump, 78, by phone the White House said, but it did not elaborate on the call.

A Biden campaign official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the team was “working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible,” in response to the seriousness of the moment. The official did not offer more details.

Mr. Biden’s political future has been in doubt since his shaky June 27 debate against Trump sparked calls by his own party to step aside and let a younger candidate run in November.

In recent weeks, the Biden campaign began its most aggressive effort to brand Mr. Trump a felon, with the introduction of a new television advertisement that focused on Mr. Trump’s criminal conviction.

The advertisement was part of a $50-million investment in battleground states, and marked a change in strategy after an initial reluctance to weigh in on the issue, to avoid engaging with Mr. Trump’s legal woes.

Mr. Trump was convicted by a New York jury on May 30 of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to covering up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

After the shooting, Senator J.D. Vance, a leading contender to be Mr. Trump’s running mate, criticized the Biden campaign for portraying Mr. Trump as an authoritarian who “must be stopped at all costs,” suggesting the rhetoric led to the attack.  The Republican former president’s rhetoric on the campaign trail has repeatedly raised concerns he might flout democratic norms by using the power of the state to target perceived enemies if elected.

Political violence is on the rise in the United States, with most of the deadly attacks coming from the right, experts say.

In April, Mr. Trump shared a video on social media that included an image of Mr. Biden bound and restrained in the back of a pickup truck. Reuters

Gaza officials say 90 Palestinians killed as Israel targets Hamas military chief

PALESTINIAN and Israel flags are seen in this illustration taken on Oct. 15, 2023. — REUTERS

CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM — An Israeli airstrike killed at least 90 Palestinians in a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza on Saturday, the enclave’s health ministry said, in an attack that Israel said targeted Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it remained unclear whether Deif and another Hamas commander had been killed and promised to continue to target Hamas leadership, saying more military pressure on the group would improve chances of a hostage deal, even as three days of ceasefire talks separately halted on Saturday.

“Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas,” Mr. Netanyahu told a news conference.

The militant Islamist group Hamas denied Mr. Deif had been killed, according to a senior Hamas official on Al Jazeera TV. Hamas earlier said Israeli claims it had targeted leaders of the group were false and aimed at justifying the attack, which was the deadliest Israeli attack in Gaza in weeks.

Displaced people sheltering in the area said their tents were torn down by the force of the strike, describing bodies and body parts strewn on the ground.

“I couldn’t even tell where I was or what was happening,” said Sheikh Youssef, a resident of Gaza City who is currently displaced in the Al-Mawasi area. “I left the tent and looked around, all the tents were knocked down, body parts, bodies everywhere, elderly women thrown on the floor, young children in pieces,” he told Reuters.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, in a statement, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the civilian deaths, which underscored “nowhere is safe in Gaza,” and said international humanitarian law must be upheld.

The Israeli military said the strike against Mr. Deif also targeted Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, describing them as two of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the nine-month war in Gaza.  Mr. Deif has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent in 2021, and has topped Israel’s most wanted list for decades, held responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.

The Gaza health ministry said at least 91 Palestinians were killed in the strike and 300 injured, the deadliest toll in weeks in the conflict-shattered enclave.

Al-Mawasi is a designated humanitarian area that the Israeli army has repeatedly urged Palestinians to head to after issuing evacuation orders from other areas.

Reuters footage showed ambulances racing towards the area amidst clouds of smoke and dust. Displaced people, including women and children, were fleeing in panic, some holding belongings in their hands.

The Israeli military published an aerial photo of the site, which Reuters was not immediately able to verify, where it said “terrorists hid among civilians.”

“The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” it said in a statement.

The Israeli military official said the area was not a tent complex, but an operational compound run by Hamas and that several more militants were there, guarding Mr. Deif.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday to discuss Israel’s Gaza operations and emphasized the need to minimize civilian harm, the Pentagon said.

Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy representative, called for an independent probe and condemned any potential violation of international law, posting on social media site X that the “end can’t justify all means.”

HOSPITAL ‘FULL OF PATIENTS’
Many of those wounded in the strike, including women and children, were taken to the nearby Nasser Hospital, which hospital officials said had been overwhelmed and was “no longer able to function” due to the intensity of the Israeli offensive and an acute shortage of medical supplies.

“The hospital is full of patients, it’s full of wounded, we can’t find beds for people,” said Atef al-Hout, director of the hospital, adding that it was the only one still operating in southern Gaza.

Mr. Gallant was holding special consultations, his office said, in light of “developments in Gaza.”

At ceasefire talks underway in Doha and Cairo, two Egyptian security sources, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said negotiations had been halted after three days of intense talks. They cited the behavior of Israeli mediators as revealing “internal discord.”

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas,in a statement said the group had been in contact with mediators in Egypt and Qatar as well as Turkey and Oman, and cited the attacks on Saturday, calling for an ed to “these massacres against our people.”

Mr. Netanyahu, in his televised remarks Saturday evening, said he had not moved away from the framework presented by US President Joseph R. Biden.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said Israel told US officials it had targeted senior Hamas officials and that the Biden administration was seeking to learn more about the reported civilian casualties.

As the prime minister spoke, protesters continued to rally in Tel Aviv, singing songs and waving signs calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Thousands of protesters also marched outside Jerusalem earlier in the day.

“Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not good. I don’t know about Mohammed Deif, I know that keeping the war is bad for all of us,” said Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of an Israeli hostage who took part in the hostage solidarity march near Jerusalem.

Also on Saturday, at least 20 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on a prayer hall at a Gaza camp for displaced people in west Gaza City, Palestinian health and civil emergency officials said.

Critics have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, which Israel denies. It characterizes its actions as self-defense to prevent another attack like the one on Oct. 7, though the International Court of Justice ordered Israel in January to take action to prevent acts of genocide.

Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in the cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel has retaliated with its military action in Gaza that has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, medical authorities in Gaza say. — Reuters

Argentina to sell dollars on parallel market as part of anti-inflation drive

REUTERS

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s central bank will start selling US dollars in the country’s parallel foreign exchange markets in an effort to combat inflation and freeze the country’s money supply, the government said on Saturday.

Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the new strategy on messaging platform X on Saturday, saying it would “contribute to deepening the disinflation process.”

Starting Monday, when Argentina’s central bank issues pesos to buy US dollars on the formal exchange market, the bank will effectively balance Argentina’s monetary base by selling an equivalent amount of dollars on the parallel “CCL” exchange market, Mr. Caputo said.

“There are no more pesos printed in Argentina by any means. It is a historic novelty,” Mr. Caputo later said in a radio interview. “We were beating inflation by (a few) points and this is the ‘knock out’ blow,” the minister added.

The announcement comes after official data published on Friday showed a five-month streak of slowing inflation ended in June when monthly inflation came in higher than in May.

The strategy outlined by the government of President Javier Milei aims to stabilize the money supply, bring down inflation and help close the widening gap between Argentina’s official and parallel exchange rates traded in financial markets.

The South American country’s peso has been sliding since the beginning of the year in parallel markets, which for years has diverged sharply from the official rate due to strict currency controls.

At Friday’s close, the official exchange rate traded at 919.5 pesos per dollar, while the so-called “CCL” rate traded at 1,416.2 pesos per dollar. Meanwhile, the widely-used black market “blue” rate weakened to a historic low of 1,500 pesos per dollar on Friday.

President Milei celebrated Saturday’s announcement from the sidelines of the Sun Valley Conference, investment bank Allen & Co’s annual invitation-only gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho, where the president and Caputo are courting investors.

“The monetary base in Argentina is no longer increasing, and this is tremendously powerful news,” Mr. Milei said during a phone interview with Argentine news channel LN+, adding that the plan would “accelerate the deflation process in the economy.”

Since Mr. Milei took power late last year, inflation has slowed dramatically in Argentina, decelerating from 25.5% in December to 4.2% in May. June’s figure was 4.6%. — Reuters

Tap into AI with the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G, now available in the Philippines

Leading global smart device brand OPPO enables more Filipinos to access AI smartphone innovations and technologies with the official launch of the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G this July 12.

The two newest Portrait Experts are now available nationwide  – the OPPO Reno12 5G and OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G – redefine the smartphone experience with intuitive AI features that seamlessly integrate into the users’ daily lives. Continuing the legacy of the highly-renowned Reno Series, the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G is packed with a powerful AI camera system, futuristic and stylish design, industry-leading battery and charging, and reliable durability.

Tap into the future of mobile photography with the latest AI Portrait Expert

The OPPO Reno12 Series 5G elevates mobile photography with its Ultra-Clear Camera System complemented by AI Portrait features that make every shot stunning and picturesque, no matter the conditions.

The OPPO Reno12 5G and OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G both have a powerful camera system that includes a 50MP Sony LYT-600 Main Camera with an All Pixel Omni-Directional PDAF and OIS and a 112° Ultra-Wide Camera with Sony IMX355 Sensor. Both devices also carry OPPO’s Flash Snapshot feature that now includes nuanced adjustments of the shutter speed based on ambient light levels, further enhancing image quality.

Mobile portrait photography will now be even better with the OPPO Reno12 Pro’s 50MP Telephoto Camera with a S5KJN5 Sensor and 2x Optical Zoom and 20x Hybrid Zoom which can capture half-body portraits with a natural bokeh effect comparable to professional cameras.

Selfies will also now be even more share-worthy as the front cameras of both the OPPO Reno12 5G (32MP) and OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G (50MP) are now equipped with advanced AI Portrait retouching capabilities that support autofocus and Portrait Mode. Framing the perfect shot is a lot easier with the ability to switch between 0.8x, 1x and 2x zoom levels plus the adjustments in facial features with precise and natural effects.

The Natural Tone feature of both phones intelligently adjusts exposure based on the scene, capturing more realistic lighting effects and natural skin tones. It detects various scenes, including diverse skin tones, buildings, and ambient lighting, ensuring the most natural skin tone whether it’s a selfie or a group photo.

Selfies are better than ever with the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G’s AI Portrait Retouching feature which adjust aspects like face shape, hairline, and cheekbones with precise and natural effects.

Enhance photographs with the AI Eraser 2.0

Achieve picture-perfect moments with the upgraded AI Eraser 2.0 in the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G. Now with the “Remove People” function, removing unwanted people or objects in the background can be done online with accuracy and speed with just a few taps. OPPO’s AI Eraser 2.0 employs a comprehensive Diffusion Model, making it comparable to professional photo editing softwares.

Additionally, the Smart Lasso and Paint Over functions have seen improved accuracy since their initial introduction in the OPPO Reno11 Series 5G last April, now boasting up to 98% recognition accuracy for virtually any object in everyday situations.

Create fun, artistic digital avatars with AI Studio

The OPPO Reno12 Series 5G introduces an exciting new feature, the AI Studio. As a free, pre-installed app on both devices, AI Studio gives users the ability to transform any of their photos into their own digital avatar or profile picture. It comes with a variety of creative filters and likenesses to choose from as long as the device is connected through the internet. The  AI Studio is user-friendly and can create avatars in just four easy steps:

  1. Open the AI Studio app on your OPPO Reno12 Series 5G device.
  2. Log in using your MyOPPO account, to unlock your credits.
  3. After choosing your preferred filter, select the photo you want to transform.
  4. Wait for a couple of seconds and you will have your digital avatar.

Stay connected anytime and anywhere with AI LinkBoost

Connectivity issues will no longer be a problem even in the toughest scenarios as AI LinkBoost, a next-generation proprietary communication technology developed by OPPO, makes its way to the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G. Set to redefine connectivity standards, AI LinkBoost features a 360º Surround Antenna and Intelligent Network Selection, guaranteeing robust connectivity even in the most challenging scenarios.

Some of the key highlights of the AI LinkBoost include:

  • Faster Transmission in Crowded Locations: Improved speeds in busy network environments
  • Rapid Signal Recovery: Quick reconnection after exiting areas with weak signals, such as elevators and basements.
  • Reduced Network Lag: Enhanced performance when using two data-intensive apps simultaneously.
  • Seamless Network Switching: Faster transitions between cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
  • Minimized Interference: Doubled Wi-Fi speeds with minimal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interruptions compared to competing phones.
  • Accurate Urban Positioning: Higher accuracy for Google Maps in dense urban areas.

As proof of AI LinkBoost’s capability to strengthen connectivity, the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G became the first smartphone series to receive the High Network Performance certification from TÜV Rheinland, solidifying its top-tier connectivity especially made for all types of user segments.

The OPPO Reno12 Series 5G is also powered by BeaconLink, an independently developed technology by OPPO that improves Bluetooth uplink capability by 300%, enabling device-to-device voice calls over Bluetooth at a distance of up to 200 meters in a completely disconnected environment.formance certification from TÜV Rheinland, solidifying its top-tier  connectivity especially made for all types of user segments.

Embrace the AI era with futuristic and stylish design 

Three colors with three distinct styles: The OPPO Reno12 5G comes in Astro Silver, Sunset Pink and Matte Brown

The new OPPO AI Phone features a space-craft inspired, fluid metallic design and stylish colorways that don’t compromise on form and function. The OPPO Reno12 5G comes in Astro Silver, Sunset Pink, and Matte Brown while the OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G is available in Nebula  Silver and Space Brown.

The OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G comes in Nebula Silver and Space Brown, giving a futuristic yet classic vibe that won’t go out of style

Despite its sleek profile at just 7.4 millimeters and a weight of only 180 grams, the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G is fitted with excellent build protection, thanks to OPPO’s High-strength Alloy Framework that enhances corrosion and temperature resistance, and thermal conductivity. With an IP65 rating, the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G also excels in dust and water resistance.

Both devices also boast the toughest screen in the Reno Series’ history, providing ultra-flagship level resistance against impacts, drops, bending, and scratches. The OPPO Reno12 5G has a Corning® Gorilla® Glass 7i while the Reno12 Pro 5G has a Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2.

Enjoy Smoother User Experience, Improved Battery Life, and Fast Charging

Bringing an ultimate balance between power and battery life is the new custom MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy for Reno mobile platform, developed exclusively by MediaTek and OPPO. The advanced chip, joined with OPPO’s Trinity Engine in ColorOS 14, ensures a silky-smooth user experience at all times.

OPPO also used the latest manufacturing processes to fit a massive  5,000mAh battery into the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G without sacrificing the phone’s slim profile. Powering up the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G can be faster with OPPO’s 80W SUPERVOOC™ Flash Charge, which can charge the phone from 1% to 47% in just 18 minutes and from 1% to 100% in just 49 minutes.

Enter your AI Era with the new OPPO Reno12 Series 5G!

Tap into the future and enter your AI Era today! Get the OPPO Reno12 5G for P24,999 or the OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G priced at P34,999.

Pre-order is ongoing until July 19, available in all OPPO authorized offline stores nationwide. All preorders of the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G come with a free S29 Night Light bluetooth Speaker

My OPPO App User Benefits

More benefits await loyal My OPPO app users. Here are some redeemable perks for OPPO Reno12 Series 5G users starting July 12 until stocks last:

  • 4,500 Mabuhay Miles
  • P1,000 Gift Code from Happy Skin
  • P3,000 CUL-DE-SAC and AKIMBO Discount Codes
  • P300 Gift Code from Zalora

Comprehensive Protection with OPPO Care for Reno12 Series 5G

Taking care of a prized device such as the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G against possible damage is now made easier with the OPPO Protection Plan’s OPPO Care. It offers one-time free screen replacement for accidental impact, crash, or collision damage within the first 12 months, and extending the warranty by another 12 months for performance issues from factory defects, excluding screen damage.

For broader coverage, the OPPO Care+ Plan includes Accidental & Liquid Damage Protection, offering full repair service for accidents within 12 months, with free repairs up to 85% of the phone’s SRP.

Exclusive discounts on OPPO Care are available for OPPO Reno12 Series 5G purchases from July 12 to August 11, in participating OPPO Brand Stores:

  • OPPO Care Plan for OPPO Reno12 5G is P999 (from P1,599)
  • OPPO Care Plan for OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G is P1,299 (from P1,799)

Official OPPO E-Commerce Stores

The OPPO Reno12 Series 5G will be available on OPPO’s official Shopee page starting July 12, with an exclusive for the OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G until July 18.

The OPPO Reno12 5G will be available on Lazada and TikTok Shop channels starting July 12, while the OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G will be available starting July 19. Buyers are entitled to the following first sale benefits until July 20:

  • Free OPPO Enco Air2
  • 100% Free Shipping
  • 0% Interest Installment of up to 12 months via SPayLater
  • Installment payments via LazPayLater and TikTok PayLater
  • P200 GCash Product Review Cashback
  • P1,000 off OPPO Product Voucher

Plus, 45 lucky buyers will also have the chance to win one of the 15 OPPO x BSS Silver Limited Edition Gift Box or one of 30 BSS Postcards in an exclusive raffle.

Operators

You can also purchase via your preferred operators and get the following benefits:

Globe ●      First Sale starts on July 12
●      OPPO Reno12 5G will be available via Plan 1799 with P1,500 cash-out
●      OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G will be available via Plan 1999 with P2,500 cash-out
●      Comes with free OPPO Enco Buds2 until stocks last
Smart ●      First Sale starts on July 12
●      OPPO Reno12 5G will be available via Signature Plan+ 999, just add P500 per month with a P7,000 cash-out.
●      OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G available via Signature Plan+ 999, just add P600 per month with a P8,300 cash-out.
●      Comes with free OPPO Enco Buds2 until stocks last

Home Credit and Credit Cards

The OPPO Reno12 Series 5G will also be available in installment plans via Home Credit and Credit Card payment options. Home Credit offers installment plans of 6/9/12/15/18 months at 0% interest in all partnered OPPO stores nationwide with lowest monthly payment of P1,489 for the OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G and P1,069 for the OPPO Reno12 5G.

You may also opt to purchase via credit card, available in 6- or 12-month installments at 0% interest for all credit cards.

For more details and updates on the OPPO Reno12 Series 5G, MyOPPO App benefits and OPPO Care plans, visit OPPO Philippines’ official website at www.oppo.com.ph/ or OPPO Philippines’ official social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

 


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China’s exports top forecasts, but falling imports point to more stimulus

Shipping containers are seen at a port in Shanghai, China, July 10, 2018. — REUTERS

 – China’s exports grew at their fastest in fifteen months in June, suggesting manufacturers are front-loading orders ahead of tariffs expected from a growing number of trade partners, while imports unexpectedly shrank amid weak domestic demand.

The mixed trade data keeps alive calls for further government stimulus as the $18.6 trillion economy struggles to get back on its feet. Analysts warn that the jury is still out on whether strong export sales in recent months can be sustained given major trade partners are becoming more protective.

“This reflects the economic condition in China, with weak domestic demand and strong production capacity relying on exports,” said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.

“The sustainability of strong exports is a major risk for China’s economy in the second half of the year. The economy in the US is weakening. Trade conflicts are getting worse.”

Outbound shipments from the world’s second-biggest economy grew 8.6% year-on-year in value in June, customs data showed on Friday, beating a forecast 8.0% increase in a Reuters poll of economists and a 7.6% rise in May.

But imports hit a four-month low, shrinking 2.3% compared with a forecast 2.8% increase and a 1.8% rise the previous month, highlighting the fragility of domestic consumption.

Stronger-than-expected exports have been one of the few bright spots for an economy otherwise struggling for momentum despite official efforts to stimulate domestic demand following the pandemic. A prolonged property slump and worries about jobs and wages are weighing heavily on consumer confidence.

Still, as the number of countries stepping up curbs on Chinese goods increases, so too does the pressure on its exports to prop up progress towards the government’s economic growth target for this year of around 5%.

China’s trade surplus stood at $99.05 billion in June, the highest in records going back to 1981, compared with a forecast of $85 billion and $82.62 billion in May. The United States has repeatedly highlighted the surplus as evidence of one-sided trade favouring the Chinese economy.

Washington in May hiked tariffs on an array of Chinese imports, including quadrupling duties on Chinese electric vehicles to 100%. Brussels last week confirmed it would impose tariffs on EVs as well, but only up to 37.6%.

Chinese exporters are also on edge heading into U.S. elections in November in case either major party tips fresh trade restrictions.

Turkey last month announced it would impose a 40% additional tariff on Chinese-made EVs, and Canada said it was considering curbs.

Meanwhile, Indonesia plans to impose import duties of up to 200% on textile products, which come mainly from China; India is monitoring cheap Chinese steel; and talks with Saudi Arabia over a free trade agreement have reportedly stalled over dumping concerns.

 

DEPRESSED DOMESTIC DEMAND

The miss on imports might not bode well for exports in the coming months, as just under a third of China’s imports are parts for re-export, particularly in the electronics sector.

China took in only slightly more chips in June in volume terms than it did a year earlier, suggesting China’s heavy investment in expanding production of older chips – known as legacy chips and which can be found in everything from smartphones to fighter jets – is warping supply and demand.

The European Commission has reportedly began canvassing the bloc’s semiconductor industry for its views on China’s expanded production of legacy chips, which could constrain the Asian giant’s strong export performance in electronics.

Further signalling weak domestic demand, China’s steel exports in the first half of the year jumped 24% from a year earlier, pointing to a faltering construction sector, which is a heavy user of the metal.

China stocks tracked regional markets lowerwith the mixed trade data weighing on sentiment.

Analysts expect China to roll out more policy support measures in the short term, and a government pledge to boost fiscal stimulus is seen helping kick domestic consumption into a higher gear.

“It appears that the stronger government bond issuance since May has not yet fed through to increased infrastructure spending and demand for commodities,” said Zichun Huang, a China economist at Capital Economics.

“But we expect this to occur soon, boosting the import-intensive construction sector,” she said.

Economists and investors are awaiting for the Third Plenum to be held on July 15-18, with hundreds of China’s top Communist Party officials gathering in Beijing for a meeting that comes every five years. – Reuters

Being Volodymyr Zelenskiy: How war has changed Ukraine’s leader

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2024. — REUTERS

 – Intense. Impatient. Sleep-deprived. Step into the relentless world of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s wartime president.

The 46-year-old said his ambition when he was elected in 2019 had been to help Ukraine become a modern democracy, before that mission was shattered by Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“All I wanted five years ago was a very liberal country with a liberal economy,” Mr. Zelenskiy, a former stand-up comic, told Reuters in an interview in May on the fifth anniversary of his inauguration.

This week, he instead found himself professing his desire to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin as he expressed anger and anguish over an airstrike that hit Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital.

The war-hardened Mr. Zelenskiy who’s exhorted Western leaders to action at the NATO summit in Washington in recent days is a world away from the political novice who became president, let alone the TV comedian who was a showbiz heavyweight for years before.

He once even won Ukraine’s version of “Dancing with the Stars”.

The clean-shaven, boyish Mr. Zelenskiy sworn in as president in Kyiv in 2019 wearing a stylish suit fitted to his slight frame has been replaced by a much older looking, heavier-set, brooding figure typically clad in paramilitary fatigues with unshaven stubble and dark circles under his eyes.

Mr. Zelenskiy largely veered away from questions about himself in the interview with Reuters, instead focusing on his deep frustrations with some of Ukraine’s wartime allies and returning to his central message: the West must to do more to help.

Reuters spoke to eight current and former Ukrainian and foreign officials who have worked with Mr. Zelenskiy, as well as several friends and colleagues from his past.

They paint a portrait of a leader who has become tougher and more decisive, less tolerant of mistakes and even prone to paranoia, as he copes with round-the-clock stress and fatigue.

“This is a sleep-deprived regime,” said Mr. Zelenskiy’s former defense minister Oleksii Reznikov, adding that the president was often on the move around Ukraine and had a “grab bag” with a change of clothes and a toothbrush because he frequently didn’t know where he’d be spending the night.

“This is the president’s daily life – broken sleep. It is consultations at night and addresses to parliaments, senates … regardless of the time,” Mr. Reznikov said. “He’s in stress mode 24 hours a day, seven days a week – it’s a never-ending marathon.”

There’s little tolerance for the ill-prepared.

Mr. Zelenskiy will order officials and advisers out of the room if he feels they’re not fully ready, according to a member of his team, who recounted how the president dismissed his aides in frustration during a meeting earlier this year to plan the information campaign surrounding the mobilization drive.

“If he sees people aren’t prepared or are contradicting each other, he’ll say, get out of here. I don’t have time for this,” said the team member who was present at the meeting and requested anonymity to speak freely about Mr. Zelenskiy.

Many of the people interviewed spoke of being impressed by Mr. Zelenskiy’s mental endurance and his ability to cope with his role as Ukraine’s president, wartime commander-in-chief and bridge to the world.

“His memory is a huge strength. He keeps a large amount of information in his head, he very quickly grasps details and nuances,” Mr. Reznikov said. “This gift accelerated his rapid mastery of the English language – I watched it.”

Former minister Reznikov, who was dismissed by Mr. Zelenskiy in September 2023 after corruption scandals at his ministry that he denied any connection with, dismissed any suggestion that a former TV funnyman with scant geopolitical experience could take on the might of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, whose forces overwhelmingly outnumber and outgun Ukraine’s.

“I would apply Mark Twain’s quote to President Zelenskiy,” he added. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

At the same time, Zelenskiy has grown increasingly “paranoid” about suspected Russian attempts to assassinate him and destabilize Ukraine’s leadership, according to a senior European official who has held talks with the leader.

“And rightly so,” the official added.

 

PLAYING PIANO WITH HIS…

Mr. Zelenskiy’s grave appeals to the NATO summit this week present a stark counterpoint to the irreverent comedy sketches that sent audience into howls of laughter in years gone by.

One YouTube clip from 2016 shows Ukraine’s future leader standing behind a piano with his trousers around his ankles, “playing” tunes despite his hands being nowhere near the keyboard, to the delight of the crowd.

“Of course he’s changed over the past five years,” said Andriy Shaykan, who studied with Mr. Zelenskiy at the Kryvyi Rih Economic Institute between 1995 and 2000. “He’s become older, as a person upon whom an incredible burden is placed. He sleeps for a few hours a night. That huge pressure – it shows.”

Mr. Zelenskiy grew up in the 1990s in Kryvyi Rih, a steelmaking city in central Ukraine that was consumed by economic turmoil and rampant crime after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

He found his niche in entertainment, building a hit comedy troupe – named Kvartal 95 after his home district – which won the KVN Russian TV talent show popular across the former Soviet region.

In 2015, Mr. Zelenskiy starred in a new TV sitcom “Servant of the People”, playing an honest school teacher who becomes Ukrainian president after a classroom rant about corruption goes viral online.

The role struck a chord with Ukrainians fed up with post-Soviet graft and, in an extraordinary case of life mimicking art, helped catapult him into the president’s office in a landslide vote.

Artem Gagarin, a writer for Kvartal 95, admits he was baffled when his former boss decided to run for office.

“He was Ukraine’s top comic, basically the top show-businessman. Why did he need this?”

Five years on, he says he is grateful that Mr. Zelenskiy chose the path he did, as he has proved himself a natural leader.

“Otherwise, where would we be now?”

 

‘A MILITARY LEADER’

Mr. Zelenskiy certainly isn’t universally loved at home.

His public approval rating, which leapt to 90% in 2022 after the invasion as Ukrainians rallied round the flag, has been dragged down by war fatigue, an unpopular conscription drive, the sacking of a respected general and a grim battlefield outlook that has seen Russia slowly advancing in the east in recent months.

A president elected to drain the establishment swamp in a fierce expression of Ukrainian democracy has become ruler of a country under martial law.

Mr. Zelenskiy’s main political rivals have been frozen out of key decision-making about issues such as military strategy, governance and international relations throughout the war and many ordinary Ukrainians have voiced unease at the concentration of power in his team’s hands.

“People now do not perceive him as previously, as an anti-establishment politician, a former comedian,” said Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv-based KIIS pollster. “They see him as a military leader and all the jokes from the past, people leave them in the past.”

Zelenskiy’s public approval has stabilized at around 60%, which is “high considering the overall difficult situation” of a war that is dragging on with no end in sight, Mr. Hrushetskyi added.

US Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who has met Mr. Zelenskiy several times in Ukraine and in Washington, told Reuters that he had grown into his position as an inspiring wartime leader.

That process began when he refused to be evacuated by the West at the start of the war as Russian troops bore down on Kyiv, Mr. McCaul said.

“Zelenskiy is always serious, and gets to the point,” he added. “I remember meeting with him and his generals and they gave me a list of weapons that they wanted.”

 

FRUSTRATION WITH ALLIES

Despite having supporters like Mr. McCaul and US President Joe Biden, Mr. Zelenskiy has struggled to retain global attention for Ukraine’s plight since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October last year.

His persistent appeals for more Western aid are often imbued with a moral indignation that Ukraine is paying in blood to defend the democratic world from Russia.

“He repeats 15 times what he needs, that we need to do more or face the consequences, and he doesn’t let it go,” said the senior European official.

The Ukrainian leader has become increasingly frustrated with Western nations, according to a second European official who said he would be well advised to “tread carefully” to avoid alienating much-needed allies.

At meetings and phone calls with foreign officials, Mr. Zelenskiy hammers home the same message, relentlessly pushing his cause, two European officials told Reuters.

More recently, in a subtle but notable shift of emphasis since a summit in Switzerland held to garner international support and isolate Russia, he has underlined the urgent need for a fair resolution to the war and talked of a second summit later this year that could include a representative from Moscow.

“We don’t want to drag out this war and we must reach a just peace as soon as possible,” he said in Kyiv after talks with Slovenia’s president on June 28.

Trying to ramp up pressure on NATO on his way to its Vilnius summit last year, Mr. Zelenskiy lashed out at the military alliance saying it was “absurd” that it failed to give Kyiv a clear timetable for it to join.

In Washington this week, with that goal still elusive, the Ukrainian leadership was less abrasive, with his chief of staff saying he was happy with its outcome.

Mr. Zelenskiy himself has warded off questions about how he has performed as leader of Ukraine under exceptional circumstances.

“I cannot assess my activity, I think it is not very ethical,” he said in the interview with Reuters at his office in central Kyiv to mark five years in power.

“I am proud that I am the president of Ukraine – this is my attitude to all these five years.” – Reuters

Natural disasters cost China $13 bln in January-June

 – China suffered direct economic loss worth 93.16 billion yuan ($12.83 billion) in the first half of this year due to natural disasters, the government said on Friday.

This is the deepest first-half disaster-related loss since 2019, according to data available on the Emergency Management Ministry website, as the country suffered flooding, drought and extreme temperature in the first six months of the year.

China saw cold spells and heavy snow earlier in the year, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, landslides in southwestern regions and flooding on the Yellow River and in southern provinces this year.

At least 32.38 million people were affected due to natural disasters during January-June, including the disappearance or death of 322 people.

About 856,000 faced emergency resettlement and 23,000 houses were destroyed, while around 3.17 million hectares of crops were affected.

The impact on the economy was worse than the year-earlier period, when the country logged 38.23 billion yuan worth of loss and 95 people went missing or died.

For all of 2023, about 48.76 million people were affected due to natural disasters, according to the ministry’s report from last year.

Funds channelled into disaster management has reached 4.17 billion yuan so far this year, according to a Reuters tally, with 546 million yuan allocated last month for agricultural production and disaster relief. – Reuters

Japan disciplines military top brass for mishandling classified information

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

 – Japan on Friday disciplined more than 200 defense personnel, including the military’s top brass and senior bureaucrats, for mishandling classified material and other incidents.

The information security problems have occurred as Japan seeks closer cooperation with the US and other western democracies, including in intelligence sharing, to coordinate responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions with China. Doubts about Japan’s ability to handle classified information could hinder that collaboration.

The head of Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force, Ryo Sakai, resigned his post on Friday, effective on July 19, after reports that sailors without security clearance were allowed to access sensitive vessel tracking data of foreign military ships.

Sakai’s commander, General Yoshihide Yoshida, the Chief of Staff of Japan’s Joint Staff, along with the commanders of the other military branches were also reprimanded, but will remain in their posts, Japan’s Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara said at a news conference. Mr. Kihara apologized for the security lapses and other infractions, including fraudulent compensation claims by SDF personnel for diving assignments.

Mr. Kihara and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa are expected to push for closer cooperation with Washington later this month when they meet their US counterparts for security talks.

“We will take radical action to strengthen information security,” Mr. Kihara said when asked whether the lapses would hurt cooperation.

To align with other western countries, Japan in May passed a new security law to tighten rules on classified information handling and security vetting. It also plans legislation to allow the SDF to actively hunt out cyber security threats that could harm critical infrastructure or sensitive data.

“I recognize that the situation is extremely severe, and in that context, I understand there is no room for error,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in addressing the information security incidents in Washington DC earlier on Thursday where he joined a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders meeting.

The fraudulent compensation claims and other alleged incidents including allegations that SDF personnel failed to pay for meals are also an embarrassment for Mr. Kishida at home as he looks to bolster the military.

In 2022 he unveiled a plan to double defense spending to 2% of GDP to pay for missiles and other weapons meant to deter China from resorting to military action in East Asia. – Reuters

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China scolds EU over statement about South China Sea

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

BEIJING – China has rebuked the European Union over a statement about the South China Sea, saying the latter ignored historical and objective facts of the testy issue and “blatantly endorses” what it called the Philippines’ violation of its sovereignty.

On Friday, the EU issued a statement to mark the anniversary of arbitration regarding sovereignty in the region which ruled in the Philippines’ favor and which was rejected by China.

The Chinese mission to the European Union said in a statement that it is strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes the statement about the South China Sea Arbitration Award. It has made solemn representations to European Union.

The EU should be clear about facts, be objective and fair, and respect the rights and interests of China side as well as the efforts made by regional countries for peace and stability, China said. – Reuters

Philippines’ Maynilad prepared to do IPO in 2025, CEO says

MANILA – Philippine utility firm Maynilad Water Services Inc. plans an initial public offering as soon as 2025, its CEO said on Friday.

Under its 25-year concession, Maynilad, the water distributor in Manila’s west zone, is required to list on the stock exchange by January 2027.

The company also plans to raise 25 to 35 billion pesos ($430 million to $600 million) next year through a mix of bank loans, bonds, and other instruments to finance capital expenditures, CEO Ramoncito Fernandez told reporters. – Reuters

Philippines rejects ‘use of force’ to undermine its South China Sea interests

PHILIPPINE STAR/GEREMY PINTOLO

MANILA – The Philippines rejects the “use of force” to undermine its interests in the contested South China Sea but it does not want any conflict and has agreed with China to ease tensions in a contested shoal, officials said on Friday.

“We don’t want war,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano told reporters in Manila.

Mr. Ano said efforts were underway to de-escalate tensions in the disputed waterway, where Manila and Beijing have accused each other of aggressive behavior involving their ships and of damaging the marine environment.

Central to recent standoffs is the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty warship manned by a small crew that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims. It regularly sends supply mission to troops stationed there.

Last month, Manila accused the China Coast Guard of intentionally ramming and deliberately puncturing navy vessels and seizing weapons to disrupt a military resupply mission, seriously injuring a Filipino sailor who lost a finger.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Second Thomas shoal, and rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims had no basis under international law. The case was brought to the court by the Philippines.

“We reject any attempt to deny our strategic agencies, especially by the use of force that seek to coerce and subordinate the national interests of the Philippines,” Mr. Ano separately told a forum marking the eighth anniversary of the Hague ruling.

Mr. Ano said the way forward was to uphold the 2016 award and oppose efforts to undermine its significance.

“It is not and will never be a mere piece of paper,” he said, alluding to how the former president Rodrigo Duterte described the award as he sought closer ties with Beijing.

China maintains its actions in the South China Sea have been lawful and professional.

Mr. Ano repeated that the Philippines was “committed to the cause of peace”. “We are committed to address and manage difficult issues through dialogue and through diplomacy,” he said.

On Friday, the European Union (EU) issued a statement to mark the anniversary of the arbitration ruling on the South China Sea, saying all parties must “respect and honor the award” which was “legally binding”.

China rebuked the EU for its statement, saying the latter ignored historical and objective facts and “blatantly endorses” what it called the Philippines’ violation of its sovereignty.

United States State Secretary Antony Blinken, in a statement on the ruling’s anniversary, said his country remains “deeply concerned” about China’s actions in the disputed waters.

“We continue to call on the PRC (People’s Republic of China) to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling, to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct,” Mr. Blinken said.