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Adamson’s Lastimosa begins recovery after knee surgery

ADAMSON’S Jerom Lastimosa — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

INJURED Adamson star Jerom Lastimosa emerged from knee surgery after his second-round injury ended his stellar University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) career.

In his social media his first public post since Adamson’s exit in the UAAP Season 86, Lastimosa thanked supporters following the end of his five-year run with the Falcons.

“Maraming salamat sa limang taon, Adamson. Coaches, bosses, klasmeyts, at sa buong UAAP community, walang Jerom Lastimosa kung wala kayo,” he said.

Mr. Lastimosa suffered a torn ACL late in the second round of the eliminations in November but delayed his surgery to be with the team until their last game. He played in the dying seconds of Adamson’s 70-48 loss to Ateneo in a knockout playoff, missing the Final Four.

The Dumaguete native was sen in by head coach Nash Racela in the final moments, thus capping his career with a three at the buzzer, much to the delight of both the Falcon and Blue Eagle fans. He only went under the knife this month, signaling the start of his long recovery before turns pro.

“JL7 signing off,” he said in his post.

Mr. Lastimosa’s Falcon highlights included a heroic performance in Season 85 after an 80-76 win over La Salle in a knockout duel.

His exploits in the UAAP also paved the way for his Gilas Pilipinas debut in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, where he played a pivotal part as the Nationals completed redemption for the gold medal. — John Bryan Ulanday

Ravens romp past 49ers behind five interceptions

LAMAR Jackson threw for 252 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns while the Baltimore Ravens intercepted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy four times in a 33-19 win Monday night in Santa Clara, California.

Baltimore (12-3) entered as a 6 1/2-point underdog in a matchup of the top teams in their conferences, and the visitors overcame a slow start.

Mr. Jackson decisively outplayed Purdy in a matchup of the quarterbacks considered by many to be the top candidates for Most Valuable Player.

Mr. Jackson, who completed 23 of 35 passes, turned a four-point game at the half into a rout with scoring strikes of 6 and 9 yards to Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers, respectively, in an 18-second span early in the third.

His touchdown pass to Mr. Flowers came on the first play after Patrick Queen logged the Ravens’ fourth pick of Purdy and returned it 21 yards to the San Francisco 9-yard line.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker added a 24-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, later in the period.

The result means Baltimore can clinch the AFC North and the top seed in the conference Sunday with a home win over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins.

Mr. Purdy hit on 18 of 32 attempts for 255 yards before leaving during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive with a stinger in his neck.

Sam Darnold replaced him and finished the drive with a 12-yard strike to Ronnie Bell but later tossed the team’s fifth interception of the night.

Christian McCaffrey rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, but it wasn’t enough to prevent San Francisco from falling to 11-4.

But the 49ers can still claim the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs by beating the Washington Commanders and the Los Angeles Rams in their last two games.

San Francisco took a 5-0 first-quarter lead when Mr. Jackson was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone and Jake Moody subsequently kicked a 45-yard field goal.

The Ravens responded with three field goals by Mr. Tucker and a 1-yard touchdown run by Gus Edwards, enabling them to take a 16-12 advantage into halftime. — Field Level Media

Celtics blast Lakers to complete dominant 3-1 California road trip

KRISTAPS Porzingis scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the visiting Boston Celtics to a 126-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Mr. Porzingis, who did not play in Boston’s win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday because of an ankle injury, helped the Celtics overcome a 40-point performance by Lakers center Anthony Davis, who shot 15 of 26 from the field.

Mr. Davis also pulled down 13 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed by nine points after three quarters and trailed by at least eight points throughout the fourth. Los Angeles never led by more than two points.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum finished the game with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics also received 18 points and 11 assists from Derrick White, 19 points from Jaylen Brown and an 18-point effort from Jrue Holiday.

Taurean Prince (17 points), LeBron James (16), Rui Hachimura (12) and Austin Reaves (11) also scored in double figures for the Lakers.

Mr. James, who had nine rebounds and eight assists, collided with Brown with 4:02 remaining in the first half, but both returned to the game.

It was the final game of Boston’s four-game California road trip. The Celtics went 3-1 in those contests.

The Celtics scored the game’s first 12 points. The Lakers didn’t get on the scoreboard until Cam Reddish sank a 3-pointer with 8:59 remaining in the first quarter. 

Boston extended its lead to 32-14 with 3:11 left in the opening quarter, but Los Angeles ended the frame with a 9-0 run and trailed 32-23 after 12 minutes.

The Lakers tied the game, 52-52, on a Prince 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining in the second quarter, but Boston led 58-57 at halftime. Los Angeles had its first lead of the game after a James basket made it 59-58 24 seconds into the third quarter.

The Celtics outscored the Lakers 41-33 in the period, however, and had a 99-90 advantage entering the fourth. After making a total of 47 3-pointers in their previous two games, the Celtics were 13 of 42 from deep.

Nuggets 120, Warriors 114

Jamal Murray scored 28 points, Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 14 rebounds and hit all 18 of his free-throw attempts, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Golden State Warriors 120-114.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Aaron Gordon added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Denver has won five straight and eight of its last nine.

Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points off the bench, Stephen Curry scored 18 points, Dario Saric contributed 14 points and Jonathan Kuminga, Chris Paul and Brandin Podziemski scored 13 apiece for Golden State.

The Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped.

The Nuggets led by three entering the fourth but Golden State scored the first six points to go in front 95-92.

Porter made a layup and Jokic fed Murray for a reverse dunk to give Denver a 100-97 lead.

Jokic and Wiggins traded baskets to keep the Nuggets in front by a point before they went on a small run to expand the lead to 114-107 with 2:02 left.

Curry answered with a 3-pointer for the Warriors but Jokic hit a running dunk and Murray drained two free throws to seal it for Denver.

The Nuggets led by as many as 10 in the first quarter but Golden State rallied in a back-and-forth second.

The Warriors put together a 15-3 run that gave them a 43-37 lead but Murray had seven points in a 9-2 run by Denver.

Curry didn’t score until he made a free throw with 5:46 left in the second quarter and finished with four points in the half but Golden State was able to take a 54-53 lead at intermission.

The teams continued to trade blows throughout the third quarter, with Curry and Murray dueling early in the period that resulted in the Warriors leading 65-63.

Jokic made two free throws to put the Nuggets ahead by four and Caldwell-Pope made a corner 3-pointer to increase the lead to 81-75.

Heat 119, 76ers 113

Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded career highs with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat took advantage of the absence of injured Philadelphia star Joel Embiid in a 119-113 win over the visiting 76ers.

Bam Adebayo added 26 points and 15 rebounds for Miami, which won its third straight. Tyler Herro scored 22 points, Duncan Robinson had 16, and Kyle Lowry finished with 12.

Philadelphia battled back from a 21-point deficit early in the third quarter to tie the game at 86 after outscoring the Heat 37-23 in the period.

Adebayo scored to put the Heat ahead 110-104 with 2:26 remaining, and Tobias Harris missed a jumper on the other end before Robinson hit a 3-pointer on Miami’s next possession.

Adebayo sealed the victory after making two free throws with 51 seconds left to give the Heat a 117-106 lead.

Tobias Harris paced Philadelphia with 27 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points, Mo Bamba had 18, and De’Anthony Melton chipped in 15.

The Sixers lost for just the second time in their last 10 games while shooting 42.6% from the field and 17 of 45 (37.8%) from long distance.

Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey, who entered the game averaging 26.4 points per game, was held to 12 points on 4-of-20 shooting, including 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.

The Sixers fell to 0-4 this season without Embiid, who sat out due to a sprained right ankle.

Miami was without star Jimmy Butler, who missed his third straight game due to a strained left calf.

Philadelphia claimed an early 21-12 lead before the Heat closed on a 14-1 run to move ahead by four at the end of the opening quarter.

Miami carried the momentum into the second quarter and extended its lead to 60-43 on Adebayo’s dunk with 1:46 left in the half.

Herro scored 16 points in the first half for Miami, which held a 63-49 advantage at the break. Miami pushed its lead to 21 points early in the third quarter before Philadelphia responded with a 33-12 run to tie the game at 82-82

The Heat connected on 47.6% of their shots, including 12-of-32 (37.5%) from 3-point range, and improved to 9-0 on Christmas Day under coach Erik Spoelstra. — Field Level Media

Mavericks’ Luka Doncic reaches 10,000-point milestone vs Suns

MAVERICKS star Luka Doncic reached 10,000 career points during the first quarter of Dallas’ Monday road game against the Phoenix Suns.

Mr. Doncic reached 10,000 points in 358 games, matching Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo for seventh fastest in NBA history. Legendary center Wilt Chamberlain accomplished the feat in the fewest games at 236.

The Mavs eventually won their road game in Phoenix 128-114.

Mr. Doncic topped 10K in style, draining a 34-foot, straightaway 3-pointer with 4:52 left in the quarter. That gave him 12 points and was his second trey in a 37-second span.

The sixth-year pro entered the game with a 32.9 scoring average and six triple-doubles in 27 contests this season.

Also reaching the 10,000-point mark faster than Mr. Doncic were Michael Jordan (303), Elgin Baylor (315), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (319), Oscar Robertson (334) and George Gervin (335). — Field Level Media

Lillard transforms Milwaukee’s prospects

The Bucks were big question marks heading into the 2023-24 season. They had a new head coach in Adrian Griffin, having let go of erstwhile mentor Mike Budenholzer following a disappointing first round exit. And wary of losing cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo to free agency following cryptic statements made in public, they swung for the fences and traded for Damian Lillard.

The move was not without risk; it cost them vital cogs Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, and made their roster more offense-heavy. That said, they did manage to subsequently secure a long-term commitment from the two-time Most Valuable Player awardee.

Fast forward to Christmas Day, and the Bucks have ample cause to rejoice. Although they did lose yesterday to the overachieving Knicks, they can reasonably argue that Lillard has been a boon to their campaign even as Antetokounmpo continues to put up MVP numbers.

Their 22-8 slate is good for second in the Eastern Conference and third in the league, reflective of the strength of their rotation. Khris Middleton seems to be coming along nicely after convalescing from right knee surgery, while Brook Lopez remains an anchor in the paint. And then there is do-it-all Bobby Portis, still effective off the bench.

It bears noting that, for all the Bucks’ competitiveness, there is room for improvement. Antetokounmpo and Lillard have yet to unlock their vast potential as pick-and-roll partners. Yesterday against the Knicks, for instance, the results in their two-man sequences left much to be desired.

Meanwhile, their individual brilliance comes with glaring minuses — perimeter shooting for the former and one-on-one coverage for the latter. Collectively, though, it’s clear that they’re all but unstoppable on offense. Outside of the run-and-gun Pacers, they have no peer in putting points on the board.

How the Bucks’ quest for their second title in four years will turn out is subject to conjecture. Clearly, however, they have the tools they need to succeed. Their growing esprit de corps through familiarity and repetition should serve them in good stead, and should prep them well for the playoffs. And because they have Antetokounmpo and Lillard on tap, they know they have a better than even chance to claim the hardware. It’s just a matter of execution in the crunch.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Israel PM says Hamas must be destroyed for peace; US, Iran-backed militants clash

AN ARMORED personnel carrier (APC) is seen silhouetted as the sun sets near the Israel-Gaza border, in Southern Israel, Dec. 25, 2023. — REUTERS

CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM —  Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed, defying global calls for a ceasefire amid concerns the conflict could spread with US and Iran-aligned forces again attacking each other.

Mr. Netanyahu, who visited Israeli troops in northern Gaza on Monday, told lawmakers from his Likud Party that the war was far from over and dismissed what he cast as media speculation his government might call a halt to the fighting.

He said Israel would not succeed in freeing its remaining hostages held by Hamas without applying military pressure. “We are not stopping. The war will continue until the end, until we finish it, no less,” says Mr. Netanyahu.

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Mr. Netanyahu reiterated three prerequisites for peace: Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be demilitarized, and Palestinian society must be deradicalized.

Retaliating against Hamas for its deadly Oct. 7 cross-border rampage, Israel has been under pressure from its closest ally the United States to shift operations in Gaza to a lower-intensity phase and reduce civilian deaths.

Nearly 20,700 Gazans have been killed, including 250 in the last 24 hours, according to authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

US forces have come under attack by Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria over Washington’s backing of Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

In the latest tit-for-tat clash, the US military carried out retaliatory air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a drone attack by Iran-aligned militants on a US base in Erbil left one US service member in critical condition and wounded two other US personnel, officials said.

The air strikes killed “a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants” and destroyed multiple facilities used by the group, the US military said.

Hezbollah has deep ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian faction backed by Iran.

“These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. We will always protect our forces,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, in a statement.

The US military has come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and Syria since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, usually with a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones.

Washington has for weeks pressured Israel to take further steps to minimize civilian harm by designating safe areas and clearing humanitarian routes for people to escape. But the death toll keeps rising and Israeli operations have intensified.

Gemma Connell, a UN team leader deployed in Gaza for several weeks now, described what she called a “human chess board” in which thousands of people, displaced many times already, are on the run again and there is no guarantee a destination will be safe.

“There’s so little space left here in Rafah that people just don’t know where they will go and it really feels like people being moved around a human chessboard because there’s an evacuation order somewhere,” Ms. Connell, who on Monday visited the Deir al-Balah neighborhood in central Gaza.

“People flee that area into another area. But they’re not safe there,” she told Reuters.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the army takes all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians, but that Palestinian militants use civilians as human shields, an accusation Hamas denies.

MORE AIRSTRIKES
Early on Tuesday, Palestinian residents reported several airstrikes near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest medical facility in the southern Gaza Strip.

Palestinian health officials said seven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis.

Palestinians mourned more than 100 people who Gaza health officials said were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Sunday night, one of the deadliest nights in the 11-week-old battle between Israel and Hamas.

At a funeral in Gaza, a line of Palestinian mourners touched the white shrouds wrapped around the bodies of at least 70 people who Palestinian health officials said were killed by an airstrike that hit Maghazi in the center of the strip.

Pope Francis issued a strongly worded message saying that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, were the “little Jesuses of today.’’ He said Israeli strikes were reaping an “appalling harvest” of innocent civilians.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts did not offer much relief.

Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad rejected an Egyptian proposal that they relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday. The sources said the groups rejected offering any concessions beyond the possible release of more hostages.

Hamas and smaller militant ally Islamic Jihad, both sworn to Israel’s destruction, are believed to be holding more than 100 hostages from among 240 they captured during their Oct. 7 rampage through Israeli towns, when they killed 1,200 people.

Since then, Israel has laid much of the narrow strip to waste. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been driven from their homes, and the United Nations says humanitarian conditions are catastrophic. — Reuters

China expects searing heat, more weather extremes in 2024

A WOMAN walks with cold patches on her forehead and neck amid a red alert for heatwave in Beijing, China, June 23, 2023. — REUTETRS

BEIJING — China — grappling with one of its coldest Decembers on record — will likely have to brace for another round of scorching heat and an increase in extreme weather next year due to the El Niño weather phenomenon, a senior climate expert said.

This year has seen China lurch from some of its hottest temperatures logged since 1850 to a harsh cold snap that froze many parts of the country for close to a fortnight earlier this month.

“2024 may be hotter and it could also be a year when extreme weather may become more frequent and powerful,” Zhou Bing, China’s National Climate Center chief expert, was quoted as saying in a report by state broadcaster CCTV.

This past summer saw Beijing bake in record heat while a remote township in the country’s arid northwest logged a day of 52 degrees Celsius (126 Fahrenheit) — the hottest on record for China. Typhoons also brought record-breaking rainfall in China’s north, causing widespread flooding.

El Niño refers to the climate phenomenon that occurs every two to seven years, where waters near the equator in the Pacific become warmer than normal leading to heavy rainfall, storms or droughts in some parts of the world.

This year’s El Niño began in June and has set new temperature highs around the world. Weather experts predict El Niño could fade between April and June next year, but as its effects take months to materialize, there could be more temperature records broken in 2024. — Reuters

Russia’s Navalny tracked down to ‘Polar Wolf’ prison in the Arctic

A still image taken from video footage shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia February 2, 2021. — PRESS SERVICE OF SIMONOVSKY DISTRICT COURT/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

MOSCOW — Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been tracked down to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, his spokeswoman said on Monday, after supporters lost touch with him for more than two weeks.

Navalny, 47, was tracked down to the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region, about 1,900 km (1200 miles) north east of Moscow, spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said. Navalny’s lawyer managed to see him on Monday, Yarmysh said.

“This prison will be much worse than the one that was before,” Yarmysh told Reuters TV in Vilnius via video call. “They are trying to make his life as unbearable as it possibly can be.”

“They definitely try to isolate Alexei and to make it more difficult to access him,” said Yarmysh, who refused to disclose her location due to security concerns.

Navalny’s allies, who had been preparing for his expected transfer to a “special regime” colony, the harshest grade in Russia’s prison system, said he had not been seen by his lawyers since Dec. 6 and raised the alarm about his fate.

Navalny’s new home, known as “the Polar Wolf” colony, is considered to be one of the toughest prisons in Russia. Most prisoners there have been convicted of grave crimes. Winters are harsh – and temperatures are due to drop to around minus 28 Celsius (minus 18.4 Fahrenheit) there over the next week.

About 60 km (40 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, the prison was founded in the 1960s as part of what was once the GULAG system of forced Soviet labor camps, according to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.

“The conditions there are harsh, with a special regime in the permafrost,” said Leonid Volkov, an aide to Navalny. He said it was difficult to communicate with prisoners held at the remote site.

The United States welcomed reports that Navalny had been located but remained “deeply concerned” about his well-being, the U.S. State Department said, calling for his immediate release and describing his detention as “unjust.”

‘POLAR WOLF’
Navalny’s lawyer, Ivan Zhdanov, said his supporters had sent 618 requests for information about his location and suggested that the Russian authorities wanted to isolate Navalny ahead of the March presidential election.

Navalny, who had been held at a penal colony 235 km (145 miles) east of Moscow, says he has been imprisoned because he is viewed as a threat by the Russian political elite. As a prisoner, he is unable to run in the election.

He denies all the charges he has been convicted of and casts Russia’s judicial system as deeply corrupt. Russia says he is a convicted criminal.

Navalny earned admiration from Russia’s disparate opposition for voluntarily returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated for what Western laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent.

Navalny says he was poisoned in Siberia in August 2020. The Kremlin denied trying to kill him and said there was no evidence he was poisoned with a nerve agent.

His supporters cast him as a future leader of Russia who will one day walk free from jail to lead his country, though it is unclear how much popular support Navalny has inside Russia.

The authorities view him and his supporters as extremists with links to the CIA intelligence agency who they say is seeking to destabilize Russia. They have outlawed his movement, forcing many of his followers to flee abroad.

Last month Navalny lamented the terrible state of inmates’ teeth in Russian prison.

“Poor nutrition, a lack of solid food, lots of sweet stuff (the most affordable food), a lot of strong tea, smoking, and a complete absence of dental care do them in,” he said at the time. — Reuters

Ukraine draft law proposes lowering mobilization age to 25 from 27

Army soldier figurines are displayed in front of the Ukrainian and Russian flag colors background in this illustration taken, Feb. 13, 2022. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

KYIV — Text of a draft law posted on the website of Ukraine’s parliament late on Monday proposed lowering the age of those who can be mobilized for combat duty to 25 from 27.

The proposed change comes as Ukraine’s 22-month-old battle against Russia drags on. On Sunday, Ukraine and Russia exchanged claims over downed military aircraft, and on Monday Ukraine denied Russia’s claim that its forces had seized the regional center Maryinka in eastern Ukraine.

The draft text detailed which Ukrainian citizens would be subject to enrolment for military registration of conscripts and said it would apply to those “who have reached the age of 25.”

An explanatory note signed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov summarized key provisions of the draft law, saying they included the “change of conscription age from 27 to 25 years.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky told his end-of-year news conference on Dec. 19 that the military had proposed mobilizing 450,000-500,000 more Ukrainians, but that it was a “highly sensitive” issue that the military and government would discuss before deciding whether to send the proposal to parliament.

Mr. Zelensky, who has yet to back the proposal publicly, said on Dec. 19 that he wanted to hear more arguments for mobilizing additional people. “This is a very serious number,” he said. 

Ukraine’s troop numbers are not known, but in the past it has been said the country has around 1 million people under arms. U.S. officials estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine. Neither country publishes its casualty figures.

David Arakhamia, the head of Zelenskiy’s party in parliament, said the government was working on the bill at the request of the military and that it was due to be introduced on Monday.

“The military needs a solution to its problems,” he said in a post on the Telegram messaging app earlier on Monday. “Society wants to hear answers to all sensitive questions.” — Reuters

Philippines not provoking conflict in South China Sea — military spokesperson

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

MANILA — The Philippines is not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, the country’s military spokesperson said on Tuesday, in response to China’s accusation that Manila is encroaching on Beijing’s territory.

“Philippines is not provoking conflict,” Philippines Armed Forces Spokesman Medel M. Aguilar told state-run broadcaster PTV.

“We follow international law and we are only implementing our domestic law,” he added. — Reuters

China warns rocket remnants to hit South China Sea

PHILEMBASSY.NO

BEIJING – China warned that remnants of a rocket would hit an area in the South China Sea on Tuesday, following the sixth deployment of its most powerful launch vehicle eleven days ago.

Rocket debris, which generally burns up in the atmosphere on re-entry, is expected to fall off the coast of China’s island province of Hainan between 11:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) and noon (0400 GMT), said the China Maritime Safety Administration.

China launched a Long March 5 rocket on Dec. 15 from Hainan’s Wenchang launch site, a sixth launch of the rocket type since its first flight in 2016. A variant of the rocket, the Long March 5B, was previously used to launch China’s probe to Mars and also modules of its space station.

A 2021 launch of the Long March 5B caused particular anxiety due to speculation over where remnants would land. In 2020, debris from a Long March 5B fell on Ivory Coast, damaging several buildings.

The Long March 5 mission earlier this month successfully launched what Chinese state media described as “a high-orbit optical remote sensing satellite”. The powerful rocket is normally used to launch very large payloads.

The “satellite” will be used in land surveys, crop yield assessments, environmental management, meteorological warning and forecasting, and disaster prevention and relief, said the official Xinhua news agency.

Xinhua also reported at the time of the launch that the fairing of the payload atop the rocket was 18.5 meters (60.7 feet), far longer than the usual 12.267 m, suggesting an unusually large “satellite”. No images of the satellite have been released to the public.

The unusual payload has sparked guesses that it is a high-altitude satellite would hold above the Earth at a fixed location, allowing it to peer down continuously at a certain region from its perch. – Reuters

Philippine actions in South China Sea ‘extremely dangerous’ – Chinese state media

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

Chinese state media accused the Philippines on Monday of repeatedly infringing on China’s territory in the South China Sea, spreading false information and colluding with extraterritorial forces to cause trouble.

The Philippines has relied on US support to continually provoke China, with such “extremely dangerous” behavior seriously harming regional peace and stability, China’s Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, wrote in a commentary on Monday.

The Philippines foreign ministry and a national task force handling the South China Sea did not immediately respond on Christmas Day to requests for comment on the report.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have heightened in recent months as both sides trade accusations over a spate of run-ins in the South China Sea, including charges that China rammed a ship this month carrying the Philippine armed forces chief of staff.

China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China’s claim in a ruling on a case brought by the Philippines, which Beijing rejects.

In an unusually direct warning, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week any miscalculation in the dispute with the Philippines would bring a resolute response from China, and called for dialogue to address “serious difficulties”.

The souring of bilateral ties coincides with Manila’s moves to bolster military relations with Japan and the United States, its former colonial power and defense ally of seven decades.

China expressed anger at the US this month for sending a navy ship into waters near the disputed area where China and the Philippines have had several maritime confrontations.

Washington has frequently used its defense treaty with Manila to “threaten” China, blatantly supporting Philippine violations of Chinese sovereignty and “peddling security anxieties”, the People’s Daily said.

That is “extremely irresponsible and dangerous”, said the commentary, written under the pen name Zhong Sheng, or “Voice of China”, often used to offer the newspaper’s views on foreign policy matters.

Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular news conference on Monday: “China will not weaken in its resolve to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

“That said, China’s door of dialogue remains open. We are ready to work with the Philippines to properly handle maritime issues through negotiation and consultation.” – Reuters

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