EU blames China for endangering peace in the South China Sea

April 25, 2021 | 6:25 pm

A PHILIPPINE FLAG is seen perched on a Philippine Coast Guard-manned vessel as it conducts patrols at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea, in a handout photo distributed by the Philippine Coast Guard, April 15. — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

BEIJING — The European Union (EU) called out China on Saturday for endangering peace in the South China Sea and urged all parties to abide by a 2016 tribunal ruling which rejected most of China’s claim to sovereignty in the sea, but which Beijing has rejected.

The EU last week released a new policy aimed at stepping up its influence in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s rising power.

The Philippines on Friday protested to China over its failure to withdraw what it called as “threatening” boats believed to be manned by maritime militia around the disputed Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls the Julian Felipe Reef.

“Tensions in the South China Sea, including the recent presence of large Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef, endanger peace and stability in the region,” a EU spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.

EU reiterated its strong opposition to “unilateral actions that could undermine regional stability and international rules-based order”.

It urged all parties to resolve disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, and highlighted a 2016 international arbitration that had ruled in favor of the Philippines while invalidating most of China’s claims in the South China Sea.

China rejected EU’s accusation that its ships at Whitsun Reef, which China calls Niu’E Jiao, had endangered peace and security.

The Chinese Mission to the EU in a statement on Saturday reiterated that the reef is part of China’s Nansha Islands, or Spratly Islands, and that it was “reasonable and lawful” for Chinese fishing boats to operate there and shelter from the wind.

The Chinese statement also insisted that China’s sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea were formed in the “long course of history and consistent with international law” and rejected the 2016 tribunal ruling as “null and void”.

“The South China Sea should not become a tool for certain countries to contain and suppress China, much less a wrestling ground for major-power rivalry,” the Chinese statement said.

China is increasingly worried that Europe and other countries are heeding US President Joseph R. Biden’s call for a “coordinated approach” towards China, which had so far materialized in the form of sanctions over its security crackdown in Hong Kong and treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month said Washington “stands by its ally, the Philippines,” in the face of China’s massing maritime militia at Whitsun Reef. — Reuters

Myanmar people slam ASEAN-junta consensus to end violence, but no immediate protests

April 25, 2021 | 6:24 pm

People in Myanmar on Sunday criticised an agreement between the country’s junta chief and Southeast Asian leaders to end the violence-hit nation’s crisis, saying it fell short of restoring democracy and holding the army accountable for hundreds of civilian deaths.

There were no immediate protests in Myanmar’s big cities a day after the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Jakarta, Indonesia, that agreed to end the violence but gave no roadmap on how this would happen.

But several people took to social media to criticise the deal.

“ASEAN’s statement is a slap on the face of the people who have been abused, killed and terrorised by the military,” said a Facebook user called Mawchi Tun. “We do not need your help with that mindset and approach.”

According to a statement from group chair Brunei, a consensus was reached on five points – ending violence, a constructive dialogue among all parties, a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate the dialogue, acceptance of aid and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.

The five-point consensus did not mention political prisoners, although the chairman’s statement said the meeting “heard calls” for their release.

ASEAN leaders had wanted a commitment from Min Aung Hlaing to restrain his security forces, which the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says have killed 748 people since a mass civil disobedience movement erupted to challenge his Feb. 1 coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

AAPP, a Myanmar activist group, says over 3,300 are in detention.

“Statement doesn’t reflect any of people’s desires,” wrote Nang Thit Lwin in a comment on a news story in domestic Myanmar media on the ASEAN deal. “To release prisoners and detainees, to take responsibility for dead lives, to respect election results and restore democratic civilian government.”

Aaron Htwe, another Facebook user, wrote: “Who will pay the price for the over 700 innocent lives.”

The military has defended its coup by alleging that the landslide win by Suu Kyi’s party in November’s election was fraudulent, although the election commission dismissed the objections.

The ASEAN gathering was the first coordinated international effort to ease the crisis in Myanmar, an impoverished country that neighbours China, India and Thailand and has been in turmoil since the coup. Besides the protests, deaths and arrests, a nationwide strike has crippled economic activity.

Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government (NUG), composed of pro-democracy figures, remnants of Suu Kyi’s ousted administration and representatives of armed ethnic groups, said it welcomed the consensus reached but said the junta had to be held to its promises.

“We look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and to restore our democracy,” said Dr. Sasa, spokesman for the NUG.

Besides the junta chief, the leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei were at the meeting, along with the foreign ministers of Laos, Thailand and the Philippines. — Reuters

National team action

April 25, 2021 | 6:23 pm

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Gilas plays Asia Cup Qualifiers in June; 3×3 team in OQT in May

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

IF SCHEDULES push through, the Philippine national basketball team will be having a busy next couple of months competing in international competitions.

The national men’s basketball team will be seeing action in the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier in June to be held here at Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga; the schedule of which was released by FIBA last week.

The men’s 3×3 team, meanwhile, shoots for a spot in the Tokyo Olympics in the qualifiers in Austria in May.

Gilas Pilipinas looks to formalize its entry into the FIBA Asia Cup by winning at least a game in their scheduled three-match assignment in the qualifiers in Clark.

The Philippines leads Group A with an unblemished record of 3-0 and six points. Second-running is Korea (2-0), followed by Indonesia (1-2) and Thailand (0-4).

In the schedule released by FIBA, Gilas plays Korea on June 16, then Indonesia on June 19, and closes its assignment with a re-engagement with the Koreans on June 20.

All the matches in Clark, which will also host games in Groups B and C, will be played behind closed doors as part of health and safety protocols to guard against the coronavirus.

The window was supposed to take place in February before the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) decided to cancel the proceedings weeks before the event with the spike in coronavirus cases in the country.

Doha, Qatar, stepped in as replacement host but it, too, had to call things off at the last minute because of coronavirus concerns as well.

International Basketball Federation (FIBA) opened the hosting anew to those who were willing and SBP grabbed on the opportunity and is now looking to do well to have the June 16-20 competitions staged successfully.

For the third window, Gilas will go all-cadet so as not to disrupt the calendar of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), which is still grappling with how it will go about its delayed Season 46.

The local federation is also using the tournament as an opportunity for Gilas to develop its young players in preparation for future competitions, including the 2023 FIBA World Cup where the country is one of the hosts.

“It’s really developing this young core of players and making them battle-ready… If we can develop that pool of players, we have more options, we have more choices, and we’re also increasing our pool…” said SBP President Al S. Panlilio in his recent appearance on the Power & Play radio program.

As to the hosting, Mr. Panlilio said they have been coordinating with the government to make sure all plans are in line with protocols placed.

He, however, said that all concerned, including FIBA, are aware of how fluid the situation is with the pandemic and are bracing for any possible changes, including another postponement in a worst-case scenario.

Also up for Gilas later this year is the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Serbia at the end of June and the FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia in August.

3X3 TEAM
Meanwhile, the Philippine 3×3 team is angling to be one of the teams seeing action in the Tokyo Olympics, where the sport will make its Games debut.

An all-PBA crew will be representing the country in the qualifiers in Graz, Austria, where three Olympic tickets are at stake.

Two of the top 3×3 players in the Philippines, namely: Joshua Munzon (Terrafirma) and Alvin Pasaol (Meralco) banner the team, along with PBA stalwarts CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa of San Miguel. Also part of the pool are Rain or Shine rookie Santi Santillan and free-agent Karl Dehesa.

The PBA and the SBP have thrown its full support for the team, which is scheduled to enter its training bubble at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, this week.

The Philippines is grouped in the tough Pool C, which also has Slovenia (Europe Cup 2016 winner), France (second at Europe Cup 2019), Qatar (2014 World Champ), and the Dominican Republic.

Team Philippines admits it is going to be a tough road for it, compounded by the limitations presented by the pandemic, but is forging ahead and will try to come up with a competitive showing.

“The last time we played 3×3 was before lockdown and that was last year, so it’s been a while. We are not able to play, that’s the hard thing for us,” Mr. Perez was quoted as saying by the official FIBA website.

“We are doing our best to be in shape. Our coaches never stopped working for the program for us and they keep pushing every day,” he added.

The PBA scoring champion admitted height will be a challenge for them but they will try to compensate for it with quickness and hustle.

Usman, Namajunas score KO title fight wins at UFC 261

April 25, 2021 | 6:22 pm

AMERICAN Rose Namajunas pulled off a stunning first-round head kick knockout to dethrone strawweight champ Zhang Weili of China at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday. — THUG ROSE FB PAGE

KAMARU Usman knocked Jorge Masvidal out cold to retain his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight belt while Rose Namajunas pulled off a stunning first-round head kick knockout (KO) to dethrone strawweight champ Zhang Weili at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.

In the third title fight on the bill, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko dominated Jessica Andrade as she coasted to a second-round technical knockout victory to retain her crown.

Famed for his powerful wrestling, 33-year-old Usman came into the main event on Masvidal’s home turf on a 17-fight winning streak, and he won the first round comfortably before bringing the fight to a sudden halt in the second.

Usman uncorked a thunderous right hand a minute into the second frame to deck Masvidal, who looked out before he hit the canvas, silencing the boisterous home crowd and extending the longest winning streak among active fighters in the UFC.

“Been a while since I’ve been extremely nervous for a fight. But he elevated me. He made me go to the workshop and sharpen all my tools to put on a performance like that,” Usman said in his post-fight interview, his daughter in his arms in the octagon.

“I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now,” he added.

In the co-main event, Namajunas, who won the title in 2017 and had one successful defense before losing it to Andrade in 2019, landed a left high kick flush to the jaw to put the lights out for Zhang after just a minute and 18 seconds of their title fight.

Namajunas dove in to finish off her opponent, but referee Keith Petersen was quick to wave it off as the American snapped her opponent’s 21-fight winning streak and became the first woman in the UFC to reclaim a title. — Reuters

Knicks defeat Raptors for ninth straight win

April 25, 2021 | 6:21 pm

Knicks-(2) — THE New York Knicks extended their winning streak to nine games with a 120-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. — NEW YORK KNICKS FB PAGE

JULIUS Randle totaled 31 points and 10 rebounds as the host New York Knicks extended their winning streak to nine games with a 120-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon.

It is the longest streak for the Knicks (34-27) since winning 13 straight from March 18-April 9, 2013.

RJ Barrett scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and collected 12 rebounds for New York. Derrick Rose added 19 points and seven assists and Reggie Bullock chipped in 16. The Knicks shot 56%, made 16 three-pointers and won their seventh straight home game, earning a standing ovation from the limited capacity crowd.

Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby scored 27 apiece for the Raptors (25-35), who saw a four-game winning streak stopped and lost to the Knicks for the second time this month. Pascal Siakam added 26 as Toronto shot 43.4%. VanVleet dished 11 assists.

While Randle’s latest big game helped the Knicks to another win, he was on the bench when New York began pulling away before it withstood a late Toronto comeback try.

After taking an 88-83 lead into the fourth, the Knicks started the final period on a 14-3 run to get a 102-86 lead when rookie Obi Toppin’s uncontested three-pointer rolled in the hoop with 9:14 left.

Toronto was within 110-103 on a three-pointer by Siakam with 3:18 remaining but Barrett’s 3-pointer made it 115-103 with 1:24 left and essentially sealed it.

Randle shot 10 of 17 from the floor and scored 30 points for the 11^th time this season and sixth time in seven games. The All-Star forward also posted his 38th double-double this season.

Randle hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 as the Knicks shot 60% and held a 30-26 lead after the first quarter. His 20-footer capped an 11-4 run to give the Knicks a 57-48 lead with 2:48 left, and New York held a 64-59 lead at half time after Anunoby hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left. — Reuters

Manchester United fans protest against Glazer family’s ownership

April 25, 2021 | 6:21 pm

Manchester United

HUNDREDS of Manchester United supporters gathered outside Old Trafford on Saturday to demonstrate against the Glazer family’s ownership after the club was involved in plans to join the now-failed European Super League, British media reported.

Manchester United was among six Premier League clubs which signed up for the breakaway league before withdrawing on Tuesday amid a storm of protest from fans, players and the British government.

The club was bought by the American Glazer family for $1.1 billion in 2005. Although it has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2012, the Glazers retain majority ownership.

Club supporters assembled by the Trinity Statue outside the ground on Saturday and set off yellow and green flares — colors synonymous with fan protests against the Glazer family, the Manchester Evening News reported.

Protest signs read “United against greed” and “Glazers out,” according to Sky Sports.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, one of the leading figures in the breakaway project, said on Tuesday he would step down from his role at the end of 2021.

Liverpool, owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and another of the English clubs involved in the Super League, also saw around 150 fans protest on Saturday before a match with Newcastle United.

Banners saying “Enough is enough, FSG out” and “Our game, our club: thanks but no Yanks” were unfurled outside Anfield. American owner John Henry has apologized for the club’s involvement in the project.

Manchester United, who is second in the Premier League, visits Leeds United later on Sunday. — Reuters

Para athletes focus of next PSC online summit session

April 25, 2021 | 6:19 pm

BEMEDALED paralympic athlete Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta will be the guest in the 11^th session of the online Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) summit this week and will spotlight para athletes and inclusivity in sports.

Happening on Wednesday, April 28, powerlifter Dumapong-Ancheta will share her experiences as a long-time member of the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) advocating the rights of differently abled athletes like her.

One of the pioneering athletes in the para sports scene in the country, Ms. Dumapong-Ancheta has always been pushing the paralympic movement locally and for para athletes to be given their fair due.

“She is one of our most accomplished athletes who never relinquished their causes, especially in the area of inclusivity and disability. It is a must for this sports summit to include our para athletes who play a big role in Philippine sports,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez of the upcoming session.

Ms. Dumapong-Ancheta is a four-time Asian Para Games silver medalist and seven-time ASEAN Para Games gold medalist.

She is also the first-ever Filipino to earn a medal in the Paralympic Games in 2000 in Sydney, and represented the country further in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio (2016).

Ms. Dumapong-Ancheta also figured prominently in lobbying Republic Act 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, signed in 2015.

Apart from doing well in sports, Ms. Dumapong-Ancheta is musically inclined and heads the musical performing group, Rondalla On Wheels, and is a board member of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta, Rizal.

The PSC summit is aimed at taking insights of different sports stakeholders and using those as foundations in crafting a sustainable and workable short to long-term plan for Philippine sports.

All data gathered from the web series will be processed and studied to create a new set of resolutions to be presented to sports leaders for action.

Session 11 of the National Sports Summit starts at 1 p.m. via Zoom. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Advanced football talent development software launched in PHL

April 25, 2021 | 6:18 pm

Jogo2 — THE JOGO app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android), provides an entire database of proven, tested, and optimized skill assignments, training, and development videos. (jogo.ai)

A NEWLY developed talent development software was recently launched in the country by its Dutch makers through a local football foundation.

JOGO, a football talent development app, has made its way to the Philippines and is being angled to augment the development of the sport here especially during this time of the pandemic.

The app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android), provides an entire database of proven, tested, and optimized skill assignments, training, and development videos.

The platform allows trainers to select and assign exercises to their players quickly. The players can check their assignments directly on the app, perform them and send them back to their club or trainer. This process, its makers said, ensures a better optimization of their development and more efficient training.

While general for free, those looking to add more features in their app can choose to do so but for a certain fee.

The app had been up and running for a year before the actual product launched in November last year and has seen steady pickup in different parts of the world.

In the country, the first to test the app is Football for Humanity Foundation, a sport for peace and development charity established in 2017.

“When JOGO reached out to me and offered free use of the app to our beneficiaries, it was an exciting opportunity for our young players who had been prevented from practicing and playing due to the pandemic. Now, in the comfort of their own backyard, and armed with a mobile phone, they can follow a program that I’ve set and they can upload their progress and get feedback,” said Chris Thomas, Football for Humanity founder and president, in the app’s online launch.

“Our players instantly upgraded their skills, and tried harder each time. It’s really like having your own trainer every day,” added Mr. Thomas, who is currently in the United Kingdom.

It is precisely what the makers of the JOGO app hope to bring to those who want to experience what the software can do.

“With JOGO we want to change the way football develops young footballers; it should become more data-driven and tech-savvy, and accessible to anyone who wants it, as we strive for the perfect design for our users. The Philippines is a great market for JOGO. We see so many football fans and players and we think that our technology, due to its accessibility, can really help ambitious young players reach their goals,” said JOGO CEO David Dwinger, who was joined in the launch by JOGO COO Frank Zaal in the Netherlands.

The JOGO officials said more innovations are in store for their company and the app, including “sensors” that are embedded in the player’s football boots which will supply a more detailed reading of a player’s development curve and improvement needs.

For more information on the JOGO app and company, check jogo.ai. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Making strides

April 25, 2021 | 6:18 pm

When supposed unicorn Kristaps Porziņģis was sent packing in February 2019, not a few quarters believed the Knicks got the better end of the deal that netted them Dennis Smith, Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two first-round picks. And even as they had to part ways with Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Courtney Lee in the process, massive contracts went along with the move. In other words, the stage was set for a bright future. Gone was a disgruntled, injury-prone, would-be star, and in his place stood promising assets seen to jump-start a long-in-coming rebuild.

Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear that the Knicks have runner-up honors in the two-way trade. Smith was a bust, and now plies his trade for the Pistons. Jordan bolted for the Nets. Matthew’s played a grand total of one game in blue and orange. And who knows how draft picks will ultimately fare? For all the continued brittleness of Porziņģis’ body and the price tag that Hardaway commands, the outcome cannot be questioned: the Mavericks cannot but be happy with what they got, and continue to get. They competed strongly in the bubble last year, and now appear to be in a good position to avoid the dangerous and unpredictable play-in tournament.

The Knicks aren’t crying over spilled milk, however, because they like where they are — which is where they most certainly would not be had they held on to Porziņģis. They may have taken a step backward with the daylight fleecing, but they’re definitely two steps ahead in the face of their outstanding showing heading into the last sixth of the 2020-21 season. At fourth in the East and holders of a remarkable nine-outing win streak, they stand a good chance of formalizing their status as the biggest surprise of the National Basketball Association.

Not that the Knicks consider their performance to be out of the ordinary. To the contrary, they’ve had reason to hold their heads high; under the tutelage of head coach Tom Thibodeau, they sport a brand of defense that is relentless in purpose, not to mention a style of offense that is deliberate by nature. The latter is anchored on the sterling showing of first-time All-Star Julius Randle, whose significant improvement in shooting range and accuracy — and, most importantly, playmaking — propels their competitiveness.

Whether or not the Knicks’ in-your-face approach from start to finish is sustainable remains to be seen. Thibodeau has a well-deserved reputation as a turnaround artist, but is also bogged down by diminishing returns over time. Nonetheless, there can be no discounting the strides they have made, with such proven disciples as Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson making solid contributions. If nothing else, they’ll be a tough out in the playoffs, their unique mix of self-assurance and resolve making them greater than the sum of their parts.

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.

U.S. racing to send aid to India as COVID-19 cases soar

April 25, 2021 | 5:00 pm

WILMINGTON, Del. – The United States is deeply concerned by a massive surge in coronavirus cases in India and will race additional support to the Indian government and health care workers, a White House spokeswoman said on Saturday.

“We are in active conversations at high levels and plan to quickly deploy additional support to the Government of India and Indian health care workers as they battle this latest severe outbreak. We will have more to share very soon,” the spokeswoman told Reuters via email.

Washington is under increasing pressure to do more to help India, the world’s largest democracy and a strategic ally in President Joe Biden’s efforts to counter China, as it grapples with a record-setting surge in coronavirus infections.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday called on the Biden administration to release millions of stored doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for shipment to India, Brazil and other hard hit countries.

The Indian government has deployed military planes and trains to get urgently needed oxygen to Delhi from other parts of the country and foreign countries, including Singapore.

The number of cases across the country surged by a record daily rise of 349,691 on Sunday, for a total of 16.96 million cases, including 192,311 deaths, the health ministry said.

The country of 1.3 billion people is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, warned in an op-ed published Saturday in the Washington Post.

He said some 2,000 people were dying daily, but most experts estimated that the true number was five to 10 times that level.

Officials from both countries are engaged at various levels to ensure a smooth supply of inputs and components from U.S. companies for production of COVID-19 vaccines in India, a spokesman at the Indian Embassy in Washington told Reuters.

He said it was important to work together to identify ways to overcome bottlenecks in medical supply chains and expedite ongoing vaccination efforts.

Mr. Jha called on Washington to send India oxygen, excess testing kits and high-quality personal protective equipment, including face masks, and medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, including sedatives and Remdesivir.

Mr. Jha also urged the Biden administration to share excess vaccines with India and other countries in crisis, citing some 30 million unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is in use elsewhere, but has not been authorized by U.S. regulators.

Washington should also lift export controls on raw materials put in place via the Defense Production Act and an associated export embargo in February, Jha wrote.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday said U.S. and Indian officials were working to find ways to help address the crisis, but gave no timetable for the support.

She said the United States has already provided India some $1.4 billion in health assistance, emergency relief supplies, pandemic training for Indian state and local health officials, and ventilators. – Reuters

Japan to open large vaccination centers in Tokyo, Osaka – media

April 25, 2021 | 4:00 pm

TOKYO – The Japanese government is planning to open large vaccination centres in Tokyo and Osaka in the coming weeks in a bid to speed up its inoculation drive, local media reported on Sunday.

The Nikkei newspaper said on Sunday the government will open a vaccination site in central Tokyo as early as May that will be able to vaccinate around 10,000 people a day.

The site will be open to anyone living and working in Tokyo, the paper said, adding that medically trained staff from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces will also assist with vaccinations in such centres.

While Japan has avoided an explosive spread of the virus experienced by many countries, the government has come under sharp criticism for its sluggish vaccination roll-out, which has been handled mostly by municipal authorities. Only about 1% of its population has been vaccinated, according to a Reuters tracker.

A recent surge in infections driven by the spread of a variant has also stoked alarm and there is a critical shortage of medical staff and hospital beds in some areas.

Japan only started vaccinating its sizable elderly population this month and health experts say it may take till the winter or longer for most of the general populace to get access to shots.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Sunday if the government was able to secure enough vaccines to inoculate the elderly by the end of July, vaccinations for those under 65 could start that month, according to a Kyodo report.

Japan’s third state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures began on Sunday, affecting nearly a quarter of the population as the country attempts to combat the surge in cases three months before the Tokyo Olympics is set to open.

Japan has had about 550,000 cases and 9,761 deaths to date. – Reuters

India asks Twitter to take down some tweets critical of its COVID-19 handling

April 25, 2021 | 3:00 pm

The Indian government asked social media platform Twitter to take down dozens of tweets, including some by local lawmakers, that were critical of India’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, as cases of COVID-19 again hit a world record.

Twitter has withheld some of the tweets after the legal request by the Indian government, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Saturday.

The government made an emergency order to censor the tweets, Twitter disclosed on Lumen database, a Harvard University project.

In the government’s legal request, dated April 23 and disclosed on Lumen, 21 tweets were mentioned. Among them were tweets from a lawmaker named Revnath Reddy, a minister in the state of West Bengal named Moloy Ghatak and a filmmaker named Avinash Das.

The law cited in the government’s request was the Information Technology Act, 2000.

“When we receive a valid legal request, we review it under both the Twitter Rules and local law,” the Twitter spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

“If the content violates Twitter’s rules, the content will be removed from the service. If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction, but not in violation of the Twitter Rules, we may withhold access to the content in India only,” she said.

The spokeswoman confirmed that Twitter had notified account holders directly about withholding their content and let them know that it received a legal order pertaining to their tweets.

The development was reported earlier by technology news website TechCrunch, which said that Twitter was not the only platform affected by the order.

Overwhelmed hospitals in India begged for oxygen supplies on Saturday as the country’s coronavirus infections have soared in what the Delhi high court called a “tsunami,” setting a world record for cases for a third consecutive day.

India is in the grip of a rampaging second wave of the pandemic, hitting a rate of one COVID-19 death in just under every four minutes in Delhi as the capital’s underfunded health system buckles.

The number of cases across the country of around 1.3 billion people rose by 346,786, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, for a total of 16.6 million cases. COVID-19 deaths rose by 2,624, to a total of 189,544, according to Saturday’s figures.

Health experts said India became complacent in the winter, when new cases were running at about 10,000 a day and seemed to be under control. Authorities lifted restrictions, allowing the resumption of big gatherings, including large festivals and political rallies for local elections. – Reuters