Chinese airlines 40% passenger load restriction on U.S. routes, the world's first DNA covi vaccine ZyCoV-D

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News and Translation of external news on disease control, CCP and Taiwan

News (1)

U.S. and China limit the number of passengers on each other's flights to 40% of passenger load

Reporter :  Yi Ru / Editor : Meng Xinqi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/08/20/a103195276.html 

Image : Video Screenshot

The US Department of Transportation announced on 18 August that after the Chinese government imposed restrictions on the four United Airlines flights, the United States would The passenger capacity of Chinese airlines' flights to the United States is limited to 40%. The outside world believes that the aviation dispute between the two countries provoked by the CCP is a new blow to the large number of Chinese students eager to study in the United States.

On 18 August 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it would limit the number of passengers on the four Chinese airlines’ flights to the United States to 40% within the next four weeks based on the principle of commercial reciprocity.

United Airlines said, "We're very pleased to see that the Department of Transportation is pursuing fair actions in this important market."

Prior to this, the CCP government announced on August 6 that it would restrict United Airlines flights because five passengers on the flight from San Francisco to Shanghai on 21 July entered the country and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (CCP virus, covi). 

News (2)

No traceable information provided on the flights' positive virus infection

Gobi Dong, an independent scholar in the U.S. and a columnist for current commentary, said, "It said that the so-called positive virus infection from the flight was its unilateral information release. It neither announced nor provided any traceable information, but it did so. It was determined that the virus was brought by you from the United States and your airline, and then through the restrictions on flights, the matter was confirmed and publicized, and the virus originated in the United States."

According to the entry and epidemic prevention regulations set by the Chinese Communist Party, if the number of confirmed passengers on a single entry flight reaches 5, there will be two options: One is to suspend the operation of the flight for 2 weeks, and the other is to restrict the flight to operate at a load factor of no more than 40% for 4 weeks.

News (3)

Gobi Dong: Aviation epidemic prevention fuse mode is way of dumping the virus pot on the U.S.

Gobi Dong said, "Under the name of epidemic prevention, the CCP created this so-called aviation epidemic prevention fuse mode. On the surface, it is to prevent the import of foreign viruses. In essence, this is a continuation of the source of the virus in the United States."

The U.S. Department of Transportation believes that the CCP’s "fuse-cutting" measure violates the air service agreement between China and the United States, and transfers the responsibility for screening inbound passengers to the airlines.

Moreover, American airlines cannot independently verify whether the positive test results stated by the Chinese Communist Party are true, and it is also impossible to determine when and where the passengers were infected with the CCP virus.

Therefore, the Biden administration decided to impose the same restrictions on the four Chinese airlines.

News (4)

Circuit breaker mechanism not imposed by CAAC during the initial covid outbreak in Wuhan

Gobi Dong said, "In fact, the CCP is the place where the epidemic originated. When Wuhan was closed, the CCP did not engage in any air circuit breaker mechanism for epidemic prevention. Now the epidemic situation around the world is leveling off. But CCP played with the so-called flight circuit breaker mechanism. Obviously, this is the continuation of blaming and throwing the pot."

The introduction of this measure by the Biden administration coincided with the peak time for Chinese students returning to the United States before the start of the fall semester of American universities.

News (5)

Extreme long queue to travel abroad, CCP is "dying"

A few days ago, the mainland media "China Business News" reported that as the United States liberalized restrictions on foreign students going to the United States, and approaching the school day in September, long queues appeared in the departure halls of a Chinese airport.

Zhang Jian, a researcher on China in the United States, said, "These Chinese students, what they desire most is to vote with their feet and come to a free land. Why do so many people go to long queues to immigrate to the United States at any cost? Everyone in their system knows that the CCP is dying."

According to the report, the queues in the departure hall of Shanghai Pudong Airport have been thousands of metres long. International students lined up at 9 am and did not get their boarding passes until 1 pm.

In addition, the price of air tickets has also risen, and even "sky-priced" air tickets of up to 100,000 RMB have appeared.

Zhang Jian said, "The CCP does everything possible. It is able to come up with such a way of indiscriminate use of the epidemic prevention, which will increase the cost of going abroad for students studying abroad and those going abroad. The CCP will also introduce it in the future. Restrictions on studying abroad in other European countries are because even ordinary people’s right to obtain passports has been removed."

Regarding the current US government's countermeasures against Chinese flights, the outside world generally believes that Chinese students who want to return to the United States will be affected.

Ye Qiusheng, head of New York Huanyu Holiday Travel Agency, said, "According to the past, the load factor is 60-75%. If it is said that 75% of the airlines have already sold 75% of the tickets, that means 35% of the passengers will be cancelled (refunded). "

It is understood that the long-term aviation agreement between China and the United States allows the two countries to operate more than 100 flights per week, but only a small portion of them have resumed operations.

News (6) 

Beijing forces investigative experts to reject laboratory leak, WHO shocked

Reporter : Lin Yan / Editor : Li Yuan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/8/20/n13176856.htm

Image : A new book recently published in the United States exposes the inside story of Beijing's forcing investigators to veto the possibility of laboratory leaks, shocking the World Health Organization (WHO), and why WHO General Secretary Tedros has begun to publicly and cautiously praise China and pressure privately. The picture shows the Director-General of the World Health Organization (left) visiting China on 28 January 2020. He was received by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Naohiko Hatta-Pool/Getty Images)

                                               

A new book recently published in the United States reveals the inside story of Beijing's forcing investigative experts to veto the possibility of laboratory leaks and shocking the WHO, and why WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Tedros) began to publicly and cautiously praise China and pressure privately.

The new book titled "Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order" was written by Thomas Wright, a scholar of the Brookings Institution, an American think tank. This was done with Colin Kahl, the Deputy Secretary of Defense Policy of the Biden Administration.

Washington Post published an article on Thursday (19 August) to introduce the inside story of the Wuhan laboratory in the book.

The Danish scientist Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the WHO's SARS-CoV-2 traceability team, stayed in Wuhan for a total of four weeks, including two weeks of isolation. He said at a press conference on 9 February that the investigative team had ruled that the indirect transmission of zoonotic diseases was "possible" and that laboratory leaks were "extremely impossible" and were not worthy of further investigation.

This conclusion made his colleagues in Geneva "shocked" because they did not believe that the team going to Wuhan had the opportunity or data to rule out the possibility of laboratory leakage.

The book said that senior WHO staff in Geneva were shocked when they heard this statement. One of them told the author of the book, "We all fell off our chairs."

The book revealed that Tedros expressed this view to the investigation team at that time, but the investigation team "justified" that the pressure from the CCP officials made them choose to compromise.

It is reported that when the WHO investigation team went to China to conduct a traceability investigation and negotiated with Chinese officials on the investigation site, the Chinese Communist Party officials proposed to the expert team that if there is a prerequisite for the investigation in Wuhan, it is not to ask for the next time recommendations for traceability investigations.

Embarek said that Chinese officials did not want to mention laboratory leaks at all.

Tedros’ doubts seem to have not affected the conclusions of the WHO investigation in the slightest. The WHO report in March still reiterated that laboratory leaks are "extremely unlikely."

The book says that Tedros then told the CCP's special envoy in Geneva that he wanted to tell the truth about the report, "even if China (the CCP) does not like it".

Subsequently, Tedros publicly stated at the WHO news conference that the virus traceability investigation in China was "not wide enough" and lacked "timely and comprehensive data sharing."

However, Tedros's transformation on the China issue was too late to win the support of critics. At the same time, the relationship between the WHO and the Chinese Communist Party's officialdom is also drifting away.

CCP officials in July criticized the WHO for politicizing the issue of virus traceability and stated that they would not accept the second phase of the virus traceability investigation in China, and accused the United States of putting pressure on WHO experts.

At the end of July, the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece media "People’s Daily" and China Global Television Network (CGTN) reprinted a report by a Swiss biologist named Wilson Edwards said that the WHO recent establishment of the "International Scientific Advisory Group on the Origin of Novel Pathogens" is the result of political pressure exerted by the United States.

After the Swiss Embassy in Beijing issued a public statement on 10 August to refute the fact that it was verified that there was no such Swiss biologist reported by the CCP's official media, the CCP's official media's article was suddenly removed from its website, showing an error page. The article is still circulated widely on the Chinese Internet, but the Swiss official statement was officially blocked by the Chinese Communist Party.

On 12 August, the WHO issued a statement on the next phase of the traceability investigation (see here or copied below), urging China to share the original data related to the earliest cases of COVID-19 in order to resume the investigation of the origin of SARS-CoV-2, and release information to resolve controversial experiments lab leak theory.

At the same time, the WHO stated that it refused to accept claims that "the traceability investigation was politicized" or that "WHO succumbed to political pressure."

Embarek, who had traveled to Wuhan to be responsible for the investigation, also said that investigators should seek more information about a laboratory of the Wuhan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and conduct a more careful review of the laboratory. The laboratory is located near the market where the first known cluster infection occurred.

Embarek revealed that the wording of the "extremely unlikely" laboratory leak in March was reached after 48 hours of intense negotiations with Chinese counterparts. He would be more inclined to describe the possibility of laboratory accidents as merely "unlikely."

In a documentary produced by the Danish public television station TV2 last week, he said that a laboratory employee was infected while sampling in the field, which is one of the possible hypotheses that the virus was transmitted from bats to humans; at the same time, it was suspected of carrying covi. None of the bats live in the wild in Wuhan.

He said that the only people who might be close to such bats are employees of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Foreign Minister of the Communist Party of China, refuted the latest WHO statement on 13 August 2021 and said that the conclusions of the March report must be "respected"-laboratory leaks are extremely unlikely, and future investigations must be conducted on the basis of reports involving China.

At a media conference on 18 August, Mike Ryan, the head of emergency at WHO, said that the WHO has been behind the scenes and is working hard to increase confidence in the next traceability investigation.

"We have made progress in this area, but I must admit that it is not easy." He said.

News (7)

WHO statement on advancing the next series of studies to find the origins of SARS-CoV-2

Press Release, 12 August 2021 : WHO

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has been working with Member States and the scientific community to better understand how this pandemic began so that we can be better prepared for the next one. 

Following the publication of the WHO-China joint report of the phase one studies on the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in March 2021, WHO has outlined the next series of studies that need to be undertaken and continues to be in discussions with Member States and experts on next steps. 

To move forward, WHO calls for all governments to depoliticize the situation and cooperate to accelerate the origins studies, and importantly to work together to develop a common framework for future emerging pathogens of pandemic potential. 

WHO’s priority is for scientists to build on the first phase of studies, implement the recommendations outlined in the March 2021 report and accelerate scientific efforts on all hypotheses. Searching for the origins of any novel pathogen is a difficult process, which is based on science, and takes collaboration, dedication and time. 

WHO reiterates that the search for the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is not and should not be an exercise in attributing blame, finger-pointing or political point-scoring. It is vitally important to know how the COVID-19 pandemic began, to set an example for establishing the origins of all future animal-human spillover events. 

Countries have a collective responsibility to work together in the true spirit of partnership and to ensure scientists and experts have the space they need to find the origins of the worst pandemic in a century. Building on what has already been learned, the next series of studies would include a further examination of the raw data from the earliest cases and sera from potential early cases in 2019. Access to data is critically important for evolving our understanding of science and should not be politicised in any way. 

WHO is working with a number of countries that have reported detection of SARS-CoV-2 in samples from stored biological specimens from 2019. For example, in Italy, WHO facilitated an independent evaluation by international laboratories of the findings of one such study, which included the blind retesting of pre-pandemic blood samples. Sharing raw data and giving permission for the retesting of samples in labs outside of Italy reflects scientific solidarity at its best and is no different from what we encourage all countries, including China, to support so that we can advance the studies of the origins quickly and effectively. 

The International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO, is a new advisory group for WHO, which will be responsible for advising WHO on the development of a global framework to systematically study the emergence of future emerging pathogens with pandemic potential. For SARS-CoV-2, it will support the rapid undertaking of recommended studies outlined in the March 2021 report. 

By issuing an open call for nominations to SAGO, WHO is providing a transparent foundation for the new scientific advisory group that we expect all Member States will engage with. WHO hopes for continuity from previous missions to China for SARS-CoV-2, as well as other missions studying the origins of, for example, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, avian influenza, Lassa and Ebola.   

This open call aims to ensure that a broad range of scientific skills and expertise are identified to advise WHO on the studies needed to identify the origins of any future emerging or re-emerging pathogen of pandemic potential. 

China and a number of other Member States have written to WHO regarding the basis for further studies of the SARS-CoV-2 “lab hypothesis.” They have also suggested the origins study has been politicised, or that WHO has acted due to political pressure. 

On review of the phase one study report, WHO determined that there was insufficient scientific evidence to rule any of the hypotheses out. Specifically, in order to address the “lab hypothesis,” it is important to have access to all data and consider scientific best practice and look at the mechanisms WHO already has in place. WHO is only focused on science, providing solutions and building solidarity.

Smallpox is the only human virus to have ever been eradicated. There are two countries in the world that keep stocks of smallpox in secure labs: Russia and the US. Inspections by the WHO biosafety team of VECTOR and CDC smallpox labs occur every two years, most recently in Jan-Feb 2019 (VECTOR) and May 2019 (CDC). A report is then provided to the World Health Assembly and the inspection reports are published on the WHO website. 

Analysing and improving lab safety and protocols in all laboratories around the world, including in China, is important for our collective biosafety and security.

Searching for the origins of a novel virus is an immensely difficult scientific task that takes time. WHO is committed to following the science, and we call on all governments to put differences aside and work together to provide all data and access required so that the next series of studies can be commenced as soon as possible.

Ref: https://www.who.int/news/item/12-08-2021-who-statement-on-advancing-the-next-series-of-studies-to-find-the-origins-of-sars-cov-2

News (8)

MVC COVID-19 Vaccine strives for international certification, target for the first half of next year

MVC COVID-19 Vaccine (MVC-COV1901) vaccination will be launched in Taiwan on 23 August 2021. The high-end general manager Chen Canjian said that the Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (MVC Vaccines / Medigen) has been in communication with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a period of time, and the goal is to obtain certification from the European Union and other international institutions in the first half of 2022.

Taiwan’s domestic vaccines will be launched on 23 August. Many people are concerned that MVC-COV1901 is only authorized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Chen Canjian said in an interview with a reporter from the Central News Agency that he would apply for EU certification from EMA through European partners. Chen Canjian said that Medigen has long-term communication with the European Medicines Agency to understand what other experiments need to be done to obtain certification based on all the current information and documents.

Now it is about to enter the expert consultation meeting. It is expected that the European side will be more specific after the summer vacation. Medigen self-set time goal is to complete the EU and other international institutions certification in the first half of next year. He pointed out that once it enters the European Union through European channels, whether it is called a "vaccine passport" or other names in the future, it is believed that domestic vaccines will soon be realized.

In addition, MVC-COV1901 was passed the EUA by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on 19 July but it replaced the Phase III experiment with an immune bridging method, triggering different opinions.

Chen Canjian pointed out that the current mixed-playing experiments conducted in various countries are also tests of immune bridging. They are not the large-scale traditional phase III clinical trials commonly known to everyone. He believes that with the release of foreign mixed-playing test data, the concept of Chinese people will gradually change. and feel more at ease, understanding that immune bridging is scientific and reasonable.

However, covi is raging around the world, especially the Delta virus has caused a severe epidemic in the southern states of the United States, and the protection of MVC-COV1901 against the variant virus has also attracted the attention of the outside world.

According to Chen Canjian's analysis, the medical interface is not new to mutant viruses. In the case of covi, when we see mutant strains, they are still evolving within the "family" range. From a scientific point of view, if the second dose is properly administered, a reasonable antibody and a good immune basis are generated. It will be able to provide a certain degree of protection in the face of the next wave of variant virus invasion.

He said that no matter what kind of vaccine, in the face of the variant virus, the neutralizing antibody test will more or less decrease, and the effectiveness of the vaccine will also decrease over time.

Each vaccine factory is experimenting with additional dose research. For instance, the United States also plans to fully vaccinate people with the covi vaccine with a supplemental dose 8 months later.

Chen Canjian said that various vaccine factories have begun to develop next-generation vaccines against new variant strains. It is expected that vaccines in the future may be like influenza vaccines. With the annual variation, they will launch monovalent, bivalent, trivalent and tetravalent vaccines. The covi vaccine prevents the occurrence of variant viruses in an all-round way. (Central News Agency) 

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569668

News (9)

"Vaccine mixing, MVC" The United States does not recognize. Medical exposure: Vaccinate like this

Editor : Wang Sichun

At present, people across Taiwan are vaccinating the covi vaccine according to their age. However, as the coverage rate gradually increases, the problem of insufficient international vaccines has also surfaced.

The command centre recently announced that the sixth batch of Moderna vaccine will be reserved for the second dose, as well as the first type of personnel mixing.

In response to this, Chen Changyu, a physician from the Zhongxiao Branch of the Taipei United Hospital, stated on Facebook on 20 August that mixed vaccinating or vaccine mixing may be regarded as "two doses of vaccination not completed" in the U.S. and they will have to be quarantined for 7 days after entering the country.

According to the CDC in the United States, the definition of the covi vaccine is defined as Comirnaty, Moderna and the AZ vaccine authorized by the WHO. All three must be inoculated with two doses and a single dose of Janssen vaccine. If you undergo mixed vaccinating or get only one dose, you still need to self-isolate for 7 days. It can be seen that the scope of completing vaccination does not include "vaccine mixing."

Chen Changyu went on to say that the main reason for vaccine mixing is "unstable supply." The effects and side effects of the vaccines have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, countries do not recognize them. However, he also believes that, now that the global vaccine supply is unstable, it is gradually opening up to vaccine mixing, and the United States will also have a chance to approve it in the future. 

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569664

News (10)

"There are still 50,000 people left for vaccine appointments." MVC plans to open appointments again

Editor : Tan Yongyong / Image Ref : https://news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569626

The sixth round of appointments for additional MVC-COV1901 was closed at noon on 20 August 2021. The command centre announced data that 599,000 people have completed the appointments, and there are not about 614,000 doses.

In this regard, the command centre spokesperson Zhuang Renxiang said that currently MVC-COV1901 are still being tested and sealed, and there are plenty of them. Additional appointments will be reopened at an appropriate time. The number is about 50,000. High-end plans to open appointments again, and 50,000 people still have a chance.

According to the statistics of the command centre on 20 August, the total number of MVC vaccination appointments totals 591,613 people, including those over 36 years old who were originally opened to and the additional 20-35 year-old subjects, which will be held on 23 August the first day of vaccination. The total number of appointments for MVC-COV1901 is 599.613 people. The number of appointments is still less than the number of vaccines available.

Zhuang Renxiang said that for the second time, the MVC-COV1901 candidates will be selected from the 50,000 people who selected the vaccine after 16 August.

As for the previous registration, those who have not made an appointment will be placed in the next round; However, the number of additional appointments must be determined according to the progress of the future inspection and sealing but it is expected that the second appointment for MVC-COV1901 operations will be opened before 29 August.

At present, the supply of AZ and Moderna vaccines is tight, and most vaccinators have extended the interval between two doses of vaccines to 10 to 12 weeks.

However, Chen Shizhong said that MVC-COV1901 does not have studies in other countries that have shown that the intervals can be extended. The second dose can be administered. However, the command centre also promised that the sixth round of vaccination will not be affected by the second appointment, and that the MVC-COV1901 will still be administered from 23 to 29 August as scheduled.

Reft: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569572

News (11)

Claims to fight against Delta variant, India approves the world's first DNA covi vaccine

Images : India approved the use of the world's first DNA covi vaccine "ZyCoV-D", which claims to be effective against highly infectious variant viruses such as Delta.  (European News Agency)

India has approved the use of the world’s first DNA covi vaccine "ZyCoV-D", which was developed by Cadila Healthcare and claims to be highly effective against variant viruses such as Delta variant (Covi72).

According to the BBC report, Cadila Healthcare stated that the company has conducted large-scale clinical trials in India, with a total of more than 50 locations and 28,000 subjects. It is also the first time in India to vaccinate adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. After testing, it was found to be quite safe.

                                         

The pharmaceutical company pointed out that the Phase 3 clinical trial of ZyCoV-D coincides with the peak of the second wave of the epidemic in India, which undoubtedly shows that this vaccine can fight against variant virus strains. It is understood that a total of 3 doses of ZyCoV-D are required. After the injection, the protection against symptomatic infections is 66%, and the annual output is expected to reach 120 million doses.

The three vaccines currently used in India are the Indian version of the AZ vaccine Covishield, the Indian domestic vaccine Covaxin, and the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. However, only 13% of adults have been fully vaccinated so far. The addition of ZyCoV-D is expected to alleviate the problem of the lack of vaccines in India.

It is understood that the vaccine ZyCoV-D uses a DNA molecule "plast" that can replicate autonomously. Once it enters the human body, it can transmit genetic information to cells to produce spike proteins to fight the invading virus. In addition, the advantages of DNA vaccines are convenient storage, relatively cheap, safe and stable, and can be stored between minus 2 degrees and 8 degrees Celsius.

However, ZyCoV-D still has its own worries. After all, DNA vaccines developed for various infectious diseases have repeatedly failed. This technology is more commonly used in animal vaccines. For example, there are horse disease vaccines and canine skin cancer vaccines in the United States.

Jeremy Kamil, a virus expert at the Health Sciences Center of Louisiana State University in the United States, said that it is very difficult for plastid DNA to enter the nucleus of human cells to function, especially for adults. Therefore, the effectiveness of ZyCoV-D still needs to be followed by academic review before its efficacy can be confirmed.

ZyCoV-D authorized for vaccination on children aged 12 and above

The world’s first plasmid DNA vaccine against covid has been given emergency authorization by India’s drug regulator for use in those aged 12 and above.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on 20 August granted emergency use authorization to the vaccine ZyCoV-D, a vaccine produced by India-based drugmaker Zydus Cadila and developed in partnership with India’s Department of Biotechnology.

The authorization makes ZyCoV-D the first vaccine available in India for those aged under 18.

Three doses 28 days apart for DNA covi vaccine ZyCoV-D

It is administered in three doses 28 days apart, using a needle-free applicator that delivers the vaccine contents painlessly in between the layers of the skin.

How does ZyCoV-D work?

The vaccine contains plasmids, or circular pieces of DNA, which carry a section of genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 (covi).

The plasmids instruct human cells to make mRNA, which in turn instructs cells to make proteins that mimic the covi spike protein. The proteins appear on the surface of the cells, eliciting an immune response in the body, with the goal being to teach the body how to fight the real virus.

“The main advantage of DNA vaccines is their ability to stimulate both the humoral and cellular arms of the adaptive immune system,” the company said in a release (pdf). “They are a valuable form of antigen-specific immunotherapy, as they are safe, stable, and can be easily produced.”

ZyCoV-D 66.6% effective against symptomatic cases

Interim results from Phase III clinical trials involving more than 28,000 volunteers showed an efficacy rate of 66.6 percent against symptomatic covid cases, according to a statement via India’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

Zydus Cadila, listed as Cadila Healthcare Ltd, seeks to manufacture 100 million to 120 million doses of ZyCoV-D annually and has begun stockpiling the vaccine. It also plans to seek approval for a two-dose regimen of the vaccine.

The latest authorization makes ZyCoV-D the sixth vaccine authorized for use in India, and the second one developed domestically to get emergency authorization, after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

India has a vaccination program that seeks to have all eligible adults vaccinated by December. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, about nine percent of the population has been fully vaccinated so far.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the latest authorization, writing on Twitter, “India is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour. The approval for world’s first DNA based ‘ZyCov-D’ vaccine of [Zydus Cadila] is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India’s scientists. A momentous feat indeed.”

Refs: https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3645595, https://www.sinchew.com.my/content/content_2533982.html, The Epoch Times PREMIUM

News (12)

Guo Taiming returns to Taiwan after the end of the European trip

Reporter : Chen Yun  / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3645766

Image : Guo Taiming, the founder of Hon Hai, who went to Europe to rush the goods, is about to bring back good news. The first batch of arrivals is expected to fall between 1 million and 1.2 million doses, which may be before the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Data photo)

Representative Xie Zhiwei in Germany revealed today that Pfizer’s BNT vaccine supply to Taiwan has made positive progress, and it was reported that Hon Hai’s founder Guo Taiming, who went to Europe to rush the goods, was about to bring back good news and the first batch of vaccines arrived. It is expected to fall between 1 million to 1.2 million doses, which may arrive before the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Yongling Foundation CEO Liu Youtong confirmed earlier that Terry Guo (or Guo Taiming) has successfully concluded his European trip and is expected to arrive in Taiwan tomorrow evening. As for the vaccine progress that the public is concerned about, the government has been informed about the timetable or the next decision. The command centre is respected. 

Liu Youtong said that Terry Guo will successfully end his trip to Europe today. It is expected that he will return to Taiwan tomorrow evening and be quarantined. The friends he met during the trip to Europe were warm and helpful, taking both public and private trips into consideration. "Mr. Terry Guo did his best. Thank you for your support and encouragement from the public.” 

As for the vaccine progress that the public is concerned about, as well as the assistance needed and the elimination of difficulties, Liu Youtong said that the foundation has informed the government units of relevant information. Regardless of the timetable or further decisions that are beneficial to the public, it respects the instructions of the command centre.

News (13)

The national secondary alert was extended to 6 September 2021, the command center announced in the afternoon

Reporter : Li Xinfang / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3645790

Image : The nationwide second-level alert was extended to 6 September, and Executive Yuan Su Zhenchang has agreed to the command center’s report proposal. (Photo by reporter Li Xinfang)

With regards to the national secondary alert of Taiwan in response to covid that ends on 23 August, in view of the stable domestic epidemic situation, the local case control remains in single digits, there are still some sporadic cases.

In the case, it is reported that the Central Epidemic Command Centre has reported to the Chief Executive Su Zhenchang that the second level alert will be extended for another two weeks, from 24 August to 6 September 2021, with the consent of Su Kui, and the command centre will announce this afternoon. 

A press conference was held at 2 pm to announce some of the deregulation items, including relaxation of the rules for eating out for family members living with them, the need for partitions, club seats, etc., and relaxation of some water activities. The outside world is also concerned about whether there is an opportunity to partially relax the regulations on hospital visits and long-term care facility visits.

Officials of the Executive Yuan said in an interview at noon of 21 August 2021 that the alert will be extended again, but some control items will also be moderately loosened. Related issues will be explained by the command centre.

News (14)

Taiwan's national secondary alert is extended to 6 September 2021. The 8 principles of epidemic prevention measures are viewed at one time

Editor : Tan Yongyong 

Image Ref: https://news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569740

The domestic alert level was reduced to Level 2 from 27 July to 9 August, and stepped loosening of epidemic preventive measures was adopted, and it was again extended to 23 August. The command centre announced on 21 August that there were 10 new confirmed cases in the country, including 2 local and 8 inbound covid cases while another confirmed case had 1 death. Although the number of confirmed cases in Taiwan has been declining recently, even to single digits, considering that there are still sporadic unknown sources of infection, Chen Shizhong, commander of the Central Epidemic Command Centre, announced on 21 August that the national secondary alert will be extended again until 6 September.

Chen Shizhong announced that from 24 August to 6 September 2021, the epidemic alert standard will be maintained at the second level, and the relevant control regulations will be maintained or adjusted as follows:

1. General principles:-

1. Except for food and drink, wear a mask all the way out.

2. Real-link system and maintain a safe social distance.

3. Crowd control or total volume control in business places and public areas: indoor space at least 1.5 m/person (2.25 sq m/person), outdoor space at least 1 m/person (1 sq m/person).

4. The upper limit of the number of people for gathering activities: Relax to 80 indoors and 300 outdoors. If the number is exceeded, the epidemic prevention plan will be reported to the local competent authority.

5. Wedding banquets and public sacrifices: (1). Public sacrifices will be handled in accordance with relevant anti-epidemic regulations of the Ministry of the Interior. (2). The wedding banquet complies with the upper limit of 80 people indoors and 300 people outdoors in each compartment, and the catering guidelines must not be toasted table by table.

6. Catering management: In accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, new unrestricted use of partitions, quincunx seats and special dishes for meals with relatives and friends living in the same room.

7. Hospital visits: open intensive care wards, tranquility wards, respiratory care wards, psychiatric wards, children’s wards, physical and mental disabilities, critical illnesses and hospital visits for more than 7 days; visits must comply with the visiting hours, Limits on the number of people and the issuance of negative screening certificates.

 8. Comply with the competent authority's epidemic prevention management guidelines or regulations to be open: K book centres, indoor amusement parks, fishing grounds,  swimming/snorkeling and other water activities.

2. Places that still need to be closed:

1. Cabarets, dance halls, nightclubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels (galleries), video shows (MTV), audio-visual singing venues (KTV), sightseeing, hairdressing, audio-visual areas.

2. Recreation venues, electronic games venues, information leisure venues, leisure mahjong halls and other similar venues.

The command centre explained that in the current stable control of the domestic epidemic, in order to take into account the epidemic prevention and the quality of life of the people, in the future, it will continue to observe the epidemic situation, step by step, and moderately relax control measures.

In the face of the threat of virus variants, Taiwan will continue to strengthen border monitoring and epidemic prevention. The public are urged to implement personal protective measures such as hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and wearing masks, reducing unnecessary movement, activities or gatherings, avoid entering crowded places, or areas with high risk of infection transmission, and actively cooperate with various anti-epidemic measures, together to strictly guard the community's line of defence. 

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1569746

News (15) to (26) / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/8/20/n13175716.htm

News (15)

More than 3,000 fake vaccine cards from China seized at Alaska International Airport

Image : CBP said in a statement that the fake vaccine card seized at the Anchorage Airport looks very similar to the certificate issued during the vaccination, but the printing quality is very rough. (Provided by CBP)

US Customs officials said more than 3,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards were seized from cargo facilities at Anchorage International Airport in Alaska this week.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Jaime Ruiz, these fake vaccine cards were shipped from China and more than 100 packages arrived within a week.

Each package contains about 20 to 25 vaccine cards, similar to the actual certificate issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the person who actually received the vaccine.

CBP warned that buying, selling, or using fake vaccination cards is a crime and may result in fines or up to five years in prison.

CBP also said that ordering fake vaccine cards would waste the time of border patrol agents, who are also struggling to find more important contraband, such as drugs.

News (16)

Japan adds nearly 26,000 newly diagnosed and severe cases in a single day, reaching a new high, Tokyo has more than 5,000 cases in three consecutive days

The Central News Agency reported that the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) statistics showed that 25,876 newly diagnosed covid cases and 1,816 severely ill patients were added in Japan today, both of which set new highs.

Including cases such as airport quarantine and the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Japan has confirmed a total of 1,258,327 cases. Today there are 34 new deaths, bringing the total death to 15,591.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, there are 1,816 critically ill patients who must use artificial respirators or receive treatment in intensive care units, an increase of 51 from yesterday, a record high for 8 consecutive days.

In addition, the number of newly confirmed cases in 15 prefectures in Japan in a single day reached a record high today, including 2,586 new cases in Osaka Prefecture, 2,878 cases in Kanagawa Prefecture, 1,778 cases in Chiba Prefecture, 1,347 cases in Aichi Prefecture, and 548 cases in Kyoto Prefecture.

In Tokyo, more than 5,000 cases were added in a single day for three consecutive days, and Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture and other places set new highs.

Tokyo added 5,405 confirmed cases today. Although it was 368 fewer than last Friday, it was the first time that there were more than 5,000 new cases in a single day for three consecutive days. The cumulative number of confirmed cases exceeded 300,000, reaching 302,796.

The number of critically ill patients in Tokyo decreased by 1 compared with yesterday, totaling 273; and there were 7 new deaths today.

Osaka Prefecture added 2,586 cases today, a record high in a single day for 3 consecutive days. It also added more than 2,000 cases in a single day for 3 consecutive days, and today there was 1 new death. A total of 142,592 confirmed cases and 2,754 deaths were confirmed in Osaka.

Kanagawa Prefecture added 2,878 cases today, 597 more cases than last Friday, setting a single-day high record and breaking 2,000 cases for 8 consecutive days; Chiba Prefecture added 1,778 cases, 689 more cases than last Friday. Also set a new high.

In addition, Japan today has a record high in many places, including 1,347 new cases in Aichi Prefecture, 548 new cases in Kyoto Prefecture, 190 new cases in Nara Prefecture, 375 new cases in Hiroshima Prefecture, 318 new cases in Kumamoto Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture. The county added 292 cases, etc.

News (17)

Sydney's severe epidemic extends the city's lockdown and some administrative districts will implement curfews

As the rapidly spreading epidemic is difficult to contain, Sydney, Australia's largest city, announced that the two-month lockdown will be extended for another month, and some administrative regions will impose a curfew.

Central News Agency quoted an AFP report that Gladys Berejiklian, the Governor of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, announced the “difficult decision” and told Sydney’s 5 million citizens that it is now the “home”. It’s time to be at home.

She said, "It's very regrettable that the number of cases continued to climb, until the end of September, most of our lives are like this."

The stay-at-home order implemented throughout Sydney will now be maintained until the end of September. Residents in the epidemic-stricken areas must also abide by curfew regulations and can only go out for exercise for one hour a day.

Reuters reported that the curfew that went into effect on the 23rd lasted from 9 pm to 5 am the next morning and will be implemented in the 12 most severely affected administrative districts in the city. The number of people affected will account for about 40% of the city's population. At that time, if non-residents are found entering these 12 administrative regions, they will be fined and must be isolated at home for 14 days.

The Australian capital Melbourne has implemented a similar curfew earlier, so from the 23rd, more than a quarter of the population in Australia will stay home at night, except for those engaged in necessary work.

New South Wales today notified 644 new cases, mostly in Sydney. Although Sydney has implemented an eight-week lockdown, the number of confirmed cases in a single day across the state in the past seven days has exceeded 400.

News (18)

Vietnam newly diagnosed in a single day exceeds 10,000 for the first time, 300,000 people have been infected in the past 4 months

Vietnam on  19 August notified 10,639 new local covid cases. This is the first time that Vietnam has reported tens of thousands of new cases in a single day; this wave of local epidemics in Vietnam started in late April, and the cumulative number of local infections is also Yesterday it broke the 300,000 mark.

The Central News Agency reported that the local covid epidemic in Vietnam continues to spread. The Ministry of Health of Vietnam reported 10,639 new local covid cases on Thursday. The degree is over ten thousand.

The new cases reported by Vietnam yesterday were mainly concentrated in southern Vietnam. The top 3 provinces and cities with the number of new infections in a single day were Ho Chi Minh City (4,425 cases), Binh Duong Province (3,255 cases), and Dong Nai Province (657 cases). There are a large number of Taiwanese enterprises in these three provinces and cities, which are the base camps of Taiwanese in Vietnam.

In Binh Duong province, four Taiwanese died from the epidemic. Zhang Qinghuang, chairman of the Binh Trang Chamber of Commerce, told the Central News Agency that the local government has officially administered the covi vaccine to Taiwanese businessmen today. 

Affected by the epidemic, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City are currently restricting people’s epidemic prevention actions, requiring people to stay at home unless necessary. Hanoi is currently tentatively implementing the aforementioned policy until the 23rd and then adjust it according to the situation. Ho Chi Minh City has decided to control it until 15 September.

The latest wave of local covid epidemic broke out in Vietnam in late April 2021. Under the raging Covi72, more than 308,000 local cases were accumulated in less than 4 months. Since the epidemic first appeared in Vietnam in January 2020, the total number of confirmed cases nationwide has exceeded 312,000, and more than 7,000 people have died of the disease.

News (19)

Yangzhou Fangxiang Hospital's current case is completely isolated from medical and nurses

Yangzhou officials said recently that the covid epidemic in Yangzhou has slowed down but new confirmed cases continue to appear in Fangxiang Town and other places in the suburbs. Local residents said that a 120 ambulance driver and doctor in Fangxiang Hospital (Fangxiang Regional Medical and Health Center of Subei Hospital Group) was diagnosed, and the hospital's medical staff and their families were sent for quarantine on several big buses at night of 18 August.

Since the official media began reporting the Yangzhou epidemic in late July, although the authorities have adopted all-round strict containment measures, the epidemic is still spreading everywhere.

According to a news released by the Jiangsu Health Commission of the Communist Party of China on 19 August, revealed that on 18 August, 3 new local confirmed cases (all in Yangzhou) were reported in Jiangsu.

They are Case No. 562, male, 27 years old, living at No. 31, Chaoyang Road, Fangxiang Town, Hanjiang District (Fangxiang Hospital). He was quarantined at No. 31, Chaoyang Road, Fangxiang Town from  6 to 16 August. On the 17th, he tested positive for nucleic acid and was diagnosed on the same day.

Case No. 563, female, 52 years old, lives in Evergrande Emerald Huating, Guangling District, and is a close contact of confirmed case 338, diagnosed on the 18th; confirmed case No. 564, male, 22 years old, currently lives in Liuhu Nanyuan, Hanjiang District. On the afternoon of August 11, I went to Vientiane Huiji Melon Supermarket and Youle Fresh Orchard on Siwangting Road. The diagnosis was confirmed on the 18th.

On the 17th, Yangzhou added 6 new confirmed covid cases, most of which occurred in Fangxiang Town.

News (20)

The total number of cases in Thailand exceeds 1 million

Image : On July 22, 2021, people lined up to receive the covi vaccine at Bangsat Central Station in Bangkok. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)

The total number of infected people in Thailand has exceeded the 1 million mark, 97% of which were recorded in the past 5 months, showing that the country is struggling to deal with the worst wave of epidemics since the pandemic.

According to Reuters, Thailand notified 19,851 confirmed cases and 240 deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to more than 1 million and the death toll to 8,826.

Last year, Thailand controlled the COVID-19 virus to a large extent, requiring only minor social restrictions for most of the time. Until April this year, the highly infectious Alpha variant and the Delta variant became popular successively, causing the country's cases to rise rapidly.

After the surge in cases, Thai health officials have been stepping up vaccine supply. As of August 18, only 8% of Thailand's 66 million people have been fully vaccinated.

News (22)

South Korea has confirmed more than 2,000 cases in two consecutive days, authorities strengthen epidemic prevention measures

Image : Virus poster in Seoul, South Korea on 28 December 2020 (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

The epidemic in South Korea is on the rise, and 2,000 cases have been confirmed in a single day for two consecutive days this week. The authorities announced today that they will extend the current social distancing regulations and further restrict the operating hours of restaurants and coffee shops.

Yonhap News Agency reported that the South Korean epidemic prevention authorities decided today to continue extending the current social distancing regulations until 5 September. The metropolitan area maintains the highest level of stage 4, and the non-capital area implements at least the third stage.

The service time for dine-in in restaurants and cafes in Level 4 areas will be shortened by another hour from 10 o'clock every night to 9 o'clock, and only take-out or take-out services will be available thereafter.

According to statistics from the authorities, about 30 clusters of infections occurred in restaurants or coffee shops.

According to official statistics, South Korea added 2,152 and 2,052 new cases on Thursday and Friday, and a total of 232,859 cases were confirmed. In the past week, there were an average of 1,757 new infections in the community every day, of which the non-capital area accounted for nearly 40%.

Lee Ki-il, the first control officer of the South Korean Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said that it is expected that more than 70% of the people will complete the first dose of vaccination as soon as September. At that time, it is possible to consider whether to switch to "co-existence with covi" epidemic prevention pattern.

News (23)

South Korea extends current anti-epidemic response measures to 5 September 2021

The South Korean health department announced on the 20th that the social distancing response level and the adjustment plan for epidemic prevention measures are maintained. The current epidemic prevention response level (level 4 in the metropolitan area and level 3 in the non-capital area) and private gathering restrictions will be extended for another two weeks to 5 September 2021.

The service time for dine-in services in restaurants and cafes in the fourth level response areas such as the metropolitan area where the risk of transmission is high is shortened by one hour, from 10 pm every night to 9 pm every night, after which only takeaway or self-pickup is available. However, people who have completed the vaccination can have a meal with a maximum of 4 people in restaurants and cafes after 6 pm, while those who have not been vaccinated are limited to 2 people.

The highest level of anti-epidemic response in the metropolitan area has been implemented for 6 weeks since 12 July, and the second-highest anti-epidemic response in other regions has also lasted for 4 weeks from 26 July.

Taking into account the recent development trend of the epidemic, the Korean government has decided to maintain the current epidemic prevention response level and adjust some epidemic prevention measures. The government will step up active screening in places where public gatherings continue to appear in clusters of infections. Practitioners in bathhouses, indoor sports facilities, karaoke rooms, cram schools, department stores, and large supermarkets in the fourth-level epidemic prevention response areas receive nucleic acid testing once every two weeks.

News (24)

Experts oppose the third shot of the U.S. vaccine and point out that there is not enough data to support it

Image : Schematic diagram, the picture shows the Moderna vaccine. (Central News Agency)

The US government has approved the third dose of covi vaccine for certain populations from September, but some scientists said on Thursday that the decision was too early because there is not enough persuasive data to support this decision.

Some scientists said that the plan is based on the concern that the vaccine’s ability to prevent mild infections has declined, and it may also mean that the ability to prevent severe illness has declined, but this premise has not been confirmed.

Senior US health officials announced the recommendation for the third shot of the vaccine in a statement on Wednesday. The signing of this statement included Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Janet Woodcock, Acting Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, and other health leaders.

In their statement, they urged people to get a third shot eight months after the second shot of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. This measure will be implemented from 20 September.

According to a US Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) report on 19 August, scientists and health experts who opposed this measure said that although the data did show that the vaccine’s prevention of mild and moderate diseases was weakened, the two doses of the vaccine did not help. It is still relatively effective for serious diseases and hospitalization. They also provided corresponding research data to support their views.

Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), said, "People are still highly protected from severe illness, hospitalization and death."

She said, "If we start to see a significant increase in the number of severely ill and hospitalized populations in the vaccinated population, this will be a signal to consider boosting doses."

News (25)

Australian Minister of Industry: Australians have the right to travel freely without threats

In response to Western Australia's Governor Mark McGowan's recent warning of a policy of closing the border to the new state where the epidemic is escalating, Australian Minister of Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter expressed opposition. In an interview with Sky News on Friday, Porter stated that freedom is one of the federal “state-building principles” and that Australians have the right to travel “without threats”.

Porter emphasized, "Our federal, state and state and territories are based on a simple premise that Australians, whether you are from Western Australia or South Australia, you can leave without threats. State, and return to a state, that’s a basic nation-building principle."

Western Australia Governor McGowan also said recently that even if Australia achieves a high vaccination rate, his "preferred plan" is still to pursue zero covid cases, and lockdown is still a tool to achieve this goal. In this regard, Porter retorted that leaders need to know to co-exist with the virus.

With the rapid reopening of the world, Porter stated that if jurisdictions like Western Australia decide to adopt an eradication strategy, they will soon be forced to endure the emotional and economic consequences of pursuing zero cases.

News (26)

Nearly 95,000 doctors and nurses in Canada have 43 deaths

According to the latest report, during the entire covid pandemic, nearly 95,000 healthcare workers in Canada were infected with the disease and 43 people died of the disease.

A report released by the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) on Thursday (19 August 2021) disclosed new data on how many health care workers were affected by COVID-19 as of June 15, 2021.

The report shows that as of 15 June, there were 1.4 million 409 covid cases in Canada, of which 94,873 (6.8%) were medical staff. At the same time, 43 medical staff have died of COVID-19.

Among the 10 provinces in the country, Quebec has the highest rate of covi infection among healthcare workers, as high as 12.3%, followed by New Brunswick with 9.9%; the lowest rate of healthcare workers diagnosed positive is 1.9% in Prince Edward Island, followed by Ontario with 4.4%.

News (27)

16 Chinese refugees stranded in Bahamas seek international attention

Reporter : Liu Minghuan / Editor : Wenhui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/08/21/a103195987.html

Image : On 18 August (Wednesday), 16 people aboard the "Exodus" departing from the Bahamas and are expected to arrive in New York for freedom. (Epoch Times)

16 refugees from mainland China travelled to the United States by sailing boat in the Bahamas. They ran aground on a shoal near the Bahamas. Currently 5 people have been detained by the Bahamas Marine Patrol Department. They want to get the attention of the international community.

 A sailing ship carrying 16 Chinese refugees set sail from the Bahamas on 18 August and ran aground in a shallow near the Bahamas shortly afterwards. 

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, Zheng Cunzhu, the vice chairman of the China Democracy Party’s National Joint Headquarters in Los Angeles, said, “After being stranded, a ship passing by approached the Bahamian police and maritime patrol department for help. So people from the maritime patrol department came. First, the woman and a few children inside, plus two people, including the exile Aaron, let them accompany the children and a few women, and take them to a safe island by taking other boats." 

In addition, five people were detained by the Bahamas Marine Patrol Department along with their sailboats. Zheng Cunzhu revealed that the current situation is: "Mr. Aaron has already written a refugee application to the UN refugee agency, so the other released are in preparation. It is estimated that they will apply to the UN refugee agency in the next two days."

Zheng Cunzhu said, "There are several secret members of the China Democracy Party in China on this sailing boat. They have done a lot of work in China." 

He said that among these secret party members, a member with the online name "Qianli" tried to enter Wuhan to conduct an independent investigation of the epidemic when the CCP virus outbreak broke out in Wuhan, and was detained by the police for this reason. 

Zheng Cunzhu said that the 16 refugees consist of multiple families, including 10 adults and 6 children. Their sailboat set sail from the Bahamas on August 18, originally planned to sail to the east coast of the United States, and then north along the coastline to land in the United States from New York. 

Before setting sail, the 34-year-old Wang Dayong, who was from Jiangxi Province, told Radio Free Asia that he had been concerned about Chinese political issues for more than ten years. After the Hong Kong Anti-Send Movement broke out, he was taped and reported to the police because he was actively preaching to his colleagues the actual situation of the Hong Kong protest. In this case, he had to escape from China. 

Wang Dayong, who was a factory technician, said: “I will come to the third country in April 2021 first. In June, I contacted the'Journey Brother' because I was also in the same political group as him." 

One of the exiles, "Jiao Jiao" (screen name), said that the 41-year-old is a self-employed from Huizhou, Guangdong. For more than two years, his current political group has continued to discuss topics related to the Hong Kong anti-transmission and the Wuhan epidemic, and some of his group friends have been summoned by the Chinese police for this. 

He gave an example, "We had a small group of (a) five people, and a group of friends chatted for a word, and then he was called to 'drink tea' because of one sentence. Within a few days, he told us that he I'm going to quit the group, I was 'drunk tea'." 

Under such circumstances, "Brother Progress" has fled to the Bahamas in batches with a group of netizens from all over China this year. In the Bahamas, which implements a 30-day visa-free entry policy for Chinese people, they bought a sailboat, which they planned to use to flee to the United States: "We started discussing in March this year, and there were several plans at that time, and finally we chose a partnership to buy a boat and get out." 

One of the exiles, "Along" (screen name) is from Sichuan. The 36-year-old is a music teacher and a member of the "Brother Progressive" network group. He said: "This year we discussed with the 'JiJiJi' and decided to come out in March. Then after he (JiJiJi) went out in June, he gave me a lot of encouragement. When we went out, too I got some pointers from overseas democracy activists." 

In addition, according to The Epoch Times, Aaron said: "In a country like China, we can only sail to escape. We will be persecuted to death if we stay in China. We are the lowest leek." , These 16 people initiated the "Chinese Leek Escape Declaration", following the example of the British who sought independence in those years, and fleeing to the free American continent, hoping to obtain the most basic freedom and the right to survival. 

He said: "We are really in a dilemma now, although we will not be repatriated for the time being. However, prices in the Bahamas are very high. I don't know how long to wait. Everyone is urgent and anxious." 

Progressive brother said that they are not the second and third generations of red. In China, they are the most ordinary people. The low-level civilians are harvested as a stubble of leeks by the CCP government. He said: "The domestic situation is not optimistic. Localities have begun to close villages, and there are many restrictions. High-risk areas can’t even go out.” In order to keep Wusha Mao, local officials’ measures to close the city were very cruel, and news was blocked very quickly. Like the current political group he used, one They were sealed up in two days, but they kept sealing up and rebuilding. 

Progressive brother said: "We also know that the risk of exile is great, but the CCP gives us greater fear, so we would rather choose to flee." 

He Hulin, among the 16 people, often funded overseas democracy movement activities on the mainland. He also donated "Operation New Orchid" to help Hong Kongers escape. He is still in the Bahamas prison. His wife and two daughters are worried about his safety. 

At present, the 16 fugitives are still stranded in the Bahamas. They hope to get the attention of the international community, avoid being deported, and finally arrive in a free country.

News (28)

Shanghai epidemic heats up, there are 5 risk areas, Pudong Airport continues to see increasing number of cases

Reporter : Li Jinfeng / Editor : Li Quan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/08/21/a103195870.html

Image : Covid outbreaks broke out in Songjiang District of Shanghai and Pudong Airport. The picture shows the staff of Pudong Airport wearing protective clothing on 13 August. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

After the outbreak broke out in Songjiang District, Shanghai on 18 August, the outbreak also broke out in Pudong Airport on 20 August. The Shanghai epidemic continues to have new cases. Up to now, 5 places in the city have been listed as risk areas of the epidemic.

In the morning of 21 August, news from a press conference on Shanghai's epidemic prevention and control work stated that two new confirmed cases were added in Shanghai throughout the day on the 20th, and close contacts were checked overnight. On 21 August, three more patients with positive nucleic acid tests were found.

Since the CCP has always covered up the truth, the outside world is skeptical of the official data.

The 3 new cases on 21 August were all 45-year-old males from overseas cargo planes at Shanghai Pudong Airport. They had been vaccinated against covid. They lived in Jinjiang Inn (Donghai Town Store), No. 798 Yanchao Road, Pudong New Area, and Pudong. Qianhuiyuan Village, Lane 280, Qianhui Road, Zhuqiao Town, New District, Zhuheyuan North District, Lane 1000, Qianhui Road, Zhuqiao Town, Pudong New District.

According to previous official reports, the two new cases on 20 August were a 45-year-old staff member of Shanghai Pudong Airport's overseas cargo aircraft operation area and a 44-year-old Ethiopian engineer of the foreign aviation machinery service of the airport's overseas cargo aircraft. The two confirmed cases had no history of travel or residence in the past two weeks.

The former lives in Jinjiang Inn Donghai Town, a centralized airport management site, and has been vaccinated against Chinese Communist pneumonia; the latter lives in Longhuayuan Community, Lane 1049, Chuanhuan South Road, Chuansha New Town, Pudong New District, and has also been vaccinated against covid.

As of 21 August, Shanghai has 5 places at risk of the epidemic, which are the residences of the aforementioned 5 cases and the residences of the female nurses of Shanghai Songjiang Central Hospital who were diagnosed on 18 August.

Namely, Qianhuiyuan Village Community, Lane 280, Qianhui Road, Zhuqiao Town, Pudong New Area, Zhuheyuan North District, Lane 1000, Qianhui Road, Zhuqiao Town, Pudong New Area, Longhuayuan Community, Lane 1049, Chuanhuan South Road, Chuansha New Town, Pudong New Area , Jinjiang Inn (Donghai Town Store), No. 798 Yanchao Road, Pudong New Area, No. 855, Cangfeng Road, Yongfeng Street, Songjiang District (Youlu Apartment).

Among them, the female nurse who was diagnosed on the 18th was judged to be infected with the Delta virus strain of covi.

In addition, the aforementioned press conference on the prevention and control of the epidemic in Shanghai on the 21st required that passengers taking public transportation in Shanghai must take their body temperature and wear masks throughout the journey, otherwise they will be refused entry or boarding; passengers are also required not to be eat in the carriages.

News (29)

Various epidemics in China continue to expose, H5N6 avian influenza in Huizhou, Guangdong

Reporter : Li Jinfeng / Editor : Li Quan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/08/21/a103195854.html

As the covid epidemic continues, H5N6 avian influenza cases have been exposed in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.

On 20 August, the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission of the Communist Party of China reported that Huizhou reported a case of H5N6 avian influenza on 19 August. The patient is a 52-year-old woman who currently lives in Boluo County, Huizhou and is currently being treated in a hospital.

The notification stated that this case was an accidental case and the risk of transmission of the virus is low at this stage.

As early as July, a human case of bird flu also occurred in Bazhong, Sichuan Province. The official also said that it was an occasional poultry-to-human cross-species transmission, and said that there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N6 globally.

In addition to covid, other avian influenza or other infectious diseases have recently appeared in mainland China.

On 15 August, the Shanxi Provincial Health Commission stated that nine villagers in Baoxian Village, Wenshui County, Shanxi Province had been infected with skin anthrax.

On 9 August, Beijing reported a case of pulmonary anthrax in a paddock in Chengde, Hebei Province. The patient was transported by ambulance to Beijing for treatment 4 days after the onset of illness.

On 1 June, officials reported that a case of human infection with H10N3 avian influenza was found in Jiangsu Province, which was alleged to be the world's first case of human infection with H10N3 avian influenza.

In June, an H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza epidemic broke out in the Hongjiannao National Nature Reserve of Shenmu City, Yulin, Shaanxi Province, and 4249 wild birds died.

In May, a wild bird H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred in Nagqu, Tibet; in April, a wild bird H5N6 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred in Shenyang, Liaoning Province; in February, a wild bird H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic occurred in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.

Other avian influenza outbreaks include a wild swan H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak occurred in Beijing and in January, a wild swan H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak occurred in Dongying, Shandong Province.

News (30) to (33) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor: De Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/08/21/a103195759.html

News (30)

Li Keqiang has just left, the State Council investigation team is stationed in Zhengzhou

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang went to Zhengzhou, Henan Province to inspect the floods a few days ago and said that he would hold the culprit party accountable for dereliction of duty. As soon as he left, the State Council investigation team entered Zhengzhou to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the "20 July" devastating flood in Zhengzhou, and announced the telephone number for reporting to the public, which aroused public concern.

News (31)

The investigation team of the State Council set up a report telephone hotline in Zhengzhou

The official CCP media Xinhuanet reported that on 20 August, the mobilization meeting of the investigation team of the State Council of the Communist Party of China was held in Zhengzhou to deploy a comprehensive investigation of the "20 July" devastating flood in Zhengzhou.

Huang Ming, the head of the investigation team of the State Council of the Communist Party of China and the head of the emergency management department, informed the mobilization meeting to arrange the investigation and put forward work requirements. Lou Yangsheng, secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, made a speech, and the governor Wang Kai presided over the meeting.

According to the report, Zhengzhou was hit by a catastrophic flood on 20 July, causing heavy casualties and property losses. The State Council decided on 2 August to set up an investigation team to send a preliminary work team to investigate the disaster.

It was announced at the meeting that the investigation team had set up a special report telephone and email address in Zhengzhou, and the deadline for acceptance was September 30. Said that dereliction of duty will be transferred to the discipline inspection and supervision organs for accountability.

The telephone number for reporting: 0371-67173265, the acceptance time is 8:00-18:00 every day; P.O. Box: Mailbox A438, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province.

The stationing mobilization meeting was held in the form of video. All members of the investigation team of the State Council of the Communist Party of China, all members of the expert team, the heads of relevant departments of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the relevant heads of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, and the main heads of the member units of the Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters attended the main venue. Various cities in Henan and counties (cities, districts) under the jurisdiction of Zhengzhou, Hebi, and Xinxiang set up videos to participate in the branch venues.

The investigation team's presence in Zhengzhou has aroused public attention. As of 10 am on 21 August, the entry "The State Council announced the investigation of Henan rainstorm report" has been read 240 million times on Weibo hot searches.

Netizens commented, “Let’s check it out. Why didn’t we make a warning for so many days? Why didn’t we stop the subway?” “Another group of inaction officials are about to dismount and look forward to it.” “Always think it’s hard to kill so many people. I once said that so many people who died were dereliction of duty and were scolded." "It is necessary to strictly investigate the leading officials for inaction. It is definitely not wrong to check from top to bottom. There are also those who send false information online to hinder rescue. Grab it".

News (32)

Li Keqiang inspects Zhengzhou Metro Line 5, official media mute

But what is strange is that two days before the investigation team of the State Council of the Communist Party of China entered Zhengzhou, Premier Li Keqiang of the Communist Party of China arrived in Zhengzhou on the 18th to inspect the disaster but was not reported by the party media. (Click to watch the video)

In the afternoon of the same day, the website of the State Council of the Communist Party of China self-published a video titled "Li Keqiang Visiting the Disaster-affected People in Henan Flood Detention Area". Later that night, the second film was released, titled "What did Li Keqiang say when he came to the disaster site of Zhengzhou Metro Line 5".

Image : On 18 August, Li Keqiang came to the disaster site of Zhengzhou Metro Line 5 to inspect. (Composite Video Screenshot)

It can be seen in the video that Li Keqiang confirmed to his escort the water level of the flood in the subway tunnel at that time. He said that "the water is not all over the evacuation platform, but there is still one person above the evacuation platform."

He told his entourage, “The heavy rain in Zhengzhou on July 20 caused heavy casualties, which made us feel sad.” The subway tunnel irrigation incident had a great impact on the whole society. The State Council also established an investigation team, “for negligence and dereliction of duty. Acts should be held accountable" and "give the society an account."

However, the CCP media Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily only published relevant reports on Xi Jinping, Li Zhanshu, and Wang Yang on 18 August but did not mention anything about Li Keqiang's inspection in Zhengzhou.

News (33)

Behind the Henan floods

On 20 July, Zhengzhou was hit by a heavy rainstorm and the city was surrounded by floods. However, the people reported that the flood was caused by the official flood release without warning. According to official documents, the Changzhuang Reservoir outside Zhengzhou had discharged flood without warning for 14 hours, and the announcement was not issued until late at night on the 20th. At this time, Zhengzhou was flooded, causing heavy casualties.

In the afternoon, floods poured into Zhengzhou Metro but Metro Line 5 was still not shut down, causing flooding in many sections, stations, and carriages along the line. Hundreds of passengers were trapped in the carriages. Videos posted on the Internet show that the flood has reached people’s chests, and many people feel suffocated.

Officials have reported that at least 14 people have died on Metro Line 5 but the public questioned this. The list of missing persons on the mainland Internet far exceeds the official number.

In addition to Metro Line 5, the 4-km-long Jingguang Road Tunnel in Zhengzhou was also flooded. Hundreds of vehicles were blocked in the tunnel. I do not know how many people were lucky enough to escape. Officials only reported 6 deaths, but outsiders questioned that the actual disaster was more serious than the official announcement.

In addition to inspecting Zhengzhou, Li Keqiang also went to Henan Xinxiang, Weihui and Hebi, which were seriously affected by the disaster, to investigate disasters. The video on the Chinese government website shows that Li Keqiang asked some rural victims about the disaster situation.

When the floods occurred on 24 July, Hebi citizen Wang Yan (pseudonym) broke the news to NTD. In order to resist the flood, villagers in Qikou Village, Xinzhen Town, Jun County, Hebi City spent two days and two nights to raise the river embankment but they were met by officials. Approximately 500 officers and soldiers sent to dig it up.

Wang Yan said, "I am telling the truth, but these contents cannot be posted on Douyin."

She said that the villagers tried their best to protect and block the river embankment that had been raised so hard to be dug up by the officers and soldiers. However, the soldiers sprayed chili water, and the villagers were sprayed to the ground, unable to resist. Eventually the embankment was destroyed, the entire village was flooded, and the villagers were forced to flee.

News (34)

European Chamber of Commerce: Strict anti-epidemic measures may threaten Hong Kong's financial status

Source : Central News Agency

Image : On 25 January 2020, a man wearing a mask took a photo in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. (Dale De La Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

The Hong Kong European Business Association today rarely issued an open letter to Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, warning that the local strict epidemic prevention and quarantine measures have caused residents to be "trapped indefinitely" in the territory, which may threaten Hong Kong's international business central position.

Agence France-Presse reported that Hong Kong, as the financial center of China, continues to implement some of the strictest quarantine regulations in the world in order to prevent the covid epidemic. Although this has kept the number of confirmed cases in the local area low, it has caused most Hong Kong residents to cut off contact with the rest of the world in the past 18 months.

According to the regulations, if you arrive in Hong Kong from a high-risk country, you must first be quarantined in an epidemic prevention hotel for 21 days; if you arrive in Hong Kong from a low-risk country, you must first be quarantined in a hotel for 7 days, and then continue self-monitoring for 7 days.

The Hong Kong government announced on the 17th that the entry quarantine measures will be tightened from the 20th. Even if the country arrives in Hong Kong from a middle-risk country, even if the vaccine has been vaccinated and the antibody test is positive, the quarantine period can only be reduced to 14 days at most.

This decision disrupted many people's travel plans at the end of the summer vacation, and made it difficult to find a hotel room, and the business community became increasingly frustrated as a result.

Frederik Gollob, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong), pointed out in the letter that the Hong Kong government has recently adopted stricter anti-epidemic measures against inbound tourists, which is not only “out of proportion” but also a “significant regression”. 

Golob said, "We believe that Hong Kong must be opened earlier, not later. Otherwise, this new quarantine regulation may cause many people in the international community to ask themselves whether they are willing to be trapped in Hong Kong indefinitely when the rest of the world has begun to move forward."

He also wrote, "This doubt held by the international business community is undoubtedly more and more likely to threaten Hong Kong's status as an international business center."

Golob said that despite the continuous emergence of new variants of covi strains, vaccination can help reduce the risk of extreme symptoms, and many countries have planned to deal with this crisis in an endemic way.

Golob urged the Hong Kong government to understand this "new normal" and put forward a "clear exit strategy" in order to provide a basis for restoring confidence and allow enterprises to make arrangements in advance.

News (35)

"Combat-ready" Myanmar Junta troops loot civilians' properties and kill civilian fighters

Source : The Irrawaddy

The regime’s crackdown on its opponents is expected to intensify in the coming days as the military junta has issued an order to its unit commanders and other senior officers to be combat ready. The instruction comes amid an increase in daily unrest, including killings and bombings by anti-regime civilian fighters against regime troops and their associates throughout the country. 

The order seen by The Irrawaddy was sent out to commanders last week. It was issued directly by the military’s top command in the capital, Naypyitaw.

The message to commanders also warned that terrorists “could intercept our message” and instructed that “jamming devices should be used.” The message added that troops should always remain in combat mode.

Following the coup in February, people from all walks of life opposed military rule. Young people have taken up arms after the junta’s brutal crackdowns on protesters. Since then, the regime has branded anyone who opposes it “terrorists.”

In the order, commanders were instructed to set up more checkpoints and to launch surprise checks in residential areas.

This month, bloody attacks against the regime have become more frequent across the country, including in the country’s business hub Yangon. Last week, among other attacks, four policemen were shot dead by unknown attackers on a train on Yangon’s Circular Railway, highlighting the bloody reality that civilian resistance against the junta has yet to wane, more than six months into the regime’s rule. In upper Myanmar, the regime admitted that aircraft at an airbase were damaged in attacks. The junta responded with more night raids and manhunts. This week, joint forces of police and military personnel arrested at least 15 young people in Yangon, looting goods and valuables from homes as they did so.

Some of the raids have resulted in deaths. On 10 August, five young people jumped from a building in Yangon to avoid being captured by junta forces. Two, including a young woman, died and three others were seriously injured and detained. The military regime said the three injured were in hospital, but family members have not been allowed to visit them.

The attacks against the junta are mostly carried out by loosely organized resistance forces, mostly known as the People’s Defense Force (PDF), in Yangon and elsewhere. They have used homemade weapons, grenades and guns. The regime has branded them “terrorists” who are destabilizing the country. 

In May, Myanmar’s junta designated the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) as a terrorist group, along with its affiliated Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), blaming it for killings, bombings and arson attacks.

The NUG subsequently established the People’s Defense Force (PDF), saying it is necessary to prevent killings and other violent acts against the people by the junta, which calls itself the State Administration Council. The NUG’s Defense Ministry said many youth members are undergoing training.

The regime is concerned about coordinated attacks in the countryside and urban areas, informed analysts and diplomats in Yangon said. Residents of Yangon said they have seen more security personnel on the streets recently, with many plainclothes soldiers and police deployed in buildings and on busy streets.

In the countryside the military’s security forces also engage in frequent clashes with PDF members and ethnic forces.

In June, to counter the increasingly frequent attacks and assassinations, the junta formed Pyu Saw Htee groups across the country, reportedly with support from the military, to counter the anti-regime movement. The first were formed in mid-May after the formation of the PDFs. 

Since the coup in February, Myanmar has been in turmoil and the junta has been unable to restore stability. So far more than 1,000 people have been killed and over 4,000 detained.

News (36)

Data: Majority say Biden is not in charge nor mentally capable

Reporter : Raheem J. Kassem, The National Pulse

A majority of U.S. likely voters believe Joe Biden is not actually doing the job of President of the United States, and that other people are making decisions on his behalf, according to new data from Rasmussen Reports. 

The esteemed pollster shared the information with The National Pulse on Friday morning, which reveals:

52 percent of likely U.S. voters believe Biden is not “physically and mentally up to the job of being President of the United States”;

41 percent say they are “Not at all confident” in Biden’s ability to do the job, with 11 percent saying they are “not very confident”;

Only 32 percent said they were “very confident” that Biden has the ability to do the job of President.

Even more concerning is America’s belief that the President is not even involved in the decision making process:

• Just 39 percent say Joe Biden is doing the job of President;
• 51 percent say others are “making decisions for him behind the scenes”;
• Over 1 in 5 Democrat voters believe Joe Biden is not making his own decisions.

The news follows recent Rasmussen data suggesting President Trump would thrash Joe Biden in a head-to-head vote held today, with 10 percent of Americans telling the pollster they regretted their 2020 choice.

Ref: https://thenationalpulse.com/news/data-majority-say-biden-isnt-in-charge-nor-mentally-capable/

News (37)

Fleeing Americans beaten by Taliban in Kabul, Pentagon chief tells Congress

Reporter : Juliegrace Brufke, The New York Post / Image : AP

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told members of Congress on a conference call Friday that Americans attempting to evacuate Afghanistan have been beaten by the Taliban, directly contradicting President Biden’s assertion that U.S. citizens were not being blocked from the airport, two lawmakers told The Post.

Striking a decidedly more concerned tone than the commander in chief, Austin called the abuse of Americans at the hands of the Taliban “unacceptable” as lawmakers sought answers on how the Biden Administration is attempting to get U.S. citizens and allies out of the country. 

“Within 30 minutes of Biden saying it publicly, the Secretary of Defense directly contradicted him,” one senior GOP lawmaker told The Post. 

Following the call with Austin, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, multiple GOP lawmakers said the briefing did little to quell their concerns about the safety of Americans and Afghan allies, with critics arguing they received conflicting information and few details on a viable plan to evacuate citizens from the country as the situation continues to deteriorate. 

A second Republican lawmaker said that the call was cut short before all lawmakers could have their questions answered, with officials stating that they had a “hard stop” despite that not being articulated before the call. 

“The big thing for me is, there’s a huge gap between what Biden says on TV, and then what we hear in these calls,” said the source, which spoke on condition of anonymity.

“And that’s alarming because it either means he’s completely misinformed or he’s misleading the country, both of which are a big problem. So, if we’re going to get our people out and we’re going to protect our Afghan partners and we’re going to be good allies, and start to rebuild those relationships.

“We should at least be honest with ourselves about what’s going on,” the congress member added.

Lawmakers also stressed that they find it concerning that the administration is relying on the Taliban to transport citizens to the airport, noting the terrorist organization has proven itself untrustworthy. 

“We’re told [by Blinken] the Taliban will not allow terrorists to operate. Their number two is an Al Qaeda commander and they themselves are a terrorist organization,” one House member said. 

“The Taliban are roaming the streets, beating Americans, beating Afghans and beating our allies and that’s who we’re negotiating with to get our people out and putting our faith in — it’s insane,” another added.  

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) said that Biden’s messaging has conflicted with multiple media reports of the situation on the ground, arguing its counterproductive to their efforts to get citizens and allies to safety. 

“There remains a massive gap between the message that President Biden shared with the American people and the reality on the ground. He says Americans are not having trouble accessing the airport, while the media is reporting of the Taliban roaming the streets beating Americans and our allies,” Gonzalez told The Post. 

“He says he has not heard criticism from our allies, while the British parliament is condemning us from London. If we are going to get our people home while protecting our Afghan partners we need to be clear-eyed about the challenge. Now isn’t the time to try to win a press conference, we need to win the mission and get our people home while providing safety to our partners.”

Three Republican lawmakers that spoke to The Post even praised Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for inquiring on the call as to how the Biden administration planned to get individuals out quickly and clear checkpoints, asserting it is a bipartisan concern. 

The lawmakers were told that instructions would be sent to those abroad attempt to exit the country, with Milley asserting that “we’re not turning our back on those that helped us.” But one source on the call argued they are “still neglecting that the Taliban controls” offering no details on how they plan to help Americans that remain outside Kabul. 

“There seems to be an alternate reality. It’s all about what happens once people are at the airport and after. It’s horrifying the disconnect,” the lawmaker said. 

During the call, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) questioned whether there were plans to extend security outside the gate of the airport or extend the deadline to evacuate US citizens and Afghan allies beyond Aug. 31, according to multiple sources. 

Neither Blinken nor Austin provided members with a number on how many Americans remained in the country, with Blinken stating that they are finding out where they are and if they want to leave. We’ll get back to you with more information.”

According to sources on the call, Milley responded by telling lawmakers that the “security situation is likely to degrade” and are considering extending beyond the perimeter while Austin said that they are aiming to complete the mission by the end of the month, but will take more time if it is provided. 

Frustrations from Congress over the lack of details they have been provided has become increasingly evident since the collapse of the Afghan government on Sunday. 

“He [Blinken] doesn’t really answer anything with any specificity and says nice things like I’m talking to our allies and I’m having a lot of phone calls. But in terms of what’s happening on the ground. He doesn’t seem to have a grasp of it,” the second lawmaker said. 

“The person who does is Austin, but there’s a lot of things he’s saying that I find disappointing while we still have Americans on the ground, we still have Afghan partners struggling to get out of the country, we still have our allies who are there. The tactical decisions that they’re making I disagree with.”

A third GOP lawmaker expressed dismay with Blinken for projecting confidence that the Taliban would cooperate with the U.S. and uphold the rights of women in the country, telling The Post it raises strong concerns over his ability to hold the position. 

“He’s living on another planet,” they said. “ I’m like, motherf—r you have lost your mind?

According to multiple sources on the call, neither Austin nor Blinken provided information on the number of Americans that remain in Afghanistan when asked by Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), with Blinken telling members that “we’re finding out where they are and if the want to leave. We’ll get back to you with more information.”

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), a member of House GOP leadership and a Navy veteran, told The Post that chaos that has ensued since the botched troop withdrawal has projected weakness to adversaries. 

“My takeaway from Biden’s speech and the briefing from Austin and Blinken is that these so-called leaders fear the Taliban much more than the Taliban fears them,” he said. “They can’t connect the dots without admitting failure for themselves and Biden. That’s why this briefing seems to be like an alternate reality.”

Ref: https://nypost.com/2021/08/20/fleeing-americans-beaten-by-taliban-in-kabul-def-sec-austin-tells-congress/

News (38)

Why testing immunity to covid is as important as vaccination

Host : Brendon Fallon / Interviewee : Dr. Hooman Noorchashm

Antibody testing is the gold standard for determining immunity, says immunologist and physician Dr. Hooman Norchashm. Yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are actively deterring people from testing their immunity. Why?

Additionally, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is currently being used by the government to explain the high occurrence of breakthrough infections.

Dr. Noorchashm suggests vaccine spoilage could be the answer to both these issues.

“It’s a medicine, just like any other medicine. It’s got a failure rate … and we should accept that.”

“They’re worried that a substantial number of people are not going to find out that the vaccine didn’t work for them.”

Ref: https://www.theepochtimes.com/why-testing-your-immunity-to-covid-19-is-as-important-as-vaccination-feat-dr-hooman-noorchashm_3956995.html, https://twitter.com/brendonfallon

News (39)

Zheng Tao, the pioneer of CCP national biosafety strategy research

Image : The Pathfinder of National Biosafety Strategy Research——Zheng Tao

In the late autumn of Beijing, we passed through the heavily controlled area of ​​the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and entered the office of the Zheng Tao Institute of Bioengineering. His office was simple and concise, with a pot of tall green plants at the door, and three computers on the desk—— Two laptops and a desktop computer, and the two bookcases on hand are full of professional research books on the field of biosafety at home and abroad.

A few local accents opened up the dusty memory of Zheng Tao, who was past middle-aged, could not contain the excitement in his heart when he recalled his youthful years.

Zheng Tao was born in a backward mountain village in Laoxian Town. As the eldest of his family, he knew the hardships of rural life. So, he established a lofty ideal since he was a child. He must go out of the mountain village through study. So, he is very hardworking and has consistently excellent grades. In 1982, he was the only one who was admitted to Pingli Middle School from Jinping Junior High School. After he entered high school, he was woke up and down, did not have enough sleep but his academic performance has always been among the best. Unfortunately, his college entrance examination results were not satisfactory and he did not achieve his expected goals.

While Zheng Tao was struggling to go to Hanzhong Normal University in the upper province or continue to study again, he inquired that Hanzhong Normal University could take the postgraduate entrance examination after graduation. For this reason, he decided to go to Hanzhong Normal University. He started to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination. In 1989, Zheng Tao graduated from Hanzhong Normal University with honours.

When other students were ready to accept assignments and returned to their hometown to be a middle school teacher with the "iron rice bowl", Zheng Tao went straight to participate. In 1989, the enrolment indicators for graduate students were greatly reduced. Although the results of the postgraduate entrance examination were good, the schools to choose from were very limited. At that time, Shenyang College of Pharmacy and Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University both planned to recruit Zheng Tao but their future prospects were not ideal. 

Zheng Tao decided to accept the assignment first and return to his hometown Laoxian Middle School to teach for two years before continuing to apply for the examination. 

Returning to his hometown of Laoxian Middle School, although he is already a middle school teacher, he still maintains a diligent student attitude. In Laoxian Middle School, Zheng Tao felt the warm care between the people in his hometown and his colleagues. In order not to affect his review, colleagues in the school took turns to cook for him, so that he could concentrate on the review and make Zheng Tao feel happy. Yes, he reaped love in Lao County, found a lover whom he had spent his life with. He was not dazzled by happiness, but was determined to move forward with a firm goal. 

Two years later, Zheng Tao, fully prepared, thought he could finally apply for graduate studies, but encountered obstacles when registering. In order to retain talents, the Education Bureau refused to let them go easily. Zheng Tao, who was disappointed, rushed from the old county to the county seat to find the current education. The director sincerely expressed his desire to change his destiny through struggle. The director of education was deeply moved and gladly agreed to take him to take the postgraduate exam. Faced with this rare opportunity, Zheng Tao really lived up to the expectations and successfully passed the postgraduate entrance examination of Nanjing University. During his studies at Nanjing University, he won several scholarships and won the title of National Excellent Graduate Student upon graduation. 

From 1994 to 2014, 20 years have passed in an instant. During these 20 years, his administrative ranks have changed from assistant researcher, researcher, deputy director, and director, and his military rank has also been promoted to senior colonel, but whether he is an administrative officer, work is still research work. He has never given up his major. He has insisted on using business to lead administration for many years. 

Zheng Tao has successively published "Biosecurity is a life engineering necessary for national strategy" and "Research on American Biodefense Countermeasures and National Strategy" in authoritative journals at home and abroad. Analysis of Strategic Reserve Drugs, “Problems and Thoughts on Biosafety”, “Theoretical Discussion on China’s Biosafety Engineering Management”, “Strengthening Research on Biosafety Development Strategies to Build a Complete Biological Defense System”, “Recognize the situation and solve problems and accelerate a series of papers such as China's Biosafety Capacity Building Steps”, and he is the editor-in-chief of the book "Basic Knowledge of Laboratory Biosafety". 

Recalling the course of 20 years, Zheng Tao said with a smile,”In the past 20 years, I have only done one thing, that is, from a strategic perspective, clarified the scope and development stage of my country’s biosecurity, and formed a theoretical system.” 

He put it vividly, “I built a pond for the national biosecurity field, and later generations have ponds whether they are raising fish or fishing for fish.” 

The fact is true. Under his leadership, six of his research results have been approved by the State Council. He has also worked closely with other ministries and commissions on scientific research projects. At the same time, he has opened up many fields for other ministries and commissions. It should be said that in the national biosafety In the field, Zheng Tao is a well-deserved stormtrooper and pathfinder. 

It can be seen from the three computers on his desk that he is a person who sees work as his life. He said that people’s working hours are very limited, and 20 years have passed in a flash. In a short life, if you want to take a few down-to-earth marks, you must spend a lot of time on the most important things. This is career. He said that he has no spare time to enjoy it, and that the great rivers and mountains of the motherland are reserved for him to enjoy after retirement. At the same time, he is also frank. I try to avoid unnecessary people because my time is very limited. Of course, Zheng Tao feels that he is most sorry for his family, who have owed too much to his family over the years. 

When we asked what supported him to walk firmly to the present, Zheng Tao said that the country should be the first consideration in life, “With this string of tense ideals and beliefs, there will be no deviation. 20 years have passed. My conviction is firm and my ideal is pure. When the party, the country, and the army need us, I will dedicate everything I have without hesitation. I think I am pure and happy.”

Ref: https://www.sohu.com/a/251912352_689851

News (40)

Harris' face during Biden's Afghanistan presser reveals everything we need to know about the state of the U.S.

Reporter : Isa Cox, The Western Journal / Image : Twitter Screenshot @MrNukemCocaine

Earlier this week, as President Joe Biden’s administration scrambled to spin its disastrously botched withdrawal from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul to Taliban forces, Vice President Kamala Harris was suspiciously absent from the public eye.

 

Suddenly, the “Harris” part of “Biden-Harris” was nowhere to be found and poor old Joe was forced to face the nation alone.

 

They apparently managed to briefly get Harris out of hiding on Friday, however, and she appeared loyally by Biden’s side as he addressed the nation for a second time on the crisis in Afghanistan and vowed to evacuate the untold number of Americans who are still stranded in the now-fallen nation.

 

As it turns out, the administration may have done better to just let Harris remain in hiding.

Twitter users were quick to notice that while they may have convinced her to show her face in public with the president to demonstrate unity, it was her face that said it all.

 

“[L]et me be clear,” Biden said at the White House on Friday, flanked by his clearly uncomfortable vice president. “Any American [who] wants to come home, we will get you home.”

 

Biden said his administration has been in “constant contact with the Taliban, working to ensure civilians have safe passage to the airport” amid reports the insurgent forces are beating Americans who try to enter the Kabul airport.

 

“[W]e’ve made clear to the Taliban that any attack — any attack on our forces or disruption of our operations at the airport will be met with a swift and forceful response,” Biden said, according to a White House transcript.

 

“We have no indication that they haven’t been able to get — in Kabul — through the airport,” he added. “We’ve made an agreement with the — with the Taliban. Thus far, they’ve allowed them to go through. It’s in their interest for them to go through.

 

“So, we know of no circumstance where American citizens are — carrying an American passport — are trying to get through to the airport. But we will do whatever needs to be done to see to it they get to the airport.”

 

Harris, who was wearing a face mask, probably should have worn sunglasses — because her eyes alone spoke louder than any words could have.

 

Before a clutch of journalists and Biden’s own defense secretary later refuted his lies about the situation at the Kabul airport, Harris’ face betrayed the falsehood outright.

 

After Biden’s address, Harris promptly departed the country on a pre-planned trip to Singapore and Vietnam. The latter visit could not have been more poorly nor ironically timed considering the parallels between the fall of Kabul on Sunday and the 1975 fall of Saigon.

Amazingly, she is just about the only person who is not calling out Biden’s lies, and by the look on her face on Friday, it appears even that was a struggle for her.

Biden’s claim that the administration knows of “no circumstance ” in which Americans are having a difficult time getting to the airport in Kabul was hotly contested by establishment media reporters.

“We’re also aware that some people including Americans have been harassed; even beaten by the Taliban,” Austin said, according to multiple sources on the call. “This is unacceptable and [we] made it clear to the designated Taliban leader.”

Meanwhile, Politico reported Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told House lawmakers during a call on Friday that indeed, multiple Americans had been beaten by Taliban fighters as they tried to reach the airport.

Considering how horribly Biden is bungling this thing as our countrymen are subjected to violent assault at the hands of Islamic extremist fighters who just made him look like a fool, one certainly understands why Harris had such a hard time appearing the least bit confident in our commander-in-chief.

It is Harris's job to have his back, and she seemingly could not even do that. The U.S. is in the hands of these people.

Does anyone in the administration have faith in Biden right now? Or anyone anywhere for that matter?

 

Ref: https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-harris-face-bidens-afghanistan-presser-tells-us-everything-need-know-state-usa/