James Patterson

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia admitted that Duterte’s statement against celebrating five centuries of Christianity in the Philippines will impact any preparations.

The situation at the airport will be a bit disconcerting as protesters may try to blend in with actual travelers by exchanging their signature black T-shirts in favor of nondescript clothing and use forged boarding passes to gain entry to the airport.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Japan’s military ties to the U.S. make it difficult for them to sign a World War II peace treaty. So, almost 75 years after the September 2, 1945 surrender of the Japanese to the Allied forces, it appears there are still some “loose ends” remaining to be resolved.

Nine Chinese students recently arrived at Los Angeles International Airport hoping to begin or continue their studies at Arizona State University. But instead of an Arizona classroom, they were detained by Custom and Border Protection and later sent back to China as they were “inadmissible” into the U.S.

Louise Lee, Brandon Lee’s mother expressed her concern for her son’s health especially his series of eight cardiac arrests that he reportedly has had since being shot.

China has once again provoked its southerly neighbors in the South China Sea by moving a huge crane vessel near the Vietnamese coast in an area that is within the Vietnamese exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Chinese President Xi Jinping has named Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as the areas where Communist Party members face major risks and challenges that must be confronted. His comments were made during a speech to mid-career officials at the Central Party School.

Japan has issued the country’s first long-term residential visa to a transgender person, said the woman’s lawyer, Miho Kumazawa. Such visas are normally awarded to foreigners who marry a Japanese citizen but because Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages, the woman was not legally married.

China is still refusing to rule out deployment of its military to stem the unrest that began 13 weeks ago in Hong Kong. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau Central Office, Xu Luying, referred to Article 18 of Hong Kong Law when she said, “Hong Kong’s Basic Law allows for Hong Kong to request help or for the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to declare a state of emergency."

An empty oxygen bottle was found on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 that arrived at the Hong Kong airport from Bali, Indonesia on Friday. On August 17 and 18 two Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 planes landed in Toronto with a total of 13 empty and partially empty oxygen bottles.  

A document obtained by Kyodo News indicates that Russia is planning to add some missile systems in the Kuril Islands. The missiles are aimed at increasing Russia’s defense capabilities in the Sea of Okhotsk, where a nuclear weapon stronghold is located against any U.S. aggression.

The United States and 10 ASEAN members are poised to begin joint maritime naval exercises in what appears to be a response to Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and other Asian waters. Thailand and the U.S. are expected to be the co-leaders of the exercises that will begin in Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and end in Singapore. The drills are expected to last five days.

Thousands of the students headed to Hong Kong's city center for a rally against the bill that has been shelved but not totally withdrawn

The islands in question are called Dokdo by the ROK; Japan calls them Takeshima. National Geographic, in a November 2018 article, described the islands as “seemingly inconsequential craggy islets."

One explanation is that Duterte felt obligated to raise the subject because he had promised to do so in recent speeches he made in the Philippines before the current talks. Or the situation in Hong Kong that has garnered global attention may be why he took a milder tone.

The family was on a flight from Melbourne to Sri Lanka when federal court justice Mordechai Bromberg delayed the deportation that was aimed at the youngest member of the family, a two-year-old named Tharunicaa.

Earlier, on Aug. 17 and 18, two Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 planes landed in Toronto with a total of 13 empty and partially empty oxygen bottles.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is remaining firm in refusing to accept the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling from The Hague in 2016. The ruling sided with the Philippines and rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims over virtually the entire South China Sea.

Joshua Wong, the leader of the 2014 pro-democracy demonstrations known as the “Umbrella Movement” was arrested on Friday, according to Demosisto, a pro-democracy group under Wong’s leadership.

A statement from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said that the garrison will “resolutely follow” any orders that the central government might give.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is in Beijing arriving late Wednesday before his scheduled bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Duterte has promised to raise the issue of a 2016 international arbitration ruling with Xi. The ruling invalidated China's claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Almost three months after a Chinese vessel rammed and sank a Filipino fishing boat, the vessel’s owner has finally apologized at least by proxy. The names of the Chinese shipowner, ship captain, and crew were not revealed in a memorandum that read, "The shipowner of the Chinese fishing boat involved, through our Association would like to express his sincere apology to the Filipino fishermen.”

As the problems play out in the South China Sea between China and its two southern neighbors, Vietnam and the Philippines, it is interesting to see how the two smaller countries approach the problem. The Nikkei Asian Review reports that Vietnam will seek a “peaceful solution” while the Philippines continues to complain that it has a “very weak” military capability to stop any territory from Chinese intrusion.

A Philippine passenger ferry with at least 174 confirmed people on board caught fire Tuesday night, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Three people, including a one-year-old girl, have died and many other passengers are unaccounted for. Rescue operations are ongoing and an investigation by the PCG is forthcoming.

The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that the Trump administration has formally approved sale of 66 new F-16C/D fighter jets to Taiwan with a price tag of $8 billion. This comes at a time of great tension between China and the USA, the two top military powers in the world, over trade issues, the unrest in Hong Kong and China’s aggressive stance in the South China Sea.

The unrest in Hong Kong has now surpassed the 79-day protests in 2014 known as the “Umbrella Movement”. That protest ended with protesters being forcibly carried off by police and with their goals not attained. It left, however, a lasting impression on the protesters of today awaking a whole generation of new activists and politicians, some of whom would go on to be elected to the city's legislature.

A Chinese native, Yang Hengjun, who is now an Australian citizen, academic and writer has been arrested in China accused of “espionage”. The formal arrest occurred on Aug. 23 after Yang was held in Beijing without charges for several months, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Tuesday.

British national Amitpal Singh Bajaj, 34, was lying face down in front of his room. His nose and mouth were bleeding, his breathing was weak. Bullman, the accused was charged with manslaughter and was granted bail in the amount of 400,000 baht (about $13,000 USD).

South Korea first staged the drills in 1986 as a semi-annual event normally held in June and December.