Number of North Atlantic right whales on the slide, some 350 left
Number of North Atlantic right whales on the slide, some 350 left
Pope Francis expresses sorrow on tragic deaths of 7 WCK aid wokers
XI Jin Ping, U.S. Pres. Joe Biden hold candid, constructive phone call
Baguio City prepares activities for tourists this summer vacation
3-day 2nd Cordillera Golfers' Foundation Inc. Tournament starts tomorrow
Pope Francis expresses sorrow on tragic deaths of 7 WCK aid wokers
XI Jin Ping, U.S. Pres. Joe Biden hold candid, constructive phone call
Baguio City prepares activities for tourists this summer vacation
3-day 2nd Cordillera Golfers' Foundation Inc. Tournament starts tomorrow
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Nightly greetings one and all, William Thio here, homegrown and happy to bring you the
00:10 latest major events here and elsewhere on the planet that have unfolded within the 24-hour
00:15 news cycle.
00:16 And tops on today's events, the planet's major existential dilemma, climate change
00:22 and its impact on flora and fauna.
00:25 A warming planet has consistently thawed and shrank sea ice coverage in the frigid poles,
00:31 adversely impacting the abundance of plankton on which fish, krill, depend on, thus reducing
00:38 their numbers and the bigger fish and mammals that feed on them.
00:42 One in particular, the North American right whale, is in critically imperiled status due
00:48 to the extended shift in temperatures and weather patterns, and the numbers are scary.
00:54 An estimated 350 whales are left, with a reproduction rate of between 10 to 19 births a year that
01:01 pales to the mortality rate as a result of boat strikes, net entanglements and lack of
01:07 food supply caused by climate change.
01:11 The inadvertent airstrike that hit and fried the van carrying seven World Central Kitchen
01:17 aid workers continues to reverberate worldwide, drawing outrage and condemnation from world
01:23 leaders and just about every human being on the planet.
01:27 Among them, Pope Francis, who is in his weekly audience in the Vatican, expressed grief and
01:32 sorrow over the latest war crime perpetrated by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza.
01:39 The 87-year-old head of state and leader of the Catholic faith renewed his appeal to Israel's
01:44 iron-handed policy of starving and denying more than a million and a half of exhausted
01:50 and suffering Palestinians of food and humanitarian aid.
01:54 Likewise, he pleaded for the release of all hostages still in captivity.
01:59 An estimated 196 aid workers from various international, relief and humanitarian groups
02:05 have perished since the war began in October last year, mostly perpetrated by the Israel
02:10 Defense Forces.
02:12 Meanwhile, no diplomatic engagement is more impactful to humankind than U.S.-China foreign
02:18 relations.
02:19 Fragile as it may be, given their status as economic and military superpowers, maintaining
02:25 a healthy tension and power balance is key to getting along and ensuring man's survival.
02:30 Hence the latest phone call initiated by U.S. President Joe Biden to Chinese President Xi
02:36 Jinping yesterday to help on critical issues such as Taiwan and Chinese interference in
02:41 November's elections.
02:43 VOA's Anita Powell reports from Washington, D.C.
02:48 The White House described Tuesday's phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese
02:51 leader Xi Jinping, which follows their in-person meeting last year, as candid and constructive.
02:58 This time the two covered a range of issues they had previously discussed in November,
03:02 including joint counter-narcotics efforts, military communication, and the risks of artificial
03:07 intelligence.
03:08 "We believe that there is no substitute for regular communication at the leader level
03:12 to effectively manage this complex and often tense bilateral relationship.
03:16 Both presidents agreed to pick up the phone and speak when needed."
03:19 Xi in a statement said both leaders found the phone call to be candid and constructive.
03:24 But he stressed that disagreements remain, notably about the status of Taiwan, which
03:29 China claims.
03:31 In his statement, Xi said the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize, and this is welcomed
03:36 by both societies and the international community.
03:40 On the other hand, the negative factors of the relationship have also been growing, and
03:44 this requires attention from both sides.
03:48 The White House said Biden reiterated, but did not advance, previous concerns about Chinese
03:52 interference in the upcoming U.S. election.
03:55 Xi did not mention the topic in his account of the call.
03:57 "I would just say that we've been clear consistently, even going back to the November meeting in
04:04 California about our concerns over our own election security and efforts by certain actors,
04:12 including some from the PRC, to affect that."
04:16 Just last month, the British Parliament voted to impose sanctions over Beijing-linked hacks
04:20 of its Electoral Commission and Parliament.
04:22 U.S. intelligence officials have also warned lawmakers that Chinese hackers are preparing
04:27 to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to the U.S.
04:32 China's government last month showcased how it uses digital tools to bolster, not hamper,
04:36 democracy.
04:37 But analysts point to a state-sponsored Chinese influence campaign, known as "spamaflaj,"
04:42 that does the opposite, and encourage Biden to push back.
04:45 "There needs to be a very clear and consistent communication about election interference.
04:52 And I don't just mean hacking into voting systems, which in itself is obviously one
04:56 of the most heavy-handed forms of election interference, but even the ones that involve
05:04 manipulating public opinion in deceptive ways or even just trying to discourage people from
05:09 voting, which we have seen from operations that have been linked to China in the past."
05:14 The White House did not say when the two leaders would next meet, but Xi in his statement said
05:19 he welcomed this week's visit to China by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
05:23 Anita Powell, VOA News, Washington.
05:30 At this point, we shift focus to our Pine City studios and colleague Eddie Carta for
05:36 the latest development in the Cordilleras.
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09:01 And that is all he wrote for tonight. Join us again tomorrow, same time, same location,
09:05 on the C-SWORD.com website or browser for the latest breaking news here and elsewhere
09:12 on the planet. And always remember to work hard, aim high, be kind and stay connected
09:17 while you catch the news right here. William Theo wishing you all a restful night ahead.
09:21 (upbeat music)