China has decided to impose sanctions on former Philippines' senator Francis Tolentino for his egregious conduct on China-related issues and prohibit him from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Tuesday. 

Chinese experts believe the sanctions are necessary and targeted, serving as a warning, since Tolentino's claims have seriously damaged China-Philippines relations and affected the lives of the Chinese community in the Philippines.

For quite some time, driven by selfish interests, a handful of anti-China politicians in the Philippines have made malicious remarks and moves on issues related to China that are detrimental to China's interests and China-Philippines relations. The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, said the spokesperson.

When asked to provide some specific examples of the "improper behavior" that led to Chinese sanctions, and more details as well as the reasons behind the sanctions, following the announcement the same day, another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the website of Chinese Foreign Ministry had released the sanction decision and elaborated on it, which you may refer to.

"Let me stress that there are consequences for hurting China's interests," Mao said.

Tolentino is one of the key figures behind the passage of the so-called "Act Declaring the Maritime Zones under the Jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines" in the Philippine Senate, newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported.

With regard to the "Act Declaring the Maritime Zones under the Jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines" ("Maritime Zones Act") and the "Act Authorizing the President of the Philippines to Establish the Archipelagic Sea Lanes in Philippine Archipelagic Waters" ("Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act") announced by the Republic of the Philippines on November 8, 2024, the Chinese Foreign Ministry solemnly stated in November 2024 that the Philippine Maritime Zones Act illegally includes China's Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao and relevant waters into the maritime zones of the Philippines, and attempts to enshrine the illegal award of the South China Sea arbitration in the form of domestic legislation. 

China strongly condemns and firmly rejects this as the move gravely infringes upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall by no means be affected by the enactment of the Act, said the statement.

Tolentino is the malicious driving force behind the so-called "Maritime Zones Act" pushed by the Philippines, which not only violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea but also contravenes the UN Charter and other relevant international laws, said Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. 

Yang Xiao, an international strategy scholar who has long tracked issues in the South China Sea, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the South China Sea has been an integral part of China's territory and maritime rights since ancient times, and he believed that Tolentino's actions in promoting "Maritime Zones Act" are one of the reasons China decided to impose sanctions on him.

Tolentino, leveraging his family's political influence, holds considerable sway in Philippine politics and has long maintained an anti-China stance, Ding said, further noting that Tolentino has consistently actively pushed laws to support the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration and consolidate the Philippines' illegal claims.

Yang noted that Tolentino has also been hyping up the so-called "China threat" narrative, interfering in China's affairs and stirring up fear of China among the Philippine elite.

According to a May report by Philippine media outlet Rappler, Tolentino claimed that the Philippine Senate should launch probes into suspicions of Chinese espionage and interference in the country's 2025 elections. 

By presenting so-called evidence, he claimed that the Chinese Embassy in Manila hired a local public relations firm tasked with influencing public perception through fake social media accounts, while simultaneously attacking Philippine government policies seen as unfavorable to Beijing, the Straits Times reported in April.

In response to related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs. We have no interest in interfering in Philippine elections.

"Tolentino has seriously damaged China-Philippines relations and shows no political integrity," Ding said, adding that Tolentino often attacks people with fair views on China, accusing them of "selling out" the Philippines to smear his political opponents.

China's sanctions are not simply in response to rhetoric, but are based on actual actions that have harmed China's sovereignty and development interests, and they serve as a legal countermeasure, Yang said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Wednesday, with both sides expressing willingness to deepen cooperation and jointly address global challenges.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that this year marks both the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU), and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

The more complex and challenging the international landscape becomes, the more China and the EU, as two great civilizations and major forces, need to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, assume responsibilities, and serve as forces of global stability and certainty, he said.

Describing the upcoming China-EU leaders' meeting as a significant event taking place at a critical juncture, Wang said China looks forward to working with the EU to summarize the valuable experience and important insights from the past 50 years of the China-EU relations, and map out the future direction of dialogue and cooperation for the next 50 years, sending a clear, positive, and constructive signal to the world.

Meanwhile, Wang stressed that China has always supported European integration, calling on both sides to uphold multilateralism and free trade, safeguard international rules and order, promote peaceful resolution of international disputes, and join hands in addressing global challenges such as climate change.

He also underscored that China remains committed to high-quality development and high-level opening-up and voiced China's readiness to work with the EU to uphold the positioning as partners, deepen economic and trade cooperation, expand two-way openness, and properly handle differences through consultation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

For her part, von der Leyen said the upcoming EU-China leaders' meeting will be the best opportunity for both sides to jointly mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Highlighting the EU's commitment to developing stable and constructive ties with China, and mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, von der Leyen said she looks forward to in-depth discussions with Chinese leaders on issues of mutual concern, demonstrating the two sides' commitment and responsibility to deepen cooperation and jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change, thereby sending a strong and positive signal to the world.

Von der Leyen also reiterated that the EU will continue to adhere to the one-China policy.

China will hold an art exhibition from August to September to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, according to a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Thursday.

A number of cultural events and outstanding cultural works were unveiled to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, according to a press conference held by China's State Council Information Office on Thursday.

Lu Yingchuan, a vice minister of Culture and Tourism of China, said at the press conference that an evening gala will be held on September 3 in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

From August to October, a series of outstanding stage performances will be held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Around 20 high-quality productions will be selected from across the country and staged in major theaters in Beijing for approximately 40 performances in total, according to Lu. 

Meanwhile, an art exhibition will be held at the National Art Museum of China from August to September. Over 300 artworks — including traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, prints, sculptures, and watercolors — will be selected from across the country for the exhibition. Lu said. 

Liu Jianguo, a deputy director of the National Radio and Television Administration, said that a large number of outstanding radio, television, and online audiovisual works and programs will be released, telling stories of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and promoting its enduring spirit.

"We are advancing the creation of a series of themed works that tell the story of the Chinese people's unyielding struggle before, during, and after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including the TV series Our Homeland and Eight Thousand Miles of Cloud and Moon," said Liu, adding that a series of documentaries and online docuseries on the theme of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression will be released throughout the year.

A dedicated commemorative exhibition will open its doors to the public on July 7 to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, said Luo Cunkang, curator of the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

by Xinhua writer Jiang Hanlu

On the banks of the shimmering Huangpu River that cuts through the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai sits the headquarters of the New Development Bank, co-founded by the BRICS countries more than a decade ago to foster the shared development of the world's emerging economies.

In his visit to this new landmark in China's financial center late April, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the bank's president and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff this multilateral institution has been a result of "a pioneering initiative for the Global South to seek strength through unity."

For the Chinese leader, the BRICS mechanism is a major platform for promoting cooperation among countries in the Global South. In the coming days, this year's BRICS summit will open in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro under the theme of "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance."

Xi's April visit to the bank demonstrates his long-standing commitment to bolstering the solidarity and common development of the Global South, amplifying the role of over 6 billion people in a world fraught with uncertainty and challenges unseen in a century.
COLLECTIVE RISE

"The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world," Xi observed when addressing the "BRICS Plus" Dialogue held in Kazan, Russia, in October last year.

Much more than a pure geographical or economic term, the Global South refers to a community of emerging markets and developing countries that share similar historical experiences, development stages and goals, and political pursuits.

The concept of "South" was first coined in Antonio Gramsci's work "The Southern Question" written in 1926, in which the Italian Marxist philosopher highlighted the development gap between northern and southern Italy.

The rise of the Global South has been decades in the making. Back in 1955, the landmark Bandung Conference convened in Indonesia under the flag of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, marking the awakening of the Global South after centuries of Western colonial rule. In 1964, the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, was established in Geneva within the United Nations to promote South-South cooperation and form a new international economic order.

Through extensive cooperation, the countries of the Global South have emerged as a key driver of global growth. These countries have contributed as much as 80 percent of global growth over the past 20 years, with a share of global GDP increasing from 24 percent four decades ago to more than 40 percent today.

China, the world's largest developing country, is a natural member of the Global South. In 2004, the United Nations Development Programme included China in its list of more than 130 Global South countries in a report titled "Forging a Global South." Some Westerners have challenged China's position that it is part of the Global South. In response, Xi has provided a clear answer.

"As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath with other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them," Xi once said.

Historically, China has suffered from Western colonialism and imperialism, much like other developing countries, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

"Even today, despite inordinate success by Beijing to rise from the backwaters of development to be the second-largest economy in the world, as well as the first developing country to eliminate extreme poverty, China still faces common development challenges, and holds similar views regarding the current international order and global governance," he added. "Because of this, China has emerged as a strong champion for the legitimate rights and interests of many Global South countries."

LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

Ahead of Xi's state visit to Brazil late last year, the Portuguese edition of the book "Up And Out Of Poverty" was officially launched in Rio de Janeiro. The book, first published in 1992, outlines Xi's perspectives on poverty eradication, local governance, reform and development when he worked in the formerly impoverished prefecture of Ningde in China's southeastern Fujian province.

Poverty has long ranked atop among the problems facing the Global South. With Xi's steadfast commitment and strong leadership, China has eradicated absolute poverty in its rural areas, a feat that no one had accomplished in China for thousands of years.

At the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last year, Xi spoke with quiet conviction, recounting his lifelong dedication to poverty alleviation, from his time as a local official to his current role as China's top leader.

In his speech, Xi said a weaker bird can start early and fly high. "If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. This is what China's battle against poverty says to the world," he said.

Xi's "weaker bird" metaphor originated from his book on poverty. His speech struck a chord with several foreign leaders, who asked the Chinese delegation whether they could share a copy of the speech.

The Chinese leader has placed great emphasis on development. For him, "development holds the master key to solving all problems," particularly when the global development gap continues to widen. Over the years, Xi has also been active in rallying global efforts to put development back on the international agenda as a central priority.

When attending the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in 2021 via video, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, an international policy framework to promote sustainable development around the world. To date, the initiative has garnered the support and participation of over 100 countries and 20 international organizations.
To boost common development in the Global South, Xi has been promoting practical cooperation through major infrastructure projects within the Belt and Road Initiative. During his foreign visits over the years, Xi would launch or visit major projects, such as the Chancay Port in Peru, the Dushanbe No. 2 power plant in Tajikistan and the Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka. When hosting leaders of the Global South in Beijing, Xi would also discuss with them major projects for cooperation during their talks.

Xi believes that the Global South should be the main driving force for common development and that "On the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind." He also supports countries of the Global South exploring paths of modernization tailored to their distinctive national conditions, rather than following Western development models.

Also at last year's G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Xi outlined eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, ranging from high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to boosting development in Africa. Months earlier, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last year, Xi unveiled 10 partnership actions and granted zero-tariff treatment on all product categories to the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
Gu Qingyang, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said, "China can play a positive role in the development of Global South countries," adding that Chinese technology and expertise in industrial development can support the modernization of the Global South's various regions.

EMPOWERING GLOBAL SOUTH IN INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE

As Xi once observed, in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries.

Xi described the BRICS countries as "leading members of the Global South," calling for building BRICS into "a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform."

Since becoming Chinese president in 2013, Xi has always been a steadfast champion of BRICS cooperation. In Xiamen, he advocated for the "BRICS Plus" program at the 2017 BRICS summit, calling for more active participation from other emerging markets and developing nations. He played a crucial role in propelling the BRICS' historic expansion in 2023, ushering in the era of greater BRICS cooperation.

Effective coordination between BRICS members and other countries in the Global South has been adding more bricks to the global governance architecture. The New Development Bank exemplifies this effort.

Xi said the bank serves as "an important emerging force in the international financial system," which should work to "make the international financial system fairer and more equitable and effectively enhance the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries."
Over the years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order.

At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)'s membership in the G20. In their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, then Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was also the AU chairperson that year, thanked Xi for being the first to publicly support the AU's G20 membership.

The global leadership today remains lopsided, and rebalancing this skewed system is a shared imperative for both the Global North and South, said Paolo Magri, managing director and chair of the advisory board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank.

"Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization," Xi said at the "BRICS Plus" Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, last year, while acknowledging that "the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight."

"No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South," Xi pledged.

Kyle Rittenhouse has been found not guilty.

A jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday found Rittenhouse not guilty of homicide and other charges.
On Aug. 25, 2020, Rittenhouse shot at four men, killing two and wounding a third, with a semiautomatic rifle. Rittenhouse was in downtown Kenosha to protect a car dealership during unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Blake, a Black man, had been shot multiple times by Rusten Sheskey, a white police officer, in Kenosha, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Sheskey was ultimately not charged by state or federal prosecutors.

Rittenhouse, then a 17-year-old from Antioch, Ill., joined a group of other armed people in downtown Kenosha. He shot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, the latter of whom survived. Rittenhouse turned himself in to police in Antioch on Aug. 26, and was extradited to Kenosha, where he was charged with the following:

First-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
First-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
Attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
Possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 (later dismissed)
Failure to comply with an emergency order from state or local government (later dismissed)
Most of the incident was captured on video, and the subsequent trial became heavily polarized. The prosecution in the case argued that Rittenhouse provoked protesters before shooting at them, while the defense argued that Rittenhouse acted in self defense.

The Milwaukee Bucks are scheduled to play at home tonight at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The Bucks, who play 40 miles from Kenosha, were the first NBA team to boycott following the protests in the summer of 2020.

Following the verdict in the case that captured national attention, the sports world responded to the news that Rittenhouse was ruled not guilty.
Sporting News will continue to monitor and update news from around the sports world as it unfolds.

Patriots fans always thought that Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo — affectionately known as "Jimmy GQ" — were the closest things to models that they would ever see at the quarterback position. But now, they have an actual model leading their quarterback room.

That would be Mac Jones. No, we're not kidding.
Jones may be better known as key representation for dad bods everywhere at this point in his young career, but in his even younger career, he was actually a child model. He recently spoke about that in an appearance on WEEI 93.7’s "Merloni & Fauria" when he was asked what his "worst job" ever was.

"I used to be a child model/actor, or whatever, and that was fun," Jones said. "There are a few commercials out there you guys could try and find. I think a lot of people know."

To his credit, Jones has been nothing but open about his modeling career. Still, it was news to quite a few people that weren't familiar with his not-so-secret double life. It may be over now, but there are certainly lasting memories from his modeling career.
Mac Jones child model photos
Naturally, in wake of Jones' revelation on "Merloni & Fauria," many went searching for photos of Jones during his modeling days. They were easy enough to find.

NESN's Dakota Randall dug up a couple of shots of Jones, one in which he's wearing a tie and one in which he is carrying a tennis racket.
NFL reporter Dov Kleiman was able to find a handful of photos of Jones as well. He also found a clip of Jones participating in a fashion show from his youth.
One of Jones' advertisements actually lives on. He's still pictured on the "Adventure Landing" website, a regional theme park in Jacksonville, Fla. He appears on the "Kids Fun Center Parties" portion of the website, wearing an orange polo.
How did Mac Jones become a child model?
As Jones explained in a pre-draft interview with ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, he tried modeling thanks to his parents.

"They never pushed me into sports, which was really cool," Jones said. "So I tried modeling, acting. My sister had done it and there's like a modeling camp and I was like, I'll go try it."

And so, Jones did. And while he said he "didn't really ever want to do that long term," he is grateful for the skills he picked up during that very early part of his career.

"It was good that I tried it and realize that I didn't necessarily want to do that but have that under my belt. Even for stuff like this," Jones said, referencing his interview and photoshoot ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. "You're just more comfortable around the camera."
Mac Jones commercials
Try as we might, we couldn't find the commercials that Jones said might be out there. That said, if you're inclined to search for them, ESPN's Hallie Grossman gave some hints about where to look.

"[Jones] appeared in local commercials — for the zoo, a medical center, Party City, and that last one popped up for years around Halloween," she wrote in a late-2020 profile of Jones.

The Party City rabbit hole is probably the best one to jump down, as their commercials are the most readily available. The only issue with sorting through them? Most of the kids are in costumes.
Was Mac Jones the kid in that Cam Newton commercial?
This is a popular question that was raised when Jones beat out Cam Newton for the starting job with the Patriots. Was Jones the kid from that commercial with Newton? You know, the NFL "Play 60" one, where the kid threatens to take Newton's job from him in the future?

For those that need a refresher, here's the video of the advertisement.

As ironic and, frankly, mind-blowing as it would have been for Jones to be that kid, he does not play the role of "Nate." That commercial was created during the summer of 2012, ahead of Newton's second season with the Panthers. Jones turned 14 in 2012, so he would have been too old for that role even if his modeling career was ongoing.

The role of Nate was played by a then-7-year-old named James DiGiacomo. Now 16, DiGiacomo, who has acted in commercials and TV shows, spoke about the commercial after it resurfaced following Newton's release from the Patriots.

“I honestly think it’s awesome that people still bring it up,” DiGiacomo told The Eagle-Tribune. "I’ve done a lot of commercials over the years and did some TV work,” he said. “But that commercial with Cam is definitely a highlight. I didn’t realize how big it would be when we made it. But it was really cool. I’m very proud of it."