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Spat comes ahead of ASEAN summit where China's similar wrangles with Vietnam and Philippines is likely to be discussed.
Last Modified: 12 Jul 2012 03:05
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It is the third time recently that China has clashed with its neighbours over disputed territory [Reuters]
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A new diplomatic row has flared between Japan and China over a remote chain of islands, after Beijing moved to assert an "indisputable sovereignty" over the uninhabited territories. Three Chinese patrol boats approached the islands claimed by Japan in the East China Sea on Wednesday morning, prompting Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba to formally complain to his Chinese counterpart during talks in Cambodia. Gemba "strongly lodged a protest with the Chinese government with respect to the incident which took place this morning," a foreign ministry spokeswoman told the AFP news agency in Phnom Penh. The crews of the vessels, which have since left the islands' immediate vicinity, initially rebuffed Japanese orders to leave. "We are conducting official duty in Chinese waters. Do not interfere. Leave China's territorial waters," the crews said, according to the Japanese coastguard. The Chinese ambassador in Tokyo was summoned over the alleged violation, but the Chinese foreign ministry said it did "not accept Japanese representations over this". Responding to Japan's complaints, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi countered to Gemba that the islands - known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese - "have always been China's territory since ancient times, over which China has indisputable sovereignty". 'Indisputable sovereignty' The move came ahead of a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) due to start in Cambodia on Thursday. While the issue is not on the formal agenda for the ASEAN summit, it was raised informally by members and discussed during a separate ASEAN-China dialogue on Wednesday. A joint statement to be issued by ASEAN foreign ministers was also held up as countries wrangled over whether to include a reference to recent spats over the resource-rich area pitting China against Vietnam and the Philippines. "ASEAN foreign ministers are having an emergency meeting to resolve the wording on the South China Sea in the joint statement," one Asian diplomat told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. The islands lie in rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain valuable mineral reserves. Tokyo recognises a private Japanese family as their owner and the city government has said it plans to buy them. It is the third time recently that China has clashed with its immediate neighbours over disputed territory and the row threatens to overshadow attempts to smooth regional relations at the security summit in Cambodia. Asked about the incident, Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario told reporters: "It looks like they (China) are becoming more aggressive every day." The latest increase in friction had "surprised everybody", he said. Condemnation The 10 members of Southeast Asian regional body ASEAN have been trying to agree a long-stalled "code of conduct" for the disputed South China Sea, home to vital shipping lanes, to help settle overlapping claims. The Philippines is leading a push for ASEAN to unite and draw up a code based on a UN law on maritime boundaries that would delineate the areas belonging to each country. Beijing is unlikely to accept this, however. Manila also wants ASEAN to condemn a standoff last month between Philippine and Chinese ships over Scarborough Shoal, an outcrop in the South China Sea. This came as Beijing invited bids for exploration of oil blocks in waters claimed by Vietnam, which sparked protests on the streets of Hanoi. China's assertiveness in the resource-rich South China Sea is seen by analysts as pushing anxious neighbouring countries closer to the United States. The islands at the centre of Wednesday's dispute triggered a diplomatic crisis in late 2010 when Japan arrested a Chinese trawlerman who rammed his vessel into two Japanese patrol boats. Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, earlier arrived in Cambodia to press for closer relations with ASEAN as part of Washington's strategy of "pivoting" towards Asia to challenge China's influence. A US official said on condition of anonymity that the friction between China and Japan would be discussed during a planned bilateral meeting between Clinton and Yang on Thursday. |
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Source:
Agencies
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Thursday, 12 July 2012
Japan-China row over islands flares
Congo's M23 rebels threaten to take Goma
Threats come as UN increases peacekeeping force to support the Congolese army's battle in the North Kivu province.
Last Modified: 11 Jul 2012 21:56
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| The rebels fighting the Democratic Republic of
Congo's government troops in the east of the country say they will
capture Goma if government forces fail to protect civilians, according
to a statement released by the rebel group. The announcement on Wednesday came as the rebel group, known as the M23 movement, unveiled their political leadership just as the United Nations said it would be sending more peacekeepers to help protect cities as fighting and instability spreads across the province. Bishop Jean Marie Runiga, the M23 political leader, said the rebels were dissatisfied by recent events in Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital, where on Tuesday mobs targetted ethnic Tutsi individuals from neighbouring Rwanda. "When we see civilians communities regardless whether they are Tutsis, whether Warenga, whether Washi ... If we see they are being mistreated and the government has failed to safeguard them and MONUSCO has failed to protect them; we shall capture Goma, that is the truth because our role is to protect the civilian communities," Runiga said. Al Jazeera's Peter Greste, reporting from Goma, said in the absence of a clear military objective, it was difficult to assess the risk to the provincial capital. "It is not really clear what M23 is hoping to achieve," our correspondent said. "Their statements are vague, and it is difficult to assess how determined they are to attack Goma. "They are up against MONUSCO and possibly some resistance from Congolese army, [but] it would be a risky venture." Allegations
The Rwandan government has consistently denied allegations by Congolese officials and United Nations investigators that it is fomenting and supporting the Tutsi-dominated M23 rebel movement in mineral-rich North Kivu province. Runiga said issues of governance and human rights must be addressed for peace to prevail in the country. "Number one, whatever has been signed in agreement must stand. Number two, the problems in Congo ... There are issues of democracy, there are issues of human rights, issues affecting journalists; others have been killed, others have been locked up, activists are not allowed to work as they are supposed to. We have a problem; the population is neglected. They don't eat. That is a big problem," Runiga said. The rebels, described by UN officials as well-equipped and growing in number, drove back the Congolese army in a determined offensive over the last few days, forcing UN peacekeepers to withdraw into isolated operating bases in the hilly countryside. This has opened the way for a possible advance by M23 on the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, where UN forces have reinforced their positions to block any attempted rebel assault. UN armoured vehicles were guarding major crossroads of the city and also patrolled the outskirts. Human cost The latest fighting In North Kivu has once again displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and raised tensions between uneasy neighbours Congo and Rwanda in the Great Lakes region at the heart of Africa.
The M23 rebels, who include mutineers from the Congo army, take their name from a March 2009 peace deal that ended a previous Tutsi-led rebellion in North Kivu. Like the 2004-2009 rebellion, the current mutiny has its roots in ethnic and political wounds dating back to Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Later invasions of Congo by Rwandan forces and Kigali's backing of Congolese rebels fuelled two successive wars that killed several million people. Rebel commanders and MONUSCO said have rebels since pulled back from some of the seized positions. A witness told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that M23 fighters continued to occupy a military base in Rumangabo, just 40km north of Goma. The official said MONUSCO was helping the Congolese army reinforce the road from Rutshuru to Goma to prevent further advances by M23 and ensure government soldiers were able to return to their positions to help protect of civilians. The exact death toll from the recent fighting is yet unknown.  |
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MONUSCO prepares for M23 advance
UN Peacekeeping troops wait for the
M23 rebel advance in positions around Kibumba to the north of Goma. The
UN has moved artillery and armored vehicles into position to help defend
the city. | ||
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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In pictures: Spanish protests
11 July 2012 Last updated at 15:07 GMT
On Wednesday thousands of supporters joined the miners to march through Madrid
On Wednesday thousands of supporters joined the miners to march through Madrid
Coal
miners from northern Spain reached the capital Madrid on Tuesday night -
19 days after starting the Marche Negra (Black March) protest on 22
June. They are rallying against government proposals to slash subsidies
as part of austerity measures.
On Wednesday thousands of supporters joined the miners to march through Madrid
Some of the protesters clashed with riot police after joining the march. A number of people were reportedly arrested.
Anger within Spain's northern mining community erupted in May when the
government announced its plans to cut funding for the industry.
Since 1 June, some 8,000 miners have been on strike. Some took to
barricading major motorways in the north with piles of burning tyres. 
In the Leon region, one of the heartlands of coal mining in Spain, a number of peaceful street marches have been staged.
Homemade rocket launchers became a symbol of the miners strike as clashes with police escalated in June.
Some
miners took their entire families to join the protest march. This
demonstrator walks in Mieres in front of graffiti reading: "Get
organised and fight against the system".
Meanwhile, burning barricades continued to blaze in the north. This photograph was taken in Pola de Lena, near Oviedo.
Women miners and the wives and female relatives of other miners created a roadblock outside one mine in Caborana.
Last
week, as the March Negra continued, clashes went on in areas such as
Aller, where miners at the Pozo Santiago mine fired rockets at security
forces.
At
times police have struggled to repel protesters firing missiles,
despite using tear gas and rubber bullets, and have been forced to
retreat.
Unions say Spanish government plans to cut mining subsidies from 301m euros to 111m euros will leave thousands jobless.
Eurozone crisis: Spain announces budget cuts amid protests
Spain's government has announced sweeping new austerity measures, amid clashes between protesters and police.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said sales tax would rise from 18% to 21%, and local authorities would have their budgets slashed.He is aiming to save 65bn euros (£51bn; $80bn) as part of a deal with eurozone leaders to help rescue Spain's banks.
The move coincided with a miners' rally in Madrid, where police fired rubber bullets at crowds of protesters.
Thousands of people joined in the rally to support the miners, who have been campaigning for weeks against major cuts to industry subsidies.
Witnesses said protesters out to support the miners threw fireworks, bottles and stones at riot police.
The officers fired rubber bullets and charged at the demonstrators.
Continue reading the main story
Rajoy's austerity plans
- VAT increase from 18% to 21%
- Rise in reduced VAT rate on public transport, hotels and processed foods from 8% to 10%
- Basic goods VAT on bread, medicine and books stays at 4%
- Christmas bonuses suspended for public sector workers
- Unemployment benefit cut from sixth month out of work
- 30% cut in councillors in some areas
- Subsidies to be cut by 20% in 2013 for political parties and unions
Five people were arrested and three people suffered minor injuries, according to the AFP news agency.
'Circumstances change'
The prime minister, interrupted several times by opposition
MPs, told parliament that the changes he was announcing had to be
adopted without delay. Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to provide 30bn euros (£24bn) for Spain's troubled banks by the end of the month and to give Madrid an extra year - until 2014 - to hit its budget targets.
Mr Rajoy acknowledged that the VAT rise contradicted a campaign pledge made before his Popular Party came to power. As recently as January he said there was no plan to raise the tax.
"I said I would lower taxes and I am actually raising them. Circumstances change and I have to adapt to them."
The package of measures would cut the budget by 65bn euros over two-and-a-half years, he said.
"The excesses of the past are being paid for right now," he said, adding that Spaniards had never before experienced such a recession.
“Start Quote
The measures will test further the patience of the Spanish people - pledges only recently made have been broken”
Without a cut in Spain's budget
deficit, public services would be put at risk, he said. Savings of 3.5bn
euros will be made to government administration budgets, with local
authorities banned from offering services they cannot afford and the
number of councillors reduced by 30% in some areas.
The door had been opened to a new EU model, Mr Rajoy said, and the summit agreements had committed everyone equally.Spain's unemployment is running at more than 24% and analysts say European leaders want to see a credible Spanish plan for viability and deficit reduction.
"What animates us is the five million people out of work," Mr Rajoy told parliament.
The European Commission praised the Spanish government's "determination" and swift action.
"It's an important step to ensure that the fiscal targets for this year can be met," spokesman Simon O'Connor told reporters.
Mass rally Thousands of miners marched through the centre of Madrid towards the industry ministry to protest against plans to slash coal industry subsidies from 301m euros last year to 111m euros this year.
Crowds lined the streets of Madrid to welcome the coal miners
Many of the workers had walked hundreds of miles since 22 June from northern Spain, where demonstrations outside coal mines have resulted in clashes with police.
Unions say the cuts threaten 30,000 jobs and could destroy their industry.
The Spanish government argues that it pays disproportionately high subsidies to a small and unprofitable part of the economy.
Spain's 30bn-euro bank bailout will be the first instalment of a package worth up to 100bn euros agreed in June.
Eurozone ministers must get approval from their own parliaments and hope to make the payment by the end of July.
24.3% Spain has the highest unemployment rate
in the EU. It is even higher than Greece.
51.5%
The majority of young
people are unemployed
Defendants in murder of Suez student referred to trial
Wed, 11/07/2012 - 20:55
Three defendants accused of murdering a student in Suez were referred to a criminal court on Wednesday by Public Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud.
The defendants will face charges of
murder, establishing and running an organization in violation of the
law, imposing extremist religious thoughts through force, violence,
thuggery and putting citizens’ lives in danger.
The prosecutor is now sending the case file to the Ismailia Court of Appeals, which will set the date for the trial.
Twenty-year-old engineering student
Ahmed Hussein Eid died on 1 July in an Ismailia university hospital
after being stabbed by three men while he was walking with his fiancée.
According to the fiancée’s testimony as published in Al-Masry Al-Youm,
the men had confronted Eid about walking alone with a girl before
stabbing him in the groin and driving away on a motorcycle.
A group which calls itself the Authority
for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Egypt
declared responsibility for the act the next day on its Facebook page.
Edited translation from MENA
Prosecution investigates charging the Constitutional Court of fraud
Wed, 11/07/2012 - 20:16
The public prosecution began investigating on Wednesday allegations that the Supreme Constitutional Court
had fraudulently ruled to dissolve the People’s Assembly on 14 June and
to annul President Mohamed Morsy’s decision to reconvene it in his
decree issued on 10 July.
Charges were filed against the SCC by a
group of lawyers affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The plaintiffs
accuse the SCC of making a decision in the 14 June case before hearing
all of the arguments.
Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim
Abdel Maqsoud said that he has provided the prosecution with screenshots
of emails sent by the official Egyptian Gazette, which publishes all
formal decrees issued by the government, which included the text of the
verdict issued on 14 June.
According to Abdel Maqsoud, the
government-run printing house sent an email of the Gazette's soft copy
to the subscribers that included the text of the verdict at 11:03 am on
14 June, but the verdict was not issued by the court until 1:15 pm of
the same day, almost two hours after the text of the verdict was sent to
Gazette subscribers.
The public prosecutor has ordered the
Gazette editors and the SCC officials to send documents showing what
time the verdict was issued and the time the news arrived to the
Gazette.
The plaintiffs further allege that the
court’s ruling to overturn Morsy’s decree was invalid because it was
based on the illegal 14 June verdict.
The prosecution is considering the
speech made by the head of the SCC during the 10 July session and
reports made by the Muslim Brotherhood’s legal team and 120 People’s
Assembly members, mostly from the Freedom and Justice Party, as
evidence.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Morsy says he will respect court's ruling on People's Assembly
Wed, 11/07/2012 - 21:22
The office of President Mohamed Morsy issued a statement on Wednesday declaring that he would respect the Supreme Constitutional Court’s Tuesday ruling which effectively overturned his 10 July presidential decree to reinstate the People’s Assembly.
The statement stressed that Morsy’s
decree was intended to reinstate the People’s Assembly so that it could
continue to perform its duties until parliamentary elections were
re-staged, which would theoretically happen 60 days after approval of
the new constitution that is currently being written. His decision was
not meant to disrespect the judiciary or the ruling of the SCC that had
originally disbanded the People’s Assembly, the statement continued.
“The goal was to choose the right time
to implement the verdict in the interests of the people and the country
and to preserve the authority of the state, especially that of
Parliament, which was elected to carry out certain duties, so there
wouldn’t be a power vacuum in terms of legislation,” Morsy’s statement
said.
“If the Supreme Constitutional Court’s
ruling issued yesterday prevents Parliament from performing its tasks,
we will respect that because we are a law-based state,” the statement
added.
The presidency said that it would consult with different political entities, institutions and the Supreme Judicial Council on the best way to overcome this crisis until the new constitution is approved.
Sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Morsy
met with legal experts on Tuesday following the SCC’s ruling that
blocked the reinstatement of the People’s Assembly.
The sources, who asked to remain
anonymous, said that during the meeting Morsy rejected a proposal to
hold a referendum on the reinstatement of the People’s Assembly and the
annulment of the supplement to the Constitutional Declaration that was
issued by the military council late last month.
Edited translation from MENA
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