BEIJING – Japan urged China to remain calm and not inflame their diplomatic spat further Monday after Beijing severed high-level contacts over the detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain near disputed islands.
China's rare move late Sunday pushed already-tense relations to a new low, and showed Beijing's willingness to play hardball with its Asian rival on issues of territorial integrity, which include sparring with Japan over natural gas fields in the East China Sea.
The severing of high-level government contacts came after anti-Japanese protests were held across China on the anniversary of the start of a Japanese invasion of China in 1931, which has historically cast a shadow over ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies.
The latest dispute was sparked when a Chinese fishing vessel collided with two Japanese coast guard ships on Sept. 7 near islands in the East China Sea — called Senkaku by Japan and known as Diaoyu or Diaoyutai in Chinese and claimed by both countries.
The 14 Chinese crew were released last week, but the captain's detention for further questioning — pending a decision about whether to press charges — has inflamed ever-present anti-Japanese sentiment in China.
In Tokyo, a Japanese spokesman said the government was assessing the situation but it had not yet been officially informed of the severing of ties. Noriyuki Shikata, spokesman for Prime Minister Naoto Kan, told The Associated Press if China did make such a decision, "it is truly regrettable."
"We call for calm and prudent action by China in order not to further escalate the situation," Shikata said.
The investigation into the Chinese captain's case is based on Japan's domestic law and is "not based on any political intent," he said.
China's Foreign Ministry said Japan's refusal to release the boat captain had caused "severe damage" to relations.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Indian lawmakers visit Kashmir to address unrest
SRINAGAR, India – A delegation of Indian lawmakers seeking to defuse months of deadly civil unrest in Kashmir arrived in the Himalayan region Monday, a day after four more anti-India protesters died after being hurt during increasingly violent demonstrations.
Lawmakers from all major Indian national parties were expected to meet Kashmiri leaders in Srinagar and find ways to address long-standing demands for self-rule or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan. Srinagar is the largest city in the Indian portion of Kashmir.
But it was unclear how useful the delegation's mission would be after Kashmiri separatists said they would not meet the lawmakers, and dismissed the trip as a public relations stunt by the Indian government.
Kashmir has been rocked by widespread protests against Indian rule since June, with at least 106 people killed in clashes with security forces. Human rights group Amnesty International has urged Indian authorities to investigate the killings and order government forces to stop the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
On Monday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top separatist leader, described the Indian lawmakers' visit as "a facade, a joke."
"They have converted the entire Kashmir region into a prison and now a delegation has been sent to meet the besieged people," Farooq told The Associated Press.
Thousands of armed troops patrolled the deserted streets of Srinagar and other major towns Monday and enforced a curfew for the eighth day.
Three men hurt during street battles with government forces last week died in hospitals in Srinagar on Sunday, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Also Sunday, a 22-year-old woman was killed by Indian security forces in the town of Sopore after a group of protesters attacked them with stones, said the officer.
Lawmakers from all major Indian national parties were expected to meet Kashmiri leaders in Srinagar and find ways to address long-standing demands for self-rule or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan. Srinagar is the largest city in the Indian portion of Kashmir.
But it was unclear how useful the delegation's mission would be after Kashmiri separatists said they would not meet the lawmakers, and dismissed the trip as a public relations stunt by the Indian government.
Kashmir has been rocked by widespread protests against Indian rule since June, with at least 106 people killed in clashes with security forces. Human rights group Amnesty International has urged Indian authorities to investigate the killings and order government forces to stop the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
On Monday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top separatist leader, described the Indian lawmakers' visit as "a facade, a joke."
"They have converted the entire Kashmir region into a prison and now a delegation has been sent to meet the besieged people," Farooq told The Associated Press.
Thousands of armed troops patrolled the deserted streets of Srinagar and other major towns Monday and enforced a curfew for the eighth day.
Three men hurt during street battles with government forces last week died in hospitals in Srinagar on Sunday, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Also Sunday, a 22-year-old woman was killed by Indian security forces in the town of Sopore after a group of protesters attacked them with stones, said the officer.
Amazing New Designs For The Dollar Bill
The American dollar is in bad need of a makeover. Thanks to the Dollar ReDe$ign Project, we may now have some options.
Organized by creative strategy consultant Richard Smith, the Dollar ReDe$ign Project is soliciting ideas for the dollar bill of the future. "Our great 'rival', the Euro, looks so spanky in comparison it seems the only clear way to revive this global recession is to rebrand and redesign," the project notes on its website.
Fisher started the project in with the intent of "trying to find a catalyst to restart our economy" he told Fox News. The recent competition is now closed, and voting ends on September 30. "This has touched people's hearts," Fisher said, and "people feel the dollar touches their lives."
The leading vote-getter for this year's competition (pictured below) was submitted by British duo Dowling Duncan, which features a unique vertical design.
Why a vertical format? "When we researched how notes are used we realized people tend to handle and deal with money vertically rather than horizontally," they note on the Dollar ReDe$ign Project's website. "You tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. The majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically. Therefore a vertical note makes more sense."
Mark Gartland submitted the entry below, entitled "America Today." The $50 bill features (pictured below) Sacagawea, the native American Indian who acted as Lewis and Clark's interepreter and guide. Noting the "cosmetic drabness" of the current dollar bill, Gartland selected various historical icons from including Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and President Obama to represent the "diverse fabric" of the U.S.
If these money makeovers weren't enough, The Dollar ReDe$ign Project has even circulated a petition to get the U.S. government to seriously consider their ideas. Which of these designs is your favorite?
Organized by creative strategy consultant Richard Smith, the Dollar ReDe$ign Project is soliciting ideas for the dollar bill of the future. "Our great 'rival', the Euro, looks so spanky in comparison it seems the only clear way to revive this global recession is to rebrand and redesign," the project notes on its website.
Fisher started the project in with the intent of "trying to find a catalyst to restart our economy" he told Fox News. The recent competition is now closed, and voting ends on September 30. "This has touched people's hearts," Fisher said, and "people feel the dollar touches their lives."
The leading vote-getter for this year's competition (pictured below) was submitted by British duo Dowling Duncan, which features a unique vertical design.
Why a vertical format? "When we researched how notes are used we realized people tend to handle and deal with money vertically rather than horizontally," they note on the Dollar ReDe$ign Project's website. "You tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. The majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically. Therefore a vertical note makes more sense."
Mark Gartland submitted the entry below, entitled "America Today." The $50 bill features (pictured below) Sacagawea, the native American Indian who acted as Lewis and Clark's interepreter and guide. Noting the "cosmetic drabness" of the current dollar bill, Gartland selected various historical icons from including Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and President Obama to represent the "diverse fabric" of the U.S.
If these money makeovers weren't enough, The Dollar ReDe$ign Project has even circulated a petition to get the U.S. government to seriously consider their ideas. Which of these designs is your favorite?
NASA discovers brand new force of nature
NASA scientists say they may have discovered a new force of nature, after research showed two of their deep space probes were being inexplicably pulled off course.
Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11, which have been in space for over 40 years, are being steadily pulled towards the sun by an unknown power, according to London’s Telegraph newspaper
The scientists said it could not be gravity or solar radiation, as they decreased over distance.
They have also discounted gas leaks and nuclear heat leaks from the satellites.
Although the force is relatively weak — around 10 billion times weaker than gravity — the satellites are travelling at around 43,000km/h on a journey expected to last several million years.
Two other satellites in the solar system, Galileo and Ulysses, are also being affected by a similar force.
The Pioneer satellites have photographed planets Jupiter and Saturn, and Pioneer 10 is so far into space it passed Pluto in 1983.
Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11, which have been in space for over 40 years, are being steadily pulled towards the sun by an unknown power, according to London’s Telegraph newspaper
The scientists said it could not be gravity or solar radiation, as they decreased over distance.
They have also discounted gas leaks and nuclear heat leaks from the satellites.
Although the force is relatively weak — around 10 billion times weaker than gravity — the satellites are travelling at around 43,000km/h on a journey expected to last several million years.
Two other satellites in the solar system, Galileo and Ulysses, are also being affected by a similar force.
The Pioneer satellites have photographed planets Jupiter and Saturn, and Pioneer 10 is so far into space it passed Pluto in 1983.
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