Taiwan says 43 Chinese air force planes crossed Taiwan Strait median line

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, fighter jets of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conduct a joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, fighter jets of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conduct a joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP)
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Updated 26 December 2022
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Taiwan says 43 Chinese air force planes crossed Taiwan Strait median line

  • The jets involved in the latest incursion briefly crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer, according to a map provided by Taiwan’s defense ministry

TAIPEI: Forty-three Chinese air force planes crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line in the past 24 hours, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Monday, as Beijing continues its military activities close to the Chinese-claimed island.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said it had conducted “strike drills” in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically-governed island and the United States.
Taiwan, which strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims, said the drills showed Beijing was destroying regional peace and trying to cow Taiwan’s people.
The jets involved in the latest incursion briefly crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer, according to a map provided by Taiwan’s defense ministry. Seven Chinese navy ships were also detected near Taiwan, the ministry said.
Taiwan sent unspecified combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese planes, while missile systems monitored their flight, the ministry said, using standard wording for its response.
China has stepped up pressure in recent years on the self-governed island to accept Beijing’s rule. Taiwan’s government says it wants peace but will defend itself if attacked.

 

 

 


After 17 days trapped in tunnel, India workers say hope kept them alive

After 17 days trapped in tunnel, India workers say hope kept them alive
Updated 11 sec ago
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After 17 days trapped in tunnel, India workers say hope kept them alive

After 17 days trapped in tunnel, India workers say hope kept them alive
  • 41 low-wage workers were stuck in 4.5 km tunnel since it collapsed on Nov. 12
  • A thin pipe was used to deliver air, food, water and electricity to trapped men

SILKYARA TUNNEL, India: After 17 days trapped inside a collapsed Himalayan road tunnel they were building, Indian workers described the horror of their ordeal, and the hopes and prayers that kept them strong.
“We were really scared, every moment felt that death was standing nearby,” rescued worker Deepak Kumar told AFP on Wednesday. “We were not sure whether our lives would be saved or not.”
The men were welcomed as heroes after being hauled through 57 meters (187 feet) of steel pipe on stretchers specially fitted with wheels late Tuesday, the culmination of a marathon engineering operation.
Draped in garlands of orange marigolds, they were greeted with wild cheers.
“The world is again beautiful for us,” rescued worker Sabah Ahmad told AFP, describing the heartache of hearing his wife’s “worried and hopeless” voice while he was trapped.
“I know it was a difficult moment for those inside and more difficult for families outside,” said Ahmad, who comes from Bihar, one of India’s poorest states.
“But at last we have come out, and it is the only thing that matters.”
His wife Musarrat Jahan, speaking to AFP by phone from Bihar, said that “no words” could explain how happy she felt.
“Not only my husband got a new life, we also got a new life,” she said. “We will never forget it.”
On Wednesday, the workers were flown by helicopter for a full hospital check-up — and handed cheques by state authorities of $1,200, nearly half a year’s pay — before they will travel home.
Previous hopes of reaching the men were repeatedly dashed by falling debris and the breakdown of multiple drilling machines, and the men spoke of how hard it had been to keep their spirits up.
“It was not easy,” Kumar said. “After three or four days inside the collapsed tunnel, and the rescue team had failed to reach us, the reality is that our confidence and faith were at a low level.”
Most of the trapped men are migrant workers who left home to find employment, working on the Silkyara tunnel in northern Uttarakhand state, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from home high up in the bitterly cold Himalayan foothills.
Rescue teams had set up a telephone exchange to allow families far from the site to call in.
“I told my family, ‘I am fine and healthy, do not worry, everything will be all right, we will come out soon’,” Kumar said.
“But while I was saying these words to them, sometimes I felt strongly that I will never be able to see my parents.”
Guriya Devi, wife of rescued worker Sushil Kumar, told AFP that the family had “passed through horrible times, and sometimes we lost hope.”
Chamra Oraon, 32, from Jharkhand state, described the horror he felt when he heard a thud and debris began to fall deep inside the tunnel on November 12 — and the terror as the rock fall blocked the only route out with tons of rubble.
“I ran for my life but got stuck on the wrong side,” he told the Indian Express newspaper. “As it became clear we would be there for a long time, we grew restless, hungry. But we prayed silently for help.”
Subodh Kumar Verma told AFP how the first 24 hours in the tunnel were the worst, when they feared they could starve to death — if their air did not run out first.
“We faced problems related to food and air for 24 hours there,” Verma said.
But morale was boosted after rescue teams managed to connect a thin pipe through to them, bringing in oxygen.
Initially, it was only small packets of puffed rice and seeds, but days later, the tube was widened to be able to send proper meals of lentils and rice, packed into plastic bottles and sent down the chute.
“After food items were sent through pipes things improved,” said Verma.
But keeping busy while waiting for rescue was tough, with the workers playing games on their phones — which they could charge as power had remained.
“We immersed ourselves in Ludo on the phone,” Oraon said. “We spoke among ourselves and got to know each other.”
Though trapped, the men had plenty of space in the tunnel, with the area inside 8.5 meters high and stretching about two kilometers in length.
Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, who had been advising the engineers, said he had heard the men had been keeping busy “playing cricket” as they waited for rescue.
That finally came on Tuesday. After a giant earth-boring drill was snapped by metal girders buried in the rubble, a team of miners dug the final section by hand using a so-called “rat-hole” technique inside a narrow tube.
Indian media dubbed the diggers “rock stars.”
“Knights in Mining Armor,” the Times of India called them. “Ace of Spades.”


Japan relaxes visa requirements for Saudi nationals

Japan relaxes visa requirements for Saudi nationals
Updated 29 November 2023
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Japan relaxes visa requirements for Saudi nationals

Japan relaxes visa requirements for Saudi nationals
  • The scheme will come into effect on Dec. 4

Japan on Wednesday announced the relaxation of visa requirements for Saudi nationals, introducing multiple-entry visa schemes for Saudis who meet certain financial requirements.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the new visa was introduced for short-term stays for the purpose of tourism, business, and visiting relatives or friends. It will be granted for a period of 90 days with a validity of three years.

The scheme will come into effect on Dec. 4, and will require applicants to visit the embassy or consulate-general in order to submit their application.

“We hope the several visa relaxation measures the Government of Japan has taken will make the relationship between the people of Japan and Saudi Arabia closer and deeper,” the embassy said in a statement.

This story was originally published in Japanese on Arab News Japan

 


Ukraine says downed 21 drones, missiles in overnight attacks

Ukraine says downed 21 drones, missiles in overnight attacks
Updated 29 November 2023
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Ukraine says downed 21 drones, missiles in overnight attacks

Ukraine says downed 21 drones, missiles in overnight attacks
  • Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last winter left millions in the cold and dark for extended periods

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraine said Wednesday that its air force had destroyed nearly two dozen Russian attack drones and several missiles in Moscow’s latest aerial assault on targets across the country.
Officials in Kyiv say Russian forces have been stockpiling drones and missiles for systematic attacks on Ukraine’s struggling energy grid over winter months.
“In total, the strike involved: 21 Shahed-136/131 strike drones; three X-59 guided missiles,” Ukraine’s airforce announced on social media, claiming to have downed all the drones and two of the missiles.
It said it used fighter jets, anti-aircraft and mobile air defense units to down the drones and missiles in southern and central regions of Ukraine.
It added that the third missile, which was not downed, did not reach its target. There was no immediate comment from the Russian side.
Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last winter left millions in the cold and dark for extended periods.
The Kremlin said Kyiv was ultimately responsible for not entering negotiations.


US military aircraft crashes in sea off Japan killing at least one

US military aircraft crashes in sea off Japan killing at least one
Updated 30 min 25 sec ago
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US military aircraft crashes in sea off Japan killing at least one

US military aircraft crashes in sea off Japan killing at least one
  • Witnesses say the aircraft’s left engine appeared to be on fire as it approached an airport for an emergency landing

TOKYO: A US military aircraft carrying six people crashed into the sea in western Japan on Wednesday, killing at least one crew member with the condition of at least two hauled from waters unclear.

Japan’s coast guard said it found what appeared to be wreckage from the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey and one person who was later confirmed to have died some 3km from Yakushima island.

Fishing boats in the area found three people in the surrounding waters, a representative of a local fisheries cooperative said, adding their condition was unknown.

Another Osprey landed safely at the island’s airport on Wednesday afternoon around the time of the crash, a spokesperson for the local government said.

US forces in the region were still gathering information, a spokesperson said.

The United States has about 54,000 US troops in Japan, many in the strategically important southern island chain, amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The crash happened just before 3 p.m. (0600 GMT) with witnesses saying the aircraft’s left engine appeared to be on fire as it approached an airport for an emergency landing, despite clear weather and light wind, media reported.

The coast guard corrected the number of people on board the plane to six from an initially announced eight.

Yakushima is in Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture, some 1,040km southwest of the capital Tokyo and known for its World Heritage-accredited wildlife and forests.

Japan, which also operates Osprey aircraft, said on Wednesday it had no plans to ground the aircraft but had asked the US military to investigate the crash.

Developed jointly by Boeing and Bell Helicopter, the Osprey can fly both like a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft and is operated by the US Marines, US Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The deployment of the Osprey in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it is prone to accidents. The US military and Japan say it is safe.

In August, a US Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia while transporting troops during a routine military exercise, killing three US Marines.

Another crash-landed in the ocean off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa in December 2016, prompting a temporary US military grounding of the aircraft.


Gangs, extortion in Bangladesh camps driving Rohingya sea exodus

Gangs, extortion in Bangladesh camps driving Rohingya sea exodus
Updated 29 November 2023
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Gangs, extortion in Bangladesh camps driving Rohingya sea exodus

Gangs, extortion in Bangladesh camps driving Rohingya sea exodus
  • Rohingya escape escalating brutality in the camps in and around Cox’s Bazar
  • Bangladesh defense ministry identifies at least 11 armed groups operating in the camps

LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia: Holding his son’s hand in a temporary shelter in Indonesia, Rohingya Mohamed Ridoi says he made the dangerous 12-day sea journey from massive refugee camps in Bangladesh to escape the pervasive threats of kidnapping, extortion and murder.
The 27-year-old said he was starting a “peaceful life” in a temporary shelter in Indonesia’s western Aceh Province, where more than 1,000 Rohingya people have arrived this month, the largest such influx since 2015.
He and others said they fled escalating brutality in the camps in and around Cox’s Bazar, which hold more than one million people and where gangs regularly abduct and torture residents for ransom.
“One of the groups kidnapped me and demanded 500,000 Bangladeshi taka ($4,551) to buy their guns,” Ridoi, who left with his wife, two children and his brother, said.
“They told me that if I couldn’t give them the money, they would kill me.”
He said he eventually paid 300,000 taka for his release last month and, within weeks, he was on a boat to Indonesia, arriving on November 21.
“We are not safe in Bangladesh. That is why I decided to go to Indonesia to save me and my family’s life,” he said.
Having first fled state-backed persecution in Myanmar — including a 2017 crackdown that is subject to a UN genocide probe — the refugees now find themselves pushed to undertake weeks-long journeys of more than 1,800 kilometers on packed, rickety boats.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and says it is not compelled to take in refugees from Myanmar, but neighboring countries have shut their doors, meaning they have almost no other options.
More than half a dozen boats have arrived in Aceh since November 14, and monitors say more are on their way, despite some locals turning arriving boats back to sea and stepping up patrols on the coast.
Human Rights Watch reported this year that criminal gangs and alleged affiliates of Islamist armed groups were causing fear at night in the Bangladesh refugee camps, which now number more than two dozen.
The Bangladesh defense ministry has identified at least 11 armed groups operating in the camps, but rights groups say Dhaka is not doing enough to protect refugees from the violence.
These gangs, vying for control and involved in activities like drug smuggling and human trafficking, have specifically targeted Rohingya community leaders and activists.
Aisha, 19, arrived in Aceh on the same boat as Ridoi with two children and her husband.
“They asked for money every night, threatening to abduct my husband. I couldn’t sleep at night because of them,” she said via an interpreter.
Bangladesh police say about 60 Rohingya people have been killed in violence in the camps this year.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW, said it appeared the Bangladeshi government “doesn’t care” about the refugees’ fate.
“The bottom line is the Bangladesh government just wants all the Rohingya to go back to Myanmar as soon as possible — even if (it) means subjecting the refugees to conditions of absolute misery in the camps so that they leave.”
Aisha, the young mother, said fear of the criminals pushed her family to pay 200,000 taka ($1,819) to illegal middlemen for her family’s boat journey to Indonesia, despite the risks.
Aisha said she preferred to “die at sea than in the camp.”
“I looked for a safe place for my children, hoping they could study and get an education,” she said.
Chris Lewa, director of Rohingya rights organization the Arakan Project, said food shortages were also worsening camp conditions and entire families were now leaving, instead of just groups of young men as seen previously.
“Now, the profile is different, now we have many families. Before there was not many,” she said.
“Nowadays we see small children, there are many families making their way. They just want to be away from Bangladesh.”
Aisha and her children now share a windowless room in a shelter in the Aceh city of Lhokseumawe with more than a hundred other women and minors, sleeping on mats on the floor without a fan in the tropical heat.
Aisha said that it was still much better than living in fear in the Bangladesh camp.
Ridoi also hoped that his decision to bring his family to Indonesia would bring a better life for his sons.
“I am not qualified to be a doctor or engineer, but I am doing my best to make them one,” he said.
“My children are everything to me.”