Philippines stops research survey in disputed sea amid China’s ‘harassment’
The Philippines says it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after its fisheries vessels faced “dangerous harassment” and aggressive behaviour from China’s coastguard and navy.
The Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday that three Chinese coastguard vessels and four smaller boats made “aggressive manoeuvres” towards two Philippine Bureau of Fisheries inflatable boats that were on their way to collect sand samples from Sandy Cay near the Philippine-occupied Thitu island on Friday.
A Chinese navy helicopter also hovered at an “unsafe altitude” over those craft, it said.
The two countries have been engaging in a long-running series of escalating confrontations in disputed waters of the South China Sea for years. China claims almost all of the strategic waterway, through which $3 trillion of commerce moves annually, overlapping with claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
That claim has been declared as without basis by the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague, a decision Beijing does not recognise.
“As a result of this continuous harassment and the disregard for safety exhibited by the Chinese maritime forces”, survey operations were suspended, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
Despite the “dangerous confrontations”, no accidents occurred, the coastguard added.
In its own statement, China Coast Guard said China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including Sandy Cay – which China calls Tiexian Reef – and that it had intercepted two Philippine vessels and driven them away in accordance with law.
China Coast Guard said the Philippine vessels had entered waters near Tiexian Reef without permission and attempted to “illegally” land on the reef to collect sand samples.
Thitu lies about 430km (267 miles) from the major Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 900km (560 miles) from China’s nearest major landmass of Hainan island.
Chinese forces have garrisoned the Subi Reef near Thitu.
Also on Friday, Philippine forces resupplied and rotated without incident troops manning a derelict navy vessel grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratlys, the foreign affairs department said.
Manila had deliberately grounded the vessel, Sierra Madre, on the reef to assert its claim over the area.
The Philippine government raised the alarm this month over Chinese coastguard ships patrolling closer to the main Filipino island of Luzon, calling it an “intimidation tactic” by Beijing to discourage Filipino fishing.
China rejected the allegation, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the patrols were “in accordance with the law”.
Manila and Beijing agreed during a round of talks on January 16 to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea.
Source: Al Jazeera
Protests in Slovakia after Prime Minister Fico tilts towards Russia
Tens of thousands of people protested across Slovakia amid growing anger over Prime Minister Robert Fico’s apparent push for closer ties with Russia.
Friday’s rallies, which saw up to 60,000 people gathering in Bratislava, marked the latest show of public anger against Fico whose visit to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin last month prompted a series of protests.
Civic group Mier Ukrajine – “Peace for Ukraine” – said it called the rallies in defence of “democracy”, following the prime minister’s remarks on switching Slovakia’s foreign policy and leaving the European Union and NATO.
“We do not want to be with Russia … We want to be in the European Union, we want to be NATO and we want to stay that way,” protester Frantisek Valach said in Bratislava.
On Friday, tensions escalated after the prime minister’s left-wing nationalist government accused organisers and political opponents of attempting a “coup d’etat” in league with an unspecified group of foreigners.
Fico, who was wounded in an attack by a gunman last year, alleged that a group of unidentified experts present in Slovakia had assisted protests in Ukraine in 2014 and Georgia last year, linking his claims to a secret report from the country’s intelligence services, known as SIS.
He did not present specific evidence but publicly said the opposition planned to occupy government buildings, block roads, organise a nationwide strike and provoke clashes with police forces as part of plans to overthrow his government.
Opposition parties have sought a no-confidence vote against Fico’s government, but Fico has so far looked set to survive the vote as he maintains a thin majority.
Friday’s protests neared levels seen in 2018 when the murder of Jan Kuciak, a journalist investigating high-level corruption, forced Fico’s resignation.
Fico’s private trip to Moscow in December saw him hold talks with Putin, a rare encounter for an EU leader since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
He has been in open dispute with Ukraine after Kyiv halted the transit of Russian gas supplies heading to Slovakia on January 1, and has threatened to end humanitarian aid in retaliation.
“Mr Fico is very aggressive and that disturbs me. He has lost all sense and should quit public life,” said Jozef Betak, a 49-year-old telecoms specialist, at the protest. “We can’t stay silent, otherwise nothing will change.”
Source: Al Jazeera
Hamas releases four Israeli soldiers held in Gaza as part of ceasefire deal
Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement, handing them over to Red Cross officials in Palestine Square in Gaza City.
In exchange for the second release of the captives on Saturday, Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Ahead of the release, scores of masked Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters gathered at the square where a large crowd of Palestinians also congregated.
In addition to hundreds of Hamas members, other Palestinian factions, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are also present at the site.
Representatives of the Red Cross and a Hamas fighter were seen signing documents ahead of the release.
Hamas identified the four female Israeli soldiers as Karina Riev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. The four captives, who were in Israeli military uniforms, waved to the crowd as they were released.
Ibrahim Al Khaliji, reporting for Al Jazeera from Palestine Square, described the release as a “historic moment”.
In Tel Aviv, a crowd cheered as it watched the release on a big screen.
As part of the deal, Israeli forces are also expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza.
Israel is also expected to open the Rafah border crossing in the south for more humanitarian aid and other commercial supplies to enter.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza’s al-Bureij refugee camp, said many Palestinians consider Saturday’s exchange of captives and prisoners as more important as it will pave the way for their return to northern Gaza.
Source: Al Jazeera