Watch: Chinese coastguard slammed after blasting Philippines research ship with water cannon
The Chinese coastguard has been slammed for its "aggressive interference' after it blasted a Philippines research ship with water canons.
Video footage shows the Chinese vessel sidesweeping a much smaller Philippines ship in the South China Sea, in what Manilla's fisheries bureau said put the crews' 'lives at risk'.
Panicked crew onboard the Philippine ship can be heard shouting as the Chinese vessel draws closer and closer.
Filipino officials said the incident 'occurred within the territorial sea of the Philippines' as the ships were collecting sand samples from Sandy Cay.
Meanwhile, the Chinese coastguard said two Philippine vessels had illegally entered waters and ignored warnings from Beijing about coming too close to the Chinese ships, which it said it was conducting regular law enforcement operations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong faces second charge under national security law
HONG KONG, June 6 (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities once again arrested prominent activist Joshua Wong on Friday and charged him with conspiracy to collude with a foreign country under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Wong, 28, was originally set to be released in January 2027 from a 56-month jail sentence he is serving under the same law for conspiracy to commit subversion after he participated in an unofficial primary election. Taken to the West Kowloon magistrates' courts, Wong faced a new charge of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security. The former student pro-democracy activist, who wore a blue shirt and appeared noticeably thinner than before, replied, "Understand," when the clerk read out the charge and details of the offence. Wong did not apply for bail, and the case was adjourned to August 8. Before returning to custody, he waved, shrugged, and shook his head in the direction of the public gallery. In a statement, Hong Kong's national security police said they had arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of the offence, as well as for "dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence". A charge sheet seen by Reuters accuses Wong of having conspired with exiled activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organizations, or individuals outside China to impose sanctions or blockades. Such actions against Hong Kong or China, along with other hostile activities targeting them, took place in 2020, between July 1 and November 23, it added. The National Security Law, which punishes offences such as acts of subversion, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorism, with terms of up to life in jail, was imposed by Beijing on the former British colony in 2020. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say the law is necessary to restore stability following anti-government protests in 2019. But some Western governments have criticised it as being used to suppress free speech and dissent.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong charged under Beijing-imposed security law for second time
Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong on Friday was charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under a Beijing-imposed law that critics say has crushed Hong Kong's once-thriving pro-democracy movement. The prosecution was the second time Wong has been charged under the sweeping national security law. He was already convicted in a separate subversion case linked to an unofficial primary election and is serving a sentence of four years and eight months. The prosecution accused Wong, 28, of conspiring with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organizations and individuals outside of China to impose sanctions or blockades, or engage in other hostile actions, against Hong Kong and China. They also said he disrupted the formulation and implementation of laws and policies by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, and that the act was likely to have serious consequences. The alleged offense occurred between July 2020 and November 2020. The prosecution didn't elaborate on the accusations in court. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. After hearing the charge in court, Wong, who wore a blue shirt and was visibly thinner, said he 'understood' the charge. The case was adjourned to August. National security police arrested Wong in Stanley, an area in southern Hong Kong, over the national security charge and also on suspicion of 'dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense," police said in a statement. Wong rose to fame in Hong Kong in 2012 as a high school student leading protests against the introduction of national education in the city's schools. Two years later, he became world famous as a leader of the Occupy Movement. In 2016, Wong co-founded a political party named 'Demosisto' with fellow young activists Law and Agnes Chow. In the 2019 pro-democracy movement, Wong helped seek overseas support for the protests. His activism led Beijing to label him an advocate of Hong Kong's independence who 'begged for interference' by foreign forces. Demosisto disbanded when Beijing imposed the security law in 2020. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments said the law brought back stability to the city.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster
A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts' long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough. The court said, however, the long-term tsunani prediction was not considered pressing data requiring immediate tsunami measures and it was understandable the executives had no sense of urgency from the data they had at that time, Kyodo News reported. Friday's ruling is a major disappointment for Fukushima residents and anti-nuclear activists seeking the managements' responsibility in nuclear safety. Plaintiffs and their lawyers criticized the ruling as 'unjust' and said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs' lawyer, criticized the ruling as 'logically flawed," saying it means nobody can be held liable for any safety negligence because tsunami and earthquake predictions are still impossible today. A group of more than 40 TEPCO shareholders filed the lawsuit in 2012 demanding five former executives pay the company 22 trillion yen ($153 billion) in damages. The amount of the 2022 ruling against four of the executives was the highest ever ordered in a lawsuit. Japan's top court in March found two former TEPCO executives not guilty of negligence over the Fukushima meltdowns, saying a tsunami of the magnitude that hit the plant was unforeseeable. It was the only criminal trial related to the nuclear accident and the only criminal case related to the nuclear accident.
