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Friday, May 11, 2012

Air War in Southeast Asia (tension between China & Philippines)

Not decreasing the tension between China and the Philippines on a territorial dispute in the South China Sea which commits the two countries in a situation dangerous stall diplomatic / military that has gone on for almost a month. The Chinese authorities have suspended tourism trips to the Philippines and in Manila warned Chinese citizens to stay away from the streets of the city in anticipation of a massive anti-Chinese demonstration planned for this weekend. Beijing has also formally warned that Manila will be held responsible for the safety of Chinese citizens in the Philippines accused the Philippine government to encourage the growing wave of popular anti-Chinese. To exacerbate tensions between the two countries and fomenting nationalism on both sides were the hardest editorial appeared in the Chinese press, which state that China was also ready for war in order to defend what it considers its legitimate maritime spaces. The diplomatic row between the two countries began last month when a Philippine warship tried to stop Chinese vessels were fishing near the Scarborough Shoal, a remote lagoon in the South China Sea is considered by Beijing to Manila to be part integral of their respective territories. The various territorial disputes in the South China Sea area have re-emerged strongly in recent years because of increasing demands and aggressive Chinese waters which are of strategic importance to all nations of Southeast Asia. Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam all have open disputes with Beijing. The territorial conflict between these countries are not new. In the past, diplomatic but also military clashes have already inflamed and sometimes the rich waters of the South China Sea that are home to many oil and gas fields that are coveted by all the growing economies of South-East Asia. The United States, although publicly they seem to be trying to distance themselves from the territorial disputes in the region, are supplying the allied countries in the area of ​​weapons and military instruction that caused the anger and concern of the Chinese government. Recently, Washington has engaged in military exercises with Vietnam and the Philippines which China has responded by participating in a massive war game with the Russian navy in the waters west of Japan. In an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to tensions regional ASEAN (the Association of South-East Asian Nations) has set a deadline for reaching an agreement by next July, when Thailand will assume the leadership of the organization in rotation . Political analysts, however, believe there is little hope that the nations of Southeast Asia to agree quickly on the creation of a binding code of conduct setting out clear of maritime boundaries. China always prefers a bilateral approach to resolve its disputes to fully exploit its economic and political and other countries aim to reach a compromise through the ASEAN groped pressure to limit the instruments in the hands of Beijing. According to political analysts, China will try to make ASEAN binding resolutions do not come out but only a weak and ambiguous statement of intent. The diplomats of the Philippines and Vietnam but they would be lobbying the Thai government to force him to confront the issue head-on when taking over the leadership of ASEAN. Tensions between China and the Philippines may be a consequence of the ongoing diplomatic battle between the nations of Southeast Asia. Showing the muscles Beijing was seeking to influence policy discussions with the aim to ease the pressure on his position. The Philippines, strong military alliance with the United States, does not seem to have intention to sell even at the risk of feeding a worrying escalation of tensions. 

Syria: At least 70 dead in double suicide bombing in Damascus


Two bomb attacks, the deadliest since the uprising began in Syria in March 2011, made Thursday at least 70 dead and over 400 injured in the capital Damascus, according to the Syrian Ministry of Interior .The double suicide bombing targeted a military intelligence building. The blasts took place in Damascus around 7:50 in the arrival time in office. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 1,000 kilograms of explosives were used in the double attack. According to an AP reporter at the scene, members of the medical services were collecting human remains in the streets, cars and trucks were visible around smoking. The outer wall of the building collapsed. The attacks have not been claimed, but the Syrian authorities have blamed on "terrorists". The head of UN observers, General Robert Mood of Norway, visited on site, saying that the Syrian people did not deserve "terrible violence". "That will not solve problems", he answered the question of his message to those who had perpetrated the attacks. "It will only create additional suffering to women and children." Damascus has already been the scene of attacks since the beginning of the uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian authorities say they are the work of "terrorists" that they claim are behind the insurgency. For its part, the opposition regularly accuses the regime of orchestrating the attacks. Moreover, New York, the Syrian ambassador to the UN said there was an explosion in Aleppo when the attacks were perpetrated in Damascus. Bashar Ja'afari said that the explosion in the morning, had also "civilian casualties and significant damage".

France: Hollande salary cuts of 30%

Francois Hollande part on the right foot. Among the first measures that it adopts  May 15,  after taking office at the Elysee, will be 'reduced to 30% of the salary, which his predecessor had more' than doubled from the original 7,000 euros in 2007. Hollande will earn 'little more' than 13,000 euros a month compared with more than 19,000 of Nicolas Sarkozy. The same cut will be 'the salaries of MPs and ministers.

Indonesia: 45 dead in crash superjet

No survivors after a devastating impact against the front side of the mountain. After the initial hopes of finding the Russian aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100 died yesterday in South Jakarta with 45 people on board, this morning relief could not help but see the disaster of the new flagship of Russian civil aviation. The Foreign Ministry has denied the presence of Italian, Russian news agency reported yesterday. The mystery remains about the causes of the accident.

Hollande Merkel will meet on the day of his taking possession


The new French president, Francois Hollande, is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday May 15 afternoon in Berlin, a few hours after taking office. Both leaders have a working lunch and then offer a press conference . The expected event has attracted the attention of the media that speculated with the possibility that the meeting took place on 16 May as the day before Hollande took office. But the president will not take even 24 hours in talking with the German leader on the future of Europe. Hollande wants to reopen negotiations on the European fiscal pact which seeks to include measures to encourage growth. Although German Chancellor has already warned that the renegotiation of the pact is impossible because the control of public spending and deficit reduction are, in their opinion, prescriptions for economic recovery in the Eurozone. Merkel said yesterday that the majority of citizens agree that "the crisis will be a long process" and that must be addressed to overcome structural problems in some European countries, as "catastrophic debt"or "lack of competitiveness." Three days later, on Friday May 18, Hollande visit Barack Obama in the White House and then meet with the other G8 leaders at Camp David near Washington, according to diplomatic sources have confirmed.

Election trend in Greece: radical left would be the strongest party

According to a representative survey by the pollster Mark, the Greek TV station Alpha on the outcome of the Thursday night broadcast, SYRIZA would get 23.8 percent of the vote.In the election on 6May had no party achieved an absolute majority.after losing to the survey, the conservative New Democracy (ND) slightly from 18.85 to 17.4 percent.The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) fell to 10.8 percent (13,18) and the Independent Greeks (AE) to 8.7 percent (10.6).The Communists (KKE) would get 6.0 percent (8.48 percent), the fascist Golden Dawn (ChryssiAvgi) 4.9 percent (7) and the Democratic Left (Dimar) 4.2 percent (6.11)