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INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 Japan submarine to visit Philippines, other ships to Vietnam TOKYO: A Japanese submarine will make growing concerns about China’s increas- tested reefs into artificial islands capable will also subsequently visit Cam Ranh in the South China Sea after Manila said a port call in the Philippines for the first ing military muscle amid a series of mar- of supporting military facilities. Bay in Vietnam. it would lease five Japanese military time in 15 years while accompanying itime disputes. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan The exercise, joined by some 500 per- planes. Philippine President Benigno naval ships will visit Vietnam’s Cam Ranh China claims almost all the South also claim all or part of the Spratlys chain sonnel including officer candidates, is Aquino said last week that Manila would Bay for the first time ever, Japan’s navy China Sea. It is also embroiled in a sepa- in the Sea, while Vietnam and Taiwan scheduled from Saturday through April lease five TC-90 training aircraft from said. rate row with Japan over disputed have rival claims with China in the 27.It will be the first call at a Philippine Japan to “help our navy patrol our terri- The announcement came days after islands in the East China Sea that has Paracels chain there. port by a Japanese submarine since tory”, pointing to the disputed South China accused its Asian rival of interfer- seen relations sour badly in recent years. The Japanese submarine Oyashio and 2001, while the visit by the escort ships China Sea in particular. ing in the South China Sea. Japan, which Tensions in the South China Sea- two escort vessels will visit Subic Bay in to Cam Ranh Bay will mark a first for China immediately reacted, saying it occupied the Philippines and Vietnam through which one-third of the world’s the Philippines for annual open sea drills, Japan’s navy, the spokesman said. The was “firmly opposed” to challenges to its during World War II, is now strengthen- oil passes-have mounted in recent a spokesman for Japan’s Maritime Staff submarine will not go to Vietnam, he sovereignty and security and would ing relations. All three countries share months since China transformed con- Office confirmed to AFP. The escort ships said. Beijing accused Tokyo of interfering “remain on high alert”.—AFP Kill all the criminals! Duterte’s vote-winning vow in Philippines LINGAYEN: Rodrigo Duterte curses the His unique form of political courage has pope’s mother and jokes about his own extended to insulting Pope Francis, who is infidelities, but many voters in the revered by many in a nation where 80 per- Philippines want to elect him president so cent of the population are Catholics. In a he can honor a campaign pledge to kill speech to launch his presidential bid late thousands of criminals. Duterte is making a last year, Duterte criticized the pope for spectacular, obscenity-filled charge causing traffic jams when he visited the towards the presidential palace by selling Philippines. Duterte, who is in a long-term himself as a ruthless leader willing to relationship with a woman after having his bypass the judicial system in an unprece- first marriage annulled, also admitted then dented war against crime. to having two girlfriends. However Duterte “Kill them all,” Duterte, 70, told a cheer- jokingly assured taxpayers they would not ing crowd of supporters this month at a foot his mistresses’ bills, explaining he only campaign rally in the small northern city of spent 1,500 pesos ($32) a month on their Lingayen as he outlined his plans to eradi- boarding room rent and saved money by cate drug traffickers. “When I become presi- taking them to short-time hotels. dent, I’ll order the police and the military to Carlos said voters were willing to ignore find these people and kill them.” his indiscretions as they focused on his Such comments are typical fare on the track record in Davao, a formerly crime- campaign trail for Duterte, who in Lingayen plagued city that Duterte says he trans- also jokingly gave business advice to those formed into one of the nation’s most in the crowd to start up funeral parlors in peaceful. “Never mind he cusses a lot, he is preparation of him winning the May elec- a womanizer. I don’t think that will intrude into his effectiveness as a political leader,” she said. Duterte also maintains a frugal lifestyle, in contrast with many corrupt Filipino politicians who use the powers of office to enrich themselves. Death squad fears Human rights campaigners are not enthusiastic about a Duterte presidency, PYONGYANG: American student Otto Warmbier, center, is escorted at the Supreme Court.—AP warning he has the track record to back up his rhetoric.They accuse Duterte of organiz- ing or tolerating vigilante squads that have North Korea sentences US targeted suspected criminals and street children in Davao, killing more than 1,000 people since the 1980s. For many years Duterte denied the existence of death tourist to 15 years in prison squads, which were allegedly made up of DAGUPAN: In this photo taken on March local policemen, ex-communist rebels and 2, 2016, shows Davao City Mayor and hired assassins. But Duterte has in recent Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte months said he was involved in them and Tried to steal a propaganda banner raising a clenched fist during his cam- that rights groups had in fact underesti- paign sortie.—AFP mated the number of people to have been PYONGYANG: North Korea’s highest court sen- former President Bill Clinton, whose visit in 2009 been incarcerated since November 2012. killed. “They miscalculated... 1,700,” Duterte tenced an American tourist to 15 years in prison secured the freedom of American journalists Jeffrey Fowle, another US tourist from Ohio tions. “The funeral parlors will be packed... told reporters in December. with hard labor for subversion yesterday, weeks Euna Lee and Laura Ling. detained for six months at about the same time I’ll supply the dead bodies,” he said, to more That law enforcement agencies have after authorities presented him to media and he In November 2014, US spy chief James as Miller, was released just before that and sent cheers and laughter. failed to pursue allegations against Duterte tearfully confessed that he had tried to steal a Clapper went to Pyongyang to bring home home on a US government plane. Fowle left a On a previous occasion Duterte, a is not surprising, according to Philippine propaganda banner. Otto Warmbier, a University Matthew Miller, who had ripped up his visa Bible in a local club hoping a North Korean lawyer, pledged to kill 100,000 criminals Human Rights Commission chairman Chito of Virginia undergraduate, was convicted and when entering the country, and Korean- would find it, which is considered a criminal and dump so many in Manila Bay that the Gascon. Gascon said this was part of the sentenced in a one-hour trial in North Korea’s American missionary Kenneth Bae, who had offense in North Korea. —AP “fish will grow fat” from feeding on them. nation’s “culture of impunity”, where politi- Supreme Court. He was charged with subversion cians and powerful figures often get away under Article 60 of North Korea’s criminal code. Political courage with crimes. Other politicians are also The court held that he had committed a crime Surveys indicate his law-and-order plat- accused of running death squads. “pursuant to the US government’s hostile policy Indian journalists see more form, which is a centerpiece of his election Voters are attracted to Duterte’s promise toward (the North), in a bid to impair the unity of strategy, is winning him many fans in a of a quick fix to such fundamental justice its people after entering it as a tourist.” threats, attacks with PM Modi nation bedeviled by crime, corrupt law problems, according to Gascon and other North Korea regularly accuses Washington NEW DELHI: A newscast on whether India ment from the international Committee to enforcement agencies and deep poverty. rights campaigners. “He is popular because and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its gov- had become intolerant of dissent quickly spi- Protect Journalists. On Friday, Finance Minister The long-time mayor of the major southern he taps into this extreme disappointment in ernment to enable the US-backed South Korean raled into something darker after a guest on Arun Jaitley issued the first government com- city of Davao is one of four candidates with criminality and the inability of the govern- government to take control of the Korean the program referred to a pamphlet that ments condemning the violence surrounding a genuine shot at succeeding President ment to deal with it,” Carlos Conde, a Peninsula. Tensions are particularly high follow- called the Hindu goddess Durga a sex worker. the hearing, saying “it was a terrible exception, Benigno Aquino. And he is gaining popu- Manila-based researcher with Human ing North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket Though the host did not make the remarks, what happened. Normally people in a public larity, climbing into second place just four Rights Watch, said. After losing four sons in launch, and massive joint military exercises now she was accused of disparaging the deity and place find media as their natural ally. The percentage points behind Senator Grace Davao to what she and human rights underway between the US and South Korea that was bombarded with more than 2,500 threat- whole idea of getting the media dragged into Poe, according to the latest survey by Pulse groups believe were the death squads, 62- the North sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion.

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