Russian visas angers Tokyo..[ 2062 ]

Trio's isle visit on Russian visas angers Tokyo

The Japan Times,,Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Kyodo) Three Japanese men Saturday defied government guidance by traveling to one of the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido on Russian visas.

Disputed isle: Ships are shown docked at Furukamappu port on disputed Kunashiri Island off Hokkaido on Saturday. KYODO PHOTO

The government's position is that traveling under such terms implies Japan recognizes Moscow's jurisdiction over the islands, which Tokyo lost during the war and wants returned.

One of the men who went to Kunashiri Island admitted knowing of the government's request to refrain from using Russian visas but said he has gone there repeatedly nonetheless.

The three, who were wearing surgical masks and appeared to be in their 50s and 60s, are believed to be involved in the fisheries industry in Nemuro, Hokkaido.

"It's quite regrettable," Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told reporters in Tokyo early Sunday.

"We will give them a stern warning as soon as they return to Japan."

The men flew to Kunashiri on Saturday afternoon from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of Sakhalin in the Russian Far East, and are expected to leave Tuesday.

"I know about the request that we refrain" from making visits on Russian visas, said the man by phone.

"I have been here repeatedly."

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The four disputed islands — Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group — were seized by the Soviet Union shortly after Japan's surrender in World War II.

The territorial row has prevented Japan and Russia from concluding a postwar peace treaty, with Japan calling for the return of the islands.

Last November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Kunashiri, becoming the first leader from Moscow to set foot on any of the disputed islands.

Moscow has since intensified efforts to make apparent its control of the islands with visits by other Russian officials to the region.

NASA Image of thr Day, Jan 31st., ..[ 2061 ]

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

The Glare of the Sun

This view of Antares, the Apollo 14 Lunar Module as it sat on the moon's Frau Mauro Highlands, reflects a circular flare caused by the brilliant sun. 

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The unusual ball of light was said by the astronauts to have a jewel-like appearance. At extreme left, the lower slope of Cone Crater can be seen. 

 

Image Credit: NASA

Δευτέρα, 31 Ιανουάριος 2011 7:00:00 πμ

Freed after month trapped in ice..[ 2060 ]

Russian vessel freed after month trapped in ice

Associated Press January 30, 2011 07:55 AM Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

 07:55 PST MOSCOW, Russia (AP) --

The Russian Transport Ministry says two icebreakers have freed a large fish-processing ship that had been trapped in ice off the country's far eastern coast since New Year's Eve.

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The Ministry said Sunday the ship has been towed to open water in the Sea of Okhotsk.

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The Sodruzhestvo was the last of three ships that became trapped on Dec. 31. It was the most difficult to free because it is wider than the path an icebreaker can clear.

Previous rescue operations had been impeded by heavy winds and poor visibility.

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When the ships became trapped, the Transport Ministry said all had adequate supplies of food and water and the crews were not in danger.

Egypt in crisis..[ 2059 ]

Egypt in crisis as Mubarak meets commanders

CAIRO | Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:27am EST

 

Click on the photo and see 40  more

Photo  : By Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh

Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak speaks with his newly-named Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo in this video frame grab taken January 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Egyptian State TV via Reuters TV

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Hosni Mubarak, clinging to power despite unprecedented demands for an end to his 30-year rule, met on Sunday with the powerful military which is widely seen as holding the key to Egypt's future.
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Mubarak held talks with Vice President Omar Suleiman, whose appointment on Saturday has possibly set the scene for a transition in power, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Chief of Staff Sami al-Anan and other senior commanders.

 

Photo  : By Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh

An earthquake of unrest is shaking Mubarak's authoritarian grip on power and the high command's support is vital as other pillars of his ruling apparatus crumble, analysts said.
Egyptians faced lawlessness on their streets on Sunday with security forces and ordinary people trying to stop looters after five days of popular protest.
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Through the night, Cairo residents armed with clubs, chains and knives formed vigilante groups to guard neighborhoods from marauders after the unpopular police force withdrew following clashes with protesters that left more than 100 dead.
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The capital's streets were mostly deserted, with the army guarding the Interior Ministry, and citizens putting their trust in the military, hoping they would restore order but not open fire to keep key U.S. ally Mubarak, 82, in power.
Amidst a heavy military presence, up to 4,000 people gathered in Tahrir Square, which has become a rallying point to express anger at poverty, repression and corruption in the Arab world's most populous nation.
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"Hosni Mubarak, Omar Suleiman, both of you are agents of the Americans," shouted protesters, referring to the appointment of intelligence chief Suleiman as vice president, the first time Mubarak has appointed a deputy in 30 years of office.
It was the position Mubarak held before he become president and many saw the appointment as ending his son Gamal's long-predicted ambitions to take over.
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"Mubarak, Mubarak, the plane awaits," demonstrators said.
Sunday is normally a working day in Egypt but banks and financial markets were shut. The bourse and the central bank said they would stay closed on Monday.
The unprecedented turmoil has sent shock waves through the Middle East, where other autocratic rulers may face similar challenges, and unsettled financial markets around the globe.

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ARMY KEY TO EGYPT'S FUTURE

The protests bore many hallmarks of the unrest that toppled the leader of Tunisia two weeks ago, although the arrival of army troops to replace the police showed that Mubarak still has the support of the military, the country's most powerful force.
So far, the protest movement seems to have no clear leader or organization even if Mubarak did wish to open a dialogue.

Egypt : chaos and violence in Cairo on Saturday ..[ 2058 ]

Defiance on Cairo streets as protesters 'lose fear'

CNN.,, January 29, 2011 12:08 p.m. EST

Gunshots erupt in Cairo

(CNN) -- Defiance and hope replaced Friday's scenes of widespread chaos and violence in Cairo on Saturday but at least five people were reported dead in clashes between police and protesters outside the Interior Ministry building.

CNN's Ian Lee said a "firefight" was going on around the ministry as protesters attempted to charge the building.

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Lee said he had seen one protester shot in the head as police cordoned off the area and fired shots down side streets. At least five people died from gunshot wounds, according to a physician at a triage center in a Cairo mosque.

CNN's Frederick Pleitgen said the Interior Ministry building was a symbol of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's regime and had become a "flashpoint" for confrontations between protesters and security forces.

Earlier, tens of thousands of protesters were "losing their fear" and taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers, emboldened by rumors that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak may soon step down, Pleitgen said.

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Crowds marching past CNN's bureau in downtown Cairo held signs that said "Adios Mubarak" and "America it's time to do the right thing."

"Nothing short of a complete change is what they want, and there are no signs of them dispersing," said Pleitgen.

On streets where demonstrators had police clashed on Friday, protesters shook hands with soldiers and shouted "The people and the military, we are one."

"What we've seen from these crowds is an immense respect from the crowd for military members, unlike anything we saw before," said Pleitgen.

"If this was a line of police officers and not military members, then certainly you would have violence."

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Thousands marching along the Corniche on the banks of the Nile towards Tahrir Square chanted "Down with Mubarak!" Others shouted "We are all Egyptians."

"There is a very, very large and peaceful movement throughout this country -- something that President Mubarak cannot shut his eyes to," said Pleitgen.

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Protests in Alexandria mirrored those in Cairo, according to CNN's Nic Robertson, with up to 5,000 people marching through Egypt's second-largest city.

Families carrying their children and signs reading "Get out Mubarak" and "Saudi Arabia is waiting for you, you should leave" walked peacefully past soldiers.

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"People are very concerned about what happens next, they're concerned about the violence," reported Robertson from Alexandria. "What we're seeing is an effort to maintain the momentum, but the volatility doesn't match what we saw on Friday."