TOKYO: Two Chinese ships entered waters around islands at the centre of a dispute with Japan yesterday. The two Chinese coastguard vessels sailed into the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters around the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands — which Beijing calls the Diaoyus — early in the morning, the Japanese coastguard said. Japan annexed what it says were the unclaimed islands in 1895. Beijing maintains that the islands have been its territory for hundreds of years and were illegally snatched by Tokyo at the start of an acquisitive drive across Asia that culminated in the Second World War.
‘Duck’ finds new home in Taiwan
TAIPEI: A Dutch artist’s now-famous giant yellow duck found a new temporary home yesterday, this time in Taiwan, but an approaching typhoon could ruffle the inflatable’s feathers. Thousands of people watched and cheered as Florentijn Hofman’s 18-metre-tall duck — a slightly larger version of the one that captivated Hong Kong recently — was inaugurated at a dock of Kaohsiung harbour. “We hope people visiting here can feel the strength of happiness and love delivered by the duck,” mayor Chen Chu said at the noisy and colourful opening ceremony featuring musical performances and tug boats spraying water. The giant bath-toy replica will be on display for a month.
Vietnam firm to fire 14,000 workers
HANOI: Vietnam’s debt-swamped state-run shipbuilder Vinashin has said it will axe some 14,000 jobs as part of a restructuring that will see it shed 70 percent of its workforce. The company collapsed in 2010 under $4bn in debts. Vinashin currently employs some 26,000 staff.
Agencies
